Octopath Traveler - Nintendo Switch

I grew up in the late 80's and 90's during the height of the Square SNES RPG golden age. I worked afternoons and summers doing little jobs around the house and at my dad's work to scrape together the money to afford classics like Final Fantasy III and Chrono Trigger. Seeing even a hint of the charm that reminds me of that era was enough to get me interested in Octopath, but I've been down the road of those cashing in on nostalgia without wanting to put in the effort to make something truly worth the time and money. This is not that kind of game. Touching on all of the beauty found in colorful sprite work, along with the memorable music from days gone by, Octopath Traveler manages to ride the line of reminding us of the best games of our past, while also giving us something new and different to cater to modern game design and the unique capabilities of the Nintendo Switch. With content you can play in short bursts or long marathon sessions, the individual chapters of the eight characters each have their own stories to tell. Though there seems to be little to connect the stories together, there are hints at story that concretely establish each character within the same world. One character will reference things that are prominent in another's story line, or work with another representative of a group that spans the continent. Though none of these give the same feel as the overarching big bad stories of the older games, they still firmly establish that these people are from the same world and that that world is alive and in motion. Combat involves a mechanic that allows you to "break" enemies by attacking them with weapons or spells they are weak to. This makes even random encounters more interesting, and allows combat to become more a puzzle as you enter a new territory than simple rote execution. The fact that you can open up secondary jobs for the characters to round out a party with the skills and weapon capabilities of other characters means that by mid-game you should never be without the ability to take the party you want into almost any area and have the tools to engage the enemies efficiently. Overall the art, music, and engaging combat is what keeps me playing this game well beyond my fondness for the games that clearly inspired it. Not often does a studio develop something with that tug of nostalgia as its premise that actually lives up to what you hoped it could be. This is one of those rare gems where the game both reminds you of yesterday, and gives you the convenience and design of today. It's like stepping back in time and remembering how fun classic turn-based RPGs used to be.

Wow! What a game! When I first saw glimpses of this game, it didn't wow me in any way... it looked like another one of those Indie games that tried to look 8/16-bit for the sake of nostalgia or just poor design... so it was an after thought. It wasn't until I saw some more previews online that not only did this game look fantastic since I found out that it was a mix of 16-bit graphics with HD... so that in itself intrigued me. What sold me was the demo that became available a month prior to release. The brilliance of the demo was that the time you spent on the demo, could be transferred over... so in essence, you got to play the real game for three hours, and then got to transfer your progress. The excitement started to build up more and more as the release date approached. For anyone that wants to know what the game plays like, play the demo... simple as that. For those that still want something a bit more in-depth, here goes... The graphics are an homage to the glory days of the 90's 16-bit era. The game is very reminiscent of Final Fantasy III/VI, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, and other brilliant games that were released around that time from the same company; Square/Squaresoft/SquareEnix. The first time you come across a lake or some kind of water, you will notice how beautiful the game is... The music is beautiful and engaging... each town, has its own theme, each area has it's own melody, and of course the battle and boss music are all top notch. The story itself are broken down into 8 independent stories... this is the game's biggest flaw. In previous JRPG's by Square, when characters met, there were funny exchanges, indicators that let you know that the heroes were on a journey together... in Octopath, it's like they barely know that there are people traveling with them. the battle system is where the fun lies... that and exploration are the games strengths. The challenge is figuring out the weaknesses of the enemies. (Until you get Cyrus... then the work is done for you) Some of the boss battles can take upwards of 15 minutes to beat... so get yourself a red bull and grind away my friends. Overall, the best Switch game since ZBOTW. (I didn't buy Mario Odyssey) I would have bought a Switch simply for OT and ZBOTW (Zelda: Breath of the Wild) My next game will be YS: VIII...

Octopath Traveler might be one of the best games available on the Switch right now. Gameplay - 5/5 The vast majority of the game will be spent in random encounter battles, and it's the game's combat system that I think shines the most in this game. Combat is turn-based and is very easy to learn, but is still quite intricate. Characters can use a range of weapons and spells, powering up their moves with a BP meter. Certain characters can use unique abilities in battle, such as summoning an animal or NPC to fight for you. The combat system never really feels overwhelming. It is still a JRPG, so expect a lot of grinding for experience. Graphics - 5/5 The game's pixel art style and lighting effects make the game look absolutely beautiful yet simple. Unfortunately, there are no settings to adjust the effects that I have seen. Some people have said the lighting and depth-of-field made them feel sick, but I haven't experienced anything like that. Music - 5/5 Music is one of the most important aspects of a game to me, and this game has a fantastic OST. Not a whole lot to say about it other than that. Characters - 4.5/5 All eight playable characters have different skills, abilities, and personalities. However, you have to sort of ignore the fact that 2 people with completely opposing personalities and goals would be travelling together. Even though I like Therion (he was my starter character), he feels a bit out of place due to the fact that he is a thief. Therefore, it makes little sense why a merchant named Tressa, who hates thieves, would travel with him. It's not to difficult to overlook because the eight characters don't interact with each other very frequently, which is a bit of a disappointment. This leads me into my next point. Story (Stories?) - 4.5/5 Individually, I think each character's story is decent enough. Primrose has, in my opinion, the best (and darkest, most mature) story; one of avenging her dead father. However, I was a bit let down by the fact that the eight character's individual stories do not intersect. Sure, two characters may have objectives in the same town, but they never seem relate to each other. I knew this going into the game, but I still think its a lost opportunity. It almost feels a bit like a compilation of 8 short games. Some people may not mind this, but others may be disappointed. Final Verdict - This game is overall a fantastic game, and a lot of love and care was put into it. As I said earlier, the only time I think the game actually falls flat comes to missed opportunities in stories crossing paths. However, if you want to experience 8 short, simple stories, then this game is even more fantastic.

