10 year anniversary was reveal-free

October 11 saw the 10th anniversary of beloved RPG Bravely Default, which first launched on Nintendo 3DS in the fall of 2012 �Yep, that long ago, folks �To celebrate the birthday, Square Enix held a special live stream presentation, featuring original producer Tomoya Asano �To the dismay of fans, however, no official word was forthcoming on any new release or remaster... at least, not directly.

During the live stream, a HD version of the original Bravely Default intro was screened, depicting the attractive fantasy adventure in resolutions never before seen. Following the video, a wistful Asano commented: "Looking at the [HD] opening movie of Bravely Default, I feel like announcing a remaster of Bravely Default would be the best possible thing. And something that the?? fans would desire. B??ut, for now, I’m unfortunately unable to announce anything like that."

"'Fo?r now' let's just say..." added the producer, tantalizingly.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_1s0i9KDkk&t=733s

The Nintendo DS adventure, which is known as Bravely Default: Flying Fairy in its native Japan, spins a fantasy yarn of four protagonists, thrown together in a quest to recover four elemental crystals, swallowed up by ever-increasing darkness. As is the wont of many Square Enix RPGs, Bravely Default is highly regarded for its melodramatic storytelling, lush visuals, attractive characters, and engaging, turn-based combat. Beloved by both critics and players upon release, it was succeeded by 2015's Bravely Second: End Layer, and 2021 sequel Bravely Default II.

A remaster of the original game, released for Nintendo Switch, would be a guaranteed seller �offering a big-screen revisit to the series' faithful fanbase, while appealing to newcomers who might have missed out on the Nintendo 3DS version the first ti??me around. Asano's comments suggest that the possibility of such a release is on the table, and perhaps cogs could possibly be in motion already.

For now, however, we will?? simply have to wait, and hope, and see.

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'Across all platforms'

Square Enix hit a Bravely Default two-million milestone with Brilliant Lights: their newly launched mobile game on iOS and Android. I know you're probably confused. There's a Bravely Default mobile game? I don't blame you!

It's extremely new, and just came out six days ago, and o??nly on mobile, and only in Japan at the moment. That's a series of provisos if I've ever seen one! It's also a gacha game (surprisingly, dealing with just weapons instead of characters, as the latter are brought directly with currency), and features turn-based combat. To celebrate the two-million-players mark, the company is giving players 1,000 of in-game mithril currency (which it says is used for "gacha and stamina recovery") �so if you do play, log in and grab the g?ift.

Details for a global edition have not been announced, but I'd definitely give it a shot, especially if the gacha element isn't tied to characters. I'm r??eally just happy to see this seri??es live on in some way, even if that involves a Japan-first mobile project. It's crazy to me that the original came out in 2012 and kicked everything off, and that we just recently got a mainline entry in early 2021.

If you want to learn more about Brilliant Lights and don't mind sifting through some Japanese, Square Eni?x put up an off??icial "manual" on the game's website. At the very least you can sift through some gorgeous illustrations, and tangentially interact wi??th this world, even indirectly??.

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It's out on Steam today

If you don't have a Switch and wanted in on Bravely Default II, your chance is coming up. As Square Enix revealed last week, the game arrives on Steam today. But what you may not have known is how well it did on Switch. Commemorating the Steam launch, Square Enix has shared that figure with us on their official site.

According to the publisher, Bravely Default II has sold 950,000 copies from February 26, 2021, until now (they clarify that this number is worldwide shipments in addition to downloads). That's...mighty impressive for what is very ostensibly an old-school JRPG! Square and Enix made their names on the genre and are now branching off into so many different projects (including wild ones like Marvel's Avengers), so it's great to see them return to their roots; with both traditional projects like this, and modern ones like the latest Dragon Quest entries.

In any case, it has to be really encouraging for both the Bravely Default creative team and Square Enix as a whole. I remember when the original game out, before Setsuna, before Octopath Traveler, and it seemed like the company was really taking a punt on it. But after that it took off, got a follow-up with a confusing name, a mobile game, and another properly named sequel in Bravely Default II.

Square Enix has been known to make some odd decisions, but I'm glad they're still greenlighting games like Bravely Default II. Hopefully we see more from this ser?ies in the future: and with those sales, I have a feeling we will.

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Square Enix' dramatic RPG series returns to mobile

There's a brand new Bravely Default on the way, but perhaps not in the fashion that franchise fans would hope. Square Enix has announced Bravely Default: Brilliant Lights, a free-to-play mobile title currently in developme??nt for iOS and Andr??oid platforms.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlVNbAIWqGE

While details on the new title and its narrative remain under wraps, Brilliant Lights will be the first mobile game in the franchise since 2017's Fairy's Effect. The new game is expected to feature characters??? and locations from Square's series of critically acclaimed Nintendo 3DS and Switch titles, in a storyline that will see worlds collide.

Also making a comeback will be the series 'trademark "Brave & Default" battle system, which has been newly optimized to best fit smartphone ??technology. The story will be? handled by the series' regular writer Keiichi Ajiro.

Square has noted that Bravely Default: Brilliant Lights will be a free-to-play title built on paid microtransactions. A release date was not announced, nor a western localization, but interested parties can follow the Japanese Twitter account for screenshots, videos, and further updates. In the meantime, Bravely Default II is available right now on Nintendo Switch. You can check out our own Chris Carter's review right here.

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Thankfully, it doesn't cost Platinum Points

Bravely Default II kind of came ??and went, but it's still on my mind.

This little JRPG helped kick off 2021 and it is still a Switch exclusive after all, so it's hard to forget! And it got a bit of My Nintendo merch, as a little extra marketing push. Now My Nintendo is back with a?nother p??romo, but this one is a little more cheeky and less rewarding.

It's a "personality quiz" that you can access on the My Nintendo site. Thankfully it's zero Platinum Points, so there's no awkward digital barrier to pass. You just "buy" the quiz and have at it. While I presume a lot of folks will skip this over, it's a cute little time-waster for those of you who did dig the game, or mig??ht be on the fence.

