When it was originally announced for the 3DS in Japan, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy was a game that drew a lot of attention from the more hardcore, and not only for its bizarre name. A new role-playing game from legendary developers Square Enix, in the vein of some of the earlier (read: good) Final Fantasy games, Bravely Default was Square Enix's way of returning to their roots, and creating a game that ticked all the classic Japanese role playing boxes. Having gone on to sell over 300,000 copies in Japan, Square Enix certainly seem to have hit on a winning formula - so much so that Nintendo are now due to help publish the game in the UK and Europe.
Announced in yesterday's Nintendo Direct, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy will be hitting shelves in the UK and Europe before the end of the year. Apparently drawing influences from DS role-player Final Fantasy: 4 Heroes of Light, Bravely Default is set in a similarly gorgeous, hand-drawn, medieval inspired world where Princes and Princesses rule, Zeppelins sail through the skies, and dragons lurk beneath the ground. Although details of the plot aren't entirely clear (after all, the game's only been released in Japan), it appears to rotate around a giant crystal, that's somehow grown corrupted with a darkness - and it's up to you to put it right.
It's safe to say Bravely Default is a very nice looking game, with more than a hint of Professor Layton to it.
As you may expect for a traditional Japanese role playing games, the battles play a large part in Bravely Default , and they seem to have been handled rather well. Turn-based, so you can take your time making decisions, each of your characters has a "job", which grants them special abilities and powers, working kind of like a class, although you can change it at certain points. The game also includes a Final Fantasy staple in the form of summons, a collection of incredibly powerful creatures who can be called upon to help turn the tide of a battle.
Looking set to provide a welcome return to the glory days of Square Enix, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy is another 3DS game you should be keeping a very close eye on. Hopefully more details will become available over the coming weeks - in the mean time, why not check out the trailer below, and admire the fancy cutscenes, gorgeous towns, and interesting looking battles:
