Alright, confession time. I never played the original Bravely Default on that cute little Nintendo 3DS. Crazy, right? Friends told me it was the best RPG after Final Fantasy. So, imagine my surprise at PAX East 2025 when I stumbled upon the Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster. Fresh eyes here, folks, so buckle up.
Anyway, HD Remaster’s first notable tweak—no dual screens like before. Which is, well, kind of a bummer? But those graphics? Slicker than ice on a hot summer day. And there’s a shiny new UI! I pestered a Square Enix rep about remaking Bravely Second: End Layer in this fresh style. She dodged the question, though. If it happens, I’m taking full credit for planting the seed. Just saying.
Now, playing this at PAX wasn’t ideal. Timed demos aren’t great for diving deep into RPGs. I confess that I skipped most dialogue and cutscenes (oops?). But hey, combat was… unique. Two main tricks: Brave and Default. Brave lets you unleash a flurry of attacks but leaves you wide open after. Default mounts a defense—also banks moves for a proper Brave assault later. I went full Brave, throwing caution to the wind. Probably shouldn’t, but it was a demo—might as well live dangerously, right?
So, the job system? Didn’t even scratch that surface. Yet, I’m impressed. Not jumping on this train earlier feels silly now, but this remaster—best way to jump in if you missed it too. Keep an eye out when it drops for Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5. Same day the console rolls out. Perfect timing, eh?
