Soapbox options allow our particular person writers and contributors to voice their opinions on sizzling subjects and random stuff they have been chewing over. Today, Alana is speaking about her favorite RPG of 2023, one that everybody appears to have fully forgotten about…
Eight travellers. Eight tales. These eight adventurers’ paths cross, their lives very totally different from each other, however quickly sufficient, their fates change into intertwined as they stroll the identical highway. No, I’m not speaking about Octopath Traveler – I’m speaking about Octopath Traveler II.
2023 has been a fairly superb 12 months for RPGs – Sea of Stars has charmed many a JRPG fan; Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a dream remake; and talking of remakes, who noticed Super Mario RPG making a comeback? And that’s on Switch alone. Yet, everybody appears to have forgotten about Octopath Traveler II.
The sport launched again in February 2023, and although it did get a fairly heat vital reception, together with from us, it appears to have come and gone in many individuals’s eyes. The Game Awards fully forgot about it for each Best RPG (which, admittedly, it was by no means going to win) and (extra criminally) Best Score and Music – an award it completely deserved to be up for, and doubtless even win.
I haven’t forgotten, although, as a result of Octopath Traveler II stole my coronary heart earlier this 12 months, and it hasn’t let go.
The premise is similar as the unique – you select to start out as one in all eight characters, and all eight share the identical jobs as the unique octet. Once you choose your character, they’re caught in your celebration because the lead till you full their story, however you’re free to discover and recruit the remaining seven characters, every of whom has their very own multi-chapter story to work by way of. There are 4 optionally available jobs, the flexibility to equip a second job, and loads of different returning options from the primary sport.
…Octopath Traveler II stole my coronary heart earlier this 12 months, and it hasn’t let go.
I might wax lyrical concerning the mechanical enhancements – the Inventor secret job is a godsend within the early sport; the day-and-night system helps with levelling; and I can velocity up battles now? Hooray! But Octopath Traveler II’s largest enhancements include its writing. I really like the Chaucerian-esque set-up of the unique and this sequel, the concept that eight travellers of various walks of life come collectively and share their experiences collectively (even when they’re, uh, not all on-screen on the similar time). And these tales aren’t about saving the world – they’re concerning the individuals and their experiences. But Octopath II does “story” so a lot better.
I began as Throné, the thief – mysterious, chilly, and, by the top of the primary chapter, emotionally damaged and determined for freedom. As a member of the Blacksnakes, Throné is tricked into murdering one in all her companions as a method of proving who can take over the management of the guild. It’s a fairly stark distinction to Therion, the thief of Octopath 1’s story, who kicks off his journey with a heist.
Throné’s beginning chapter units up the tone for the remainder of the sport completely for me. Yes, Octopath Traveler II is darker on the entire, however it’s extra that every story offers with the non-public, the human. Despite how dramatic every story will be, each story feels way more relatable. None of us have been pressured to homicide a good friend, I’m positive, however we will all relate to Throné’s story of feeling trapped and helpless, and wanting to hunt out the reality. We all need to really feel like we now have a spot on the earth, and that’s what Throné is attempting to do – make a life for herself and search her freedom.
Hikari, the warrior, has been pushed out of his house after the homicide of his father by the hands of his half-brother, Mugen. Hikari isn’t your typical warrior archetype – he’s variety, mild, and empathetic, but additionally troubled by a curse positioned on his household. Again, these aren’t issues we instantly expertise in actual life, however household battle and duty are issues we now have to take care of – that is simply these issues put underneath an enormous magnifying glass and elaborated by way of lovely HD-2D spritework and over-the-top narratives.
We all need to really feel like we now have a spot on the earth, and that’s what Throné is attempting to do
The manner that Octopath Traveler II performs with our preconceptions of jobs and characters is one in all my favorite issues about it. When we consider a service provider, we in all probability simply consider somebody who sells stuff to make a revenue – that’s not who Partitio is. This sunny salesman needed to watch his hometown fall into poverty because the landowner elevated taxes on silver, the ore the city was recognized for mining in abundance. His chapter 1 basically ends with him punching a landlord, giving the city again to the individuals of Oresrush, and embarking on a journey to place cash within the palms of those that want it, to finish poverty.
