Octopath Traveler Review

Octopath Traveler uses 2D sprites and low-resolution 3D models to create an RPG that faithfully combines retro and modern aspects in many ways. The graphics create a distinctive atmosphere that is complemented by artistic touches that bring every town, character, and enemy to life.

Extravagantly drawn visuals not only capture the essence of old-school RPGs such as Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire, and Earthbound but also provide their own unique identity thanks to incredible writing and characters. Octopath Traveler hits you with its charming graphics and beautiful art style before sucking you in with its densely packed adventure that truly captures the essence of a great JRPG.

Octopath Traveler doesn't shine the light on one or a handful of characters. Instead, it's about everyone, with stories sprouting from not only your party but the people around you. Ordinary NPCs pepper the environment, and thanks to strong writing, learning about their past, they serve a purpose other than simply filling up the area.

What is strange is that the characters only acknowledge one another at very key points. For example, Therion has no problem stealing from anyone, but Ophilia Clement, who is a noble person with strong morals, has no problem with it. You don't have to collect all the characters and can miss some since the story is about individual tales instead of a "save the world" adventure.

Much of the story begins in a central town before spreading out to other regions. Each tale is unique to that person, meaning that the other characters are completely ignored during that person's cutscene and appear when a battle begins.

Banter does occur between the characters, but these are limited and far between. This approach aims to keep each tale concise and less complex, but it also creates plot holes, particularly in explaining why these characters are together, given their contrasting personas.

What's surprising is how well the voice acting is. JRPGs are notorious for having subpar voice acting, but here it's actually well done. The issue is that the voice samples for specific actions can become repetitive but are easily dismissible.

Path actions give the NPCs of the world much more significance. Since each character has their unique abilities, such as Olberic Eisenberg, who is able to challenge NPCs to a duel for gold and experience, this provides them with vital roles that the player can choose. Other Path Actions can be used to complete side missions, but some actions are much more nefarious.

Similar to Primrose, who can seduce her followers to fight on her behalf, but if you fail four times, you get blacklisted. This risk versus reward encourages players to determine which Path Actions to use. Do you act nobility, such as Tressa's Purchase ability to buy the NPC's inventory, or do you risk stealing it using Therion? If you happen to fail too many times, the entire village will ostracize you unless you restore your reputation either by completing the chapter or paying a large fine.

The battle system is a turn-based battle system found in retro RPGs. You create a party of 4 characters, each with unique skills and strengths. Everyone is straightforward with their talents, such as Olberic the Warrior, dealing heavy physical damage and packing strong defense, Opheilia acting as one of the best healers, and Primrose being able to buff allies with extra damage and defense. Each part member is distinctly useful, and there's no real wrong build as long as you think prudently.

Obviously, not having a healer in your party will lead to some trouble, or using a lot of magic focus characters against an enemy with a high magical defense isn't wise. You gain access to secondary jobs that allow one character to take on small aspects of another character, but not enough to fully replace that other person.

Class and party build are important because all enemies come with a shield. Each enemy has a specific vulnerability that must be exploited to destroy their shield. Shields range from single to double digits, and when destroyed, the enemy is completely at your mercy. Boost points are available for those dire moments to increase damage or support skills, but determining when to save or use these points becomes critical during the difficult fights.

What brings Octopath Traveler together is its outstanding soundtrack. A true masterpiece that rivals some of the best RPGs ever made, everything from exploration to boss fights becomes a charged situation that envelops the player in a mixture of musical instruments. The developers went above and beyond to ensure that the story, gameplay, and soundtrack all complemented one another for an unbelievable adventure.

Octopath Traveler is a true JRPG from start to finish. It doesn't try to be something else or adapt to both casual and hardcore gamers. The dense story, turn-based combat, and challenging gameplay all channel the best elements fans of this genre love. Octopath Traveler won't win over any new fans, but those who love JRPGs will find more than enough reasons to continue playing till the end.