Bravely Second: End Layer

 3DS
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 209 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 162 out of 209
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 209
  3. Negative: 25 out of 209
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  1. Rumic
    Apr 27, 2016
    7
    Return to Luxendarc to live a new adventure; It happens two years after the events of Bravely Default.

    In this new adventure we can visit most of the same city and dungeons (with a some new ones) That we could see in the first game. Includes several improvements for a fastest level up and combat system considerably There are some new jobs, and this time we can get the level 11, with    Return to Luxendarc to live a new adventure; It happens two years after the events of Bravely Default.

    In this new adventure we can visit most of the same city and dungeons (with a some new ones) That we could see in the first game.

    Includes several improvements for a fastest level up and combat system considerably
    There are some new jobs, and this time we can get the level 11, with a new and unique powerfull skill.

    The history is just ok, full of funny moments and easter eggs from movies or tv shows, if you like the classic jrpg this is for you.    … Expand
  2. Amberleh
    Jul 11, 2016
    7
    Let me start by saying that the first Bravely Default is one of my favorite games of all time- The characters, the story, the art, the unique battle system- It was a beautiful game and a must-play for JRPG fans. I was ecstatic when I heard there was going to be a sequel, especially since I only played the first game 8 months ago so I didn't have to wait too long!

    HOWEVER, as many have    Let me start by saying that the first Bravely Default is one of my favorite games of all time- The characters, the story, the art, the unique battle system- It was a beautiful game and a must-play for JRPG fans. I was ecstatic when I heard there was going to be a sequel, especially since I only played the first game 8 months ago so I didn't have to wait too long!

    HOWEVER, as many have already said, Bravely Second is a big disappointment to fans of the first game. While the overall gameplay and battle system is greatly improved, the story and characters were... not.

    They re-use dungeons from the first game, floor for floor, which is a bit lazy. But that isn't the biggest issue. Oh no. No, the biggest issue with this game can be summarized with two names: Yew and Magnolia.

    In theory they are both fine characters (Magnolia more so than Yew), but their dialogue is just atrociously cringeworthy. I honestly want to chuck my system across the room every time Yew spouts "FOR THE GRAVY!" Really translation team? Really? In general he's just kind of irritating and as others have already said, he and Magnolia just seem to try way too hard. Luckily, the return of Edea and Tiz help to soften the cringe by still remaining themselves and being fun and loveable characters just as they were in the first game. However, it just makes the player miss Ringabel all the more.

    With a game like Bravely Default, which, being a Square game, is VERY dialogue and character heavy, poor dialogue and obnoxious characters can really make it hard to play. They take away from the charm the first game had, sadly.

    The story is also not as compelling at the first game. The first game's story felt much more urgent, more unique. The game overall had a good amount of comedic charm and 'darkness' as well, but this game seems to utterly lack the dark elements or dire situations of the first. It does not tug at your heartstrings or have you gripping at your system at the drama. If anything it has you rolling your eyes at the constant "FOR THE GRAVY" quotes and really awkward and not very well done romance between Yew and Magnolia. It also has you wishing you could open up that damned gate back to Ringabel's world, dump Magnolia and Yew in it, and drag Ringabel back with you so the three of you can go save Anges undisturbed by the seemingly pre-pubescent lovebirds.

    While the battles and overall gameplay are much improved, there is one HUGE problem with them:

    It is now INCREDIBLY easy to level up WAY overlevel very, very fast. By chapter 3 my characters were already around level 50-60 and the bosses were never a challenge at all. I usually beat them in about one turn, which took a lot of the fun out of the game. Veterans of the first game should consider turning random encounters down to low at all times to avoid this.

    That said, if you really just need more Bravely in your life like I did, then it's still a worthwhile game. Just note that the story will not captivate you as the first one did.    … Expand
  3. alexaxa
    May 22, 2016
    7
    I really loved bravely default but bravely second have a poor story, bad dialogues and too much reused assets (complete dungeons, characters etc..) . It's not a bad game per say, just not as good as the first one.
  4. ricklongo
    Sep 13, 2016
    5
    A few years ago, Square Enix released Bravely Default, a little masterpiece of an RPG that got sadly dragged down towards the end by an insane amount of grinding and repetition. For the sequel, I was hoping they'd avoid this sort of thing. Instead, we get what amounts to a few dozen extra hours of, well, repetition.

    Good things first: the game still looks and sounds great, while the job    A few years ago, Square Enix released Bravely Default, a little masterpiece of an RPG that got sadly dragged down towards the end by an insane amount of grinding and repetition. For the sequel, I was hoping they'd avoid this sort of thing. Instead, we get what amounts to a few dozen extra hours of, well, repetition.

    Good things first: the game still looks and sounds great, while the job wheel got expanded and is as fun as ever to slowly discover. The turn-based combat also inherits the excellence of the previous title, with options to take extra turns, save turns for later, and even new additions such as the ability to chain battle sequences and gain more experience. All of this makes battles a lot more dynamic than usual for similar titles.

