Wow I had no idea that was how Bravely Second's release went in Japan. That's... a real shame. I feel bad that Asano & Co feel like the game was a failure when me and many others in the West really, really love it. Like sure it has its flaws, but I still think it's a very solid entry in the Bravely series. Fingers crossed that Bravely Third can still happen despite it all.
@@nobodybroda3826yeah the problem was probably the cheap story and the fact that the music was not from the same composer than bravely default 1. The rest was good.
My opinion, Second is easily the best of the three games we have. The characters were fun and memorable, the fights were cool and so were the new classes. Don't get me wrong, the other games are great, but I still think Second is the best.
I vaguely remember Bravely Second's failure in the west being attributed to the extreme dislike toward Nintendo Treehouse's localization team, especially after the cutting of certain content from FE:Fates. It sparked a huge debate on censorship in rpgs, especially around the model changes, the Tomahawk change to Cowboy, the cutting of the bad endings in the asterisk quests, the altered English artbook and changed collector's edition, etc. These were somewhat present in the English localization of BD's release, but it was signicificantly worse for Second. It was a time where any sensual/sexualization was deemed taboo, even the most mundane things like slits in a dress or shading around the hips. Mostly, those who ended up not buying BS feared that they'd be supporting Nintendo brazenly altering games for international releases, seeing that they weren't "getting the original package" even if that original package was objectively worse in some ways.
Honestly the whole ''courage to try again'' motif in second is weirdly appropriate to apply to second as a whole and I hope square does try again with a third game.
@@blastchaos4286 Just finished Bravely Second. It is a great game as a western release. I can see how it would seem counter intuitive to go back to Luxendarc, but its so clear the Bravely team wanted to expand it even further with the sword of the brave. I hope we do get to see those ideas come true
As someone whose favorite Bravely game is Second (even if I think BDI is _technically_ better), knowing about its initial reception makes me kinda sad, but that's just the reality that we live with. Good job with this video, I already sorta knew about the western release being different but this really helped explain the whole situation.
Didn't the original jp version of Bravely Default not have an adjustable encounter rate? That sounds a million times worse if you had to redo the four crystal dungeons a million times without turning the encounter rate off than bad side quest endings. Needing a square enix account for extra things in Second sounds pretty stupid though.
I’m kinda sad of how bravely second did so bad in Japan. I mean, I understand why, but that game is still probably my favorite rpg like it. Bravely default was really good, and I love the story and music, but the gameplay of Second is the most fun I’ve ever had with the genre by a long shot. We need more creative jobs in bd3, I want to possess people as a pirate and have my main healer be a wizard with black magic again lol
I remember the jobs thing being a point of contention here in the west too because one complaint I remember hearing a lot is that we got the "watered down version" of those sidequests where "there are no consequences". I also remember being extremely confused about Square apologizing for Second since, from my perspective, they had worse games than Second. It felt odd that they felt the need to apologize specifically for this game. I do hope we get to return back to Bravely Third/Sword sometime but at this point I'd also be happy with a Bravely Default 2-2: Thunder Boogaloo
Finally someone talks about it! I remember in the months leading up to Second's release, a lot of people who liked the first were turned off at the idea of playing Second because they heard some bad things about it, but when I looked into it it was what happened here, that in the Japanese release the sidequests were badly done and they fixed that for international release. It's so unfortunate that it hurt the sales so badly. Second was a great game and shouldn't be looked at by the developers as a failure. A great video as always Red!
Bravely Second is probably my favorite game in the series, so I was VERY confused why the apology happened. I was aware of the changes from the Japanese release but I never knew how much of an effect they had on the series. I knew it was not liked in Japan to some degree but now I FULLY understand why vs just having some of the pieces. Its insane to me to think we got a Bravely Default II but god I am glad we did. I want a Bravely Sword game so bad to finish off Default 1's story so bad but after hearing this, I know for a fact that will NEVER happen. I hope Bravely Default III is written better because at least 2I was the best in terms of combat. I felt so underwhelmed with how 2 was written and it felt so safe and very tame compared to the previous 2 games. So here's hoping for a better future for the Bravely series.
I think that they rushed the franchise with all the japan exclusive browser and mobile games before finishing Second, because now Luxendarc Saga's lore is quite a mess if Praying Brage and Bravely Archive are canon.
@@emblemblade9245 They thought the Bravely IP can span multiple platforms like Kingdom Hearts. Very odd choice considering we can still see Union X content in Back Cover and not completely locked like Second
Bravely second is my favorite in the series.. It’s the only one I can go back and replay over and over again.. I just love the beginning and the voice actors.
I really felt burned by Bravely Default 2 and sorely wished it was more like Bravely Second but with a new cast and setting. It's hard to hear about all of this.
Thanks for breaking down the history of the Bravely series! Knowing this background info will definitely help me understand and appreciate the games more. Bravely Default was my introduction to Japanese pop culture. I was intrigued by its promo art style, which combined mange-esque character design with Western painterly techniques. Before encountering Bravely, I had no appreciation for anime and manga-I just thought the characters looked weird. But the Bravely art was enchanting. However, the music is what really sold it for me. Someone in a Facebook group for fans of epic music shared “Ballad: Moving Towards Hope” with the group (the version included in the “Luxendarc Kikou” CD). I had always loved classical and epic music, but I’d never heard anything like this-it mixed overt jazz and hard rock elements into the orchestral score, along with exotic traditional Eastern instruments I’d never heard in such a context. And the Japanese vocals were unlike anything I’d ever heard-I couldn’t get over how satisfying Japanese sounded when sung, especially considering it isn’t a particularly “singable” language, by my Western classical standards. I found the full soundtrack on UA-cam and listened to the whole thing repeatedly for years after this. It seemed to combine every musical style I loved most, including Celtic. But I never played the game. My family didn’t play video games, and I had never owned a console. But I kept listening to the soundtrack, and I even started watching anime and learning to draw in the manga art style, all because of Bravely Default. I’m now a hardcore otaku with over a hundred titles on MyAnimeList! I was disappointed when Bravely Second was announced with a different composer for the soundtrack. I just couldn’t bring myself to take interest in the series without Linked Horizon and Revo, BD’s original soundtrack creator. But when I learned that /another/ sequel was coming out for the Switch, and that Revo would be returning to do the music, I decided it was time to get into the franchise properly. Last summer, I bought my first-ever game console-the New 3DS XL. I was /terrible/ at every game I tried to play at first, but I’ve gotten steadily better. And this year, I finally bought my first Switch. I modded my 3DS and downloaded the uncensored versions of Bravely Default and Bravely Second from the hShop after the eShop closed down, and I bought a copy of Bravely Default II with my Switch. So now I’m finally ready to experience the entire series the way it was intended, and I couldn’t be more excited. (I technically started playing BD early this year, but I was interrupted for a long time, and I’m going to start the game over when I get back to it.) Bravely Default has done more than any other property to influence my tastes in music, art, and even storytelling (except possibly for The Lord of the Rings). It was my introduction to anime and Japanese storytelling, which has enriched my life so much in the years since. And it helped me identify the kinds of music I want to create myself. I owe it a huge debt of gratitude for that!
Another rednovatyrant banger! I didn’t know about the changes between Western and Eastern Second, but it’s nonetheless sad that Bravely Second is the forgotten middle child of the series, especially due to how many cool ideas it had (Plague lore, Ba’al lore, new characters, and so on and so forth).
I was so surprised and delighted that the short plague backstory from Default got expanded on so much in chapter 5 and 6 of second. Also everything involving Altair was super cool. Second’s story ideas caught me off guard in a lot of good ways I didn’t expect, I’m very glad I played it. Plus the main party has actually perfect chemistry
I never knew this side of bravely second. For me, just like the first game, it's a game that I saw at walmart and took home, and that was my only interaction with the series until just this year where I started looking up youtube videos. The games were self defined for me because i had no other influence for them. So hearing that plucky little bravely second is a black sheep is kind of a culture shock for me. I've been going through the series again and unearthing so much more to love that my younger self couldn't appreciate, in default, second, and default 2. I can't imagine the series without second and it's sad to hear that it bombed in japan
Bravely Second is still my absolute favorite game in the series, in spite of its quirks, because it cut out the monotony of the first game's latter half while also greatly improving on the job system and introducing a lot more creative ideas for new job classes. In hindsight I recognize that this is largely because of Nintendo Treehouse's excellent localization and the fixes they introduced. (People complain about the comedic dialogue in Treehouse localized games but in Bravely's case I think it's 100% fitting, the game would not be as charming as it is without the stupid puns.) I'm still very sad that the game never got a fair shake in Japan, and I do hope we return to Luxendarc someday.
I played Bravely Second for the first time recently and actually thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel like all the bravely games have major strengths and weaknesses. BD1’s time loop but excellent plot twist, BS feeling like a expansion and not distinguishing itself enough from the original (not that that’s a bad thing) and missable asterisks from moral choices, but having well written characters (Yew, Altair & Janne in particular) and BD2 bring the series into the modern era with a new art style but a change in gameplay with rounds being gone and the loss of the subtitle (no fLYING fAIRY or sEND pLAYER) and no crazy plot twists and being a bit weaker than the other twos plot (imo). It’s kind of a shame Bravely Second was soo poorly received when I thought it was an excellent sequel. If it’s not broken don’t fix it, and they did just that but without the time loop.
