Octopath Traveler

 Switch
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1400 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,136 out of 1400
  2. Mixed: 133 out of 1400
  3. Negative: 131 out of 1400
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  1. blazingking153
    Apr 27, 2020
    9
    Awesome rpg, really impressed me. Feels right at home on the switch. The graphics are amazing and very stylized. The characters are fun relatable and memorable. I would recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy rpgs and awesome medieval soundtracks they can listen to outside gameplay. Very good game yes very good.
  2. LEMS_90
    May 3, 2020
    9
    Excelente juego, excelentes historias y excelente música. El sistema de batalla muy bueno me gusto mucho.
  3. nepatriots32
    May 25, 2020
    9
    Octopath Traveler is a must buy for any fan of classic JRPGs. The art style and music are phenomenal, some of the best you'll find in any JRPG. Octopath's combat system is a refined and improved version of the one in Bravely Default, which was already a solid combat system. It is deep enough and pretty enjoyable, especially in boss fights (although boss fights can be pretty long). WhileOctopath Traveler is a must buy for any fan of classic JRPGs. The art style and music are phenomenal, some of the best you'll find in any JRPG. Octopath's combat system is a refined and improved version of the one in Bravely Default, which was already a solid combat system. It is deep enough and pretty enjoyable, especially in boss fights (although boss fights can be pretty long). While battling normal enemies can get tedious and a little boring after awhile, the break system and large variety of enemies helps to keep things interesting. Extra grinding hardly ever feels necessary. As long as you have four party members and do each of their chapters (for example, complete four chapter 2's before moving onto any chapter 3's), then you should be around the recommended level for any dungeon/boss you'll face. The secondary job mechanic is also well executed, providing a significant amount of versatility for how you want to design your party, in addition to which of the eight characters you choose to include.

    The main knock most people have on Octopath is the story, which I can understand. Considering how much freedom they give you in terms of choosing which order to pick up the characters (or whether you want to grab some of them at all) and which order to the story chapters in, it's not surprising that sacrifices had to be made in how connected each character's story is to the other characters. Each character arc is distinctly separate from each of the other characters, but that doesn't mean the individual stories are bad. Some of the are a bit generic, but they are well-written and interesting enough. I especially enjoyed H'aanit's story. While I did enjoy the story, you definitely play this game for the art, music, and combat, not for the story.

    Overall, this is one of the best and most enjoyable JRPGs I have played. If you're a fan of JRPGs and haven't played this yet, you'll doing yourself a disservice. If you've never played a JRPG before, this is a good place to start to get a taste of what the genre has to offer, but keep in mind that there are JRPGs that can play pretty differently than this one (more focus on story/character growth, action-based combat instead of turn-based, no random encounters, etc.). If you have never been a fan of JRPGs, Octopath Traveler is unlikely to change your mind.    … Expand
  4. Santics
    Oct 31, 2021
    9
    Tremendously beautiful. Turn-based combat RPG with a love for the genre more than evident, in a game designed to captivate you: music, enchanting HD-2D stages and its 8 stories in which, whether you like it or not, you end up entering.

    The only downside may be the cutscenes, which use the same game scenario, sometimes you can even see a chest opened by you during a story flashback, which    Tremendously beautiful. Turn-based combat RPG with a love for the genre more than evident, in a game designed to captivate you: music, enchanting HD-2D stages and its 8 stories in which, whether you like it or not, you end up entering.

    The only downside may be the cutscenes, which use the same game scenario, sometimes you can even see a chest opened by you during a story flashback, which is a bit disappointing.

