Octopath Traveler II

Developer: Square Enix, ACQUIRE Corp.
Publisher: Square Enix
Platforms: PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, Windows, Switch
Release Date: 24 February 2023
Price: $59.99 USD / $84.95 AUD Available Here – PlayStation – Available Here – Switch

Overview

After almost five years, the second iteration of Octopath Traveler is finally here. Once again, players can choose between eight protagonists. Each main character has very distinct backgrounds, personalities and abilities. Octopath Traveler II builds and improves upon its predecessor both in gameplay and story, but it mostly retains its core aspects; namely, its sprawling world ripe for exploration and discovery, fast turn-based battles and a character-driven main story.

Story

The game takes place in the land of Solistia. A world, much like our own, that is divided into east and west by the ocean. Sea sailing, among other technologies, is made possible by the advent of steam. Eight adventurers from all corners of Solistia set out to accomplish their ambitions. With a burning passion in their hearts, they travel forth; some characters only want to escape from a cycle of death and misery, while others vow to change the world.

The story in Octopath 2 is told in multiple chapters. The first chapter is an introduction to the characters’ backgrounds which outlines their reasons for traveling forth. It’s also a general game tutorial. Because of this, chapter one is composed mostly of non-playable sections, and it can feel very drawn out depending on your character of choice. That said, the first chapter does an outstanding job outlining the characters’ personalities and traits.

I only barely glimpsed what the original Octopath was about. At the time, the premise of eight playable characters with their own – mostly – self-contained tales seemed overwhelming, albeit alluring. Now that I finally got to play Octopath 2, I can say that the story is engaging and fun. That is mostly because of how these characters are relatable and charismatic. Their story-lines are intriguing and well-written, even if some of them are comically tropey. As for the overarching plot, it isn’t revealed until the very end of the game.

Gameplay

Once all is said and done, players get to choose which route to take. The overworld map shows which main quests and characters are nearby. During your travels, you’ll encounter other main characters. You can choose to help and then recruit them, or you can pretend you didn’t see anyone and go your own way. If you decide to have them in your party, then their path actions become available to you. Path actions are essential for gathering items and information from NPCs. It’s a good idea to recruit at least a couple of characters. The fewer characters your party has, the more difficult battles become, especially if you’re playing as a healer such as Temenos.

Depending on your character of choice, you might have a fair number of different places to explore right off the bat. I started my game with Throné the thief. Since she has two routes for her second chapter, I could head northeast and find Osvald and Temenos nearby, or take a ship heading west where Hikari, Partitio and Agnes would be easily accessible. I could also go completely off-rails and head south to an island where I’d meet Ochette. These initial areas have low level recommendations, so players shouldn’t have any difficulty exploring them. I can’t remember the last time I played a RPG with so many possibilities as Octopath II. The world of Solistia is huge and abounding with cities, villages and vastly different biomes to explore. 

If all of the above sounds too familiar for your taste, you don’t need to worry; Octopath II introduces a number of new features. There’s now a day and night cycle that influences, among other things, how you interact with NPCs. With the press of a button, you can change between night and day at any time. At night, an additional path action is available for your character. Your reputation won’t suffer if you fail a path action during the night. Nocturnal enemies are stronger than their daylight counterparts. Guilds are another new feature. They provide your party with licenses that allow your characters to change jobs. As you complete quests for a guild, more licenses become available. 

The enemy encounter rate in this game is relatively high. You can’t avoid battles without the use of skills. Thankfully, battles load almost instantaneously, and they’re also fast-paced and fun. There’s a large number of different systems and possible strategies while in combat. The BP (Battle Point) system is still here. BP accumulates each turn and it fortifies your attacks and actions. LP (Latent Power) is a new skill system introduced in Octopath II. By stunning enemies or taking damage, the LP bar fills up. Once Throné activates her latent power, she can act two times in a row, for example. Battles also have a fast forward option, that I think should be mandatory in every turn-based RPG. 

Visuals

Visually, Octopath Traveler II is more of the same when compared to the original game. Regardless, it’s all new to me. I absolutely adore the HD-2D graphics engine and I’d like to see more games using it. Characters and enemies are pixelated – but charming – sprites. Backdrops are completely in 3D. They use very simple geometry and textures with similarly simple effects to simulate depth, lighting and particles. Gorgeous artwork permeates the entire game. The masterful execution and implementation of these components is what brings the world of Solistia and its characters to life. Octopath II’s visuals feel like the natural evolution that 16-bit RPGs were denied for so long. This game is easily one of the best looking RPGs of any era. 

Audio

I didn’t care much for Octopath II’s sound effects design. It’s serviceable but lacking the same energy that oozes from its visuals. The soundtrack is another story. It’s composed of beautiful and varied melodies that are ever-changing; each situation or locale is accompanied by a fitting song, such as the jazzy theme in the city of Delsta, or the calm tunes that play while wandering through the snow fields. There are also multiple battle themes. When transitioning from day to night, a lullaby-esque version of the same song starts playing seamlessly. The voice acting is superb. At least in Japanese, each character utters their lines with conviction and emotion. This is crucial when enjoying story-heavy moments.

Overall

Octopath Traveler II was the RPG that I was looking for. I’m sure that many RPG fans will share the sentiment. I’ve played through a good chunk of the game, and the only complaint that I have up to this point is that the battles are a bit too easy most of the time. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t have a difficulty selector. Even then, Octopath II’s engaging story, tight gameplay, beautiful art direction and soundtrack should be more than enough to satisfy RPG players.

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