Octopath Traveler

Genre: Turn-Based JRPG

Players: 1

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Review:

(Note: This game is included in the Octopath Traveler + Octopath Traveler II Bundle, along with Octopath Traveler II.)

Octopath Traveler is a JRPG that plays very much like a classic-style 16-bit RPG brought into the modern day, making use of a unique combination of sprite-based characters and 3D environments, giving us both nostalgia and an eye-popping presentation that’s distinct, memorable, and feels very new.

While the biggest first impression here is going to be made by the game’s wonderful graphics, that’s not to say the other areas are lacking. The game’s story is fun and interesting with some lovable, memorable characters, complete with a fair amount of actually really good voice acting (though not for everything, sadly), the game’s soundtrack is excellent, and overall every facet of this game does a great job of pushing forward the “new meets old” idea that seems to be the game’s main thrust.

Along with that is the gameplay, which similarly takes the old, menu-based combat and does interesting new things with it, such as the “Boost Point” system that allows you to use actions that would otherwise be wasted while waiting for the enemy to become vulnerable to an attack to charge up your attacks on the turn that matters.

Of course, in addition to that there’s the game’s key theme of eight stories for its eight central characters, each of whom can join the others’ parties after they get far enough in their own respective stories. It’s an interesting concept, but I really wish the game did more with it – these stories don’t interconnect quite as much as I’d like them to, and I really wish there was more effort made to tie them together and make these characters interact.

However, while Octopath Traveler misses out on potential to be even more than what it is, what it is happens to still be a fantastic, memorable, must-have JRPG that fans of the genre who have a Switch should absolutely consider a must-have.

tl;dr – Octopath Traveler is a JRPG that mixes old-school game design with refreshing new elements to make for something truly unique and distinctive. While it could have done more with its “eight stories” concept, what’s here is nevertheless an excellent game that fans of the genre should absolutely play.

Grade: A

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