A few years ago I reviewed Octopath Traveller and called it a great JRPG title, this time I check out Octopath Traveller 2. So fast forward to the present and Square Enix has once again knocked it out of the park with Octopath Traveller 2.
In Octopath Traveller 2 players will adventure out on a new journey in the land of Solistia. Once again though, the game revolves around 8 different characters and their individual journeys throughout the world. Part of what made Octopath Traveller 1 so enjoyable was adventuring out as different characters doing different things in a vast, gorgeous “HD 2D” pixel graphics world. Fans of the first game will be glad to know that Octopath Traveller 2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor and delivers a similar experience to the first game throughout.
More of the same?
If you enjoyed Octopath Traveller 1, Octopath Traveller 2 will definitely appeal to you and should honestly be a must-buy title. Much of the core systems are the same and the game looks absolutely fantastic. Square Enix and Acquire Corp have created such a beautiful world to explore. The game really sucks you in with its aesthetic and storytelling.
Where Octopath Traveller 2 differs from its predecessor lies in the fact that there are new gameplay mechanics on offer here. Since it’s set in Solistia, there are a lot of new things to take note of. Firstly, the world is separated between the East and the West by a vast sea. The continents themselves are quite large too and there is an immense amount of content to get through in this game on both sides of the pond.
Thankfully though, much like in the first game, Octopath Traveller 2 is best played in bite-sized chunks. If you purchased the game on Nintendo Switch, the portability factor of the device really lends itself to helping you get through the game. You can load up your save, get through a particular part of the story and then put it down for a bit before starting it up again without feeling any disjointed. I suppose you could do the same with the Steam version too but I digress. Playing through the game requires a hefty time investment but if you’re a fan of JRPGs, you should already be used to things like this. The PC/Steam version of Octopath Traveller 2 runs flawlessly and didn’t crash on me at all throughout my entire playthrough.
Innovation on perfection!
The 8 characters here and their tales feel like a collection of well-written short stories. Square Enix then wraps it all up for one big conclusion by getting everyone together to face off against a new threat. Yes it’s a tad formulaic and yes it was done in the first game too but there’s nothing really wrong with that. Octopath Traveller 2 has also made a point of interweaving the characters and their stories a lot more than the first game ever did. This was a nice touch because that was one of the minor grievances to be had with the first game.
Octopath Traveller 2 features a lot of sea travel and as a suggestion, players should get access to this as soon as possible by playing through Partitio’s story. Enemies however will be quite high level so you’d best be prepared to face off against tough foes once you head out to sea.
Each of the characters in Octopath Traveller 2 has their own unique skills and talents. Once again, this is very similar to the first game but Square Enix has innovated in Octopath Traveller 2 by introducing some changes to the formula. For example, you can now swap between day and night and use more path actions depending on the time of day. Each traveller also has latent powers and EX skills which can really turn the tide of battle.
Octopath Traveller 2 is at its core a turn-based JRPG but don’t let that fool you. Battles are extremely fast-paced and the sheer level of complexity on offer here is nothing to be scoffed at. You can combo your skills and attacks quite well depending on who is in your party and you will definitely need to apply strategy to defeat some enemies in the game. Boss battles are also quite challenging but the game never feels grindy because once again, you can amp up the battle speed.
The storytelling is another factor that Square Enix and Acquire Corp have really perfected here. Each and every single character’s stories are so captivating and interesting and it’s a testament to the developer’s abilities to craft a masterful tale. The first game already had such memorable tales and Octopath Traveller 2’s character’s each have amazing backstories and personalities that really shape the game. The content varies for each character of course but there’s some truly great writing here that no matter which character’s story you’re getting through, you’ll be hooked.
Whether you start the game off by playing as Hikari, Partitio, Agnea, or another of the others, each character’s story will grip you. Playing through each character’s first chapter and then bouncing around between them for the rest of the game is a solid strategy for getting through the game because you’ll then have access to more party members as well as path actions. Path actions can also lead to some tasty tidbits of information or new items and more and you should make extensive use of these throughout the game. The day/night cycle also influences things and this was well implemented.
Lastly, the music in Octopath Traveller 2 is exceptionally good. Everything from the main theme to the battle theme to the themes that play while you’re out adventuring or while you’re reading through character dialogue is flat-out amazing. This game’s soundtrack joins Square Enix’s already extensive library of fantastic OSTs. The game’s voice acting is also extremely good with each character’s personality really being showcased quite well by the seasoned veteran voice actors in both English and Japanese.
Final Verdict
In summary, this game is just as much of a masterpiece as its predecessor and if you’re a fan of JRPGs, you should one hundred per cent, without any doubt play this game. Square Enix has created another work of art that’s well worth playing through and even though it will take you around 80 hours to get through, if not more, it’s teeming with excellent story content and a fun battle system that will keep you entertained. Highly recommended!
Octopath Traveller 2 Trailer
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This game is available on Switch, PC and Playstation, this game is not available on Xbox.
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