Bravely Default Reviews
Bravely Default stands currently as my first big game of the year contender and while there are a few minor missteps along the way, it’s still a giant leap forward for what a traditional JRPG should be in the modern age.
Bravely Default is a wonderful little game if you understand where it’s coming from.
Bravely Default is one of those games that we knew was going to be something special when the first previews started showing up in Japan. The final product is nothing short of Game of the Year material. It may be too early to call it, but for now, it's definitely a front-runner for such distinction.
Bravely Default is the best new Final Fantasy game I've played in years, and it isn't even a Final Fantasy game.
Bravely Second’s writing just doesn’t live up to its predecessor. Otherwise, it’s an incredibly solid and technically competent game that will have you tinkering with its job system for hours.
There’s much to be said in praise of Bravely Default, perhaps too much to fit into a single review. What must be relayed, however, is that Bravely Default stands as an absolute triumph of both game design and the reinvigoration of old concepts, claiming its rightful place as a giant in the JRPG genre that will surely be remembered as a classic in years to come. Any 3DS owner with even a fleeting interest in role-playing games and a desire to get lost in an incredible, engaging adventure would be doing themselves a huge favour by picking up Bravely Default without delay.
Bravely Default is a reminder that classic Final Fantasy themes and gameplay elements are timeless in the right hands. Unfortunately, its later segments are some of the worst examples of unnecessary padding in RPG history. All told, it’s a flawed masterpiece that shows more potential than any other current Square Enix RPG property.
With everything you could want in a JRPG, Bravely Default is a must play for fans of the genre.
Bravely Default is a game that excites me about the future of the JRPG genre. It takes the standard JRPG that we have grown used to, adds in several new features, and modernizes the genre for the new generation. So much is done right that I hope other developers look to it as an example. Unfortunately, what Bravely Default does so ingeniously in its first forty hours falls apart in its last fifteen. What could have been a revolutionary game is debased by the horrendous endgame that Square Enix could have so easily omitted.
Bravely Default: Where the Fairy Flies is a bit of a return to form, albeit hopefully the rule rather than the exception when it comes to Square-Enix’s future. It is surprisingly adept at fusing classic RPG ingredients with novel refinements, and plus, it wields a story which at first appears traditional but eventually grows horns and attacks you. Its shameless implementation of 90s-era mechanics and design does mean that participants will need to have a love for conventional JRPGs—and perhaps a bit of patience to endure the homogeneity of the first part of the game—but beyond that, Bravely Default is a great experience.
This isn't the next big JRPG, but it'll certainly take you a long time to complete.
In short, Bravely Default is the Japanese RPG that we've been waiting for. As many JRPG companies cram increasingly bizarre gimmicks, half naked underage-looking girls, or overly convoluted plots into their games, Bravely Default reminds us that it's possible to go back to basics without feeling stale. This classic Final Fantasy-style game is beautifully executed, fun to play, and not to be missed by anybody who has ever loved the JRPG genre.
90% brilliant, 10% excruciatingly tiresome.
Bravely Default takes care to observe the oeuvres of modern console-based RPGs, too, including elements of game design that have held other handheld titles back in the past.
In conclusion, Bravely Default is quite an engaging game that successfully merges old school mechanics with modern gaming. For 2013, it is easily the best RPG of the year that will keep fans of this genre extremely happy as they join these characters in their fight for freedom.
It’s a shame that the terms “masterpiece” and “genre-benchmark” are thrown around so haphazardly, because when a title that truly personifies those words like Bravely Default comes along, they seem cliche and hyperbolic to use.
The tale of Bravely Default is lovable, if a bit cliché.
For good or for bad, Bravely Default is an old fashioned RPG. The story can be hit and miss at the same time introducing fantastical and cringe worthy dialog. If you are looking for something to sink your teeth into for 80-100 hours this unabashedly Final Fantasy like game isn’t a bad way to do it.
Game Strong. Solid JRPG experience, and one I didn't mind putting 90 hours into. If you like JRPGs at all, you'll like this one. It won't be your favorite, but it'll be one you'll keep on the shelf afterwards.
Together with the Brave/Default mechanic, wealth of character customization, and overall streamlined approach, Bravely Default manages to maintain that classic JRPG feel while modernizing outdated conventions.