By Adam Roffel
If there is one thing you can say about Octopath Traveler, it is that it understands exactly why older role-playing games worked without relying solely on that to create a new experience. Octopath Traveler, Square Enix’s 2018 Nintendo Switch RPG, is now available on Nintendo Switch 2. It borrows many ideas from traditional 16-bit Japanese RPGs but gives them a unique twist for modern consoles.
By doing this, Square Enix created an adventure that is simultaneously familiar and distinctive. It is a sprawling fantasy with eight playable characters, each with their own unique story, and a combat system that turns the find-the-weakness mechanic into something that requires a lot more strategy.
Octopath Traveler Details
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch 2
Developer: ACQUIRE Corp.
Publisher: SQUARE ENIX
Genre: Role-playing
Game Modes: Single-player
Eight Characters, Eight Stories
The first unique twist is having eight different playable characters, each with their own path. Players begin by choosing one of eight travellers, each with a unique background, profession, and motivation, before setting out across the continent of Orsterra.
The eight characters include a cleric undertaking a sacred pilgrimage, a scholar searching for a missing tome, and a merchant eager to see the world. There is also a dancer hunting down the people responsible for her father’s death. There are still four others we haven’t discussed, all with different stories and different motivations.
The stories generally play out individually from each other. Even though you can work through multiple stories at the same time as characters meet each other in the world, there isn’t a lot tying them together.
As you move into the late game, however, things begin to connect a bit more directly. The final moments of the game connect everything together in an overarching plot.
Honestly, it’s a brilliant design that works incredibly well. As we noted at the start of this review, this is Square Enix taking traditional Japanese RPG ideas and building on them to create a unique experience.
A Good Story Bolstered by Good Mechanics
A solid story is only going to take a game so far. Thankfully, Octopath Traveler supports a solid story with amazing gameplay mechanics that make the turn-based combat incredibly accessible. I’m not really a turn-based combat master, but it didn’t take me long to figure out the game’s Break and Boost systems.
Each enemy has a number of weaknesses that can be exploited with specific weapon or skill types. Every successful attack that targets an enemy’s weakness lowers its Shield Points. Once those points hit zero, the enemy enters a Break state, cancelling its current and next turn and creating an opening to deal more damage.
To be really successful, it’s important to combine Breaks and Boosts. Boost Points build up during battle and can be spent to increase the number of attacks in a turn or strengthen an action. Timing them around a Break can help you deal a ton of damage without getting attacked in return. It’s very powerful and incredibly easy to understand after only a few fights.
Your character levels matter as well, and thankfully the game does a good job pushing you in the right direction. If an area has a suggested level above your own, it’s not likely you’ll get far.
Between earning levels and getting better gear, all the traditional RPG elements are here. Unfortunately for some, that might mean grinding a bit to increase your level and advance the story.
The Complete Package Looks and Plays Amazingly
Very few games can be considered complete, but Octopath Traveler is one of them. Story? Check. Gameplay mechanics? Check. Graphics and performance? Check.
Octopath Traveler uses an HD-2D art style that looks absolutely stunning. Characters and enemies are all rendered in 2D, but the world you explore is 3D. Both the character design and the environments look amazing.
Whether trekking through the world during the day or night, everything looks better than you’d ever imagine based on the description of the game. Shadows and lighting are top-notch as well. This is some of the best lighting work I’ve ever seen in a video game.
On Nintendo Switch 2, Octopath Traveler has a noticeably smoother framerate and great load times, so you’ll be playing a lot more than you’ll be watching load screens.
Octopath Traveler Is an Easy Recommendation
Octopath Traveler provides well over 75 hours of gameplay broken down into eight unique stories. Unlike RPGs that focus on a single main protagonist, where the story and gameplay can become dull and repetitive, Square Enix has harnessed a great system here to tell eight unique stories that never overstay their welcome.
A wide variety of characters, motivations, and gameplay mechanics make each experience different. You aren’t forced to play one character to completion at a time either.
While some storylines are undoubtedly better than others, they are all above average in my opinion. Octopath Traveler is one of the best RPGs of all time, and after experiencing it for myself, I understand why.
If you want to see where the series goes next, I also reviewed Octopath Traveler II on Nintendo Switch 2.
Octopath Traveler Review Summary
Liked
- Eight travellers with distinct stories and motivations
- Break and Boost combat is easy to learn and rewards good timing
- HD-2D visuals and lighting look fantastic
- Nintendo Switch 2 version runs smoothly with quick load times
- More than 75 hours of RPG content across eight stories
Didn't Like
- Character stories stay mostly separate until late in the game
- Some storylines are stronger than others
- Level requirements can mean stopping to grind
Overall Assessment of Octopath Traveler
Gameplay: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.8 / 5)
Presentation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5.0 / 5)
Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.9 / 5)
Story / Narrative: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.7 / 5)
Fun Factor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.8 / 5)
Overall Value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.8 / 5)
Adam Roffel
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