Bravely Second: End Layer

Bravely Second takes concepts from it’s predecessor and improves on them completely, making this the best game on the 3DS.

My only hope is that the developers at Silicon Studios haven’t reached their own end layer with this series. They’ve essentially perfected the Bravely formula, and I look forward to how they might change things up in the future.

Playful proof that the classic RPG isn't dead. [Issue#174, p.76]

Bravely Second is a title that builds on the success of its predecessor without taking too many risks. There are only a handful of new mechanics and ideas present here, but as the original was brimming with so much innovation, I have a hard time holding it against the sequel for upholding the precedents made by its predecessor. In turn, it also stands amongst the best JRPGs on offer for the 3DS.

All the harrumph and bluster about cut content and changes does little to change the fact that Bravely Second: End Layer is a fantastic game that should satisfy fans and foes of the original game. There is a lot of revisiting, and some forced moral quandaries that I don't exactly agree with (from a logical stand-point), but they do little to affect my overall enjoyment of this game.

It’s a love letter to the genre, written by someone who moved away, traveled the world, and learned some new things while still managing to stay true to their roots.

Bravely Second might not take as many risks as a sequel should, but that doesn't matter so much when you experience the great character interaction, impressive graphics, outstanding soundtrack and addictive gameplay of this wonderful RPG.

Bravely Second: End Layer is a worthy follow-up to Bravely Default, which in itself is one of the best RPGs on the Nintendo 3DS. Granted, if Bravely Default didn't move you the first time around, Bravely Second probably won't, either. For better or worse (but mostly better), it's a straight-up second helping of its predecessor.

Bravely Second is something of a rare JRPG sequel. It features the same battle system, world, and many familiar characters from the original. The new Jobs and even more convenient features for grinding make it a fun adventure for anyone who loved the original.

So if you like classic RPGs, there’s no reason to avoid any of the Bravely games, and if you’re not sure about this one for some reason, download that free demo and get crackin’.

Bravely Second is exactly what a sequel should be, improving upon the foundation of the original while adding in its own ideas to further enhance the experience. The 60+ hour adventure is more consistent than the first game, and the main plot and side quests are more elaborate and engaging.

Where Bravely Default excelled, Bravely Second repeats that success and leaves us with a heartwarming tale. One of the greatest 3DS titles to date and surely the crème de la crème of modern JRPG titles.

Everything you loved about Bravely Default, but with more interesting characters and a more captivating story."

Bravely Second is without question another memorable, worthwhile and undeniably essential play for anyone striving to get their latest RPG fix.

The somewhat clichéd plot, the inconsistent tone of the dialogue and the likeable, but ultimately forgettable cast do hold this game back from greatness, but despite these issues, Bravely Second: End Layer remains one of the finest JRPGs of the past decade and a welcome reminder of what can be achieved on the Nintendo 3DS’ ageing hardware.

The team behind Bravely Second put forth a big effort and love while creating the game that's easy to spot in every detail. Despite being a direct sequel sharing similar graphics, music and gameplay with its predecessor, the interesting new plot, that will keep the player anxious to know more; and the well designed battle system, that makes it fun to level up, make this title stand out as one of the best RPG ever made not only for Nintendo 3DS, but overall.

Bravely Second is a top-notch J-RPG. The original formula hasn't changed a bit, and that's a good thing, but it's been expanded with tons of class, skills and tactics to accommodate the need of every strategy fan. Some balancing issues won't affect an overall great experience.

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.

It's a very well-crafted more of the same, that once more finds great ways to modernize the JRPG formula. Still a must-have for fans of the genre.

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 doesn’t change much from Bravely Default. There are small additions that only improve the already near-perfect gameplay, but the story gets off to an awful start, and takes a while to build up steam.

Bravely Second is basically Bravely Default 2.0: it's almost the same game with a new plot and a few more dungeons, characters and classes. That's not necessarily a bad thing, not when Bravely Default was so good and Bravely Second is all around better than that. All said and done, there wasn't much bravery this time around.

Bravely Second: End Layer is inextricably tied to its predecessor but still manages to be a fun, cute, old-school styled RPG.

Bravely Second is a superb sequel and stands among the upper echelon of 3DS and Japanese RPGs. [Issue #21 – May/June 2016, p.68]

Bravely Second redeems the worst sins of Bravely Default and is an entertaining homage to the classic turn-based RPGs of yesteryear.

Bravely Second has the same shape of its predecessor to offer us a game that in many ways is "more of the same" but fortunately is a JRPG that works very well. With a superb presentation and slight adjustments, this sequel has a better story and a flexible system that will make happy the veterans of the genre and new players as well.

Bravely Second: End Layer has a merely passable story, but the fantastic combat, new job classes, and updated mechanics make it an excellent installment to the series.

If, deep in your soul, you love optimizing characters, power-gaming, and creating incredibly broken move combos while still being challenged by enemies, then Bravely Second provides the perfect playground. Fans of the original may find their return to Luxendarc a little too familiar, and the story may be a bit cheesy, but the combat system alone is worth it.

Either way though, no matter if you played the original, if you want a beautiful, exciting, and well designed modern take on classic JRPGs, you will feel right at home with Bravely Second: End Layer.

