By: Geron Malbas, Promotions Coordinator
As a game reminiscent of old Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) like Final Fantasy or Chrono Trigger, Octopath Traveler can make players feel all of the nostalgic feelings 90s games had, and recreates it for a millennial audience. Not only is it one of the most beautiful JRPGs in the genre, but it stands out as the kind of game that challenges players creatively and intellectually.
The game centres on eight different characters who each adventure around the world — hence the name, Octopath — trying to solve their own specific problems. However, all paths ultimately intertwine in such a fashion that the player can assist each traveler’s story.
Players manage four characters at a time, and each has a unique ability that aids your quest. For example, Cyrus, a scholar, is a magic-user who can speak to NPCs to find out more information. On the other hand, Therion, a thief, can steal items from them. The player must decide what kind of playstyle their team will take: stoic and intuitive, or conniving and aggressive.
But these aspects of the game are only relevant in the non- combative parts of the game when players are travelling from city to city, interacting with many kinds of NPCs. While the player must play strategically, the game’s turn-based combat dictates its pace: either players are incredibly strategic in causing an enemy’s slow death, or they players can try to use brute-force to ensure an enemy’s quick demise. The beginning of the game is a little slow since players need to determine how each character helps them in both the overworld and in combat, but by the mid-point of the game, it picks up, as players master the art of getting what they want with the resources at their disposal.
Having invested a solid 60 hours of gameplay into Octopath Traveler, I was quite satisfied with how much fun I had. My biggest gripe is that it required a lot of grinding in order to get to a point where I felt my characters were strong enough to mow enemies down. Also, while the open world made me feel like there was a lot to explore, it became frustrating trying to complete small quests while having little to no direction on where to venture off to in the vast expanse.
I would definitely recommend this game to Switch owners who enjoy a long-haul game. Patience is definitely a virtue, and this game is definitely not for impatient players who are looking to play casually. With that said, Octopath Traveler made me appreciate the amount of time I put into it, matching my extensive effort with as high a reward. If you like to work hard at something until you see results, then Octopath Traveler will be an absolute treat.
Octopath Traveler is currently available on Nintendo Switch.
