Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster Brings Strategy to Switch

Alright, so here’s a quirky take on the article. Let’s dive in.

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Okay, confession time. Never touched the original Bravely Default on the good old 3DS. A travesty, right? Friends raved about it being next-level RPG, right up there with Final Fantasy. Still, here we are, Square Enix throwing a surprise demo of Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster right at PAX East 2025. I wasn’t even ready, but hey, at least my ignorance has its perks, yeah? Got this fresh-out-the-box perspective going on.

So the HD Remaster. First thing you notice? The dual screens are gone. It’s like losing a second pair of eyes—sort of. To make up for it, they’ve slapped on some serious high-def graphics. New UI too, by the way. I mean, I asked the Square Enix rep if they’d do the same makeover magic on the sequel, Bravely Second: End Layer. She kind of nodded, but her lips were sealed on any actual plans. If it does happen, I’m taking all the credit. Yep. Gonna say my half-baked suggestion sparked the idea.

Timed demos are nightmare fuel. Can’t really soak up an RPG like that, so yep, skipped tons of dialogues and cutscenes. Guilty as charged. But I did dive into the combat—it’s wild. They’ve got this Brave and Default system. Brave lets you attack like a madman, four hits at a time, but oh boy, you’re wide open for counterattacks. Default? More of a defense play. You hunker down and save up turns for later—like building a rainy day fund of attacks. Me being me, I went full Brave. Strategy? What strategy? I was on a reckless tear through enemies, fingers crossed they wouldn’t smack me down for being so careless.

Didn’t mess much with the job system this time, but I’ll say it blew my socks off. Still kicking myself for missing it on 3DS. But hey, this remaster? Perfect for slackers like me who missed the first ride. Set a reminder for June 5th. It lands the same day the Nintendo Switch 2 drops. Don’t sleep on it.

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And that’s all she wrote.