More importantly for some, Nintendo also put out two digital wallpapers for the game, and they're pretty lovely. You can find them on the same page, or directly on the media section of My Nintendo. Like the other wallpapers, they??'re 50 Platinum Points each.

Find your Br??avely Default II job with a new personality?? quiz [My Nintendo]

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Get brave again

To some, the Bravely Default franchise exists merely on the peripheral plane.

"We want more old school JRPGs," fans cried out. "Here's a few," Square Enix answered. But the reach of projects in the aforementioned series, as well as one-offs like Lost Sphear, I Am Setsuna, and Oninaki, is lost on some.

Maybe Bravely Default II, with the power of the Swi??tch install base behind it, will change that narrative.

Bravely Default II (Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Claytechworks
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: February 26, 2021
MSRP: $59.99

Wait, we already got a Bravely Default II, right? No! That was Bravely Second: End Layer, friend! You know Square Enix will never miss the chance to give us a sneaky cryptic title. Confusingly, this Bravely Default sequel is actually billed as a standalone adventure. So despite the nomenclature, you can jump right in. Like the others, it falls very much in line with a classical fantasy tale. ?With monks. And giant anime swords.

This is a ye-old-kingdom setting, complete with the all-power crystal motif yet again. We even get an amnesiac-type hero! An??d he meets helpful people fairly early ??and becomes entwined in a crystal-theft plot. There's tropes. Oh there's tropes! Like a literal mustachioed villain practically twirling their facial hair in quick cryptic cutscenes. Plus, some classic bizarre voice acting choices sprinkled on top. It's a series staple at this point.

But like past Bravely joints, and some semi-recent JRPG work from Square as a whole, there's a lot of passion on display. The characters seem to?? actually care about one another, and their writing shines through, despite a few of those clichés mentioned earlier. There are so many optional stop-and-chats (more on that system later) that I'm glad I listened to, as I was able to ascertain a greater personal insig?ht into the cast.

It's also a gorgeous game. Bravely has always looked good, especially when it comes to concept art, but now with the Switch it finally f?eels like it can live up to a lot of that promise. There are some beautiful landscapes on display, with the option to zoom out heavily and really take them all in. The chibi character models and lo-fi "talking heads" cutscenes are going to be polarizing still; but having never minded them that much in the first place, it was easy to acclimate. The environments are often characters themselves and steal the show.

Mechanically, Bravely Default II benefits from all of the modern JRPG bells and whistles: save practically anywhere, the ability to view enemies in the field before a fight starts, quick heals to freshen up your ??party. It ranges f??rom streamlined to rote at times, depending on how much a particular area or set of enemies overstays its welcome.

The travelogue catalog menu is also extremely helpful, which constantly points you toward your next objective to keep you on track. Breadcrumb trails are commonplace at this point, but Bravely Default II again goes a step further by providing story context, as well as the chance to rewatch cutscenes if you want. Alternatively, you can skip some scenes for whatever reason, then go back and watch them in the ha?ndy travelogue menu. In turn, you can speed up battle se??quences, which is useful for random trash fights. Speaking of.

The "bank and spend turns" battle system that was born in the original returns,?? and it still works. The gist is that you can "default" to save up turns if you don't need them (if an all?y is out of MP for example, or the enemy is in a defensive position), or "brave" to spend four turns in a row and execute four actions. On top of all that you can customize your party and change their jobs, which includes a main class and a subclass.

I had a blast all over again trying out all of the combos, which can be effortlessly swapped at all times. Even very early on it can be thrilling to do something like spend two brave actions to ??examine/scan enemies, then blow four actions with your glass cannon black mage to nuke the entire enemy squad once you've ascertained their weakness. In that sense, it's rewarding to solve even the most minor of puzzles. The job system as a whole is fantastic and open-ended, and although it's going to take a while before you find your full party groove, it's fun to get there.

By and large though, the main story is the core objective. World map sections generally don't have an overwhelming amount of stuff to do in them (other than cut down bushes or shrubs for potential low-impact items), and side quests generally are in the "early day MMO kill stuff" variety lane. There's also a light exploration system mechanic where you can send a ship off on a journey while your system is in standby mode for bonus items, but that's about it. Early on at least, it's not as engaging as, say, the rebuilding-the-town minigame in the first Bravely.

That's pretty much Bravely Default II in a neat little package. It's more Bravely Default, which is more classic JRPG formula, distilled for a moder??n era. It's not going to reinvent RPGs as we know them, but this series still has life in i??t yet.

_{[This review is based on retail builds of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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No point count yet or date

[Update: The poster is now live! As predicted (I was close!), it's 700 points.]

Bravely Default II is coming very soon on Switch? (February 26), but before then, you'll be able to pick up a new My Nintendo reward for it.

Now this isn't completely new news here, as Nintendo did vaguely tease a reward roughly a month ago when it unveiled its first demo session. But in a My Nintendo post today, the pub?lisher has given us a full reveal of what that reward actually is: a poster.

The art features a character from the game's key art (Gloria), as well as a look at a kingdom locale (Halcyonia). It's 18" x 24" dimensions-wise, and it is reversible. There is no point count yet or a date ("comi??ng soon" is the only hint), but expect it to be far less than 1000 Platinum Points.

After all, a set of three Mario posters clocked in at 800 points.

Get ready f?or the Bravely Default II launch—try the free demo n??ow [My Nintendo]

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To victory and glory

In a little over a week's time, Nintendo Switch owners will be able to return to the kingdom of Excillant, as a quartet of brave heroes embark on an epic journey to restore a ruined city to its former glory, hugely outnumbered by the armies of enemies who would see them fail. Bravely Default II is just eigh??t days away from its long-awaited release on Nintendo Switch.

