Bravely Default Switch 2 Remaster Game Preview

Bravely Default was a gem on the Nintendo 3DS back in 2012. Its turn-based combat and sense of adventure invoked old-school Final Fantasy vibes during a time where so many other games were incorporating open-worlds and more action-oriented gameplay. Almost 13 years later, the game is making a comeback on Nintendo Switch 2 in the form of an HD remaster. I spent about 20 minutes with the game, experiencing its graphical updates as well as some brand-new minigames made for Switch 2.

Bravely Default follows four characters as they travel around the world to reawaken four elemental crystals. Along their journey, they team up with a mysterious fairy named Airy. It's a story that's been told plenty of times by older Final Fantasy games, but Bravely Default takes it a step further with some of its plot twists. While the twists themselves have also been done before, Bravely Default executes them well, making the adventure a page-turner until the end.

Since the Switch 2 doesn't have dual screens like the 3DS, battle menus are now placed at the side of the screen rather on the bottom touch screen. It's a necessary change, but one that doesn't feel intrusive. The graphics are much sharper, too. Character models have been smoothed out and have less jagged edges than their 3DS counterparts. While that does show the game's age, it also exudes a certain retro charm.

The battle system is exactly the same as the original. The main gameplay mechanic is the BP system, where players can attack multiple times per turn by expending BP at the expense of not being able to attack during subsequent turns. For example, using 3 BP to attack three times in a row means the character can't take any actions for the next three turns. It's a trade off that forces you to think carefully on how to approach battle. Is it worth risking my ability to take action if it means I can defeat the enemy here? Or should I play it safe and only take one action at a time?

In particular, Bravely Default's BP mechanic feels like an early blueprint of what eventually became Octopath Traveler's BP system for its combat. Fans of the Octopath Traveler series should definitely check out Bravely Default to see where it all started.

For the Switch 2 version of Bravely Default, there are two new minigames that can be accessed through a separate menu. These use the Switch 2's Joy-Con mouse controls, and the first mini-game is a rather inoffensive rhythm game. Basically, you slide the Joy-Cons to match the placement of lines on screen. It's a nice addition, but ittedly it didn't blow me away.

However, the second mini-game was much more attention-grabbing. In this one, I had to multitask by running an airship. In my right Joy-Con, I would operate a steering wheel while the left one adjusted the ship's altitude. While I navigated the ship through rings, I would also have to conduct maintenance measures like turning off different light switches and swatting flies.

This particular mini-game was much more fun than the rhythm one and actually had me sweating a bit at the end. In the original Bravely Default game, there was an option to turn the random enemy encounter rate to different percentage levels, all the way down to zero. However, this option will not be available at the start like it was in the original. Instead, Square Enix told me that the ability to crank random encounters down to zero can be unlocked through the mini-games, but didn't specify how.

Still, it's great that Bravely Default is finally getting another lease on life through the Switch 2. The Nintendo 3DS eShop closed down last year, which made the game less accessible, due to now requiring a physical copy. But now that the HD remaster is releasing, returning veterans and new players can now experience what was previously one of the 3DS's best games. The Switch 2-exclusive mini-games are a nice-added touch. While they don't add a whole lot to the overall package, they don't detract from it either.