In early 2017, Sq. Enix revealed Mission Octopath Traveler, which appeared to be an homage to the retro turn-based video games of a bygone period. Many, together with me, have been dazzled by the look of the sport’s tilt-shift graphics that mixed 2D pixel artwork sprites with 3D environments. Clearly, the parents at Sq. Enix have been followers of it too, as their “HD-2D” model has been utilized in a myriad of video games resembling Triangle Technique, Stay A Stay, and the upcoming Dragon Quest III remake.
Almost 5 years after the discharge of Octopath Traveler, Sq. Enix has come again to the collection with Octopath Traveler II (effectively, until you’re one of many eight individuals who performed the cellular sport). Make no mistake, this one’s a very completely different octet of vacationers and takes place in a complete new setting. So for those who’re a first-time traveler, don’t fear for those who didn’t play the predecessor. Now, in fact, the massive query is, how good is it in comparison with the primary sport? After having sunk in tens of hours and mourning each second wasted not taking part in Octopath Traveler II, I can let you know that it’s extraordinarily good and is quite a lot of steps forward of the unique.
II Occasions the Enjoyable
There’s plenty of emphasis on the “II” a part of Octopath Traveler II, provided that every part appears to have doubled. For starters, the world of Solistia includes two continents, relatively than a single continent within the earlier sport. This time round as effectively, the eight playable characters are scattered throughout the map and also you’ll have to select one to start out with. From there on out, you possibly can select to proceed alongside the trail of the character you’ve chosen, or you possibly can head in the direction of the remaining vacationers and have them accompany you in your journey.
The identical job courses are there to select from as the unique, however there’s a stark distinction between a few of their objectives. Whereas one among them needs to carry smiles to folks’s faces with their dancing, the opposite plans to precise revenge for the homicide of their spouse and daughter after spending 1,879 days in jail. There’s fairly a spread of characters to select from for positive. A number of the characters’ tales do really feel a bit clichéd at occasions, however there are additionally moments if you’ll really feel moved by their tales. The voice work lends a hand in doing so, because it feels loftier and extra impactful throughout key moments, not only for the principle eight but additionally for bosses, NPCs, and the like.
This time round, the characters really feel much more fleshed out. The sprite work is far more detailed, with quite a lot of extra gestures and animation sequences in addition to extra detailed proportions. I began my journey with Agnea, and her being a talented dancer, I observed she has a little bit of grace in the way in which she runs in comparison with the remaining seven. The enemy sprites even have much more motion to them than earlier than.
It’s evident that Sq. Enix has discovered lots from making extra HD-2D video games as there are fairly just a few inventive modifications they’ve made in Octopath Traveler II. For starters, the colours aren’t as washed out anymore (a reduction for my poor eyes) as they have been within the first sport. The camerawork has turn out to be much more dynamic, because it pans in much more instructions now throughout cutscenes, and can even swerve behind you in battle as you pull off a x4 assault. There’s even a method of shifting throughout our bodies of water, as every character will get their very own tiny boat once they’re close to a pier.
An enormous addition that former followers can be completely happy to listen to about is that the eight vacationers work together with one another far more than they did within the authentic. Along with the journey banter, there at the moment are chapters known as “Crossed Paths,” a particular story occasion between two characters from the octet. Moreover, characters work together a bit extra organically with every even in battle, as one among them may complement an assault pulled off by the get together member earlier than them. It definitely is sweet to see characters bond with one another as a substitute of simply present round each other.
All In A Day’s (And Night time’s) Work
Maybe my favourite addition to Octopath Traveler II, even over the interactivity between the octet, are the day and evening cycles. The time of day could be modified with a press of a button, and some issues change if you go from day to nighttime, not simply by way of the visuals but additionally the precise mechanics.
Should you’re in a city in the course of the evening you may discover just a few musicians busking out on the street, and even of us who’ve gone to the tavern after a protracted day of labor. The soundtrack will shift to a “evening” model of the monitor taking part in in the course of the day, and it’s not merely a slowed-down model, it’s a completely completely different monitor. So there are virtually twice as many tracks to obsess over on this sport, and god, are there some tracks that go arduous.
As you’d anticipate, stronger enemies come out in the course of the evening, so if you wish to do some grinding, touring in the course of the evening is for you. Other than that, there’s one other little bit of brilliance to Octopath Traveler II’s day and evening cycles, and that lies throughout the Path Actions. Path Actions are particular abilities that every of the eight has in Octopath, they usually’re again within the Octopath Traveler II, however now they’re twofold. Characters have a sure Path Motion in the course of the day, in addition to a distinct one in the course of the evening. So for Hikari, a warrior prince from the Ku clan, can problem folks to duels in the course of the day to realize their abilities, however in the course of the evening he can bribe folks to glean data from them.
Generally you may discover that you simply’re too under-leveled to carry out a sure Path Motion on somebody, and on this case, it’s a good suggestion to return again to them later. And right here’s the place I’ve a bone to select with Octopath Traveler II. There are plenty of locations you’ll need to come again to later, whether or not that’s to allure a wealthy girl into providing you with her necklace or have the ability to proceed to the following space with out dying in a single hit. With the ability to put markers on the map could be an enormous assist, however Octopath Traveler II has a reasonably lackluster world map so far as JRPGs go. It’s the one gripe I’ve with the sport, and truthfully, it may be ignored given how well-polished it’s in each different facet.
The fight isn’t all too completely different from the primary sport, however it’s nonetheless extraordinarily fulfilling nonetheless, as Octopath has some nice mechanics which change up the standard turn-based formulation. Discovering out an enemy’s weak spot to make use of it in opposition to them, and breaking their defend to stun is at all times a satisfying expertise. Enhance factors make a return and assist you to make a number of hits in a single flip as you save them up. A brand new addition in Octopath Traveler II is Latent Powers, distinctive powers that the octet has entry to as soon as the Latent Energy gauge fills up.
One factor that I’ve at all times favored about Octopath’s turn-based fight is that it encourages you to make environment friendly selections in battle because it rewards doing so. Should you handle to get by way of an encounter with out taking a success, you’ll be rewarded with bonus EXP and cash. That carries on to Octopath Traveler II to my delight, and it’s positively one thing I’d wish to see in additional turn-based video games. What I hoped would not make a return have been the random encounters, however I assume it is alright to undergo a little bit if you’re taking part in a sport that appears this good.
Remaining Ideas
Though the distinction between the primary installment and the second isn’t precisely day and evening (hah), Octopath Traveler II outdoes its predecessor and provides plenty of issues that have been lacking within the first one. It feels much more of a grander journey, particularly with all of the characters having a bit extra camaraderie between them. There’s twice as a lot to discover now, and also you’ll discover that you simply’ve simply barely scratched the floor inside 15 hours of the sport. A demo can be obtainable to play as much as the primary three hours for a single character.
TechRaptor reviewed Octopath Traveler II on Nintendo Change with a duplicate acquired by the writer. The sport can be obtainable on PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.