LTTP: Octopath Trave.... when does this get good?

[VideogameVices]

I've basically collected 7 of the travellers now, their background stories are mostly turgidly told and sort of boring and the combat while interesting is mechanically with the breaks and mechanics - is currently just sort of rote and mechanical.

Add to that the map design in this faux 3D which were all corridor funnels with side paths to treasure chests that don't even seem to matter and all sort of the same size and there's actually a saminess to the spaces if you think about it. If the texture maps for the spaces were removed, they could all be the same - Each area will have about 5 chests, and the maps are all semi-small and you fight a few random encounters and then you'll find a merchant, save game point and the boss fight

I've played 8+ hours and haven't yet had to use the inn, the combat started off semi difficult but really 2 hours in is now sort of brain dead. Yes, there is some depth but its not fun like how FFIII used to be or say FFX.

There doesn't seem to be a common quest (and I've read as much) and despite all these characters, the game feels … sorta dead. The characters I've accumulated don't even seem to interact. "Oh you met XYZ character, join him/her on their quest and they don't really figure into each individuals story nor do they interact" There's non of the FFIII storyline line to the characters - they all gotta go on an adventure. OH FUCK ME.

…. TLDR: Why is this game so soulless? and when does it get good?

 

[Blade24070]

Yeah, I played the demo and wasn't really feeling it. It's on sale and I keep going back on forth on whether to buy it, but considering Vesperia is coming, I'll hold off for a while.

 

[IDontBeatGames]

From what I've read both here and Reddit, the game essentially stays that way the whole time. It's the exact reason why I haven't even bothered to play it.

 

[DominicanGlory]

It seems like a game that got hyped, reviewed well and then a few months later people are shitting on it in every thread... We get this type of thing with a game or two every year.

 

[Dee Dee]

The soul isn't in the story or characters for this game I'm afraid. It's completely in the combat mechanics and in the way you adjust your party to boss fights and other challenges.

The quests are all mostly the same for each character with, as you call it, different textures on it. The difference is mostly in the boss fights, which is exactly what I consider the meat and potatoes of the game. Personally I find the garnish (= the graphics) extremely pretty as well, but if you don't even get a kick out of that, this will be rough for you.
I think a better comparison than FFIII (unless you have this weird American numeration) is FFV and its job system. Or Bravely Default, which also had a garbage story (and insufferable padding), but was really fun to play and find ways in to cheese difficult fights.

 

[Deleted member 12833]

I remember having criticisms about the demo and getting trashed on. Now all I hear is mostly negative things about this game

 

[Dreamboum]

…. TLDR: Why is this game so soulless? and when does it get good?

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It'll get better when the difficulty ramps up but in terms of story you would have to focus more on the world and NPCs than the characters themselves.

 

[Jahranimo]

Their stories don't really start getting more interesting until chapter 2 or 3 depending on the characters. That is a con of the game even though I do really like it: All chapter 1s are not as good out of the gate.

I'd say the stories that are the most interesting are Therion, Primrose, H'aanit, Olberic and Tressa. If you're still not enjoying it after those characters chapter 2s then you should probably stop imo.

 

[Truant]

Just wait for the inevitable sequel. This game has a lot going for it in terms of systems, graphics, etc, but the story just seems terrible and borderline non-existent.

 

[Aostia82]

I loved it in the first placed, and I continued to love it during the play through. So, probably it won't get any better for you, unfortunately

 

[Zafir]

I've not finished it either, however it does get a bit better in the chapter 2's. There's a bit of a difficulty spike depending on what gear you have (personally I didn't find it tough but I've heard others complain) also you can go round getting access to the classes for the subclass spot which makes the combat more involving. The stories get a bit more interesting(still no overarching story mind you) and characters do actually start interacting bit through "skits" (basically like the skits in Tales of if you've ever played those games) though those skits are still not really a good replacement for actual cutscenes with other characters involvement since they're short and only between two characters.

That all said, the dungeon design doesn't. If anything it becomes more apparent as you see the same dungeon assets reused time and time again.

I think the game has some interesting ideas, but I do hope they improve on some things if they ever made a second.

 

[jschreier]

It seems like a game that got hyped, reviewed well and then a few months later people are shitting on it in every thread... We get this type of thing with a game or two every year.

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Hey, I tried to warn people.

 

[Jahranimo]

Just wait for the inevitable sequel. This game has a lot going for it in terms of systems, graphics, etc, but the story just seems terrible and borderline non-existent.

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Have you played each character's story? There is definitely a plot for each character with different motivations.

