But I’ve found it impossible to care about these stakes. I usually devour stories in games, talking to every character, taking on every side quest, never skipping a cutscene or extraneous bit of world-building. The four quickly become a squad set on adventure. She meets the main protagonist, Seth, whose defining characteristic seems to be “man who washed up on a strange coast,” then bumps into two other folks with vague backgrounds, Elvis and Adelle. Now its last ruler, a young princess named Gloria, sets off on a quest to reclaim them. New adventure, same old storyĪ kingdom was destroyed after evil forces went after four powerful elemental crystals. Bravely Default 2 can’t even prop itself up with engaging characters or a gripping story my journey felt strung together from better games that came before it. Strange game design choices box in the potential gameplay freedom presented by the job system. Image: Square Enix/Nintendo via Polygonīut dreadful character art isn’t the only missing piece here. So many of the dramatic notes the game tries to hit are soured by how unflattering the characters look. It’s even more unfortunate because my party is always getting ridiculous costume changes as their jobs become more and more ludicrous, only to end up looking like creepy waxworks. The character art is a jarring mix of chibi roundness with well-defined hands and facial features, topped off with flat eyes and unmoving hair. Image Square Enix/Nintendoīut comparing those beautiful landscapes to the character designs feels like hearing the Jurassic Park theme played on a recorder. The winding pathways of Wiswald, a city overrun by trees. The overworld areas are also lush and vibrant, with waving grasslands or falling snow. In one town, a massive tree has overtaken all the buildings I run between shops and quests on its roots and branches. The original game featured diorama-inspired town designs, and this sequel kicks that aesthetic up a notch with some intricately layered hub worlds. The move from 3DS to Switch could have bolstered Bravely Default 2. Despite a story that has been done to death - can we impose a ban on elemental crystals in video games, please? - there were enough fresh angles to justify the glowing reviews and praise. Rethought turn order allowed players to bank or spend actions for maximum impact. There was an innovative job system where classes were as easy to change as your outfit. There’s nothing worse than a sequel that can’t outshine its predecessor.īravely Default was praised as a creative remixing of RPG elements when it launched on Nintendo 3DS.
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