    I do not put 10 for this reason.    … Expand
  5. kevinbiohazard
    Aug 6, 2022
    9
    The music and the graphic are amazing. If you are big fun of JRPG, this is a must play.
  6. Djpoling214
    Dec 5, 2020
    9
    If you enjoyed SNES era JRPGS then this is a must play. I don't recall the last time I had this much fun playing a 16 bit style game. My only complaint is the mid game grind. It's tedious.
  7. Papas_Fritas
    Mar 24, 2021
    9
    The only thing keeping this game from being a 10 for me is the fact that the stories don't intertwine aside from small dialog after completing a chapter. Other than that this game has, in my opinion, the most beautiful visuals and graphics of any game I've ever played in my life. It also has what may be my favorite battle system of any game I've ever played with a great shieldThe only thing keeping this game from being a 10 for me is the fact that the stories don't intertwine aside from small dialog after completing a chapter. Other than that this game has, in my opinion, the most beautiful visuals and graphics of any game I've ever played in my life. It also has what may be my favorite battle system of any game I've ever played with a great shield break/weakness mechanic. If you enjoy rpg's of any kind I would absolutely give this one a try!… Expand
  8. honchkrow_lover
    Dec 14, 2020
    9
    a really enjoyable JRPG which is visually beautiful with amazing music , the stories in the games are done pretty well though they are a bit disconnected , the gameplay is really good and has a bit of depth with the BP system and break system , this game has easily 80+ hours of gameplay and just a really good overall game
  9. FireZD
    Apr 1, 2021
    9
    As a newcomer to JRPGs, I was not disappointed by this. The story while lacking comes together at the very end which I feel turned people away. The combat is flawless, the music is superb and the visuals make me ecstatic for the upcoming Triangle Strategy game. This game is incredible, with all the characters being likable enough (Although Alfyn is the best). People who do not make it pastAs a newcomer to JRPGs, I was not disappointed by this. The story while lacking comes together at the very end which I feel turned people away. The combat is flawless, the music is superb and the visuals make me ecstatic for the upcoming Triangle Strategy game. This game is incredible, with all the characters being likable enough (Although Alfyn is the best). People who do not make it past chapter one do not see the growth in the story, nor do they see the interactions between them. Please play thing game… Expand
  10. CheetoPhingers
    Aug 18, 2021
    9
    Clever little JRPG that has some fresh mechanisms in combat. Eight intertwined stories come together to tell quite a tale.
  11. capchaba
    Jul 14, 2021
    9
    Octopath Traveler is a reminder of what was an RPG back in the 90's. It's true to what it offers which is hours of going back and forth from one place to the other. The soundtrack from this game is simply phenomenal, even though some of them repeat in certain maps. Most of the character's stories are quite predictable expect from one or two. I've spent around 90 hours playing it and IOctopath Traveler is a reminder of what was an RPG back in the 90's. It's true to what it offers which is hours of going back and forth from one place to the other. The soundtrack from this game is simply phenomenal, even though some of them repeat in certain maps. Most of the character's stories are quite predictable expect from one or two. I've spent around 90 hours playing it and I haven't finished it due to my desire to play without any guides. I still have some side quests to finish.… Expand
  12. DarkwingSchmuck
    Mar 16, 2022
    9
    Despite its goofy name, Octopath Traveler is a terrific old-school JRPG with a strong narrative, a gorgeous visual aesthetic, and a great battle system that borrow's elements from Square Enix's Bravely Default series. The game allows you to begin with one of eight different characters who each have their own story-line, characterization, and unique skill to set them apart. For example,Despite its goofy name, Octopath Traveler is a terrific old-school JRPG with a strong narrative, a gorgeous visual aesthetic, and a great battle system that borrow's elements from Square Enix's Bravely Default series. The game allows you to begin with one of eight different characters who each have their own story-line, characterization, and unique skill to set them apart. For example, one character can steal from NPCs, while another can challenge them to duels.

    While it can lead to repetition with each character's story-line structured exactly the same way, there is more than enough content to engage you through the 50-100 hours it takes to complete Octopath Traveler.    … Expand
  13. dankmeow
    Mar 16, 2022
    9
    For those that love the 2D 16 bit RPG's back in the day you are going to be in for a treat. Visuals are stunning. Fantastic soundtrack. It sure is nice to still have some JRPG's that are turned based as that style has gone out of fashion over the years. (Try the demo if you want a sample)
  14. Faxar
    Feb 27, 2023
    9
    I loved and enjoyed all the stories, the gameplay was fun although repetitive in the end and the art/graphics are amazing.
  15. 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.
  16. rhe
    Jul 15, 2018
    8
    Take into account that this is a first review of my experience so far. I am likely going to edit this review down the line once I sink more time into the game.

