Bravely Default

 3DS
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 693 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 557 out of 693
  2. Mixed: 81 out of 693
  3. Negative: 55 out of 693
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  1. manveru1986
    Mar 26, 2016
    9
    First jRPG I genuinely enjoy. Great story, deep characters, and manageable fights. Also, the graphical style is nice and looks pretty good on handheld device.
  2. Voltex
    Mar 18, 2014
    9
    Yes, the second half of Bravely Default is not as inspired as the first half - but that does not make it any less challenging or fun. Full of twists and turns, Bravely Default will soon have you questioning everything that is going on. Is the villain truly evil, or do they merely serve different ideals?

    The graphics are among the most beautiful that the 3DS has to offer, and the    Yes, the second half of Bravely Default is not as inspired as the first half - but that does not make it any less challenging or fun. Full of twists and turns, Bravely Default will soon have you questioning everything that is going on. Is the villain truly evil, or do they merely serve different ideals?

    The graphics are among the most beautiful that the 3DS has to offer, and the soundtrack is a masterpiece - you'll want to use headphones to truly grasp the beauty of the sound. The battle system is traditional, but the new "brave" and "default" commands give it enough spice to maintain interest, and the wide variety of job classes and battle options mean that every battle is unique.

    One last piece of advice: take the time for 100% completion. Each side quest has an impact on the characters and the story, providing essential facts and information about the history of Luxendarc and the events that are occurring that you might otherwise miss.

    Bravely Default is as close to perfect as it gets.    … Expand
  3. Falconstrike
    Mar 16, 2014
    9
    An incredible throwback to the long lost days of classic turn-based role-playing, Bravely Default mixes old with new and offers an innovative twist on the traditional Japanese RPG.

    CORE GAME: Most players will notice a striking similarity to classic Final Fantasy titles, before the series lost its way. A rather traditional storyline in which four heroes have to save the world from a    An incredible throwback to the long lost days of classic turn-based role-playing, Bravely Default mixes old with new and offers an innovative twist on the traditional Japanese RPG.

    CORE GAME:
    Most players will notice a striking similarity to classic Final Fantasy titles, before the series lost its way. A rather traditional storyline in which four heroes have to save the world from a mysterious darkness that's thrown the four pillars of the world out of balance--you've probably seen this many a time now. Turn-based combat and random encounters are present as well, as are an amnesiac, a lone survivor of a destroyed village, a band of evil forces, and airships. At heart, Bravely Default is a classic RPG. The combat system offers a few twists which will be discussed later, but it's nice to see a return to traditional Final Fantasy.

    PRESENTATION:
    The game is lovely presented with beautiful hand-drawn art for the towns, world map, and dungeons. While perhaps not technically fantastic, the game looks very nice. Enemy designs are superb, right down to the last detail. And the quick series of CGI cutscenes at the beginning is nothing short of incredible. Dungeon design is good, though most of them are a little on the short side, while towns are richly detailed and designed. The characters are very well done, and the majority of the story is fully voiced. Voiceovers are generally very good, with a few grating moments. One downside however is the fact that most of the lines are read quite slow, so it takes a while to get through a scene if you're listening to every line. The game's writing is quite good as well, albeit with a few unnecessary suggestive innuendos, and some cheesy lines.

    The best part of the game in my opinion is the soundtrack--an absolutely beautiful fully orchestrated score. Each of the four main characters has their own theme that plays when using a special move. The bass theme is incredible, as is the main theme. And the music during the final battle--think of a more epic version of "The War's End" from Kid Icarus Uprising, with a purely awesome finale. Even the random encounter music is great (though not as great as Etrian Odyssey IV's battle theme!). Speaking of random encounters, did I mention you have the option to set the encounter rate... or turn them off entirely? This is the feature JRPGs need, as they're made accessible to a declining audience of the genre. The difficulty can also be scaled, which is a good bonus for new or more experienced players.

    GAMEPLAY:
    The game uses turn-based combat with a twist--the Brave and Default system, which is an excellent risk/reward mechanic that is both simple and deeply strategic. Selecting Default will boost the character's defence stats for one turn, while adding one Brave Point (BP) to that character. With an upper limit of 3 BP, a character can spend them to take multiple turns at once, but having negative BP means skipping turns until they recharge to 0 again. It's an ingenious system, one that adds entire layers of strategy to classic combat. And enemies can even use the system as well!

