Octopath Traveler - Nintendo Switch

Octopath Traveler might be one of the best games available on the Switch right now.Gameplay - 5/5The vast majority of the game will be spent in random encounter battles, and it's the game's combat system that I think shines the most in this game. Combat is turn-based and is very easy to learn, but is still quite intricate. Characters can use a range of weapons and spells, powering up their moves with a BP meter. Certain characters can use unique abilities in battle, such as summoning an animal or NPC to fight for you. The combat system never really feels overwhelming. It is still a JRPG, so expect a lot of grinding for experience.Graphics - 5/5The game's pixel art style and lighting effects make the game look absolutely beautiful yet simple. Unfortunately, there are no settings to adjust the effects that I have seen. Some people have said the lighting and depth-of-field made them feel sick, but I haven't experienced anything like that.Music - 5/5Music is one of the most important aspects of a game to me, and this game has a fantastic OST. Not a whole lot to say about it other than that.Characters - 4.5/5All eight playable characters have different skills, abilities, and personalities. However, you have to sort of ignore the fact that 2 people with completely opposing personalities and goals would be travelling together. Even though I like Therion (he was my starter character), he feels a bit out of place due to the fact that he is a thief. Therefore, it makes little sense why a merchant named Tressa, who hates thieves, would travel with him. It's not to difficult to overlook because the eight characters don't interact with each other very frequently, which is a bit of a disappointment. This leads me into my next point.Story (Stories?) - 4.5/5Individually, I think each character's story is decent enough. Primrose has, in my opinion, the best (and darkest, most mature) story; one of avenging her dead father. However, I was a bit let down by the fact that the eight character's individual stories do not intersect. Sure, two characters may have objectives in the same town, but they never seem relate to each other. I knew this going into the game, but I still think its a lost opportunity. It almost feels a bit like a compilation of 8 short games. Some people may not mind this, but others may be disappointed.Final Verdict -This game is overall a fantastic game, and a lot of love and care was put into it. As I said earlier, the only time I think the game actually falls flat comes to missed opportunities in stories crossing paths. However, if you want to experience 8 short, simple stories, then this game is even more fantastic.

I grew up in the late 80's and 90's during the height of the Square SNES RPG golden age. I worked afternoons and summers doing little jobs around the house and at my dad's work to scrape together the money to afford classics like Final Fantasy III and Chrono Trigger. Seeing even a hint of the charm that reminds me of that era was enough to get me interested in Octopath, but I've been down the road of those cashing in on nostalgia without wanting to put in the effort to make something truly worth the time and money. This is not that kind of game.Touching on all of the beauty found in colorful sprite work, along with the memorable music from days gone by, Octopath Traveler manages to ride the line of reminding us of the best games of our past, while also giving us something new and different to cater to modern game design and the unique capabilities of the Nintendo Switch. With content you can play in short bursts or long marathon sessions, the individual chapters of the eight characters each have their own stories to tell.Though there seems to be little to connect the stories together, there are hints at story that concretely establish each character within the same world. One character will reference things that are prominent in another's story line, or work with another representative of a group that spans the continent. Though none of these give the same feel as the overarching big bad stories of the older games, they still firmly establish that these people are from the same world and that that world is alive and in motion.Combat involves a mechanic that allows you to "break" enemies by attacking them with weapons or spells they are weak to. This makes even random encounters more interesting, and allows combat to become more a puzzle as you enter a new territory than simple rote execution. The fact that you can open up secondary jobs for the characters to round out a party with the skills and weapon capabilities of other characters means that by mid-game you should never be without the ability to take the party you want into almost any area and have the tools to engage the enemies efficiently.Overall the art, music, and engaging combat is what keeps me playing this game well beyond my fondness for the games that clearly inspired it. Not often does a studio develop something with that tug of nostalgia as its premise that actually lives up to what you hoped it could be. This is one of those rare gems where the game both reminds you of yesterday, and gives you the convenience and design of today. It's like stepping back in time and remembering how fun classic turn-based RPGs used to be.