I fully agree. I lost most of my hope for Bravely after BD2. If "Bravely" Default II is how Asano wants to go after Second, I'm done. Second is not even a Bravely Game. Here's why: Compared to BD and Second, BD2 has a generic, uninspired plot. The "twist" lacks buildup and is a worse ripoff of the amazing twist in BD. The cast is one-dimensional and gave no justification why they-four complete strangers in a hostile world-would instantly decide to work together with no pushback. There was no proper inter-party struggle nor character growth throughout the entire story. The new turn order broke combat and made Default useless while forcing enemies to have a "counter any ability" ability, making any strategy other than the one they wanted you to do, useless. This goes against BD and Second rewarding you for creating unique builds and strategies for defeating enemies and bosses. And since boss fights forced you to beat them a specific way, they nullified the entire point of such a complex job and ability system. Abilities were weaker and less interesting than BD and Second. Jobs were either useless or completely broken without the need for any creativity or thought-the first two games gave you many ways to create broken setups and you'd need to use your brain to do so. And so, it rewarded complex planning and creative thinking. BD2 Removed QoL such as the encounter rate slider (could have put a spawn rate slider in its place since enemies are overworld now), removed the ability to save job + ability + equipment loadputs. BD2 also removed interesting in-combat meters to built up. There is also a considerable lack of side and post-game content. I could go on.
I fell in love with Bravely after randomly hearing "Romantic Vagrant" in a Sumper Smash Bros. Montage. Looked into the OST, and loved it so much as to watch a playthrough of Flying Fairy from 9 years ago. Loved things so much I bought Bravely Second for my 3DS from GameStop online. Absolutely love it! Even 100 percent a hardmode save file! The story was okay, and the music was good (would've loved to see what Revo would do, though). But the gameplay was the best thing about it and the series as a whole. Bravely is all about crazy mix and match jobs to circumvent difficult and gimmicky boss fights and felt fairly balanced in BS (ignoring bishop, wizard, etc.). Bravely Default II was also a great game but the constant boss counters really got to me. I hope they try to encourage different team compositions in a different way if they make a BD III. TLDR: Loved BD, Played BS, BD II was good, but could be improved with boss counters. Music and job systems are hands down my favorite part about these games and I hope to see a BD III!
Something I really missed in BD2 were the Ba'al fights. Even though they were story related in BD Second, I wish they at least brought their design over to BD2.
It's a shame, Bravely Default and Bravely Second are 2 of my favorite RPGs I've played, it did a lot of cool, unique things, the weird boss designs stick in my head so much. It's just a shame this happened. I'm glad we got a 3rd entry though, even though it was quite basic compared to how ambitious the first 2 were with very odd mechanics but I hope the series isn't dropped. It has so much potential still left untapped.
Despite my thoughts on the matter being well known throughout the community… I still have to say, I have a soft spot for a lot of what Second did. After all, even with how much I bash it even in the English release, I still consider it the third best 3DS game right under Kid Icarus: Uprising and BD proper respectively. It’s still a good game, just not the game fans like me wanted, and that’s okay. I just hope that, one day, we will return to Luxendarc, and experience the characters we love so much even more, in different settings and environments while all new members come take center stage, whether they be heroes or villains or some mix between… But, a man can ramble and hope, and a man can pray. And I prefer to believe Asano, that “The Third and Fourth will come, one day.”
Yeah, I had no idea about this. I loved B. Second. Like a lot of games around that time, I felt it improved gameplay while slipping a bit in terms of story/ characters (see also: SMT4 Apocalypse, Devil Survivor 2). Still easily an 8/10 and one of my favorite games on 3DS.
I didn't know Second had so much stigma around it. The tone was a bit too irreverent at times, there were a bit too many recycled areas, and the music definitely had too much electric guitar, but even in spite of that it still wound up being my favorite Bravely title of the three. There were a lot of really neat new Jobs, I liked Yew's scholarly backstory being tied to enemies getting expanded lore in the journal the more you fought them, Ba'als all had pretty fun gimmicks (even if they were underused), Edea's sidequests preparing her to become Grand Marshal were neat, etc.
It's unfortunate how much Second bombed because I thought it added a lot of great things to build off of and took an aspect of For the Sequel I really enjoyed (the Ba'als and the Celestial Realm) and put them at the forefront. I knew of the whole sidequest change we got prior to release and it was especially goofy seeing people here overseas take the news at face value getting upset they were removing content, unaware they were actually just improving the game. I didn't know how much of a blow it was to JP fans to have those bad endings though. I won't lie when I say I preferred Second's direction over BD2's, but now I'm just hoping there's a future for this series like how the initial Bravely Default had.
Personally I'm not the biggest fan of BD2 for all its gameplay changes and how safe it feels compared to the past two installments, but I understand why it is the way it is.
I had absolutely no clue about how the game was recieved in Japan. I was just so confused as to why they Bravely third was never announced and assumed the sales were bad much to my disappointment.
Did not know about the japanese release of BD2, but that sounds like something square would. Locking behind content behind signing up to a website and such. And I remember enjoying bravely default 1 and 2, and the side quests about picking a side to get a job, I distinctly remember that. Also octopath traveler being so similar with the brave system makes so much more sense now.
I honestly had no idea that Bravely Second was this poorly received. Its honestly my favorite of the series and after the end, I was hoping to get a Bravely Third which continued the story with Ringabel and Edea rounding out their final story. There were so many hints of the Planeswardens and Edea possibly breaking the boundary to help Ringabel in order to cap off their romance story that I was seriously invested. Knowing Japan feels like this, really makes me sad that we'll never get that finale I've been waiting for. :(
Wow, yeah I had no clue it did so bad in Japan. Bravely Second is one of my favorite games of all time. It’s sad to know that it wasn’t good on first release over there, but thanks Red for sharing this.
I remember hearing a lot about this when Bravely Second was releasing and reminded of it again when BDII came out. This just seems like all the more reason to port both Default and Second to Switch to sort of bring the opinions of Second back. They can bundle it with Default so that fans of that can enjoy it, and then people will be more likely to give Second another chance with all the fixes that came with the western release, culminating in a renewed hype cycle for a 3rd game to make the original story a trilogy. Of course this would bring back the growing pains and make the JP community side eye the game but I feel like it's the only way for them to properly move forward by giving Japan a truly "definitive" Bravely Second.
So that's why they never did the teased bravely Third or bravely Sword (probably the pun that was intended) with the teased bravely Sword that appeared as a background looming information in bravely second and instead went for a pure reboot...a bit sad but I understand their choice much more now.
See me personally i've held that Bravely Second is my favorite, and is at the least on par with the others in terms of gameplay quality, so I always wondered why Second held this negative stigma for Square. All these years I thought it just boiled down to the osts, but it's crazy to hear how iffy the Japanese release was, meanwhile here in the U.S I just played a more expansive and better-paced Bravely Default.
To see just how taboo Bravely Second is to SE and Team Asano makes me really sad, but I'm even more grateful that the series lives on regardless. While Team Asano's focus has since shifted to other games, and we may never get the Bravely Third we (or at least I) so badly wish for, seeing all the things happening with the 10th anniversary gives me hope that the series isn't totally dead just yet!! ;o;
Thank you for the video! It really suprises me that Bravely Second was so polarizing in Japan. Bravely Second was such an amazing game, it was almost equaly as good as Bravely Default and boy oh boy was Magnolia one of the best characters in the franchise. And the whole plot points who the gods and Ba'als are was so brilliant. I NG+ the game like 5 times. Even just the short movie at the end of Bravely Default hyped me so much for Second. I think Bravely Default 2 is the most emotional of the three and i really hope we get Bravely Default 3
Too bad all of this happened to Second, but never lose hope to see another entry on Luxendarc, even more now that they've learned from their mistakes. Second's 10th anniversary is in 2025 so that could be the last chance, I mean, they can't be silent on it, right? I just hope they have the "courage to try again"
I am so sad that Bravely Second had these issues, to me it was one of the best sequels in gaming. To be fair, I didn't know a lot about it before i got the game in my hands so that might be a factor. To me through the game expanded on the characters from the old game in interesting ways with the sidequests, more killer tunes, more stuff with the gameplay and classes and that cool chain mechanic to help with grinding, added more stuff to the setting that felt like it fit in and had some cool new characters and even added to the fourth wall stuff from the first game. Again though, the most i knew about the game before i got it was that Magnolia would be there. But knowing that the JP version beefed so hard the western version wasn't even thesame game technically... Back then i thought the localization just took so long cause of all the voice acting, but now i do have a different view. Isn't helped that i heard BD 2 was mid as hell and never wanted to give Square Enix money while they fuck around with nfts to find out for myself. And how they beefed the sidequests in the JP version is something i can totally see why people were mad about that, that sounds horrible. Same with the SE account thing
Yeah, I've always heard about how botched Second was in Japan and how the issues fortunately got fixed for the international release but the damage was already done in Japan unfortunately. Its such a fantastic game, I think it beats Default in every category and fixes the issues I had with it.
Second is one of my all time favourites… So sad it flopped in JP. But maybe, with divine luck, we will get a remake of 1 & Second one day. Or even Bravelz Sword/Third. Thanks for explaining❤
What a bummer to hear that. I would be angry over those bad options, too, and especially needing a subscription to fully play ANY game. Bravely Second was a great game while Bravely Default 2 was so easy it was broken. The only part of the first 2 games that I got totally stumped on was the majority of the optional Ba'al, Super-Powered Asterisks with weird alternate names, and Devil Lord bosses you could battle on the mini maps.
I thought it would be cool if you made an initial choice in a side quest to get an asterisk, but then when presented with the same choice later when you're more knowledgeable, there could be a way to take a third option with an either better outcome than either of the two choices. Except that the third option pisses off both asterisk bearers and now you have to fight both of them.
