By Jon Scarr
I still remember the first time I saw Octopath Traveler running on my Nintendo Switch. That mix of pixel art and modern lighting looked wild back then, and it stuck with me. So when Octopath Traveler 0 showed up in a Nintendo Partner Showcase this past summer, I got that same little spark again. I knew it was a prequel, and I knew it came from the mobile Champions of the Continent release, but I wanted to see how it would feel on Nintendo Switch 2 without the gacha hooks. That curiosity pushed me into this Octopath Traveler 0 review, and the game ended up taking over more nights than I expected.
This one brings the series back to Orsterra. It also shifts away from the usual eight heroes and follows a single customizable lead. The tone feels familiar, but the setup is different enough to catch your attention fast. You also get a rebuilt story that connects the major arcs in a way that works better for a traditional console RPG.
What surprised me most was how well the gameplay fits this prequel. The town building, the eight character battle setup, and the huge roster come together in a way that feels right beside Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler II. Playing on Nintendo Switch 2 helped too. The HD 2D style looks clean on this hardware and made exploring Orsterra feel familiar right away.
Octopath Traveler 0 Details
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch 2
Developer: Square Enix, DokiDoki Groove Works
Publisher: Square Enix
Genre: Turn based RPG
Available game modes: Single player
ESRB Rating: Teen
Paths That Shape Your Journey
Octopath Traveler 0 brings you back to Orsterra, but the setup lands a little differently this time. Instead of meeting eight leads and bouncing between their paths, you follow one customizable protagonist who carries the weight of everything that happens in Wishvale. The game opens on a quiet routine that falls apart fast, and I still remember sitting there for a moment after that shift. It is a darker start than I expected, and it made the journey feel a bit more focused right away.
The story branches into three main arcs built around Power, Wealth, and Fame. Each path follows one of the major antagonists, and you can take them on in any order. I liked how clean the structure felt as I moved between them. You are never locked into one tone for too long, and swapping between regions kept the pacing steady. It helped that each arc has its own mood and locations, so even when the stakes lined up, the way they unfolded stayed fresh.
You also return to Wishvale throughout the adventure. After the early time skip, it becomes your home base and a place you shape over time. Seeing it slowly change gave the story some breathing room. It created a simple loop where exploring the world and checking back in with the village felt connected in a natural way.
The story is still full of side chapters and small character moments, but the focus stays on the main path. That shift from eight leads to one makes the whole journey easier to follow. It kept me grounded, even when the three arcs pulled me across the map in different directions.
Battles That Keep You Thinking
Octopath Traveler 0 keeps the core turn based flow the series is known for, but it mixes things up enough to give you plenty to think about. Combat centers on finding weaknesses, breaking enemies, and deciding when to boost your attacks. That part feels familiar, but the eight character layout changes the pace in a good way. Four stay up front, and four recover in the back, and being able to switch between them on a turn gives fights a steady rhythm. It also takes some pressure off when things get rough. I had a few moments where swapping someone out at the last second saved a longer battle from falling apart.
Exploring towns and moving through regions follows the same simple loop from earlier games. Path Actions let you check in on NPCs, buy items, get help in battle, or guide someone back to Wishvale. It gives each area a reason to revisit without slowing the pace. I liked how often I found myself drifting back into older spots just to see who I could talk to next.
Town building ties everything together. Wishvale starts in rough shape, and cleaning it up feels good right away. Placing buildings, opening new areas, and inviting people in gave the gameplay a second loop that never pulled me too far from the main road. I remember dropping a new shop into place and realizing the layout finally made sense. It was a small moment, but it made the village feel like something I had actually shaped over time.
The large roster helps too. Having so many characters to work with keeps party changes interesting without forcing you into one setup. There is always another angle to try when a fight slows down.
A Clear Look at Orsterra
Octopath Traveler 0 sticks with the HD 2D look the series is known for, and it works well again here. The lighting, the layered backgrounds, and the sharp sprites all come together in a way that feels familiar if you played the earlier games. It does not try to shift the style into something new. Instead, it leans on clean details and steady visual clarity that make each area easy to read as you move through it.
I spent a lot of time just walking through towns and watching how small things sat in the background. Simple touches like flickering lights or slow moving shadows made it easy to fall into a calm loop between story beats. There was a moment in Emberglow where I stopped near a bridge just to look at the water. Nothing fancy happened there. It just felt nice to take in for a second before heading to the next objective.
Character sprites look sharp too. The animations land cleanly, especially in battle, and that helps the flow of combat feel readable even with so many effects happening at once. Larger locations also hold up well when the camera shifts slightly to frame a moment. You can see the effort in small places, like stone paths or worn wooden signs, and that steady detail helps the world feel consistent from one region to the next.
The HD 2D style has already proven itself across the series, and Octopath Traveler 0 sticks with that look in a way that feels consistent and easy to follow.
Octopath Traveler 0 Is a Solid RPG With Moments That Really Hit
Spending time with Octopath Traveler 0 reminded me why I liked the series in the first place. It brings back the familiar loop without feeling stale. The mix of story paths, battles, and town moments came together in a way that kept me moving from one goal to the next. I never felt boxed in by the structure, even when things slowed down. That steady rhythm helped the longer playtime feel easier to manage.
I kept thinking back to my time with Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler II. Those games built their identity around groups of heroes, but this one works because it takes a different approach. Following a single lead felt strange at first, yet the shift gave the world a clearer center. I liked that change more than I expected.
There are places where the game holds back, mostly around difficulty jumps and how crowded the cast can feel. Some characters do not get the same room to breathe, and a few late battles pushed me harder than anything else in the series. Even so, the game found a steady balance again once I settled into my eight character setup.
The biggest thing that stuck with me was how easy it was to fall into a late night session without noticing the time. That usually tells me a game has something worth returning to. Octopath Traveler 0 earns that feeling by giving you a world that feels good to revisit. It finds its own space in the series and builds something that stands well on its own.
Octopath Traveler 0 Review Summary
Liked
- Strong eight character battle setup with smooth switching
- Wishvale town building adds a fun layer to the adventure
- Large cast with lots of team options
- Clean HD 2D style with steady performance
- Clear structure across Power Fame and Wealth paths
Didn't Like
- - Difficulty jumps in a few mid game fights
- - Some characters get very little story time
- - Silent lead can feel flat during key scenes
Overall Assessment of Octopath Traveler 0
Gameplay: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4 / 5)
Graphics: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5 / 5)
Sound: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4 / 5)
Replayability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5 / 5)