    Gameplay Overall the game feels very good for an RPG. The turn based battles feel fun for someone who is used to the JRPS tropes. The addition of weaknesses gives the game a good flare and the bosses for each characters main    Take into account that this is a first review of my experience so far. I am likely going to edit this review down the line once I sink more time into the game.

    Gameplay
    Overall the game feels very good for an RPG. The turn based battles feel fun for someone who is used to the JRPS tropes. The addition of weaknesses gives the game a good flare and the bosses for each characters main story feel challenging enough that they ask a little more of you without being too challenging that you want to throw your controller to the floor (you do use quite a lot of healing against these bosses and it does enough to push you). The classes, however, have their own independent skills that they can use in he overworld which is a nice touch and does make each character feel unique outside of battle, which is a welcome change. Overall, the gameplay feels like a general JRPG but it also does a little to change things up and JRPG fans should feel right at home with this kind of game.

    Graphics
    The graphics are done in a bit art style on a 2.5D plane. For me personally, the graphics are actually very appealing. The colour pallete looks very accentuated and well drawn, the sprites look interesting and also surprisingly detailed too considering the art style. Overall, I feel that the graphics are actually very well done and are very true to the JRPG roots that the game is drawing from (considering their hayday was in the 16 bit generation). When this is taken into consideration, I do think that the game very lovingly recreates a style that the game devs likely feel really influenced them. It seems clear to see the devs really enjoyed this type of game and so took their passion for this type of game and translated it as best they could.

    Sound:
    The OST is a must for this game. There are some excellent soundtracks for this game and the game beautifully represents each unique area with its own soundtrack, which almost foreshadows what is to be expected from this area. Additionally, the game does very well at making actions and attacks feel punchy and weighty, which can be very helpful as the game can put you into a lot of battles.

    Story:
    This is likely where the game somewhat seems to fall for me. You begin by choosing your first character and beginning the story of that character, you then meet more people and start to slowly uncover more of their story. My main problem with this is that so far the stories just do not feel like they are put together, the stories of each individual character just feels like it is not interlinked with the other stories, however, perhaps this is one of those things that requires more play time so that I can see the overarching story and I will likely edit the review once I finish the game. The main downside for me on this independent story approach is that each story will likely be its own independent piece. This does mean that not all stories will be interesting and some stories will just be more worth the playthrough compared to others which can be annoying.

