Agnes Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Image: Square Enix

Update []:

Folks, don't panic — it sounds like Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster will actually allow you to toggle the encounter rate all the way to 0%.

Given previous screenshots of the game, which you can see in the original report, many assumed that the feature had been removed. However, Square Enix reps have confirmed to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier at PAX East that you will be able to set encounters to 0%.

A reply to Jason's post suggests that it's an ability you unlock at some point during the game, rather than being on the menu like the 50%, 100% (average rate) and 200% rates are. Perhaps it's a new accessory or something? We'll have to wait and see.

Other outlets have also reportedly confirmed this with Square Enix reps at PAX East, with RPGFan stating that they were told it's not available from the very start of the game.

Good news all around, then!

Original Story: Square Enix is bringing Bravely Default: Flying Fairy to the Switch 2 on the console's launch day via an HD Remaster, and we're pretty happy to see the first entry in this delightful series make the jump to home consoles. But it's being launched as a Game-Key Card game, which has definitely put a bit of an asterisk on what should be a celebration.

Now, there might be another wrinkle to contend with, as a Square Enix blog post has highlighted a number of new and returning features from the 3DS game.

The big thing that has people worried is the "Encounter Rate Settings" section, where the blog specifically states (along with a screenshot, below) that "You can set the rate of random enemy encounters at 50% intervals to anywhere from 50% to 200%."

Yet, in the Western release of Bravely Default, you could reduce the encounter rate to 0%, meaning you could turn off random encounters entirely. It was such a good feature that allowed players to customise their experience, and that appears to be entirely gone here.

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster encounter rate
Image: Square Enix

There are some caveats here, of course — this remaster may well be based on the original Japanese release of the game, titled Bravely Default: Flying Fairy. The Western 3DS release is actually based on an enhanced rerelease of the game called Bravely Default: For the Sequel, which added tons of quality-of-life features.

In the original Japanese release, there was no way to amend the encounter rate at all; this was added in For the Sequel and stuck around as a feature for the follow-up, Bravely Second: End Layer.You can't turn off encounters for Bravely Default 2, but enemies are visible on the overworld, so there are no random encounters.

If this has been removed, it seems like an odd choice given its popularity, and other features such as fast forward have remained. Plus, Square Enix is adding new content in the form of two new minigames. So it's not like this is just a simple, straight port with nicer visuals.

We've reached out to Square Enix to confirm this information, and we'll let you know if there are any updates.

[source square-enix-games.com]