 

[Citizen Rizer]

Sounds like it isn't the game for you. You should probably sell it and move onto something else.

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

Eh, I honestly like the different approach Octopath took to its stories. It's not too often that a JRPG is largely about an ensemble cast dealing with their personal problems rather than a world ending threat. I can see why it's not everyone's cup of tea, though.

 

[JMY86]

Honestly it never really did for me. I put in about 15 hours and just started playing something else. I didn't dislike the game but it didn't grab me like I expected it to. I will get back to it someday...

 

[WestEgg]

Stories tend to take on more dramatic turns around chapter 3 and most of the chapter 4 boss fights are mechanically interesting. The game also gets more combat variety when you pick up the hidden special classes. I enjoyed my playthrough from start to finish, but I think if you're invested in the characters the back half is more interesting.

 

[DominicanGlory]

Hey, I tried to warn people.

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Blood, Sweat and Pixels 2 when?

 

[Noppie]

From the moment you boot the game, you not liking the game doesn't make it bad.

 

[Deleted member 2834]

Sorry to break it to you but the game is dogshit. Unlike you, I dug the combat but felt similarly about everything else you mentioned. Drop it and play good games instead.

 

[Chainshada]

I'm still making my way through it, but I'm finding it hard to stay interested, 44hrs in, I've finished I think 4 of the stories. While I get that a lot of people like the smaller stakes and personal stories, having character interaction being just little 20-30second bits really pulls me out of the story. Just having the 1 character in all cutscenes, then getting the + Dialog scenes where it's basically "Hey, don't forget we're here too! We're on an adventure together! We'll fade into nothing until you kill the next boss." makes me care so much less about the characters.

 

[Mexen]

It's why I bought a Switch. I am glad I bought a Switch. I am playing Dead Cells on my Switch.

 

[Dee Dee]

Their stories don't really start getting more interesting until chapter 2 or 3 depending on the characters. That is a con of the game even though I do really like it: All chapter 1s are not as good out of the gate.

I'd say the stories that are the most interesting are Therion, Primrose, H'aanit, Olberic and Tressa. If you're still not enjoying it after those characters chapter 2s then you should probably stop imo.

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Olberic's 2nd chapter is the coliseum fight, or is that in chapter 3? That one was really fun and finally broke the sameness of the dungeons for me.
Some of the side quests are really funny as well, they are unfortunately a bit hard to track though.
I can't believe someone called Therion's story interesting though.

This game has a lot of QoL issues, including no mini map for some of the more confusing areas, so if you don't already enjoy the game play loop, I'm not sure the game has a lot else going for it to draw you in.

 

[eXistor]

It doesn't, it's an exercise in repetition. I forced myself to finish everyones chapter 4 I think, but then it was too much and I dropped it. Such a disappointing game. I don't even mind the shallow narrative, but it's just a badly designed world and the dungeons are absolute dogshit. Then the predictable bosses have simple pattern that you see through in a second and you repeat it for 15 minutes to win. It's a 30-hour game stretched to 70+ hours. So many games these days do this too and it's starting to wear thin.

 

[demi]

I dropped it, but at least it gave me some music to listen to on youtube at work.

 

[dred]

Hey, I tried to warn people.

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People were so mad at you in that thread!

On topic, I'm currently about half-way through the game (two Chapter 2's to go) and my opinion has actually grown more positive as I've played. The increase in difficulty and the character progression bring out the strength of the mechanics in the game, and once I came to terms with the structured feel of everything I was able to settle in and enjoy the experience. The individual stories are well written with interesting characters, and the general presentation of the game is phenomenal. I love mechanically rich JRPG's and Bravely Default has one of my favorite battle systems so I was always excited at the idea of Octopath.

I can definitely see why this game isn't for everyone, it's honestly a strange amalgamation of ideas. If you aren't feeling it after a few Chapter 2's I'd say it's probably not for you.

 

[WestEgg]

Hey, I tried to warn people.

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Eh, the game seems to be doing great in the game of the year voting thread, and has plenty of love, even amongst those who acknowledge its shortcomings. I don't really think people are "coming around" to it having actually been a bad game all along.

 

[Saint-14]

If you don't like it where you are OP then I'd say drop it because what is left just more of the same.

 

[zswordsman]

I felt like the game didn't click until I started getting secondary classes for my characters. That's when the combat started to click with me. It's a fun game but only if you enjoy the combat.

 

[Deleted member 2321]

Never gets good. It's a bad game. Nothing came together. Huge disappointment.

EDIT: not true, combat came together. That was very good. Keep that and get rid of everything else.

Including the art style.

