Granada is a multidirectional shooter game similar to Thunder Force where players assume the role of mercenary Leon Todo taking control of the titular Maneuver Cepter tank unit through eight stages of varying themes set on Africa in order to complete a series of objectives as attempts to fight against the enemies and ultimately end the ongoing conflict in the region. Before starting a new game, players have access to the configuration menu at the title screen, where various settings can be adjusted such as controls and choosing any of the four levels of difficulty, each one applying a different stipulation during gameplay depending on the version that is being played.

The players are situated in a large field full of enemies, obstacles, and enemy generators that may be freely moved upon, unlike most conventional shooter titles and the main goal of each level is to destroy each main enemy signalized as red dots on the HUD located on the bottom right corner of the screen, with the last objective being a boss that must be fought at the end of the stage in order to progress further before the timer runs out. Players can also collect items scattered across the stage to increase their available arsenal.