Bravely Default II

Bravely Default 2 is a decent JRPG cut from the same cloth as its inspirators. The combat is undeniably addictive, but its old-school sensibilities see it occasionally suffer from poor pacing and frustrating periods of grind.

Your enjoyment of Bravely Default II will largely depend on how much of a fan you are of grinding. With the large glut of epic, innovative JRPGs available in 2021 there are plenty of more streamlined experiences. However if you’re into hardcore old school JRPG’s with brutal difficulty spikes and detailed job systems, Bravely Default II will be exactly what you’re looking for.

Bravely Default II is a title whose solid gameplay mechanics and job system sustain the traditional story that has been going on for decades. The grinding is excessive, sometimes even ridiculous and tiring, unbalancing the experience in a regrettable way when past installments offered a much more balanced and fair package for the final experience.

Looked at through the nitty-gritty of its stat-based party management, Bravely Default II is a commendable third outing that at its best reaffirms just how joyous the IP’s approach to both RPG gameplay and nostalgia remains all these years on. Unfortunately, with its inevitable transition to console comes a bevvy of technical stutters, questionable limitations on visual fidelity and a rather blunt necessity for extended periods of grind, those of which even the fond art-style can not hide for long. Which is a shame, as the beating heart of not just the series, but of JRPG’s storied history, remains as alive and as engaging as it’s always been. Something which fans of the 3DS releases will no doubt latch onto with dogged determination and eventual glee. Bravely Default II does have more than its share of bumps in the road, but it’s a road still worth taking.

Bravely Default's old-school influences make it quite a peculiar game. It has an excellent combat system, full of strategies and really charming characters, but the story can be very simple and the mandatory grinding moments extend the game to about 60 hours of which not all are worth it. For those who want a JRPG with modern nuancess this game may not be a big deal, but for those looking for a game like the old ones, in Bravely Default 2 they will feel at home.

Existing between Ages of gaming, Bravely Default II is struggling with its penniless look and its repetitive gameplay. Nonetheless it gets better the more time you spend with it, and the game will reward you if you learn how to master it.

Bravely Default II is a game laden with frustration, with unfairness, with a lack of respect for the player's time. It's a game that could be massively improved, but only ever in small ways. It's an active step backward in terms of quality of life and playability features for the series… But when it works, it works wonderfully, its combat systems soaring to satisfying heights, its storytelling exciting and chilling. It's a game forever at conflict with itself, offering freedom then punishing you for pursuing it. I hate myself for loving it, but I love myself too much to ever go back to it. To sum it up, it's an arduous, glorious, frustrating, beautiful mess. It's a bit of a love-hate relationship.

Bravely Default II ticks off all boxes for people looking for an old school, turn-based RPG experience but at the same time makes it very difficult for the casual gamer to enjoy it. Even if you get a hang of the gameplay, the story is such a remarkable slog, and the dialogue delivered at such a slow pace that it could easily replace melatonin as my go-to sleep aid. If you’re here for this sort of game, they do wonderfully with their dedication to the job system and the enemy design, and even if it’s not necessarily my jam, I can absolutely respect the work and effort put into this.

What Bravely Default II ends up giving us is a nicely polished traditional role-playing game that gently shifts a few of the genre’s defining bars a centimetre or two higher while safely ducking under others. Fans of the form will find it warm and comforting, but I don’t expect it will win over many converts.

If you’re a fan of old-fashioned RPGs and aren’t turned off by the idea of grinding for hours on end in order to overcome the latest big bad, chances are you’ll quickly become besotted by Bravely Default II. And no one would blame you, as it really is a charming game with lots to offer. The grinding will be an issue for many though, occasionally bringing their adventure to a halt until they’ve gained more levels or totally retrained their characters in new jobs in order to be effective. The first couple of times it happens you’re likely to grit your teeth and work your way through it. But the sixth, eight, tenth? That’s when some players are likely to throw in the towel. And it’s a shame, because at its core, Bravely Default II has all the ingredients of a classic.

It's hard to call Bravely Default II a masterpiece, but it's not trying to be one. Yet still it's a solid game, full of classic JRPG charm. And perhaps it's a great reminder of why we love the genre in the first place.

There is a lot to like in Bravely Default 2, as its character class system and story gradually unfold into something engaging and interesting - it just takes a long journey through some rough territory to get there.

Bravely Default 2 isn't a bad game but, unfortunately, it never goes beyond the stage of a nice old-fashioned turn-by-turn experience and the game is pretty dated in many ways. The Brave and Default systems are still doing the job, while the Asterisks ensure the diversity of builds by allowing players to experiment to the fullest. But here we are, after this successful déjà vu background, there isn't much left for this second canonical episode. The game has a lot of difficulties to work correctly, the artistic direction, except the villages, leaves to be desired and the annexed content is of a deep boredom. As for the scenario, it's almost the same thing as BD1: those who made it know what we are talking about.