Publishers Square Enix and Nintendo have released one last trailer in order to?? stir the adventurous spirit in series fans old and new. The near four-minute preview gets us acquainted with heroes Seth, Adelle, Gloria, and Elvis, while giving us a whistle-stop tour of the kingdom of Excillant and its five distinct regions. We also ge?t to see some of the adversaries our party will come up against, which must be defeated if Princess Gloria's realm is ever to see the light again.

It won't be an easy quest, as many who have played the rec??ent demo will tell you. But with smart tactics, an eye for exploration, and perfect mastery of the "Brave" and "Default" battle system, players will help our heroes overcome insurmountable odds and hopefully save the day. I mean, Good always triumphs over Evil in these endeavors... right?

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As all things should be

In a little over a fortnight's time, budding adventurers will be on their way to the high-fantasy world of Excillant, with the release of the highly anticipated Switch sequel Bravely Default II. Publishers Nintendo and Square Enix have released a new trailer focusing on the JRPGs battle systems, giving players a chance to check out the hazardo?us encounters that lie ahead.

Bravely Default II walks the well-trodden path of party-based combat, with a selection of independently skilled allies taking on a host of beasties and bosses in turn-based action. The video focuses on the crux of Bravely Default II's combat system - smart balance between "Default" and "Brave" attacks. Players must use the former in order to acquire points to ac?tivate the latter, which will allow for numerous actions in a single turn.

Mastering Bravely Default II's battle balance will be a key component of the player's journey through the five kingdoms as Excillant, as those who have played the recent demo have found out. There are many battles waiting for heroes Seth, Adelle, Gloria, and Elvis, so be sure to check out the action for yourself and ensu??re that you're prepared for the challenge.

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Could do with a bit of landscaping

Square Enix Japan has released a new trailer for its upcoming adventure sequel Bravely Default II, ahead of? its launch on Nintendo Switch ?in February 2021. The video focuses on the mythical kingdom of Wiswald, one of the many regions players will visit on their epic journey.

As one would expect from a city established by mages, Wiswald is an exceptionally magical place, serving as the home of the Magic Research Institute, which both t?rains young magic-casters while also working as the governing body of the region. However, it appears that Wiswald has been pretty lax on the upkeep lately, with the local plant-life and foliage growing out-of-control, and threatening to engulf the town entirely.

Bravely Default II will launch on Nintendo Switch February 26. You can check out CJ Andriessen's thoughts on the recent demo right here.

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Get ready for a lot more story

Earlier this year, Nintendo and Square Enix dropped the first demo for their highly anticipated RPG Bravely Default II, the follow-up to two beloved games from the 3DS. It was our first chance to see how development was progressing since the game was first announced a little over a year ago. The demo was challenging, with the difficulty kicked up a notch and more-or-less forcing p??layers to grind it out.

Following the demo, Square Enix opened up a survey allowing players to offer feedback that could directly affect the final product. Earlier this year, we found out just how many changes that feedback would bring, and with the new Final Demo released late last night, we can now see those changes in action.

The Final Demo takes place in the same region as the demo from this past summer. The desert kingdom of Savalon is slowly drowning as waters continue to rise, with no answers as to how. All of this takes place in the first chapter of Bravely Default II, which the demo will allow you to explore for as much as five hours. You'll receive hourly reminders that the clock is ticking down, and once you hit the five-hour mark, that playthrough will end. You can start a new file if you want t?o try and get further than you di??d on your first try.

Returning players should immediately notice some of the differences between the first demo and this one. For starters, there are three difficulty options -- Casual, Normal, and Hard -- and you can switch between them at any time. The talking head portions of the story no longer have those unnecessary black bars, and there are many helpful hints to adjust players to the unique JRPG combat of the Bravely series.

When your party of Seth, Princess Gloria, Elvis, and Adelle arrives in Savalon, you??'ll be introduced to the four primary NPCs of this chapter. There is Prince Castor, the de facto ruler of the city, who seems to have a real problem with people from a lower birthright. There's Bernard, the casual racist and obvious villain for this portion of the game. At his side are Anihal, a beastmas?ter, and Orpheus, a bard who has a history with Gloria.

Orpheus is actually your first target for the demo, leading returning players back to the ruins they traversed once before. Not only do you need information from him, but he's holding an Asterisk, which grants you the job of Bard once he's defeated. As with the first demo, you'll start with five jobs available: Freelancer, White Mage, B??lack Ma??ge, Vanguard, and Monk.

If you played the first demo, only to give up in frustration when you died during its Asterisk fight, know that the battle against the ba?rd is somewhat easier this time around. However, it's still pretty lengthy. I think my fight against him lasted more than 20 minutes without speeding up the pace of battle. My biggest issue was having to constantly heal. Not only be??cause enemies pack a punch, even on normal, but because I stupidly kept using moves that used HP rather than MP. Some of these issues could have been avoided if I grinded some before my bout with the bard, but with only five hours, I wanted to see as much of the narrative as I could.

While a lot of what you'll experience in this demo is familiar territory, there are new dungeons to traverse and new enemies to fight. Some of these enemies are quite ghoulish l?ooking, and I've seen screenshots of later foes that sent a shiver up my spine. As with the first demo, the music here is outstanding, even if it doesn't always fit the mood of what's happening on screen. I imagine the voice acting will be divisive. At the very least, I can say it's serviceable to the story.

Beyond the five-hour time limit, there is a limit in the demo to how high you can raise your character level and their job level. While I would have liked to have seen a different area of this expansive world, the Final Demo for Bravely Default II has certainly put the game right back on my radar. With this, NEO: The World Ends with You, and Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny all arriving next year, Switch JRPG fans will ?have their hands full th??roughout 2021.

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Try way before you buy

Bravely Default II was one of the games I was most excited to play this year, but sadly, like so many other titles, it got pushed back to 2021. While there are still a few months before? we'll get our hands on the full game, Nintendo is offering players another sampling of the final product with the Final Demo. 