That was a great video. I didn't know the japanese versions were so different from what we had here. I'm thankful that we got an improved version. I feel that Bravely Second is the strongest of the 3 by the way and I consider it my most favorite game, so any video about it I will be happy to watch.
Thanks for the information. This is really interesting!! I just have one footnote; You don't have to do 2 complete playthroughs to get all the endings, as you can just do a time loop and loop back around to get them as you breeze through everything. (though if that's what you meant, my bad).
It's really interesting cause you have to Google bravely second to even see it. If you search bravely default 2 you get bravely default 2, if you search bravely default sequel you get bravely default for the sequel....
Fun fact: I played BD and BS and loved them and kept waiting for a sequel but when I heard Bravely Default 2 I misstook it for Bravely Second (it was like 5 years so I missremembered BS' name) so I didn't payed it attention before this year. Spoiler for the prologue of BD2: I honestly thought Sir Sloan was an old Tiz and his dead wife was Agnes, I was waiting to find who Yew and Edea were and even mistook the Archbishop for Yew bc he mentions 50 years ago and the boat lady for Edea, this happened just now that I'm finishing BD2.
I did not know any of this stuff went on with B2nd. Honestly though I had two issues with B2nd; one issue was by no fault of it's own and the other was probably more of a subjective opinion. B2nd came out the week my first girlfriend broke up with me in high school and I just didn't have the heart to play it upon release or to do anything for that matter. When I did eventually pick up B2nd though I found the game to be slow and uninteresting. I get that BD had a lot of exposition in some parts but I was honestly falling asleep playing B2nd by the first boss. I forced myself to play up until I got to some cave with a sword but by then I was just burnt out. Maybe I was unfairly uninterested in it because of what had happened with my girlfriend back then but even on my last attempt to try the game again this summer I just found myself putting it down and playing something else after an hour. I can't explain it but I've just never had the gumption to finish it. It's kind of sad to know how troubled the JPN release of B2nd was. Thanks for shedding some light on the matter Nova.
They even intended to make a Bravely the Third centered arpund the Sword of the Brave. But the poor reception of Bravely Second completely cut the wind out of those sails.
What I'm really didn't like on Second, is the betrayal of Janne & Nikolai seems abit forced to make the story interesting. When playing the JP demo back then, I was happy Nikolai on our Party, and I was like "I wonder how he looks on other job class later, bet he looks cooler on Dark Knight job class." then boom! Replaced by Tiz & Edea. I know its for plot and nostalgia sake but... it really unfortunate on how they introduce Janne and Nikolai as fresh main party member, turns out only as temporary party member on prologue chapter 1. Alas from that, I do still loving Bravely Seconds, since they do make the most broken jobs they ever make. "Wizard" 😂😂😂
The thing I would like to point about the side quests which I’m glad you went over. I get the idea the team was going for with the first choice you made failed so try the other option what the team was trying to say is “you don’t always know what is the best choice so here is a free do over.” On paper the idea is a brilliant subversion of moral choices in games in practice the developers forgot to take the players agency into account. It’s why I felt that the side quests were rather dull as if both outcomes are good where is the downside. I would be curious if they ever made a Rom-hack that restored the original version as I would love to play that in English. However I understand why they changed it and acknowledge that it was the best long term decision.
I knew about some of this but not the full extent. It really is a shame that the reception was mixed in Japan. The whole moral dilemma seems interesting but I'm also grateful for what we got over here. Bravely Second is one of my favorite games so it's disheartening to see something negative about it whenever I search for information on it online.
This video is very, very enlightening. It certainly explains a lot. I liked it over the original because I'm very gameplay focused, and disliked how repetitive the first got. But knowing this, yeah, it certainly makes sense. Hopefully the series in general and II are enough to keep it going. I really liked the direction II set for the series. Really like your content, all the best to you!
Well this is a damn shame, Bravely Second is my favorite story of the three games. No offense to Bravely Default or Bravely Default 2 stories, but i just love it so much!
This video was... appalling to watch. I fell in love with Bravely Default and, though I agree Bravely Second's plot isn't as good as BD's, the game is still a lot of fun and expands on the story of the characters I love so much. Hearing that it was that close that the Bravely Saga ended in Second is disheartening. Knowing that it's such a niche saga that could end because a game simply solds that well of because it wouldn't be worth for SE makes me so sad. I hope we got news about a new Bravely game in the next 3 or so years.
I remember being so excited and enjoying Bravely Second at launch. Bravely Default was one of the only square games I saw through to the end and loved it. It even encouraged me to play through FF games start to finish. Currently playing BDII rn and really enjoying it. I hope this franchise gets more love and support from Square cos it definitely has its audience.
I will say, I really couldn't stand Bravely Second, Default and Default 2 are some of my favourite JRPGs but the writing of Second was just so... Off? Like, Ba'al busting cringe aside, one of the moral dilemmas was literally whether or not to feed the orphans lmao
So *that's* the story huh? I heard outcry about the international release cutting content, which it did. But they did it to trim out the padding headaches. That completionist requirement in the original release sounds like a pain and a half for an RPG...
to be honest, Bravely Second is for my very special since I played before de Bravely Default and I didn't know anything about the original. But the characters from the first gave me enough reasons to play the first game (even if Tiz's design is a bit plain there and I really like the looks on Second)
Like many others this is the first I hear about JPs issues with the game and brings to light many things. Though for me the art style was my favorite part of the game and the main reason I went and ignored Bravely Default 2. I just can't stand looking at that game. And all the other gameplay changes they made from the 3DS games
Second is my most favorite game due to all unique jobs and stuff. I hope the devs warm back up to it because its still great. Square enix right now is being weird and bravely series doesn't deserve the axe. I dunno i just hope the devs can warm again to second.
When you mentioned that 'Bravely series doesn't deserve the axe', you reminded me that scene in Chicken Run where Mrs. Tweedy takes a hen (named Edwina) to a stump to cuts off her head with an axe. I'm imaginating Mrs. Tweedy like Square Enix (or the BD devs) and Edwina like Bravely series right now.
this is honestly heartbreaking i knew about the "bad endings" thing but i didnt know about the game being so bad recieved in japan i felt that something was off when during the anniversary stream they completely skipped over Second but god learning the truth was so sad i still find Second to be not as good as Default overall but I still prefer it due to the music and how cool Magnolia and Tiz are in it It's still my favorite of the series despite all its flaws in the story (like how Yew randomly falls in love with Magnolia at the end?????) and during gameplay (some fights were super easy and then you have stuff like Mammon and tje first Geist fight that are unbelievably hard compared to the rest of the game) Meanwhile 2 felt just barely mid to me, it's not a bad game but it didn't feel like a Bravely game either
I had no fuckin idea anyone had anything other than praise for Second. I guess living in a bubble is nice in that I didn't have anyone else's opinion to muddy my own thoughts. I loved it. I loved 2. I loved the first. All great. Sad that they got fucked in Japan, but I hope they keep pumping these out moving forward.
I knew the sidequest endings were worse in JP, but I didn't know it was possible to get a better one if you stuck to your guns on the second chance. That just feels like bad design for a game like this? I think it would've been preferred if the endings stayed bad, since then players wouldn't feel as guilty about collecting all of the asterisks. Now, the whole online account thing is complete news to me. What's with Square Enix and making absolutely horrendous decisions around the internet? Did they truly learn so little from FF9's critically-reviled "just go to the website lol" guidebook???
I’ve heard about the depressing sidequests in the Japanese version, but I didn’t know the rabbit hole went THIS deep. Regardless, I’m relieved to see a hopeful outcome for this series in the face of everything.
No… Edea is my absolute favorite character… I wanted a happy ending for her and Ringabel… everyone got a beloved one and a happy end :( not Edea … but why though 😢
For me is simple, B2nd had really good and original ideas, but a poorly execution, with some difference, is the worst bravely game for me, it doesn't mean is a bad game because BD and BD2 are excellent in many ways (they are 2 of my favorite games, especially bd2) but when I play second, I feel is an overexaggeration about what bd left, enemies being more powerful than bosses, jobs overlapping in their function, spellcraft, more overexposition in their plot, overall is still good but I simply can't avoid these problems, now, i don't know how it was, but curiosly i find bd2 was worst received overseas than b2nd, meanwhile bd2 was better received in japan, or at least it was my perception, it seems main complain about bd2 is that 'is not like the originals' or 'it doens't have a 'good plot'', i feel if western fans were the main audience, the case would be the contrary (b2nd being good received and bd2 crippling the series) even if i love bd2, i still understand if many bravely fans didn't like it, is just very different from the originals, and at least i understand why they wanted to start from zero, very good video
I had no idea all this happened. Honestly, I absolutely love every bit of Bravely Second, but I can understand why others may dislike it. When I found out about Bravely Second, I saw it on a store shelf. No advertising, nothing. I didn't even know they were making another game. So it was pure gold to me that the story continued even if it was quite startling to be thrown in a few years after the end of the first game. And seeing how all my favorite characters changed over time. Idk this is series of games are the few I still play even to this day. (Theres others, but their new compared to almost 10 years of my life playing these game lmao) I hope they keep making more. Their stories and games are always in my heart ❤️
So im a new fan to the series, and I'm just wondering is there a future for the series (in the west i mean)? Or is it dead at BD2 with its mixed reviews? Cause I love the series so far (beat BD2, beat BD1 just starting Second). Personally I enjoy the characters in BD2 more but I I'll take anything at this point I just don't want them to give up on the western audience
I highly doubt the series is dead. Asano said recently that it'll be a few years before we get another mainline game, but now with Octopath 2 coming out (which is likely where time and resources were being used), now more work can go into Bravely :)
This is the 1st I've heard if this. Thank u for your time and effort and your research in this matter. I enjoyed this video. Keep up the great work. You got an additional subscriber from me for this.
