From Blue Protocol to Zenless Zone Zero, we’ve had our fair number of games getting a bit of censorship before arriving on our shores, and sadly, Granblue Fantasy: Relink isn’t an exception. For those who don’t know, the latest anime-themed action RPG by Cygames censored a few of their characters. While not in a big way, it is something that annoys a few fans. Even if the difference isn’t too big, it’s still noticeable for some. It seems most gamers would love to see their waifus as intended.
What Was Censored in Granblue Fantasy: Relink’s Release?
Several users have done a bit of a sleuthing job on Steam forums and collected evidence regarding the censorship in Granblue Fantasy: Relink. Female characters were the ones who took the hit in this situation. This goes all the way back to the release of the franchise’s fighting games.
As you can see in this thread, there are several shots of characters such as Zeta, Djeeta, and Narmaya getting different designs. What changed the most was the addition of shorts to these characters. Originally, the models showed the underwear, and now that’s covered. While this isn’t something that affects gameplay in any way, some players don’t like this too much.
What is strange, though, and not something I encourage you to do, is that some NPCs in Granblue Fantasy: Relink didn’t suffer from censorship. Many town inhabitants have their underwear models if you are up for some tricky camera work. Heck, Lyria, who many thought would be on the censorship chopping block, wasn’t.
Now, I know there are always two sides to a coin, and even players here want a bit of censorship, and that’s fine. However, other games have found a way to work this out. Genshin Impact changed several outfits but at least allowed players to use the more revealing ones if they wanted, developers could add this option, too.
Ultimately, it comes down to everyone’s taste, and some players don’t mind the censorship. Still, others find it a bit ridiculous, especially if the character was envisioned in a way; why change it? Personally, I don’t mind the changes since it doesn’t affect the character’s original design. But I also understand how fans of the franchise would love to have unmodified characters. Hopefully, the developers will add an option to switch between the two models or add new skins in the future.