Octopath Traveler Review: A Glorious Revival of Classic JRPGs, Ready for the Nintendo Switch 2's Challenge

Hello everyone, I'm your old friend, a Nintendo Switch gamer and game critic with over 10 years of experience. Today, I want to talk to you about a JRPG that I personally love very much: Octopath Traveler. This game not only received high praise on the Nintendo Switch but also reminded me of the time I spent immersed in classic RPGs from the SNES era. Let's delve into this work together and explore its potential on the future Nintendo Switch 2 platform.

1. Introduction to Octopath Traveler: A Perfect Fusion of Pixel Art and Modernity

Octopath Traveler was co-developed by Square Enix and Acquire Corp. and launched on the Nintendo Switch platform in 2018. The game is renowned for its unique HD-2D visual style, the independent storylines of the eight protagonists, and its strategic turn-based combat system. It successfully combines classic pixel art with modern gaming technology, bringing players a visual and auditory feast.

This game tells the story of eight travelers with different backgrounds, each embarking on an adventure on the continent of Osterra. Each character has their own unique job, skills, and story. Players can choose one of them as the protagonist to start the game and meet the other seven characters on their journey, experiencing their respective stories.

2. Octopath Traveler Review: A Visual and Auditory Feast and Strategic Challenge

Next, I will conduct a detailed review of Octopath Traveler from multiple dimensions, including gameplay, graphics, sound effects, story, and handling, and compare it with other similar games to provide you with a more comprehensive understanding.

2.1 Gameplay: Depth and Strategy in Turn-Based Combat

The core gameplay of Octopath Traveler is turn-based combat. The game adopts a classic command-based combat system but adds a "Break & Boost" mechanism, making it more strategic. Players need to analyze the enemy's weaknesses and use different weapons and attribute attacks to break the enemy's defense, putting them into a Break state, thereby dealing more damage. At the same time, players can accumulate Boost points to strengthen the character's attack, defense, or skill effects, thereby turning the tide in critical moments.

• Pros:
  • The combat system is very deep, requiring players to think carefully and strategize.
  • The Break & Boost mechanism adds fun and variety to the battle.
  • Each character has different jobs and skills, allowing for rich team combinations.
• Cons:
  • Some enemy weaknesses are relatively hidden and require constant experimentation to discover.
  • The late-game grinding process is relatively long, requiring a lot of time to level up characters.

Compared to similar turn-based RPG games, such as the Final Fantasy series, Octopath Traveler excels in combat strategy, requiring players to more actively analyze enemy weaknesses and combat mechanics.

2.2 Graphics: The Unique Charm of HD-2D Art

One of the most striking features of Octopath Traveler is its unique HD-2D visual style. The game combines classic pixel art with modern 3D technology, creating a visual effect that is both retro and modern. The game scenes are rich in detail and the lighting effects are excellent, giving a sense of immersion.

• Pros:
  • The HD-2D visual style is unique and highly recognizable.
  • The scenes are rich in detail and the lighting effects are excellent, creating a strong atmosphere.
  • The character designs are exquisite and distinctive.
• Cons:
  • Some scenes are slightly empty and lack interactivity.
  • In the Nintendo Switch's handheld mode, the level of detail is reduced.

For the Nintendo Switch 2, if the HD-2D visual effects can be further enhanced, such as by increasing the resolution and adding special effects, it is believed that it will bring a more stunning visual experience to players. People are full of expectations for the nintendo switch2 first look, hoping it can bring better graphics processing capabilities.

2.3 Sound Effects: A Perfect Interpretation of Classic Music

The music of Octopath Traveler was composed by Yasunori Nishiki, who created a series of classic, epic soundtracks. The game music blends perfectly with the story and scenes, sometimes being exciting and澎湃, and other times soothing and pleasant, bringing players an immersive auditory experience.

• Pros:
  • The soundtrack is diverse in style and blends perfectly with the story and scenes.
  • The music quality is excellent, with beautiful and moving melodies.
  • The battle music is tense and exciting, enhancing the game's sense of immersion.
• Cons:
  • The music loop time for some scenes is relatively short, which can easily make people feel repetitive.

2.4 Story: The Independence and Interweaving of Eight Protagonists

The story of Octopath Traveler consists of independent storylines for eight protagonists. Each character has their own unique background, goals, and challenges. Players can choose any character as the protagonist to start the game and gradually learn about the stories of other characters on their journey. Although the stories of the eight protagonists are relatively independent, there are also some subtle connections between them, which eventually converge into a larger story.

• Pros:
  • The stories of the eight protagonists are unique and cater to the preferences of different players.
  • The story pace is tight and engaging.
  • The character development is rich and the personalities are distinct.
• Cons:
  • The story of some characters is slightly bland and lacks depth.
  • The connection between the eight protagonists is not close enough, lacking an overall sense.

2.5 Handling: Inheritance and Optimization of Classic JRPGs

The handling of Octopath Traveler continues the style of classic JRPGs, making it simple and easy to use. The game supports button operation and touch operation, and players can choose the operation method that suits them according to their preferences.

