A barrage of Bravely Default

Last week was packed with news of Square Enix’s hit RPG Bravely Default, and being a Squenix fanboy, it’s gotten me more than just a little excited. Not having a 3DS myself, I haven’t been paying Bravely Default too much attention, but all of the recent videos and announcements have made me sit up. Now both the handheld and the game are at the very top of my Christmas list.

What’s got me so excited you ask?

It’s out, and it looks beautiful…

Bravely Default: For the Sequel was officially released in Japan and Europe this past Thursday, and I couldn’t be more jealous. The US release date, February 7, 2014, was also announced with the Thursday release, but unfortunately that is still an eternity away. I did find an hour worth of gameplay on Youtube to tide us over though.

The developers are awesome!

If the name Bravely Default: For the Sequel didn’t already give it away, this new instalment is not the first Bravely game. Then again it’s not exactly a sequel, either. Bravely Default was released in Japan back in 2012, but For the Sequel is more of an improvement on the original rather than a true sequel. There have been heaps of changes and improvements made to Bravely Default, but my favorite addition is that those who played the original are able to transfer their saved data onto For the Sequel. You can carry your level, money, special weapons, and even your friends onto the newer, better version.

Allowing the players to continue their game, their Bravely life, onto a new game, shows that the developers care about the players experience and that they want to make it better. I really respect this, and am hopeful they will continue this sort of perk into sequels that may come.

Did somebody mention a sequel?

Fans of Bravely Default will be happy to hear that a sequel titled Bravely Second was announced last week. This confirms two thing for me. One, the people over at Square Enix are confident that Bravely Default: For the Sequel will be a success. Two, Square Enix needs a new title guy. Regardless, this is exciting news that we will be sure to keep an eye on.

The Bravely characters may be without a designer

Akihiko Yoshida, the main character designer behind Bravely Default and Final Fantasy Tactics, has decided to officially leave Square Enix after nearly two decades of service. He has designed some beloved characters over the years, and his creative touch will surely be missed. That being said, Mr. Yoshida has said that he would like to continue helping out with the Bravely series, so who knows?