It’s a fairly rosy, JRPG idealist manner of presenting the issue and the answer, however it’s so earnest — it warms my coronary heart to observe Partitio name somebody “chickadee” and work tirelessly simply to assist individuals and make them comfortable. If the identical for Agnea, the dancer, who simply desires to be a star and “bring smiles” to individuals. She’s performed fairly straight for her archetype – Primrose (of Octopath 1) was undoubtedly an inversion of that job, so Agnea being the exact opposite feels acceptable. She’s pleasure incarnate, endlessly infectious, and lovable. Even when Agnea struggles, she’s capable of pull herself again up as a result of, like Paritio, she desires to assist individuals. She’s the beating coronary heart of Octopath Traveler II, and encompasses the message of hope that the sport is aiming for general.
it warms my coronary heart to observe Partitio name somebody “chickadee” and work tirelessly simply to assist individuals
I might truthfully discuss each single character (I’m sorry to Ochette, Castti, Osvald, and Temenos) as a result of all of them undergo nice character arcs and each story feels totally different, even after they’re enjoying it by the guide. It in all probability helps that not each single character has 4 chapters – some have 5, whereas others have a number of elements to a single chapter that may be executed in any order. It makes the entire sport really feel much more free.
Admittedly, there’s nonetheless a disconnect between all eight tales as a result of characters don’t seem in one another’s narratives, however there’s extra ‘Travel Banter’, the place the characters do at the least discuss and react to occasions which are occurring all through the sport. And the Crossed Paths go some technique to amend that jarring dissociation I (and principally everybody else) had with the primary sport.
Each ‘pair’ of characters has their very own little mini-story that pops up a number of occasions all through the sport, often after you’ve progressed every corresponding character’s narrative sufficient. These vary from quick cutscenes to mini jaunts by way of dungeons, they usually’re all actually good. Hikari and Agnea’s Crossed Path appears at music, dance, loss of life, and celebrating life. It touches on facets of each characters and cultures, and it’s actually lovely. Elsewhere Partitio is paired up with the vengeful, astute scholar Osvald, who finally ends up serving to a struggling researcher fund a mission.
These connective ribbons actually assist to place a bow round Octopath Traveler II’s narrative. Every character is working in the direction of a aim, and virtually all of these objectives have a look at serving to individuals, bringing hope to individuals, and giving hope to themselves. That all involves a head after you beat all eight tales and all 4 Crossed Paths. There are far more breadcrumbs main as much as the end result of Octopath Traveler II all through all eight shops – some greater than others, however they’re all there. I’m not going to enter what occurs precisely, in fact, however the picture of the eight characters sitting across the campfire because the world goes to pot is a fairly excellent distillation of why I really like Octopath Traveler II.
These are eight characters which have skilled so much, each alone and collectively. They’ve laughed, cried, grown – individually and collectively. And now the destiny of the world rests on these eight “ordinary, extraordinary” individuals.
I wasn’t on the lookout for a ‘save the world’ plot from Octopath Traveler II, as a result of I believe its strengths lie in telling smaller, private narratives – I don’t at all times need the duty of saving the world, in any case. But right here it hit me that the explanation we now have these sorts of tales in JRPGs is that the style is a good automobile for telling tales about private progress, regardless of how large or small that progress or journey is. Those smaller moments all construct as much as you with the ability to do one thing unbelievable, whether or not you’re a dancer, a salesman, or a member of the royal household.
the eight characters sitting across the campfire […] is a fairly excellent distillation of why I really like Octopath Traveler II
Octopath Traveler II’s gameplay ought to promote itself – there’s a three-hour demo on the eShop for those who’re unsure whether or not the turn-based ‘Break’ and ‘Boost’ system is for you, and there are some beautiful sidequests, secrets and techniques, and a totally beautiful world to find. All of the little mechanical enhancements had been greater than welcome, however Team Asano listened to the few complaints I did have and introduced me a wealthy world with fantastic characters that really feel like individuals and associates.
In my eyes, even with the few faults it nonetheless has, that makes Octopath Traveler II one of many most interesting turn-based RPGs I’ve ever performed. And look, for those who’re not going to play it, at least listen to the music.
Have you performed Octopath Traveler II? Who is your favorite of the eight? Vote in our ballot under and maintain a watch out for it in our ongoing Game of the Year 2023 items over the approaching days!
