Bravely Default, a classic role-playing game, follows the journey of four heroes in the world of Luxendarc as they seek to awaken four elemental crystals: wind, water, fire, and earth. The party consists of Tiz Arrior, Agnès Oblige, Ringabel, and Edea Lee, each with their own unique story and motivations.
Gameplay is reminiscent of traditional Japanese RPGs, featuring mechanics such as experience points accumulation, item usage, and turn-based combat. Bravely Default draws inspiration from the Final Fantasy series, with similar job classes and spell names. The game utilizes a job system, where characters earn "Job Points" in battle to level up and unlock new skills.
The gameplay revolves around strategic use of "Brave Points" (BP), which allow players to spend points for actions or bank them for future turns. Choosing the "Default" option lets characters save points, while opting for "Brave" enables multiple actions per turn. Players can also activate "Bravely Second," a powerful ability that stops time and allows for four character actions.
Bravely Default makes extensive use of StreetPass functionality on the Nintendo 3DS. Passing players can be summoned to aid in battle, and completing mini-games to rebuild Tiz's village also provides rewards.
The Western version of Bravely Default features several enhancements over the original release, including improved interfaces and a story event viewer.