Worthy successor to Bravely Default with new classes and technically impressive. But the recycled content is annoying.

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.

It doesn’t turn the original formula upside down (obviously, since it worked so well), and it could have been way better from a narrative standpoint with more courage, and yet Bravely Second is still and amazing JRPG, and a must buy for anyone who liked the first chapter in the series.

Bravely Second manages to stay fresh and interesting, even if it seems to go on forever. The graphics and voice acting are great for a 3DS game. You definitely get your money's worth and any fan of Japanese RPGs should give this game a try.

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 an old school roleplaying game, done in a modern way.

Charming continuation of Silicon Studios homage to 16-bit classics. If you like your mobile roleplaying experience with a distinctive flavor of classical JRPG, this is for you.

Bravely Second is what an old school JRPG should be. The problem is the adaptation and its silly dialogues. The core experience lies on its entertaining combat system which makes the game a long-lasting joy.

Natural Japanese RPG with beautiful graphics, interesting strategic possibilities, colony building on the Moon and toy manufacturing. Seriously. [Issue#267]

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.

Bravely Default modernized the classic Final Fantasy formula, but Bravely Second improves on it in almost every way.

Bravely Second: End Layer isn’t quite the innovative powerhouse its predecessor was, but offers a more refined experience that learns from Bravely Default‘s mistakes.

A captivating follow-up. [April 2016, p.117]

Although it's not going to win over those who struggled to get into Bravely Default from the early going, Bravely Second should hold great appeal for everyone else.

Another inspired attempt to modernise old school Japanese role-players, while retaining all the charm and depth of early era Final Fantasies.

Bravely Second is an amazing JRPG, but it is a bit less strong than its predecessor.

Bravely Second is a worthy sequel to a fantastic game and fans of the series will be very pleased.

Bravely Second: End Layer is a sequel parody, in the best sense of the term. The narrative makes fun of the plot's clichés and recycled elements, assuming those at the same time. But Silicon Studio also uses such irony to hide some serious purpose through the gameplay evolutions that push its system towards even more paroxysmal limits, just like the scenario breaks the barrier to involve the player much more deeply in the game.

Bravely Second i​s the sequel to Bravely Default and it shows that it is an amazing franchise. The writing is a little bit less strong than its predecessor, but it still is an amazing JRPG that's worth playing.​

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 an amazing JRPG, but it lacks in innovations. Bravely Second was almost the perfect JRPG and Square Enix has done everything in order to keep the cocktail unchanged. Play it and you'll have a lot of fun, but you'll never get the same childish eyes you had enjoying Bravely Default.

This is a how a traditional JRPG is meant to be. Fans of that genre get exactly what they want but don’t expect any radical improvements on the classic conventions. [jan. 2016 / page 068]

Bravely Second is a great game, but somehow it feels more like an expansion than like a true sequel. Still, if you enjoyed the first one, you wouldn't want to miss this episode.

Bravely Second: End Layer is probably the superior game. But sequels come with a different set of expectations. And from my perspective, those expectations haven’t been entirely satisfied.

Even with 60+ hours' worth of gameplay, some parts of Bravely Second's skeleton are still surprisingly bare.

Bravely Second: End Layer doesn’t repeat its predecessors mistakes, yet still manages to be surpassed by it. A world already explored is not a world interesting enough to be explored a second time. [Apr 2016]

Bravely Second's subtitle is End Layer. Hard to tell Silicon Studio they're wrong ont this point. Even with its new storyline, the game is far too close to the previous one to attract players who already played Default. The others will really enjoy it though, as it's totally playable and understandable, even if you didn't try the first one.

Too similar to the first chapter, Bravely Second: End Layer has a bland story and a cast of characters that is not exactly charismatic. It convinces only thanks to the proven combat system and the ability skill management. You could expect a lot more.

Along the +50 hours of my adventure I found myself playing the longest DLC ever, not a sequel or a new game.

A good combat system and gorgeous visuals are significantly let down by an underwhelming and perfunctory narrative that can make progression a real chore. Whilst there are elements that work in isolation, Bravely Second doesn't manage to tie them together in a way that matches the quality of the original.

But considering all the clever mechanical twists and innovations seeded in its predecessor, it's disappointing to see Bravely Second following in its footsteps with so little deviation.

Bravely Second is a missed opportunity in many ways. It's too similar to the original to woo a new crowd, and any risks it takes are narrative-centric and mostly fall flat.

It has its restraints, but as the story closes on the plains of Luxendarc, Bravely Second's grasp more than matches its reach.

There are some clever ideas thrown in that try to improve on the original game's plot, along with a handful of entertaining characters in amongst the obnoxious ones, as well as great use of 3D, but End Layer should be played for its battle and job systems first and foremost, provided the original title was enjoyed.

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.

Those of you who played Bravely Default should also play Bravely Second, though you might be disappointed, because in my private opinion the previous game was better. [05/2016, p.74]

Bravely Second End Layer is a decent game with beautiful visuals and a solid combat system, although as a direct sequel it fails to deliver a decent story and something new as an experience for those who played the first game.

Quotation forthcoming.