Octopath Traveler II – What’s New in Octopath Traveler II?
Octopath Traveler is a stunning combination of vintage Super NES character sprites and textures in 3D environments created by Square Enix. It has become one of the company’s most popular titles, selling over three million copies worldwide.
Octopath Traveler II will be released in February 2023 on PC (Steam), PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. It offers an improved experience over its predecessor and introduces eight new travelers, each with their own character class “Job.”
Players can select from eight distinct protagonists, each beginning their journey in a different location across Solistia. Each has its own story arc that must be resolved at the end of the game.
Each protagonist has a unique Path Action, giving them access to certain actions in the world. These can be used for engaging with citizens, earning rewards, and developing new skills.
Some Path Actions are considered “Noble,” with no penalty if successful; others, however, carry a cost in terms of penalties if failed. They may also be spammed to quickly eliminate one foe from battle.
In addition to Path Actions, each traveler possesses a set of job abilities. These can be utilized for specific tasks like healing others, casting spells or buffing others.
The traveler’s job determines the types of attacks they can use, as well as their elemental and damage abilities. Olberic is a Warrior, meaning she can hit enemies with weapons and also use magic for damage. Cyrus is an Scholar, meaning she uses spells to attack targets or boost defense. Tressa works as either a Merchant or Healer, both providing healing services or earning money for herself and the party.
Another fascinating element to the game is a day and night cycle, in which characters react differently at various points in time. This adds an interesting layer to gameplay at all times and provides for some fascinating interactions.
Townfolk in Solistia behave differently at night, with unique path actions like Allure (which allows characters to summon people for battles) or Bribe (which provides information about the world of Solistia).
Path Actions have been enhanced in conjunction with the Break and Boost system, allowing players to gain additional power by breaking opponents and filling up their Latent Power gauge. Once full, they can unleash a devastating attack that deals even more damage.
I am amazed by this incredible fusion of mechanics, and I hope it continues to be developed in the future. However, I’m disappointed that Square Enix isn’t taking more risks to push this genre further.
The Break and Boost system can be an excellent idea, but it can be too tempting to get carried away by it. You may feel compelled to use this approach in order to reduce an opponent’s defense strength so that your magic can strike them down, but ultimately it ends up being a frustrating way of accomplishing your objectives.
0