While I owned a 3DS and played countless games on it, I never managed to venture into the deep world of the system’s RPGs as a kid. Unfortunately, that led to me missing out on games like Bravely Default, which infuriated me after I learned a few years after its release that Revo composed the soundtrack. Produced by Tomoya Asano, this Silicon Studio-developed RPG initially began development as a sequel to Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light. Eventually, Bravely Default became its own thing while retaining elements of the Final Fantasy series.
Although I missed out on Bravely Default and its sequel, Bravely Second, I managed to complete the Asano-produced Octopath Traveler in 2018 when it released for Nintendo Switch. This release marked the first “HD-2D” game released by Square Enix, and each year after, it seemed like a new release from Asano and his team was revealed. I enjoyed the Octopath games, in addition to Triangle Strategy. However, I still hoped for a way to play Bravely Default, especially considering 2021’s Bravely Default II.
My wish was finally answered this year with Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster, which was released as a launch title for Nintendo Switch 2. Ever since I wrapped up my Summer Game Fest coverage and broke in my Nintendo Switch 2, I’ve been chipping away at Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster at the end of each night. Sometimes I played just 15 minutes, while others I sat playing for an hour. After 88 hours, I have finally completed my time in Luxendarc (for now). For new fans, Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster is an easy recommendation. However, for returning players, this remaster might not pack as much of a punch as you might have hoped.
Entering The World of Luxendarc
The story of Bravely Default follows four heroes on a quest to restore the four elemental crystals of Luxendarc. Agnès Oblige, Tiz Arrior, Edea Lee, and Ringabel all join together in a journey filled with surprises and great character moments. I feel any fan of classic RPGs will greatly enjoy this narrative, as I found it still holds up today. This especially goes for the characters, who are all endearing and elevate the story quite a bit. There is a lot of chemistry displayed throughout the narrative, combining both emotional moments with the classic whimsicalness of older RPGs.
While the overall story and characters are great, some pacing issues, particularly in the second half of the game, can feel a bit tedious after so many hours. I didn’t feel this as much while playing in little bits over a month plus, but I think players who aim to play the entire game in a concise playthrough will find the game’s slowdown a bit more apparent. The pacing by no means something that takes away from the narrative (it’s there for a reason), but it does exist—and it could be better.
A Turn-Based Delight
We live in a crazy world sometimes. A common talking point online this year is that Square Enix has abandoned the turn-based genre, and this could not be further from the truth. This is an excellent turn-based game available right now—all you have to do is jump in! Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster features an expansive combat system that offers so much to the player.
Fans of earlier Final Fantasy games will be thrilled to find a complete, in-depth job system available in Bravely Default. A total of 24 are available to unlock and discover throughout the game, with each obtained by defeating different bosses. Every job has its own level that is separate from your character, so you can easily spend dozens of hours grinding up JP (Job Points) to max out each job. As you level up your jobs, you will unlock new abilities that you can mix and match to create some insanely powerful combos.
Upon entering combat, your options will once again look pretty similar to any Final Fantasy game: Attack, Ability, Item, and Run. However, things are shaken up quite a lot thanks to the Brave and Default system. To perform any of the above actions, you’re required to spend Brave Points (referred to as BP in-game). Every character will start with 0 BP to begin battle, for the most part, and each action will cost you 1 BP in total to perform. The number of BP you have directly corresponds with the number of actions you can perform, or the number of turns until you arrive at 0 and can act again. Once you arrive at -1, your turn is over, and things continue like any turn-based game… almost.
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster gives you a choice: do you Brave or do you Default? By choosing to Brave, you can spend your banked-up turns in one go and deal massive damage to enemies. Instead of just performing one move, you can perform up to four with just a swing. While opting for Brave can be a game-changer, choosing to do so will leave your party without the ability to act for multiple turns if you don’t have the right number of Brave Points. If the enemy you’re fighting happens to survive and attacks, it could spell the end for your party.
However, this is where Default comes in. Instead of attacking, you can defend yourself and bank 1 Brave Point. This is a great choice for banking turns for later, as you can stock up and unleash them with a Brave command in a flash. Ultimately, the Brave and Default system opens up so much experimentation and customization for each player. You can choose how you want to approach each battle, as you are forced to constantly weigh the risk and reward of each and every action you take.
Overall, Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster features an incredibly fun and deep combat system. Both Brave and Default throw a fun and strategic twist at the genre, making for a unique turn-based game that keeps you on your feet constantly—the name of the game is experimentation. Those craving a deep RPG with lots of room for grinding should be very satisfied with what’s here, especially since there are 24 different jobs to discover.
An Upgrade, But Is It Enough?
Revo is a man widely known for his contributions to Attack on Titan as Linked Horizon, but his work on Bravely Default might be his best. I’ve listened to this soundtrack countless times over the years, but hearing it in-game and aligning with the narrative and world elevates it to levels only seen by the best of composers. Almost every single song will quickly grab your attention, perfectly fitting the moment on screen with ease. The battle themes are each vibrant and filled with personality, while every town theme is charming and a delight to listen to. So many different genres surface throughout that it is almost unbelievable to think about how Revo composed this score.
Square Enix, as a whole, is known for incredible soundtracks throughout its games, but this is one that I think many fans of the company have likely overlooked over the years. And that’s a shame, honestly, as I feel as strongly about the Bravely Default soundtrack as I do about many (and I mean many) of Square Enix’s games. If you need one major reason outside of the amazing combat system and charming characters to check out this remaster, let this soundtrack be that reason.
With this being a remaster, I was excited to see how Square might aim to elevate the original game’s style. I was expecting at least more than a basic upscale, but unfortunately, that’s what Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster is. The original game placed such emphasis on the art, and while there was at least an effort to retain that look, the remaster really left me wanting more. The character models, for example, could have been much better with more polygons.
It’s very clear that this is an upscale of a 3DS game just by looking at it for a second, especially with enemies in particular. There is a jagged feel here and there that can be off-putting to players who aren’t familiar with the original game, and while it is satisfactory enough for this experience, I still would have liked to see more effort placed in improving the models. Models are the main issue here, as background art looks solid enough. You still get a charming presentation there, no doubt.
However, despite the lack of impressive visuals, I was very satisfied with the performance. This is a game that hugely benefits from being playable on a TV for the first time. Fans of the original will likely find that a replay opens a plethora of new details to discover, considering that many backgrounds and textures are now visible on a bigger screen in higher resolution. Additionally, the 60FPS is buttery smooth. I did not once encounter a bug or dip in frame rate of any kind throughout my time with the game in either handheld or docked.
Authentic & Great
I waited a very long time to experience Bravely Default, and I wasn’t disappointed after completing the remaster. For better or worse, this is an authentic remaster. Areas that needed to be translated 1:1 are as you’d expect, but the visuals leave a bit to be desired. That shortcoming can quickly be overlooked, though, as Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster is immediately a great RPG that should join the library of any Nintendo Switch 2 owner. I was not expecting this to be a launch title for the Switch 2, but I welcome it with open arms.
At the end of the day, if you’re a fan of classic Final Fantasy games or classic turn-based RPGs, Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster is an easy recommendation. This is an excellent game with a fantastic soundtrack, a well-rounded cast, and an engaging combat system. Fans who already played the original game will fail to find any substantial new content to discover, but the world of Luxendarc has never looked better. While I wish that more effort had been put into bringing this remaster up to 2025 standards, it’s still Bravely Default on a modern platform—and it’s hard to complain about that.
Disclaimer: Square Enix provided a Nintendo Switch 2 copy of Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster for review purposes.
