Combat is, on the surface, a standard turn-based system where the player selects actions from a menu for each character and then each character acts in turn according to their speed stat. Bravely Default distinguishes itself via its use of "Brave Points" (BP), with at least one given to each character every turn. To act, the player must spend a BP for that character.
The Western versions of Bravely Default are localized from an updated version of the original release, with several enhancements to the original, such as more save slots, auto-battle, and improved interfaces.