Nostalgia isn't enough to power Bravely Second to greatness.
A doggedly traditional Japanese RPG in many respects, Bravely Second: End Layer is almost exactly as they used to make them in the old days. If you're of the mind that publisher Square Enix hit its peak during the 90s with the likes of Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI, then this is very much aimed at you. However, Bravely Second’s charming sense of nostalgia can’t fully make up for its failings. Whilst its turn-based battles are still engaging, and its art just as visually arresting, it tells a ridiculous and often patronizing story with lifeless, even frequently irritating voice work. It’s a game that swings from providing great joy to deep disappointment without any warning and, as such, falls short of the bar set by Bravely Default.
The setup is predictably straightforward, and lacks any nuance whatsoever. Pose Agnes, one of the previous game's protagonists, is kidnapped by the villainous (and subtly named) Kaiser Oblivion. It's up to you, as idealistic young knight Yew Geneolgia, to assemble a team capable of rescuing Agnes and, in the process, realign the forces of good and evil. Given that it's based in the same world, with some of the same characters and even returning locations, it does pay to have played through Bravely Default before starting the journey here. Honestly, though, even with the foundation of the first game embedded in your memory, it's a terrible plot.
We've seen this all before and you've likely already got a pretty good idea in your mind about how, in general terms, it all plays out. Things are not helped by some questionable voice acting and a script that tries too hard to be funny, and fails in the process.
Combat to the Rescue
And yet, Bravely Second’s gameplay manages to pull it out of these holes to become a mostly rewarding JRPG.
The strategic and highly adaptable battle system from Bravely Default returns essentially in unaltered form, with the 'Brave' and 'Default' options setting it apart from other turn-based approaches. If you decide to Brave then you can spend multiple future turns in a single move, whilst the Default option sees you go defensive by opting to miss a turn in return for building up spare attacks to use in future.
Having your healer Default regularly during boss battles, for example, tends to be a smart option as it allows you to unleash four healing spells in a single turn. Many of Bravely Second's more difficult opponents possess a single devastating attack that is capable of crippling the health of your entire party, so keeping health regeneration spells fully loaded is a good habit to fall into as quickly as possible. This system heavily rewards long-term planning, and properly punishes tactical short-sightedness.
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Only in a JRPG could feeding someone a poisoned treat in the heat of battle bring success.
Bravely Second’s contribution to the system comes from layering on further complexity with a huge number of Jobs (read: classes) to select from and use. These include classes typical of the Final Fantasy series - such as the Thief, Monk, Dark Knight, and Black and White Mages - and range to more exotic ones like the Performer and Patisserie. The former is dressed in Elvis-style threads and sings to bestow stat buffs to allies, whilst the latter can create desserts that deal negative status effects. Only in a JRPG can feeding someone a poisoned treat, in the heat of battle, bring success.
Theoretically, the volume of Job opportunities should provide a sense of exhaustive diversity and limitless potential, but in reality I only ever bothered with a small handful of them. While there is an obvious advantage to having a single character become proficient in multiple areas, leveling them up requires such a big time investment that fixing each party member with a single job for life is the only way to play without Bravely Second practically taking over your entire existence. Yes, this approach means you miss out on seeing everything it has to offer, but it’s easily preferable to grinding the same areas for hours to get your new Job level to a point where you can take on the next area's enemies.
Wonderful World
And I always wanted to get to the next area sooner rather than later, because one of Bravely Second's primary joys is found in entering a new location for the first time. Despite the story woes, there’s some excellent world-building here, with environments that allude to an engrossing history, and a potential future.
The moments immediately following the game's opening narrative twist, for instance, are indicative of the developers’ ability to bake a sense of drama right into the environment. The towering, pastel-shaded spires of Yew's home city punch themselves into the sky in powerful defiance against nature, their presence standing as evidence of the civilisation's power - a power undermined by evidence of an enemy infiltration and the realization that Yew and his people have been defenceless all along. If the writing were as sophisticated as the visual storytelling, then there would be far less to complain about.
In 3D, these beautiful environments look even better, making this one of the few games for Nintendo's 3DS that is unquestionably improved by playing in 3D throughout. To say that the visual design is worth the price of admission alone would be a gross overstatement, but it goes a very long way towards overcoming the bland plot and characters.
The Verdict
A good combat system and gorgeous visuals are significantly let down by an underwhelming and perfunctory narrative that can make progression a real chore. Whilst there are elements that work in isolation, Bravely Second doesn't manage to tie them together in a way that matches the quality of the original.
Editors' Choice
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