    The job system is similar to that of older Final Fantasy titles, and it's seemless and much less of a hassle than the class system of say Fire Emblem Awakening. You unlock jobs by collecting asterisks from the bosses in the game, and you can switch a character's job at any time, saving their job level and unlocked abilities.

    Another feature is the StreetPass component, which allows players to rebuild Norende village by collecting workers via StreetPass and assigning them to complete various tasks at the village. It's simple, but the rewards include quick access to items, new armour and weapons, as well as special moves which can be very useful.

    Yes, this game DOES have microtransactions. This may offset some players, but they are rather useless. They allow you to buy "SP Drinks" for using a feature called Bravely Second, which lets you stop time during battle. It can come in handy, but you can always store up Sleep Points (SP; used for activating Second) by leaving the system in sleep mode. So no, you do not need to pay Square any more money to beat the game.

    OVERALL:
    Bravely Default is a special game. It may not have the most inspired story or characters, but it's a traditional yet new RPG; bravely default.

    + Excellent art, all hand-drawn in a gorgeous style
    + Soundtrack is simply amazing
    + Story and characters are entertaining, if traditional
    + Difficulty options make it accessible to anyone
    + Clever gameplay mechanics
    + Throwback to older Final Fantasy--this is FF done right
    / Impressive amount of content but may drag on for some
    / Twists in the latter half are ingenious, but may annoy some players with the "gauntlet" section
    / Dialogue is mostly good, but has several slip-ups
    - Dungeon design is too simplistic
    - Microtransactions are there

    9/10    … Expand
  4. beezle13
    Feb 28, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Recently I just finished Bravely Default and all I have to say is... Wow. From the job system, to the colorful new Brave/Default combat system, and the intriguing story, it's a blast and enjoyable for any fan of RPGs. The artwork and most of the music is gorgeous as well.

    The cons? About halfway through the game it feels like Square hit a budget wall and cops out by having you re-do the four crystal awakenings 5 times! (For the TRUE ending anyways) This sadly brought my amazement to a grinding halt as the 16 extra crystal awakenings felt tedious as all hell with little story or character development during it all.

    So why did I give it an 8? It's still a blast. Towards the end it picks up speed again and throws in a few interesting twists and has a mindblowing last boss fight that I thoroughly enjoyed.

    TL;DR- New job system, new combat, interesting plot, good music, slow tedious patch for a chunk in the middle. Worth getting? Yes.    … Expand
  5. petitpurin
    Apr 19, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is excellent. Exactly what the Final Fantasy games should have been.
    The English voice acting is a little weird though I quickly changed it to Japanese so it might have gotten better.

    The art. Amazing, though towns lack the open world element that I'm used to. I cannot even begin to describe it. If you're a fan of graphics, this is a winner.

    Class system is really nice and straight forward, each having a unique set of attributes and attacks. You'll find yourself trying to master all the classes. Also the little costumes are adorable.

    Battle system is nice and fluid. The Brave and Default elements really make this game special. There is also an Auto Battle option if you find the combat getting a little repetitive.

    My criticisms lie in the story and dungeon crawling. There is incredible amounts of repetition which is the main reason why I stopped playing. This is an absolute shame because I absolutely loved the story up to this point. I redid all the crystals twice before I was fed up.
    The repetitive dungeon crawling was a massive letdown as well. Didn't like the Fire Temple? well tough, you'll have to do it again and again. The game seriously punishes you by forcing you to redo pretty much every boss battle, even the ones for new job classes again and again.

    I might pick this up again when I'm bothered but for the meantime it's staying unfinished. It's a fantastic game otherwise and an essential part of any game collection.    … Expand
  6. ayyyqurl
    Apr 27, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Fantastic! Just the fresh of breath air that JRPGs needed. While somewhat cliche in some regards (amnesia, anyone?), it's the actual game mechanics and vibrant personalities of the main characters that saves the day. You are a Warrior of Light on your way to revive Luxendarc's crystals with a helpful cryst-fairy to lead the way! What an adventure!

    My favourite aspect of Bravely Default was the Jobs system. Being someone who loved Final Fantasy 5, I was extremely pleased to see its return. What I particularly liked was how you could pair it with another job class for very interesting strategies. Pairing up the right classes can completely revitalize your team, keep everyone's BP above 0, deal 9999 damage *per attack* (try braving four times to instantly take out bosses), and so forth. Yet the classes are so iconic it has retained the old school feel.

    Ever feel like battles drag or you're level grinding? Bravely Default has you covered with a super fast forward option to speed the battle up and an auto-control option where it copies your last few moves. It makes grinding much less painful.

