Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster Brings Strategy to the Switch

So, here’s a confession. I, um, never played Bravely Default back when everyone else was losing their minds over it on the 3DS. Weird, right? Friends kept telling me it was up there with Final Fantasy. Anyway — fast forward to PAX East 2025, and bam! Square Enix hits us with a demo of Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster. And here I am, wandering around like a tourist who finally got an invite to this wild RPG party.

First thing that hit me about the HD Remaster? No dual screens. Felt like someone took away my training wheels. Instead, they pumped the graphics into this glorious HD spectacle. New UI too. Chatted with a Square Enix rep — lovely person, by the way — and I threw out the idea of them redoing Bravely Second with this dazzling new look. She gave me a mysterious smile but didn’t spill any beans. If it happens, hey, maybe I get some credit?

About the demo — it was timed, so I skipped a bunch of dialogue. Probably sacrilegious in RPG land, but hey, had to see that combat, right? It’s got this Brave and Default thing going on. Brave’s like a caffeine rush, letting you attack multiple times but then leaving you as vulnerable as, I don’t know, a turtle on its back? Default, though, is your safety net — defend and save turns. So you can unleash later without worrying about getting squashed. Me being reckless, I kept powering through with Brave. Maybe not the wisest choice!

I wanted to mess around with the job system, but, you know, time flies. Still, the game left me wanting more. Probably a rookie move not playing it on 3DS, but this version feels like a redemption arc for folks like me. Mark June 5 on your calendars — same day Nintendo Switch 2 drops. Honestly, can’t think of a better way to dive into summer gaming.