    Overall, the game is what you would expect from a JRPG and it does enough to make itself feel independent while not being called a game that just apes the JRPG genre. The story right now is the main sticking point for me but it will likely be more combined as time goes on.    … Expand
  17. vervain
    Jul 4, 2019
    8
    This is a wonderful concept and the graphic style is both beautiful and innovative. Octopath Traveler is just barely short of being on par with the best of the best in its genre, but I love classic turn-based RPGs and I love this game.
  18. Fred_GameOnBatt
    Jul 14, 2018
    8
    Ocotpath Traveler is a strong entry to the old-school J-RPG genre. Though its battle system and storytelling are unorthodoxThough its battle system and storytelling are unorthodox, Octopath Traveler is a beautiful game with one of the best soundtracks I’ve heard. The combat system rocks and will hopefully be used in more Square Enix games to come. There are plenty of good ideas in here.Ocotpath Traveler is a strong entry to the old-school J-RPG genre. Though its battle system and storytelling are unorthodoxThough its battle system and storytelling are unorthodox, Octopath Traveler is a beautiful game with one of the best soundtracks I’ve heard. The combat system rocks and will hopefully be used in more Square Enix games to come. There are plenty of good ideas in here. But the game is too grindy, too repetitive, too full of structural problems to be viewed as much more than another botched JRPG experiment Too bad Octopath Traveler's narrative simply serves us eight not-so-connected stories, otherwise it could have been an instant classic.… Expand
  19. kito78
    Jul 22, 2018
    8
    All the fame, which this game had was crazy. Usually this means poor title with good marketing. Two demos were published, this usually means more marketing, and more fame even. I am not like a fanboy of JRPG genre, but i like it a lot and i was trying to wisely chose between Octo and other tittles release same time almost. Fame won, i bought it ;-)
    Technicality: graphic is OK, but not    All the fame, which this game had was crazy. Usually this means poor title with good marketing. Two demos were published, this usually means more marketing, and more fame even. I am not like a fanboy of JRPG genre, but i like it a lot and i was trying to wisely chose between Octo and other tittles release same time almost. Fame won, i bought it ;-)
    Technicality: graphic is OK, but not stunning, rather don't play on big TV, music is perfect and nice for your ears, haven't seen bugs or glitches.
    Play-ability:
    Story is fine but not epic, characters are fine but I do not feel the bound with any, skills system is very good, a lot of items on a market to buy, sell, find... Fight is perfect - very good and interesting system coming from @Bravely Default@ game......and..... this is it: "Bravely default" on 3DS is first game which I could think about when i am thinking about Octopath. Unfortunately for Octopath, Bravely Default was much more interesting for me (better story, better characters, same good fight)

    If you have 3DS and have not played in Bravely Default (9/10), but thinking about getting Octopath, its fine, but you will be more happy with this nice 3DS.
    If you want some JRPG but preffer to have more action go for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (10/10 for me).

    Octopath Traveler is still very strong title and a very good game (8/10 on my personal score board ;-))    … Expand
  20. Razzomataz
    Aug 19, 2018
    8
    First off I have played this game for 30 hrs at the time of this review and have completed all chapter 2 stories. I am not a huge RPG fan but I've thoroughly enjoyed this game.

    Strengths: Battle system: The system requires you to be creative and utilize secondary job skills. If you don't have enough skill variety you will have a bad time. I enjoyed the balance between using your    First off I have played this game for 30 hrs at the time of this review and have completed all chapter 2 stories. I am not a huge RPG fan but I've thoroughly enjoyed this game.

    Strengths:

    Battle system: The system requires you to be creative and utilize secondary job skills. If you don't have enough skill variety you will have a bad time. I enjoyed the balance between using your Battle Points (BP) (which allow you to either attack more times in a turn or increase the power of the skill you use) and the break system (which is a is defined by the enemies weakness to various skills and requires multiple hits to leave the enemy exposed). You need to learn to combine skills and save your most powerful spells for the right time. This back an forth creates a fun decision making opportunity.

    Classes: I really enjoy the classes that are available. The developer did a good job giving certain classes unique talents (elemental attacks or particular weapons). By doing to you need to try out multiple combinations of primary and secondary jobs to get enough coverage for all fights. Additionally all of the classes have their roll. Scholar is an Area of Effect monster with good elemental coverage but when combined with Dancer you gain access to the dagger weapon type, the dark elemental, and buffs for your other characters.

    Atmosphere: The music and visuals are really well done and I find myself humming the various theme songs even when I'm not playing. The visuals are made to look "old school" but the lighting, water, and particle effects bring it into the modern world.

    Weaknesses:

    Story: The individual stories really vary in terms of quality. I struggled getting through the introductory chapters for some of the characters due to lax pacing and overall disinterest. That being said some other reviews on here mention the lack of interaction between characters as a weakness (I would generally agree), however, they may not have seen the option to press "+" at various times in the story which generates a dialog between the characters that you are traveling with. I haven't completed the game yet, but I can say that I look forward to completing certain chapters more than others.

