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In July, Square Enix revealed the game The latest entry in the Octopath Traveler series From the publisher’s retro HD-2D pixel role-playing game. This introduction, Octopath Traveler 0adds features but in my short time with the game I feel like it loses some of the charm of previous games in the series, which may disappoint fans.
Octopath Traveler 0 will be released in December and I’ve played the first few parts of it. What I’ve seen so far has the same level of gameplay and storytelling as previous games in the series but is missing those interesting characters that were the heart of Octopath Traveler 1 and 2. Instead there’s a city building mechanic, which while perhaps appealing to some players who want a relaxing element to their RPG, didn’t make up for the lack of storylines.
Solopath traveler
In Octopath Traveler 0, instead of players choosing one of eight distinct characters with different classes and backgrounds as in previous games, they’re stuck with just one silent protagonist, which is an unfortunate departure. The main attraction of the first two Octopath Traveler games was choosing heroes and watching their stories unfold and intertwine with each other, so turning to the dumb hero trope found in so many other games feels tedious. Octopath Traveler 0 begins in the most familiar way: the hero wakes up in the morning before a major festival in the city which inevitably ends in tragedy.
After a fire destroyed the hero’s hometown with the predictably tragic name Wishvale, years have passed and now it’s up to them to seek revenge and rebuild. While you’re stuck with one hero, you can decide which of the three main villains behind Wishvale’s destruction you should go after first.
Although there isn’t a selection of pre-made characters to choose from like other Octopath games, this hero can be customized. You can choose their appearance and class: warrior, hunter, merchant, apothecary, cleric, scholar, dancer or thief. The Apothecary can deal physical damage and cast healing or attack spells, while the Dancer buffs allies and weakens enemies. You choose the merchant who gains additional experience, action points and money after battles. Later, players can switch classes if they want to try something new.
Choose one of the eight classes for your hero.
As you meet other characters who join your adventuring party, it’s not nearly the same experience as playing through multiple stories of these individuals from different backgrounds with their own motivations converging in a dramatic way. Your hero is the focal point of the game, and the only characters who get some additional plot development are the villains, who act as mere villains in distant castles.
From ruin to glory
Another big new aspect in Octopath Traveler 0 is the rebuilding of Wishvale. This aspect reminded me of the Breath of Fire and Suikoden games, where you build your own community. Wishvale, now a ruin of the city, can be rebuilt over the course of the game. Rebuilding the ruined city requires materials such as wood, stone, and cloth, which can be found throughout the world map over the course of your travels. Characters you meet on the road can move to help the city grow. It’s a good idea, although I’m not a fan of city building. Others will likely spend hours crafting the RPG city of their dreams.
You have to decide what your city will look like.
Along with these two new features, there is a new mechanic that brings eight players into battle. As in previous Octopath games, battles are based on the series’ “Break and Boost” system, where enemies have a certain number of armor points and when these are depleted, enemies “break”, causing them to enter a dazed state. Party members have boost points gained in each round of combat that can be used to launch multi-hit attacks on a weakened enemy. I’ve always been a fan of the more active, turn-based combat, and while I haven’t gotten far enough to try out eight-player squads, I’m excited when it happens, because I love big team battles in RPGs.
Although I still have a lot to play before finishing Octopath Traveler 0, I’m disappointed by the lack of memorable characters, which was the spirit of the previous games. I haven’t found any major flaws yet, but it feels like another solid traditional turn-based RPG without Octopath’s signature novelty of meeting multiple storylines to tell a larger story. Maybe the story will appeal to me later, but that remains to be seen.
Octopath Traveler 0 will be released on December 4 for $50 on PS4, PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and Xbox Series