Bravely Default (Video Game Review)

Bravely Default is a new JRPG title from Square Enix. The title was originally released in Japan with only a Western based audience in mind, which could explain a lot of the quirkiness in the game, but the positive reception the game received around the world led to a release in North America last month. The Nintendo 3DS exclusive is a lot of fun and features unique gameplay mechanics that is based heavily in a turn-based battle system with special rules and a job system with a ton of variety. The result is a good game that many JRPG fans will love but that most other games will pass off as too time consuming or strange to be worth their time.

The story of Bravely Default revolves around finding and resurrecting magic crystals that have been infected by a dark presence. The first two characters introduced in the game team up after a terrible event leaves the character Tiz without a home. The two team up with a few other characters along the way and are eventually forced to battle for control of the same crystals multiple times, which, unfortunately, gives the game both repetitive gameplay and storyline elements. Surprisingly, Bravely Default's narrative ends up being one of the weakest features of the new game, though there is plenty of it to be had for fans of the game that want to spend 80+ hours in this magical world.

The battle system in Bravely Default is a unique mix of turn-based combat and managing the amount of moves available to characters, similar to something like a Final Fantasy Tactics. Characters are given a certain amount of BP that can be used to perform attacks or saved in order to gain more BP and unleash powerful combo attacks. Enemies have the same battle system and can land some wicked combos that will leave the player's team hurting if certain precautions aren't taken. Though the battle mechanics sound complicated, it's much easier to get used to the seldom seen rules when actually playing the game, and there is only a slight learning curve associated with the game mechanic.

Likewise, the job system featured in Bravely Default seems complex, but it actually pretty simple to learn. There are a whopping 24 jobs featured in the game, and obviously with so many jobs included in the game, there is little balance, as some jobs are almost required, while others are nearly useless. Jobs affect the wardrobe of characters, the statistic values of characters and the moves available to those characters. Jobs can be leveled to learn basic job commands such as Attack and Magic, while support abilities are also unlocked through leveling to teach traits such as boosted statistics and special commands for combat. There are only so many ability slots for each character, only two primary jobs can be used at any one time and it takes a really long time to max out a job at level 14, so players will need to strategically learn jobs that offer the best chance at winning battles.

Despite having some good ideas, Bravely Default falters in repetition. The game forces players to search for crystals to resurrect in the world, and then repeat the same process multiple times while exploring the same areas and fighting some of the same boss enemies. This definitely doesn't make for the most compelling gameplay, and it almost seems a cheap way to pad the length of the game to a more traditional amount of content seen out of other JRPG games.

Bravely Default also comes with unique options to change difficulty settings to make the game as easy or hard as a player would like with no additional benefits or penalties. The difficulty settings can be accessed at any point during the game, while players can also adjust the random encounter rate with enemies. The two options doesn't really do anything to negate the experience, since the changes are completely optional, but it is a nice feature for players when they may not have much time left to play the game and just want to get through to the end of the current mission before switching off their Nintendo 3DS.

Bravely Default is a good looking game with hand painted backgrounds and environments that look especially impressive on the Nintendo 3DS. The character models are a bit cutesy and won't fit every gamer's tastes, though many JRPG fans will have come to expect Vampires with bunny ears and similarly strange characters in their games by now. The main characters in the game are pretty interesting and include a couple of beings who are clearly not from our own time and world and a womanizing hero with a mysterious past. All of this is complemented nicely by a good soundtrack that helps capture the JRPG experience and immerse players in the action.

Bravely Default is far from a perfect title, but it's one that JRPG fans will likely enjoy and will gladly add to their Nintendo 3DS game library. The title is eccentric with its storyline and characters that sometimes feel a bit out of place and inappropriate, but there are enough good ideas and entertaining gameplay packed into the release to give fans over 80 hours worth of fun for a good price. Bravely Default is now available exclusively for Nintendo 3DS; check it out today!

Bravely Default is now available exclusively for Nintendo 3DS. Bravely Default is rated T by the ESRB for Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes & Use of Alcohol. For more information on the game, check out the official Bravely Default website.

Game Features:

• Single Player
• Classic JRPG Gameplay
• 24 Jobs
• Adjust Difficult and Encounter Rate in Options
• Streetpass Support

Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Square Enix
Available exclusively for Nintendo 3DS (reviewed)
Release Date: February 7, 2014

Score: 7 out of 10