    Overall I haven't found this game to be a grind and have really enjoyed my time with it. I will update this review when I complete the game!    … Expand
  21. chemiclord
    Jul 22, 2018
    8
    How much you enjoy Octopath Traveler will depend entirely on how much your enjoyment of “old school RPGs” is tainted by the rose colored glasses of nostalgia. You’ll either be delighted by all the things that have slowly vanished from the genre… or be reminded why games aren’t really made this way anymore.
  22. Winko
    Aug 3, 2018
    8
    Good:
    - Gorgeous and unique art style; beautiful animation, special effects, sprites, and backdrops
    - The combat is a lot of fun and the boost and break systems force the player to be very stategic with their moves - Exploring dungeons and finding hidden area always feels rewarding - Mixing and matching secondary jobs along with their skills is a lot of fun and opens itself to a ton of    Good:
    - Gorgeous and unique art style; beautiful animation, special effects, sprites, and backdrops
    - The combat is a lot of fun and the boost and break systems force the player to be very stategic with their moves
    - Exploring dungeons and finding hidden area always feels rewarding
    - Mixing and matching secondary jobs along with their skills is a lot of fun and opens itself to a ton of customization and experimentation
    - The advanced job shrines are great optional challenges and the rewards are amazing
    - Fantasitic soundtrack
    - Using the “Provoke” and “Challenge” skills can lead to some whacky fun
    - Great use of HD rumble and works perfectly in handheld mode
    - Awesome credits sequence that recounts your adventure

    Mixed:
    - “Travel Banter” does a serviceable job showing interactions between characters, but these inorganic interactions tend to make the comradery seem hollow
    - The sidequests are, more often then not, fun to figure out and there are often multiple ways to complete them, but some have very vague descriptors that are near impossible to figure out without some sort of guide
    - Once you get through a wall of obscure side quests, the post game dungeon is a lot of fun and a satisfying final challenge that wraps up the overall narrative very nicely
    - The traveler stories are hit or miss

    Bad:
    - The formulaic nature of every chapter gets stale after a while (Run around town doing errands, fight through a mini dungeon, and defeat a boss) Out of all the chapters, only 3 out of the 32 chapters really step away from this formula
    - Some of the dialects are just straight up horrendous and poorly written (H’annit’s Shakespearean in particular)
    - Having to switch characters into your party just to use their unique abilities in town is pretty tedious. If you don’t have Therion in your party while exploring dungeons, you’ll miss out a ton of good items that are in chests that only he can open.
    XXX    … Expand
  23. Khalei27
    Jul 19, 2020
    8
    Ost maravillosa
    Gameplay a la vieja escuela
    Apartado artístico precioso.
    La historia no está a la altura eso sí. Se pierde el hilo teniendo que intercambiar entre personajes.
    El nivel de personalización es decente. Me habrían gustado más clases.
    Puede volverse un tanto monótono en ciertas partes.
  24. Kenshiro13
    Aug 7, 2018
    8
    This is my first JRPG game after few years and I have to say I wasn't disappointed.
    Thus far I have recruited 6 out of the 8 characters, yes 8 characters which are all playable, and every time you meet and recruit a new character you can play the start of their story (At least I think thus far I have played the stories of all 6 that I have gotten)
    Combat is fun, and works in a good    This is my first JRPG game after few years and I have to say I wasn't disappointed.
    Thus far I have recruited 6 out of the 8 characters, yes 8 characters which are all playable, and every time you meet and recruit a new character you can play the start of their story (At least I think thus far I have played the stories of all 6 that I have gotten)

    Combat is fun, and works in a good balance but some of the Travelers are less useful in combat than others, for example Primrose thus far hasn't had much of a use in combat in the end, while Cyrus is a must for his passive ability to find weaknesses of the enemies you encounter in your travels. Big point in combat is to break the enemies guard to prevent them from attacking and getting more damage from your attacks, personally I see this as a double-edged sword for example you have bad luck and have none of correct attack styles with you the battle will be drawn out and dangerous.

    And as everyone has already said the game looks absolutely beautiful, the light, water, trees everything is beautifully made and crafted with love and care, even normally dull areas are worth seeing.