The demo will give players access to all four main characters from the game, with jobs and abilities readily available. Download before February 26, 2021, and you'll get 100 My Nintendo Platinum Points. Hey, that's another quick and easy way to score points!

The #BravelyDefault II Final Demo is here to give you a taste of the vivid art, strategic battle system, and memorable music of the game's first main chapter. Download it
before the game's launch and earn 100 My Nintendo Platinum Points!//t.co/CsyF64sGDu pic.twitter.com/bzAQdm0eDm

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) December 17, 2020

The Bravely Default II&nb??sp;Final Demo is now available for download. The game launch?es exclusively for Nintendo Switch on February 26.

Bravely Default II [Nintendo]

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Series celebrates eighth anniversary

Yesterday saw the eighth anniversary of celebrated adventure series Bravely Default. In lieu of any actual news, publisher Square Enix simply tweeted out the announcement that new info pertaining to anticipated sequel Bravely Default II would be coming "soon."

In addition, Square also released a cute sketch of series hero??es Ringabel and Edea Lee, as realised by artist Naoki Ikushima. You can check out the artwork and Square's succinct message in the tweet below.

Bravely Default launched on Nintendo 3DS in Japan on October 11, 2012, before heading west in expanded form in 2013. The series has since seen the release of tie-in in manga and drama CDs, alongside browser game Praying Barge and spin-off release Bravely Second: End Layer.

Bravely Default II news coming soon [Gematsu]

＼デフォルト８周年ï¼ï¼

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ã¨ç”Ÿå³¶ã•ã‚“ãŒæã„ã¦ãã‚Œã¾ã—ãŸã€‚#ブレイブリーデフォルト２ ã®æƒ…å ±ã¯è¿‘ã„ã†ã¡ã«ãŠå‡ºã—ã§ãる予定ã§ã™ã®ã§ã€ã©ã†ãžãƒã‚§ãƒƒã‚¯ä¸‹ã•ã„m_ _m pic.twitter.com/7nR9pYMxpg

— ブレイブリーデフォルトIIå…¬å¼ (@BDFF_OFFICIAL) October 11, 2020

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'It could even be a smartphone game'

Bravely Default has carved out a nice little niche for itself.

At this point it's nearly an eight-year-old series (!) that just refused to give up. A polarizing but strong 3DS debut kind of sealed the deal that this franchise would be around for a while, and an even more polarizing follow-up (Bravely Second) helped maintain its relevance in 2015.

Confusingly for everyone but ardent fans, Bravely Default II, which is not the second entry in the series but rather the second mainline entry, is coming to Switch in 2020. Oh and there's a browser spinoff and a mobile game wedged in there too (2012 for the form??er and 2015 for the latter). This series has been busy, despite the lack of buzz in the west.

It could live on well after the release of the upcoming Switch game too, if producer Tomoya Asano (who has been with the series since the original) has anything to say about it. Speaking to Famitsu (translated by Nintendo Everything), Asano replied to the possibility of Bravely Third by saying: "I do have a concept for it. I haven’t nailed down the particulars intentionally, so it could even be a smartphone game. Maybe I’ll have?? the opportunity to make it in the future if fans support the series."

If history repeats itself (ha, get it?), fans will show up, especially on the ever-popular Switch platform. Odds are there will be another Bravely entry, but I hope it's also on Switch.

Bravely Third [Famitsu via Nintendo Everything]

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Get ready to get your grind on

Despite being a "mini" presentation, last week's Nintendo Direct packed quite a bit of information into a half-hour show. While it may not have had much for Nintendo's long-term release schedule, there was news about Smash Bros. Ultimate, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, and the upcoming expansion passes for Pokémon Sword  & Shield.

Tucked in the middle of the video was another trailer for Square Enix's Bravely Default 2, showcasing more of the game and alerting Switch owners to the fact that a demo of the upcoming title was now available for download. Needing to break away from Animal Crossing, I downloaded ?the demo and decided to?? give it a whirl, only to have my ass handed to me again and again. Turns out, I was not ready for this demo.

When you boot up the demo the first time, a messag?e will give you a few snippets of information about what you're going to play, including that its difficulty has been raised just a bit. This is to encourage players to grind it out, to experiment with the jobs, and ultimately to get a sense of what the final build will be like. Make no mistake, you need to be ready to grind if you want to see this demo through to the end. These enemies have blood in their eyes and if you're not careful, they'll wipe your whole party without breaking a sweat. 

The demo takes place in the desert around Savalon, a beautiful city that's slowly being inundated with water. What was once a blessing for the arid people is now a curse as the rising waters are slowly enveloping the entire city. Princess Gloria deduces the Water Crystal, one of four crystals stolen from her kingdom, must be nearby. You play as Seth and after a quick trip to the local inn, the two of you set out, along with? party members Elvis and Adelle, to find some ruins in the desert where the crystal may lie.

For the demo, you're given access to five of the jobs that will be in the final game: Vanguard, Freelancer, Monk, Black Mage, and White Mage. Each character can have a main job and a sub-job. When you're in battle, you'll only gain job points for your main job, so the idea is to grind? up one of your jobs and then switch to another and start the whole process over. Any active abilities you unlock can be used no matter if it's tied to your main job or your sub-job. Passive abilities are limited to three for each character and can be assigned whether or not you are actively using the job that unlocked it.

Of course, one of my favorite things about the Bravely series are the costumes characters will don when assigned a specific job. Bravely Second excelled at this with unique jobs that had equally unique costumes like Catmancer, Patissier, and Yokai.?? Unfortunately, none of these jobs are that unusual, but the Monk costume on the female characters is delightful and there's something pure about seeing Elvis decked out as a White Mage.

If you played the first Bravely Default you'll be right at home once you get into battle. For newcomers, the battle system plays like any other turn-based game but with the addition of Brave Points. The points are basically action points, but you can build them up by choosing the Default. This puts your character on guard and, on their next turn, they can perform two actions using the Brave function. You can save up to four Brave Points, or if you're feeling lucky, you can use the Brave function and go into a Brave Point deficit. When you're in negative Brave Points, you won't be? able to act until you're back in the positive. It's a risk/reward system that can b?e awfully risky here as the enemies you face have the same Brave & Default options you have.

