Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster review – a fun but finite fantasy

While I’ve been a big fan of old-school RPGs ever since I was a child, I somehow never got around to playing Bravely Default. However, it’s long been on my radar, so I was excited to hear that the Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster was a Nintendo Switch 2 launch title, and I happily took up the opportunity to review it.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, Bravely Default is a turn-based RPG developed by Silicon Studios and published by Square Enix. It was initially released on the Nintendo 3DS in Japan only back in 2012, followed closely by an expanded version dubbed Bravely Default: For the Sequel in 2013. This expanded version then arrived in Europe, Australia, and North America in 2014, published by Nintendo under the game’s original name.

Bravely Default follows the four Warriors of Light as they embark on a journey across a war-torn land to restore elemental crystals. Arriving in an era where the main Final Fantasy games had taken a firm step into the world of more realistic, 3D RPGs with action-inspired combat (for context, Final Fantasy XIII-2 had come out in 2011, with Lightning Returns following in 2013), Bravely Default was – and still is – a welcome reminder of the old days of turn-based battles and intriguing fantasy worlds, leading many to name it as one of the best JRPGs of all time.

Beyond its charming story and adorable character designs, Bravely Default’s most celebrated features include its advanced job system that offers heaps of customization, along with its unique take on the turn-based battle system. In short, while you can fight as you normally would in a turn-based RPG, you also have the option to ‘default’ (guard) to stack action points, or to ‘brave’, which allows you to use action points to act multiple times in one turn. This system creates a risk-reward balance where you must strategize and manage your action points well in order to claim victory.

All of this is, of course, present in the Flying Fairy HD Remaster that arrived earlier this month, along with upscaled graphics and audio, and most of the quality of life updates and extra features added in the 2013 For the Sequel rerelease. The biggest change here is the transition from the 3DS’ dual-screen setup to the singular screen of the Nintendo Switch 2, which, from what I can see of old footage, this version handles pretty well. The menus take a little getting used to at first, especially as there are quite a few of them, but they’re visually strong and cover everything you need within a few button presses.

Beyond that, one of the most controversial changes is the removal of the 0% encounters option. The original game features a slider where you can change the frequency of enemy encounters, with options from 200% all the way down to 0%. In the Flying Fairy Remaster, the 0% option is no longer available, with the slider instead ranging from 50% to 200%.

While the option to turn off encounters is somewhat controversial, I know a lot of fans of the original feel frustrated by this change, and I can see why. Whether you’re checking for secrets in a dungeon you’ve already cleared, you’re over-leveled for a specific area and don’t want to waste your time on trash mobs, or you simply want to run back to a town because you forgot to pick up an item, it can be pretty frustrating getting stuck in a fight every few steps, and they still feel pretty frequent at 50%. Plus, the option to control the amount of battles is quite revolutionary for the genre, and this was especially true when the game initially released, so it seems an odd choice to cut back on such a defining feature.

Luckily, while the slider no longer allows you to freely toggle encounters to 0%, you can do so with a new item. You can purchase this item in exchange for petal tokens that you win from one of the other new features – the minigames.

Flying Fairy HD Remaster introduces two new minigames called Ringabel’s Panic Cruise and Luxencheer Rhythm Catch. In Ringabel’s Panic Cruise, you must pilot an airship through rings to score points across four levels (including a tutorial level). Luxencheer Rhythm Catch is, as you can probably guess, a rhythm game, where your task is to move two lux sticks to catch notes in time with five different songs. You unlock the levels by progressing through the story, and can earn petal tokens to buy items (including the one that toggles encounters to 0%) by achieving set scores.

While they’re a cute addition and fun in their own right, the biggest issue here is that both of these minigames entirely revolve around the Nintendo Switch 2 mouse controls. This means you need a flat counter – preferably a desk with a mouse mat – in order to play them comfortably. They really feel like tech demos more than anything and, personally, I can’t stand the feeling of using mouse controls on both of the Joy-Con 2s, so I found myself avoiding these minigames as much as I could.

Now, Bravely Default is still a beautiful game, as it was when it released over ten years ago. The hand-drawn backgrounds are stunning, and I’m a big fan of the 2D character sprites. However, the cutscenes and 3D models lose a bit of their original charm here. While the unique art style does a great job of looking appealing despite the limitations of the 3DS, the flaws are really brought into the spotlight on Nintendo’s new hardware, and the upscaling hasn’t treated the visuals with the TLC they deserve. This is especially true in the monster and enemy designs, which can look pretty rough at times.

I know it’s a remaster rather than a remake, but I’m sure it would look significantly better if the models had their own dedicated glow-up. As it stands, they look fine, but it’s not quite what I expected from a $39.99 / £33.99 pricetag, and is especially disappointing as this is one of the very limited Nintendo Switch 2 launch titles.

In terms of performance, one of the biggest upgrades that Flying Fairy HD Remaster holds over the original 3DS version is the significantly faster load times. The Nintendo Switch ensures you get from area to area within seconds, the camera panning out is smooth as butter, and it takes mere moments to save and load your games. Everything else is incredibly smooth, too, so I have no complaints there.

Overall, Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster is a welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch 2’s library, bringing the beloved RPG to a modern-gen console for the first time since its release. If you’re a fan of old-school, turn-based RPGs like the first few Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest games, there’s definitely something here for you. However, the game unfortunately does show its age, and there are very few additions and upgrades here to counter that despite its ‘remastered’ status.

If you’re looking for some other new Switch games to play on the new console, be sure to check out our Mario Kart World review and Sonic and Shadow X Generations Switch 2 review. We’ve also got some handy guides to all the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories and the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers if you want to kit out your deck.