    Story-wise it was just like the classic Final Fantasy games. It does get convoluted a bit towards the end, but hey, it's a Square-Enix game and considered a Final Fantasy reboot, what else was there to expect? However at a certain point, the pacing drops like crazy and it's like replaying the game not once... not twice... not even three times. FOUR times. What the hell? Granted it progresses the story in other fascinating, wonderful ways but couldn't there have been a better way to do it?

    All in all, despite the blips, it's a very fun, entertaining and solid game. I'm excited to see where the series goes next!    … Expand
  7. tharp
    May 13, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My favourite thing about this game is that you can change the game difficulty and the encounter percentage. It is very similar to Final Fantasy but it's a little better. This game is very good except for the repeating features such as when the 4 characters awake the crystals (which is an in-game feature) over and over again. Also,, the voice acting in English isn't too good but.. I'm okay with it. I would recommend it to anyone 10+.… Expand
  8. kasparius
    Jul 17, 2014
    5
    I'm giving it 5/10, because the customizable battle system is absolutely wonderful and the graphics are great for 3DS, the streetpass town progression was a great idea, however it ceases being of any use after a few hours in the game, and that's really too bad.

    However this is where it ends, the story is absolutely bare bones and the characters have zero charisma and the humor is    I'm giving it 5/10, because the customizable battle system is absolutely wonderful and the graphics are great for 3DS, the streetpass town progression was a great idea, however it ceases being of any use after a few hours in the game, and that's really too bad.

    However this is where it ends, the story is absolutely bare bones and the characters have zero charisma and the humor is abysmal and offensively dumb. A very disappointing game, if they re-use the battle system within a good game, I would love to tackle it. As it stands after about 8 hours of the game, I decided that it just was not worth my time.    … Expand
  9. Asheciel
    May 27, 2014
    9
    Story: 10/10
    - Intriguing story, always aware of its elements and progression.
    Gameplay: 8/10 - The Brave and Default mechanic during battles makes turn-based fights more vivid and intense. Art: 9/10 - Stylized and charismatic. Characters: 9/10 - Substantial character growth throughout the game, it makes the player wonder about everyone's backstory and relationship to each other.    Story: 10/10
    - Intriguing story, always aware of its elements and progression.
    Gameplay: 8/10
    - The Brave and Default mechanic during battles makes turn-based fights more vivid and intense.
    Art: 9/10
    - Stylized and charismatic.
    Characters: 9/10
    - Substantial character growth throughout the game, it makes the player wonder about everyone's backstory and relationship to each other.
    Sound: 9/10
    - Enjoyable soundtracks; each playable character has her/his own special move theme.
    Enjoyment: 10/10
    - I had a lot of fun playing this game from start to finish.
    The intricate story made the game's characters fascinating and amusing.    … Expand
  10. Epiternal
    Jun 3, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What I'm about to say might shock some people, but, Bravely Default was not THAT amazing. I gave it an 8, yes, because it was a good game, what it was not however is "OMG the best thing since sliced bread" or "The rebirth of the classics or whatever". What it did is just take good elements from older games and keep them good, more accurately as the spiritual successor to Final Fantasy and the 4 Heroes of Light, it basically redeemed it. The game has a lot of classic elements like the job system and related skills, many of which are well balanced and you'd find it hard to make it through the whole game without at least using every job once. The combat I especially love, the introduction of 'Brave' And Default', while very obviously forced was a simple and highly effective inclusion, it's nice to able to get weak enemies out of the way easily by braving the stuffing out of them. Other than that though the game doesn't have much else to offer, aside from the Dark Knight every job related character is a personified embodiment of their job and after fighting them a million times in the the most thoughtlessly included back and forth timeline in the history of video games I quickly learned to hate them, though I can appreciate them for what they were and how they changed based on the same situation with different variables. That was my only major gripe with the game, the going back and forth through the same world, overcoming the same temples, beating the same bosses over and over. yes they changed slightly, but not enough to keep it from getting boring. It was a game that could have benefited from less, if it had gone straight from beating the temples the first time straight to the end I'd have liked it a lot more, granted it wouldn't have made any sense, but it'd be a sacrifice I was willing to pay by the end of the game.
    Overall it was a great game though, would highly recommend to all RPG fans, just try not to be discouraged when it starts to get boring. Am really looking forward to the sequel: Bravely Second.    … Expand
  11. chaos50
    Jun 5, 2014
    9
    Great game that harkens back to older Final Fantasy before it went to all flash and little substance. A Final Fantasy game just without the name. Probably more FF than 13 I'd say. The only minor flaw in the game is its ending (at least if you are going for the True Ending). The last 2 chapters are nothing but a big long boss run. You'll probably want it done by end of Chapter 6 rather thanGreat game that harkens back to older Final Fantasy before it went to all flash and little substance. A Final Fantasy game just without the name. Probably more FF than 13 I'd say. The only minor flaw in the game is its ending (at least if you are going for the True Ending). The last 2 chapters are nothing but a big long boss run. You'll probably want it done by end of Chapter 6 rather than 8. Still at least play it until chapter 6 and then perhaps find the “not so true ending” and be done with it.

