Bravely Default has been heralded as one of the best RPGs available on the 3DS, and one reviewer has even called it a better Final Fantasy than Final Fantasy. It’s won Gamespot’s 3DS Game of the Year for 2014, and yet, a quick Google search for Bravely Default will reveal that this game is not as universally loved as its high praise and (3DS) Game of the Year award might suggest (see: keenandgraev, Kotaku, Reddit).
The problem arises about halfway through the game, where Kotaku reviewer Jason Schreier explains:
“when you get to Chapter 5, everything goes to hell.
‘Tedious’ is too kind a word for what happens to your party over the next few chapters. In order to get the game's true ending, you'll have to repeat a series of four dungeons—and four boss battles--five times each”.
The most prevalent complaint about Bravely Default is that its latter half is far too repetitive, and having put dozens of hours into achieving the true ending, I can certainly attest to this claim. The second half of the game not only feels repetitive, but downright exhausting if you decide to play every side-quest. The question this raises for so many gamers is: why?
Why would Square Enix ask gamers to (essentially) replay the first four chapters over and over and over (and over) again? Isn't the point of a video game to be fun? While video games are designed to be entertaining, this isn't always the case for an RPG. Role-playing games should be understood as playable stories, and shouldn't be confused with entertainment games. An RPG can be fun, but it doesn't have to be.
Games from the Mario, Sonic or Crash Bandicoot series are designed for entertainment. They don’t often focus on story, and are easy for players to pick-up-and-play. You don’t have to focus on the plot, memorize details about characters, or think critically about how your actions will affect what happens next. Instead, you play for the challenges or the quick-paced action.
An RPG, on the other hand, is (generally) story-focused, and while there may be challenges and lots of action, they will also feature hours of dialogue to read and hordes of random battles to fight. Random battles occur so frequently in most traditional RPGs that they begin to feel like a chore, and stopping constantly to read dialogue will often take you out of the flow of gameplay.
In any other game, this would be a major problem, but we accept this as the norm in RPGs. This is because Role-Playing Games are not games with stories, but stories with gameplay. Games in this genre are called Role-Playing Games because you’re not just facing challenges, you’re playing a role within a story. Since the narrative is the main focus of these games, an RPG can (and often will) sacrifice entertainment for the sake of the story. This is why it’s okay to halt the gameplay for hours worth of dialogue and cutscenes - it might not be fun, but it helps to tell the story.
An RPG, on the other hand, is (generally) story-focused, and while there may be challenges and lots of action, they will also feature hours of dialogue to read and hordes of random battles to fight. Random battles occur so frequently in most traditional RPGs that they begin to feel like a chore, and stopping constantly to read dialogue will often take you out of the flow of gameplay.
In any other game, this would be a major problem, but we accept this as the norm in RPGs. This is because Role-Playing Games are not games with stories, but stories with gameplay. Games in this genre are called Role-Playing Games because you’re not just facing challenges, you’re playing a role within a story. Since the narrative is the main focus of these games, an RPG can (and often will) sacrifice entertainment for the sake of the story. This is why it’s okay to halt the gameplay for hours worth of dialogue and cutscenes - it might not be fun, but it helps to tell the story.
While repetitiveness can sometimes be attributed to lazy script-writing, Bravely Default’s last few chapters are repetitive for a reason.
As an example, indie developer Jonathan Blow once gave a lecture on the creation of Braid, in which he showcased one of its more difficult puzzles. He explained that this puzzle was “another one of those things I designed knowing it wasn't that fun . . it made for a worse play experience for players, but I only really debated with myself for about 10 minutes, because it made the game deeper” (1:09:41-1:12:31). Although Braid isn't an RPG, it is a prime example of how a game can sacrifice entertainment for the sake of the story (or in Braid’s case, the symbolism).
However, does this explain Bravely Default’s repetitiveness in Chapters 5-8?
Not exactly. Just because an RPG can sacrifice gameplay for story, doesn't mean that it should. Unless there’s a good reason for it, no gamer should be forced to repeat the same sequences over and over. While repetitiveness can sometimes be attributed to lazy script-writing, Bravely Default’s last few chapters are repetitive for a reason.
However, does this explain Bravely Default’s repetitiveness in Chapters 5-8?
Not exactly. Just because an RPG can sacrifice gameplay for story, doesn't mean that it should. Unless there’s a good reason for it, no gamer should be forced to repeat the same sequences over and over. While repetitiveness can sometimes be attributed to lazy script-writing, Bravely Default’s last few chapters are repetitive for a reason.
To give a brief summary of the game’s plot (SPOILERS):
At the beginning of the game, the world becomes mysteriously plagued by still air, toxic seas, overflowing lava and a giant chasm that swallows an entire village. Your mission in Bravely Default is to awaken the four elemental crystals, as they have the power to restore the world to its original state (i.e. the water crystal restores the sea, the wind crystal helps the air to re-circulate, and the fire crystal halts the flow of lava). Upon awakening all four crystals, however, it appears that your party has traveled back in time instead, as the world has reverted to its plagued state.
Eventually, you realize that your party has actually traveled to a parallel world, where the crystals have yet to be awakened. Once you awaken the crystals in this second world, your party is brought to a third parallel world, and the process starts all over again. You eventually discover that awakening these crystals has allowed you to travel to other worlds because their power links them together – and this has been the plot of a demon named Ouroboros all along. By tricking you into linking these worlds together, Ouroboros claims that he can devour them and enter the “celestial realm”.
(END OF SPOILERS)
While having to repeatedly reawaken the crystals may feel tedious, chapters 5-8 serve an important purpose in the plot.
So what does Bravely Default teach us about RPGs?
First, that Role-Playing Games should be recognized as playable stories, and not held up to the same standards as a game designed for entertainment. Bravely Default’s second half might have been repetitive, but that doesn't make it a bad game.
An RPG will not always be fun – and that’s okay.
Second, that repetitiveness is not always a bad thing. If it helps to tell a better story, repetition is a welcome feature. Chapters 5-8 might not make Bravely Default a good game, but they do make it a great story.
And in the end, I think that’s what matters most.
At the beginning of the game, the world becomes mysteriously plagued by still air, toxic seas, overflowing lava and a giant chasm that swallows an entire village. Your mission in Bravely Default is to awaken the four elemental crystals, as they have the power to restore the world to its original state (i.e. the water crystal restores the sea, the wind crystal helps the air to re-circulate, and the fire crystal halts the flow of lava). Upon awakening all four crystals, however, it appears that your party has traveled back in time instead, as the world has reverted to its plagued state.
Eventually, you realize that your party has actually traveled to a parallel world, where the crystals have yet to be awakened. Once you awaken the crystals in this second world, your party is brought to a third parallel world, and the process starts all over again. You eventually discover that awakening these crystals has allowed you to travel to other worlds because their power links them together – and this has been the plot of a demon named Ouroboros all along. By tricking you into linking these worlds together, Ouroboros claims that he can devour them and enter the “celestial realm”.
(END OF SPOILERS)
While having to repeatedly reawaken the crystals may feel tedious, chapters 5-8 serve an important purpose in the plot.
So what does Bravely Default teach us about RPGs?
First, that Role-Playing Games should be recognized as playable stories, and not held up to the same standards as a game designed for entertainment. Bravely Default’s second half might have been repetitive, but that doesn't make it a bad game.
An RPG will not always be fun – and that’s okay.
Second, that repetitiveness is not always a bad thing. If it helps to tell a better story, repetition is a welcome feature. Chapters 5-8 might not make Bravely Default a good game, but they do make it a great story.
And in the end, I think that’s what matters most.
by Chris Milando
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