I've been obsessively playing this game since I got it & to be honest the demo did NOT do it any justice: AT ALL. Though the game reminds me of Final Fantasy 9; a lot of the reason it does is because a lot of the area's that I've had to traverse in the game remind me a lot of Final Fantasy 9 is all. Same with some of the characters as well. Agnes reminds me a lot of Princess Garnet & Tiz reminds me a lot of Zidane Tribal just with less emo. xp Edea & Ringabell at least are characters that I've yet to see in any of the other Final Fantasy titles so at least both of these characters are new to me.
The bad guys from what I've seen are all just hilariously over the top animated character like villains. Only evil due to their own cartoonish evil & or their own outrageous belief's. A few of them seem to want to kill all of humanity because they see humanity as pigs & that they all need to die. Of which I'm reminded of another villain from Suikoden 2; Luca Blight who also believed the same way. So this is nothing new that I haven't seen from a villain prior.
I also knew that there would be a few surprises along the way. A character I knew would be shown to working for the other side; aka the side of the Eternian's & of course I come to find out I was right.. But only by slightly due to a plot twist to which I'm still: huh with atmo.
I also knew that there would be a surprise ending as I've come across surprise endings prior with SquareEnix before; so it was pretty easy to figure out that it was coming. xp
What I can't believe that SquareEnix is getting away with is being able to use the name of a kingdom in the game called 'Eternia'; since Eternia was originally a world created by Filmation which was home to He-Man & the Masters of the universe characters. So I'm a bit surprised that SquareEnix hasn't been hit with a lawsuit by the new company that owns the He-Man series now.. But what ever; since I guess the He-Man series probably isn't that well known any fans it had would've rose up against SquareEnix & made them to change the name of that Kingdom in game... I know I would've but I'm just that way.
Any who; so far the game is really well put together. It's sort of surprising to see how well together it is; though it seems to not know what kind of game it wants to be really. Is it more like Chrono Trigger due to the fact it has a new game + feature & multiple endings? Does it want to be the next Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles since you do have to go around to the crystals & 'awaken them'? Or does it want to be the next new Final Fantasy since it essentially plays the way the old Final Fantasy titles played back when they were: you know DECENT & not action based or loosely based around the
stool that is Final Fantasy XIII & Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns.
If anything I'd recommend this game to any one who wants the old school feel of what the Final Fantasy games felts like with out having to put out all the cash in order to get a hold of any of the games in the later series that was actually: decent & not
stool filled. ;D
Now for an ending letter to SE:
Dear Bravely Default;
Um, look I still have no idea what game you want to be but I do not appreciate the confusing/sad ending that you gave me. First of all you show me that Tiz was given help by taking on the soul of a Celestial being. Um excuse me but that was already done with Baiten Kaitos: Eternal Wings & the Lost Ocean. That whole bit belonged to Kalas: NOT TO TIZ! Another thing I don't appreciate is your turning Tiz into what I would see as the next Cloud Strife. I mean seeing him on the inside of a hyperbolic dunk tank chamber; like what you see happen with Cloud Strife during one of the flashbacks during Final Fantasy VII? Except; it's a showing for the next installment of the game? Look I don't appreciate Tiz being made to remind me of Cloud Strife ya know. I also don't appreciate so many different plot threads being tossed at me with out any explanation! UGH!!!! COME ON!!!
First you don't even know what kind of game you want to be; but to try & turn the plot around with one character & toss two other threads in on top of everything else? It's just not right.
Yes, this is a great game. I even plan to play the next one. But I doubt that any of Bravely Second will address any of the rising plots that arose in the first title's showing of the second. The end doesn't always justify the means. At least it usually doesn't but it'll have to do: for now until Bravely Second releases.
But next time I'm dragged into this world.. Try not to confuse your 'new' story with other stuff that's been done before ok? That'd be awesome.
Sincerely yours; queenzelda.