By Jen Allen
Skip to main content
GamesRadar+
GamesRadar+
GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Search GamesRadar+
View Profile
Xbox Series X
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch 2
Tabletop Gaming
Toys & Collectibles
Retro Gamer
Newsletters
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
Subscribe from just £3
Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
Try a single issue or save on a subscription
Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From£9.99View
Summer Game Fest
New games for 2025
Upcoming Switch 2 games
Switch 2 stock
Recommended reading
Folks, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 might be prestige television – I was surprised to find this RPG is perfect to play in shorter bursts
Fantasy Life i, the sequel to a life sim RPG that boldly asked ‘What if Animal Crossing was a Zelda game?,’ was more than worth the 11-year wait – it might be my GOTY
Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake makes me feel like I’m sipping on warm cocoa, minimal meddling keeping these oldies golden
The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy isn’t quite Persona XCOM, but it’s absolutely perfect for savoring via Steam Deck
The Legend of Zelda
It’s been 32 years since The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening launched, but the Switch remake makes it feel like yesterday
The Legend of Zelda
You win, Switch 2 – I guess I paid over $400 to play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker again
“This game took over my life”: The Fantasy Life sequel, an RPG-heavy life sim 13 years in the making, is a hit on Steam with record numbers for its publisher and 92% positive reviews
Bravely Default
Bravely Default’s remaster is secretly the Switch 2’s must-play RPG, but it’s still flying under the radar
1 July 2025
Opinion | Finally, a JRPG that understands how busy we all are
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Square Enix)
I’m perpetually tired, as I suspect many of us are. A pile of adult commitments and ambitions, and a lust for JRPGs is a tough one to juggle. I’m so grateful that Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster seems to get that time is at a premium for me and other JRPG fans, even if that name is ludicrously long and it’s a remaster of a 13 year old 3DS game.
I’ve been a JRPG fan for as long as I can remember, and the older I get, the more unforgiving the genre becomes. Most JRPGs aren’t appreciative of time constraints. They’ll throw countless borderline pointless side quests at you (hi, Final Fantasy 7 Remake) and some will even keep save points spread out so you’re tied in for a while. With a busy life, it’s tough to squeeze any JRPG in. However, I’m confident that everyone can find time for Bravely Default: Never-Ending Name and it’s the Switch 2’s secret weapon right now.
Time poor, Switch rich
(Image credit: Square Enix)
Cream of the crop
(Image credit: Nintendo)
We’ve rounded up the best Switch 2 games to help pad your new console library out
Easily overlooked in favor of prettier fare, Bravely Default: The Name That Never Stops gets that JRPGs can be grindy and helps us time poor folk out. Combat is essential because it’s a JRPG, right? But you can do so on your own terms.
You may like
Folks, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 might be prestige television – I was surprised to find this RPG is perfect to play in shorter bursts
Fantasy Life i, the sequel to a life sim RPG that boldly asked ‘What if Animal Crossing was a Zelda game?,’ was more than worth the 11-year wait – it might be my GOTY
Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake makes me feel like I’m sipping on warm cocoa, minimal meddling keeping these oldies golden
Take last night’s adventure. I was exploring a dungeon. Crucially, I was exploring said dungeon while tired and not really looking for anything more than a bite-sized slice of progression. I wanted to level up a bit but I didn’t want to put much effort in. So, I turned on the Tactics system and ramped up the battle speed. The Tactics system is hidden away but allows you to set up automatic responses for battles so you can simply watch things play out without having to constantly press the same buttons over and over again.
It meant I flew through some simple battles without really needing to pay attention (I was tired, ok?). I explored further and things became trickier so I went back to manual battles and tweaked the speed to 2x which suits my brain better than either 1x or 4x.
(Image credit: Square Enix)
Bravely Default: Too Long Not Furious is pretty generous at including travelling salespeople in dungeons – someone you can talk to so you can rest up and save. Even better, they not at all reassuringly declare that things are about to get tougher. So, I saved and did some level grinding.
Again, Bravely Default is smart. It tells you what level range you need to be for a dungeon. I spotted I was underlevelled then adjusted the encounter rate to 200% while near the salesperson. I went back and forth a little, leaving battle speed at 4x and on auto, and watched the experience rack up before heading back to rest as needed. It took me only a couple of minutes to level up sufficiently.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
I headed in to battle, progressed the story, then plotted my way out. No way was I keeping the encounter rate at 200%. I turned it down to 50% and rushed out before even coming across a villain. The combat system is so perfectly designed for fast battles and I’d somehow achieved a lot in the space of 45 minutes without at all feeling like I was wasting my precious free time and energy.