• Pros:
  • The operation is simple and easy to use, suitable for different types of players.
  • Button operation and touch operation are available, meeting the needs of different players.
  • The game UI design is simple and clear, making it easy for players to operate.
• Cons:
  • In handheld mode, the accuracy of touch operation needs to be improved.

2.6 Overall Score: 8.8/10

Overall, Octopath Traveler is a very excellent JRPG. It is highly praised for its unique HD-2D visual style, the independent storylines of the eight protagonists, and its strategic turn-based combat system. Although the game also has some shortcomings, such as some of the stories being slightly bland and the grinding process being relatively long, the overall advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

• IGN Score: 8.3/10 (Reference: IGN Octopath Traveler Review)
• Metacritic Score: 83/100 (Reference: Metacritic Octopath Traveler)

I personally believe that this game is worth recommending to all JRPG fans.

3. Octopath Traveler Guide: Beginner's Guide and Advanced Skills

Next, I will share some strategies for Octopath Traveler, including beginner's guides, advanced tips and strategies, walkthroughs for specific levels, and the best equipment and skill combinations.

3.1 Beginner's Guide

• Choose a protagonist: At the beginning of the game, you need to choose a protagonist. It is recommended that beginners choose the swordsman Olberic or the apothecary Alfyn, as their skills are very practical in the early stages.
• Explore towns: In towns, you can interact with NPCs, buy equipment, take on quests, etc.
• Combine your team reasonably: On your journey, you can meet the other seven characters. Combining your team reasonably and choosing characters with different jobs and skills can make it easier for you in battle.
• Make good use of Break & Boost: In battle, be good at analyzing the enemy's weaknesses and use different weapons and attribute attacks to break the enemy's defense. At the same time, use Boost points reasonably to strengthen the character's attack, defense, or skill effects.
• Save frequently: In the game, you should save frequently to avoid accidental loss of game progress.

3.2 Advanced Tips and Strategies

• Exploit Weaknesses: In the game, each enemy has its own weaknesses. Attacking the enemy's weaknesses can deal more damage.
• Control Break State: Rationally controlling the enemy's Break state can give you an advantage in battle.
• Allocate JP Wisely: In the game, you can earn JP (Job Points) through battles, which can be used to learn new skills. Allocating JP reasonably can make your character stronger.
• Master Job Combinations: In the game, each character can choose a secondary job. Combining secondary jobs reasonably can give you more options in battle.
• Challenge Hidden BOSSes: In the game, there are some hidden BOSSes, and challenging them can earn you rich rewards.

3.3 Best Equipment and Skill Combinations

Since each character has different jobs and skills, the best equipment and skill combinations will also vary. Here are some general recommendations:

• Swordsman: Equip weapons with high attack power and learn skills that increase physical attack.
• Apothecary: Equip equipment that increases recovery effects and learn recovery and support skills.
• Hunter: Equip equipment that increases speed and learn control and output skills.
• Scholar: Equip equipment that increases magic attack and learn high-damage magic skills.

4. Octopath Traveler's Prospects on the Nintendo Switch 2

With the Nintendo Switch 2 approaching, we can't help but think about how Octopath Traveler will perform on the future platform. Considering that the Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to have more powerful performance, we can expect improvements in the following areas:

• Higher resolution and frame rate: On the Nintendo Switch, Octopath Traveler's resolution and frame rate are limited. On the Nintendo Switch 2, we can expect to see higher resolution and more stable frame rates, resulting in a smoother and clearer picture experience.
• More detailed picture effects: The powerful performance of the Nintendo Switch 2 will allow game developers to experiment more with picture effects, such as adding more lighting effects, particle effects, etc., making the HD-2D picture even more stunning.
• Faster loading speed: The Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to use faster storage media, which can greatly shorten the game's loading time, allowing players to enter the game faster.
• Smoother multiplayer gaming experience: If Square Enix is willing to add a multiplayer game mode to Octopath Traveler, the powerful performance of the Nintendo Switch 2 can guarantee a smoother multiplayer gaming experience.

Of course, all of this depends on whether Square Enix is willing to release an enhanced version or sequel to Octopath Traveler for the Nintendo Switch 2. But in any case, we have reason to expect Octopath Traveler to shine in the future. Discussions about nintendo switch2 compatibility are also increasing, hoping that it can be compatible with more games.

5. Octopath Traveler: A JRPG Masterpiece Worth Buying

All in all, Octopath Traveler is a JRPG masterpiece that is very worth buying. It is highly praised for its unique HD-2D visual style, the independent storylines of the eight protagonists, and its strategic turn-based combat system. If you are a JRPG lover or like pixel-style games, then Octopath Traveler will definitely not disappoint you. Even considering the nintendo switch2 price factor, this game on the Switch platform is excellent value for money.

I hope my review and guide have been helpful to everyone. If you have any questions about Octopath Traveler or the Nintendo Switch 2, please leave a message in the comments section and I will do my best to answer them. Thank you for reading!