Bravely Default owned by Square Enix.
Images used for educational purposes only.
Main Walkthrough

Intro - On the Precipice of Despair

Caldisla

- Your primary avatar, Tiz, will awaken in an inn. Bad things have happened, and Tiz is alone, save for a saviour named Owen. Keep watching until you gain control of Tiz.

- Have a walk around. People will express their regrets over what happened. Muck about upstairs, checking the candle in the corner of the room for a Potion, then head downstairs. Check the potted plant near the entrance for 50 pg. Leave the inn after you've chatted with everyone.

- You're out on the streets at this point. The first thing to note is a dude in a red coat beside the entrance. Speak to him and you can save your game. Note that he, among other things, appears on the map on the bottom screen of your 2 or 3DS.

- Make your way west, north, and back east, making your way steadily to the upper climbs to Caldisla. Along the way is an Armory; inside you can purchase an assortment of basic weapons. Tiz begins with a paltry 100 pg, which you may want to spend on defensive gear. Also along this row are a Trader and a Magics Shop, neither of which are terribly important just yet. You can survive without items, and you don't yet have access to magic. Soon, though, soon...

- North past the Armory is a stately castle, and inside the King of Caldisla. He's a kindly enough fella. He'll warn Tiz not to return to his hometown of Norende, but, eh, when do kids ever listen? After chatting, check out the statue on the left side of the castle for Eye Drops.

- After checking out the town, head south to leave Caldisla. You'll receive a nice little tutorial on changing your jobs, as well as the abilities associated with each job. There are also a few tutorial quests which will help you learn the ins and outs of the game without pressuring you into too much.
World Map

- After leaving Caldisla you'll be on the world map. You're now vulnerable to attack by monsters. Even as a base Freelancer, Tiz shouldn't have too much trouble with the initial assortment of monsters. You may want to stick around here a bit and earn up a little money so Tiz is fully outfitted with combat gear; buying him a Broadsword from Caldisla will make the next section or two a bit easier.

- There are two combat options to note from this point on, beyond the standard attacking and using items and so forth: Brave and Default. (Hence, y'know, the title of the game.) Default is a defensive posture which allows you to build up Brave Points (BP), which can thereafter be used to unleash Brave Attacks. Brave allows you to use several attacks in a single round, and properly allocated will utterly punish enemies. Be wary, though, as some foes - notably bosses - can, and will, use BP as well. Multiple attacks abound!

- (Also? You can speed up your battles. Yay! Grinding is easier!)

- Make your way northwest. Across a small bridge you'll come to a new area, and the first dungeon of the game! (Well, kinda, anyway. Outdoorsy dungeon. Still counts.)

Part Two: Norende Ravine

Main Walkthrough