Eh, I actually think the moral dilemma component and possibly missing out on classes for story purposes is a cool concept and if executed could be VERY powerful (look at Undertale, incredibly emotional and powerful). My problem with bravely second was the half-baked generic storytelling and significantly less amazing music; i tried hard to fall in love with bravely second, but the subpar story and “no consequence” feeling like my decisions in game had no real relevance are what hurt my experience, in all honesty; knowing it was originally made to give more consequence for your decisions actually makes me more disappointed they didn’t keep it that way as the restraints in playthroughs might’ve made it a better experience, again IF executed properly. My experience playing bravely second was a half-baked story with very generic tropes that didn’t feel inspiring, and the only reason I even finished it was because Edea carried that game for me. 😢 For me, bravely default’s music is unforgettable, while second’s was very generic, forumulaic and forgettable (im an aspiring composer so I’m extremely biased, but I think the music made SO much difference in carrying the emotional weight of the first game). That combined with how sloppily executed the story ended up being trying to “fix” the imposed restraints made the experience “meh” for me. Just my opinion though. either way, thanks for the video, good to be informed more of the history of the series.
I'm only just now fishing Bravely Second out of the backlog. I remember when Default 2 was announced, I had to wonder if the name was some slight at the existing 'bravely default 2'. Maybe there's some truth to that after all. I guess there's no harm done from the fans' perspective though. They're still making them. It was never dead. All they really need is a remaster on modern platforms now that the servers are shut down (both SE's, and Nintendo's). The first two games are not fully playable in their current state.
Fairy’s Effect was a mobile game released in Japan only after Second that has since been shut down. It is the primary motivator for the series to continue. Praying Brage was a browser game that came out shortly after BD1’s release. I did a complete plot summary of that game as it too is now shut down: ua-cam.com/video/4x17CPhJAbc/v-deo.htmlsi=rIoXqsDJmjG3ksYy
@@RedNovaTyrant wish you explained that in the video, I literally just know about the first game and when you introduced the tree with all those branches and didn’t explain what those two were it threw me off
They weren't particularly important to telling the story of Second's JP reception, but that may be a good idea for a future video to just go over each of the Japan only games
Wow, what an awesome video! You explained so much... Wow. We never had the original versions of the BD games, why the numbering/naming is weird... Even why Octopath Traveler is a kind of parallel series!! Thanks for your video.
I pray to God, any god, even Providence or Ouroboros, that they still make Bravely Third and IF they do, to not heartlessly retcon the entirely of Bravely Second
So... If I got it correctly the one we got for western release "Bravely Default II" by the game's chronological order should be titled Bravely Default III and Bravely Second is the true Bravely Defauly II which is a sequel from the original Bravely Default? So confused, I understood the titles better from Final Fantasy like X and X-2 or XIII and XIII-2 which are direct sequels
I enjoy Bravely Second, faults and all... but I had NO idea that it did a lot of damage to the franchise. I'm thankful we did get Bravely Default II though.
I always thought it was intriguing that in Edea's path to become one of the most powerful political leaders in the world, she reneges on every decision she ever makes if you're a completionist. I was seriously wondering if it was the game's plot secretly being brilliant. Magnolia: I'm from the moon! *instantly believed by everyone* Edea: Remember two years ago when I was 18. I'm still 18! And no my name is pronounced like "Idiot" instead of "Idea!" Anne: I thwarted your time travel plans by handing you the time machine upside down! Kamiizumi: Remember by heart-wrenching death scene? Neither do I! Yulyana: Was I supposed to have a death scene? Eh, whatever. Yeah, I suspect it wasn't intentional brilliance on the writers' part. I loved this game, though. The presentation and gameplay more than made up for the ridiculous story.
I'll be honest. I was only aware of Censured Gaming's coverage on the game's differences. You know, all the minor yet obvious stuff *NOT* covered by this video, because they are both minor and obvious. The sub-par writing and "Bad Ends" for the branching side quests? All of it flew under my radar. -_(\
honestly i did not like how the combat was altered for Bravely Second. I was so ready to play a great sequel to the first game, but was very disappointed with it.
I had no idea there was anything beyond Bravely Default, Second, and Default 2. I never did play Second because I wasn't playing my 3DS anymore and never got around to emulating it.
I'm a lifelong Final Fantasy fan. I was a kid in the 90's and discovered Squaresoft through Final Fantasy VII. Square Enix as a company has had some of the highest highs and lowest lows of any video game developer. I've seen them narrowly avoid completely shutting down multiple times. They make a lot of big bets and sometimes they win big and sometimes they don't. I'm one of the few Final Fantasy fans who loved Final Fantasy XIII and it's sequels (I'm pretty sure I'm the only American fan who was hyped like Christmas morning for Lightning Returns to release), but there's no denying that the Final Fantasy series made a very sudden, very rapid shift in style and quality. Final Fantasy XIV was a disaster that somehow only managed to narrowly snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat, and Final Fantasy XV, well... I know some people love it, but I've played the whole thing about half a dozen times and it just feels totally soulless, like a bog-standard AAA game wearing the skin of a Final Fantasy game and not understanding it's heart. I was not optimistic but still held out hope for Final Fantasy XVI and it ended up being a pretty big disappointment for me too. I had honestly thought, around the time of Bravely Default's release, that Final Fantasy was done. Bravely Default was a breath of fresh air I never expected from Square Enix. It was charming, it was addictively fun, it utilized it's strengths so well, it had a fanfastic art style based on my favorite video game artist, it had an incredible soundtrack, it was easily the best Final Fantasy game I'd played in years. Bravely Second was incredibly fun to me, although even as a fan, the flanderization of the characters and excessive amount of memes and eating-in-the-tent scenes were grating. But I was glad for it nonetheless. I had no idea Bravely Second had such a bad release in Japan. I'm continually annoyed that Japan has had, like, three or four mobile games that we never got here. When Bravely Default II was announced, I heard Braev Lee's voice in the trailer and saw a kingdom I thought was Caldisla, so I assumed the next game would be connected in some way, especially after the post-credits sting of Bravely Second with Ringabel. Bravely Default II just... god, what a disappointment. I'm going to give it another chance, but I bought the game and I never made it past the second chapter. The art feels really weak, the design of the battle menus is so much weaker than the 3DS games, the story was really not gripping me, and I just found it so boring to try and play. I was shocked that a Bravely game could so completely fail to hold my attention. I'm still going to try again at some point, but knowing that it's entirely unconnected to the first two games, it's hard to care. Octopath Traveler, despite having a really great reputation, also failed to keep me interested. It was the very first game I got with my Switch, and I've tried several times to go back to it, but the fact that the main characters never communicate or overlap at all in their stories just makes me feel like it's pointless. I don't know, on the one hand I'm glad that there's this sub-team within Square Enix who made Bravely, Octopath, and Triangle Strategy, but it also feels like everything after the 3DS games has just been trying and failing to grasp at what USED to be good in Final Fantasy. Triangle Strategy is wearing the skin of a Matsuno games but it doesn't have any of it's heart. Square Enix as a company have devolved into some of the greediest, slimiest businesspeople in the entire video games industry. They seem more concerned with a multimedia entertainment brand that rakes in money by milking beloved IP's than actually making good games anymore. It's like their heart isn't in it. Bravely Default felt to me like the last game Square Enix made when they were actually TRYING. Now most of what they make just feels phoned in.
I thought the US had the worst version of the game. The audio for Magnolia and Edea was terrible and they butchered Edea's name pronunciation. And Magnolia's french, I heard, was terrible or something
Wow I had no idea that was how Bravely Second's release went in Japan. That's... a real shame. I feel bad that Asano & Co feel like the game was a failure when me and many others in the West really, really love it. Like sure it has its flaws, but I still think it's a very solid entry in the Bravely series. Fingers crossed that Bravely Third can still happen despite it all.
I liked it much more than the first one to be honest lol
@@Thuxo me to man, it didn't deserve the hate it got
Eh the story was a touch mid, but the gameplay was fantastic! The new systems and classes were something I SORELY missed in BD2
@@nobodybroda3826yeah the problem was probably the cheap story and the fact that the music was not from the same composer than bravely default 1. The rest was good.
My opinion, Second is easily the best of the three games we have. The characters were fun and memorable, the fights were cool and so were the new classes. Don't get me wrong, the other games are great, but I still think Second is the best.
This is really eye opening. I had no idea Japan got such a half baked version of second, that makes their distaste for it make so much more sense
I vaguely remember Bravely Second's failure in the west being attributed to the extreme dislike toward Nintendo Treehouse's localization team, especially after the cutting of certain content from FE:Fates. It sparked a huge debate on censorship in rpgs, especially around the model changes, the Tomahawk change to Cowboy, the cutting of the bad endings in the asterisk quests, the altered English artbook and changed collector's edition, etc. These were somewhat present in the English localization of BD's release, but it was signicificantly worse for Second. It was a time where any sensual/sexualization was deemed taboo, even the most mundane things like slits in a dress or shading around the hips. Mostly, those who ended up not buying BS feared that they'd be supporting Nintendo brazenly altering games for international releases, seeing that they weren't "getting the original package" even if that original package was objectively worse in some ways.
Honestly the whole ''courage to try again'' motif in second is weirdly appropriate to apply to second as a whole and I hope square does try again with a third game.
We already had a third game? Bravely Default 2.
@@GoldenSunAlex third game in luxendarc. Bravely derfault 2 just kinda does it's own thing
@@appelofdoom8211Would be pretty jarring if they just, went back after moving forward already
@@GoldenSunAlex Bravely Third, like amends to what happen on Bravely Second.