Even if you don't plan on beating it right away, it's always a good idea to download demos for the Bravely? series as Square Enix has a history of rewarding those who do with equipment for the actual game. If you do decide to give it go, word of advice: stay on the sands until you raise your levels a bit, don't go after the wolves right away, assign the Monk job to one of your characters and equip them with daggers in both hands, and m??ake sure you're examining every enemy the first time you face them.

Bravely Default II is sch??eduled for release on Nintendo Switch later ?this year.

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JRPG hype!

The classic JRPG vibes are going to be well-represented next year. Six years after Bravely Default hit 3DS in North America, it's getting a sequel. (Well, another sequel.)

Square Enix took the spotlight at The Game Awards to announce Bravely Default II. It's coming to Nintendo ??Switch sometime next year.

Check out ?the trailer that's embedded above. That'll make the wait even more unbearable.

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Man Bravely Default Twitter, you've been at it again

People have really taken to Octopath Traveler since it launched last month, including some folks in-house at Square Enix. How else could you explain this passion project in the form of a tweet, which features a baseball themed battle music arrangement, protagonist Olberic at bat, and...Bravely Default's Ringabel?

So why is this relevant? Well beyond the fact that it's good art, the Bravely Default Twitter account has been very active lately. Given how well Octopath Traveler and the Switch have done for themselves, and how Square Enix is doubling down on Switch development, there's been a lot of speculation that we'll get a "Bravely Default on Switch" announcement at some point.

T??hey could probably even reboot it and people would be fine with it.

オクトパスバトルBGM(応援ver)

アシスタントPでサウンド周りのディレクションをしてくれた早坂が作ってくれました！

8月も折り返しで、やや涼しくなってはきましたが、まだまだ油断することなく、帽子やヘルメットを着用しましょう
↓ pic.twitter.com/iEGTQgge1z

— ブレイブリー◯◯◯◯◯ (@BDFF_OFFICIAL) August 18, 2018

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On Switch?

Square Enix is at it again with their teasing -- and this time it's on the official Bravely Default Twitter account.

Cross-promoting another old school JRPG the account notes that Octopath Traveler has shipped one million units, then thanks fans before stating "please look forward to the next Square Enix BD11 game." Business Division 11, of course, is the section headed up by Tomoya Asano -- producer for several Final Fantasy games and eventually the Bravely Default series. ??While it's unconventional to outright confirm the existence of a game (if that's indeed what this is), in a tease, we can reasonably expect this to hit the Switch rather than the 3DS, which is in its twilight years.

Square Enix was a bit pensive about the Switch, only throwing Octopath Traveler on the system outside of a few ports, but they seem to be all in at this point. Just this June the company created a divis??ion with the sole purpose of advancing Switch development.

Bravely Default [Twitter]

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What's Edea holding...?

From the "Let's look too deeply into this" file, the Bravely Default twitter account released a very cute? image yesterday wishing all of their fans a "Happy Merry Christmas".

But it also set tongues wagging, as the accompanying image features Bravely Default character Edea in cutesy Xma??s gear, but also waving around a pair of Joy-Con, with a  Switch console clearly visible in the stocking hung up behind her.

This has led fans to wondering whether the team -- who are currently hard at work on Project Octopath Traveller -- may have some Switch-related Bravely Default news to share with us in the near-future. That,?? or maybe Edea just got given a Switch for ??the Holidays.

＼ハッピーメリークリスマス！／ pic.twitter.com/gGDGj13Ley

— ブレイブリーセカンド (@BDFF_OFFICIAL) December 23, 2017

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Bravely Default Fairy's Effect

I'm glad the Bravely Default series is still alive, even if it's in the form of a mobile game. Square Enix has showed off Fairy's Effect in earnest this week, showcasing some beautiful artwork and music in the trailer ?bel??ow.

Unlike the vast majority of mobile trailers however, which conceal gameplay to almo??st trick people into thinking it's a console release, there's a bit at the end. It looks close enough with RPG style combat and menus (the "Brave" and "Default" mechanics are confirmed), but that UI looks like it's going to be ri?fe with microtransactions.

We don't have a whole lot of 3DS projects on the horizon, so maybe Square Enix shifted their efforts to the Switch for a potential Bravely Default follow-up??? I'll take anything I can get, as long as they improve upon some of the flaws in the second.

The post Oh yeah, Bravely Default has a mobile game coming appeared first on Destructoid.

The teases end

For a little while now Square Enix has been teasing news, and possibly a new entry, for Bravely Default. This morning we got the answer -- it's called Bravely Default: Fairy's Effect, and will be relea??sed for mobile devices next year.

It's? expected to hit both iOS and Android, but the latter will get a closed beta test of 5000 users at some point before it's l??aunch in Japan. On top of that there's no word on a localization, and what type of game it is other than the "RPG" descriptor given in the official Twitter announcement.

While many of you are probably angry, I'm more than fine with it. Two main 3DS games in four years isn't bad, and it hasn't gotten to the point where the series feels oversaturated yet. The idea of side adventures o?n mobile that buy time for them to make another fully fledged game sounds goo??d.

Bravely Default [Twitter]

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This franchise is officially 'old'

It doesn't feel like four years have passed since the release of the original Bravely Default, but long localiz?ation delays will do that to yo?u.

Yep, as of to?day, October 11, it's officially been that long since the original was released by Square Enix on 3DS, which was eventually followed by a PC browser game, an expansion (that we got bundled in, in the west), a smartphone release, and a sequel. And the publisher isn't done quite yet either, as they've teased a new bit of news, a topic of which they've admitted has been "scant recently."

