Octopath Traveler II

 Switch
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 186 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 161 out of 186
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 186
  3. Negative: 20 out of 186
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  1. SamAxe00
    Sep 10, 2023
    9
    Incredible art, music, voice acting and story. The JRPG style gets a little grindy but is managed well in this title. Fun sequel with quality improvements.
  2. Themajority
    Sep 5, 2023
    7
    I bought this game day one because I loved the first one. This one is also good but nothing really changed nor has enough to keep me wanting to play it. Overall it's a good game and hopefully I will go back to it. The majority speaks
  3. karnix
    Sep 3, 2023
    10
    With beautiful graphics and one of the best ost I've heard, it improves on everything from the first one, with a deeper and more strategic combat and with much more endearing characters and stories than the first one.
  4. kjloma
    Sep 3, 2023
    10
    Best jrpg of this year, a deep combat system with a lot of customization that encourages experimentation, beautiful graphics and fantastic OST and stories and characters much better carried than in the previous one.
  5. Onioncreature
    Aug 13, 2023
    9
    A fairly big improvement over the first title in the original HD-2D series. The story in particular is far more compelling overall. Gameplay has seen some quality of life improvements which increased my enjoyment. The first Octopath barely featured any interactions between the various travelers, and this game remedies that for the most part by including a fair amount of opportunitiesA fairly big improvement over the first title in the original HD-2D series. The story in particular is far more compelling overall. Gameplay has seen some quality of life improvements which increased my enjoyment. The first Octopath barely featured any interactions between the various travelers, and this game remedies that for the most part by including a fair amount of opportunities for characters to talk to each other between chapters. Music is also a strong point, as are the visuals which have seen a slight upgrade. The finale is far more accessible and well done in this game, which I greatly appreciated; I never finished Octopath 1 since it's ending was so obtuse and inconvenient to find. The amount of content is vast, perhaps too vast, but for the most part largely enjoyable and of a high quality. The classic RPG gameplay is still lots of fun, and I didn't tire of it in spite of the games gargantuan length. I highly recommend this title, it does have some flaws but is a great time regardless.… Expand
  6. Archgabe
    Aug 6, 2023
    10
    By far one of the best JRPGs I’ve ever played! The graphics, battle difficulty, side quests and characters stories have improved a lot since the first game, which is also amazing!
  7. sicksak
    Jul 19, 2023
    10
    One of the best jrpg I've played. Lot of content and music is amazing. A must play for jrpg fans
  8. OmegaAP
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    A superb follow up from part 1 which is better in almost every way. Bring on Octo 3
  9. Irvamon1
    Jun 25, 2023
    10
    I love OT1 and now OT2. I am all for the continuation of this genre HD-2D game. The characters, the story, the grind for level are really enjoyable.
  10. DJBobRokk
    Jun 15, 2023
    4
    Pain for my eyes due to poor graphic rendition and bad layout infos on screen.. boring gameplay..
    Great story as ever for these games, but (for me) it's far to be enough..
  11. Meeuwke84
    May 21, 2023
    10
    Amazing journey, awesome lore, exiting untill the very end, highly recommend this game if you love turn base rpgs, a must play imo
  12. Taylorflattire
    Mar 8, 2023
    10
    One of the best JRPGS I've played. It improves upon the original in almost every way. The battle system seems similar but has a lot of new depth from the latent powers. The stories are much less formulaic and predictable the the original. Definitely recommend for all fans of the genre
  13. Xaboss
    May 5, 2023
    10
    OMG the review bombing this is receiving is unreal! One of the best jrpgs your going to play with 8 of the most interesting histories your going to read.
  14. aquarian0121
    May 4, 2023
    10
    A very well thought out variety of stories and great music. It was very interesting to see the story of the eight people connected to one story. The settings of the town and townspeople are detailed. Eight people can do different things to one townsman, and the variation in conversation that changes between day and night is amazing. It feels like the world of this game is alive.
  15. grahf_11
    Apr 27, 2023
    1
    This is a $20 game at most. Combat is boring and repetitive. Maybe you need to play the first one, but I immediately lost interest when I was provided no guidance on what exactly I was supposed to be doing or why. Boring story, boring game.
  16. alodude777
    Apr 23, 2023
    8
    I put 65 hours in. Beat all the main story quests, dual side quests, and skipped most of the unnecessary NPC side quests, except for when I needed the item reward. I got all legendary (battle-tested) gear and went on to finish the thing.