    Pros:
    1) Great gameplay
    2) Excellent customizations (difficulty and random encounters can be set on the fly)
    3) Great combat / Brave / Default tactics
    4) Good class customizations

    Cons:
    1) Last 2 chapters
    2) Cheesy (even daft) main characters who can't think logically... (well the game tries to justify it but its pretty obvious they aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

    Conclusion:
    Get this game if you have any small interest in RPGs especially JPRGS. Actually … you probably already bought it if you are a fan of JRPGs. Everyone else should give it a try. Wished they would make a proper console (not handled version) or at least vita with better graphics (cant blame the game as the hardware limited this)    … Expand
  12. Sharpshooter188
    May 20, 2016
    8
    Right then. I'm gonna try to keep this short and sweet. Definitely a great throwback rpg from the yester years of Final Fantasy. Pretty likeable characters and plot. Albeit a bit simple at first with the plot. Art direction is good, spells look nice and flashy.

    A LOT of optional boss rebattles. The story is charming in it's simplicity up until the 5th chapter I believe. The game is 8    Right then. I'm gonna try to keep this short and sweet. Definitely a great throwback rpg from the yester years of Final Fantasy. Pretty likeable characters and plot. Albeit a bit simple at first with the plot. Art direction is good, spells look nice and flashy.

    A LOT of optional boss rebattles. The story is charming in it's simplicity up until the 5th chapter I believe. The game is 8 chapters long. From the 5th to the 8th chapter (with the exception of the finale) the game is completely redundant and I reeeeally had to push through and make myself complete it.

    You essentially have to do the same thing 4-5 times until something changes. Can't say much more without spoiling. Overall, I would definitely give the game a 7-8. Well worth your time and especially since the game is cheaper now, I would say it certainly deserves a spot in your 3ds library.    … Expand
  13. erhanz
    Jun 30, 2014
    8
    Finished this 3DS game last week. And i must tell you that the game is great. I mean square enix is back to the basic again. I guess we'll see more great games from Square Enix soon.
    The story start with Tiz, a normal villager who suddenly lost his entire village and family to a great chasm, leaving a big hole on where it used to be. And soon after that, he met Agnes, the Wind Vestal who    Finished this 3DS game last week. And i must tell you that the game is great. I mean square enix is back to the basic again. I guess we'll see more great games from Square Enix soon.
    The story start with Tiz, a normal villager who suddenly lost his entire village and family to a great chasm, leaving a big hole on where it used to be. And soon after that, he met Agnes, the Wind Vestal who is looking for a way to fix what happened, together with her fairy, Airy. So, can Tiz & Agnes find out what happened and fix it? Play and find out about it.

    Plus point:
    - Oldschool RPG. I mean, this is the kind of RPG we are looking for now. A turn based one, with a great adventure waiting. It's a basic RPG, which makes it good.
    - Great plot. I mean you totally won't see that coming. The reason for the Great Chasm, the reason why the Marshall wants to kill Agnes, and the mastermind behind all of this? It's kinda mind blowing.
    - LOTS of jobs to choose. I mean like LOTS of it. From Ninja, Swordmaster, even Vampire. This just makes the game enjoyable. People can find their own style with the job they likes. So everyone can have a different experience when playing the same game.
    - Dual voice! Which is awesome. Finally Square Enix understands the need of their gamer. Hearing those cute voice of Edea is just awesome!

    Minus point:
    - Even though it has a great plot, the execution is kinda bad. I mean can you stand the same story, and the same pattern for 4 chapters straight? That's just crazy and makes it boring at one point.
    - The world is too small, and not enough adventures. I thought that the journey would be much longer and would took us to lots of different places, but i was wrong. The world map is small and has limited place to explore.

