Bravely Second: The Ballad of the Three Cavaliers

I assume it's a three musketeers homage?

I played Bravely Default when it was released and enjoyed it greatly, until the end game that is when it faltered with some repetitive nature and forced skill combinations you were forced to learn in order to win certain parts of the game. And it had a demo version which was some non-canon adventure in the desert region of the game so they repeat it here with another demo for the full version. I started it back in 2015... and finished it this year... more than 365 days after I started. Reason being I played it for 15 minutes before watching a play and didn't continue until much later where it took me 13 hours to get to level 20 and achieve most points of the demo.

It starts with the three cavaliers arriving in Al-Khampis where they are investigating certain monsters attack as their role of the best of the Crystal Guard, Janne Agard, Nikolia Nikolaikov and Yew Geonolgia... or however they are spelled. They have been assigned a guide by the Orthodoxy, but they are intercepted by Magnolia Arch who joins their adventure instead. You basically go around and solve quest for the people, defeat enemies and gather ingredients and so forth. Then you met old characters from the last game like the Swordmaster, RedMage and so forth as well as new ones, like a sharpshooter and... a cannibal? When I think about it it isn't much of a coherent story. The game pretty much ends when a monster is revealed in the desert which Magnolia is interested in. It's called a Ba'al and you defeat it and at the ceremony for your victory, Magnolia erases your memory and disappears as she fades away... I have no clue what happened.

Overall the framing story isn't that important, but it works for this since it's three old friends who are assigned a mission and they interact with a forth member which give reason to explain things between them. And it is better than the original demo who was a non-canon adventure just to teach you the game. This one is actually referenced in the main game as far I've played in it. Gameplay wise it's pretty much the same, the only difference is the new asterisks and a double or nothing mechanic if you win in the first turn can instantly fight again to get a multiplier bonus that raises higher and higher the more fights you are in. Also I believe the bestiary is something you have to grind to unlock information about the creatures, specially when the characters scribble their own notes and observations that adds to their characters. Janne is the more aggressive and bullying, Nikolai the calmer and reasoning together with Yew who is a scholar and a bit naive together tin Magnolia that is a bit random. It was fun to unlock and read about the characters and monsters. Although due to a bit of OCD-behaviour it stops me from continuing the story and just grind completion in the bestiary. Which causes me to be overleveled. It didn't get so bad in this demo since it caps at 20, but in the real game I already starts to be 3-4 levels above intended level recommendation. Well it's good to have played it and felt the real camaraderie of the three cavaliers and their goal to bring justice and peace across the world.

Janne on the left, Yew in the middle and Nikolai on the right