TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A follow-up to one of the surprise hits of 2018, "Octopath Traveler II" blends retro-style art with modern animation to tell a powerful tapestry about the way characters' interactions affect one another, as well as how the hero of one story can be something of a roadblock in another.
Boasting a deep, involving combat system, tales with branching paths and immense replayability, the sequel looks to enrapture fans of the original.
Phil Villarreal: I credit the dev team for managing to craft something that seems like it would be at home on the Super NES, while also boasting enough quality-of-life enhancements that it's unmistakably current-gen.
One of the toughest choices is which character's tale to play first. I went with scholar Osvald V. Vanstein, and found myself regretting not taking on the presumably more action-packed role of warrior Hikari Ku. This game hits you hard with FOMO, but it's intriguing to notice interactions with other characters and retrace shared events from another perspective.
Just as in the first game, the jobs and combat systems are compelling tasks in resource management, and the writing is top-notch.
Sean, what were your first impressions?
Sean Newgent: I don't know why more developers don't go for the pixelated look because with modern technology, even a SNES-style game can be given beautiful flair. "Octopath Traveler II" looks amazing...even sewer levels, the most generic of locations for a game, are rendered gorgeous by the lighting and colors.
Choosing a character is definitely the hardest part. Of the eight unique identities I went for the assassin Throné, whose fun backstory and dark magic made her a perfect choice for me.
The combat in the game is what sold me though. I love classic turn-based combat like this and strategizing how to break enemies with certain attacks and capitalize on that weakness makes for satisfying, thought-provoking gameplay.
Did you have the same fun with the gameplay Phil?
Phil: Yes. The formula is down pat, and the variety in battles kept me looking for more. Even though the storytelling leans on established tropes, the way a grand narrative starts to emerge once you've seen the world through multiple characters' eyes is profound. This sort of choice-driven narrative is the sort of thing only possible in gaming.
I played on Switch, which for me is the definitive console for a game like this. Square Enix truly nails the mid-1990s vibe, and the simple Switch controls are all that are needed to play through the game. "Octopath Traveler II" took me back to when I was 11 or 12, huddled under my bedsheets and playing "The Final Fantasy Legen" on Game Boy.
What are your final thought, Sean? Was it as good a fit on the PS5?
Sean: The game plays extremely well on PS5. It's not much of a change from the formula of the original game but if it ain't broke...
I had a lot of fun playing this game, reminded as well of the olden times of playing the JRPG's my dad had sitting around for his consoles back in the 90's. While I don't see this blowing anyone away, it does its job of providing a deep, entertaining, and gorgeous old-school RPG. Voice acting, writing, and music are all top-notch and I can't wait to try out the other characters and see how their stories and gameplay fit into this world.
Publisher provided review codes. Phil played on Switch, Sean played on PS5.
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Phil Villarreal is the senior real-time editor for KGUN 9. He is also a digital producer and host of "Phil on Film" seen weekly on Good Morning Tucson, Phil moved to KGUN after 17 years with the Arizona Daily Star. He is married and has four children. Share your story ideas and important issues with Phil by emailing phil.villarreal@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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Sean Newgent has been with KGUN9 since January of 2020 and is Good Morning Tucson's executive producer. He graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in broadcast journalism. He is a critic and cultural commentator. Share your story ideas and important issues with Sean by emailing sean.newgent@kgun9.com.
Past game reviews by Sean and Phil:
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Diablo II Resurrected
NEO: The World Ends with You
Rainbow Six: Extraction
King of Fighters XV
WWE 2K22
Weird West
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
TMNT: Shredder's Revenge
Capcom Fighting Collection
Capcom Arcade: 2nd Stadium
Stray
Digimon Survive
Cult of the Lamb
TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection
NBA 2K23
Lego Bricktales
Gotham Knights
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Star Ocean: The Divine Force
Sonic Frontiers
The Dark Pictures: The Devil in Me
Evil West
Need for Speed Unbound
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion
Marvel's Midnight Suns
One Piece Odyssey
Dead Space
Like a Dragon: Ishin
