Okay, so here’s a little secret: I totally blanked on playing Bravely Default when it was on the 3DS. I know, I know. You’d think I was living under a rock or something, with everyone going on about how it’s the best RPG next to Final Fantasy. Fast forward to PAX East 2025, and bam! There’s a surprise demo of Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster right there. Felt like fate, right? Anyway, here’s my brain dump on it.
When you fire up the Remaster, first thing — gone are the twin screens of the old 3DS. At first, I felt a little lost, like walking into your fave coffee spot and finding they’ve repainted the walls a different color. But then, bam! Those high-def graphics hit you like a cold splash. Oh, and there’s a snazzy new UI thing going on. I cornered a Square Enix rep (really, I just asked quietly) about maybe doing the same with Bravely Second: End Layer. She gave me that corporate smile that says nothing and something all at once. If they do it, you bet I’ll take credit for the idea. Or maybe not.
Now, let’s talk gameplay. You’d think playing an RPG in quick demo mode is nuts, and… you’d be right. I skipped dialogues like they were hurdles in a race — whoosh! So, jumping into combat, which is, by the way, an absolute trip. They’ve got this Brave and Default mechanic. Brave’s like, “Go wild, unleash the beast!” but it leaves you open for a smackdown. Default’s more like a timeout—you defend and stash away turns for later when you’re ready to rain chaos without the blowback. In the demo, I kind of just went full Brave. Defensive strategy? What’s that? I was like a bull seeing red. It worked. Mostly.
Didn’t get into the job system roulette this time, but hey, the game looked so slick I almost forgot my initial ignorance. Seriously, it’s wild that I missed out on the original ride on the 3DS, but those who did are gonna want the Remaster for sure. Heads up, it’s dropping June 5 on the Nintendo Switch 2. Yep, same day as the console. Mark that nonexistent calendar piece in your brain.
