So the release of Bravely Second has gotten me interested in this series and I'm contemplating whether to go back and play this first game before starting the second. I'd vastly prefer to be acquainted with the first game's story before starting the second since it's a direct sequel complete with returning characters and all. That being said, I have reservations about the time investment that would be and the inevitable burnout that would come from playing two of these games in a row.

So my question is, do you think the first game had a story that was well told and good enough that I should go play through it? Did you feel like you connected with the characters? Or should I instead just go read/watch spoilers on the internet before starting the second game?

Also just to note, I'm generally pretty tolerant of JRPG tropes and other cliches, just as long as the characters are well developed and the narrative is generally clear and engaging.

Yes, I recconmend playing the first one. I thought it was amazing, great characters, music and a interesting story. The ending gets a bit repetitive but powering trough it was well worth it in my opionion.

I did everything there was to do, maxed every class, got every legendary weapon in end game and did every mission and it never got boring. It has a really cool post credits scene leading to the sequel too.