Review copy was provided by Nintendo UK.
In 2012 (2013-2014 for those outside of Japan), Bravely Default: Flying Fairy was released for the 3DS. It was a new initiative by Square Enix, well renowned for their JRPGs, to bring a twist to the classic turn-based formula. It was successful enough to spawn a sequel, Bravely Second: End Layer, and grow a large enough fanbase to be considered something of a cult classic. Now, nine years later, Bravely Default II attempts to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor.
Bravely Default
Though nonsensical in English at first glance, the series title is intended to have a meaning. From the words of the writer and producer of the original, to “Bravely Default” is to “have courage to renounce … what is expected of you”. As such, the series boldly wears its conceit, with each game having clever little twists that defy what is expected of JRPGs.
The titular Brave and Default system provides one of the least subtle examples present in the games, being present front and centre in the battles. In addition to the classic JPRG action options such as performing a basic attack or using an item, characters are also provided with the option to Default (Take less damage and not do any actions, but generates Brave Points – BP) or Brave (Consumes BP to perform additional actions in the same turn, up to 4 times). This addition adds a new tactical layer twofold: The often underutilised defend option in turn-based JRPGs becomes a situationally useful tool to not only avoid damage but also to bank up BP when it is not advantageous to attack. Additionally, one can go into BP debt, in which they Brave more than they have enough BP. In this case, the character must then wait helplessly as they regenerate the BP needed passively each turn, but provides an opportunity to, say, revive every other party member to salvage a fight gone wrong.
This desire to defy expectations does not end with the battle system, however. It permeates throughout the original game, with a basic “Save the Crystals” plot that turned to be a front for a more sinister villain, and an eclectic collection of antagonists with nuanced motivations and histories. Bravely Default II does still exhibit these characteristics: Many of the antagonists are still flawed but well intentioned people who end up crossing against your party for one reason or another, and while to comment much on the story would risk running into spoiler territory, the basic save the crystal plot is again developed here beyond surface level. In a sense then, it sounds as if Bravely Default II is a worthy successor to the former. But that’s just surface level examination, and for a series that prides itself on providing hidden depths, we must dig deeper.
Step into the Spotlight
The main character of the game is Seth, or at least that is his default name as the player is free to name him whatever they’d like. He’s a sailor who washed up on a beach and was saved by Gloria, who turned out to be the princess of a fallen kingdom tasked with protecting the four elemental crystals, of which three had been stolen. Soon they encounter Elvis, a man on a quest to collect all the Asterisks – special stones that provide the holder the abilities of classic Final Fantasy jobs – to decipher a journal, and Adelle, his upbeat bodyguard.
Here again the surface level similarities to the original rears its head: The cast follows the same pattern of the first Bravely Default. Two relatively straightforward plain-Jane heroes, one a commoner and the other from a higher station, a dandy man with a mysterious book, and a cheerful fourth member that is more than meets the eye. Fortunately, it isn’t entirely derivative, the characters are well written with extensive relationships with the wider world of Excillant around them, a setting that is original and distinct to that of the first game’s Luxendarc despite, again, containing many of the same tropes and beats.
The game does well to walk on the fine line between bringing back thematic connections and not being too derivative. For example, not all of the antagonists you meet are well intentioned or honourable, or even have a good excuse revealed in their backstory. Some are simply greedy, others stupid, and at least one is just outright psychotic. In a sense then, Bravely Default II provides a fuller spectrum of personalities to encounter, and while not all of them are pleasant or redeemable, they are all written well and with confidence. Character writing is definitely still a strong point of the series, with a wide cast of memorable NPCs to complement the main cast. That said, there’s a prevailing sense that characters have been reigned back, especially compared to Second, and that while still good they lack the punch of the previous cast.
Work Your Magic
Gameplay is another point in which Bravely Default II manages to stand up to its predecessors. The Brave and Default system makes its return, but this time it is accompanied with a classic Final Fantasy mainstay: The ATB. Characters now act on individual initiatives, with faster characters potentially getting more turns than slow ones. This complements the Brave and Default system very well, as now one can react to the enemies much more readily instead of having to predict what the enemy will be doing in the next turn. As a result, the battle system feels more tactical and engaging than ever, and is one point where I would say that Bravely Default II has managed to completely supersede its predecessors.
