Bravely Default II Announced at The Game Awards

At The Game Awards 2019, Square Enix fans got a surprise treat with the announcement of Bravely Default II, a sequel to the beloved 3DS game. Developer Team Asano is back for the game after handling development on Octopath Traveler. Despite the upgrade to Switch, the game's character models look like they'll boast a graphic approach similar to the original game, but it looks like the game's backgrounds will receive a bit of an upgrade. Fans of Octopath Traveler know how unique the backgrounds on that particular game looked, and it looks like Bravely Default II will follow in that game's footsteps.

Released in 2012, Bravely Default quickly became a fan favorite for JRPG enthusiasts. Originally planned as a sequel to Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, Bravely Default became its own separate franchise. The original game took place in the world of Luxendarc and featured a turn-based combat system. The game actually received two spin-offs, Bravely Default: Praying Brage and Bravely Archive: D's Report. The two games were released for browser and mobile, respectively. A direct sequel to the game, Bravely Second: End Layer, was released in 2015, making the Bravely Default II name a bit confusing, since it's technically the fifth game in the franchise! The previous four games all took place in the same world, though at this time, it's not known whether or not Bravely Default II will, as well. At the very least, the trailer seems to imply that the games will share some thematic elements with the rest of the franchise.

Bravely Default released to fairly strong reception, with the soundtrack being one particular area that saw significant praise from reviewers. Due to conflicting schedules, composer Revo was absent for Bravely Second, but will return for Bravely Default II.

While the Bravely Default games have never reached the same status as Square Enix franchises like Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior, the two 3DS games were solid sellers with a passionate fanbase. It will be interesting to see if that audience will expand on Nintendo Switch when Bravely Default II arrives on the system.

Bravely Default II is a Nintendo Switch exclusive and has a tentative 2020 release date. Are you a fan of the original game? What do you want to see return from the original? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!