Bravely Default: Flying Fairy was first developed by Silicon Studio and published by Square Enix in Japan 2012, and by Nintendo in the West in 2014, for Nintendo 3DS. Back then, the role-playing game received very positive feedback, combining a turn-based battle system with an intriguing plot and chibi-style characters. The 3D elements of the 3DS were used to their full potential, adding unique effects to the title. Now, in 2025, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster has been released for Nintendo Switch 2, exciting many a fan. It is time to relive the adventure once more!
Set in the fantasy world of Luxendarc, the story follows four heroes of light whose job is to restore magical crystals in order to calm the world’s elements. The player is introduced to the team consisting of Agnès, Tiz, Edea and Ringabel, all of whom have their own backstory and reasons to join the cause. Another member is not playable in battle: companion Airy, a cryst-fairy.
Things start going wrong from the very start, and the team finds itself tripping from one bind into the next while trying to achieve their objectives. Apart from the general battles on the world map or within dungeons, certain bosses reward job crystals, which allow for characters to change their job classes. In other words, any character can change to an acquired job class at any time, should the player wish to do so. These include the typical classes observed in RPGs, such as healer, magic user or sword fighter, but also a few more specific ones. Strategically choosing jobs and abilities for each character is one of the main draws of this title.
Of course, generally speaking, Bravely Default is not a new game per se. However, it was truly beloved at the time it first released and it is great to see its return with much improved graphics and gameplay options. Backgrounds, characters and enemies have been visually upgraded and look fantastic – both on TV and in handheld. Loading times have been significantly reduced compared to the 3DS days, and gameplay has become a lot smoother and more customisable than ever before.
Some of the highlights include settings to change the enemy encounter rate, as well as altering which buttons (L or R) map to Brave and Default, one of the main mechanics in the game. These little quality of life improvements make a massive difference.
In addition to this, two brand-new minigames have been included, both of which utilise the mouse functionality of the Nintendo Switch 2’s Joy-Con 2. These are fun, but seem a little bit like a “just because we can” addition. They, naturally, require the player to have a flat surface available to play, which is not necessarily available and may need extra planning in an otherwise fully handheld game. Additionally, these minigames do not particularly add to the gameplay or story in any meaningful way, but overall are a nice little gimmick.
Generally speaking, replaying Bravely Default’s story in high definition with improved graphics, sound and smoother gameplay really hits the spot. It provides a sense of nostalgia as well as excitement when marvelling at the newly detailed artful backgrounds. This is not a remake, so everything has been upscaled rather than changed. While it would have been nice to see a bit more variety in NPC models or have a few more cutscenes, this remaster manages to keep the original feeling alive and safe, which is a huge plus.
Definitely a game I’m keen to finally try at some stage and the Switch 2 edition sounds great – loving the “old school” style!
Definitely loving the look of this. I’m wondering if a Switch 1 version will eventually come, as well – a bit like this NS2 version being a 3- to 6-month exclusive.