Bravely Default - Or, Square Enix still loves stupid names

I said month's ago it would end up being rare, and one of the reasons I was looking at the collectors edition.

Doesn't bode well for the sequel coming over here, does it?  But it makes me sad that people are viewing this as an investment.  If you're not going to play it, don't be selfish: leave it there for somebody who will.

Also Ringabel is an ass with a stupid name and a stupid haircut.

I was planning on getting this when my student loan comes in but I must say I'm a tad worried about its availability now.

My local GAME recently received what looks like three copies - no, wait, two.  Once I've finished Pokémon X, A Link Between Worlds, Dream Team Bros. and Inazuma Eleven 3, I'll be sure to give it a look.  Expect this thread to be resurrected about this time next year, folks!

I was saying this as my Christmas game but nobody bought it for me, so I went out and reached one down. Luckily, in my local someone had pulled out of a pre-order so I was able to not only get a copy, but sealed up all nice in the cellophane. Mmmm. I'll be getting on with that shortly. Might try to beat batsman and Phoenix Wright first so I sink all my time into it.

Balladeer wrote:

Athrun, any chance you could MP me your friend code?  I need more village people!

I feel kind of embarrassed for admitting this but I've actually know idea how to find out what my friend code is.    I'll be happy to add you, once I know what it is that is.  Anyone know where you find out the friend code?

Progress update wise I think I'm near the end of chapter 3, it's been a while since I've played anything between Chaugmer kicking my backside and my fmab marathon but I can smell the end of the chapter.  Agnes has stopped being annoying and Airy now officially is on my "I don't like you" list.  It seems all she does is whine to Agnes about not slaving herself in to the ground for the mission.

Happy face on the main menu, then go left. Should bring it up!

I must confess, this (along with everything else) has been delayed while I polish off ALBW. Sad to know that Airy doesn't get any better.

I had a bit of spare Christmas money, so I was forced to bring my purchase of this forward. Goodness knows when I'll get chance to play it. All the games I'm playing at the moment seem super time-consuming.

Well down here I'll be lucky to find it unless I download it

I officially wish I could strangle Airy.  She never stops jabbering on about the crystals, and she utterly ruins what would be otherwise heartwarming moments of comradery between the party by basically telling them nobody cares about what they've faced and their only focus should be the crystals.  I mean don't get me wrong, I understand why the crystals should be priority, but her utter lack of anything seeming like empathy for other people just really really gets under my skin.  

I just skip past her comments.  I am rather fond of Ringabel's voice actor, though.

And ooh! I like the clock place.

I now have a copy making its way to me! I just need to find the time to play it now.

I caved in and bought it few days ago. Quite enjoying it. It's a solid, lovingly made JRPG.

I did change the voices to Japanese as soon as I could, thankfully making Ringabell not obnoxious like I feared.

I heard that the demo has completely different content and that the main game benefits from you playing that first.

Will I lose anything by just starting with the full game?

Not really. I'd skip the demo, it throws you in the deep end with a few dungeons to explore, but you'll be visiting those same places again in the finished game anyway.

You're only really missing out on some disposable items, but items are plentiful. I'd say being able to start the game now is a worthy trade-off to 4 hours' of demo play (of which you'll be doing again in the finished game once you reach the second continent).

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I'm about 15 hours into this, and it's decent, but I'm still undecided on whether it's top-tier or not. I do enjoy it, and it's a solid RPG, but it still feels like it lacks an identity beyond that game that is like classic Final Fantasy, and even then the three SNES Final Fantasy games are more memorable and better designed than this.

I feel Bravely Default lacks variety and feels like it's set in a tiny world despite the huge game map, mostly due to the identikit nature of dungeons (towns are well executed but there aren't many of them anyway) and non-town locations, and how you're not allowed to explore until the game tells you so. Dungeon design's not particularly inspiring, either, and as inspired as the artstyle is parts of it scream generic, such as what each class looks like (I cringed when I saw the Ninja and the Time Mage).

And the soundtrack, while sounding nice, has too many pieces that sound like I've heard them in other JRPGs before -- it's also lacking memorable character themes.

It's lovingly made, though, and does a lot right, but none of it has been particularly inspiring to me, and nothing has stood out over any other JRPG I've played in my life.

Edit: I realised I spent most that post complaining. I have a lot of positive things to say as well about that game too! I'll post them soon.

And so the plot twist has reared its head.  I can see this one annoying a lot of people, personally however I'm loving it.  

Major plot twist spoilers:

I don't think I'm far enough into the game yet so I've resisted clicking the spoilers, but I do wonder if it's related to what GameCentral said in their (8/10) review:

"However, new and interesting are two words that don’t belong anywhere near Bravely Default’s plot. It’s such clichéd drivel that we’re convinced developer Silicon Studio (best known for 3D Dot Game Heroes) tried to turn it into a parody halfway through"

That sounds pretty hilarious, and I look forward to it. Because right now it's a bit sad that the side quests offer the most interesting stories of the game thus far.

I'm enjoying it, and find myself playing it for an hour or two every time I boot it up, but it's not amazing. It has some really great ideas (I like how they incentivise learning how to do everything, even the little extra bits, with items for achieving certain targets), and it's very solid, beautiful, the lot. I also really like the slow nature of rebuilding Norende, and using summons of real people in battle. But at the moment (I'm about 10 hours in and have just begun chapter 2) it's feeling a little more plodding than it ought, and the game world feels a little sparse.

It's solid.  The numbers go up, and there's a reason to usher your characters from one place to another.  It's not going to win any Games of the Year, but it's pretty much what I expected. The village is a nice touch too.

Really enjoying it now, and I must stop playing for the time being it as my playtime's reached 24 hours. Norende's a sneaky way to make sure I'm always up for playing more of the game. I do feel it has an identity, particularly each individual town and the general substories within. Anything where the game tends to follow a familiar trope ends up feeling generic (as good as the battle music is, it could have been in any JRPG, likewise with the overworld music), but I love how distinctive bits of the game are.

Likewise the subquests are excellent. By linking them into the main plot and offering new places to go/see/do things in I'm always interested in doing them, and I'd feel guilty for not doing a lot of them given the happenings that, er, happen.

Shame about the dungeon design, though. Each dungeon feels like an identikit version of the last, and they all remain woefully basic.