@@blastchaos4286 Just finished Bravely Second. It is a great game as a western release. I can see how it would seem counter intuitive to go back to Luxendarc, but its so clear the Bravely team wanted to expand it even further with the sword of the brave. I hope we do get to see those ideas come true
As someone whose favorite Bravely game is Second (even if I think BDI is _technically_ better), knowing about its initial reception makes me kinda sad, but that's just the reality that we live with.
Good job with this video, I already sorta knew about the western release being different but this really helped explain the whole situation.
Didn't the original jp version of Bravely Default not have an adjustable encounter rate? That sounds a million times worse if you had to redo the four crystal dungeons a million times without turning the encounter rate off than bad side quest endings. Needing a square enix account for extra things in Second sounds pretty stupid though.
That would also be a pain in the ass no doubt.
That's probably the least important difference. Japanese players notoriously love the grind.
I’m kinda sad of how bravely second did so bad in Japan. I mean, I understand why, but that game is still probably my favorite rpg like it. Bravely default was really good, and I love the story and music, but the gameplay of Second is the most fun I’ve ever had with the genre by a long shot.
We need more creative jobs in bd3, I want to possess people as a pirate and have my main healer be a wizard with black magic again lol
I remember the jobs thing being a point of contention here in the west too because one complaint I remember hearing a lot is that we got the "watered down version" of those sidequests where "there are no consequences".
I also remember being extremely confused about Square apologizing for Second since, from my perspective, they had worse games than Second. It felt odd that they felt the need to apologize specifically for this game.
I do hope we get to return back to Bravely Third/Sword sometime but at this point I'd also be happy with a Bravely Default 2-2: Thunder Boogaloo
Finally someone talks about it! I remember in the months leading up to Second's release, a lot of people who liked the first were turned off at the idea of playing Second because they heard some bad things about it, but when I looked into it it was what happened here, that in the Japanese release the sidequests were badly done and they fixed that for international release. It's so unfortunate that it hurt the sales so badly. Second was a great game and shouldn't be looked at by the developers as a failure. A great video as always Red!
Was very unaware of all this, as someone whose favorite Bravely game is in fact Second. Thank you for shedding light on this whole situation
Man, at the time of its launch I considered Bravely Second my favorite VIDEO GAME, it is shocking to hear that it wasn't well received
Bravely Second is probably my favorite game in the series, so I was VERY confused why the apology happened. I was aware of the changes from the Japanese release but I never knew how much of an effect they had on the series. I knew it was not liked in Japan to some degree but now I FULLY understand why vs just having some of the pieces. Its insane to me to think we got a Bravely Default II but god I am glad we did. I want a Bravely Sword game so bad to finish off Default 1's story so bad but after hearing this, I know for a fact that will NEVER happen. I hope Bravely Default III is written better because at least 2I was the best in terms of combat. I felt so underwhelmed with how 2 was written and it felt so safe and very tame compared to the previous 2 games. So here's hoping for a better future for the Bravely series.
I think that they rushed the franchise with all the japan exclusive browser and mobile games before finishing Second, because now Luxendarc Saga's lore is quite a mess if Praying Brage and Bravely Archive are canon.
Yeah, Square has really given the Bravely series some unhealthy and disconnected treatment with all the browser and mobile nonsense
@@emblemblade9245 They thought the Bravely IP can span multiple platforms like Kingdom Hearts. Very odd choice considering we can still see Union X content in Back Cover and not completely locked like Second
Bravely second is my favorite in the series.. It’s the only one I can go back and replay over and over again.. I just love the beginning and the voice actors.
I really felt burned by Bravely Default 2 and sorely wished it was more like Bravely Second but with a new cast and setting.
It's hard to hear about all of this.
It really does sting. I’m still holding out hope for Bravely Third one day, but it feels like a pipe dream.
Thanks for breaking down the history of the Bravely series! Knowing this background info will definitely help me understand and appreciate the games more.
Bravely Default was my introduction to Japanese pop culture. I was intrigued by its promo art style, which combined mange-esque character design with Western painterly techniques. Before encountering Bravely, I had no appreciation for anime and manga-I just thought the characters looked weird. But the Bravely art was enchanting.
However, the music is what really sold it for me. Someone in a Facebook group for fans of epic music shared “Ballad: Moving Towards Hope” with the group (the version included in the “Luxendarc Kikou” CD). I had always loved classical and epic music, but I’d never heard anything like this-it mixed overt jazz and hard rock elements into the orchestral score, along with exotic traditional Eastern instruments I’d never heard in such a context. And the Japanese vocals were unlike anything I’d ever heard-I couldn’t get over how satisfying Japanese sounded when sung, especially considering it isn’t a particularly “singable” language, by my Western classical standards.
I found the full soundtrack on UA-cam and listened to the whole thing repeatedly for years after this. It seemed to combine every musical style I loved most, including Celtic. But I never played the game. My family didn’t play video games, and I had never owned a console. But I kept listening to the soundtrack, and I even started watching anime and learning to draw in the manga art style, all because of Bravely Default. I’m now a hardcore otaku with over a hundred titles on MyAnimeList!
I was disappointed when Bravely Second was announced with a different composer for the soundtrack. I just couldn’t bring myself to take interest in the series without Linked Horizon and Revo, BD’s original soundtrack creator. But when I learned that /another/ sequel was coming out for the Switch, and that Revo would be returning to do the music, I decided it was time to get into the franchise properly.
Last summer, I bought my first-ever game console-the New 3DS XL. I was /terrible/ at every game I tried to play at first, but I’ve gotten steadily better. And this year, I finally bought my first Switch. I modded my 3DS and downloaded the uncensored versions of Bravely Default and Bravely Second from the hShop after the eShop closed down, and I bought a copy of Bravely Default II with my Switch. So now I’m finally ready to experience the entire series the way it was intended, and I couldn’t be more excited. (I technically started playing BD early this year, but I was interrupted for a long time, and I’m going to start the game over when I get back to it.)
Bravely Default has done more than any other property to influence my tastes in music, art, and even storytelling (except possibly for The Lord of the Rings). It was my introduction to anime and Japanese storytelling, which has enriched my life so much in the years since. And it helped me identify the kinds of music I want to create myself. I owe it a huge debt of gratitude for that!
It’s so sad to hear about just how much of a black mark Second was for Asano in Japan, but I hope one day they have the courage to try again.
Another rednovatyrant banger! I didn’t know about the changes between Western and Eastern Second, but it’s nonetheless sad that Bravely Second is the forgotten middle child of the series, especially due to how many cool ideas it had (Plague lore, Ba’al lore, new characters, and so on and so forth).
I was so surprised and delighted that the short plague backstory from Default got expanded on so much in chapter 5 and 6 of second. Also everything involving Altair was super cool. Second’s story ideas caught me off guard in a lot of good ways I didn’t expect, I’m very glad I played it. Plus the main party has actually perfect chemistry
So I can say that BD2nd it's a sad case of a middle child or black sheep in a franchise.
I never knew this side of bravely second. For me, just like the first game, it's a game that I saw at walmart and took home, and that was my only interaction with the series until just this year where I started looking up youtube videos. The games were self defined for me because i had no other influence for them. So hearing that plucky little bravely second is a black sheep is kind of a culture shock for me.
I've been going through the series again and unearthing so much more to love that my younger self couldn't appreciate, in default, second, and default 2. I can't imagine the series without second and it's sad to hear that it bombed in japan
Bravely Second is still my absolute favorite game in the series, in spite of its quirks, because it cut out the monotony of the first game's latter half while also greatly improving on the job system and introducing a lot more creative ideas for new job classes. In hindsight I recognize that this is largely because of Nintendo Treehouse's excellent localization and the fixes they introduced. (People complain about the comedic dialogue in Treehouse localized games but in Bravely's case I think it's 100% fitting, the game would not be as charming as it is without the stupid puns.)
I'm still very sad that the game never got a fair shake in Japan, and I do hope we return to Luxendarc someday.
I played Bravely Second for the first time recently and actually thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel like all the bravely games have major strengths and weaknesses.
BD1’s time loop but excellent plot twist,
BS feeling like a expansion and not distinguishing itself enough from the original (not that that’s a bad thing) and missable asterisks from moral choices, but having well written characters (Yew, Altair & Janne in particular)
and BD2 bring the series into the modern era with a new art style but a change in gameplay with rounds being gone and the loss of the subtitle (no fLYING fAIRY or sEND pLAYER) and no crazy plot twists and being a bit weaker than the other twos plot (imo).
It’s kind of a shame Bravely Second was soo poorly received when I thought it was an excellent sequel. If it’s not broken don’t fix it, and they did just that but without the time loop.
I fully agree. I lost most of my hope for Bravely after BD2. If "Bravely" Default II is how Asano wants to go after Second, I'm done. Second is not even a Bravely Game. Here's why:
Compared to BD and Second, BD2 has a generic, uninspired plot. The "twist" lacks buildup and is a worse ripoff of the amazing twist in BD. The cast is one-dimensional and gave no justification why they-four complete strangers in a hostile world-would instantly decide to work together with no pushback. There was no proper inter-party struggle nor character growth throughout the entire story. The new turn order broke combat and made Default useless while forcing enemies to have a "counter any ability" ability, making any strategy other than the one they wanted you to do, useless. This goes against BD and Second rewarding you for creating unique builds and strategies for defeating enemies and bosses. And since boss fights forced you to beat them a specific way, they nullified the entire point of such a complex job and ability system. Abilities were weaker and less interesting than BD and Second. Jobs were either useless or completely broken without the need for any creativity or thought-the first two games gave you many ways to create broken setups and you'd need to use your brain to do so. And so, it rewarded complex planning and creative thinking. BD2 Removed QoL such as the encounter rate slider (could have put a spawn rate slider in its place since enemies are overworld now), removed the ability to save job + ability + equipment loadputs. BD2 also removed interesting in-combat meters to built up. There is also a considerable lack of side and post-game content. I could go on.
