Nintendo finally held a Nintendo Direct after weeks of fans wondering if they were avoiding holding the announcements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While this Nintendo Direct is technically a mini due to being a bit shorter than a normal Direct, there’s still a great amount of information to find.
One of the new announcements in this mini Direct was the announcement of the highly anticipated Bravely Default II, the sequel to 2012’s Bravely Default (2014 for North America, though). The first was a 3ds exclusive and is one of the most highly acclaimed titles on that platform, single-handedly convincing many gamers to purchase the portable console.
This second game looks like it may be similar in all the best ways. Players control a party of four adventurers brought together by fate, fighting against evil as they work together to achieve their goals in their journey through the land of Excillant.
A new #NintendoDirect Mini is here! Watch now to see more than 25 minutes of news on a selection of #NintendoSwitch games coming this year. https://t.co/uF0oWK91Mj pic.twitter.com/b6sph9ueqC
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 26, 2020
Mechanically, the Brave and Default mechanics are returning. Players can spend Brave points to essentially skip their future turns, using the points to make multiple actions in a single turn. Conversely, they can choose Default, allowing them to regain a Brave point and take a defensive stance.
The primary character this time around is a young sailor named Seth, who washes up shipwrecked on the shore. Soon afterward, Seth meets the runaway princess Gloria, forced to flee her kingdom after evil forces brought it to ruin. Soon after, they meet two… curiously named fellow adventurers, Elvis and Adelle.
Elvis is a traveling scholar on a journey to discover new knowledge, accompanied by his sword-for-hire mercenary companion Adelle. Guided by fate, the heroes join forces to set off on their journey and fulfill their purpose.
Fighting against them is a special enemy called Asterisk Holders, which brings one of the classic Square Enix mechanics into play. These Asterisk Holders will, as you might guess, drop their Asterisks upon killing them.
These Asterisks are responsible for giving individuals the power they need to hold a Job or specialty. If you ever played the Final Fantasy Tactics series (or a myriad of other Square titles) you likely recognize the Job mechanic, but if not, it’s essentially your character’s class. By combining Jobs, players can create a powerful skill set that allows them to be more effective than before, as well as affecting the character’s progression as a whole.
There isn’t a set release date on Bravely Default II just yet, but fans can expect to see it before the end of 2020!