(Image credit: Square Enix)
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is reminiscent of the Octopath Traveler series in that way. Its ‘trash’ mobs – the enemies you come across in between the story – are forgettable. They’re solely there to help you develop your skills before the boss battles, but that’s where the many tweaks to the combat system really help save you effort and ensure that nothing feels like a slog.
Unlike so many games, Bravely Default: Flying Etc gets that you probably have other things going on in your life. Being able to stop at any moment, such as when the kids need attention or you’re on a lunch break, is further aided by the Switch 2’s sleep mode. Remember all those times as a kid when you’d lose progression because your parents were adamant you needed to get off the PlayStation then and there? That simply isn’t happening here and boy, does it feel empowering.
This is a reminder of how much fun JRPGs can be without having to make huge sacrifices to find the time. Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is the game I keep coming back to because it’s happy to accommodate my needs and your mood. Sure, it’s not the prettiest of games (seriously – you’ll wonder if the £400+ asking price for the console was worth it) given it’s a souped up 3DS game, but that won’t matter in the end. It’s just so nice to feel like you’re getting somewhere without having to devote half a day to it. Just don’t ask me to name the game without having to Google it first. Now that’s a name that isn’t understanding of your limited free time.
Here are the best RPGs (with shorter titles) to check out next
See more Nintendo Switch 2 Features
Nintendo Switch 2
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Folks, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 might be prestige television – I was surprised to find this RPG is perfect to play in shorter bursts
Fantasy Life i, the sequel to a life sim RPG that boldly asked ‘What if Animal Crossing was a Zelda game?,’ was more than worth the 11-year wait – it might be my GOTY
Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake makes me feel like I’m sipping on warm cocoa, minimal meddling keeping these oldies golden
The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy isn’t quite Persona XCOM, but it’s absolutely perfect for savoring via Steam Deck
It’s been 32 years since The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening launched, but the Switch remake makes it feel like yesterday
You win, Switch 2 – I guess I paid over $400 to play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker again
Latest in RPGs
After revealing he was ordered to destroy his copy of Fallout’s source code, OG lead Tim Cain says we’re losing game history because companies “take authority but not responsibility” for preservation
Deltarune Chapter 3 was originally supposed to be even longer, as the devs “made most of” a third TV Time gameshow round before it was cut
The Witcher 4 narrative lead says CD Projekt Red “can’t break” the stuff that people want from a Witcher game: “We have to do that”
“I might never finish this game, so I’m releasing the demo”: After 9 years, A Short Hike dev soft-cancels Paper Mario-inspired RPG but lets players try a build
Cyberpunk 2 director says “mature games” used to mainly be about killing and sex, but The Witcher 3 was part of a “broader process” to change that as devs grew older
Dave the Diver celebrates 2nd birthday by sharing messages from Baldur’s Gate 3 actor Neil Newbon and the Subnautica studio CEO, bringing back Godzilla DLC, and dang, delaying its next DLC
Latest in Features
Maxwell Lord – The comic history of the villain who mind-controlled Superman and almost destroyed the Justice League
70 hours later and with a full launch imminent, I already miss Hades 2 being in Early Access
New Lego sets for July 2025, including the perfect gift I think fans will go nuts for
The Alters has changed the way I play games for the better, and after 18 years I can finally finish Mass Effect
Death Stranding 2 is my favorite online game this year, even though you never directly see any other players
The Squid Game season 3 finale is a crushing but ultimately hopeful conclusion – and I wouldn’t have it any other way
GAME REVIEWS
MOVIE REVIEWS
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: “This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse”
Rematch review: “As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic”
Tron: Catalyst review: “Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I’m let down by a time-loop story that falls flat”
FBC: Firebreak review: “A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that’s missing far too much of what made Control special”
Dune: Awakening review: “Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter”
Jurassic World Rebirth Review: “An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber”
M3GAN 2.0 review: “A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion”
28 Years Later Review: “Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
Predator: Killer of Killers review: “Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation”
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: “Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu”
Squid Game season 3 review: “A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever”
Ironheart review: “A relic of Marvel’s content-at-all-costs era”
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: “The show’s most assured run of episodes to date”
Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: ‘The Reality War’ is “a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling”
Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: ‘Wish World’ is “an exciting and ambitious” start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision
GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
Contact Future’s experts
Terms and conditions
Privacy policy
Cookies policy
Advertise with us
Review guidelines
Write for us
Accessibility Statement
Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury,
BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.
Please login or signup to comment
Please wait…