Bravely Default's remaster is secretly the Switch 2's must-play RPG, but it's still flying under the radar

I’m perpetually tired, as I suspect many of us are. A pile of adult commitments and ambitions, and a lust for JRPGs is a tough one to juggle. I’m so grateful that Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster seems to get that time is at a premium for me and other JRPG fans, even if that name is ludicrously long and it’s a remaster of a 13 year old 3DS game.

I’ve been a JRPG fan for as long as I can remember, and the older I get, the more unforgiving the genre becomes. Most JRPGs aren’t appreciative of time constraints. They’ll throw countless borderline pointless side quests at you (hi, Final Fantasy 7 Remake) and some will even keep save points spread out so you’re tied in for a while. With a busy life, it’s tough to squeeze any JRPG in. However, I’m confident that everyone can find time for Bravely Default: Never-Ending Name and it’s the Switch 2’s secret weapon right now.

Time poor, Switch rich

Easily overlooked in favor of prettier fare, Bravely Default: The Name That Never Stops gets that JRPGs can be grindy and helps us time poor folk out. Combat is essential because it’s a JRPG, right? But you can do so on your own terms.

Take last night’s adventure. I was exploring a dungeon. Crucially, I was exploring said dungeon while tired and not really looking for anything more than a bite-sized slice of progression. I wanted to level up a bit but I didn’t want to put much effort in. So, I turned on the Tactics system and ramped up the battle speed. The Tactics system is hidden away but allows you to set up automatic responses for battles so you can simply watch things play out without having to constantly press the same buttons over and over again.

It meant I flew through some simple battles without really needing to pay attention (I was tired, ok?). I explored further and things became trickier so I went back to manual battles and tweaked the speed to 2x which suits my brain better than either 1x or 4x.

Bravely Default: Too Long Not Furious is pretty generous at including travelling salespeople in dungeons - someone you can talk to so you can rest up and save. Even better, they not at all reassuringly declare that things are about to get tougher. So, I saved and did some level grinding.

Again, Bravely Default is smart. It tells you what level range you need to be for a dungeon. I spotted I was underlevelled then adjusted the encounter rate to 200% while near the salesperson. I went back and forth a little, leaving battle speed at 4x and on auto, and watched the experience rack up before heading back to rest as needed. It took me only a couple of minutes to level up sufficiently.

I headed in to battle, progressed the story, then plotted my way out. No way was I keeping the encounter rate at 200%. I turned it down to 50% and rushed out before even coming across a villain. The combat system is so perfectly designed for fast battles and I’d somehow achieved a lot in the space of 45 minutes without at all feeling like I was wasting my precious free time and energy.

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is reminiscent of the Octopath Traveler series in that way. Its ‘trash’ mobs - the enemies you come across in between the story - are forgettable. They’re solely there to help you develop your skills before the boss battles, but that’s where the many tweaks to the combat system really help save you effort and ensure that nothing feels like a slog.

Unlike so many games, Bravely Default: Flying Etc gets that you probably have other things going on in your life. Being able to stop at any moment, such as when the kids need attention or you’re on a lunch break, is further aided by the Switch 2’s sleep mode. Remember all those times as a kid when you’d lose progression because your parents were adamant you needed to get off the PlayStation then and there? That simply isn’t happening here and boy, does it feel empowering.

This is a reminder of how much fun JRPGs can be without having to make huge sacrifices to find the time. Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is the game I keep coming back to because it’s happy to accommodate my needs and your mood. Sure, it’s not the prettiest of games (seriously – you’ll wonder if the £400+ asking price for the console was worth it) given it’s a souped up 3DS game, but that won’t matter in the end. It’s just so nice to feel like you’re getting somewhere without having to devote half a day to it. Just don’t ask me to name the game without having to Google it first. Now that’s a name that isn’t understanding of your limited free time.

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