Bravely Default 2 Review

Bravely Default 2

Release: January 1, 1970
Publisher:
Developer:
Genre: Adventure, Genres, Nintendo Switch Categories, Role-playing, Switch Reviews, Tactical, Turn-Based
PEGI:
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We checked out Bravely Default 2 for the Nintendo Switch with our review-in-progress. And now we are ready to pass final judgement on the game! Will this be another classic Square Enix JRPG?

Bravely Default 2 is a throwback to older JRPGs. This series is what the Final Fantasy series use to be: turn-based gameplay with four heroes off on a journey to find crystals.

This story might seem simplistic but the game features very good writing with wonderful dialogue and an interesting backstory, both of which elevate it. All four characters have their own personality and get moments to shine in the game. There are some cool plot twists too. The voice acting for major scenes and some minor scenes is very good and really adds to the epic story. And Bravely Default 2’s gameplay will not disappoint old school Final Fantasy players, or fans of Octopath Traveler.

Bravely Default ‘s gameplay is excellent. It feels like an old Final Fantasy game somewhat, though the Brave/Default system adds even more strategy to the battles and there are no random battles in this game. You see enemies as you explore dungeons and the world map. I’m not a random battle hater but it is pretty cool that you can see the enemies. You still can’t save anywhere in dungeons, though there is an autosave and a save point to find in dungeons.  I do wish there was a save anywhere option. You can save anywhere in towns and the world map, just not dungeons. It does ratchet of the difficulty of dungeons, though.

Then there’s the job system which is pretty good. There are some really unique jobs in this game. You get them from beating hard boss battles and that’s a fantastic reward.

Bravely Default 2 is not a game for newbies, however. This should not be your first JRPG. Bravely Default 2 is an extremely hard game as well. It has three modes: casual, normal, and hard. I played this game on casual and still found it difficult. The boss battles are crazy, so don’t expect it to be a walk in the park.

There is so much strategy in this game. The gameplay is wonderful but it’ll definitely scare some players away with how difficult it can become. That said, you’ll never be lost in Bravely Default 2 thanks to objective markers that let you know where to go (these markers can be turned off for hardcore JRPG fans).

There are a lot of things to do out of battle, like search for treasure, take part in the game’s ‘streetpass mode’, talk to people, or give the card game a go. If you can embrace Bravely Default 2’s difficulty, you’ll find an addictive, rewarding JRPG experience.

Though it should be noted that Bravely Default 2 is a game you’ll want to play in handheld mode and not on the TV.

Bravely Default 2 is a great looking game but it has a problem that’s even more obvious when you play it on a TV set. And that problem is its in-game camera!

The game’s camera is pulled back way too far in towns and dungeons. This makes it difficult to sometimes judge where you are on the map and if you are standing in front of someone you want to talk to or not. The camera is static so it can not be adjusted. Also the text while talking to characters in town is so small, especially in TV mode.

In fact, a lot of things are small on the TV. The characters, text, and environments seem small in portable mode and appear even smaller on TV. And in handheld mode, the world map is a bit better. Its not as small and the camera can be adjusted. When seen on the TV though, the world map is just as small as in town. Battles, event scenes, and close ups in shops have better text and look good in portable and TV mode. I wish the battle camera or event camera was the viewpoint for the entire game! The characters and environments really shine during these moments.

There are hints during load times that have huge text and can be read easily in portable and on the TV. But for the most part, this game is not friendly to people who have poor eyesight.

Despite this issue though, Bravely Default 2 is a beautiful game and that’s clear in portable mode where you can see more of the level of detail that went into all the towns, world map, battles, and characters. If you are going to play this game, its recommended that you play it in handheld instead of the TV.

Overall, Bravely Default 2 is a very challenging, addictive JRPG.

Bravely Default 2 is a great edition to the Nintendo Switch. JRPG fans that have finished Octopath Traveler and want another addictive, challenging experience should check out this game out. Its another classic to add to Square Enix’s wonderful Switch library of games.

Thank you to Nintendo Canada for providing a digital code for this review. Bravely Default 2 is now available via retail and in the Nintendo Switch eshop!

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