Octopath Traveler 2 proves that the RPG series is more than its unique art style, though there’s still a bit more room to improve the formula.
When Octopath Traveler launched in 2018, it quietly kicked off a revolution. Square Enix’s retro RPG featured a unique art style that would usher in a new era of “HD-2D” games. The endearing pixel art complemented the 3D environments surprisingly well, resulting in Octopath Traveler’s timeless presentation. In the five years since it was released, other games such as Live a Live and Triangle Strategy have used the same style to great effect, whether it’s by breathing life into older titles or experimenting with other gameplay mechanics.
It wasn’t just style without substance, though. The first game made good use of its innovative art style with a fantastic turn-based battle system and robust customization options. Though it’s still one of the Switch’s standout RPGs, it did still have issues. Combat and art were on point, but limited interactions between its cast of heroes took some of the punch out of its eight-hero premise.
Five years later, Octopath Traveler 2 is here and seeks to remedy those issues from the first game, proving the series is more than a pretty face. It pulls that off for the most part thanks to strong visuals, music, and a battle system that still feels fresh. However, there are still some pain points of its predecessor that linger here, namely its grind-infested pacing and the occasional difficulty spike. The sequel is a definite level up, but there’s still room for the series to accrue experience.
Octopath Traveler 2 takes place in Solistia, which is a much more industrialized setting than the first game’s Osterra. The mix of modern technology like the steam engine and magical elements like curses and prophecies makes for a fascinating location. Like the first game, the tale follows eight separate characters across the world. Each character has their own distinct story, such as Hikari, a swordsman on a mission to stop his brother’s war-mongering rule, and Castti, an apothecary with amnesia who’s trying to recover her memories by traveling and healing those in need. Players can pick and choose which character to start with, and then tackle each story’s chapters in any order from there.
Each story is intriguing in its own way and, importantly, never overstays its welcome. The scholar Osvald’s tale is particularly compelling as he’s on a revenge quest for the person who framed him for his family’s murder 20 years ago. I loved seeing Osvald tread down a dark path for vengeance, learning how far he would go to destroy those who wronged him. In Castti’s story, she learns harrowing details about the apothecary clan she belongs to. Along her journey, she wonders if she’s actually better off not remembering who she was before. Her altruistic-natured occupation as a healer directly conflicts with the sinister secrets that her clan holds.
The accompanying dungeons that punctuate each chapter are brisk in order to accommodate all eight characters in the main cast as well. Most of them consist of linear passageways with a boss at the end and some diverging paths every once in a while with a treasure chest. While the dungeon design is simple, it works well considering that you have to play through all eight characters, each of which has at least four chapters.
