Octopath Traveler: Wayfarer's Edition - Nintendo Switch

I have been pleasantly surprised by this game! Sure, some of the characters stories are kinda of basic. But, it's the customization of character abilities and strategic battle system that keeps me going. Not to mention the downright beautifully stylized and updated sprite work! As for the collectable stuff, it's all done really well. The pop-up book depicts each of the 8 characters starting areas. The coin is especially nice. Very well done!

Coming from someone that is very picky about RPGs, I am absolutely loving this game! After playing the first demo, I actually canceled my pre-order. There were several things that bothered me about the game. However, the update video in the news section on the Switch (in which they addressed nearly all my concerns) and the announcement of the Wayfarers Edition got me interested in giving it another go. I am so glad I did! For the record, I HATE most turn based battle systems. I can’t stand Pokémon, even though I want to love it. There are so many RPGs I’ve tried and just get that cringing feeling in my gut every time I enter a battle. I actually REALLY ENJOY the battles in Octopath Traveler! They are challenging, but not too difficult. The learning curve is not too terribly steep. There is strategy involved, but there aren’t endless menus. You choose your move ON YOUR TURN... (I can’t stand the systems where everyone picks their move first and then your character stands around like an idiot with nothing to do because the enemy they were supposed to attack already died...) So far the story is exceptional as well. A wide range of characters’ personalities and backgrounds. I’ve only just finished each Chapter 1, but I can tell I’m in for an amazing ride. Can we talk about the art style?! Incredible. Love that 2D, 3D pixel art combination. Makes me wish there was a 3DS version because the 3D effect would look so cool! Almost a Paper Mario look, in pixel form. Love it! If you’re on the fence about this one because, like me, you generally hate most RPGs, get it. You won’t be disappointed!

One thing I've heard from many people over the past 10 years and that has bugged me about the gaming industry for some time is, while visuals and production values have gotten better, many genres started feeling more and more similar. Many of the more main stream JRPG's these days have ditched the turn based combat and feel more like action games. This leaves the smaller scale JRPG's from smaller devs that have much lower production values so their art is more anime centric, their music is more popish, and their voice acting is cringy. This isn't the case for Octopath Traveler. While Octopath is far from the visuals of FFXV, it combines new engines and visual techniques with an old school style to give a unique 2.5d pop up book look that is simply gorgeous. On top of that the music, writing, and voice acting is some of SquareEnix's best. To add to this, the gameplay gives the same feeling of RPG's during the SNES and PS1 but feels evolved. This is simply, amazing. I can't recommend this game any more. If you're wanting an RPG that feels like it came out of that era but with production values that rival modern games, this is it.

Octopath Traveler is an absolute love-letter to fans of JRPGs from the SNES era in the 90s. The classic 2D sprites combined with the 2.5D style environments is beautiful. The characters are enjoyable, with players likely to connect to at least one of them and their unique stories. The combat is kind of a unique combination between JRPGs of old and different types of attacks (Fire/Ice/Sword/Axe etc) in an almost-Pokémon strengths & weaknesses style, adding a necessary layer to combat compared to what we were used to in the 90s. The Wayfarer's Edition comes with some awesome collectibles, and I'm glad that I jumped on it the day that the game came out.

Ocopath Traveler is a great cure for that classic JRP itch. It brings you back to the 16-bit greats with turn-based combat. It isn't just the same old turn-based combat system though. It implements a rock-paper-scissors type system that allows you to exploit enemy weakneses makes you think and use strategy to win battle, not just mash a button until it is over. The graphics and art style are amazing. It is in the classic 16-bit RPG style, but with a 3D look and feel with amazing lighting that just makes the world feel alive. I have enjoyed the story so far as well. There are 8 characters to choose from and play through their stories. You can recruit all the other characters as you play through the game, but you can only have up to 4 characters in your party at a time. Octopath Traveler is a great addition to any RPG fan's library.

In the past JRPGs were some of the most engaging and deep story telling that video games could offer. Octopath Traveler tries to revisit those days with some successes and some failures. The biggest complaint I have so far is the lack of truly interesting and deep storylines. Since we're dealing with 8 separate characters theres plenty of story that could be told, but they have all felt rather shallow so far. Gameplay sticks to traditional JRPG tropes (turn based combat and endless random encounters) but introduces some weakness/resistance mechanics to keep things interesting. Art style is beautiful and is probably the biggest selling point for me. Overall, I'm having a blast with the game and will continue playing through. I'm hoping the story lines get deeper, but even with what I have no I'm satisfied with the purchase.

The collector's edition comes with a music CD, a reversible cloth poster, gold coin, and a pop-up "book" attached to the inside of the box, displaying each character on a sort of diarama of the setting where you initially meet them. The box itself is very pretty, made to look like a book. It has a clear plastic slip case. The game itself is very fun! A grindy, turn-based RPG with a strong story, it's reminiscent of older RPGs, though be rest assured it's its own thing. The graphics are nostalgic sprites against a semi-3D environment. Some people may dislike that, but I found it very pretty and interesting to look at. The game is LONG but that's because you really are meant to explore everything! This is a great game for RPG fans, and a great edition for someone who wants a few "souvenirs" from the journey!

This game features eight different characters each with their own stories. All of these paths feel complete and have a clear beginning, middle and end. The gameplay has similar boosting mechanics to the Bravely games. The more you boost the stronger your attacks are, you can get these boost points many different ways but mainly it's by not boosting one turn to gain one more the next. It's a simple but complex mechanic that makes the foundation of the game. Not to mention the 12 classes that you can set one of to all of the characters base classes and skills that you gain from each adds a ton of customization options. Side quests are a plenty and all tell pretty sweet stories. If you love turn based RPG's then you'll be right at home with Octopath Traveler.