All lovers of old-fashioned Jrpg will surely know Bravely Default, or more likely they will have dedicated at least an altar to him in their own sacred room; the Jrpg of the talented Silicon Studio, released just over two years ago exclusively Nintendo 3DS, has captured the soul and mind of longtime role-playing gamers, but also of those who simply love fantastic games topped off with an exciting storyline behind. Bravely Default it was simply all that: one of the best Jrpgs of recent years, a reference to the old glories of the good old days (has anyone named his majesty Final Fantasy?), but above all, a truly wonderful game. The title has sold about a million copies, and here I have decided to put you in front of a choice: if you are among that million, I take your avid reading of this line for granted but, if you don't know Bravely Default at all, run as fast as possible. near the videludico point of sale and buy it, maybe after reading this review… it is likely that you will come home with two new Nintendo 3DS titles.
We were four heroes in Luxendarc, who wanted to save the world ...
The fantastic cast of the first chapter will also return in part in Bravely Second: End Layer, with three out of four characters (only two for all those who have not seen the final secret of the first Bravely), which can be quite discriminatory for those who have not played the prequel, given the amount of jokes, references and places that will return in this sequel. The main stoyline is set in Luxendarc and temporally placed exactly two and a half years after the final events of the first Default. Our old cast has made tremendous “role-playing” progress over this period of time: our heroine Agnes has become Popess, while the other girl in the group, Edea Lee, became commander of the royal guards of Eternia; our beloved ShrillInstead, he decided to relax in these two years, as a good shepherd boy he was, taking time for himself in peace and tranquility. The new hero we will play will be instead Yew Geneologyclumsy by profession, but with a sense of judgment and loyalty like few others; after the first hours of disorientation, where Yew will seem to us only the stereotypical big baby on duty, his personality will come out in a great way, making him in fact a loved and appreciated hero in the round. The Villain on duty is called instead Kaiser Oblivion that, as in the most classic of stories, will kidnap our Popess Agnes, throwing Luxendarc into total chaos and catapulting us into a series of events full of surprises and betrayals, but the narrative is a little more inferior and obvious than the legendary progenitor.
Winning gameplay doesn't change!
The gameplay of Bravely Second is the most classic the Japanese Jrpgs have taught us to love during the 90s / 2000s, starting with the legendary Final Fantasy V; the fights are strictly turn-based and random, so with invisible enemies on the screen, while the customization of the characters is all about the fantastic job system. In this new chapter all 24 classes present in the progenitor will return, with the significant addition of further 12 jobs among which we will be able to choose; honorable mention deserve the Bishop and the Wizard, which intersect perfectly with the system Brave and Default, while for the fantasy we absolutely vote the Gattomante and the Pastry Chef, ingenious and useful in their own way. We just mentioned the system Brave and Default, but now we must strictly go into detail because, in addition to giving the game the title, it has literally innovated the system (now defined obsolete by today's canons) of turn-based combat. The system conceived by Silicon allows, through the backbones of the 3DS, to play up to three more turns in addition to the current one or to place oneself in a defense position, halving the damage but giving up your turn: the management of short or excess turns it is clearly visible next to the name of our alter-ego, making the management of the account elementary. This system works great, giving almost infinite tactical freedom and allowing the player to face enemies above his level simply by accurately managing their turns. It must be said that the enemies will also use it, so be careful to abuse it or you will find yourself defeated soon. Speaking of Game Over, the difficulty of Bravely Second is less than the arduous predecessor, but the difficult mode, selectable at the beginning of the adventure, will make all masochists of the genre happy.
A picture in motion.
"Learn the art and put it aside" is a saying that all of us will have heard in our lives, from grandfather or parent on duty. The boys of Silicon Studio they learned art very well, but they don't really think about putting it aside: Bravely Second: End Layer it is a marvel, even better than its predecessor, a real painting in motion; the hand of the genius Akihiko Yoshida has designed an enchanting and colorful world, reaching heights unattainable by any portable device available on the market. The sound sector is also excellent, with a very well done dubbing and songs (remember that the soundtrack CD is available in the fantastic Collector's Edition) that will remain etched in our minds for a very long time. Longevity stands at stratospheric levels, given the approximately 50 hours required to complete this sequel; the title is then quite replayable, given the numerous classes available and the tactical variants available, leading the user to replay the storyline with totally different jobs.