    Overall, very good! I didn't play the original. I liked 4/8 of the stories. The stories I didn't care about I just skipped and got the gist of. I    I put 65 hours in. Beat all the main story quests, dual side quests, and skipped most of the unnecessary NPC side quests, except for when I needed the item reward. I got all legendary (battle-tested) gear and went on to finish the thing.

    Overall, very good! I didn't play the original. I liked 4/8 of the stories. The stories I didn't care about I just skipped and got the gist of. I feel I would have enjoyed the game more if they interconnected the stories of only a few characters instead of 8. Once they come together at the end, it's a little awkward. The personalities don't fit together and you get a weird feeling. Very unlike FFX when the characters all feed off each other and grow together. This is the main thing that it's missing. Think of it as 8 short, separate tales, that are effected by some greater evil...then they come together in the end. They tried to fix this with "story banter", but it comes off as very contrived.

    The combat was fun. I enjoyed the final boss battle. It was epic because you get to control all 8 in combat at once. Never seen that. I had fun in that fight.

    Wouldn't play again, but was worth the price of admission. Looking forward to FF 16    … Expand
  17. Tiwill
    Apr 23, 2023
    10
    Octopath Traveler II tells us that we don't need to be a superstar in order to bring hope to people. If you can make even just one person smile, you've accomplished something incredible and they will be a ray of happiness to you in return.

    It conveys the idea that anyone can lose their way if they let their own pain taint their actions, and that it can be difficult to get out of that    Octopath Traveler II tells us that we don't need to be a superstar in order to bring hope to people. If you can make even just one person smile, you've accomplished something incredible and they will be a ray of happiness to you in return.

    It conveys the idea that anyone can lose their way if they let their own pain taint their actions, and that it can be difficult to get out of that state of mind without a helping hand. Being patient with such a person in a time of need may blossom into a lifelong bond. Saving someone from their inner turmoils and giving them a chance to get back on their feet is a worthwhile endeavor.

    It urges us to seek our own path, for we can never be truly free when adhering to someone else's expectations unwillingly. Sometimes, if your words fall on deaf ears, the only option left is to remove that person from your life.

    It encourages us to be good to people, with no ulterior motive, and not to be insecure when challenged by misguided individuals who perform irrefutably malevolent deeds. If you let yourself be swayed by someone who acts with hatred, resentment or jealousy in their heart, you can quickly become just as lost as they are. It also reminds of the importance of patient critical thinking over immediate emotional response.

    It even manages to tackle the topic of technological advancement and the need for wealth redistribution as new things get invented that improve the efficiency of production. After all, if knowledge exists to be shared with all, dough shouldn't just be hoarded either.

    It is a tale about enjoying the simple pleasures of life, and spreading warmth and happiness around us.

    ~ ~ ~

    This game is more than everything I had hoped for in a sequel to the first game. Much of the praise I had for that game also applies here, so I won't repeat all of the things Octopath Traveler II took from the first game that didn't need to be fixed, but let's dive into the ways in which it improves upon the original.

    Improvements to the skills make it so there are much more ways to break enemies, and classes have been rebalanced in a way that feels like they all complement each other even better than before. The new Latent Power and EX Skills also make each character have a stronger identity in combat, and there is now a way to equip the same sub-class onto more than one character if you want to.

    This series continues to have best-in-class music. As catchy as it is epic, as comforting as it is melancholic. Most of it is new, but a couple of melodies from the first game made a return in remixed fashion, striking a chord of nostalgia within me while strengthening the continuity of the series. It gave me the sentiment that these eight new travelers were experiencing emotions that the characters from the first game had also felt on their journey, despite having completely different stories. This is just one example of Team Asano's masterful understanding of emotion. Emotions are not unique; if it's a real emotion, then anyone can relate to it, because we are all human. Hearing those melodies again made me feel those intended emotions twice as strongly, as I thought of my past adventures in the continent of Orsterra as well as my current ones in Solistia.