    The Verdict: Bravely Default is great classic RPG for us. If you have 3DS, just grab it. But i must remind you first, the game gets boring at some point. Also, the story isn't as simple as you think. You gonna need a little thinking to understand it. The game is totally fun, and refreshing. 8.5 for this game.    … Expand
  14. Hakuiin
    Aug 19, 2014
    10
    When I first got the game, I was a bit shaky because of the odd title. So when I started playing it, I was amazed. Each town has wonderful art and the battle system is very unique. It has many different jobs and abilities, making no team the same, and adds a lot of variety.
  15. Sephiroth_X
    Apr 29, 2017
    8
    Well, bought this game when it came out but just now finished it, and im GLAD I played it! has some of the best tradition of the golden era of rpgs (16bit) going on and refines it a little bit.

    Graphics/art: The towns are marvelous with hand drawing on them, thats the best part, the map is generic and boring so are the dungeons, character art is ok, look way better in the 2d hand drawn    Well, bought this game when it came out but just now finished it, and im GLAD I played it! has some of the best tradition of the golden era of rpgs (16bit) going on and refines it a little bit.

    Graphics/art: The towns are marvelous with hand drawing on them, thats the best part, the map is generic and boring so are the dungeons, character art is ok, look way better in the 2d hand drawn inspired from the game.

    music : is good, nothing special, no tune will be glued to your brain, and here´s a downer, after 70 hours listening the same battle music all over again perfectly makes me never want to play this game again! but overall the tunes are ok.

    story: is good, the first 30hours are boring and generic, was really worried it wasnt truly going anywhere and the characters also felt boring and simple until things evolve and everything becomes more loveable. but that also has a lot to do with:

    gameplay: the complex job system and overall battles are the best aspect of this game, truly gets challending in normal mode after 50 hours or so.. its been a while since I found such a challenging rpg that truly requires startegy to win. That leads me to the most controversial aspect of the game. Have you seen the movie the groundhog day? (very minor spoiler) well it does it to you by replaying parts of the game over and over, maybe one or two times would been great and integral to the story, but after 4 you really start to wonder wtf was goign on...until you accept it (my case) as central to the narrative of the game, also some dialogs change to keep things fresh and you get to see different perspectives that blurry the line between the good and the bad guys, that was very well done. (altho 2 times were more than enough to repeat everything in my opinion!)

    Overall this is a great game and a must play for old rpg fans dont miss it ever!    … Expand
  16. dragoneric
    Mar 22, 2018
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What can I say about this game that made buy a 3DS just to play it? Just that it was worth it, the only issue s to reawake the crystals a lot of times, the story is good, you care about the characters and I never got tired of the gameplay.… Expand
  17. oathkeepings
    Nov 4, 2014
    10
    Beautiful game art, amazing soundtrack. Great for anyone who loves the classic, turn-based RPG feel. Large selection of jobs to choose from, amazing story line. What more can anyone ask for?
  18. LifeHistory
    Apr 28, 2017
    8
    This is my very first Turn-Based game. Even though am an old gamer and played hundreds of games. But I never was a turn-based fan.
    This game was something else because the combat was kinda fun and the story and the characters are good enough to make you keep playing. It has some good art to it and nice music. A must play for a Turn based fan specially if you own a 3DS.
  19. ejoseph
    Feb 15, 2015
    9
    i loved this game. i just wish the last half of the game was cut out. can't wait for bravely second. awesome gameplay mechanics. i want more. bravely second will be the best game ever if it doesn't have repetitive last half of game.
  20. edwartexe
    Mar 11, 2015
    6
    the game is okay but it serves many problems in its story. there are quite some plot holes and the main characters are plain and one dimensional, they just dont get enough focus. only ringabel gets decent development but its mostly due to one of the bosses. in this game almost every single human boss is more interesting than the 4 mc ( which is specialy jarring due to Tiz, the playerthe game is okay but it serves many problems in its story. there are quite some plot holes and the main characters are plain and one dimensional, they just dont get enough focus. only ringabel gets decent development but its mostly due to one of the bosses. in this game almost every single human boss is more interesting than the 4 mc ( which is specialy jarring due to Tiz, the player character, being absolutley un-nessesary... if he was not there the story would be the same). the twist was not that great ... surprizing but shallow in the end because the main bad guy has no real motive for being evil ... it just is evil for the sake of being evil and not in an interesting way.
    the gameplay is great. its the only good reason why to play this game, its combat system is deep and strategy plays a bigger role than grinding. tons of choises and posible playstyles are there. however this is an rpg from the FF serie and when the gameplay is better than its story it somehow feels cheap. but whats more cheap is the fact that after ch.4 half of the game consists on backtracking and killing the same bosses over and over for no justifiable reason other than making the game longer... they didnt even bother to change their attack patterns so they become pushovers by the time you fight them again ... and again and again.
    summary: the combat system is great and an example of great turn based combar, but the story is bad and so are the character developments. i dont really consider it worthy of so much praise its been given    … Expand
  21. iipotato
    Jul 22, 2015
    8
    If you're prepared for loads of grinding and a whirlwind of emotions, welcome to Bravely Default. Bravely Default is the first of the Bravely Series, but don't think that it's bad BECAUSE it's the first of a series. This game has set high standards for Bravely Second.

