Finally, one of my most anticipated sequels is out amongst us, and I have had my hands on it since release date. Now, you all might know that I absolutely adored the first Octopath Traveler. In fact, it is probably one of my favorite games of all time.With that being said, a sequel can be both exciting and intimidating. If they get things right, it can be spectacular. If they get things wrong though, it can really be disheartening. Luckily, the folks over at Square Enix and Acquire did a superb job with this sequel.
Same Octopath We Know And Love
That’s right guys, at its core Octopath Traveler 2 is just like its predecessor. Everything you loved from the first entry is here and better than ever. The HD-2D art style is the best it has ever been, with every single ray of light perfected. The game introduces eight brand new travelers with new stories to dive into. Each character starts with their own core job, something you cannot change. Later though, they can equip a secondary job and that’s when things begin to open up.
The original jobs from the first game are here again, but they are slightly different. Some moves have been swapped out or built upon which left me relearning each job. I respected that because I didn’t want to mindlessly play through this game with my knowledge of the first one. Luckily, there’s enough new here to keep you on your toes. With that being said though, the core mechanics remain mostly the same.
You’ll exploit enemy weaknesses using elemental or physical attacks. Once broken, they will take more damage and can then be killed. Each round grants characters BP that can be used to either add attacks or add power to an attack. The ebb and flow of breaking enemies and timing your powerful attacks is so addicting. Every battle in my 100 hours of playtime was just so satisfying.
Sprinkle In Some Changes
Of course, this game brings in a few changes. Firstly, and in my opinion the most important in terms of gameplay, is the introduction of the day and night cycle. Each character has two actions they can perform outside of battle. These are called Path Actions. One path action is available during the day and one at night. Luckily, you can change the time of day with the press of a button. This will change more than just Path Actions though, as certain NPCs will only be present during certain times of the day. You’ll want to explore every town with every character to get the most out of this new feature.
Another new addition to this sequel is a gameplay mechanic called Latent Powers. Each character has a different Latent Power and depending on what that Latent Power is, it can either inflict insane amounts of damage or turn the tides of battle with amazing passive buffs. One thing I really enjoyed about this game was figuring out which second job paired with each character well and how it all mixed together with their Latent Power.
The last big thing that this game introduced into the mix is what they call Crossed Paths. These beautifully crafted side stories become available along your journey and require two specific travelers to be in your party to enjoy them. They help make the travelers feel more connected as they see a pair go through some things together. This helps to alleviate some of the issues that some players had with the first title and the characters not seeming connected. In a game that gives players the choice on when and which party members they’ll pick up, the Crossed Path addition fits well.
Combine And Conquer
Much like in the first game, each character is able to equip a secondary job while retaining their original job. This allows them to gain access to new abilities and also learn passive abilities tied to those jobs. Certain passive abilities benefit other jobs really well, so I found myself investing in alot of jobs just to get the passive abilities.
Each battle will award you both EXP and JP. EXP will level your character up while JP can be spent to learn skills within jobs. One of my favorite things to do in both this game and the first is try out different combinations and see what works best. The good thing about EXP and JP being separate is that you’ll always be able to earn more JP to explore different jobs. I found myself referencing online guides as well as trying out my own combinations to see what I liked best. There aren’t really any wrong combinations either, but there are certainly ones that are better than others. My advice would be to try out what you think will work and go from there.
The best thing to do to grasp each job and their skills though, is just use them in battle. Try new things, explore every option and you’ll eventually find something that sticks. There are, of course, combinations that just make more sense like Hunter and Warrior but sometimes weird combinations can end up being the best. Your playstyle and preferences will definitely begin to make themselves known and you’ll find something that works for you.
Tales Unlike Any Other
Octopath Traveler 2 certainly takes what was great about the first game and makes it even better. This definitely includes its art style, showcasing every pixel of its world in perfect detail. This helps build up a world around these characters that is both fresh and nostalgic. Even if you haven’t played the first game, this art style will take you back to the glory days of JRPGs like Final Fantasy VI.
The stories are phenomenal as well, introducing eight new travelers and a slew of new side characters. Each traveler’s story is unique bringing a wide range of emotion to the game. Some travelers have super heavy and dark stories, like Throné. Other characters have a bit more lightheartedness to them, helping break up the heavy stuff.
Now, you can play this game in whichever way you like, but I chose to pick up all the travelers first and then break up my parties. My first party consisted of Throné, Castti, Osvald and Ochette. I decided to finish all of their stories with that party and then move on to the remaining four travelers. However I saw where some people decided to switch up their party on a regular basis, depending on what they needed. It’s up to you how you decide to do it but I figured my way helped keep everyone’s level around the same.
100 Hours Later
I have no complaints about this game whatsoever. In my eyes it is absolute perfection. Every battle was rewarding, every story was told in beautiful detail. And it is all wrapped up in the prettiest HD-2D package on the market. I honestly cannot recommend this game enough. If you are an RPG veteran or looking for a great place to start, this game has you covered.
