Latest news with #AkihikoYoshida
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster' Review: Not Exactly HD
This HD remaster still retains some of the original game's visual charm. One of the best role-playing games on the Nintendo 3DS was Bravely Default, a unique little game that's now remastered on the Switch 2, but not without its faults. The original game was full of charm and adorable character designs by Akihiko Yoshida. The functional premise of the game had you either Default (guard) for each turn or Brave multiple attacks that would put you at a disadvantage on the subsequent turn. It was a fascinating risk-reward setup that played with the turn-based nature of most modern role-playing games. Coupled with the lovely art style, Bravely Default had a real charm to it that is sadly quite rare these days. So, to have Bravely Default updated in HD for the Switch 2 was great news. While the stereoscopic 3D elements of the original 3DS game would be lost, you'd still have an updated version available for an even larger audience. That would be true if more care had been taken with the game. The enemy character models are overly basic for an HD remaster. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder This is not to say the game is bad, far from it. It plays beautifully, and the main characters still look good in their new HD format, but sadly, most of the other enemies are not so impressive. This is because the original Bravely Default was developed for the 3DS, with all the graphical restrictions that entail. In that the polygon count for the main characters and enemies was very restrictive, doubly so because the game had to support the 3D gimmick of the 3DS, effectively doubling up the rendering passes. All of this is entirely fine for the 3DS, but when you come to something like the Switch 2, which has an enormous graphical capacity relative to the 3DS, you need to do some more work on the characters and enemies to compensate. Unfortunately, despite this game being a Switch 2 launch title, not enough time and care were taken in increasing the graphical fidelity of the enemies and some of the main characters. The game's HD backgrounds are still thankfully gorgeous. While the backgrounds look lovely and most of the main characters look decent, the enemies are very basic, and it is sadly overly jarring. One of the big elements of Bravely Default's charm was its portrayal of its characters. With the game originally released on the 3DS, the art style leaned into those graphical limitations, and it worked wonderfully. Here, though, it just really feels off, doubly so when Bravely Default II on the Switch had a really high level of graphical fidelity, especially compared to this release. So while this new HD version of Bravely Default plays as good as its 3DS forebear, it looks a lot worse than the last Switch entry in the series. Which, for a launch Switch 2 game, is deeply unfortunate. If only more time and money had been spent on updating the game models to something closer to Bravely Default II or even further than that, then this could have been a very special release. While, on the one hand, it's great that Bravely Default is widely available again, on the other hand, it does feel underwhelming when it comes to the HD execution. Overall, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is still a solid game in terms of how it plays, but it needed more time and money to really make this a proper HD remaster. As such, this feels like a lost opportunity and something that should have been treated with more care. Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 Developer: Cattle Call Publisher: Square Enix Released: 5th June 2025 Price: $39.99 Score: 7/10 Disclosure: Square Enix sent me a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
Business Wire
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster out Now on Nintendo Switch 2
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, SQUARE ENIX ® released the highly anticipated BRAVELY DEFAULT ™ FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster, a beautiful revival of one of the most beloved RPGs of the century. Now available on the new Nintendo Switch ™ 2 system, this HD remaster invites players to relive the epic journey with enhanced visuals and brand-new minigames. To view the BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster launch trailer, visit: Originally released in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS, BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster brings the unforgettable story, iconic characters designed by Akihiko Yoshida (FINAL FANTASY TACTICS, NieR:Automata) and innovative 'Brave & Default' turn-based battle system to the current generation of gamers for the Nintendo Switch 2 system. The HD remaster is perfect for long-time fans to revisit the world of Luxendarc and for newcomers alike. The Nintendo Switch 2 system exclusive remaster contains two brand-new minigames that utilize the hardware's mouse controls. In Luxencheer Rhythm Catch, a rhythm-based game, players will use the mice as light sticks and put on a rousing performance. In Ringabel's Panic Cruise, players will use the mice to steer an airship while fulfilling various requests from your party members, putting players' multitasking skills to the test. Players can earn various rewards by playing these minigames such as the new notes, an accessory to completely disable enemy encounters and costumes to change the characters' appearances. BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster is set in Luxendarc, a world where four elemental crystals maintain peace and balance. When darkness suddenly emerges from the Great Chasm that left a gaping void in the world, the warriors of light will embark on an adventure to save the world from calamity. Players will join Agnès Oblige, the vestal of the Wind Crystal, Tiz Arrior, a kind shepherd and sole survivor of the Great Chasm that engulfed his hometown, Edea Lee, the only daughter of the grand marshal of the Duchy of Eternia, Ringabel, an amnesiac young man with a mysterious journal that has chronicled future events and Airy, a cryst-fairy, on an epic journey to restore light to the crystals and bring peace to the world. Players can work strategically to control the flow of battle with the innovative 'Brave & Default' battle system: Brave to expend Brave Points to increase the number of actions taken in turn, and Default to stock up a turn while shoring up defenses. With the game's job system that features over 20 unique jobs, players can mix and match different jobs and abilities to experiment with a huge variety of party compositions. Thrilling turn-based battles, which can be sped up by the player as desired, are enhanced further by a larger-than-life soundtrack from Revo, making BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster a can't miss for RPG enthusiasts. BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster is rated T (Teen) by the ESRB and is now available to purchase for $39.99 in the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch 2 and select retailers. For more information, visit: Related Links: BRAVELY DEFAULT, originally released in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS, is the first RPG in the landmark BRAVELY franchise, which has sold over 3 million units worldwide. Telling a classic fantasy tale of crystals and warriors of light, the title is known for its deceptively simple storyline and iconic Brave & Default battle system, in addition to its character designs by Akihiko Yoshida and music composed by Revo. Developed by Team Asano, the game serves as a point of genesis for the critically acclaimed Octopath Traveler series. An HD remaster redesigned to be played comfortably on modern consoles is available now for Nintendo Switch 2. About Square Enix, Inc. Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix group of companies. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY™, which has sold over 200 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST™, which has sold over 94 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS™. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at © SQUARE ENIX FINAL FANTASY, DRAGON QUEST, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, SPACE INVADERS, and TAITO are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix group of companies. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
