Hero-of-Time Posted March 28, 2020 Posted March 28, 2020 I fully finished the demo this morning, although I did have to take on the last boss again. I thought the game saved straight after the fight but that isn't the case and you have to watch the cutscene/trailer before the game actually saves. After doing that again I finally had access to the Thief job. I spent time mastering that and then took on the 2 optional bosses. I brushed them aside pretty swiftly. Spoiler That's everything done in the demo. I got a good 4 hours out of it and there were enjoyable aspects to it but there is a lot of work to be done with it in order to get it up to scratch.
Jonnas Posted March 28, 2020 Posted March 28, 2020 (edited) 5 hours ago, Glen-i said: Bravely Default has a demo with a seperate scenario just like this, so you should give that a go as well. It's quite packed and gives you more freedom in difficulty. Plus, you can see why the encounter rate slider is such a great QoL feature. I already own the game I just need to get around to playing it. By the way, did those "Bring me 5 wolf pelts" quests also exist there? If not, I can see why they did away with random encounters entirely for BDII. Edited March 28, 2020 by Jonnas
Glen-i Posted March 28, 2020 Author Posted March 28, 2020 8 minutes ago, Jonnas said: I already own the game I just need to get around to playing it. By the way, did those "Bring me 5 wolf pelts" quests also exist there? If not, I can see why they did away with random encounters entirely for BDII. Side quests in the Bravely series are way more important than you get in the demos. You only get fetch quests in the demos. 1
darksnowman Posted March 29, 2020 Posted March 29, 2020 On 27/03/2020 at 6:30 PM, Hero-of-Time said: What about you, @darksnowman? You enjoy FFV and JRPGs in general. You given this a go yet Guilty as charged. I got the notification on the Switch news feed about the BD demo but I haven't downloaded it due to Animal Crossing and I am in "fridge management" mode with my Switch-- the SD card I bought (new) for it corrupted when I went to download another JRPG and I haven't got round to replacing it yet. From the trailer, this BD game seems to have lost some of its visual charm. I hope it pulls through in other departments. 1
Hero-of-Time Posted March 31, 2020 Posted March 31, 2020 Survey is now up. https://form.square-enix.com/a.p/196 1 1
Julius Posted October 28, 2020 Posted October 28, 2020 Delayed to 26th February, new Direct Mini trailer. Demo feedback: 1
drahkon Posted October 28, 2020 Posted October 28, 2020 Looks like they made some nice improvements. Here's hoping they release another demo which includes those updates closer to release. Would love to give the series a go, but the demo left a bad impression.
Glen-i Posted October 28, 2020 Author Posted October 28, 2020 (edited) 16 hours ago, drahkon said: Looks like they made some nice improvements. Here's hoping they release another demo which includes those updates closer to release. Would love to give the series a go, but the demo left a bad impression. Octopath Traveler did a similar thing, Initial demo asking for feedback, and then another demo closer to the release that allowed transfer of progress to the full version. Glad they fixed that lack of Default button, really should have been there from the start, as well as the difficulty levels. Weird that they weren't there in the first place, given they were in the first game. I'm also very pleased that they addressed my issue of not knowing whose turn is next. They didn't go for a graphic that FFX uses, like I suggested, but I actually like their solution better. Kudos there. Shame they're sticking with visible encounters though. Probably means we won't be getting a encounter rate slider like in the 3DS titles. Kinda bummed about that. I mean, yeah, they seem easy enough to avoid if you need to, but I tend to find myself under leveled whenever non-random encounters show up because I unconsciously swerve around them sometimes, unless I close my eyes while running around to simulate random battles, but that's a whole different series of problems. Edited October 29, 2020 by Glen-i 1 1
Hero-of-Time Posted December 17, 2020 Posted December 17, 2020 The final demo is now available to download. 3
drahkon Posted December 17, 2020 Posted December 17, 2020 So, do I need to play the earlier installments to get the story? I don't have access to those games at all (no handheld capable of playing them). Still, gonna try out the new demo. Didn't really like the first one, but the devs vowed to improve and I'd like to see if they delivered
Glen-i Posted December 17, 2020 Author Posted December 17, 2020 1 hour ago, drahkon said: So, do I need to play the earlier installments to get the story? I don't have access to those games at all (no handheld capable of playing them). Still, gonna try out the new demo. Didn't really like the first one, but the devs vowed to improve and I'd like to see if they delivered It seems like you don't. The devs say that it's a completely separate story. Think of it like how you don't need to play Final fantasy VI to enjoy Final Fantasy VII. Most you'll probably miss out on is a small reference or two, would be my guess. 1
drahkon Posted December 17, 2020 Posted December 17, 2020 33 minutes ago, Glen-i said: It seems like you don't. The devs say that it's a completely separate story. Think of it like how you don't need to play Final fantasy VI to enjoy Final Fantasy VII. Most you'll probably miss out on is a small reference or two, would be my guess. Good to know Thanks Will give the demo a whirl after work, if I can resist the temptation to play Cyberpunk 2077