There is so much potential here that doesn’t quite reach the mark, and it’s quite mind boggling as to why some of these problems exist when they didn’t in their previous work. However, with that incredibly addictive gameplay alone, along with the plethora of side-content, I can see traditional Final Fantasy fans having a lot of fun here, even if it’s a bit of a shallow adventure. Now that this engine has proven it’s worth in terms of gameplay, I am very excited for their next project if they have more time to spare in the writing room.

The battles are not interesting enough to make the leveling process anything but a necessary evil for those hoping to keep pace with the game's challenges. At 60+ hours long, it will test all but the most dedicated retro JRPG game lover's patience.

It is fortunate for Bravely Default II, that the strength of its combat and world designs outweigh its odd design choices and uninspired writing, if only barely. It is enough to keep the experience enjoyable, but it is unlikely that it is one that will stick with you for very long.

Yes, it really does get good after 20 hours, but even then it never lives up to its name - not-so-bravely defaulting to genre convention at almost every turn. [Issue#357, p.108]

Bravely Default 2 is more of the same from the series. The game still keeps what it’s great at, namely its battle system, Job customization, and music. Fans of JRPGs will find familiarity here, but with the transition over to Nintendo Switch, I was hoping that there’d be more sizable improvements. Its tepid story as well as the puzzling omission of quality of life features that were present in previous games left me feeling a bit underwhelmed overall. Bravely Default 2 is a good game, but there are aspects that keep it from being a great one.

Although the game system is well done and the environments are beautiful, the rest is still bland and unimaginative. However, the battles are a strong bright spot - and if you like Japanese role-playing games in the old style, there is a lot to like here. Do not expect any groundbreaking new features or an outstanding story though.

An interesting story is hampered by too much filler. The combat system is great, but pacing issues makes the game less enjoyable.

The Brave and Default combat system strikes a near-perfect balance between two rival battle mechanics that have struggled to coexist over the decades, but that’s about the extent of the game’s individuality. Beyond that, it features a comically overused premise, music that’s simply remixed to suit your current locale, countless dungeons that offer no new experiences and only serve to pad the game’s supposed worth, and an overall gameplay loop that’s worn out before the end of the first chapter. Besides looking a bit nicer on newer hardware, the reason for this sequel’s existence isn’t clear.

The hardcore JRPG lovers looking for meaty Switch representation will froth over this, but as a new entry in the field, Bravely Default II only displays acid rain level nostalgia. It’s the dinosaur they just added feathers to, to make it seem like something new, but really, it’s all the same skeletal system we’ve known and studied already for so long.

A disappointing waste of a fun combat system and an impressive graphics engine, with ugly artwork and unremarkable storytelling that expends all its goodwill disappointingly quickly.

I’ve grown to enjoy it more and more as I’ve played. But despite how much I can enjoy it, I can’t get away from those minor frustrations, as much as I’d like to. Bravely Default 2 makes a compelling case for itself as a modern JRPG that evokes the classic era, but it doesn’t do as much with the concept as modern contemporaries, and it never quite reaches the soaring highs of those classics, either. This is a game in between a rock and a hard place, and while it will definitely find its audience, it won’t make it onto any list of essential RPGs as its predecessor did.

I'm left with mixed feelings about Bravely Default II. There's a lot to like and a core that's still fun and engaging. But the removal of some key quality-of-life features gives this experience a lot more friction than the prior games. I've loved the Bravely Default series for letting me feel like I'm 15 again--with all the time in the world to grind out a full set of level-99 characters--while still respecting my time by recognizing I don't actually want to do that. Bravely Default II asked me to put in the tedious work and lost some of the series' identity in the process.

The presentational and balance problems ultimately don’t take too much from Bravely Default 2. There’s a brilliant game here, with heart, smarts, and an admirable adoration for the classics of the genre. Its charm cannot be denied – and it provides a helpful cushion against those uneven and rough edges. With that said, to embrace a cliché – this is absolutely one for fans of the genre, who want a difficult, system-driven RPG – and aren’t as worried about the visual presentation.

The tactical flexibility in Bravely Default 2 is among the best in class, and tinkering with its possibilities is a fine pass-time in itself. But it gets bogged down in a churn of routine battles, wayward balancing and humdrum fantasy. While the original game’s compact focus felt comfy on a 3DS, the Switch magnifies the blemishes of the sequel and leaves it looking a little underdressed.