Octopath Traveler 0 Review – The Power of Eight

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The HD-2D art style is now popular in many RPGs, like the remakes of Dragon Quest and Triangle Strategy, but I still find the original, Octopath Traveler, really interesting. It borrowed ideas from games like Bravely Default with its Boost combat system, and SaGa by letting you play as multiple characters, each with their own story and quests. Plus, each character has special abilities tied to their job. Despite all these great elements, I’ve always had a hard time considering Octopath Traveler a truly essential RPG.

It makes sense that Octopath Traveler II would challenge many of the typical RPG rules and try fresh ideas. It features a character you can fully customize, town-building elements, and a battle system where you position eight characters strategically, reminiscent of Suikoden. While it keeps the open-ended style of the original Octopath Traveler – and is actually even more free-form – this freedom also creates some issues, particularly with the story and characters.

This game is a console adaptation of Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, originally a mobile prequel to the main Octopath Traveler series. You begin as a resident of Wishvale, a peaceful town that’s unexpectedly destroyed by Tytos and his Scarlet Wings. You manage to escape with your friend Stia, thanks to the help of a mysterious scholar named Nomos, who gives you the Ring of the Flamebringer – one of eight powerful rings hidden across the land of Osterra. It’s soon revealed that Tytos didn’t act alone; Herminia, known as the “Witch of Greed,” and Auguste, the “Playwright,” also played a role in Wishvale’s destruction.

When disaster strikes in Wishvale, it’s hard to feel invested in rebuilding. Octopath Traveler 0 cleverly addresses this by finding other ways to draw you into the story and connect you to the world.

At the start of the game, you’ll focus on two primary objectives: either restoring the town and making it thrive with the help of Stia, or setting out to avenge those who wronged you and claiming their rings as prizes. Beyond these main goals, you’ll begin by gathering essential resources – new equipment, supplies, money, and people to rebuild your community.

The game’s issues become apparent right away due to the main character. While the beginning follows a familiar ‘chosen one’ trope, the character barely speaks. You can personalize their history, even their favorite food (which does affect the story), but their limited reactions – mostly just expressions and animations – feel flat, especially in moments that should be emotionally powerful. This lack of meaningful response really detracts from the experience.

Unlike many games where a town’s destruction feels distant, Octopath Traveler 0 quickly connects you to Wishvale’s past. For example, rebuilding structures triggers flashbacks to happier times. Following Phenn, an early companion, uncovers the painful experiences he had while attempting to save people. His recruitment isn’t just a simple task; it explores his deep connection to Wishvale and the trauma he carries, going beyond typical feelings of guilt.

While some companions aren’t as complex, Alexia is unique in her own way. She quickly becomes an ally—just ask about her research and acknowledge you’re important, and she’s on board. Her enthusiasm for exploring ruins is a nice bonus, and she’s a skilled magic user. Generally, though, finding new people to join your settlement is pretty straightforward: you just need to find them and ask.

The voice acting is a mixed bag, from good to a little over-the-top, which can make it hard to fully connect with these characters and their developing relationships. However, Phenn and Stia deliver believable performances, and Auguste manages to be unsettling without being ridiculous.

The main drawback is you’re limited to Support Skills specific to each character’s job, meaning you can’t combine them freely. However, this actually helps make each character feel distinct and fit a particular role. Plus, with a party of eight, this limitation isn’t a major problem.

In terms of exploration, Octopath Traveler 0 gives you complete freedom to go wherever you want. You can choose one of three starting characters or simply wander the world, talking to people, using special abilities to gather information, start battles, or find items. At first, this can become repetitive. Enemies don’t adjust to your level, and most battles happen randomly, meaning you’ll often fight weak enemies while revisiting areas, earning very little experience.

The game gets more enjoyable as you unlock more towns for quick travel, making it easier to reach challenging areas. Building and customizing your town is also straightforward – adding houses, decorations, and facilities doesn’t require a lot of effort or resources. Once you assign tasks to residents, they can gather materials for you, reducing the need to constantly travel back and forth and fight unwanted enemies.

Despite everything, I really liked the battle system in Octopath Traveler 0. It begins simply, giving you one Boost Point each turn and allowing you to use SP for skills. By saving up Boost Points, you can enhance attacks, skills, and even powerful Ultimate techniques to break enemies and stun them. As you earn Job Points and unlock new abilities—including Support Skills with special effects—you’ll quickly find party members boosting attacks for your strongest fighters or automatically healing allies at the end of their turns.

One potential drawback is that you’re limited to Support Skills specific to each character’s Job – you can’t combine them freely. However, this limitation actually makes each character feel more distinct and specialized, especially with a party of eight. The ability to further train and customize your party’s skills complements the game’s overall progression system. It’s tempting to focus on leveling up your characters and discovering new companions, almost to the point of ignoring the main story, and this helps offset the simplicity of some of the level designs.

Okay, so the story and characters aren’t totally grabbing me, and honestly, some of the revisiting old ground is a little frustrating. But even with that, I’m really enjoying it! It’s a fresh take on the usual formula, and the quality – the visuals, the sound, everything – is still top-notch, which is awesome.

No matter your opinion on the changes in this new installment, Octopath Traveler 0 maintains the series’ beautiful graphics. While the world of Osterra isn’t particularly unique – you’ll find familiar fantasy landscapes like forests, caves, and farms – the game’s HD-2D art style still looks fantastic. Even though some areas feel simple, there’s plenty to discover, from hidden ruins to challenging enemies and locked chests. The music is also excellent, perfectly complementing both peaceful exploration in cities like Theatropolis and intense battles.

While Octopath Traveler 0 might not make me a fan of the older games, I’m surprisingly captivated by how it plays and how you explore the world. The story and characters haven’t fully grabbed me, and I sometimes find myself frustrated by having to revisit areas, but it’s still a compelling take on the series with the same high-quality presentation. It might not be the most immersive 100-hour RPG, but it’s definitely a solid choice.

This game was reviewed on PS5.

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2025-12-03 21:13