    Pros: - The soundtrack is AMAZING. Consists of music that involves a variety of instruments, from violin to piano to    If you're prepared for loads of grinding and a whirlwind of emotions, welcome to Bravely Default. Bravely Default is the first of the Bravely Series, but don't think that it's bad BECAUSE it's the first of a series. This game has set high standards for Bravely Second.

    Pros:
    - The soundtrack is AMAZING. Consists of music that involves a variety of instruments, from violin to piano to electric guitar and so much more.
    - The story characters, such as the main 4 players and the bosses, all have a story. The asterisk bosses aren't just there to beat; as you play through the entire game, you will discover their backstories, and will find several bland or intricate.
    - Addictive battle system. Before getting this game, you really won't understand by just watching trailers; you have to actually play it yourself.
    - Variety of job combinations to experiment from. (Ninja/Spellfencer is my personal fave.)
    - I need to say this again. The music. Is. Fantastic.

    Cons
    - BELIEVE WHEN PLAYERS SAY THERE IS A LOT OF GRINDING. Because it is entirely true. At some point in the game, you make yourself have to. Many even work to max out the job skills and the levels for weeks and weeks.
    - LONG game. Will take you approx 70-100 hours to beat. (This can be viewed as pro if you enjoy long storylines though).
    - Known to be repetitive at a point in the game, but it really isn't. It depends on how you choose to play and view the chapters. I personally liked the "repetitive" part of the game more than the beginning.
    - Isn't really a game you'd want to play twice. One file will feel enough already.

    Get Bravely Default if you want to experience a hefty-yet-satisfying storyline, but don't if you aren't willing to spend HOURS on a game.    … Expand
  22. Imamadkirby
    Aug 30, 2015
    8
    I have always had a soft spot for square-enix when it comes to rpgs. After so many disappointments after squaresoft merged, I had about given up till this game. The battle system is something fresh and having job classes to level gave an added depth for me. I would recommend this to anyone who has a 3ds and loves turn based rgs.
  23. gq_foine
    Feb 8, 2019
    10
    WOW! I can't believe I missed this game till now! Where was I in 2014 not playing this game? I am baffled how I missed this game till now.

    This game is absolutely the BEST RPG on the 3DS. The overall gameplay is fun with turn-based setup. So here is my quick review of the game - Graphics - 10/10 because the 3D the artwork and design is so amazing Gameplay - 9/10 - Standard    WOW! I can't believe I missed this game till now! Where was I in 2014 not playing this game? I am baffled how I missed this game till now.

    This game is absolutely the BEST RPG on the 3DS. The overall gameplay is fun with turn-based setup. So here is my quick review of the game -

    Graphics - 10/10 because the 3D the artwork and design is so amazing
    Gameplay - 9/10 - Standard Turnbase
    Sound/Music - 9/10 - Characters voice are wonderful and music is little bland but overall nice.
    Characters/Story -10/10 - Absolutely amazing! Wow! How did I miss this? Plot twists but typical JRPG style . The characters are very warm and likeable! I love it!

    I have played a lot of RPGs on the 3DS but this takes the cake and everybody who is into Turnbase-JRPG games will understand how beautiful this game actually is! I am looking forward to the part 2.. What I really like about this game is the actual 3D! I don't usually turn on my 3D thing but this game is so amazing with it! I LOVE IT! 3DS Masterpiece 10/10!    … Expand
  24. sammysanz
    Apr 25, 2016
    10
    Un juego muy grande para la portátil de Nintendo

    Con un planteamiento muy JRpg le ha sabido dar un aire fresco a este genero muy trillado para algunos pero que a mi personalmente me encanta de lucha por turnos, la historia que podría parecer buena como cualquiera de este genero se va volviendo genial con unos diálogos frescos y unos giros en la historia mas que atrayentes, gracias a    Un juego muy grande para la portátil de Nintendo

    Con un planteamiento muy JRpg le ha sabido dar un aire fresco a este genero muy trillado para algunos pero que a mi personalmente me encanta de lucha por turnos, la historia que podría parecer buena como cualquiera de este genero se va volviendo genial con unos diálogos frescos y unos giros en la historia mas que atrayentes, gracias a este juego jugar en una portátil rompe la barrera entre sistemas y no te hace pensar que bonito seria en una consola de "sobremesa" es incluso mejor poder disfrutar de este pequeño tesoro en una portátil la cual puede acompañarte en cualquier momento.