    Something I love about this series is how much the story feels like it ties into the gameplay and vice versa, and they went above and beyond this time to give us some jaw-dropping moments with the path actions at the end of each story. They somehow even managed to weave in the new day/night cycle mechanic into the plot.

    The world is even more fun to explore due to the addition of boats and the way the map is less predictable to navigate. I think there are also more bosses to defeat, or at least they are spread out better. I still recommend equipping the Evasive Maneuvers scholar skill to reduce the encounter rate, making it just right as you explore. The chapters are also less formulaic this time around, making it so you don't know for sure what to expect from a given chapter. The post-game is much expanded as well, with some fully voiced side-quests that let you see what happened to some important characters in the story. Speaking of, the Japanese voice acting performances are absolutely fantastic and full of life.

    The new cross paths really help tie everything together. And when I say everything ties together in the end, I mean it. Also, in the first game, a lot of the camaraderie between your party members came from your own imagination and roleplay. I'm glad that aspect is still present throughout the game, but there's a lot more jerky around the bone this time around, if you will. The final segment of the game made everyone feel even closer than I imagined my party in the first game to be, boosting the affection I have for these characters even more.

    As the end approached, I didn't want to say goodbye. I'm grateful for this warm feeling... thank you for traveling with me.    … Expand
  18. YFA
    Apr 19, 2023
    8
    I haven't finished it yet but it's such a comfort game to me, way way better storylines than the first Octopath Traveller in my opinion, all characters are so different and likable, the characters might even be better than the first game. but honestly I'd not recommend purchasing it at full price, if you love RPG/turn-based games then go for it, but if it's a new territory for you then I'dI haven't finished it yet but it's such a comfort game to me, way way better storylines than the first Octopath Traveller in my opinion, all characters are so different and likable, the characters might even be better than the first game. but honestly I'd not recommend purchasing it at full price, if you love RPG/turn-based games then go for it, but if it's a new territory for you then I'd say wait for discounts. So far, my only con is that you can't walk for 10 seconds till you get into combat, I HATED that so much, i know these games are supposed to be like that, but I still wished they tuned it down a bit because i genuinely cant walk 1 minute straight without an enemy ambushing me, takes away from the fun if i'm being honest.… Expand
  19. Tortor
    Apr 18, 2023
    3
    Oof the writing in this game is just terrible. Some of the characters have had absolutely the worst story premises in comparison to other characters that it feels like all the writers energy maybe went into 2 characters primarily and everyone else got this half baked and generic plot line to get through.

    The writing for some of the villains is also cartoonishly evil. I absolutely could    Oof the writing in this game is just terrible. Some of the characters have had absolutely the worst story premises in comparison to other characters that it feels like all the writers energy maybe went into 2 characters primarily and everyone else got this half baked and generic plot line to get through.

    The writing for some of the villains is also cartoonishly evil. I absolutely could not roll my eyes hard enough everytime a main villain came up. It's laid on way too thick and sometimes just feels like it lacked purpose. Someone being so obviously evil just to be evil and their evilness laid on so thick so there is no question to their evilness just sucked.

