Octopath Traveler 0

Octopath Traveler 0 is one of this year’s best RPGs in a banner year for the genre. It’s also weirdly not an adventure for the faint of heart as it’s one of its grimmest ( and I include the likes of Silent Hill f in that appraisal) and could do with a massive trigger warning at the opening. However, despite the dire circumstances our heroes often find themselves in, there’s still a lot of hope in Octopath Traveler 0. Its themes of community and people uniting to build a welcoming home for anyone who wants to live there are admirable. In a time where the rich and powerful are urging the rest of us to shut others out, it’s a message that’s needed more than ever.

Octopath Traveler 0 isn't a flawless game; there are moments where the pace dips, but overall, its strengths balance this out quite well. If you enjoy turn-based JRPGs, especially if you've enjoyed other games in the series, this adventure is definitely worth checking out for its music, story progression, and pixel graphics.

Although retreading a familiar nostalgic path, Octopath Traveler 0 improves its JRPG formula, while also being an enhanced and unabridged adaptation of the series' mobile spin-off without the grubby monetization. The cast may not have the same limelight as the original (flawed) premise intended but they still shine in turn-based battles that are among the genre's finest.

Octopath Traveler 0 reinvents the series with an exceptional combat system, memorable villains, and a deeply strategic structure. The created protagonist, the rebuilding of Wishvale, and the Mastery Skills inject welcome freshness, although uneven pacing, simplified Path Actions, and an inconsistent narrative hold it back. Even so, it remains an ambitious JRPG that shines brilliantly at its best.

Yes, Octopath Traveler 0 can feel a bit bloated at times, but it’s also the best thematic use of the series to date of the “anthology” style of storytelling, all held together by deliciously dark villains and an uplifting core message. More than anything, it’s astounding how ambitious this game is in terms of transforming a mobile experience into a single-player RPG — on a level that we’ve quite honestly never seen in video games before. It’s experimental and messy in many ways, but so much more compelling because of that exact reason...In a world where mobile games end service and ultimately disappear from history, I genuinely hope this is a blueprint both Square Enix and others can continue to use. But in the meantime, I can at least say Octopath is on the right track.