Bravely Second: End Layer Reviews
Another inspired attempt to modernise old school Japanese role-players, while retaining all the charm and depth of early era Final Fantasies.
A spellbinding, effortlessly charming JRPG that freaks with the formula while respecting what makes the genre great. While some might find Bravely Second two twee or jokey to be taken seriously, others will find a smart, witty and surprisingly rich adventure, mixing old-school style with brilliant 3D graphics and a knowing, humorous tone. We'd warmly recommend it.
Bravely Second is an unapologetic sequel to a JRPG that is a spiritual successor to another, and all the better for it.
Where Bravely Default delivered revolution, Bravely Second: End Layer presents evolution. Whisking players back to Luxendarc's charm, it is everything that we could have ever wanted from a sequel. Silicon Studio strongly leads the charge in a bountiful year that promises numerous Nintendo 3DS exclusive RPGs, and in Bravely Second have made sure that the bar remains high.
Too similar to the first chapter, Bravely Second: End Layer has a bland story and a cast of characters not exactly charismatic. It convinces only thanks to the proven combat system and the ability skill management. You could expect a lot more.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A great combat system and world held back by immersion-breaking dialogue choices.
Bravely Second: End Layer does not live up to its predecessor's standards but this does not make it any less of a good RPG. Its visual environment is superb, it's loaded with content and its lifespan will keep everyone around it for a long time. It also improves on its predecessor's class system, while it falls out with the soundtrack and narrative.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
As a sequel, Bravely Second: End Layer does everything right. It improves on its predecessor in nearly every way, shakes things up enough to still be exciting for players who may have recently poured sixty hours into the first game, and offers a meaningful chance to reconnect with beloved characters. Even better, it's a nearly-perfect JRPG in its own right. Beautiful, well-written, and endlessly engaging in gameplay and story, this is a wonderful example of why people fall in love with the genre. Simply put, Bravely Second is a must-play for JRPG fans, and one of the 3DS' finest games to date.
From grind-happy obsessives, to those whose love for the genre might have lapsed, and are looking for something to bring them back, this a must-buy game for fans of Bravely Default, as well as anyone who loves JRPGs.
Bravely Second is one of the few JRPGs to play purely for the gameplay. While the story is good, the writing tends to spoil one too many potentially great moments with unnecessary fluff and comedic skits. On the other hand, everything else about the game is fantastic and was more than enough to hold my attention. Though the writing may make you cringe, the fun and incredibly deep battle and customization system makes this an easy recommendation to any JRPG fan.
Bravely Second is a well crafted follow-up to a strong role playing game. While the sidequests are a big bummer, the terrible loop at the end of the journey is now fully gone. The mixture of old and new characters, locations and ideas works quite well, though the feeling remains that more could have been done to the world as a whole. That doesn't mean that you won't be charmed by most of what the game offers, because faces like Yew's or Magnolia's are hard to ignore. It helps that it moves along at a solid pace and the battle system is still a joy to behold.
Bravely Second is a sequel that is bursting in flavour. It features a world with so much depth, a story which twists and turns in meaningful ways, and clever tweaks to the combat that make the turn-based battles fun. Some sections drag on a little bit and a mild amount of dialogue tries to spoil the broth, but this adventure has had me hooked from beginning to end.
Bravely Second: End Layer schafft es zwar nicht die Geschichte des Vorgängers zu toppen und recycled doch einiges an Schauplätze, überzeugt aber trotz allem mit einem umfangreichen Aufgebot an Klassen und Ausrüstungsmöglichkeiten. Vor allem die Chemie zwischen den Charakteren und die Art und Weise wie sich die Entwickler in Bravely Second teilweise sogar selbst parodieren, ist mal wieder großartig ausgefallen und wird vor allem Fans des Vorgängers wieder in seinen Bann ziehen.
Review in German | Read full review