    Geniales voces y mejor banda sonora que acompaña al juego que mezcla guitarreo con algo mas clásico que sin duda recordaras mucho tiempo

    Obra maestra que hay que jugar SI o Si    … Expand
  25. Sylviaheathers
    May 31, 2016
    8
    Bravely default? Where to start?!

    The end, many people complain about the 'messenger from hell has a sister' bit at the end (no details or spoilers) People please remember this game has a sequel! That explains everything and conjoins both stories Even so many believe this is because of marketing and such but using the konami code reveals a pre meditated and created set of characters.    Bravely default? Where to start?!

    The end,
    many people complain about the 'messenger from hell has a sister' bit at the end (no details or spoilers)
    People please remember this game has a sequel! That explains everything and conjoins both stories
    Even so many believe this is because of marketing and such but using the konami code reveals a pre meditated and created set of characters.

    Secondly I move to the middle to end sections.
    You may follow the accepted ending but despite the horrid grinding from the rest of the chapters I do not recomend this, you will not get your moneys worth

    Or you can follow the true ending with it's 'repetitive' chapters and subtly named (title) plot twists
    If you chose to do this then you can extend the length of your gameplay considerably, even so you will probably cringe at the protagonist's stupidity.

    The bosses are repeated many times over and I cannot help but wish they at least changed their tactics

    I only wish the antagonist was as created in as much depth as his minion and wasn't just evil for the sake of it.

    At the start the characters are slightly rushed disapointingly and even though if you have played this game and hate agnes remember she is still a better fighter and a more rightous that we would be if we resided in Luxendarc!

    So moving on to graphics, music and voice acting etc

    amazing, when in town it is advised to play with full 3D on but can be skipped for over world, cut scenes and dungeons.

    Oh my gotch the music is crazy, sadly for bravely second end layer the composer is not the same but even so, wow just wow.

    Voice acting wise it really isn't bad, sometimes even on auto play it is a bit awkward

    If someone was being cut off during a sentence they would stop and then let the other speak, almost as if they wished to be stopped
    Could have been better but it makes them more realistic.

    Character wise I love them all and i can't wait to see them again but I have not played many ff games or rpgs with strong casts that interact with you (kinda a pokemon person)

    Also they do not overly push the bravely second feature onto you!
    even for bravely second it's not a craze, and considering the gameplay time of this JRPG filling up your sp meter is nothing!
    And who doesnt want a lil extra cash, give them some credit!

    So basically my last point is the combat mechanics
    Brilliant, and the use of jobs are crazy good,
    Worth pkaying on hard mode defininetly

    So why do I still rate it as an 8?
    Even with the stupidity of the character and repetition this game feels like a proper package deal
    I feel like we don't appreciate the time and money put into these games, with everything this game does wrong it still can put a lot of games to shame!
    If you want something repetitive get yourself a rouge-like dungeon game because compaired to that this is a craze filled master piece and we need to appreciate it!

    Hope you enjoyed this review
    And I hope it helps

    Happy gaming! Xx    … Expand
  26. lasmas
    Jun 6, 2016
    9
    Affter 50 hours and the game completed i have to say the following:

    Good: -Job class -Freedom on the map -Enemis -MUSIC -Boses models and type and mechanics -Optional boses and quest (red mage best) BAD -Norende village I found that this was a core thing affter 30 hours .... Regular -Story: Chapter 5 6 7 are more a filler and ussles but they can be skiped fast. The    Affter 50 hours and the game completed i have to say the following:

    Good:
    -Job class
    -Freedom on the map
    -Enemis
    -MUSIC
    -Boses models and type and mechanics
    -Optional boses and quest (red mage best)

    BAD

    -Norende village I found that this was a core thing affter 30 hours ....

    Regular

    -Story: Chapter 5 6 7 are more a filler and ussles but they can be skiped fast.