While I doubt they'll announce a sequel out of the blue, it could&nbs??p;have something to do with the announcement of the NX. I mean this is a complete guess, but I doubt Square would want to stop this gravy train anytime soon, and the timing is right.

BDF Official [Twitter via Gematsu]

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I hope you like Overwatch

Every year, PAX draws thousands of game enthusiasts to Seattle, and lots of them decide that the best way to express their affection for a given game is to dress up like one of the character?s. Cosplay has really taken off at PAX since it started over ten years ago. I did my best to photojournalize some of the best cosplay at PAX West last weekend. Let's get to it.

Pokémon Go was doing very well in Seattle last weekend, with lures on Pokéstops as far as the eye could see. Go doesn't exactly lend itself to cosplay?, but that didn't stop this group from coming up with a way to show off some of the game's fe?atures.

Speaking of Pokémon, Nintendo's booth was full of folks eager to try out the upcoming Pokémon Sun and Moon.

That's where I ran into ?this family, all dressed up as the Gen 7 starters-- Pop?plio, Litten, and baby Rowlet.

I saw plenty of Pikachu hoodies and professional looking Poké;mon at the show, but there's something to be said for an old fashioned h??omemade costum??e as well. Here's a Jynx and a Dugtrio.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild wasn't available to play at PAX this year, but that didn't stop people from dressing up like Link and Zelda. This Zelda has her own armor, and it looks like she could handle Ganon by?? herself, no problem.

This solo Zelda looked ready for anything...

As did? this Sheik. I never saw these last two in the same room at t??he same time. Probably just a coincidence.

From the Legend of  Zelda to League of Legends. I don't play LoL myself, but several of the characters were represented Here we see LoL's parody of a WoW paladin, Taric. I couldn't get it all in the picture, but he had a massive ??crystal hammer as well.

The ninja ?hero Yasuo was also around, an??d ready to fight.

One blue-clad ninja deserves another. This Kasumi from the Dead or Alive series blunk at an i?nopportune time, but still looks fantastic.

And while I'm posting pictur??es of blue ninja ladies, Zero Suit Sam?us fits that description pretty well.

After getting that pho??to, she asked me to take a picture of her thigh. I make it a point never to argue with women who have cannons for arms, so here ya go.

Fire Emblem has gotten a lot more popular in the last couple of years. This group all came dressed as characters from Fire Emblem: Fates.

So did this young lady, dressed as Camilla.

It was nice to see characters who started on the 3DS getting some love. Here's Edea from Bravely Default.

From Edea to Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite, who looked?? lovely. After posing for the picture, she yelled "Booker, Cat?ch!" and threw a bottle at my face.

Keeping with the theme of strong female characters, this Shepard from Mass Effect was totally unconce??rned about the Tyrannosaurus Rex behind her. I guess saving the entire galaxy from evil robots changes your ideas of what's scary.

The other original Bioware RPG series got some attention too. Here's a knight from Dragon Age.

You couldn't pay me enough to wear a full suit of armor in the Washington State Convention Center, but I've got to admit this fellow looked great. He told me what game he was representing but I had a hard time understanding him. All I know is that it wasn't Shovel Knight.

Keeping with the theme of knights and chivalry, I was happy to see one of my favorite series, Dragon Quest, getting some attention. These two were representing Square Enix at the Dragon Quest Builders booth.

The fellow on the right is Torneko, and I think the one on the left is meant to be a gender-swapped Alena, both from Dragon Quest IV.

I ran into the hero from Dragon Quest VIII in front on the convention center, standing next to an excellent Ayla from Chrono Trigger.

Square games were well represented at the show this year. You couldn't go?? very far without seeing one of these Uber cabs, decked out like Chocobos with peacock sounding horns.

Theoretically, you could also catch a ride with Cindy from Final Fantasy XV.

I ran into these two several times over the weekend, always with swords locked in the clash of battle. One of them gave me his card after I took their picture.

Edgy guys with swords are all the rage this year. I saw several Deadpool?s, but this one had by far ??the best costume.

This Deadpool had melded with Dante from the Devil May Cry ;series. He called himself "Danpool, t??he ult??imate hybrid."

One of the nomads from Journey made an appearance on the expo floor. It's hard to play video games wit?h??out any hands!

Adult Swim was showing off the new ToeJam and Earl&??nbsp;game. Ea??rl was wandering around the show floor...

...but ToeJam had to stay in the booth. It's a little harder to ma??ke a convincing ToeJam ?costume.

From ToeJam to Tomb Raider. Lara here is recovering nicely from?? that rebar wound??.

This pair of youngsters were dressed as the Team Fortress 2 Scout and one of Ezio's assassins from Assassin's Creed.

Fortunately, they were nowhere close to this guy.

Kat from Halo: Reach ??joined another Spartan waiting for the light to change. They look ready to play some Grifball.

By the fourth day of the convention, these Destiny Guardians needed a rest.

Keeping to the M-rated games, the Fallout series wa??s well represented. This Vault Dweller had made her own Plasma Rifle.

Meanwhile, another Va??ult Dweller proves that Ghouls are people too... just hor?ribly irradiated people with melted skin.

Without question, the game that had the most representation was Overwatch.? It takes some guts to walk around a con without a shirt on, but this Junkrat's been doing it long enough to earn himself a golden grenade launcher.

D. Va was a popular choic?e for people to dress as. I found a pair ??of them near the food court.

This one was less faithful to t??he source material, but I hadn't seen anyone else try to wear the MEKA suit, so that's worth a few style points. It's a little hard to see, but that's a Dorito in his mouth.

Tracer is pretty much the face of Overwatch. She was hard to capture on film, but I managed to catch her betw?een blinks. 

S??oldier: 76 needed some help to get his tactical visor on, but he had no problem clearing the room once it was ready.

Zarya and McCree prove that?? the relationship between the Russian Federation and 'Murica is stronger than ever.

Speaking of McCree, this gender-swapped versio?n was all smiles when I asked her ?what time it was.