    But this is a must for a JRPG fan to play, maybe even regular RPG fan, but outside of that, if you don't like grinding and other busy work in games this isn't for you so if you buy this game when you don't like to grind or like RPG's in general don't be surprised when you feel like you wasted your money and don't give a game 0 points because you didn't like 1 aspect of the game.

    *EDIT
    Now I have spent little over 50 hours which is quite a bit for a working person, I'm nearly done with the games main stuff, got all the side jobs and started finishing stories of the characters, while I do believe that the game can be finished faster due to the reason of my bad habit for over level.
    While the stories can be a hit or miss none the less it has been good enough, and while as EVERYONE has cried the characters don't truly influence each others stories this was never the aim, and the chats that they had gave me a few laughs every once awhile (most of my favorites had been between Primrose and Tressa)
    And Primrose became much more usable later on to get some of the advanced jobs, and even more powerful after using one of the advanced jobs with her.
    But in the end I think 8/10 is a good rating and leave it as that, has been worth the money I have spent unlike a lot of the recent games that give barely 10 hours of gameplay.    … Expand
  25. R7valero
    Aug 27, 2018
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sin duda, Octopath Traveler me ha ido encantando conforme más jugaba. 65 horas exactas para terminar la aventura, a los que hay que añadir mínimo 20 más para descubrir los santuarios secretos y final secreto. Octopath Traveler devuelve al jugador el significado de un videjuego: diversión por su jugabilidad y no por gráficos fotorrealistas.
    Probablemente la historia sea donde más cojea, pues los 8 personaje tienen su propia historia paralela sin que intervengan los demás personajes. ¿Pero de verdad los desarrolladores buscaron una historia épica con los típicos clichés de un JRPG? Yo pienso que no.
    Puede que las historias no sean expectaculares, pero sí tocan temas importantes y los personajes muestran una gran personalidad y carisma.
    Pero sin duda, lo mejor es el sistema de combate. Profundo, divertido, estratégico y adictivo, a lo que hay que sumarle la fantástica banda sonora que anima a seguir jugando.
    Si he dicho que la historia es donde más flojea, SPOILER, al final del juego es donde conoces que las historias sí están conectadas y manipuladas por cierto villano. Pienso que el lore está muy bien escrito y merece la pena llegar al final para ver que ciertos detalles de la historia de un personaje se repiten en la de otro.
    No me arrepiento para nada de haber comprado este juego, me he divertido mucho, y eso es lo que importa en un videojuego.    … Expand
  26. agentken
    Aug 21, 2018
    8
    Pro
    - great game play mechanic
    - ton of contents to explore - god music - stylish 16 bit art style - a tragic game that let u steal, bully, and allure, poor child, old man, housewife, dog, and more in the village. Con - story could be better though as it cant compete with high quality story like DQ serie - too expensive comparing to "Xenoblade Chronicle 2" - hope the graphic    Pro
    - great game play mechanic
    - ton of contents to explore
    - god music
    - stylish 16 bit art style
    - a tragic game that let u steal, bully, and allure, poor child, old man, housewife, dog, and more
    in the village.
    Con
    - story could be better though as it cant compete with high quality story like DQ serie
    - too expensive comparing to "Xenoblade Chronicle 2"
    - hope the graphic when docking is sharper not pixellated
    - too much hype    … Expand
  27. Neatqt
    Feb 25, 2019
    8
    Cast: 8/10
    Story: 5/10
    Fun: 9/10
    Gameplay: 10/10

