Bravely Default was a great game, but there are few who remember story as one of its stronger points. Instead, it was the classic-yet-robust battle and job systems that won players and critics over, and the game’s success ultimately had an effect on Square Enix’s management, as well as the company’s plans for the future.
According the most recent Famitsu, Bravely Default‘s sequel Bravely Second won’t feature a story written by Naotaka Hayashi, who handled plot and writing for the first game. Instead, there will be a new team of writers taking the reigns, and though their identities have yet to be revealed, fresh blood can only be a good thing if the series hopes to capture gamers’ hearts for the second time in a row. I have no intention of enduring the borderline cringe-worthy plot and voice acting combo of the first game for the entirety of the sequel, so to me this is excellent news.
Related: If Square Enix Made a Bravely Default Inspired Next-Gen RPG, Would We Buy It?
Perhaps the most confusing aspect of this news is the fact that Naotaka Hayashi even wrote Bravely Default in the first place. I don’t mean to offend, but this is the man who wrote Steins;Gate, one of the most beloved and celebrated sci-fi visual novels in recent memory. What the hell was he thinking with Bravely Default? Did Square put heavy-duty reigns on what he could do? Was the gig just a cash-in so he could work on more visual novels? It’s perplexing to say the least.
Regardless, story isn’t the only thing getting shuffled for the new game — Revo, the first game’s composer, will not be returning either. Instead, Ryo (of the band Supercell) will be picking up the reigns, and while I had no issue with the tunes present in Bravely Default, I’m excited to see what Bravely Second brings to the table under new musical direction.
[Via: Siliconera]
