Developer: Square Enix, Acquire
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch
Tested on: PS5
Octopath Traveler II – Review
When the original Octopath Traveler was released in 2018 for Nintendo’s Switch, it was an immediate success. Gamers and critics alike loved the overall visual blend of 2D and 3D elements, the classic RPG gameplay, and of course the fact that you would be playing through eight different stories throughout the game. While the characters were often bound to clichés, they proved to be appealing, and the bite-sized stories proved amazingly fun to play through. Thanks to the game’s success it was later ported to PC, Google Stadia, and Xbox One. Now, after waiting for quite some time, the second installment is finally here, presenting us with eight new characters to choose from, new mechanics, and a new world to explore.
Story
As was the case with the first game, Octopath Traveler II offers eight stories that play out in the same world. You’ll have to pick one of the eight characters to start the game with, and then you’ll start playing through the first chapter of that character’s story. The stories are in a sense non-linear, as you will recruit other characters as you progress through the game, and then you’ll be able to play through those characters’ stories as well. This means that you can tackle the game in almost any order that you want. Most stories are a bit cliché but the characters themselves are very likable. You might find yourself escaping prison in one story to perform a holy inquisition in the next. The story delivery is also handled in such a pleasant and appealing way that you’ll want to see what happens to all eight characters.
Graphics
As expected, Octopath Traveler II sports the same graphical style as the first installment of the series. Once again, you’ll have very nice 3D backdrops and environments that are inhabited by 2D pixilated sprites. The character designs are extremely cute, and your characters also change appearances when you assign new jobs to them. The enemy designs are also very interesting but there was one minor item that was a bit weird. During combat, you’ll often fight humanoid enemies as well, and these get extremely detailed sprites during battles, while your own characters remain very simplistic in appearance. It was sometimes a bit odd to see your chibi-esque party battle highly-detailed enemies. That being said, the game is absolutely gorgeous and we loved exploring every nook and cranny.
Sound
The game’s sound design is superbly handled. The game has a very cinematic soundtrack that is varied enough for a title this long. Almost all dialogues come with voice acting, and we loved both the English and Japanese voice cast. Often in games such as this, the English voice acting tends to be a bit too cheesy, but that wasn’t the case here. Some internal dialogues and introductory cutscenes are not voiced.
Gameplay
Octopath Traveler II is a fairly traditional RPG in which you’ll pick one of eight characters with which you’ll start the game. After you complete the first chapter with your chosen character, the world around you will open up and you’ll be able to meet up with the other seven protagonists, recruit them, complete their stories, and so on. Completing stories will be done in a non-linear way, as you’ll need to recruit other characters if you wish to make progress. This means that you might complete the first chapter of four characters before delving into later chapters of other characters, for example.
While most of Octopath Traveler II will be straightforward, the game does have a lot of finer mechanics. There’s a decent gear system, and most characters can use multiple weapons. This system is further expanded upon when you start assigning extra jobs to characters. Oftentimes these characters can use more weapons then. Assigning a new job also means that those characters will also unlock new skills to use, as well as the option to unlock more passive skills. Each character can equip four passive skills, and it’s truly interesting to start creating strong builds for different classes. For example, we combined the skillset of our Cleric with those of the Scholar, meaning our Cleric would also be able to cast more explosive damage-based skills.
This new installment of the series has a day and night cycle, where you can simply switch to daytime or nighttime with the press of a button. When doing so, your characters’ Path Actions will swap. These Path Actions are basically skills that your characters can use outside of combat, such as stealing from NPCs, convincing NPCs to sell you their stuff, acquiring information, Befriending NPCs to have them aid you in battles, and so on. It is possible that certain characters’ Path Actions start fights during the day while they may be able to easily befriend NPCs during the night. This day and night cycle does add a bit more depth to the overall gameplay loop.
Combat works in a very traditional turn-based format, in which all characters take turns. You’ll have to be mindful of your enemies’ weaknesses because when doing so, you’ll be able to break through their shields. When a ‘Break’ occurs, you’ll be able to dish out even more damage while also preventing that enemy from taking actions themselves. The overall flow of combat is pleasant, and the different characters all have their own skillsets available. We did find that you’ll have to grind a lot if you want to make reasonable progress through the different storylines.
Conclusion
Octopath Traveler II is a great sequel that fans of the original will certainly love. Those who haven’t played the first installment don’t have to worry about playing the original first as this one presents players with brand-new stories and a completely new world to explore. We also commend the developers for adding a few new mechanics to the mix, such as the day and night cycle mechanic, which spiced up the gameplay a bit more. We were very impressed by the highly polished visuals and the game’s overall soundscape, and while the grind may end up becoming a bit repetitive, the game has so much fun content to keep you occupied for several weeks. If you’re looking for an old-school RPG experience tailored to modern playstyles, then Octopath Traveler II is a no-brainer to pick up.
No Comments