About two days earlier than this massive Nintendo Swap 2 Direct, I bought a brand new set of charging cables for my 3DS. The previous ones, assumedly, are consigned to the depths of a ‘misc draw’ someplace in my home, cursed to by no means see the sunshine of day once more. I nabbed these £3 beauties as a result of I’ve had a hankering to play some bonafide classics once more, these days: Shin Megami Tensei 4, Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse, and the unique Bravely Default.
Now, I’ve not been too fussed concerning the Swap 2 up up to now. The worth level for entry, $449.99, is steep. Horribly steep, truly. And it appears like video games will retail at $80 a pop, too. We’re nonetheless in the dead of night about precisely which video games might be suitable. I’m not thrilled that we should pay for upgrades to present Swap video games if we wish the good(r) Swap 2 variations. I don’t notably have a passion for Nintendo first-party titles, outdoors of Pokemon. I used to be a Sega child rising up, OK?
So I wasn’t such as you, the overwhelming majority of the viewers that has clicked by means of to this piece, at the start of the Direct: I wasn’t going to get a Swap 2, day one. However I’m a sucker for RPGs, man. Particularly RPGs with a basic Japanese improvement staff behind them (however can we name them JRPGs? The controversy rages on). After which, as my 3DS sat on my desk idling on the Residence Display, the unique little icon for Bravely Default twinkling at me seductively, what’s that I hear on my TV? The battle theme? Oh my.
You possibly can see the trailer beneath. And you already know what? This little 2.43 minute masterpiece acquired me; I used to be proper there on the Nintendo web site jostling desperately within the digital moshpit attempting to safe my pre-order. $450 of my hard-earned cash to play an RPG from 2013 – what the hell is fallacious with me?
Look, I do know the sport is flawed. The late-game part is controversial, and pads out the run-time superficially – if you wish to be uncharitable. However I loved the way in which it actually pushed you to be good about the way you managed battle sources and your character’s HP. I do know I’m within the minority there, however that ending hike up a reasonably steep issue curve put me in thoughts of the early Closing Fantasy video games. That’s not a foul factor.
The primary character designer and artwork director is Akihiko Yoshida. Sure, the mastermind behind the visible fashion of each Closing Fantasy Ways and Ways Ogre: Let Us Cling Collectively. The world is crafted from numerous cities modeled on European kids’s literature, so much like Studio Ghibli’s works are. The artwork path (each within the unique and the flamboyant new HD Remaster) is so particular and stylised that the sport had an ageless high quality even on the dinky 3DS software program. It appears nice on that tasty new Swap 2 display, I guess.
The script for the sport was put collectively by Naotaka Hayashi, who you could acknowledge for penning Steins;Gate – and as such has a barely extra mature tone than among the extra shonen-focused video games within the style. There’s additionally a self-awareness in Bravely Default that’s kinda charming; there’s a willingness to not take issues too critically, and a penchant for sending up style tropes. That is one thing the sequence has stored up over the following few video games, too, and is basically endearing in opposition to the mega-serious tasks we’re getting elsewhere from Sq. Enix.
After which there’s the battle system. It’s tremendous compelling. As modern within the style as Closing Fantasy’s ATB system. Sure, actually. Having the ability to actually lean into the danger/reward side of fight that RPGs had been buying and selling on as much as that time – and being rewarded vastly or punished heinously for doing so – feels great. It additionally opens up actually cool conceit concepts for bosses, and mixes gimmicks into even essentially the most normal ‘mob combat’ you may think about that feels contemporary 80 hours in.
I really feel a bit silly that I’ll be placing down money to play this, day one, when it releases on Nintendo Swap 2’s launch day. However you already know what? It’s a wedge within the door, isn’t it? My unapologetic lust for area of interest RPGs will little question expose me to absolutely the splendour of The Duskbloods, the nonsense of Donkey Kong Bananza, or the social chaos of Mario Kart World. In some unspecified time in the future, no less than.
So, don’t thoughts me once you’re all sampling the wonders of the Swap 2 launch line-up. I’ll be 200 hours deep in Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remastered, attempting to max out all of the characters’ jobs once more. And I’ll be having a good time.
