Eight new heroes enter a bar with extra selection and prettier visuals.
Practically 5 years after the launch of Octopath Traveler comes its sequel, aptly named Octopath Traveler II. First revealed throughout Nintendo’s early 2017 Change unveiling, the primary recreation got here out in the summertime of 2018 to voracious love from yours really and a smattering of constructive and destructive sentiments elsewhere. On the finish of the day, that first recreation bought very nicely, kicking off Sq. Enix utilizing the HD-2D engine for Triangle Technique, Dwell A Dwell, and the upcoming Dragon Quest III remake. Returning to the sport that began off this pattern feels significant although, particularly since a lot has modified concerning the HD-2D engine, the gaming panorama, and the world.
I’ve had the possibility to play by way of the primary chapters of all the eight new characters (and even the second chapter of 1 character due to a neat twist) and thus far this recreation seems like a refined and polished iteration within the younger sequence. I’m intrigued by the potential of how the sport will unfold from right here whereas additionally having fun with the modifications that I’ve seen firsthand thus far. Right here’s eight takeaways from my handful of hours of Octopath Traveler II thus far.
The Fight Tweaks Make A Good Battle System Even Higher
Octopath’s turn-based battles liberally borrowed from Shin Megami Tensei’s Press Flip system (with some extra company-adjacent influences like Bravely Default) and for probably the most half, every thing hones in on discovering enemy weakpoints and exploiting these weaknesses to stun (or break) them. The most important adjustment within the sequel is the addition of Latent Powers, that are particular talents triggered when a personality receives sufficient injury or breaks an enemy. Every character has a novel one, whether or not it’s Throné the thief appearing twice or Osvald unleashing a super-powered magic spell. They issue into the technique of battles, deepening the pool of ways you’ll be able to draw from.
Day and Evening Mechanic Visually Is Neat And Additionally Affect Gameplay
On the press of a button (in most conditions), you’ll be able to change the time from day to nighttime and vice versa. Apart from the visible aptitude of the solar rising and falling to affect the look of the world, enemies are extra highly effective at night time and sure NPCs solely present up throughout one of many two occasions. It’s higher to grind ranges at night time due to that. Additionally, the Path Actions from the primary recreation are actually double the enjoyable with the day/night time cycle. Beforehand, every character solely had one Path Motion; now they’ve two. So Ochette the hunter can provoke NPCs in the course of the day, combating them and taking their lunch cash, whereas at night time, she will be able to befriend an NPCs, bringing them alongside as a fighter in battle. Each character has this duality and it does a very good job of constructing certain you nearly all the time have each sort of Path Motion at your disposal wherever you’re. Having eight choices at one time is slightly daunting, however as soon as you compromise into it, it’s good to have the flexibility.
Chapter Ones Are Much less Onerous
Typically, it looks like the primary chapters for each character are extra streamlined than they had been earlier than. They’re nonetheless story-heavy, functioning as tutorials for the talents of every hero, however diving into chapter ones is much less of a burden than it was within the first recreation. Additionally, you might have the choice of reflecting on a hero’s origins in a while within the recreation versus dropping every thing proper if you meet them. Ideally, you continue to need to assemble all eight earlier than you go deeper into different tales, however the recreation is barely much less inflexible with the way you go about that.
Chapters Are Much less Formulaic
The one main distinction to how the primary chapters go is Osvald’s, who I selected as my beginning character. Osvald is a scholar locked in jail after being framed for the homicide of his spouse and child. His first two chapters inform the story of how he breaks out of jail, making for a compelling early journey and likewise a novel means of going about these origin tales.
Past that, you might have a number of choices of the way to go concerning the tales as nicely. For Throné, she’s looking down the leaders of her thieves (who’re named Mom and Father for some purpose) and after the preliminary chapter, you’ll be able to pursue both chief somewhere else.
The Promise of Crossed Paths
Within the preview phase, I haven’t skilled Crossed Paths in any respect, however it’s one of many elements of the sport I’m most interested in. Including to the number of the chapters you’ll be able to sort out are story segments that contain two characters. Put each characters in your celebration and go to the prescribed city to, uh, nicely I don’t know fairly what but. It’d perform as a standalone chapter or it is perhaps a cutscene. Time will inform, however I like the thought of constructing these characters work together extra. There are additionally journey banter segments that simply appear to be the character conversations in Tales video games. These are fantastic, albeit nothing substantial thus far.
Crusing Has My Consideration
On the middle of Octopath Traveler II’s world is an enormous physique of water that splits up the land lots. I started my story within the northeast with Osvald’s story and proceeded across the map clockwise getting the gang collectively. I reached some extent the place I used to be attempting to determine the way to go from Throné’s origin metropolis of New Delsta to the island the place Ochette the Hunter lives. There was an underground waterway that I decided needed to have a secret exit to get to Ochette’s space. At a sure level, it dawned on me that I can cross the water. So I went to the port part of New Delsta’s overworld and hopped on a ferry to Ochette’s island. Early on, you’ll be able to trip canoes in smaller waterways on the overworld however it looks like in a while you get your individual ship. I don’t know the way deep the crusing can be, however I’m intrigued as a result of it appears to be like prefer it would possibly jazz up the exploration after I felt just like the exploration dried up over time within the unique recreation.
Visuals Look Nice; Music Is Good
The soundtrack for the unique recreation was considered one of my favourite issues about it. It’s been nearly 5 years and I nonetheless take heed to it every now and then. I’m not thrilled that my takeaway after a number of hours is that the music is merely good. I don’t need to conflate that because the music being dangerous. It’s strong, however the unique recreation’s music wasn’t simply strong. It was unbelievable. Time will inform and perhaps I’ll discover this recreation’s model of the chic Frostlands observe.
Visually, you’ll be able to inform the HD-2D engine has had quite a lot of revisions since 2018. The digital camera is extra dynamic and the settings appear much less washed out by the bloom lighting. I’ve seen numerous novel visible tweaks, particularly in any form of flashback sequence. Castti the Apothecary is an amnesiac and within the few bits of her recollections I’ve seen thus far, there’s some neat tips used to make her reminiscence appear defective.
Favourite Characters So Far
Osvald’s jail break was a enjoyable sequence, in order that magic wielder is one I’m glad is on the high of my celebration. Past that, I like having a thief with me to steal objects from NPCs so Throné and her thieves guild warfare is one other early favourite. Ochette talks to an enormous lion in her homeland and I like increase a group of animals to make use of as equipment for fight so she’s an early mainstay. My fourth celebration spot is up for grabs at present, although I’ve a sinking feeling I’ll want to remain balanced as I work my means by way of the sport so there is perhaps a little bit of a rotating solid. That being stated, Hikari the Warrior Ninja Man has some fascinating potential as he can problem NPCs in the course of the daytime to then use their talents in battle. I’ve not discovered a real weaklink character but, which is encouraging as a result of I bear in mind shortly choosing favorites within the first recreation. Time will inform as I work my means by way of their tales, although.