Jonnas Posted December 20, 2020 Posted December 20, 2020 (edited) Played the Final Demo yesterday. From a QoL perspective, it's much improved - in fact, I think every QoL issue this thread had with the first demo was fixed or addressed - and now there're a only of couple of niggles to iron out (one in particular: every item has an associated pop-up window that's so wide, it literally covers part of the stat window). They changed the Asterisk boss theme from the first Demo. I preferred that one to the current one, so I hope it still pops up in the final game. From a difficulty perspective, I immediately put it on Hard mode, but it nevertheless felt far easier than the first demo, which disappointed me at first... but then I realised the second boss makes extensive use of the game's mechanics, and it was a very difficult fight. I think the game's relative difficulty is now more balanced around its mechanics than enemy stats, which is a good sign, at any rate. The demo has a time limit of 5 hours which... makes no sense? Maybe they wanted to prevent grinding, but this does mean we can't just enjoy the story and exploration if we want to. In fact, I accidentally left the game on for 30-40 minutes (I've been having a wonky sleep schedule lately, and it caught up while I was at the inn. It was pretty funny, actually), and it made me stressed for the remainder of my playtime. I actually skipped through most of the second dungeon as a result. I did finish the story with 2 minutes to spare, but I shouldn't hurry like that in the first place. I'm also not doing the optional bosses now. Now that I played the original Bravely Default on the interim, I can even make proper comparisons to that game: First of all, good riddance to the random battle slider, that thing never sat right with me, Seriously, it's such an artificial mechanic, and it means the developers can't balance any monster encounters properly. With roaming enemies, there's a much more organic way to find or avoid enemies that does not require you to go through a menu. Furthermore, roaming enemies automatically make dungeons (which are still designed the same way) more fun to traverse; I much prefer this ATB-Lite system compared to the strict turns from before. I can actually make decent use of the Qigong Wave now, and no longer will I be surprised by an opponent randomly outspeeding my guys. I do wish a message would display when a turn is delayed, though; I like the equipment weight system, and the job skills that cost HP to use. They add a layer of strategy, and complements the risk/reward philosophy behind the Brave/Default system; The new art style is lovely for overworld exploration (the characters feel like plastic toys), but dialogue scenes feel more wooden (they really look like plastic). This is a trade I'm willing to make, because I really like how the game looks on the towns and overworld; Story-wise, it does remind me a lot of the first BD, except what used to be a sidequest seems to now be part of the main plot. Thank heaven. All I need now is some way to turn off objective markers, and most of my complaints from the first game will be solved; For something more specific, I also like that the asterisks make some sort of diegetic sense now, instead of just an excuse to gain a job when you kill a bloke. This should hopefully mean a wider variety of asterisk holders (and I do like how the Thief class was reimagined in BDII, so more of that, please); I really enjoy that every character and NPC is voiced by a different accent. Not only does it accentuate worldbuilding (the prince is the only local to have a perfect English accent, for example), it just adds character to everybody involved. Overall, my impressions are very positive, and I'm really looking forward to the full game. Just... please don't go needlessly esoteric on me during the last third of the game! Edited December 20, 2020 by Jonnas 1
Hero-of-Time Posted January 11, 2021 Posted January 11, 2021 Lovely boxart. Shame the game is still ugly as sin. I wish they had changed the visual style a bit after they done the survey, although it was probably too late to make such a change.
Ronnie Posted January 11, 2021 Posted January 11, 2021 (edited) Not a fan of the Pokemon/some Japanese devs thing of sticking a character PNG on a background. Edited January 11, 2021 by Ronnie
darksnowman Posted January 11, 2021 Posted January 11, 2021 The accents weirded me out in the demo. ...was just checking the release date this morning so I'm still interested.
Glen-i Posted January 12, 2021 Author Posted January 12, 2021 (edited) 17 hours ago, Ronnie said: Not a fan of the Pokemon/some Japanese devs thing of sticking a character PNG on a background. It could be worse, I'd take artwork over "Render of main character plonked on background" any day. But you are right, Pokémon really needs to start taking more cues from... Well, Pokémon. Spoiler That one is still my candidate for cleverest box art ever. Way to subtly nod at the GBA slot on the DS. Anyway, here's the Switch one. Oooh, that's some lovely box art! Almost makes me want a physical copy despite having it digital. Anyway, after that, the series jumped to using 3D models and Gates to Infinity ditched the drawing on your box approach. Spoiler Yay... Random renders slapped on a background... "Mystery Dungeon" isn't even the right bloody font! Dark times there... Did you click that? Sorry for assaulting you with utter blandness. No-one liked it. Anyone with taste hated it. Luckily they went right back to doodles again! Awwww yeah! That's the good stuff! There was a 3DS theme based on this game. I have it, it's gorgeous! Can you believe all the good PMD artwork is done by the same artist who does the art for the mainline series? Ken Sugimori's talents are seriously wasted over there. Edited January 12, 2021 by Glen-i
MindFreak Posted February 26, 2021 Posted February 26, 2021 Launch trailer: Reviews say that the game is overall pretty average and plays it safe but that the battles and battle system are quite good. So - quite what we expected? 1 1
Sheikah Posted February 26, 2021 Posted February 26, 2021 I've noticed the reviews coming in for this. I can only imagine this series has been kept alive by filling the space of turn based RPGs, given there aren't that many being released these days. Admittedly the combat in Bravely Default is pretty great, but my god the original Bravely Default was bad. Soulless towns, weak characters and an awful repeating plot. I honestly don't know how they got another 2 games out of this!
