Final Fantasy XI Braver

I had to register an account here just to express my appreciation for making this game, as well as giving a big thank you for the continued updates. I also want to chime in to counter some of the negativity in the comments below. This is, for all intents and purposes, a legitimate Final Fantasy game that fits in comfortably with the rest. As far as complaints about difficulty: learn the game, learn the job systems and how to synergize team mate's skills. There is your difficulty slider in a nutshell. Even the official FFs will eventually kick your teeth in if you just try the 'press A to win' tactics.

Trying to use Fast Blade always immediately crashes the game. Any workarounds for this?

edit: I found the fixed files on Discord. 

I can tell what each character's canon class is, but I wonder if that's the best move to go for.

The devs asked us to leave a comment on the game page so I'm using this as a chance to put my ruminations on this clever little indie rpg to paper for the first time...

Braver has no branching paths, won't do a number on your feels, has a cast of supporting characters that are completely forgettable, doesn't try anything new or daring, has no minigames or unique moments that change up the gameplay loop, no comedy, and no real worldbuilding. Its simple turn-based combat beginning to end.

So why did I play this game for over a hundred hours? Cause it sounds like it should just be another game in a literal ocean of rpgs that don't do anything different...

I don't know if anyone reading this is old enough to remember the reference or these feelings but after you get the ship in Final Fantasy 1 and wind up in a new town, just outside the gates there's a Green Ogre enemy that's really hard but gives a ton of gold and xp. The town is full of expensive items that if you wanted to afford them, you'd have to kill a hundred of these hard Green Ogres and grind for hours.

So what did we do? Well I can't speak for you but I spent an afternoon in my jammies doing an ogre genocide. And why?

Because I believed that the game would be hard, that I would be finding a solution if I put in this time and effort. That I was planning for the future and felt like a small fish in a big pond but knew that I wanted to be big.

That's the feeling you get from Braver beginning to end. From the time you walk in the first cave and there are optional bosses harder than the main story boss just off the beaten path, and beating them gives small little upgrades like +1 AGI and the game doesn't tell you what AGI even does.

But you have hopes that this RPG, unlike so many others out there, will actually require you to think and plan and put in effort and care and not just waltz through bosses.

And in that category it gets an A++ and gold stars.

IMHO a good game doesn't need to innovate, it just needs to refine what it does best. For example 'To The Moon' has almost no gameplay but absolutely nails music and emotion and that's what a lot of people want out of a game. Braver has almost exclusively gameplay and nostalgia for the era before there were guides and world maps, it doesn't care for normal tropes and does things like set the max level to be 75 instead of 99 and prevents you from levelling up any more...but then makes you fight level 99 enemies for the entire second half of the game. It doesn't waste time showing off flashy systems, but it nails that childlike urge we all have of wanting to be the big fish. It's about being the underdog and going on a hero's journey.

Braver is a testament to the power of classic gameplay and the joy of overcoming challenges the old-fashioned way. It's not about reinventing the wheel; it's about reminding us why we fell in love with gaming in the first place.

It's the "Are You A Bad Enough Dude To Save The President" effect.
Just puts you in front of a dangerous world, sticks a sword in your hand, and says 'go save it, hero'.
This is a game for the person who likes the P in RPGs. 

Literally a masterpiece. Treat yourself to one of the best Final Fantasy experiences made in recent years

there seems to be a problem when i try to extract the game... has this come up before and does anyone have any ideas as to why it's happening or how to fix it?

This is an outstanding game that only pays homage to the original and is an incredible (but HARD in a strategic sense) experience even if you're new to final fantasy games. It captures the essence and magic that makes great games legendary and I was transported back to the glory days of Vana'diel. The attention to detail in recreating the atmosphere, the music and the battles is nothing short of astounding. It's clear that the developer(s?) poured their hearts and souls into this.

The combat system is intuitive and progression mirrors FFXI's complexity, with a huge array of customization options that cater to various playstyles. It managed to capture the spirit of FFXI's job system while infusing it with fresh, modern mechanics.

In terms of post-launch support, the developer(s? again) have been nothing short of stellar. They actively listen to player feedback, release regular updates, and this last patch has been after a year of new content to keep the adventure fresh and exciting.

