Developers Acquire and publishers Square Enix has just released their third game in the Octopath Traveler series. Octopath Traveler II is now available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation consoles, and PC.
The game is similar to Japanese RPGs and the other entries in the series in which you play as eight characters whose stories intertwine into one. A new addition is the day and night time, which changes how your character interacts with non-player characters. This means that each character has two “Path Actions”, as it is called in the game.
Octopath Traveler II takes place in the world of Solistia. While the other game took place in a medieval setting, this game takes place in a more modern world. Which gives it something of a Victorian 19th-century feel.
The game mixes 2D pixel art with 3D, which they call “HD-2D.” It is a unique look which gives the game a diorama or paper cut-out feel to it.
The battle system stays the same with its “Break” and “Boost” mechanics. If you weaken an enemy in combat by exposing enough weaknesses, the enemy becomes temporarily weaker. Boost points, on the other hand, are earned every turn and can be used to make extra moves. One new battle mechanic is the introduction of limit breaks like in the Final Fantasy games called “Latent Powers”.
While I never really gave the first game much of a chance. This one seems much better and with a more colourful setting. Octopath Traveler II is probably the best new RPG that you should try.
The Japanese know how to make weird and fun trailers. You can make friends through food.
While it isn’t currently available on Xbox platforms, expect it to be released on it eventually.
A demo is available on all platforms, which allows you to play for three hours and carry over your saved game data to the actual game.
Octopath Traveler is still available on Xbox and PC Game Pass until 1st March 2023. If you want to quickly play through the game before you play the sequel. Which will only take you between 60 to 100 hours to complete.
King Toko 