    Recommended
    ----------------------
  28. AlphaNerdGk
    Aug 8, 2018
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Octopath Traveler is the much anticipated turn-based JRPG that was first announced at the Nintendo Treehouse for the Switch in January 2017. Like many gamers, I grew up playing JRPGs from the Final Fantasy series and longed for the return to traditional turn based 2D combat. Upon seeing the trailer for this game, I was ecstatic to see the revival of the genre I grew up infatuated with.
    Octopath Traveler features eight playable characters, each with their own unique abilities and story. Some of these stories, such as that of Olberic, the disgraced warrior that is seeking redemption or Primrose, the woman who’s father was murdered during her childhood and is out for revenge, follow common tropes in RPGs. Other stories like the tale of Cyrus, the scholar with tunnel vision for finding a book of dark arts stolen from the academy library, aren’t as commonly used. In general these stories are well written. They follow a logical progression through four chapters for each character, but the overall story progression jumps around due to the setup of the chapters.
    I have three issues I have with the stories. First, the dialogue is often long winded to the point that the talking takes more time than the gameplay. What is interesting is that some of the dialogue is voiced over entirely and some of it only features voices for the first word or two. The second issue I have with the stories is that they are disjointed. Without an excessive amount of level grinding, it is nearly impossible to play the whole story arc for one character straight through. The third issue I have is that each chapter follows a formula; lengthy dialogue session dungeon, boss fight and then finally another lengthy dialogue session. This setup makes the stories somewhat difficult to follow as you have to play through a series of other character’s stories before you can move to the next set of chapters. The lengthy dialogue sessions make the game a little more drawn out than it needed to be. I feel as though less dialogue and a feasible way to follow one character’s story start to finish would have benefited the game.
    The combat system in Octopath Traveler has a similar foundation to the systems found in JRPGs of the NES and SNES but with a few enhancements. The enemies in Octopath Traveler all have a shield with a number in it displayed beneath them on the screen. Next to that, there are a series of squares that have a ‘?’ by default, These squares hide the attack types that an enemy is weak to. The number denotes the number of vulnerability attacks the enemy must take before they are dazed through the end of the current round and the following round as well. Once dazed, attacks deal more damage to the enemies. These vulnerabilities are revealed in one of three ways; either by attacking the enemy with the correct weapon or spell type, Cyrus’s ‘Study Foe’ before the first round of combat, or by using the Analyze spell that Cyrus has. Once learned, these vulnerabilities will immediately be revealed the next time you encounter the same enemy.
    Another unique combat feature is that every turn the characters build up a battle points. For each battle appoint accrued, characters can either add additional melee attacks or super charge one of their class abilities. This can be very useful in wearing down an enemy’s defense rapidly. Since there are only six melee weapons, and each character only has eight class abilities, there isn’t much variety in attacks that are available. These include H’aanit’s Beast Lore and Alfyn’s concoction ability. I used each one a handful of times and in general didn’t seem very useful. Several other abilities seemed to really serve little point in using. If the ability didn’t result in making an enemy dazed, it didn’t seem like it was useful.
    Where Octopath Traveler really shines is in the aesthetics of the game. The sprites used for the characters is in direct homage to 8-bit and 16-bit JRPGs. The landscapes and the background are more graphically robust. The landscapes are in a diorama style, giving the feeling of a 3D environment. As you move your characters through environments, the perspective of the backgrounds change as well. It gives an immersive feeling that gives the landscapes a depth not seen in traditional JRPGs. In the larger towns, you will see something large, such as a cathedral in the background of town as you enter. Then when you go into the next part of town, the cathedral will be in the area in which you can explore. The amalgamation of the 16-bit sprites with the stunning 2D-HD scenery sounds like it would clash. However, it was executed impeccably. In short, the art style is simply brilliant!
    This game is well worth playing and makes me look forward to more titles using this engine in the future. Octopath Traveler is a solid 4/5 and worth playing for gamers experienced in JRPGs and newcomers as well.    … Expand
  29. GhostDreamshade
    Aug 20, 2018
    8
    After about 40 hours of playing Octopath Traveler, I’m really enjoying this game and I can safely say it’s a great addition to the Switch. I’ve never seen anything like it’s “HD-2D” graphics and I personally find them gorgeous, and the music is both excellent and hits the proper mood for the moment it’s played spot-on.