    The combat also is so generic as well. Everything felt way too easy to cheese or over level yourself out of. Honestly the only redeeming quality of this game i found was it's music and art. I however could not get past this completly awful disjointed and generic writing.    … Expand
  20. GameforGamers
    Apr 17, 2023
    10
    Octopath Traveler 2 is an amazing sequel that lives up to all the hype. The game is a classic HD 2D RPG with a unique combat system and an intriguing story. The graphics are gorgeous, with beautiful character designs and detailed environments. The game also features an impressive cast of characters, each with their own unique personalities and backstories. The combat is fast-paced andOctopath Traveler 2 is an amazing sequel that lives up to all the hype. The game is a classic HD 2D RPG with a unique combat system and an intriguing story. The graphics are gorgeous, with beautiful character designs and detailed environments. The game also features an impressive cast of characters, each with their own unique personalities and backstories. The combat is fast-paced and strategic, and the boss battles are especially thrilling. Overall, Octopath Traveler 2 is an excellent RPG and a testament to the developers' attention to detail and commitment to quality. Highly recommended for fans of classic RPGs.… Expand
  21. jenks91
    Apr 10, 2023
    0
    The 2D HD is amazing. Each character has a great story and the combat style I just absolutely love. The characters actually interact with each other unlike in the first game as well. Beautiful art and some new twists and mechanics compared to the OG OT
  22. Zski
    Apr 2, 2023
    8
    I played the first game with pretty low expectations, and it exceeded my expectations. I went in to this game with the expectations set by the last game, and again it exceeded my expectations. The sequel doesn’t really add anything revolutionary to the formula from the original game, but it completely improves and refines everything that was set by the original game. This game is easilyI played the first game with pretty low expectations, and it exceeded my expectations. I went in to this game with the expectations set by the last game, and again it exceeded my expectations. The sequel doesn’t really add anything revolutionary to the formula from the original game, but it completely improves and refines everything that was set by the original game. This game is easily among the best RPGs on the Switch.

    The graphics are stunning. They channel those old Super Nintendo RPGs while really maximizing the HD-2D to make them feel fully modern. The music is truly unbelievable, every single track enhances the atmosphere and the setting, but it really captures the underlying emotions of what is happening. The stories vary in quality, but largely they are a big improvement to the previous game. There are many awesome moments in the game. The characters are generally better as well and provide a lot of great variety. The new gameplay elements aren’t game changers, but they all add to an improved experience. Luckily the gameplay of the turn based mechanics largely remain the same, and it’s fantastic. Easy to pick up, very rewarding once you start to master it. The general flow of the game is much better as well - the original game felt pretty linear despite giving you the option of doing the stories how you wanted to, this game feels like a sweet spot where it isn’t a wide open world, but it feels like the story unfolds with how you guide it. The only issue I’m finding is the length, which I’m a bit torn about. It’s an extremely long game, which may make it feel like it overstays it’s welcome, but I think the redeeming factor is how there are many hard stopping points that don’t really interfere with the fluidity of the story. So you can easily play it for a few weeks/months, take some time off, and relatively easily resume where you left off.

    After about 15-20 hours I ended up changing my review from a 9 to an 8. The game is still great, but once you unlock most of the map and you are just following through with the different chapters of the characters, it gets so cutscene heavy that it becomes really hard to stomach at times. I can’t tell you how many times my screen went dim from not touching any buttons. The core gameplay is fantastic, but the further you get into the game, the less you spend actually playing it. Or the other alternative is that instead of a massively cutscene heavy chapter, you will get a chapter that is just a short linear dungeon that forced you to grind there for an hour or so. That’s not the case with all storylines, but it’s very noticeable. Part of me really appreciates the variety, but the other part of me lost interest because of the lack of focus. Overall it’s still an excellent game that builds upon the original game in a large way. It has a lot of content to keep you busy, but the content quality has such great variance that it’s hard to remain consistently excited.    … Expand
  23. Ramas
    Apr 1, 2023
    10
    One of the best rpgs i played in last few years, maybe even the best. Music, story, art style, everything rocks! I love Japan :)
  24. eldaliving
    Mar 30, 2023
    10
    Me encanto el primer juego muchisimo y puedo decir lo mismo de este segundo juego. Las historias son muy bueno y tambien las peleas contras los bossess. La musica es 12/10 tambien. Si hacen una tercera, queremos que Primrose del primer juego regrese con una nueva historia!!!
  25. Sensou
    Mar 28, 2023
    9
    One of the best JRPG I've played.

    Never play the 1st one but kind of intriguing for the 2nd one which I decide to make a purchase on it and I didn't regret it at all. Only looking at the 1st game and comparing it with the 2nd one, this one has a better visual design in characters and environment which everything look unique and distinct where the 1st one looks kind of bland and every    One of the best JRPG I've played.

    Never play the 1st one but kind of intriguing for the 2nd one which I decide to make a purchase on it and I didn't regret it at all.

    Only looking at the 1st game and comparing it with the 2nd one, this one has a better visual design in characters and environment which everything look unique and distinct where the 1st one looks kind of bland and every characters look similar.