    The final boss was perfect so this is the final score.

    Gameplay: 7
    Graphics: 9
    Music: 10
    Online: 8 send and recibe moves to help you in batle can be op as hell or usles
    Story: 8

    FINAL SCORE: 8.5

    Recomeneded to all people who want to play a classic RPG in turns.    … Expand
  27. Balorer
    Dec 21, 2016
    8
    I liked Bravely Default a lot started a simple and nice RPG and got more complex aas time goes on. Good history and enjoyable characters.
    I did end the game and obviously see the problem people have with the "2° Part" of the game but still even with this still a good game that i enjoyed and had fun.
  28. syscro
    Sep 17, 2017
    9
    Wow wow wow.
    Cuando lei de este juego me dijeron que era una renovación del antiguo RPG como otros tantos anteriormente se habían proclamado, así que no le tenia demasiada expectativas, lo cual me dejo con la boca cerrada.
    Excelente 10/10 OST, el modo furia con sus temas personalizados, los temas de Boss y los de las ciudades, todo me recuerda el apogeo de los RPG de SNES. Los    Wow wow wow.
    Cuando lei de este juego me dijeron que era una renovación del antiguo RPG como otros tantos anteriormente se habían proclamado, así que no le tenia demasiada expectativas, lo cual me dejo con la boca cerrada.
    Excelente 10/10 OST, el modo furia con sus temas personalizados, los temas de Boss y los de las ciudades, todo me recuerda el apogeo de los RPG de SNES.
    Los personajes excelentes, ademas de contar con una dificultad acorde a lo que quieres se siente demasiado bien el poner tus propios limites y que con esto te sientas satisfecho.
    Si quieres recordar los RPG de antaño con una jugabilidad fresca este juego es recomendado.

    - Lo malo
    El juego se divide por capitrulos y a la mitad de esto y para darle un contexto al juego abusaron mucho de la capacidad de los jugadores, ya que al terminarlo se siente que te llevaron de la mano porque era posible que perdieras en la historia, cosa que sucede pero de mala manera, ya que peligra su recepción por haber realizado esta practica a cierto tipo de jugadores.

    En resumen un juego muy bueno como los RPG de SNES, pero desde la mitad se transforma en algo monótono hasta llegar a los últimos 2 capítulos que son el cual vuelve a comenzar el juego.    … Expand
  29. carlvazq_
    May 6, 2017
    8
    It could have been perfect, but to lengthen the game a bit more than it should, the story get a bit repetitive in some chapters. Even so, it is one of the best games of 3ds and a JRPG that creates a young and brilliant saga for the world of videogames.
  30. Dormarth
    Oct 24, 2019
    8
    A solid old School RPG with a great class system pulled out of the old Final Fantasy games like FF3. The game is not to much of a grind with good balance until the late game where a dark knight build can decimate anyone. However, part of l the charm of the game is to find the best builds and explore new builds. The story is fairly generic but, without spoiling anything, does go in aA solid old School RPG with a great class system pulled out of the old Final Fantasy games like FF3. The game is not to much of a grind with good balance until the late game where a dark knight build can decimate anyone. However, part of l the charm of the game is to find the best builds and explore new builds. The story is fairly generic but, without spoiling anything, does go in a direction I wasn’t expecting.

    However, the game does have shortcomings, half-way through the game becomes very repetitive and the story is put on hold, there are also micro transactions which are fairly easy to ignore but worth noting for anyone who wants to pick it up. Building your own town is slow and is fairly tedious, you don’t have much input into the town apart from deciding when to level up a shop.

    Overall it’s a solid game worth buying for any RPG fan.    … Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best 3DS Game of 2014
3
#3 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2014
3
#3 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 67 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 64 out of 67
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 67
  3. Negative: 0 out of 67
  1. Quarter to Three
    Apr 14, 2014
    100
    It sounds like a lot, and it is, but not in an overwhelming way but in a fantastic, three in the morning, I can’t stop playing this game kind of way. When it all comes together and you destroy a boss that gave you troubles just a few job levels ago, it feels great.
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  2. GameCritics
    Apr 8, 2014
    70
    It's got a lovely fresh coat of paint, but underneath that Bravely Default is the same old thing.
    Read full review
  3. Level7.nu
    Feb 16, 2014
    90
    Bravely Deafult is the best game from Square-Enix in a long time and a must for fans of classic Final Fantasy. The battle and work system, as well as the history and the graphics is natural progresses of a gamemaking many deemed nostalgic.
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