Bravely Second - or, "Yay, No More Microtransactions!"

I would have loved if the costumes were a bit more different between them.

Job costume stuff:

But that's really nit-picking, great outfits, great job. Echo has resulted in me casting the same spell three, four times in a row... just a shame I usually use Mist. Aww!

I've finished the game!:

I am going to review this for Gintendo - check it out soon! It'll be very positive... EDIT: Done!

Also, Edea could have done better.

Meanwhile I'm still struggling against Belgha-whatever for another spell for the secret job. Although when I say "struggling" I really mean "losing because I keep trying to beat it with one spell caster and rightfully not having a high enough damage output". I reckon once I grind up a few other classes and have some more spell-slingers that go Ghost upon death I should have that fight in the bag. I could probably beat the game at this point, but I want those Ja spells so I can use that job!

Actually I might grind up every job to its max level before clearing the game, so I can bring them over to a new game+ whenever I decide to do one.

Well I've only just completed the demo - 5 hours and 37 minutes, that took me! Will probably get the full game at some point, but it's not that high on my list of priorities right now.

It should be! Both people on this forum who have played it past the first chapter or so are talking about GotY status (with a dozen caveats). That said, I never played the demo., and it will take you over 60h. Give it a shot Rum!

Not to sound snarky or anything, but you and Athrun were always going to love it - I have a few RPGs I'm stuck in at the moment so I'm in no rush to pick up another beast too soon!

Aww, you make it sound like I love any JRPG without reason. Aww!

Which I don't think is fair, given (a) that I've been as critical of the original's second half as anyone, or (b) how much flack I give you for enjoying TotA. Razz

It's probably better than most of the turn-based RPGs you have in your backlog, in my opinion: and that's the last I'll say on it.

I suppose that's why I'm sceptical - the latter half of Bravely Default was baws. But I thought the first half was good, not spectacular - and likewise, the demo was good fun, but didn't blow me away. So I'm not in a rush to get it.

BRAVELY THIRD WHEN!? I need a sequel, especially given

ending spoilers I guess:

The game was SO much better than Default it isn't even funny. Better presented cast, cooler jobs mixed with the best of the previous games jobs, new abilities to try and break the game with, and no stupid repetition segments! The final boss theme was also absolutely awesome, dare I say, even better than Serpent that Devours The Horizon.

This game was a massive improvement of the original, while still retaining every single thing the first game did well. Anybody that doesn't play this is missing out!

Oh, and

final boss spoilers:

Ps: Edea best girl.

Speaking of edea, fun fact, they dun goofed with her age continuity in this game. Her age was bumped to 18 in Default due to the content, making her 21 this time round. Well, Artemia is mentioned to be only a year younger than her, and outright stated to be 17 years of age. Whoops!

Athrun888 wrote:: The final boss theme was also absolutely awesome, dare I say, even better than Serpent that Devours The Horizon.

No, no you daren't! As mentioned in my Gintendo review, the music is the one thing (in my opinion, music's so subjective) that was better in the original, and it was much better. The one thing, mind.

That aside, bang on (indeed much of what you're saying is repeating stuff I've said elsewhere Razz

). Can't wait for the threequel.

Honestly I feel the music was a mixed bag, some great, some good, some not so good, and some terrible.

blow by blow comparisons, includes spoilers:

I'd say Default had the better soundtrack by a very large margin, but Second definitely pulled its weight when it needed to in my humble opinion.

I will say this about the final boss themes however, both would probably make it in to my top five final boss themes if I had such a list (hmm, I like that idea, maybe I should do one someday!) Not the top two though, those two spots are in a class of their own.

That's a fair analysis. I don't agree with everything because subjectivity, particularly on the final boss theme - but I can understand your opinions. What's the lame/good breakdown of Second's towns, incidentally? I liked Sagitta and Yunohana.

The Special Move themes, though, are one area where I really feel that Second falls down compared to Default. Especially given that two of Default's appear for direct comparison.

Ooh yeah, forgot about the special moves, agreed with you 100% on those. Defaults were just so much better (even considering importing the CD with full length vocalized versions of them soon!)

And yep, those are the good town themes. Gathelatio and Al-Khampis suited the area but were unremarkable and boring especially compared to how many town themes I hear in the genre, absolutely nothing compared to The Beginning Country and The Desert and Huge Clock Country from default respectively. Sagitta and Yunohana had bags of personality and did a splendid job of encapsulating the towns though.

Just as the conversation on this appears to have petered out, I start to play it! Dance

I prologue right now. Thumbs Up!

I'll happily discuss this with you Zero, even now. It's a top game. Not that you've given me much to work with there. Tongue

Prologue:

The good news is the game doesn't drastically slow down in later chapters. Unlike the first game it always feels like it's moving forwards!

That's one thing that I didn't mention in my review that I think BSEL nails: the pacing. You're racing to a known goal, against a known villain, right from the off (even if the very first scene is a bit meh). You're getting spoilers in the prologue. By the time act one rolls around, you're already invested.

And again, it's another enormous gulf between The Best JRPG On The 3DS and the game I'm now trying to play. Meh

As I didn't want Zero to be so Lonely, I started my copy of Bravely Second and from a quick talk on Twitter where in a similar spot but I maybe a slightly head now.

Where Mas is :

You might want to consider swapping Edea and yew around, their stats are better in each others classes. Yew's a spell slinger and Edea is the physical tank she was in the first game.

Okay, or should Magnolia be something else for now or stick with Freelancer .

Is there a way to tell their stats are better in each class, I barely played the first game that no idea she was the tank.

Honestly it doesn't really make much of a difference until late-game, the differences in stats don't really get noticeable till late and even then they're not gamebreaking or anything. It just makes it easier to start at the start rather than get to the final chapter or two and realize your team isn't optimized.

As for Mags, pretty sure she's the opposite of of the fourth party member, where he's an all-rounder with a slight edge in physical stats she's an all-rounder with an edge in MP and intelligence. For what it's worth I used Magnolia as a Red Mage for most of the game.

Oh, and make sure to level up the Chariot class when you get it so you can get the Triple Wield skill early on, it's the key to a lot of powerful builds through the game, and on top of that you can avoid the attack drop dual-wielding weapons usually causes by having a shield and sticking the second weapon on the head.

...that last bit never occurred to me. Duh!

Oh well, it was tremendous fun discovering what worked all the same. (Even if I just spammed Multitask/Dual Wield in the lategame.)

Prologue, still:

I wish everyone would stop calling Yoshi "Yoe-shi". Everyone apart from Yoshi himself. Evil or Very Mad

Slightly ahead:

» Bravely Default II - Bravely Second didn't happen
» Bravely December Releases: For the Christmas Crackers
» Bravely Default - Or, Square Enix still loves stupid names