The title says it all. So many games these days focus on eye candy, and all their development work goes into making them as visually stunning as possible, and as a result, you end up paying $60 for a game that lasts 20-30 hours. And for some people, that's acceptable. But for me, I'm looking for a little more bang for my buck, not that I can't afford a lot of games (I have like 600 in my Steam library), but I want something I can get to know. I want to know and believe in my character(s), I want to understand their struggle and why they do the things they do, and that is exactly what Octopath is all about. You have 8 stories, with four parts to each, that are interwoven together. You have freedom (somewhat) to go where you want and do the stories in whatever order you wish (again somewhat). I say somewhat because not all character stories are at the same level. So, for example, you might have Therion with a lvl 3 storyline with a recommended level of 36, but Primose's lvl 3 storyline mission is recommended level 40. You could do Primrose before you do Therion, or any of the other for that matter, but chances are, unless you've been deliberately farming xp, you'll be pretty hard pressed to do it. I ended up playing about 90 hours before I finished the game. And by "finished" I mean I finished one level 4 mission (Therion's), and then the credits started to roll. It popped me back into the game when they were done to go and continue with the other ones, but, at this point, I would anticipate me completing all character stories in another 10 - 15 hours. So this game is definitely worth every dollar you pay for it for hours and hours of entertainment. Highly recommend.

Wow! An RPG that is challenging and presents the player with options and paths? Yes please! Just to be fair, this is more 'old school' than most modern RPGs, but it is a wonderfully fun and challenging game. Your characters all have interesting stories, and you get to play through them all if you like. Of course there is very little interaction between the characters, and in this regard the game is very similar to Saga Frontier games - only this game has an excellent battle system. Unlike Bravely Default (with a battle system that started out fun and then became tedious), this game has a system where you seek enemy weaknesses to cause them to miss a turn - very much like Shin Megami Tensei games. Boss battles can be long and require strategy. You have the option to skip through story scenes, so on replay it is much quicker. Also I really prefer the original Japanese voices - and thankfully there is an option to use the Japanese with subtitles. This is a wonderful game, a lot of fun, very artistic and challenging. It is not a near perfect old school RPG game like Shin Megami Tensei IV or Persona 5, but this is a worthy purchase for fans of classic RPGs or new fans interested in a classic style RPG.

TLDR; This game is made for a specific group of people: Gamers who enjoy an in depth combat system and a nostalgic Final Fantasy aesthetic. The story is not anything special and a few of the characters are fairly generic, while others are extremely intriguing. If you enjoy Final Fantasy for the combat, you will enjoy this. If not, consider playing the free demo first before buying. Gameplay: The gameplay is interesting and is akin to Bravely Default and Bravely Second. A party of 4 utilize their skills in a turn based combat fashion. Party members can however utilize BP (Battle Points) to make more actions for one turn. On top of that, the enemies all have armor which need to broken by taking advantage of their weaknesses in order to deal higher amounts of damage. Add all this to 8 unique classes and the ability to equip 2 classes to the same character, and you have yourself an interesting combat system that is as difficult as it is rewarding. Graphics: The graphics in this game are absolutely stunning. The combination of the classic Final Fantasy look alongside the 3D world and dynamic lighting effects gives this game a unique look that is unparalleled in the current gaming market. The graphics are truly breathtaking and consistent throughout the game. Story: The story is perhaps the low point of this game. The game takes place over 8 different stories. For example Primrose the Dancer wants to avenger her father's killer, while Tressa the Merchant wants to travel the world in hopes of becoming the greatest merchant in the world. All the stories are unique, albeit a bit cliche at times. However, none of the stories interconnect, making it a bit confusing as to why the noble warror Oberion, the pinnacle of pride and righteousness, is traveling with Therion, a straight up thief, whose entire story involves breaking into people's homes and stealing precious stones. Players are just expected to suspend their disbelief in circumstances where one character is in dire trouble, despite being in a part of 3 others, who no doubt could help them. Verdict: Octopath Traveler is a great game, and I would absolutely recommend it to any JRPG fans that enjoy a dynamic and rewarding combat system. However, if you go into this game expecting a good story, you may be disappointed. Of course the game has much more to offer than just combat, for example a vast open world where hidden shrines and challenging caverns await, however these things are best experienced personally as opposed to reading about them in a review. If you enjoy Final Fantasy games, or even Bravely Default, give this game a chance.

