The original Octopath Traveler had such a strong presence that it inspired an entirely new visual style fans have asked for in their favourite games. The HD-2D engine inspired a lot of faith in classic remakes, but the gameplay it brought with it made for some incredible encounters along the way. Square Enix has been on a hot streak as of late and while it seems like there are no signs of slowing down, you’ll want to when playing Octopath Traveler 2.
So, you might ask, what’s changed in the five years since the original Octopath Traveler launched? Well, let’s get into that question, since it seems like there aren’t many changes. While many of the same elements appear, it’s odd that more work wasn’t done to build on the sturdy foundations its predecessor laid half a decade ago.
Eight new adventures within the world of Solistia
At first glance, Octopath Traveler 2 hardly changes anything compared to its predecessor, initially released exclusively for Nintendo Switch. Visually, the world, with its tilt-shifted view of the world, is incredible, returning to showcase why so many of us adore the HD-2D engine.
While you experience the world from a bird’s-eye view, the classic turn-based battles take place in a more lateral view. The Boost system, which lets you overcharge attacks or land several blows in succession, returns, as does the Break system, which removes opponents’ resistance to leave them vulnerable.
You experience Octopath Traveler 2 by selecting your main character, as the first title did. Each character has their own story, but the sequel resolves many of the issues. An introductory chapter will familiarize you with the situation before letting you dive into the world and explore it to your heart’s content. From there, you’ll begin to meet other characters, the same ones who will go on to lead their chapter of this colourful storybook, before ultimately coming together for the finale.
I’m glad you can tackle the eight character arcs on your terms, which is what the ‘Octopath’ name denotes. However, unlike last year’s Live A Live, which let you start and stop a chapter if you weren’t ready to continue, Octopath Traveler 2 locks you into the character’s campaign until you clear it. It’s a minor nitpick, but once you’ve had that freedom, it’s hard to go back to a similar title without it.
Octopath Traveler 2 is a safe sequel but it improves on many aspects of its predecessor
Thankfully, for most of the time I spent with these characters, many had better-written stories than their predecessor. One standout character you’ll meet in Octopath Traveler 2 is Osvald, caught up in a revenge plot that may feel familiar but is executed in a refreshing way. Other characters aren’t as impressive as Agnea’s obsessive search for fame, a tale I couldn’t wait to move on from. Throné’s tale of leaving her past behind as a thief makes for good drama, balancing some lesser stories with better-written ones.
There’s more to do this go-around, with each character having a pair of abilities to match the newly implemented day-and-night cycle. You get one ability for the day and one for the night, and you can also toggle the cycle freely instead of waiting. You’ll only meet certain characters at night, so it’s a welcome bonus instead of waiting for them to appear, which would make the gameplay drag on unnecessarily. Additionally, enemies will offer more challenging encounters if you head out at night.
Speaking of encounters, combat is turn-based, and many mechanics remain essentially unchanged. Encounters are random and often challenging, but the Boost and Break systems make most encounters a fun risk-reward scenario. If you use your party member’s Boost Point, it’ll quadruple your attack power. Every enemy also has Shield Points, which you must break through with physical or magic attacks. Once the Shield Points are depleted, the enemy enters a Break period when it’s vulnerable to attack. To mix things up, the developers added Latent Powers, character-specific attacks that can turn the tide by supercharging your abilities as you fill a new gauge.
Compared to its predecessor, Octopath Traveler 2 has better-written characters, and you’ll want to use them actively in battle, but party management is a mess. In the first Octopath Traveler, only four active party members gained experience, leaving the others to fall behind. This trend continues in the sequel, which, paired with low starting levels, makes grinding necessary again if you want to keep the entire team evenly levelled. Archaic design decisions still show up today, and this one stands out more than others — I’d like to see games stop using this to inflate playtime, but it still persists.
I hoped we’d see what an overworld would look like in the HD-2D style this time, but Octopath Traveler 2 is essentially interconnected paths. Many locations in Solistia have an incredible vibe and feel far more realized than Orsterra ever did. Similarly, the new Crossed Path mechanic is worth mentioning, since it focuses on two party members in generally short missions across your map. It certainly feels like these stories were added because the first game had no consistency between characters who barely interacted. Now, you’ve got the opposite: building blocks for something bigger, but it never hits a satisfying stride.
Verdict
Octopath Traveler 2 is a safe sequel that builds on and fleshes out the systems from its predecessor. Not much has changed in five years, and whether it needs a drastic change is a topic for future discussion. For now, revel in the gorgeous graphics and impressive battle system, which is a blast because it expects you to exploit your enemies’ weaknesses. Many characters are better written and feel better to use, so things feel much more interconnected this time. And you’ll want that, given it might take you 100 hours to get the whole experience.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: Switch