I fell in love with Bravely after randomly hearing "Romantic Vagrant" in a Sumper Smash Bros. Montage. Looked into the OST, and loved it so much as to watch a playthrough of Flying Fairy from 9 years ago. Loved things so much I bought Bravely Second for my 3DS from GameStop online. Absolutely love it! Even 100 percent a hardmode save file! The story was okay, and the music was good (would've loved to see what Revo would do, though). But the gameplay was the best thing about it and the series as a whole. Bravely is all about crazy mix and match jobs to circumvent difficult and gimmicky boss fights and felt fairly balanced in BS (ignoring bishop, wizard, etc.). Bravely Default II was also a great game but the constant boss counters really got to me. I hope they try to encourage different team compositions in a different way if they make a BD III.
TLDR: Loved BD, Played BS, BD II was good, but could be improved with boss counters. Music and job systems are hands down my favorite part about these games and I hope to see a BD III!
Something I really missed in BD2 were the Ba'al fights. Even though they were story related in BD Second, I wish they at least brought their design over to BD2.
It's a shame, Bravely Default and Bravely Second are 2 of my favorite RPGs I've played, it did a lot of cool, unique things, the weird boss designs stick in my head so much. It's just a shame this happened. I'm glad we got a 3rd entry though, even though it was quite basic compared to how ambitious the first 2 were with very odd mechanics but I hope the series isn't dropped. It has so much potential still left untapped.
Despite my thoughts on the matter being well known throughout the community… I still have to say, I have a soft spot for a lot of what Second did. After all, even with how much I bash it even in the English release, I still consider it the third best 3DS game right under Kid Icarus: Uprising and BD proper respectively. It’s still a good game, just not the game fans like me wanted, and that’s okay. I just hope that, one day, we will return to Luxendarc, and experience the characters we love so much even more, in different settings and environments while all new members come take center stage, whether they be heroes or villains or some mix between… But, a man can ramble and hope, and a man can pray. And I prefer to believe Asano, that “The Third and Fourth will come, one day.”
I hope the Luxendarc's story can get a good closure (or even a decent one) some day...
Yeah, I had no idea about this. I loved B. Second. Like a lot of games around that time, I felt it improved gameplay while slipping a bit in terms of story/ characters (see also: SMT4 Apocalypse, Devil Survivor 2). Still easily an 8/10 and one of my favorite games on 3DS.
As a french Luxendarc enjoyer, I had literally no idea, and that made me so sad 😔
I didn't know Second had so much stigma around it. The tone was a bit too irreverent at times, there were a bit too many recycled areas, and the music definitely had too much electric guitar, but even in spite of that it still wound up being my favorite Bravely title of the three. There were a lot of really neat new Jobs, I liked Yew's scholarly backstory being tied to enemies getting expanded lore in the journal the more you fought them, Ba'als all had pretty fun gimmicks (even if they were underused), Edea's sidequests preparing her to become Grand Marshal were neat, etc.
It's unfortunate how much Second bombed because I thought it added a lot of great things to build off of and took an aspect of For the Sequel I really enjoyed (the Ba'als and the Celestial Realm) and put them at the forefront. I knew of the whole sidequest change we got prior to release and it was especially goofy seeing people here overseas take the news at face value getting upset they were removing content, unaware they were actually just improving the game. I didn't know how much of a blow it was to JP fans to have those bad endings though. I won't lie when I say I preferred Second's direction over BD2's, but now I'm just hoping there's a future for this series like how the initial Bravely Default had.
I am glad people are finding this video eye-opening. It's a shame Bravely Default II gets so much hate just because it isn't Bravely Sword.
BD II gets hate?
I loved my time with it...
@@kurtisanderson2915BD2 is like, the one that received the most injustified hate of all the games I've seen (their communities, I mean)
Personally I'm not the biggest fan of BD2 for all its gameplay changes and how safe it feels compared to the past two installments, but I understand why it is the way it is.
@@lategameessays6295Its just not as fun to play as the other one's and the story was unfortunately weak
@@Awildgamer i found its gameplay as the best in the series and the story is at least better than second, but that's just my opinion
I had absolutely no clue about how the game was recieved in Japan. I was just so confused as to why they Bravely third was never announced and assumed the sales were bad much to my disappointment.
Did not know about the japanese release of BD2, but that sounds like something square would. Locking behind content behind signing up to a website and such. And I remember enjoying bravely default 1 and 2, and the side quests about picking a side to get a job, I distinctly remember that.
Also octopath traveler being so similar with the brave system makes so much more sense now.
I honestly had no idea that Bravely Second was this poorly received. Its honestly my favorite of the series and after the end, I was hoping to get a Bravely Third which continued the story with Ringabel and Edea rounding out their final story. There were so many hints of the Planeswardens and Edea possibly breaking the boundary to help Ringabel in order to cap off their romance story that I was seriously invested. Knowing Japan feels like this, really makes me sad that we'll never get that finale I've been waiting for. :(
We may still be getting Bravely Third, so keep those hopes alive :)
Man, Second is my favorite. It reminds me of Earthbound with it's wit and playfulness. The time travel twist is also downright brilliant.
Wow, yeah I had no clue it did so bad in Japan. Bravely Second is one of my favorite games of all time. It’s sad to know that it wasn’t good on first release over there, but thanks Red for sharing this.
I remember hearing a lot about this when Bravely Second was releasing and reminded of it again when BDII came out. This just seems like all the more reason to port both Default and Second to Switch to sort of bring the opinions of Second back. They can bundle it with Default so that fans of that can enjoy it, and then people will be more likely to give Second another chance with all the fixes that came with the western release, culminating in a renewed hype cycle for a 3rd game to make the original story a trilogy. Of course this would bring back the growing pains and make the JP community side eye the game but I feel like it's the only way for them to properly move forward by giving Japan a truly "definitive" Bravely Second.
So that's why they never did the teased bravely Third or bravely Sword (probably the pun that was intended) with the teased bravely Sword that appeared as a background looming information in bravely second and instead went for a pure reboot...a bit sad but I understand their choice much more now.
See me personally i've held that Bravely Second is my favorite, and is at the least on par with the others in terms of gameplay quality, so I always wondered why Second held this negative stigma for Square. All these years I thought it just boiled down to the osts, but it's crazy to hear how iffy the Japanese release was, meanwhile here in the U.S I just played a more expansive and better-paced Bravely Default.
Really cool video btw, I love the content
To see just how taboo Bravely Second is to SE and Team Asano makes me really sad, but I'm even more grateful that the series lives on regardless. While Team Asano's focus has since shifted to other games, and we may never get the Bravely Third we (or at least I) so badly wish for, seeing all the things happening with the 10th anniversary gives me hope that the series isn't totally dead just yet!! ;o;
Thank you for the video! It really suprises me that Bravely Second was so polarizing in Japan. Bravely Second was such an amazing game, it was almost equaly as good as Bravely Default and boy oh boy was Magnolia one of the best characters in the franchise. And the whole plot points who the gods and Ba'als are was so brilliant. I NG+ the game like 5 times. Even just the short movie at the end of Bravely Default hyped me so much for Second. I think Bravely Default 2 is the most emotional of the three and i really hope we get Bravely Default 3
Too bad all of this happened to Second, but never lose hope to see another entry on Luxendarc, even more now that they've learned from their mistakes.
Second's 10th anniversary is in 2025 so that could be the last chance, I mean, they can't be silent on it, right? I just hope they have the "courage to try again"
I am so sad that Bravely Second had these issues, to me it was one of the best sequels in gaming. To be fair, I didn't know a lot about it before i got the game in my hands so that might be a factor. To me through the game expanded on the characters from the old game in interesting ways with the sidequests, more killer tunes, more stuff with the gameplay and classes and that cool chain mechanic to help with grinding, added more stuff to the setting that felt like it fit in and had some cool new characters and even added to the fourth wall stuff from the first game. Again though, the most i knew about the game before i got it was that Magnolia would be there. But knowing that the JP version beefed so hard the western version wasn't even thesame game technically... Back then i thought the localization just took so long cause of all the voice acting, but now i do have a different view. Isn't helped that i heard BD 2 was mid as hell and never wanted to give Square Enix money while they fuck around with nfts to find out for myself. And how they beefed the sidequests in the JP version is something i can totally see why people were mad about that, that sounds horrible. Same with the SE account thing
Yeah, I've always heard about how botched Second was in Japan and how the issues fortunately got fixed for the international release but the damage was already done in Japan unfortunately. Its such a fantastic game, I think it beats Default in every category and fixes the issues I had with it.
Second is one of my all time favourites…
So sad it flopped in JP.
But maybe, with divine luck, we will get a remake of 1 & Second one day.
Or even Bravelz Sword/Third.
Thanks for explaining❤
What a bummer to hear that. I would be angry over those bad options, too, and especially needing a subscription to fully play ANY game. Bravely Second was a great game while Bravely Default 2 was so easy it was broken. The only part of the first 2 games that I got totally stumped on was the majority of the optional Ba'al, Super-Powered Asterisks with weird alternate names, and Devil Lord bosses you could battle on the mini maps.
I thought it would be cool if you made an initial choice in a side quest to get an asterisk, but then when presented with the same choice later when you're more knowledgeable, there could be a way to take a third option with an either better outcome than either of the two choices. Except that the third option pisses off both asterisk bearers and now you have to fight both of them.