    Combat is tight and pretty strategic at some point with the Break and Boost mechanic. I know the word of "tedious" keep coming out when talking about this but I completely fine with random encounter where it exactly helps you to gain enough XP for the upcoming battle so I never under-leveled for it.

    Story is amazing, some of them are lacking at certain chapter but overall each one of them has a great story from certain chapter. Agnea for example, seems weak at first but as I progress through her story, it's pretty charming and heart-warming. On the opposite for Hikari, starts out pretty strong but turns to be a basic story at the end of it.

    For characters, everyone of them are amazing. Ochette is my favorite because her provoke ability, although I started with Hikari because he is the strongest one in term of raw power. Agnea and Partitio are weak in my playthrough but I realize that Partitio is way too OP once you are rich and Agnea is the true thief besides Throne. Temenos and Throne is great addition is you often play at night-time. Osvald is crucial when you enter a new area as he will reveal their weaknesses for you and Castti is pretty mediocre for me, nothing special from her besides the concoction ability.

    Next is Music or OST. Just one word is enough to describe it. "Outstanding". I will purchase the physical CD of the Soundtrack if it's available in my country.

    Last is more like suggestion for the game which is why I can't give this 10/10. The connection of each character is there with 2 party specific stories and travel banter. But the 2 party stories is pre-determined like Agnea will be with Hikari, Osvald with Partitio and so on. I suggest to work on that in the next installment where you can create "bonding" feature for characters which can create a lot of story path for characters. Although, I do understand that will also limit how this game will approach the game with that feature but I do agree that each character doesn't really connect to each other in terms of storyline. It would be nice if their story collide in one way or another like Temenos and Castti which I think have a potential for a crossed story or Ochette with Hikari/ Osvald with the darkling power mystery. Lot of potential but I know that also create a limitation which is why this might be a homework for the developer to create a better connection for each character in the future installment.

    Overall, worth the money. 2D graphic is lazy? You are just a baby gamer that value game based on visual, just play your Spiderman/ Horizon Game and shut up dude.    … Expand
  26. Damien_82
    Mar 28, 2023
    10
    10/10 for a masterpiece that can be described with one simple word: poetic! Thank you for making this :)
  27. brandito
    Mar 25, 2023
    10
    Incredible improvement from the first game. I will be recommending this to anyone who is a fan of JRPGs forever. Also special shoutout to the music, one of the best soundtracks I have ever listened to.
  28. Kirales
    Mar 25, 2023
    10
    I enjoyed it much more than the first game, which I already liked. It upgrades the formula and has a much better narration and presentation. Music is great as always as well.
  29. edreesespieces
    Mar 22, 2023
    10
    This game is even better than the first! Improved on everything. I can't believe how many towns there are and how unique and large each of them are; the world really feels alive and engrossing. Character stories are charming and very engrossing! Battle system is as fun as ever and very similar to the first game with a few tweaks like Latent Powers (limit breaks).
  30. Adriaan
    Mar 17, 2023
    10
    I love everything about this game. The music is amazing, the characters are fun, the turn based combat is ace, the build opportunities are wild, and it's one of those games that still allows itself some mystery and sense of world. I don't want it to end. It will always hold a special place in my heart.
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Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Best Switch Game of 2023
7
#7 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2023

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 59
  3. Negative: 0 out of 59
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 23, 2024
    100
    It's a great game that will keep you entertained for a long time, has minimal bugs and its combat system and characters will grab you by the heart. [Issue#326]
  2. Pocket-lint
    Jun 23, 2023
    80
    Octopath Traveler 2 offers up another impressive, if safe adventure, with loads of twists to uncover. It looks and sounds absolutely ravishing, and the battle system is as impressive as ever.
    Read full review
  3. Cubed3
    May 9, 2023
    70
    A title such as Octopath Traveler II comes with its own charm, but the turn-based battle system with different types of jobs allows for some great gameplay. Adding in a beautiful world to explore and a great soundtrack to enjoy, this title is a must-play. There could be a tad more emphasis on the beautiful art, and perhaps some highly detailed cutscenes, but in the end, Octopath Traveler II is charming as it is.
    Read full review
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