Do you enjoy JRPGs? If the answer is no then this will not change your mind. This is VERY JRPG. The design and graphics are very good and unique in their style, being sprite based and feeling more like a suped up and polished Super Nintendo game... but of course it uses effects that could never have been pulled off back then. The characters are pretty unique and each of the eight has a good story, though some are much more interesting than others. The Dancer's story was a particular stand out to me. The music is outstanding and you'll probably find yourself humming a few of the tunes after playing this for a few hours, with later tracks being exceptional too. The game is easy to pick up, and the characters are all fun. You can even pick which one to start as. The gameplay is standard JRPG turn based stuff with a few extra things tossed in like weapon and element weaknesses, and you will need to learn how to use those systems to win later battles. The difficulty can ramp up slowly or VERY quick depending on how you decide to play, with later bosses being very challenging. If you're looking for a good old JRPG to play through then this is probably the best that came out this year, just be prepared to level grind a bit here and there.

Update: Stuck 5 days in hospital so I thought I would give this another chance. OMG, it gets worse. I really wouldn't suggest it to anybody but the newest to the genre. I was so excited about this title when I first heard of it, though I was worried the multiple story lines where going to be a hassle from the start, but I was open to the idea. My gamble did not pay off. The stories are very basic, too basic if you ask me. I think it's due to the amount of them, you never get pulled into the "story" since there's too many! The game starts off fine, one story line, you get to the point where you have to leave the first town and then go to the next, where you pick up the next party member. This means you have to go through their "having to leave the town" story line, and then it just repeats. It gets to a point where you just want to (or do) skip the whole story to get to the boss encounter and get it over with. Traveling between towns is very pretty, but very short, which means you only get 10 minutes rest between another mediocre story line. I really lost interest very quickly, I would not recommend it. Maybe just borrow a friends copy for a day and that should be good enough.

Wanted to pick this up for so long, such a pretty, atmospheric game.

Good game. Nice retro graphics, good character development, interesting story, gameplay easy to understand.

Those who love RPGs with a complex story -- Go for it!!

Great game if your like the style. Definitely recommended. Looks gorgeous and runs smooth.

Octopath Traveler posiblemente haya sido el juego más subvalorado e incluso ignorado, de todos los que se anunciaron en enero de 2017 cuando Nintendo por fin presentó oficialmente la que, sin lugar a duda es la consola del momento: la Nintendo Switch (otrora denominada "Nintendo NX"). Si bien el anuncio de este título en aquel evento fue extremadamente austero, su estética "retro" y "feeling" de JRPG de la vieja escuela, con toda certeza elevaron las expectativas de los fanáticos del género, en concreto de quienes vivimos su época dorada en la década de los noventa: el juego prometía en un susurro ser una joya y, ¿qué crees, lector? Lo es. Una joya de inmenso valor. La jugabilidad es exquisita y es solo igualada por su aspecto gráfico sutil y hermoso, que logra armonizar personajes diseñados al más puro estilo de la vieja era de los 32 bits con un fresco ambiente en tres dimensiones sorprendentemente bien iluminado y espectacularmente colorido que nunca deja de lado el buen gusto. Conservador hasta la médula, Octopath Traveler entiende a la perfección cómo debe ser un JRPG. No vacila en hacer gala de su origen con un orden impecable en la interfaz de usuario y elementos clásicos capaces de dar una cálida y arropadora bienvenida al juego abonando a su ya de por sí sorprendente capacidad de hacerte parte de él. Si hubiera que definir el apartado de sonido, en una palabra, esa palabra no podría ser otra: sublime. Indiscutiblemente la música es donde más luce la calidad de este videojuego. Es extraordinaria. Deliciosa; sí, esa es la palabra que mejor se ajusta. Queda en evidencia que la gente detrás de su composición y ejecución puso amor y compromiso en cada pieza y nota. Las actuaciones para dar voz a los personajes son ni más ni menos que sobresalientes. Nada que discutir. La nitidez, la calidad… Impresionante. Querrás escuchar toda la experiencia con lo mejor que tengas disponible en casa para reproducir audio. Si bien la historia es lineal en un sentido más bien tradicional, Octopath Traveler te da la oportunidad de tomar decisiones, elegir qué hacer y a donde ir. Los personajes pueden ser tan entrañables como tú desees porque te da la oportunidad de conocerlos y entenderlos. Además, están perfectamente balanceados. No tendrás problema alguno para escoger a tus favoritos porque es fácil conectarse con ellos sin que el juego llegue a hartarte de sus historias, personalidades y motivos. El problema será elegir a quien llevar porque todos son útiles y poderosos. Aquí dejo algo muy importante que aclarar antes de terminar. A pesar de similitudes de origen, Octopath Traveler no quiere ser como sus abuelos o sus padres. Octopath Traveler no quiere ser comparado con referentes -subrayo- obligados como Chrono Trigger, Earth Bound o Secret of Mana. Octopath Traveler quiere estar a su altura, lucir sus propias cualidades y sobre todo, escribir su propia historia. A los fans del género: este título es obligatorio. Un tesoro, una maravilla. Es platino puro que muchos dieron por simple plata.