Jonnas Posted February 26, 2021 Posted February 26, 2021 15 minutes ago, MindFreak said: Reviews say that the game is overall pretty average and plays it safe but that the battles and battle system are quite good. So - quite what we expected? I take the "average" part refers to the story? Because after the first game, I'll take something safe on that front! This week's been so busy, I forgot to order a copy. I'll want a physical version for sure. Remind me, the Nintendo voucher thing (where you can get two games for a cheaper price) is digital only, right?
Glen-i Posted February 26, 2021 Author Posted February 26, 2021 Honestly, Bravely Default's battle system is so good, that it carries both it and Bravely Second for me. So provided it's just as solid (while throwing in some new jobs to mess around with), I'll probably enjoy it. 6 hours ago, Sheikah said: I can only imagine this series has been kept alive by filling the space of turn based RPGs, given there aren't that many being released these days. I mean, yeah, with Pokémon possibly ditching turn-based and Final Fantasy already booting it out as well, big turn based games are slowly dwindling. Thankfully, Bravely Default has scratched the FF itch (It might as well be called "New Final Fantasy"). It makes me sad how hard staples in the genre are dropping it. It seems only Dragon Quest and indies are keeping it going.
Sheikah Posted February 26, 2021 Posted February 26, 2021 Honestly, Bravely Default's battle system is so good, that it carries both it and Bravely Second for me. So provided it's just as solid (while throwing in some new jobs to mess around with), I'll probably enjoy it. I mean, yeah, with Pokémon possibly ditching turn-based and Final Fantasy already booting it out as well, big turn based games are slowly dwindling. Thankfully, Bravely Default has scratched the FF itch (It might as well be called "New Final Fantasy"). It makes me sad how hard staples in the genre are dropping it. It seems only Dragon Quest and indies are keeping it going.Sadly because turn based isn't "in" right now it feels like aside from DQ, the games with turn based gameplay tend to be of smaller scope (like Bravely Default). When you look at the PS1 Final Fantasy games or even Chrono Trigger/Cross, we are not seeing Square Enix do turn basrd games like that anymore in terms of having strong stories, characters, environments and charm.
Glen-i Posted February 28, 2021 Author Posted February 28, 2021 Is it just me playing this at the mo? I have to give credit to Bravely Default II's character designer for having the nerve to shove a man in his 40's into your typical 18 year old JRPG party. And then double credit to the localisation team for making him Scottish! And not a slight hint of Scottish. Thick heavy accent Scottish! If Elvis interrupts a conversation and starts talking about why Scotland should go independent, I wouldn't question it for a second. It honestly feels like he was meant to audition for some BBC drama and accidentally went into the wrong building. And it's amazing! Anyway, time for some weird things I noticed. Keep in mind that I didn't touch the second demo because it wasn't a separate scenario like the first, so I might be stating things everyone else noticed ages ago. - They actually kept the fetch quests in the final game? That's disappointing, the 3DS games had nothing of the sort. - It's also weird that the world map doesn't let me know when a side quest becomes available, I'm finding myself going back to previous towns because I'm worried I'll miss something. - Why do the dungeons no longer have some kind of map? There was definitely one in the first demo, that's baffling. - Boy, Black and White Mages got done dirty in this game. Their spell repertoire seems to be far smaller than previous games! - Speaking of old jobs. I think I've got the replacement for Performer and a song like "My Hero" isn't there. I might not be able to do my hilariously busted "Double Shield BP Factory" tactic anymore. Apart from that, it's great. The battles are still fun and the asterisk holders still have those deep strategies that force you to adapt or die horribly. 1
Jonnas Posted February 28, 2021 Posted February 28, 2021 @Glen-i I was going to get it at launch, but my country's going through a very serious lockdown right now (likely until mid-April at the earliest). I don't want to order things online, and this is not a game I want digitally, so I'll wait until I get an opportunity to go into a store. Patience is an annoying virtue, but it's the one I have. You should know, the scenario in the final demo was somewhat different to the one in the initial demo. Same place, pretty different events. I have no idea which one the game proper decided to go with. I am delighted to hear that the sidequests don't appear on the map, for reasons that I repeatedly mentioned last year. The absence of a mini-map I'm somewhat okay with (the dungeon from the demos works better when you actually need to figure out paths and openings), but whether it's a good thing or a bad thing depends on the general dungeon design quality of the game.
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