Bravely Second: End Layer

Bravely Default was a real surprise hit for me on the Nintendo 3DS so I was very excited when Bravely Second: End Layer was released in 2016. This is once again a classic JRPG and it is such a gem and a game that I feel everyone who has a Nintendo 3DS needs to have in their collection.

Yew, Hero, Or Coward?

I will admit that when I started playing Bravely Second: End Layer I thought that the story was not all that interesting. The game showcases the effects that the events of the first game had on the land of Luxendarc and we get to see many familiar characters, but the start of the game is very, very slow.

However, our main character Yew is rather interesting in that while he is the captain of a brigade of Knights, he is also a bit of a coward too. The story has many twists and turns with a ton of characters to interact with. I will say that the story does ramp up after the 3- or 4-hour mark and you will get into it then. The problem I see is people turning it off before then!

Give Me A Job!

What I love about Bravely Second: End Layer and the Bravely series in genial is the gameplay. This is one of the finest JRPG series that Square-Enix has ever created. This in many ways is your typical JRPG, but what I feel really makes this so interesting is the phenomenal job system that the game has. You are not limited here and you can mess around and combine aspects from various jobs to make something that is just super powerful and a ton of fun to use.

You have lots of battles to take part in and the battles are strategic, but they are also fun and require you to think on your feet. I will say that the side content they put in this game is not as interesting as the side content that was in Bravely Default, but the real main portion of this game is great stuff indeed. Fans of JRPGs will have a field day playing through this game.

The Finer Points Of A JRPG

You may be wondering just how good can a massive JRPG for the Nintendo 3DS look. Well, let me tell you that Bravely Second: End Layer is a fantastic looking game! the game has that typical JRPG style to the visuals, but everything is so finely detailed. The characters look great, but it is the different environments that really blew me away. There is one section you will go to that is covered in snow and it is amazing what they were able to squeeze out of the 3DS.

As you would expect from Square-Enix, the soundtrack in the game is great and fits the moments you are watching and playing perfectly. One thing that I feel the game does not get enough credit for is the voice acting.

Sure, it may be cheesy in places, but it is perfectly fitting and the way you can hear how unsure of himself Yew is when he talks in certain situations is very well done.

Pros:

• It follows on from Bravely Default very well
• The whole game has sky-high production values
• It features a tremendous cast of characters
• While slow, the story gets you very invested in what is going on
• Some of the best voice acting on the 3DS

Cons:

• The side content is not quite as good
• I wish that they would release this on the Nintendo Switch