Where Bravely Default and Second were lauded for its quality of life features such as user-adjustable encounter rates and difficulty settings, Bravely Default II has opted to replace the former with overworld encounters and an item to repel enemies, implementing the option diegetically as part of gameplay. Underleveled enemies also actively run away from the player, making exploration of previously cleared areas a breeze. As such, I don’t think there was a step back in this regard, it was simply implemented differently.
The classic Final Fantasy job system was one of Bravely Default’s draws, with Second adding unique original jobs and uncommon ones to the pile. Bravely Default II comes with something in between, with a roster mostly composed of classic jobs with some rare or unique additions. The usual picks of Mages, Monk, Thief, and others are joined by the Chemist, Gambler and Pictomancer as well as Bravely series originals such as Spiritmaster. Each job comes with passive abilities and specialties, all of which can be mixed and matched to provide a satisfyingly complex optimisation experience which should appeal to those with more affinity towards character building and theorycrafting. To complement this, while unneeded to beat the game in normal mode, or even hard mode, the game does provide avenues for the powergamer to quickly level up jobs and obtain resources to maximize their characters.
Close Those Tired Eyes
Bravely Default II is a visually unrefined game. Whereas its predecessors were lauded as some of the best looking games on the 3DS, Bravely Default II has this feeling of cheapness, that this was a game made by the B team. Cursory examination will give the impression that the game is passable, if not particularly pleasing to the eyes, but put in the hours needed to truly enjoy a classic JRPG and its visual flaws start to get to you.
The most glaring flaw is the lack of anti aliasing. Any sort of closer examination of the overworld environment will reveal jagged edges sticking out of the ground in a vain attempt to approximate grass, crudely stuck on top of coarse ground textures. The issue is mainly apparent when playing docked, while the switch’s own smaller, lower resolution screen helps cover the problem when playing on handheld mode. However the visual issues don’t end there. Attempting to go faster than intended through dialogue in cutscenes result in characters snapping into their next pose, but not without a split second awkward in-between that can be easily spotted instead of a clean reset of their animation.
To add to the game’s visual woes is the UI, with a clunky main menu, unpaginated item list, and ugly battle menu. The option to save is for some reason tucked away within the options menu instead of right on the main menu, though the game does allow the use of the – button as a shortcut to it. The item menu not being paginated, or at least having a way to fast scroll in an RPG where one can potentially accrue hundreds of junk items is a weird design decision at best. Worst of all is the battle menu and UI, with the menu box being too empty and plain, and having the same scrolling issues as the bag menu.
Worst of all however, and perhaps the most baffling omission of them all, is the fact that there are no dungeon maps. Not a single dungeon in this game comes with a map, or even a minimap, making exploration especially in the more maze-like dungeons quite annoying.
All Killer No Filler
Fortunately, while the game is tough on the eyes, it sure isn’t on the ears. Coming back from the original Bravely Default is composer Revo of Linked Horizon, a prolific musician who also composed the wildly popular original Attack on Titan opening. The soundtrack is composed of catchy tunes that complement the scene well, and in some cases even perfectly. The game also carries over a technique from Octopath Traveller (made by the same team) in which the build-up music playing in the cutscene before a boss battle transitions directly into the battle music, which provides an amazing emotional high during boss fights. The special system also makes a return, where upon executing a special attack a character’s theme will override the battle music and provide the party with buffs while the theme is playing, giving the player a strong sense of the tides of the battle turning in their favour.
Right Through Your Fingers
In the end, Bravely Default II is a flawed game. It isn’t entirely better than its predecessors, but it does bring some new things to the table despite having its own issues. Being released on the switch doesn’t help, as in trying to keep with the graphical style of its 3DS predecessors hamper it with being an HD game. Regardless, it is still a great experience for fans of the original games or traditional turn-based JRPGs, but its rough edges may drive those who aren’t already into the genre away.
Review written by guest writer LittleBattler.
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