Octopath Traveler has been one of the most exciting game releases of 2018. Nintendo showed trailers of the game at E3 this year to announce the release on the Switch. For anyone that didn’t check out the demo, they are missing out! This open world role-playing game could easily be a hidden gem.
Square Enix and Acquire did a lot of work on Octopath Traveler to bring us this unique turn based adventure. Now in the full release, players get to choose eight different characters and stories. Each have their own story and viewpoint in the game. Every character originates from different parts of this world and have specific characteristics. For example, some characters will have more access to fighting while others can usually scrape by with some minimal information here and there. Whoever you choose is up to you.
Graphically this HD-2D world is one of the more interesting ones seen. The polygonal environment mixed with the high-definition effects put the game in to a category of their own. Playing gets very exciting as characters are set to battle because every hit is a big deal. Enemies are no small feat either.
The games that come to mind when playing this are some of the original Final Fantasy games for both the NES and the Super Nintendo. Turn based combat against monsters on what could be Earth or some other place. As the FF series moved on, they started to get away from this type of game. If you ever wanted a new game that felt like one of your favorite old games, Octopath Traveler is for you.
With a good story behind all of the characters, each path is wonderful to take. The enemies along the way however will need to be considered carefully. Sometimes you just need to step back and realize that you need to work on your strength before going back for the big guy. The replayability of this game is definitely worth the time just to see everyone’s different status’ and abilities.
I highly recommend this game because the story is in depth for each character which creates a bond and because the visual is unique and appealing. Every character will fascinate you but the enemies will challenge you. So this is a good balance for anyone interested in jumping in.
9/10
Available on the Switch July 13,2018
