I have a confession: I have never played the original Bravely Default on the Nintendo 3DS. It is crazy, I know, since I heard from many friends it was the best RPG next to Final Fantasy. Thankfully, Square Enix had a surprise demo of Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster on hand at PAX East 2025. I can give a fresh perspective on the game due to my past self’s ignorance.
The first thing you will notice about the HD Remaster compared to the original is that there are no longer dual screens to utilize. To compensate for this injustice, the developers have gone all in on making the graphics high-definition. There is also a new UI. I asked the Square Enix representative if they’d use this new presentation to remake the second title in the series, Bravely Second: End Layer. She seemed to think it was a good idea, but was mum on whether the company plans to do this. If it does happen, it’s all because I mentioned it during my preview.
Unfortunately, playing Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster during a timed demo isn’t conducive to the RPG experience. As such, I skipped a lot of dialogue and cutscenes. Regardless, I got to explore the game’s combat. It is one of the most unique battle systems I have encountered in an RPG. Your character can use two special techniques: Brave or Default. Brave lets you do multiple attacks, up to four at a time, but leaves you defenseless for that many turns afterwards. Default enables you to defend but also bank a turn, which you can use later in conjunction with Brave. Basically, Default lets you store turns so you don’t get a penalty when using Brave. Being the masochist that I am, I just blazed through the demo solely using Brave, throwing caution to the wind as I slaughtered foes while hoping they didn’t kill me due to my lack of defense. One must strategize in the game proper, going between incorporating Brave and Default into their attack patterns.
I didn’t get a chance to try out the intriguing job system Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster offers. However, I’m very impressed with the game. It was foolish of me not to play it on the 3DS, but this enhanced edition is perfect for those who missed out on the adventure the first time. Be sure to check it out when it releases for Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, the same day the console launches.
