Bravely Default Reviews
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.
Amazing plot line, with great twists and character development.
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.
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.
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’s combat combines the best things that old-school JRPGs had to offer with some new and welcome additions, and its social features are incredibly forward-thinking. However, its sluggish pacing and over-reliance on repetition and genre conventions holds it back from being the Final Fantasy replacement we all wanted it to be.
An old school RPG with a modern twist, filled with customization options and an intuitive battle system that never gets dull.
Bravely Default: Where The Fairy Flies comes remarkably close to being one of the best JRPGs I've ever played. The combat system is exciting, difficult, and highly customizable. The early design is wonderful, and the level of freedom with the game's difficulty makes it easy for anyone to play. Unfortunately, the game design falls so heavily in the last chapters that it becomes a chore to finish. That's still 25 hours of great gameplay before 5-10 hours of tedium, but it's enough to drag down the experience. If you're a JRPG fan, you must play Bravely Default. It comes so close to greatness that it's possible to overlook its glaring flaws. Just be warned that it'll be a slog to get to the end.
The tale of Bravely Default is lovable, if a bit cliché.
Bravely Default is a refreshing infusion of modernity into what's otherwise a traditional old-school RPG. It adds some new spice to turn-based battles, while also adding an engaging story, an engrossing Job system, and much-needed customization.
Silicon Studios and Square Enix have delivered an almost classic, very Final Fantasy-esque Japanese role-playing game for Nintendo 3DS
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.
Bravely Default is a joy to play for old school JRPG fans. The music, graphics and mechanics all blend together perfectly and it continues in a already strong lineup of RPGs on the 3DS. This little handheld is becoming quite the powerhouse for these kind of games.
While many might argue that turn-based combat has become stagnant over the years, 'Bravely Default' intends to breath it new life.
It's a return to Final Fantasy's roots, and it's beautiful.
This isn't the next big JRPG, but it'll certainly take you a long time to complete.
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.
If you've got a craving for that classic RPG feeling, this is your game. Four heroes; four crystals; a world to be saved--you know how it is.
Bravely Default is, for better or worse, a pretty good '90s RPG
However, the game is also let down by its fair share of derivative and less ambitious features. Bravely Default disappointingly wastes a lot of its potential, but Square Enix will get another shot with the already-announced sequel.