If fans have been looking forward to a proper sequel to 2014’sBravely Defaulton 3DS, this is it. It has a number and everything which presumes Square Enix forgot about 2016’sBravely Second. This being said,Bravely Default IIdoes not make huge strides for the series, but fans will surely dig this old-school RPG on the Switch.
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It’s almost perfect for the system. On the subject of systems, as in mechanics withinBravely Default II, there is a lot to keep track of when starting out. The first few hours of the game can be tricky, but some handy tips should help lighten the burden.
10To Brave Or To Default?
For those that never played this series before, the name can be jarring just like many ofSquare Enix’s titles. That said, it does pertain to the game’s battle system. To Default is basically to defend on a turn. This banks Brave points, allowing for extra turns.
Defaulting in normal battles is a bit wasteful, but it certainly helps during boss battles whenever the double exclamation marks pop up. Not only will this defend the character, but it will get those sweet extra turns ready for a killer counter-attack.
9Train With Sir Sloan
Players will be aided by Sir Sloan for about the first two hours of the game. He can basically heal players infinitely on his turn as well as kill things in a single hit.
Taking advantage of this for some of the harder areas makes it easier to level up early on. However, don’t attempt any of the challenge monsters on the map as those are too difficult even for the mighty Sir Sloan.
8The Online Component
There is an online component of this game that works sort of like how StreetPass didon the 3DS. The first side quest players will get has them helping an old lady with her boat. This unlocks her agency which allows players to go on expeditions while the game is asleep.
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Doing so will net some pretty great rewards. Therefore, before going to bed, always put the game to sleep no matter what.
7Cutting The Grass Can Be Rewarding
On the world map, players can use the sword to attack enemies. When entering battle, this will grant each character one Brave point. The sword can also cut through grass just like Link can do inThe Legend of Zeldaseries.
While rewards may sometimes seem cheap, like a few bits of coin here and there, there is also a high chance of getting good loot as well. The only downside is that it can be time-consuming without guaranteed rewards.
6Freelancers And JP Up
The Freelancer Job may at first seem like a basic class foran RPG, but once characters reach level nine, there is something sweet waiting for them. This is where characters will learn JP Up, which increases their acquisition of Job Points by 1.2.
The final skill learned at level twelve, JP Up and Up, will increase this by 1.7 when stacked together. That is a lot of time to invest in Freelancers but it will be worth it in the long run. If someone doesn’t want to put that much effort into this class for both skills, at least get one character at a time to level nine so that the whole party isn’t filled with milquetoast Freelancers.
5Examine Every Enemy
There is another skill that makes Freelancers invaluable: Examine. Players can buy Magnifying Glasses at shops inBravely Default II, but it’s a waste of money since this skill is free.
When encountering a new enemy, their stats will be hidden under question marks.Using Examine once will save that data forever, revealing HP, weapon weaknesses, and elemental weakness too. These can always be checked with the X button so always be scanning.
4Create Sages Early On
In theFinal Fantasyseries, as well as other RPGs with Job systems, Sages are usually made as masters of both white and black magic. There is no Job like that in this game, but players can create them as a workaround early on.
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Keep Elvis as a Black Mage and make Gloria a White Mage once that Job is unlocked.Get the former to master Fira, Blizzara, and Thundara, while the latter focuses on Cura. After that happens, have them switch positions and sub-in their main classes and then swap back once this is achieved again. It’ll create a powerful dynamic.
3How To Kill Wiki-Wikis
Most RPG games like to include seemingly impossible to beat monsters. TheDragon Questseriesis probably the most infamous as they include many versions of Metal Slimes.
Bravely Default IIhas Wiki-Wikis. They run away fast so the best way to kill them for their rewards is to Brave up, even into the negative zone, and spam them with magic which will always hit. Hopefully, that will be enough, but they are tricky for sure.
2Check Accessories
Sometimes accessories can be forgotten when setting up characters in RPGs. At first, it may seem like the accessories in this game are pretty standard, but they reveal more secrets than merely what the stat screen shows in shops.
Clicking in the left stick on the Switch will reveal all properties. Sometimes they can be hiding other stat boosts like HP and MP increases, which are invaluable to Black and White Mages.
1Baiting And Consecutive Battles
Early on inBravely Default II, it will introduce the concept of consecutive battles. If two monsters are in close proximity to each other on the map, one will follow the other consecutively in battle. This will net better rewards multiplied. However, it can be tricky to wrangle monsters up, so the better idea is to use bait near a monster of that type.
For example, there are lots of Minotaurs in the basement of Bernard’s. Use Beast Flesh around them and train in this area until about level twenty because the next two bosses are incredibly hard on any difficulty setting.
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