Bravely Default 2 Reviews
The new JRPG hitting Nintendo Switch is stuffed full of the genre's most recognisable tropes, for better or worse
Bravely Default II is unnecessary sequel to the generic Bravely series. It has nothing similar with the classic jRPGs - one thing it can offer is mindless grind over mindless grind mixed with boring story. If you have time for games, better spent it playing something else.
Review in Russian | Read full review
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.
Taken as a whole, Bravely Default II plays like the 3D remake of a 16-bit JRPG that never existed, but it misses something important. Games like Pillars of Eternity and Streets of Rage 4 play the way fans remember games of the genre playing, and memory has a way of editing out the annoying bits. Bravely Default II does not. It's aggressively grind-heavy and repetitive in precisely the ways that the games that inspired it often were. The battles are not interesting enough to make the leveling process anything but a necessary evil for those hoping to keep pace with the game's challenges. At 60+ hours long, it will test all but the most dedicated retro JRPG game lover's patience. If you are such a dedicated JRPG fan, you will undoubtedly find a lot to enjoy and appreciate in Bravely Default II. If you're not, Bravely Default II will do little to make you a believer.
The tactical flexibility in Bravely Default 2 is among the best in class, and tinkering with its possibilities is a fine pass-time in itself. But it gets bogged down in a churn of routine battles, wayward balancing and humdrum fantasy. While the original game’s compact focus felt comfy on a 3DS, the Switch magnifies the blemishes of the sequel and leaves it looking a little underdressed.
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.
It is fortunate for Bravely Default II, that the strength of its combat and world designs outweigh its odd design choices and uninspired writing, if only barely. It is enough to keep the experience enjoyable, but it is unlikely that it is one that will stick with you for very long.
As you level up and progress, new jobs open up, but it's not a tacked-on system, choosing jobs changes the game's makeup and that of your party, so simply unlocking a new job doesn't necessarily mean you assign someone to it.
However, with that incredibly addictive gameplay alone, along with the plethora of side-content, I can see traditional Final Fantasy fans having a lot of fun here, even if it’s a bit of a shallow adventure. Now that this engine has proven it’s worth in terms of gameplay, I am very excited for their next project if they have more time to spare in the writing room.
The reason to question Bravely Default 2‘s existence boils down to its inability to think for itself. The Brave and Default combat system strikes a near-perfect balance between two rival battle mechanics that have struggled to coexist over the decades, but that’s about the extent of the game’s individuality.
This is a game in between a rock and a hard place, and while it will definitely find its audience, it won’t make it onto any list of essential RPGs as its predecessor did.
As a retro RPG revival, Bravely Default 2 is faithful and full of heart, just like its predecessors. As a high definition 2021 video game, it sometimes falls short.
Bravely Default 2 brings the throwback RPG series to Nintendo Switch, but the loss of modern quality-of-life features make this a decidedly grindy experience.
A disappointing waste of a fun combat system and an impressive graphics engine, with ugly artwork and unremarkable storytelling that expends all its goodwill disappointingly quickly.
Bravely Default II is a very flawed but good RPG that deserved a better PC port. With a lack of options that still somehow result in smeared textures, the console version is still the way to go at this price.
Overall, Bravely Default 2 is a mixed bag of highs and lows. It was very refreshing to go back to that classic JRPG style of gaming while being introduced into a new battle mechanic to keep my interests afloat. Aside from that, and a typical masterclass of musical arrangements, sadly, Bravely Default 2 doesn’t have much else going to go spreading the word. It’s just a game I played because it plays very well and not because I truly cared to.
JRPG fans should know what to expect here. JRPGs are typically a slow-moving grinds, and Bravely Default II is no different. If you’ve never been a fan of the genre, it’s tough to envision this game changing your mind.
"Set role: default."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
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 a fairytale RPG that has nothing to envy from the classic SNES Final Fantasy.
Review in Greek | Read full review