Gender-swapping Overwatch characters seems like a popular thing to do. Hanzo and Genji were inseperable. I'm happy to present... the ??Shimada sisters.

This Lúcio was a little melani??n-challenged, but cheerfully complied when I asked him to drop the beat.

It was pretty warm in the convention center, so Mei she??d her bulky parka?? in favor of a tank top.

Her ice gun was very impressive. She told me who made it for her, but?? I'm a??fraid I didn't write it down.

Speaking of impressive weapons, th??is Junkrat and Widowmaker had some of t??he best I've seen.

I had to get a closeup on Junkrat's. The attention to detail was amazing. Whe?n I asked, they said they'd been working on their gear nonstop since the open beta back in April.

Finally, this Reaper seems to have blended himself with Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat. Free?zing a dude before blasting?? him into ice chunklets with a Hellfire shotgun just seems like overkill.

That's it for this year. There were a ton of other great cosplayers at the show this year, including a really good Eleven from Stranger Things  and a full-body Overwatch Bastion, but his costume kind of fell apart due to the heavy rain on Friday morning. I did want to mention that I got verbal permission to post these images from everyone whose pictures I t??ook at the show, with the exception of a couple of the full body armored costumes. If you have a favorite here o??r if you can tell me where that knight with the horned helmet came from, let me know in the comments!

The post PAX West 2016 cosplay breakdown appeared first on Destructoid.

100 coins

I didn't like Bravely Second as much as the first, but that doesn't mean it's not a good little romp. Enough time has passed for you to make a judgment call of your own, and if you can't get enough of that crew, Nintendo has implemented a new bonus for the My Nintendo rewards program i?n Europe (it sta??nds to reason that the US will get it soon too).

It's a 3DS theme, and will run you 100 platinum coins for your trouble. It's on the service until June 30. As a reminder, the service changed up its rewards recently.

The post A new Bravely Second theme just hit My Nintendo appeared first on Destructoid.

'Can't make any official promises'

Game Informer had the chance to catch up with Bravely Default producer Masashi Takahashi, which resulted in several interesting tidbits regarding the history of the series and where it could possibly go in the future. Once such nugget is the fact that although nothing is confirmed yet, it coul?d hit consoles one day.

When asked about the possibility, Takahashi responded: "Unfortunately, I can't make any official promises, but Bravely Default was the first RPG I worked on since joining Square Enix, and the series has grown very near and dear to my heart. Personally speaking, I'd love to see it happen. I'd also like to offer my heartfelt thanks to all of you around the world who h?ave played and loved the Bravely series. For me, there is no greater happiness than to be able to join with you to make the world of games even more fun."

I could easily see it as a downloadable-only game -- a tactic Square Enix has been dabbling in a lot these days for RPG projects. While I had my issues with the second it was still a great romp, and so was the first, so I'd easily get both ??of them on consoles to share with posterity.

How Final Fantasy's Past Is Shaping Bravely Default's F?uture [Game Informer]

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Less brave the second time

Bravely Default really came out at the perfect time. The "Four Warriors of Light" and "Crystal" themes called out to RPG fans that were pining for the glory days, free from modern conveniences and a return to the turn-based systems of old. But Default also packed in so??me great features that made it more than nostalgia bait, like the ability to avoid random battles, save anywhere, and a unique use of StreetPassing.

Repeating the same formula with Bravely Second just doesn't have the same impact, especially when the? cast isn't as lika??ble.

Bravely Second: End Layer (3DS)
Developer: Silicon Studio
Publisher: Square Enix
Release: April 23, 2015 (JP), February 26, 2016 (EU), April 15, 2016 (US)
MSRP: $39.99

Although I would heavily suggest giving the first game a shot (if only because it provides a general rundown of what to expect from this one), the intro of Bravely Second sums it up in several minutes, leaving out the details, and picking up. Without giving away too much of the story, Second is a continuation through and through (two years and a hal??f ??years later to be exact), complete with several returning cast members. Agnes, the guardian from Default, is now Pope (ha!), and Tiz and Edea return to once again heed the call of adventure. This time however you'll be in control of a new "lead," Yew -- A young buck who is inexplicably captain of the Three Cavaliers -- an outfit th??at's tasked with protecting said Pope. 

In case you were wondering why I used a modifier on his career path, it's because the game never really sells his authority. We've seen bumbling and "quirky" characters in the past, present franchise included, but he's a bit aloof, all told, and to an annoying degree. He's a wreck when it comes to things as simple as heights, often breaking the fourth wall, and his freakout-sessions are a constant source of both amusement and missed opportunities as the story unfolds. The big bad, Kaiser Oblivion, has elements of other iconic JRPG characters like Lunar 2's Mystere with the hidden identity gimmick, but ultimately the payoff just isn'??t there.

While I'm usually on board with the humor that localization teams bring to the west, I really wasn't feeling it here. It doesn't help that it's magnified by other traditionally "weird" characters like Magnolia, who accompanies Yew. "Wacky" traits were kind of picked arbitrarily, especially Magnoli?a, who has a penchant for making bad French puns and jabbering on about random subjects. ?It's really silly, to a point where it's less engaging than the original. The jokes simply try too hard in many ways, and aren't held up by a strong cast or performances.

I really don't understand the recording process for this series -- I've always said the ?original sounds like it was recorded?? in a noisy parking lot -- and that's also the case for the sequel. The rough audio side clashes significantly with the beautiful art style, which looks like a series of moving paintings despite the limited power of the 3DS.

A lot of my issues with the narrative wash away while I'm actually playing Bravely Second though. Combat is still a dream, and better, in fact, than the original. The Brave and Default system return, allowing the opportunity to st??ock up turns for some crazy combos. So why is it better? The addition of new jobs like the Catmancer and Necromancer bring the total to 30, which creates an insane amount ??of possibilities for party composition. 