    What begins to pull the whole thing apart is the world map choice. Basically, it's the same as the first game, with the addition of a few scattered new explorable sites. This means we get much of the same towns as Bravely Default, and (gasp) even some of the exact same dungeons. This is especially frustrating after the aforementioned grind that was the first game's ending; I already explored these same locations five or six times there, so chances are giving me more of the same here wouldn't really be a good idea.

    The story, sadly, is also much weaker here. Bravely Default's late-game grind was at least justifiable story-wise, and you got to feel that pleasant sting of realization when you figured out just what was going on all along. Bravely Second's tale, by contrast, feels largely soulless, with some atrocious dialogue sections and inexplicably lame catchphrases ("for the gravy", really?). Even the reveal of the subtitle secret, one of the coolest moments in the first game, falls completely flat by virtue of just how forced it is.

    I truly feel Square Enix has the makings of another classic RPG franchise with the Bravely series. Bravely Second, however, is a step backwards by pretty much every metric. If we ever get a third game, let's hope they finally decide to move on to greener pastures instead of trying to retread the same content over and over and over again.

    Rating: 5.0    … Expand
  5. Ironblood
    Apr 27, 2016
    6
    I've changed my mind it's pretty meh, it's got some good music a great battle/job system and some really cool looking art, buuuuuuuuuuut... the characters are pretty freaking cringy and seem to get distracted pretty easily from the main quest which is of pretty great importance. The dialogue seems like it was written for prepubescents which is a damn shame because as far as characterI've changed my mind it's pretty meh, it's got some good music a great battle/job system and some really cool looking art, buuuuuuuuuuut... the characters are pretty freaking cringy and seem to get distracted pretty easily from the main quest which is of pretty great importance. The dialogue seems like it was written for prepubescents which is a damn shame because as far as character concepts go I like yew and magnolia I think they're interesting they just say a lot of stupid unfunny stuff which takes away from what could be a pair of pretty interesting characters. The thing is people are giving this game Effing 8's and 9's some doing so while also acknowledging that the story is a joke and the characters are annoying and try too hard. I can't rightfully give an RPG anything higher than a 6 if it's story and characters don't satisfy, I mean cmon that like half the game dude. Overall I'm pretty disappointed with this game Not because it's bad but because I liked the elements from the first game so much that this game fails to deliver on. If you don't care about the mediocre story and characters and the gratuitously frequent use of bad humor then the games definitely worth a buy otherwise stay clear unless it goes on sale.… Expand
  6. DarthSidious63
    Apr 19, 2016
    6
    Bravely Second has a good battle system and the variety of jobs but what holds this game down is the story. It is too juvenile and has bad voice acting. Either it gets lost in translation or Nintendo is catering to a young teen audience.
  7. cygnarite
    Apr 28, 2016
    6
    So, almost everything about this game is an improvement over BD. The classes are different and interesting, the abilities seem well designed with synergy between the classes a forethought, continuing battle mechanics solved the issue of battle being trivial due to your party being able to go all out on non-boss fights, MAGIC IS ACTUALLY USEFUL. The music is fantastic, at different timesSo, almost everything about this game is an improvement over BD. The classes are different and interesting, the abilities seem well designed with synergy between the classes a forethought, continuing battle mechanics solved the issue of battle being trivial due to your party being able to go all out on non-boss fights, MAGIC IS ACTUALLY USEFUL. The music is fantastic, at different times reminiscent of FF4, FF6, and FF7, while still feeling different and modern. Heck, even the UI and command structure got some much appreciated QOL upgrades!

    Why the 6 then? Well, I did say *almost* everything...