It could work in theory... But Im not sure the execution would go so well.
That was a great video. I didn't know the japanese versions were so different from what we had here. I'm thankful that we got an improved version. I feel that Bravely Second is the strongest of the 3 by the way and I consider it my most favorite game, so any video about it I will be happy to watch.
Thanks for the information. This is really interesting!!
I just have one footnote; You don't have to do 2 complete playthroughs to get all the endings, as you can just do a time loop and loop back around to get them as you breeze through everything. (though if that's what you meant, my bad).
Interesting. They kind of covered this game up with naming the switch version bravely default 2 or whatever.
It's really interesting cause you have to Google bravely second to even see it. If you search bravely default 2 you get bravely default 2, if you search bravely default sequel you get bravely default for the sequel....
Fun fact: I played BD and BS and loved them and kept waiting for a sequel but when I heard Bravely Default 2 I misstook it for Bravely Second (it was like 5 years so I missremembered BS' name) so I didn't payed it attention before this year.
Spoiler for the prologue of BD2:
I honestly thought Sir Sloan was an old Tiz and his dead wife was Agnes, I was waiting to find who Yew and Edea were and even mistook the Archbishop for Yew bc he mentions 50 years ago and the boat lady for Edea, this happened just now that I'm finishing BD2.
I did not know any of this stuff went on with B2nd. Honestly though I had two issues with B2nd; one issue was by no fault of it's own and the other was probably more of a subjective opinion. B2nd came out the week my first girlfriend broke up with me in high school and I just didn't have the heart to play it upon release or to do anything for that matter. When I did eventually pick up B2nd though I found the game to be slow and uninteresting. I get that BD had a lot of exposition in some parts but I was honestly falling asleep playing B2nd by the first boss. I forced myself to play up until I got to some cave with a sword but by then I was just burnt out. Maybe I was unfairly uninterested in it because of what had happened with my girlfriend back then but even on my last attempt to try the game again this summer I just found myself putting it down and playing something else after an hour. I can't explain it but I've just never had the gumption to finish it. It's kind of sad to know how troubled the JPN release of B2nd was. Thanks for shedding some light on the matter Nova.
They even intended to make a Bravely the Third centered arpund the Sword of the Brave.
But the poor reception of Bravely Second completely cut the wind out of those sails.
What I'm really didn't like on Second, is the betrayal of Janne & Nikolai seems abit forced to make the story interesting.
When playing the JP demo back then, I was happy Nikolai on our Party, and I was like "I wonder how he looks on other job class later, bet he looks cooler on Dark Knight job class." then boom! Replaced by Tiz & Edea. I know its for plot and nostalgia sake but... it really unfortunate on how they introduce Janne and Nikolai as fresh main party member, turns out only as temporary party member on prologue chapter 1.
Alas from that, I do still loving Bravely Seconds, since they do make the most broken jobs they ever make. "Wizard" 😂😂😂
The thing I would like to point about the side quests which I’m glad you went over. I get the idea the team was going for with the first choice you made failed so try the other option what the team was trying to say is “you don’t always know what is the best choice so here is a free do over.” On paper the idea is a brilliant subversion of moral choices in games in practice the developers forgot to take the players agency into account. It’s why I felt that the side quests were rather dull as if both outcomes are good where is the downside. I would be curious if they ever made a Rom-hack that restored the original version as I would love to play that in English. However I understand why they changed it and acknowledge that it was the best long term decision.
I knew about some of this but not the full extent. It really is a shame that the reception was mixed in Japan. The whole moral dilemma seems interesting but I'm also grateful for what we got over here. Bravely Second is one of my favorite games so it's disheartening to see something negative about it whenever I search for information on it online.
I loved Bravely Second!
Seriously, I miss the art style so much that it's been really difficult to like BD2 😅
This video is very, very enlightening. It certainly explains a lot. I liked it over the original because I'm very gameplay focused, and disliked how repetitive the first got. But knowing this, yeah, it certainly makes sense. Hopefully the series in general and II are enough to keep it going. I really liked the direction II set for the series. Really like your content, all the best to you!
I think if the Japanese version had been the International release, that the game might actually have been hated.
Well this is a damn shame, Bravely Second is my favorite story of the three games. No offense to Bravely Default or Bravely Default 2 stories, but i just love it so much!
This video was... appalling to watch. I fell in love with Bravely Default and, though I agree Bravely Second's plot isn't as good as BD's, the game is still a lot of fun and expands on the story of the characters I love so much. Hearing that it was that close that the Bravely Saga ended in Second is disheartening. Knowing that it's such a niche saga that could end because a game simply solds that well of because it wouldn't be worth for SE makes me so sad. I hope we got news about a new Bravely game in the next 3 or so years.
I remember being so excited and enjoying Bravely Second at launch. Bravely Default was one of the only square games I saw through to the end and loved it. It even encouraged me to play through FF games start to finish. Currently playing BDII rn and really enjoying it. I hope this franchise gets more love and support from Square cos it definitely has its audience.
Wow, I really thought that Second was just a straight upgrade of the first one, I am so shocked discovering all of this
I will say, I really couldn't stand Bravely Second, Default and Default 2 are some of my favourite JRPGs but the writing of Second was just so... Off? Like, Ba'al busting cringe aside, one of the moral dilemmas was literally whether or not to feed the orphans lmao
So *that's* the story huh? I heard outcry about the international release cutting content, which it did. But they did it to trim out the padding headaches. That completionist requirement in the original release sounds like a pain and a half for an RPG...
Damn, so a collection port to Switch is even less likely than I thought. 😢
to be honest, Bravely Second is for my very special since I played before de Bravely Default and I didn't know anything about the original. But the characters from the first gave me enough reasons to play the first game (even if Tiz's design is a bit plain there and I really like the looks on Second)
Like many others this is the first I hear about JPs issues with the game and brings to light many things. Though for me the art style was my favorite part of the game and the main reason I went and ignored Bravely Default 2. I just can't stand looking at that game. And all the other gameplay changes they made from the 3DS games
If the failure of bravely second led to the creation of Octopath, I’m glad it failed!
I've never heard of this but I like it!
Second is my most favorite game due to all unique jobs and stuff. I hope the devs warm back up to it because its still great. Square enix right now is being weird and bravely series doesn't deserve the axe. I dunno i just hope the devs can warm again to second.
When you mentioned that 'Bravely series doesn't deserve the axe', you reminded me that scene in Chicken Run where Mrs. Tweedy takes a hen (named Edwina) to a stump to cuts off her head with an axe.
I'm imaginating Mrs. Tweedy like Square Enix (or the BD devs) and Edwina like Bravely series right now.
and now "brilliant lights" turned out to be a complete failure lol man this franchise is all over the place
this is honestly heartbreaking
i knew about the "bad endings" thing but i didnt know about the game being so bad recieved in japan
i felt that something was off when during the anniversary stream they completely skipped over Second but god learning the truth was so sad
i still find Second to be not as good as Default overall but I still prefer it due to the music and how cool Magnolia and Tiz are in it
It's still my favorite of the series despite all its flaws in the story (like how Yew randomly falls in love with Magnolia at the end?????) and during gameplay (some fights were super easy and then you have stuff like Mammon and tje first Geist fight that are unbelievably hard compared to the rest of the game)
Meanwhile 2 felt just barely mid to me, it's not a bad game but it didn't feel like a Bravely game either
Wait randomly? Yew was getting ship teased with her the whole game!
@@emblemblade9245 magnolia showed interest in him the whole game yes, but yew didn't reciprocate ever
I had no fuckin idea anyone had anything other than praise for Second. I guess living in a bubble is nice in that I didn't have anyone else's opinion to muddy my own thoughts. I loved it. I loved 2. I loved the first. All great. Sad that they got fucked in Japan, but I hope they keep pumping these out moving forward.
I did find it odd how bravely default 2 was called what it was and it didn't take place in Luxendarc. Thanks for answering the question.
I knew the sidequest endings were worse in JP, but I didn't know it was possible to get a better one if you stuck to your guns on the second chance. That just feels like bad design for a game like this? I think it would've been preferred if the endings stayed bad, since then players wouldn't feel as guilty about collecting all of the asterisks.
Now, the whole online account thing is complete news to me. What's with Square Enix and making absolutely horrendous decisions around the internet? Did they truly learn so little from FF9's critically-reviled "just go to the website lol" guidebook???
They learned nothing even after KH puts all their web content into Back Cover re release
I’ve heard about the depressing sidequests in the Japanese version, but I didn’t know the rabbit hole went THIS deep.
Regardless, I’m relieved to see a hopeful outcome for this series in the face of everything.
No… Edea is my absolute favorite character… I wanted a happy ending for her and Ringabel… everyone got a beloved one and a happy end :( not Edea … but why though 😢
F for Edea... And Ringabel, of course.
Bravely second was my introduction into the game.
For me is simple, B2nd had really good and original ideas, but a poorly execution, with some difference, is the worst bravely game for me, it doesn't mean is a bad game because BD and BD2 are excellent in many ways (they are 2 of my favorite games, especially bd2) but when I play second, I feel is an overexaggeration about what bd left, enemies being more powerful than bosses, jobs overlapping in their function, spellcraft, more overexposition in their plot, overall is still good but I simply can't avoid these problems, now, i don't know how it was, but curiosly i find bd2 was worst received overseas than b2nd, meanwhile bd2 was better received in japan, or at least it was my perception, it seems main complain about bd2 is that 'is not like the originals' or 'it doens't have a 'good plot'', i feel if western fans were the main audience, the case would be the contrary (b2nd being good received and bd2 crippling the series) even if i love bd2, i still understand if many bravely fans didn't like it, is just very different from the originals, and at least i understand why they wanted to start from zero, very good video
I had no idea all this happened. Honestly, I absolutely love every bit of Bravely Second, but I can understand why others may dislike it.
