So, confession time. I’ve never touched the original Bravely Default on the 3DS. Yeah, wild, right? Everyone was raving, saying it’s the best RPG since Final Fantasy. But hey, guess what? PAX East 2025 had this surprise demo of the Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster. So, here I am, blissfully ignorant and giving it a go.
First thing hits you: the lack of dual screens from the original. Rude, I know. But they threw in high-def graphics to, I dunno, apologize maybe? Oh, and there’s this new UI too. I casually (or maybe not so casually) asked this Square Enix rep if they’d use the spiffy new look for Bravely Second: End Layer. She thought it was a cool idea. Or maybe she was just being polite. Who even knows anymore?
Playing an RPG at a demo event — timed no less — is like trying to read War and Peace in ten minutes. I skipped a bunch of dialogue. Don’t hate me. But I did dive into the combat. It’s got this Brave or Default thing. Brave is all “Yo, hit ’em as much as you want!” but also, “Good luck with no defense after that.” Default’s more like, “Chill, defend, save those moves for later.” Me? I just went Brave-crazy. Because why not, right?
So, didn’t mess with the job system. Bummer. But hey, this remaster totally grabbed my attention. Perfect for folks who, like me, missed the 3DS magic. Mark your calendars: June 5, same day the Switch 2 drops. You gotta check it out.
