![]() Outside of battles, the changes are more obvious. It’s so much fun to experiment with different combinations to build your perfect party, and almost mandatory to overcome the games later trickier chapters. I’m a huge fan of a good job system in RPGs, and Octopath Traveler II has what I consider to be some genre-best execution of the concept. ![]() Secondary jobs can be assigned to fill gaps in that character’s loadout. Each of the playable characters has a primary job that denotes what abilities and weapons they can wield. THE CHEAPEST PRICE: STARTING FROM $69 WITH FREE SHIPPING FROM AMAZONĪ little bit more essential is the robust jobs system that underpins the combat. They’re a nice touch that adds an extra layer of strategizing to battle, but they’re also not essential enough that I found myself using them a whole lot. Each power has a different effect, allowing you to focus a group-targeting spell onto a single enemy for extra damage or even buffing your party depending on the time of day. These are available to each character and are usable after filling a gauge that fills from either taking damage or breaking an enemy. Octopath Traveler II does introduce a few new aspects to the combat. It’s hard to explain – and I implore you to try the demo – but it’s a satisfying combat system that rewards those who think about each turn and how they’ll flow into one another. Using this system to target an enemy’s weakness can “break” them, stunning them and, if planned correctly, prevent them from attacking and open them up to more damage. Each turn, each character gains a BP, which can then be used to increase your attacks or power in the same turn. A typical turn-based system with the Break and Boost mechanics returning. The battle system is just as strong as in the original game. But is Octopath Traveler II just a typical RPG with a nostalgic look art direction? It’s honestly so much more. The world itself is beautiful – presented in a unique 2D-HD style that the original game pioneered. As mentioned previously, you’ll explore Solistia while following the individual stories of eight characters. Like the original, it’s a turn-based RPG that feels fast paced but still has enough depth to it that makes it fun to master. I admire the attempts to bring things closer together, even if that wasn’t the intention of the original game, but overall it feels like more of a half step towards that goal more than anything else.īut underneath the plot, there’s a fantastic game here too. But I can’t help but feel that, with a little bit more linearity, a party with synergy at both a story and gameplay level could easily be developed. It would be a logistical nightmare to accurately predict the order players obtain their party members and adjust dialogue and interactions accordingly. While I feel like this is the right direction to move in, there were still moments overall where my main character would just stand there in silence while cutscenes centering on other characters played out. Where the original game lacked meaningful interactions between the party, Octopath Traveler II attempts to remedy this by incorporating new stories that usually intertwine two characters, complete with sub-chapters. So much of Octopath Traveler II feels lifted directly from the predecessor to the point that it can feel like a retread at times. I adored Octopath Traveler but I feel like the concept is already starting to wear a little thin. ![]() The story eventually converges, but like the original game, it really is all about the individual stories. Some want to be the best in their field, others want to capitalise on the boom in trade. The story follows eight characters, each with their own stories and motivations. Solistia is in the midst of an industrial and trade revolution, so it feels like a time of great prosperity in the world. It’s different to Osterra from the previous game, sporting a much more modern setting. The new game takes place in a new continent called Solistia. And while it’s not necessarily the direction I think the series needed to head in, it offers up more of what players loved five years ago. Now, Octopath Traveler II attempts to address the criticisms levelled at its predecessor to offer a more intertwined story. ![]() Underneath it’s shiny veneer was some fantastic gameplay bolstered by a flexible job and party system. It’s deliciously old school presentation set the scene for the game players wanted it to be – a fresh modern take on the RPG that still managed to look like it came from the golden years of the genre. The first Octopath Traveler was a great game, but I felt it was often misunderstood.
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