Square Enix has been amazing about getting Bravely Default: Flying Fairy into the hands of players over the past few months. The five playable demos on the Nintendo 3DS eShop have provided a great avenue for players to test out many aspects of the game, including the AR features, battle gameplay, inventory management, and character jobs. With the fifth demo, Square Enix throws all that and more into the mix to give players a great impression of the final product, which hits store shelves in Japan later this month.

In my previous set of impressions, I talked extensively about the battle system, including details about the “brave” and “default” system used when fighting. Unlike the previous demos, however, the latest demo gives you a more comprehensive experience, giving you access to a town area, world map, and the ability to save your game. Perhaps the coolest inclusion in the demo is StreetPass functionality. In the second demo, players were introduced to Tiz, a boy from the village of Norwend. In the opening cut scene sequence of the demo, the village gets destroyed, which essentially gives Tiz the motivation to embark on a quest. Though Tiz is away from the village, the game gives you the option of trying to rebuild Norwend through StreetPass functionality.

Norwend as seen on the touch screen

The demo allows you to StreetPass up to 20 people, who you can use to rebuild various aspects of the city. In this mode, which you can access from the touch screen when in the town of the latest demo, players try to build up the economy of the town by using the StreetPassed people to make weapons, clear out dilapidated areas of town, or open up shops. The more people you StreetPass, the faster the village is going to be rebuilt. As I mentioned, all of this is performed on the touch screen. For example, there was an area that needed to have some rocks cleared out of the way, indicated by an icon on the map. After touching the icon, you are shown how much time (in real time) it will take your StreetPassed characters to accomplish their goal. You aren’t able to do everything from the start however, as some of the rebuilding requires certain items to complete. It’s a great use of StreetPass and gives an already beefy game even more content. On top of that, you are able to bring the 20 StreetPassed friends into the full retail version of the game.

As I mentioned above, this demo is the comprehensive demo version of Bravely Default. Players are able to battle enemies, choose jobs and abilities, purchase and sell weapons, fool around with equipment, and much more. I can’t stress enough how beautiful the game looks. The town showcased in the demo is constructed around enormous windmills with a giant clock in the middle of the town. Upon first entering the village, the camera is panned out, making the environment look like a painting. As soon as you move your character, the camera zooms in to give you a closer look at your character as well as other villagers and shops in the area. It’s a really unique touch and I can honestly say it’s something I haven’t seen implemented in any other RPG.

Get dat work done, son!

At its core, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy is a traditional RPG with new elements implemented into the battle system and gorgeous visuals and art direction. The StreetPass functionality, which is a fun distraction, gives players a reason to constantly check on the game as well. Bravely Default features multiple endings, over 20 jobs, and 300 abilities. While the game is set to launch in Japan on October 11, there is still no release date for the West. At this point, if you don’t own a Japanese 3DS, all you can do is cross your fingers and implore Square Enix to localize the game for the West.