Background of Bravely Second – End Layer: Deluxe Collector’s edition
Bravely Second is a game that feeds my bad conscience. Just looking at the box on my shelf annoys me and makes me consider if I should have even bought it. That is until I consider what the box holds inside.
All this is because I have not played Bravely Second. And I have not even played the predecessor Bravely Default. Don’t get me wrong – I really want to play the games. JRPGs are one of my many guilty pleasures! But it’s hard for me to find 50+ hours to spend on any game. In the last 5 or so years, I see myself playing more cinematic and indie games mainly because of the shorter length of these games.
I bought the Bravely Second – End Layer: Deluxe Collector’s edition while I was working at Gamestop and fell in love with the stylish box art and the promise of a great adventure. An adventure I have yet to try.
A point of interest on the Bravely Second western launch is the controversial censorship of both the game and the content of the collector’s edition by Square Enix and Nintendo. Ingame skins, sidequests, and the artbook have all been changed before releasing the game outside of Japan.
Bravely Second was released on February 26th, 2016 by Square Enix for the 3DS and was developed by Silicon Studio.
Specs
Dimensions
Width 38 cm, Height 30 cm, Depth 8 cm
Weight:
1925 g
Price*
DKK: 899,-| EUR: 120,- | USD: 142 | GBP: 107
*Please note that I worked with Danish prices at the time and all the prices are based on this. Denmark is VERY expensive with their video games, so keep that in mind.
The box
Bravely Second – End Layer: Deluxe Collector’s Edition comes in a stylish black box with glossy silver graphics. The box has a slick, simple look without too many legal writings except for the age ratings. Luckily they have been added as a sticker and can be removed if need be.
The same can be said about the back of the box. Here you find all the regular information about the game, the content and all the legal stuff. Luckily it’s added on as a sticker that can be removed to make the box more display friendly.
Inside the top of the box, you find a beautiful grayscale piece of art of what I suppose is the main character of the game.
Build quality
The box is made out of relatively thick cardboard and has an internal box holding everything in place and providing filling to keep the box secure. On the outside, the box has been giving a rubbery surface making it look matte and feeling exclusive.
I like the feel of the box even though it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Never the less it was part of why I bought the thing in the first place.
7/10
Box art
It can be a bit tricky to score the box art of bravely Second – End Layer: Deluxe Collector’s Edition because it is as simple as it is. If you remove the stickers mentioned above, you will end up with a completely matte black box only with the name of the game and edition in silver to break the darkness.
I, personally, like the simple look but having seen the artbook I know they have had so many more options for the design and I think it’s a bit of a letdown that there is no epic illustration to make the design shine.
6/10
Display quality
The box is just thick enough to make it able to stand on its own. The simple design looks great on a shelf but a little anonymous as well. This collector’s edition will not make your visitors turn around for a second look.
Plus point for the slick look – points subtracted for being a bit boring.
6/10
The Content
Agnes Special Mini Figure
Again, I have not played the game or its predecessor so I can’t really talk about the character. The figure, however, is pretty great. As I have noticed the game has both a more naturalistic side along with a more chibi-like look in certain parts of the game. It reminds me of Nendoroids from Good Smile Company, but Agnes’ head isn’t quite that big.
As you can see in the pictures, she arrives in a small but stylish box with a window for looking in and out. The box is 7x12x4,5 cm, and the figure is about 9,5cm tall.
Quality 8/10 For its size this is a pretty great figure. The paint job is pretty good, and there is a fair amount of detail added to her petite body. Her hair is moving in the wind, and she is showing off a confident little smile. Agnes is made out of hard plastic and has no articulation making it more of a small statue than an action figure. The score is based on her display and build quality combined.
Relevance 7/10 I don’t know her role in the game, and I’m a bit confused as Agnes has black hair and the woman on the artbook has white hair. But I have to believe she plays a vital role in Bravely Second and as I recall probably also Bravely Default. The score will be based on this hunch that it might be a bit of fan service adding her as a figurine in the collector’s edition.
Bravely Second – End Layer Art Book
Not admitting that the artbook was one of the main reasons for me buying this collector’s edition would be a blatant lie. This is a really great artbook showing off all states of the design and art direction. It even moves from glossy paper to a textured variation. I love how many of the drawings have been added notes from the artist making it more personal and giving value to those who want a bit more information about the thought process behind the design.
Quality 8/10 The book is softcover. That might be the only con for this really great book. If more companies just put as much work in showing off their artists’ design…
Relevance 10/10 It’s always relevant to show off game art, as long as someone has been putting 100s of hours into the work. And this game has apparently been a massive amount of work for the artists. It pays off in a great artbook and that makes this really, really relevant!
Bravely Second Soundtrack
I have some mixed feelings about game soundtracks. While I like the gestures and many games have some real awe-inspiring musical scores it’s scarce that I listen to their music outside of playing the game. A few exceptions are Metal Gear Solid, The Last Guardian, and Dark Chronicle.
While this is called a mini album with a tracklist of 10, I like that it’s presented in an oldfashioned CD-case. That’s retro and right up the alley of my generation.
Quality 7/10 There is some outstanding music here and fans of the game who has invested the ~100 hours it takes will no doubt enjoy having the soundtrack the remember the moments of the game.
Relevance 7/10 Square Enix role-playing games often have some great music to accompany the game, and this is no exception. While it may not hold up to legendary Final Fantasy status, it does hold good stuff and thus making it relevant for a collector’s edition.
Game case
The game case is just a regular 3DS cover. Those who buy only the regular edition of the game will receive the same game case. It even has the barcode printed on the back. Nothing special here even though the game – always – will be the centerpiece of a collector’s edition.
Verdict: Bravely Second – End Layer: Deluxe Collector’s edition
This collector’s edition is a sweet collection of merchandise for the fans of the game. I am not a fan yet, but I think I could quickly become that when I get the time to play both games. The price is affordable, and you get a nice artbook to browse, music to listen to and a great figurine to show off next to the box.
I love when the Japanese companies bring their collector’s editions to the west as it gives us something else than the predictable Ubisoft, Activision and EA editions. This one is worth the purchase if you like Square Enix stuff and have a 3DS.
8
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