Hell, there's even a Warlock-like class that debuffs enemies by way of cake and other confectionery d??elights. Typical combos exist, like buffing an entire party with time magic and then unleashing a series of status effects that compl??iment melee abilities is still in, among plenty of other tactics that may suit the current battle. When it comes to combat, Silicon Studio seemingly isn't out of ideas just yet. Elimina?ting random battles is such a ??good feature, and actually encourages players to explore every nook and cranny of the world without fear of tedium.

The same goes for the ability to save nearly anywhere, and the power to control the difficulty at all times. It even skips instant-win battles at higher levels to facilitate grinding. In other words, it doesn't discriminate against any type of player, hardcore or casual, and this degree of freedom is rarely seen in games today. Speaking to the much publicized changes made to a specific series of subquests, it's not a big deal and I enjoyed that portion just fine. Most of the problems with Bravely Second don't stem from the side content.

For those who are curious, the "put your 3DS in standby to rebuild a township" feature does return, as does the Stre??etPass party link and SP (Sleep Points, which can be used to power extra abilities) acquisition. Yes, that includes paying real life money for drinks, which provide three SP each. Microtransactions are indeed back, but like the original, they are a tiny, pointless thing, even though they shouldn't be there ??in the first place.

Bravely Second is a missed opportunity in many ways. It's too similar to the original to woo a new crowd, and an?y risks it takes are narrative-centric and mostly fall flat. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to still be playing JRPGs in 2016, but it's more important than ever for studios to avoid resting ?on their laurels.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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I guess it does listen to gamers

Remember the Bravely Second side quest changes ??people have been up in arms about? Well Nintendo released a statement stating they were intended, and are based on the ??feedback of Japanese players.

Regarding changes made to Bravely Second: End Layer for worldwide release

Based on feedback received after Bravely Second: End Layer's release in Japan, the development team at Square Enix, in conjunction with Silicon Studio, decided to implement a number of revisions to the game for the purpose of improv??ing its quality and ?creating a more enjoyable product.

One such change affects the game's optional side quests, where players encounter a conflict between two opposing parties and choose which p??arty to side with.

When the game was released in Japan, each side quest would end with the team lamenting the decision they?? made, regardless of the player's decision. This was intended to help players empathise with the characters' situation, bu?t overwhelming feedback from players indicated that they felt an unsatisfying disconnect between their intentions and the characters' reactions. In response, these side quest endings were amended to show the party readily coming to terms with their actions in a manner that does not cause the player undue regret for their decisions.

These changes do not affect the gameplay or the course of events in the game, and were made with t??he intention of improving the game experience for players.

Players in Japan disliked the multiple side quests and complained enough that changes were implemented for the international release in hopes of providing a better experience. It?? is always refreshing to see companies listen to their custom??ers.

Nintendo Issues Statement On Side Que??st Changes In Bravely Second [Nintendo Life]

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For the gravy!

Agnès is in trouble, and it's up to some familiar faces (along with some newbies) to save her. That's fairly well known for th??e diehards who have been slurping down any information to? come out of the Japanese release, but this English trailer gets the rest of us up to speed.

We almost didn't post this, since it's footage for a game that's already out somewhere else in the world, but the quirky localization is something to behold. Did that guy just exclaim "For the gravy!" during his victory pose? Wait, that gi??rl just said "Let's bust some Ba'als." Okay, we have to post this.

Watch it below. Bravely Second: End Layer releases in North America on April 15. As a nea??t add-on, the free demo is out in a week, and it features a story not present in the main game.

The post Bravely Second English trailer busts some Ba’als appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm still more disturbed by the cowboy

[Update: Regarding Bravely Second's rum?ored side quest changes during localization that multiple comm??enters urged me to look into: I did.

What I found was that outlets covering these changes all pointed to the same GameFAQs post (beware of spoilers) by a person who claims to have played the Japanese game and the recently released European version. To summarize the poster, side quests in the Japanese version had multiple outcomes based on decisions made by the player, and it appears that the European localization only gives players the "good" ending regardless of the? player's choice.

According to another poster, these changes could be unintended. "Strangely, the journal in the game basically explains the bad ending, as if that was the one you got when you've really se?en the good ending. It remains to be seen whether this is a bug."

I'm not a huge fan of reporting stories based solely on a couple of forum posts (learned my lesson on that the hard way) and would take this with a grain of salt until it is confirmed as intended by Square Enix, the localization team, or the publisher, Nintendo; all ?of whom I've reached out to for comment. I'll update this post if a response is received.

Thanks to community member? SeymourDuncan17 for sending in information regarding this situation to ??our tips box as well.]

Bravely Second is now available in Europe and it looks like more costumes have supposedly been edited from the original Japanese release and not just the Tomahawk outfit.

An unknown person has data-mined the game's files and compared costumes and characters between the versions using a model viewer and posted a list of changes on Pastebin. From looking through the l??ist of rumored changes??, it looks like a hell of a lot of "crotch shadows" have been removed, as well as an enemy characters' "vagina bones." A few of the supposed edits are shown in the video above.

The real question is can Bravely Second still be enjoyed without such important features as crotch shadows and vagina bones -- whatever those are? I guess us Yanks will find out when the game releases here in the US in April. 

The post Rumor: B?ravely Second English localization has lots of edited costumes appeared first on Destructoid.

Localizations

Some time ago, a rumor was flying around that a Native American outfit in Bravely Second, titled the "Tomahawk" class, was altered for the western release. Strangely ??enough that alteration was the polar opposite job in the form of a "Hawkeye" cowboy class -- and i??t looks like it's not a rumor anymore.

European players have gotten their hands on the demo by way of Collector's Edition pre-orders, and have confirmed that the costume change is in the western build. We've reached out to Squa??re Enix to g??et official confirmation.

RUMOR: I??mage Reveals Bravely Second is Indeed Playing Cow?boys and Indians [Operation Rainfall]

The post It looks like the ‘Tomahawk’ outfit in Bravely Second was changed to a cowboy appeared first on Destructoid.