When I found out about Bravely Second, I saw it on a store shelf. No advertising, nothing. I didn't even know they were making another game. So it was pure gold to me that the story continued even if it was quite startling to be thrown in a few years after the end of the first game. And seeing how all my favorite characters changed over time.
Idk this is series of games are the few I still play even to this day. (Theres others, but their new compared to almost 10 years of my life playing these game lmao)
I hope they keep making more. Their stories and games are always in my heart ❤️
So im a new fan to the series, and I'm just wondering is there a future for the series (in the west i mean)? Or is it dead at BD2 with its mixed reviews?
Cause I love the series so far (beat BD2, beat BD1 just starting Second).
Personally I enjoy the characters in BD2 more but I I'll take anything at this point I just don't want them to give up on the western audience
I highly doubt the series is dead. Asano said recently that it'll be a few years before we get another mainline game, but now with Octopath 2 coming out (which is likely where time and resources were being used), now more work can go into Bravely :)
This is the 1st I've heard if this. Thank u for your time and effort and your research in this matter. I enjoyed this video. Keep up the great work. You got an additional subscriber from me for this.
Eh, I actually think the moral dilemma component and possibly missing out on classes for story purposes is a cool concept and if executed could be VERY powerful (look at Undertale, incredibly emotional and powerful).
My problem with bravely second was the half-baked generic storytelling and significantly less amazing music; i tried hard to fall in love with bravely second, but the subpar story and “no consequence” feeling like my decisions in game had no real relevance are what hurt my experience, in all honesty; knowing it was originally made to give more consequence for your decisions actually makes me more disappointed they didn’t keep it that way as the restraints in playthroughs might’ve made it a better experience, again IF executed properly. My experience playing bravely second was a half-baked story with very generic tropes that didn’t feel inspiring, and the only reason I even finished it was because Edea carried that game for me. 😢
For me, bravely default’s music is unforgettable, while second’s was very generic, forumulaic and forgettable (im an aspiring composer so I’m extremely biased, but I think the music made SO much difference in carrying the emotional weight of the first game). That combined with how sloppily executed the story ended up being trying to “fix” the imposed restraints made the experience “meh” for me. Just my opinion though.
either way, thanks for the video, good to be informed more of the history of the series.
Kinda impressive to know my distastes for Second where just the tip of how bad the game originally was.
I'm only just now fishing Bravely Second out of the backlog. I remember when Default 2 was announced, I had to wonder if the name was some slight at the existing 'bravely default 2'. Maybe there's some truth to that after all. I guess there's no harm done from the fans' perspective though. They're still making them. It was never dead. All they really need is a remaster on modern platforms now that the servers are shut down (both SE's, and Nintendo's). The first two games are not fully playable in their current state.
Holy crap. I had no idea this went down. Man I really hope these guys keep pushing forward. I really love these games. Day one purchases for us.
I’m confused, what’s Praying Bradge and Fairy Effect?
Fairy’s Effect was a mobile game released in Japan only after Second that has since been shut down. It is the primary motivator for the series to continue.
Praying Brage was a browser game that came out shortly after BD1’s release. I did a complete plot summary of that game as it too is now shut down: ua-cam.com/video/4x17CPhJAbc/v-deo.htmlsi=rIoXqsDJmjG3ksYy
@@RedNovaTyrant wish you explained that in the video, I literally just know about the first game and when you introduced the tree with all those branches and didn’t explain what those two were it threw me off
They weren't particularly important to telling the story of Second's JP reception, but that may be a good idea for a future video to just go over each of the Japan only games
Wow, what an awesome video! You explained so much... Wow. We never had the original versions of the BD games, why the numbering/naming is weird... Even why Octopath Traveler is a kind of parallel series!! Thanks for your video.
I pray to God, any god, even Providence or Ouroboros, that they still make Bravely Third and IF they do, to not heartlessly retcon the entirely of Bravely Second
So... If I got it correctly the one we got for western release "Bravely Default II" by the game's chronological order should be titled Bravely Default III and Bravely Second is the true Bravely Defauly II which is a sequel from the original Bravely Default?
So confused, I understood the titles better from Final Fantasy like X and X-2 or XIII and XIII-2 which are direct sequels
Bravely Default and Bravely Second are like Final Fantasy X and X-2.
Bravely Default II is any other Final Fantasy. Let's just say FF XI.
I enjoy Bravely Second, faults and all... but I had NO idea that it did a lot of damage to the franchise. I'm thankful we did get Bravely Default II though.
I always thought it was intriguing that in Edea's path to become one of the most powerful political leaders in the world, she reneges on every decision she ever makes if you're a completionist. I was seriously wondering if it was the game's plot secretly being brilliant.
Magnolia: I'm from the moon! *instantly believed by everyone*
Edea: Remember two years ago when I was 18. I'm still 18! And no my name is pronounced like "Idiot" instead of "Idea!"
Anne: I thwarted your time travel plans by handing you the time machine upside down!
Kamiizumi: Remember by heart-wrenching death scene? Neither do I!
Yulyana: Was I supposed to have a death scene? Eh, whatever.
Yeah, I suspect it wasn't intentional brilliance on the writers' part. I loved this game, though. The presentation and gameplay more than made up for the ridiculous story.
I'll be honest. I was only aware of Censured Gaming's coverage on the game's differences. You know, all the minor yet obvious stuff *NOT* covered by this video, because they are both minor and obvious. The sub-par writing and "Bad Ends" for the branching side quests? All of it flew under my radar. -_(\
honestly i did not like how the combat was altered for Bravely Second. I was so ready to play a great sequel to the first game, but was very disappointed with it.
I enjoyed bravely second on 3ds
It was not just my favourite 3ds game but my piece of nostalgia.
Hope they make bravely second 2 JK.
I had no idea there was anything beyond Bravely Default, Second, and Default 2. I never did play Second because I wasn't playing my 3DS anymore and never got around to emulating it.
I'm a lifelong Final Fantasy fan. I was a kid in the 90's and discovered Squaresoft through Final Fantasy VII. Square Enix as a company has had some of the highest highs and lowest lows of any video game developer. I've seen them narrowly avoid completely shutting down multiple times. They make a lot of big bets and sometimes they win big and sometimes they don't.
I'm one of the few Final Fantasy fans who loved Final Fantasy XIII and it's sequels (I'm pretty sure I'm the only American fan who was hyped like Christmas morning for Lightning Returns to release), but there's no denying that the Final Fantasy series made a very sudden, very rapid shift in style and quality. Final Fantasy XIV was a disaster that somehow only managed to narrowly snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat, and Final Fantasy XV, well... I know some people love it, but I've played the whole thing about half a dozen times and it just feels totally soulless, like a bog-standard AAA game wearing the skin of a Final Fantasy game and not understanding it's heart. I was not optimistic but still held out hope for Final Fantasy XVI and it ended up being a pretty big disappointment for me too. I had honestly thought, around the time of Bravely Default's release, that Final Fantasy was done.
Bravely Default was a breath of fresh air I never expected from Square Enix. It was charming, it was addictively fun, it utilized it's strengths so well, it had a fanfastic art style based on my favorite video game artist, it had an incredible soundtrack, it was easily the best Final Fantasy game I'd played in years. Bravely Second was incredibly fun to me, although even as a fan, the flanderization of the characters and excessive amount of memes and eating-in-the-tent scenes were grating. But I was glad for it nonetheless.
I had no idea Bravely Second had such a bad release in Japan. I'm continually annoyed that Japan has had, like, three or four mobile games that we never got here. When Bravely Default II was announced, I heard Braev Lee's voice in the trailer and saw a kingdom I thought was Caldisla, so I assumed the next game would be connected in some way, especially after the post-credits sting of Bravely Second with Ringabel.
Bravely Default II just... god, what a disappointment. I'm going to give it another chance, but I bought the game and I never made it past the second chapter. The art feels really weak, the design of the battle menus is so much weaker than the 3DS games, the story was really not gripping me, and I just found it so boring to try and play. I was shocked that a Bravely game could so completely fail to hold my attention. I'm still going to try again at some point, but knowing that it's entirely unconnected to the first two games, it's hard to care. Octopath Traveler, despite having a really great reputation, also failed to keep me interested. It was the very first game I got with my Switch, and I've tried several times to go back to it, but the fact that the main characters never communicate or overlap at all in their stories just makes me feel like it's pointless.
I don't know, on the one hand I'm glad that there's this sub-team within Square Enix who made Bravely, Octopath, and Triangle Strategy, but it also feels like everything after the 3DS games has just been trying and failing to grasp at what USED to be good in Final Fantasy. Triangle Strategy is wearing the skin of a Matsuno games but it doesn't have any of it's heart.
Square Enix as a company have devolved into some of the greediest, slimiest businesspeople in the entire video games industry. They seem more concerned with a multimedia entertainment brand that rakes in money by milking beloved IP's than actually making good games anymore. It's like their heart isn't in it. Bravely Default felt to me like the last game Square Enix made when they were actually TRYING. Now most of what they make just feels phoned in.
So it was basically the Square Enix version of Battle Network 4
Bravely second is still my least favorite bravely game but I loved luxendarc…
I thought the US had the worst version of the game. The audio for Magnolia and Edea was terrible and they butchered Edea's name pronunciation. And Magnolia's french, I heard, was terrible or something