    As someone that has gotten easily bored with traditional turn-based    After about 40 hours of playing Octopath Traveler, I’m really enjoying this game and I can safely say it’s a great addition to the Switch. I’ve never seen anything like it’s “HD-2D” graphics and I personally find them gorgeous, and the music is both excellent and hits the proper mood for the moment it’s played spot-on.

    As someone that has gotten easily bored with traditional turn-based RPG battle systems in the past, I find the combat very entertaining and I have yet to get bored of it. I find the job system very clever and I love being able to design and create a party unique from everyone else that’s played the game.

    I’ve seen a lot of people complaining about the story, and while it certainly isn’t anything groundbreaking, I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as people make it out to be. I’m personally invested in finding out what happens in each story and I’d call that successful.

    Yes, the lack of an overarching plot or any substantial connection between the characters is a little jarring, but I think it was intentional - they wanted to create eight different stories and eight protagonists of equal importance, and I think that they pulled off that balance flawlessly, even if the stories weren’t extremely inspired. While some more character interaction would have been great, I think Square Enix was trying something different, and I applaud the attempt. One thing I liked about the stories is that each one seems to have a different tone - some are lighthearted, some are darker, and some have a real sense of danger and urgency. Even if the stories are a bit cliché at times, they don’t feel monotonous (at least to me).

    As far as the few hiccups go - the out-of-combat “Path Actions” were an interesting idea, but honestly they fell a little flat for me. They aren’t tedious, but I don’t find them all that interesting personally. The side quests are a little confusing and almost feel like an afterthought, and I really have no desire to pursue them.

    I have hit a few spots where I’ve needed to do some heavy grinding, but overall it hasn’t been horrible. Some of the bosses seem to be a bit stronger than their challenge ratings suggest, and those bosses are frustrating; but most are just challenging, and that’s exactly what I was looking for.

    Overall, I definitely recommend picking this game up and giving it a try. I think almost everyone will be able to find something to love about it, whether it be the graphics, the music, the gameplay, or the stories.    … Expand
  30. Maarten95
    Jun 14, 2019
    8
    Great game. The story, aldo a bit to dramatic, are very original. The music is solid and the 8 bit graphics feel suprisingly great to look at. There are so many side quests and optional bosses. My only complaint is that there isn't a reason for the character to travel together. They coul'dve easily done something a bout that since the final boss is mentioned in nearly every character'sGreat game. The story, aldo a bit to dramatic, are very original. The music is solid and the 8 bit graphics feel suprisingly great to look at. There are so many side quests and optional bosses. My only complaint is that there isn't a reason for the character to travel together. They coul'dve easily done something a bout that since the final boss is mentioned in nearly every character's story. The battle points which give you stronger or extra attacks, adds a new level of strategy. Also the bosses can be really hard compared to other games in this genre. I really enjoyed my time with Octopath Traveler.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

51
#51 Best Switch Game of 2018
5
#5 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018
5
#5 Most Shared Switch Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 79 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 79
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 79
  3. Negative: 0 out of 79
  1. RPGamer
    Jun 21, 2019
    90
    While those looking for a deep, story-heavy RPG might find Octopath Traveler lacking, the game is a hugely enjoyable modern take on traditional turn-based games of yesteryear with a collection of short story, rather than novel-length, narratives. The graphics represent the pinnacle of pixel art and the score is amazing. This game was pretty much a system-seller for me and well worth every penny and hour spent with it.
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  2. CD-Action
    Oct 25, 2018
    85
    You can either hate Octopath Traveler’s art direction or love it, but it definitely will not leave you indifferent. Distinct visuals are just one of the game’s many strengths which make it a feast for the fans of jRPGs – and much more than that. It’s not flawless though – the dungeons are bland and there are virtually no relations between the characters in your party as they don’t communicate almost at all. [09/2018, p.66]
  3. RPG Fan
    Sep 13, 2018
    88
    Octopath Traveler is unapologetically old-school, and would not have been out of place if it had released back in the golden age of JRPGs.
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