Octopath Traveler - Before You Buy

Octopath Traveler (Nintendo Switch) is a JRPG with a cool look and nostalgia infused gameplay. But how does it hold up on its own? Let's talk.

[Riheinorn]

One reason to buy: squirrel enemies have an attack called "These Nuts"
One reason not to buy: squirrel enemies have an attack called "These Nuts"

[Rayden]

New Pokemon games should use this art style

[ChunWaiChien]

Did you know that the first letter of each characters name stands for OCTOPATH?

Ophelia
Cyrus
Tressa
Olberic
Primrose
Alfyn
Therion
Ha'anit

[gizzylaserfoot]

The Bravely Default/Octopath team at Square Enix is killing it

[xDaTrooperx]

I'm so surprised he didn't mention the artstyle of the game. It's absolutely gorgeous and probably the reason why I might buy it

[TheGunmanChannel]

I think this is the game that's going to make me buy a Switch.

[mistermack]

Complaining about grinding in a JRPG is akin to complaining about dribbling in basketball.

Dont waste your time if you dont like the grind

[MadnessGaming]

If you are a JRPG fan, you absolutely have to get this gem.

[Expendable]

I"m 9 hours in, with 5 characters unlocked (Olberic, Primrose, Alfyn, Therion and H'annit), and I'm truly loving it. The characters are really relatable, and the game makes you care about them quickly, and not just the playable ones either. The combat is fun and addictive, it can get grindy at some point, but at least it helps to level up really fast. Overall, I think the game is excellent, and I can't wait to find what it has in store for me.

[DoughboyDopest]

"I'll wait for a price drop"

3 YEARS LATER

[cristidenis]

What a nice looking game.hope we see future games with similar artstyle.

[badassbuddy]

gameranx's favorite character is Thief.

[ethanr]

This game is great I haven’t completed it yet but I’m loving it I wasn’t able to experience the SNES era (GameCube was my first console) and I didn’t need nostalgia to have a good experience

[CamperCarl]

Here's a few tips for beginners because this review doesn't inform you of some of the more obvious pitfalls and just how deep this game can get.

- *Be picky when choosing your main character* : You cannot change your main character until Chapter 4 of their particular story, which is actually insanely late in the game. Pick someone you think you'll like story-wise since it's pretty easy to compensate for any shortcomings later on.

- *Get all of the characters to start off with* : The game scales with the number of characters in your roster, and the sooner you fill it up, the sooner you can run into larger groups of enemies that make it easier to level. This is also the best way to choose who you want to have in your main party and who you'll take with you up to Chapter 4.

- *Get the secondary classes early* : Each character has a region, and when you walk into that region's "Chapter 2 zone" you will conveniently see a new mark on the map. These are shrines that grant access to secondary classes that will allow you to make up for your party's shortcomings as well as get free stat boosts. It's highly recommended that you grab all of these before doing a Chapter 2 mission so that you can be well prepared for the increased challenge.

- *Run only when battles are moot* : It's extremely important that you don't look a gift horse in the mouth when you're walking through environments your level. Granted, once it gets to the point where you can easily win without losing resources or trying to hit their weakness, you should probably be running away in order to save time.

- *You can teleport to Towns from anywhere* : This is a big one that will save you a lot of time during side quests. You can teleport by bringing up the World map and clicking on a town you've been to before. This is why it's a good idea to get all of the second classes early, because then you can also stop in at the new town so you can teleport to it.

- *Don't try to level/gear everyone up at the same* : Trust me when I say it's a losing battle, and you will benefit more from speed leveling the benched party members once you complete Chapter 4 and give them all of the swag gear. This also keeps the game interesting as it cuts down on grinding and will make it so that your main character isn't over-leveled for the climax.

[MomboJumbo]

HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO TEACH YOU OLD MAN!!

[RegretMSTRPWN]

Grinding in games is fun if the battle system is fun. It makes sense that if you have to do something fun over and over again, it wont be too bad. Having something to work towards In each battle helps a lot too.
In tales of the abyss for example, you could level up your skills by using then a bunch and unlock special skills if you use each one enough times. This means when you're grinding you'll usually be trying a ton of different skills and getting used to them all. Totally dont mind grinding that game.

[Neo_Way]

Before you buy? I think you mean "buy". Just buy.

[Strausburg]

I normally don't play JRPGs, but I was hooked by this and I can't stop playing. I'm already 17 hours in (20 if you count the 3 hours from the demo), and it seems to just keep getting better. The battle system is a lot of fun to figure out, and it reminds me of the strategy of Child of Light's timed combat. The story is well told; I only wish there wasn't such a grind between chapters, but I understand that is usually a big part of these JRPGs.

[lukemayhew]

Cyrus is Legit my favorite opening. I love his background and how he decides to leave. Very cool story. I suggest you dont skip any of his dialogue.

[Josh-drcp]

You said it right. The first hour for each character is so slow, but once you build your team and get out there it's so much fun