They’ve done it again! Square Enix has created another game for everyone to enjoy on Nintendo. They’re already famous for their franchise games like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts games, and this one seems par for the course for them in a good way. I do say the game is well done and feels more like an English version of a Final Fantasy game. The characters are witty and the class system is unique, allowing the player to combine two classes. Not only that, the game is addictive enough to make you lose track of time. So, let’s take a look under the hood of Bravely Default II, shall we?
Style of the Game
The overall art style in the game is good. It does a good job in giving an introduction to new areas and makes the whole area seem like a piece of art when being first introduced. The game is heavily influenced by Western-style art and culture, especially with the mannerism of the characters. The soundtracks are catchy and good and leave you seeking more and make you eager to hear what other songs they’ve put in the game.
The monsters can vary from cute to literally what the hell is that territory. The game may be made by Square Enix but almost all the monsters seem original to this game’s title. No copying and pasting from other games with the monsters. The overall style is well done. When entering the big cities it’s like your walking into a canvas.
Battle System
The uniqueness of this game is literally in the name of the game. The Brave and Default combat system allows for some unique combos. So when your character defaults they are taking a defensive stance. Another important thing it does is charge your Brave Points. Which allows you to use Brave. How Brave works is that it allows you to take extra actions with your character. You can default up to 3 Brave points which allow your character to act 4 times. The way you use these points can vary as well. You can make your character do a full assault, or if your team is hurt, use it to heal and attack. You also don’t have to Default to use Brave points but it will allow you to use negative Brave points with the tradeoff of delaying your character in the next several turns.
Jobs and Classes
The Jobs and Classes, however, are kinda similar to the Final Fantasy franchise. You will have jobs like white, black, and red mage, just to name a few. So, you will face some similarities but it doesn’t hurt the gameplay. The cool thing about Jobs is that you will be able to look at what level your character gains new abilities. So, if you’re an ability hunter, the Job list window works well in giving you details about what each ability does. It has a nice way of letting you know how much you want to grind for that one ability.
The ability to set sub-jobs as well is another good feature in the game. So, if you’re trying to add versatility to your job, add a sub-job like a black mage that can use their white mage’s abilities for additional customization. The only downside to this is that using sub-jobs won’t level up that job. Another takeaway is that anything in the class you completed you’ll have access to in the battle system. This is an area Square Enix is quite familiar with given their experience in creating good role-playing games. Their battle system doesn’t skip a beat when it comes to engaging gamers in developing a strategy to defeat monsters.
Conclusion
With a vivid art style, balanced battle system, and good storytelling, Bravely Default II is a game that everyone can enjoy. The game is nice and I liked how it had a more Western-style approach to the game itself. The game felt like an English version of the Final Fantasy series in a good way. So can you be the hero of light and save the world from calamity?