5/5 ★ – soulfulgamer19's review of Octopath Traveler.

One of my favorite games of all time and the game that got me into JRPGs. This was my lockdown game. Everyday after work I’d complete a section or chapter of each character’s story and lose myself in an immersive, lush, and beautiful world. I could gush about this game endlessly, but to make this review coherent—and in true Octopath fashion— I hereby present eight reasons why I love this game and recommend you give it a try: 1. Art. First off, the art is incredible. This was the hook for me. The HD-2D style pioneered by the developers blends the best of both worlds —  traditional SNES era pixel art with modern touches like depth of field, detailed sprites, and lighting & particle effects . The effect is like a diorama or pop-up book and it makes you feel nostalgic right away. I literally took over 100 screenshots of the game because the scenes were so gorgeous to me. Just look at the glistening sands of Sunshade, the sparkling snow of Flamesgrace or the rippling tides of Grandport. The attention to detail in the sprites is unparalleled - I would often stop and stare at the animations, be they birds warbling, leaves rustling, or the flags flapping in the wind. I’d even try counting how many sprites were drawn for each aspect of the environment. Doing so really made me appreciate the immense love and care that went into creating this immersive world. 2. Music. The one feature that could possibly surpass the art is the music. Oh the music. It is marvelous. Having a full orchestral score really elevates the emotional resonance of a pixel art game. The opening theme is iconic and I would almost always let it play—it perfectly evokes the feeling of starting a new adventure. Composer Yasunori Nishiki expertly uses melody, giving the songs a sort of “orchestral pop” flavor that is instantly memorable. And the sheer variety of the music makes you feel the emotion of each scene and town. Standout tracks for me were: Determination, Cliftlands, Melancholy, Battle II, and Bonds of Friendship.  The absolute best part is that before each boss fight the dungeon theme seamlessly transitions into the battle music through a custom interlude that is tailored to each character. This is masterfully done and I’ve never seen music deployed so intentionally. The way the music accentuated the final boss for Primrose’s story almost made me cry. I still listen to the soundtrack to this day. It’s that glorious. 3. Gameplay. The gameplay is stellar. Octopath complicates traditional turn-based combat with multiple systems: (1) elemental type weaknesses, (2) the “break” mechanic which requires specific elemental hits to penetrate an enemy’s shield and allow for direct attacks, and (3) boost points which amplify the number and power of your moves. I found the system easily understandable but sufficiently deep to make each battle an interesting puzzle to solve. The game presents a real challenge too —  you can’t just press “a” and auto-pilot your way through encounters like some JRPGs. The variety of the character classes and their diverse movesets also made experimenting with combos really fun. The online community has tons of tips on optimal strategies so you can always consult guides for tougher fights (I myself looked at guides to beat some of the bosses). 4. Story. The narratives were a refreshing change of pace. Instead of the friends-unite-to-save-the-world story of a typical JRPG, the stories here are relatable slice of life episodes. Cyrus is looking for a book; Tressa wants to be the best merchant; Haanit is looking for her teacher. This actually pulled me in more than the overarching plots of other games because the motivations felt believable and real. I found the dialogue and voice acting to be really high quality as well (even Haanit’s olde English style haha). It brought so much charm and vibrancy to the interactions. Also, contrary to what you may have heard, the stories do connect. I’ve noticed a common criticism that the stories do not intersect enough. People who say this have clearly not beaten all eight stories and the final boss, which connects all the characters and their stories at the end. In my opinion, the way the game ties everything together is incredibly creative and blew me away. To be fair though, the game could have used more party banter, as these interactions were some of the most memorable (and funny) parts of the game, like when Primrose tries to get Haanit and Cyrus to dance. 5. The Characters. The character writing goes a long way towards making you invested in their story arc. Each one is wonderfully unique with different motivations and mannerisms. It’s hard not to find your favorites and care for them since so many personality types are presented. My favorites were Cyrus (for being so dedicated to truth and oblivious to romance), Haanit (for her stoic strength and ability to catch monsters Pokémon style), Olberic (for his badass background and emotional growth), and Tressa (for her lovable idealism and ambition). 6. Structure. An overlooked aspect of the “octopath” structure is that the game is divided into bite-sized chunks that are capable of being completed in small sittings. This was great for a modern gamer like me because I could pick up and play in small intervals and still experience the satisfaction of progression. The freedom to pick your party and go in any order you choose also makes you a lot more invested since the plot unfolds at your direction. 7. Grinding. In terms of grinding, I felt that the game did a good job of sprinkling in enough enemies in the overworld and side dungeons so that by the time you arrive at the next chapter you’ve leveled up appropriately. As long as you’re fighting and exploring to a normal degree you shouldn't have to grind too much to beat everyone’s main story. The one exception is if you want to face the secret boss at the end of the game. That battle requires all 8 characters at a recommended level of 70 or more. This is fine in theory but my one complaint is that members of your “backup party” do not gain experience while they’re sitting out. So once you discover they’re needed they will be very underleved compared to your preferred squad. After 95 hours, this is where I stopped and just watched the ending on YouTube because it would have required too much grinding to make up the difference. 8. The warm fuzzies. Overall though, the best part about this game is that it was like comfort food for my soul. I would load it up and let the soothing sounds and chill but engaging combat transport me to another world full of adventure, beauty, and wonder. It was like sinking into a warm bubble bath at the end of the day. If you’re even remotely interested I highly recommend it. Octopath Traveler is the epitome of a feel-good, nostalgic game that showcases the many joys of the JRPG genre to a modern audience.