It seems as though the Nintendo 3DS is aiming to push its popularity with a number of exclusive titles lined up for the year ahead. Leading the charge though is Bravely Second: End Layer, which will receive a demo on the 6^th of February ahead of its release three weeks later.

The game is a sequel to the well received RPG Bravely Default and will similarly boast the series’ Brave and Default tactical battle system, with apparently even deeper layers. The system entices players to balance risk and reward in turn-based battles. Players can use their characters to make multiple moves in a single turn, but this leaves them unable to move in subsequent turns.

One new feature in Bravely Second takes this further though: after winning a battle in a single turn, players can elect to immediately start another, more difficult encounter for the chance to earn increasing rewards. According to Nintendo, chaining these battles together is a swift way to level up characters and jobs, but defeat means losing everything earned during those battles.

Putting it all on the line is certainly a formula that has worked well for other games – yes Dark Souls, we are thinking of you – and apparently the human attraction to risk works really well in gaming dynamics.

Upon its launch on 26th February, the game will be available as a Deluxe Collector’s Edition including an original soundtrack CD, Agnès Mini Figurine (alas, not an amiibo) and a deluxe artbook .The game will also be available singularly and as a downloadable version from Nintendo eShop. A pre-launch demo focusing on the Three Cavaliers – Yew Geneolgia, Janne Angard, and Nikolai Nikolanikov – will act as a prelude to the adventure, and also allow players to unlock rewards in the full version of the game,