Bravely Default 2 Reviews
Bravely Default 2 left me feeling quite depressed. As pulse-pounding as the game’s everchanging, high-stakes battles can be, marathoning my way through them felt like a siphon on my serotonin. There’s a harsh limit on how many times I can feel elated by seeing the numbers go up, and once the cheap thrill of leveling fades I’m left wandering a desolate world lacking in identity and conviction. The game’s a grim reminder of where “love letters” can go wrong—I need a little more than a reminder of a game I enjoyed 15 years ago to keep me going, especially one built on expectations set up by its own predecessor. Sometimes adoration for former greatness isn’t enough.
Bravely Default II doesn't do all that much to differentiate itself from the games that came before it. How you'll feel about that will depend on what you want out of the game: do you want something that is familiar and comforting, or a title that innovates on a decades-old formula? If you're here for the former you'll absolutely enjoy your time with Bravely Default II, even if some of its failings start to grate on you. If you wanted the latter then the excellent combat, art, and music will help you overlook Bravely Default II's otherwise tired tale.
There is a ton to see and do in Bravely Default II, and it definitely lives up to the original games in all aspects. Things really open up in the final chapter and that's when the variety really shines brightest. Without a doubt, fans of jRPGs will find plenty to enjoy. Performance issues will pop up now and again, in both handheld and docked, however they're not glaringly prohibitive due to the turn-based nature of the game. More a minor annoyance on the eyes. Still the pros far outweigh the cons to create a genuinely fun overall experience suitable for a great range of people.
Those who love old school JRPG grindfests will find a lot to love with Bravely Default II.
Not bested by its predecessor, Bravely Default 2 offers a fairly inoffensive experience with some interesting gameplay tweaks and a very enjoyable job system.
Bravely Default II is almost everything I want from a modern turn based RPG.
Bravely Default 2 convinces with its gameplay mechanics in all cases. Even though you have to be aware that the difficulty level is already hard as nails on the normal setting. You don't need to have played the predecessors for this spin-off, since the game tells its own story. It takes some time for the story to pick up speed. But once you reach this point, you won't want to turn off the console. If you liked Octopath Traveler, you'll definitely enjoy Bravely Default 2. If you are not a fan of turn-based, lengthy JRPGs, you should reconsider the purchase.
Review in German | Read full review
Bravely Default 2 invites players to reacquaint themselves with its unique Brave and Default battle system in this brand new sequel to the original.
Bravely Default 2 still winds up my favorite game in the Bravely series largely due to the improvements in writing, and I’d recommend it to nearly any JRPG fan, but the series hasn’t managed to quite hit every note yet.
Bravely Default II is disappointing. I’m the kind of person who goes berserk over a Job System, and there’s very little that’ll get in my way. But when the thing getting in the way is “everything else,” it’s a different story. Every time I made myself play further I just thought about the 3DS titles, and how much more compelling they are.
Bravely Default II learned from the mistakes of the previous titles in the series on 3DS, offering a richer and more traditional experience than that of its predecessors. This, in a way, ends up also being his Achilles' heel. Both his gameplay and narrative hardly innovate, compared to what so many other games of the genre have already accustomed us to. Still, Bravely Default II is undoubtedly a competent addition to Nintendo Switch's growing solid collection of JRPG’s, which should not pass up with lovers of this genre.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Overall, I’m still pretty happy with Bravely Default II. I’ve been waiting for this game for a while now, and I’d say it mostly lived up to my expectations. There’s everything I love about the series here, from the characters to the challenging bosses to the well-organized systems. Sure, it’s mostly a linear experience, but there’s enough variety and sidequests to keep things fresh. And like any good Bravely Default game, there’s a handful of big twists to shock and amaze you.
The overarching plot may be very standard for what long time JRPG fans are used to, but the thoughtful gameplay and the strong characters carry the experience. Bravely Default II is worthy to carry the torch left by Final Fantasy, and hopefully future installments will further refine itself and become even greater.
Bravely Default II is a treat for old-school JRPG fans.
While Bravely Default II lacks vital components necessary to make it a must-have experience, it still provides an engaging loop for fans of traditional JRPGs.
While Bravely Default II is a fairly good JRPG, its full of old tropes and archaic mechanics that holds back what could be a greater and original game.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
In the end, Bravely Default II is a worthy successor to the franchise. Despite some performance problems and interesting voice direction, this is still a fantastic experience. With a new story, cast of characters, and gameplay elements, it delivers a sense of familiarity as well as a fresh perspective. The story builds up over the course of the game and provides plenty of hours of fun for JRPG fans.
Despite a couple shortcomings with the story and extraneous elements, Bravely Default II is a rock-solid JRPG that will appeal to anyone with a love of world exploration, character management, and turn-based combat.
Bravely Default II’s epic adventure will keep you glued to your Nintendo Switch thanks to its satisfyingly strategic combat, its beautiful world, and its deep job system. There’s simply so much to invest yourself in within the land of Excillant, and honestly, it was a joy from start to end. Sure, it does have some frustrating moments here and there (especially with the unpredictability of some boss encounters) and the narrative can be guilty of overusing typical RPG tropes in places, but there’s more than enough enjoyment in every other element of the game to make that easy to look past. Bravely Default II is simply another brilliant RPG to add to the Nintendo Switch’s ever-growing collection.