Oh man, so I’ve gotta admit something right off the bat: never played the original Bravely Default on the 3DS. Wild, right? Everyone and their grandma told me it was, like, the best RPG ever, way up there with Final Fantasy. And there I was, clueless. Anyway, fast forward to PAX East 2025, and boom, a demo of Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster. Lucky me! At least now I can give a “brand-spankin’-newbie” take on it.
So, first thing I noticed, because really, who wouldn’t, was the absence of dual screens. I mean, we’re talking about a serious injustice here. But, hey, they’ve really dialed up the graphics to HD, so props where it’s due. Plus, there’s this spanking new UI. When I asked a Square Enix rep if they’d go on to remake Bravely Second: End Layer with all this fancy presentation, she gave me this look. You know the one, like a secret half-smirk? Anyway, she was tight-lipped about the official plans. If it happens though, you heard it here first.
Okay, so side note: playing Bravely Default during a timed demo? Not ideal for any RPG. I just breezed past all the dialogue and cutscenes. Honestly, I was more curious about the combat. It’s seriously one of the quirkiest systems I’ve seen. You got your Brave and Default moves. Brave is like going all-out, multiple attacks, but, surprise, leaves you a sitting duck for a bit. Then there’s Default, which is defensive but lets you save a move for later. Picture this: stacking up turns by defending, then unleashing a Brave blitz without the usual penalties. Anyway—back to my point—I just dove headfirst, spamming Brave like some risk-loving lunatic, hoping the enemies wouldn’t wipe me out while I was being all offense, no defense. Real game mode’s gonna demand more finesse, obviously, like mixing Brave and Default smartly.
Oh, and I totally missed trying out the job system, but what I did see was pretty solid. I’m kinda kicking myself for ignoring it on the 3DS now. No point crying over spilled milk, though, right? This remaster’s a sweet deal for those who missed the original ride. It’s rolling out for the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5. Same day as the console. So, mark the date, folks!
