Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, newly obtainable on cell, is a worthy sequel to the unique 2018 Swap role-playing recreation. I had anticipated a watered-down fight system and a menu hell like many different gacha video games on cell gadgets. Sq. Enix proved me incorrect. Champions retains the visuals and music that made Octopath a novel title in a discipline of fairly RPGs, and its streamlined fight is an enormous enchancment over the grindiness of the unique recreation. Octopath is even higher on cell than it ever was on the Nintendo Swap.
In 2018, Sq. Enix launched the unique Octopath Traveler on the Nintendo Swap. Set in the identical continent of Orsterra, Champions is a prequel, happening some unspecified time frame earlier than Octopath. Whereas the protagonists of Octopath do seem in some sidequests, the narrative is centered round a band of merry adventurers who’re united by the holy ring carried by the primary “chosen,” your first participant character (who’s randomized via the gacha). It’s an attention-grabbing tackle the primary recreation’s narrative system, the place eight characters occurred to hitch up collectively for causes that had been much more tenuous. Whereas there are sidequests centered round every of the characters, the primary marketing campaign focuses on three themes: wealth, fame, and energy. Every major questline revolves round toppling a tyrant who exemplifies a kind of qualities. The adventurer group may accumulate factors in every of these qualities, which have an effect on NPC recruitment and resource-gathering.
Critics usually praised the primary Octopath recreation’s artwork model, fight, and music, however some discovered the development to be grindy and the story to be uninteresting. So I used to be a bit nervous once I came upon that Champions was a cell recreation. Many gamers who’re used to premium console titles typically discover the cell grind too irritating to endure. After years of taking part in video games on cell, I’ve an infinite quantity of endurance, however even I keep in mind feeling that Octopath Traveler was a bloated time sink. I used to be ready for Champions to exacerbate the unique downside.
I used to be additionally involved about how properly the Octopath artwork model would adapt to a cell recreation. The character designs are whimsical and successfully faucet into the nostalgia many gamers really feel for the 16-bit JRPGs of the ‘90s, however they aren’t precisely sexy or eye-catching. Apart from dancers, the characters put on pragmatic garments in earthy colours. I couldn’t see myself obsessing over fanart of Octopath characters the best way that I did with Caenis in Destiny/Grand Order or the dragon woman Ch’en in Arknights. By the point I began Champions, I barely remembered what the Octopath Traveler characters regarded like.
These had been the considerations I had earlier than truly taking part in the sport. Eight hours later, these considerations largely forgotten, I noticed that Champions is my absolute favourite strategy to play Octopath Traveler. The auto-travel perform, the place you flick the display screen to auto-run throughout the panorama, feels intuitive. There are buttons to stack each character’s strikes directly, which makes extraordinary battles go by lots sooner. If I solely encountered a few weak enemies, I might end the battle with two faucets.
Champions additionally introduces the idea of reserve get together members within the again who will be swapped out and in at will. If somebody received hit by a standing impact, I merely caught them within the again line and used the reserve get together members. Benched characters additionally recuperate each well being and SP (mana). Since as much as eight characters are current in each battle, it’s simpler to unfold expertise factors round to extra characters.
In each video games, fight principally revolves round focusing on enemy weaknesses as a way to break their shields. Doing so was difficult within the unique recreation. A number of enemies in the identical battle typically had totally different weaknesses (equivalent to Polearms, Daggers, or Fireplace), and boss battles turned excruciating when bosses would change their weaknesses. In Champions, nonetheless, with my get together divided into two rows, I might prepare my frontline to interrupt enemy shields with multi-hit fundamental assaults on the primary flip, after which use my backline of highly effective characters to pummel the enemy’s well being on the subsequent flip. I marveled at how Champions managed to make Octopath really feel much less grindy by making very small tweaks. It didn’t should be an overhaul, and the fight nonetheless works equally to the way it does within the Swap unique.
However wait, there’s extra! The affect of standing results is now vastly diminished, a savvy resolution that lets Champions get rid of stock administration solely. I might get hold of equippable weapons and armor, however I now not needed to juggle restoration or standing ailment objects. I didn’t have to consider the distinction between Herb of Readability and Herb of Awakening, which was a very hellish expertise once I completed Octopath final yr. The NPC summons system has additionally been simplified significantly. Now not are summons tied to particular characters—now you can briefly recruit individuals by combating or paying them, no matter who’s in your get together. These could be unhappy modifications for RPG followers who take pleasure in managing their inventories or enduring the implications of standing circumstances, however they gave me a extra satisfying RPG expertise.
Champions can be trustworthy to the beautiful visuals, soundtracks, and tales that made Octopath Traveler so memorable within the first place. I felt so peaceable and comfy as I traversed via the HD-2D panorama to the sound of Octopath Traveler’s energetic soundtrack. And I didn’t have to fret about character enchantment—I cherished each single individual I recruited via the gacha system. The return of Octopath’s character-focused quest system allowed me to develop hooked up with the characters at my very own tempo. Whereas some RPG followers may really feel that Octopath characters aren’t morally grey or advanced sufficient, I am keen on how humble, relatable, and genuinely likable the characters are. I’m used to recruiting highborn nobles, legendary warriors, and even gods in different gacha video games. And despite the fact that the solid consists of as much as 80 playable characters, the writing makes every of them distinctive and likable in a down-to-earth approach. Reasonably than every thing being extremely high-stakes and intense, I spent a variety of time merely serving to individuals feed their children or work out their analysis mission. Characters in each video games are motivated by altruism or an inherent appreciation for worldly wonders, moderately than revenge or spite. It was enjoyable to look at characters fret over small misunderstandings or easily-resolved human struggles. I really like JRPG melodrama about secret bloodlines or no matter, however generally I simply need to chill with individuals who have regular human foibles. Champions fulfills that area of interest completely.
The extra streamlined Champions expertise allowed me to return to my recreation each time I felt prefer it, and I didn’t should relearn an advanced system as a way to progress. It strikes the proper steadiness between approachable sufficient for individuals who have by no means performed Octopath Traveler and trustworthy sufficient for individuals who need Champions to be a direct follow-up.
Whereas cell gacha video games typically have a nasty status for being a money seize, it’s clear that the builders of Champions put very cautious thought into designing a turn-based RPG that feels good to play. And most of the new fight and quest system redesigns are supposed to enhance the single-player expertise moderately than the monetization facet. The brand new options, the best way that the themes intersect with gameplay methods, and the relatable characters make Champions a vastly improved single-player expertise in comparison with its predecessor.