Braver's a triumph. It's a love letter to a beloved classic, skillfully modernized and expanded upon to create an experience that feels both familiar and new. If you have even a passing fondness for FFXI or RPGs in general, do yourself a favor and embark on this unforgettable journey. I consider it a must-play for any rpg enthuisast

This is a passion project of a true ffxi fan. Great gameplay and translation of ffxi jobs and mechanics into the jrpg format.

Hello, just reporting that when you complete the Side Quest "In The Name of Science!" in Bastok Metalworks you're also rewarded a nameless Item#551 that cannot be used or sold. This is on version 1.6.

It'd be a lot easier to navigate if party members didn't move on the grid. Especially if you're just playing with the mouse.

This is the one-year anniversary from me discovering Braver and my previous review way down below doesn't do this game justice, so I'm updating it because I'm still playing this thing.

The game has come leaps and bounds with every update. It introduced the last FFXI jobs that were missing from the original lineup, it added fascinating new systems like Merits for even deeper party dynamics, the world itself has nearly doubled in size, and the creator has started work on a sprawling post-game story with a year of planned updates in the future. Fights are more edge-of-your-seat than ever before, visuals are polished and nostalgic, and there's always something new to discover or a quest to embark on.

Braver is best described as a linear story rpg that takes advantage of the classic final fantasy Job system to an unparalleled degree. You'll constantly be tinkering with equipment and trying new jobs, all thanks to a challenging difficulty curve.
It's polished and welcoming, hard but fair, and understands all the subtleties that make games go from 'good' to 'incredible.' For final fantasy fans, this is the best indie rpg you'll play on itch.

I have 100+ hours in this game. Both fans of FFXI and of 2D RPGs will enjoy.

Well maintained; it gets regular small updates with fixes, and occasional big updates with new jobs, quests, gear, bosses, areas, and story.

Join the discord for more joy, including community challenges with ingame rewards.

in an age where square is trying to steal your paycheck with half-baked pixel 'remasters,' play a game that has the guts to make you throw your controller across the room in frustration.

cons; some engrish here and there,  enemies oneshot you in the latter half of the game if you don't git gud, random battles are avoidable but can sometimes be tedious due to lack of enemy variety, doing a ten-minute long miniboss fight for no reward captures the true FFXI experience

pros; a monumental work of art from one sleepless genius, turn-based combat that somehow still manages to be gripping and fast-paced, a sprawling world that feels both fresh and original and also somehow an exact replica of the mmorpg, and the best parts of the classic FF games hand-picked to create an altogether amazing experience

9/10

Just a really excellent classic-JRPG romp all around. It's best described as a more challenging version of Final Fantasy V (the best 32-bit one imo) but...

- Set in Vanadiel with likable characters, and a storyline that's welcoming of newcomers unfamiliar with the mmo world
- Amazing sound design (nostalgic music and tons of hand-placed and carefully curated beeps and whirrs and kupos)
- With a sprawling amount of job options, character customization, and optional bosses who are ready to put your team to the test.

Probably the best rpg on itch right now, final fantasy or otherwise. This should NOT be a free game, so download it while it still is.

I want to thank Mithrandir from the bottom of my heart for putting so much time into creating this masterpiece! As a fan of this series since its inception and first arriving in the States back in 1990, I've always been left with a void in the numbering since XI and XIV were strictly MMOs and I've never been an MMO player: I'm sure they're fantastic games, but I'm a single player RPG gamer and I've waited nineteen years to learn about FF XI...and now thanks to Mithrandir, I - like many people before me - am falling in love with the world of Vana'diel! This game is so well done and as you play it, you can only marvel at how long it had to take Mith to put this colossal game together! I appreciate your time in doing this so everyone out there can enjoy a single player FF XI experience...and also for the people like me who have never had the opportunity to play it before! Now I can sit back and learn the lore of this fabulous game for the first time! I'm nearing fifty hours and having an absolute blast! And if you're someone reading this comment who hasn't downloaded the game yet...what are you waiting for?! Start downloading now so you can enjoy this amazing ride!

This game deserves your time and attention. Even if you've never played FFXI, Braver is a free (although you should donate) 60+ hour long rpg with incredible character customization, difficult battles that demand strategy (and a difficulty slider), a full discord of players ready to cheer on your victories, and an active developer that's constantly improving the experience. More stuff to do and explore is being added all the time.

I'd rate this higher than five stars if I could.