[Gaming] Bravely Default

Hey guys! So as I mentioned previously, I'm also an avid gamer ahaha. My boyfriend got me Bravely Default as an early Valentine's/birthday present (he's such a sweetheart), and I've been really drawn into it so far.

I'm about 4 hours into the game so far (though I did leave it running for a little bit while I got distracted with something else, and I also spent some time grinding a bit). It really is a lot like the DS remake of Final Fantasy III with the style and classic gameplay that makes me feel nostalgic. At the same time, I feel it's a lot more engaging and fun because it features several new modern twists and conveniences.

For one, level grinding isn't nearly as tedious anymore, because while walking around you can increase or decrease the encounter rate for random encounters as you please. You can even turn it all the way down so that you won't run into any monsters at all, or turn it to the point where you get assaulted every few steps if you need to grind. There's also no longer a transition/adjustment period between changing jobs during which your character is basically weaker; you can change jobs easily to test them out without having to worry about that annoying transitional period of a set number of battles (those of you that played FF3 will know what I'm talking about). The battle system also features a new mechanic where you can "save" or "borrow" turns to use. You can "default", or basically go into a defensive state to stack an extra turn for use, or you can "brave" which lets you use extra turns from future turns (or use up turns that you stacked with default). It makes battles a lot more interesting, while keeping the classic strategy turn-based system we're all so familiar with.

On the subject of characters, I thought I would like Agnes at first; I'm starting to think I was wrong. Turns out she's like a stubborn, sort of bland tsun that kind of just serves to annoy me and push the plot forward. Tiz is, as my boyfriend put it, "a dutiful shota", almost. He's not QUITE a shota but let's face it, he's got the baby face and mild but determined personality. He's cute and has his moments, and definitely serves as the core of the team's determination, but otherwise sort of unremarkable. Edea is another matter; she's blunt, loud, tomboyish, and strong-willed. I personally really like her because she manages to not be obnoxious and still retains the best parts of the unladylike character. Ringabel (or as I jokingly and fondly call him, Ringading) is like a troll. He's a ladies' man, and has the sort of higher-born, almost-but-not-quite snobbish air about him. I usually hate characters that start to follow that character pattern, but somehow Ringabel manages to be entertaining and not insufferable. His personality sits on that thin line between brilliantly lovable and obnoxiously disgusting, and that is why I can't help but think he's like a troll character.

The visuals and music for the game so far are beautiful; the characters are all adorable and chibi-like in that style reminiscent of the FF3 DS remake, but much prettier, with beautiful city art that feels classic at heart with all advantages of modern technology. The music and sounds definitely live up to my expectations.

If you think the demo was a turn-off for you for this game, don't let it be. The demo doesn't cover any of the really charming aspects of the game, and most people who've played it that I've talked to have agreed with me that it's not really remarkable or engaging. The game itself is much more vast than the demo can show you, and I think it's well worth the $40, considering people who've completed the game have clocked in with at least 50-60 hours to complete just the main storyline, and upwards of 70+ including side quests. Completionists have reported in with an average of 100+ hours of gameplay to finish the game, so I think all in all, the amount of play time you get for this game is well worth it.

I might update on this game later, if people are interested! For now, thanks for reading, and for those of you playing Bravely Default as well, let's enjoy the game!