    The story is **** abysmal. It's So, so, so bad. It's very lighthearted, and extremely cheesy on purpose, and it just doesn't fit. The previous game had, among other things, an endboss who's goal was to ruin heaven with jealousy and strife, and devoured worlds in front of your eyes to break your will to fight him. This game so far has neko girl who substitutes cat noises into words as much as she can and a sniper girl named "Aimee" with the worst accent and writing I've ever seen short of "Jill, the master of unlocking" in the PS1 RE. The voice acting is average, but the script they're reading would have served a better purpose as toilet paper. The story/writing being so bad is an utter disappointment, because they got literally everything else right.    … Expand
  8. bloodless08
    Jan 23, 2017
    6
    I was so pumped for this game, so excited. I loved the first game and really looked forward to the new art style and continuation of the story in the sequel. Unfortunately the sequel didn't actually add anything to the previous game. The dialogue became significantly more childish and inconsequential in End Layer. I found myself cringing and growing impatient throughout 80% of the gamesI was so pumped for this game, so excited. I loved the first game and really looked forward to the new art style and continuation of the story in the sequel. Unfortunately the sequel didn't actually add anything to the previous game. The dialogue became significantly more childish and inconsequential in End Layer. I found myself cringing and growing impatient throughout 80% of the games early dialogue. I ended up trading the game back in at Gamestop after getting about 30%-50% through. This was really hard for me, as I usually complete every game I choose to purchase and start, and I had loved almost every aspect of the first game and watch Bravely Second's teaser trailer 6 or 7 times once I finished the game. I had expected the sequel to build character relationships even further, and tell a new and enticing story that would at least equal the first game's simple, yet fun, story. It did not, and months after trading the game in I believe I made the right decision. (Hopefully Octopath Travellers on the switch is fresh, and not overly childish like Bravely Second.)… Expand
  9. Zastrow
    Mar 18, 2018
    7
    The combat mechanics and job system are refined a bit from the first game. It's overall a decent game but dragged down with really bizarre dialogue between the characters. The writers couldn't decide if they were writing unfunny cheesy comedy or a serious story, as the script constantly shifts gears between them. I still played the game all the way through and had a mostly enjoyableThe combat mechanics and job system are refined a bit from the first game. It's overall a decent game but dragged down with really bizarre dialogue between the characters. The writers couldn't decide if they were writing unfunny cheesy comedy or a serious story, as the script constantly shifts gears between them. I still played the game all the way through and had a mostly enjoyable time, but the game could have been better.… Expand
  10. Dormarth
    Oct 24, 2019
    6
    As a fan of the first, I was extremely let down by the sequel. The game feels more like an expansion to the first, which isn’t a bad thing. The combat is great as ever using the brave and default system along for combat complexity. The new locations are interesting and have good music to accompany them. The new classes are interesting and fun to use including a Knight that can possesAs a fan of the first, I was extremely let down by the sequel. The game feels more like an expansion to the first, which isn’t a bad thing. The combat is great as ever using the brave and default system along for combat complexity. The new locations are interesting and have good music to accompany them. The new classes are interesting and fun to use including a Knight that can posses enemy’s and a Catromancer, this can allow you to use enemy abilities and talk to cats. However, the characters and story are abysmal. It’s painful to sit through the dialogue and story and the voice actors do the best but still comes off as irritating due to the childish dialogue. The combat this time however is flawed, I was able to get past the vast majority of boss fights by buying high level magic items which you can get plenty of by upgrading your town (this May also be true for BD however I was unaware while playing the game). They also haven't learned from their mistakes, the game requires you to play through the entire game twice to unlock the true ending which is tedious and feels like padding.

    Overall I would only recommend to fans of the first who really want more of the characters, world and combat. Dispute what some say it is definitely not for new comers as it’s so self referential it can suffocate new players.    … Expand
  11. jeremymd
    Jan 24, 2019
    6
    Loved the first game and was really excited to play the sequel considering it was set at the same location with apparently the same characters.

    The dialogue and the main protagonist was beyond cringe-y. Not sure whether this was a localization issue or whether the main character was supposed to be so unbearable and uninteresting. As I played on, I appreciated the quality-of-life    Loved the first game and was really excited to play the sequel considering it was set at the same location with apparently the same characters.

    The dialogue and the main protagonist was beyond cringe-y. Not sure whether this was a localization issue or whether the main character was supposed to be so unbearable and uninteresting.

    As I played on, I appreciated the quality-of-life improvements but ultimately I couldn't help but feel that this game was just a hammy parody of the previous game. Towards the 20-some hour of play, I just couldn't take the game seriously anymore. Maybe that was its intention, but I think it's a bad decision considering how epic and touching its predecessor was.

    If you've played Bravely Default and you found the characters endearing, don't play this.    … Expand
  12. robogiraffe
    Mar 17, 2021
    6
    The combat system is amazing, since it's just a slightly enhanced version of the original. This game could've been a 10/10 if it was based solely on the combat, but that's not how reviews work. Unfortunately, the rest of the game is sorely lacking. The OST is terrible, the characters are annoying, the writing in general is just plain bad and not as funny as they think. There's a hugeThe combat system is amazing, since it's just a slightly enhanced version of the original. This game could've been a 10/10 if it was based solely on the combat, but that's not how reviews work. Unfortunately, the rest of the game is sorely lacking. The OST is terrible, the characters are annoying, the writing in general is just plain bad and not as funny as they think. There's a huge tonal shift from the first game and it just feels out of place. And why did they change the pronunciation of Edea's name? Oh right, to make one stupid pun. Seriously, the names in this game are truly horrible.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best 3DS Game of 2016
13
#13 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2016
10
#10 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 70 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 70
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 70
  3. Negative: 0 out of 70
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Nov 7, 2016
    80
    Natural Japanese RPG with beautiful graphics, interesting strategic possibilities, colony building on the Moon and toy manufacturing. Seriously. [Issue#267]
  2. Kill Screen
    Jun 23, 2016
    50
    By trying to optimize it, the brave/default system inadvertently lays bare the arbitrariness structuring the player’s relation to the game, the role one ostensibly plays becoming repeatable and, indeed, automatable in yet another striking parallel to the looming “new economy.”
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  3. Toronto Sun
    Jun 21, 2016
    90
    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.
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