 

[SoundLad]

Probably an unpopular opinion here, but I'm loving it so far (about to start chapter 4's). The look, combat and music are top-tier and for me they make this game worth finishing. The story and characters seem to be the weakest links though - they're acceptable. Looking forward to a sequel already.

 

[Eggiem]

Dropped it after 5h. Too repetitive. Story is boring.

 

[Soriku]

The game started getting 'good' for me once I got 4 party characters. The already good combat was clicking more and I was getting more into the music and character vignettes, which while not super complex are still entertaining enough.

I'm about 30 hours in on the chapter 2s, have it on hold at the moment but will jump back in when I can.

 

[Jahranimo]

Olberic's 2nd chapter is the coliseum fight, or is that in chapter 3? That one was really fun and finally broke the sameness of the dungeons for me.
Some of the side quests are really funny as well, they are unfortunately a bit hard to track though.
I can't believe someone called Therion's story interesting though.

This game has a lot of QoL issues, including no mini map for some of the more confusing areas, so if you don't already enjoy the game play loop, I'm not sure the game has a lot else going for it to draw you in.

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I'm not on Therion's chapter 4 yet, but the premise is kinda funny to me given what he does lol. I don't like the side quest implementation at all though. Too obscure at times.

Fortunately the battle system is really good.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

It doesn't. I finished chapter 4 for two of the characters, chapter 3 for four of them, and two characters I only finished two chapters. The stories and characters are just terrible. The battle system is fun at first but eventually becomes tedious due to all the random encounters (even with the ability to limit them). Boss encounters do some fun things with the battle system, but it's not enough. Dungeons are all short and uninteresting. I started out loving the game, but it pretty quickly turned to hate. I tried to force myself to finish it, but eventually I had to give up.

 

[Piston]

I think the game remains divisive. I enjoyed it enough to beat it, but not enough to pursue any additional content in the post game.

The boss fights and pulling off different combos with my party (along with working the job system) are where I found the game most engaging. A lot of them were basically puzzles that had to be cracked. I don't think I really got into the job system until after the first chapter, so maybe you will start enjoying the combat more then?

 

[Sandfox]

Probably an unpopular opinion here, but I'm loving it so far (about to start chapter 4's). The look, combat and music are top-tier and for me they make this game worth finishing. The story and characters seem to be the weakest links though - they're acceptable. Looking forward to a sequel already.

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This thread is negative on the game, but I wouldn't say your opinion on the game is unpopular on Era.

 

[SoundLad]

I think most people who are disappointed in the game feel so because there is so much potential here and I think people expected more from the characters and story. If you dive in with reasonable expectations I think you'll have fun. It's definitely an above average RPG and easily one of my favourite Switch games from last year.

 

[Calamari41]

The structure never changes, but the combat gets better and better the further you go into the game because it is legitimately difficult unless you grind for money to buy OP equipment early on. If the battle system isn't doing it for you and you're bored by the structure of the game and don't care about the story, then unfortunately it doesn't seem like the game is going to work out for you.

 

[Shiloh]

Dungeons aren't good and the character stories are kinda middling at best.

The combat and the music were great though.

 

[Sheldon]

If you ask the question now, the answer is never: Never.

Because there's no hope for you enjoying Octopath Traveler unless you think it starts great with Primrose's chapter and then the question is "When does it get this good again?"

 

[Philippo]

If you didn't like those 8 hours, the rest is going to be the same.

The game never changes its Chapter structure, never add new mechanics or new twist.

 

[VideogameVices]

Sorry to break it to you but the game is dogshit. Unlike you, I dug the combat but felt similarly about everything else you mentioned. Drop it and play good games instead.

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Ayyyyye!!! I just bought the switch and this is my 3rd game for it. It's meant to be good damnit..

 

[OnanieBomb]

You gotta bail. I didn't make it past about half the chapter 2s and absolutely nothing changes. OP's description of everything feeling rote and lifeless is spot on. Such a shame because the whole presentation, the graphics, art design, music and everything are so enchanting. Now if they could just fill that beautiful shell with more meaningful interactions, variety, writing, exploring, pacing, etc. then we could have an excellent sequel.

 

[sibarraz]

I think that this game being a classic rpg with the good graphics combined with being a nintendo exclusive made some people overhype it to heavens without actually bothering to play much of it

 

[Deleted member 8791]

It seems like a game that got hyped, reviewed well and then a few months later people are shitting on it in every thread... We get this type of thing with a game or two every year.

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We get a lot of threads critizising all kinds of games. Going by ERA threads, BotW and RDR2 are divisive games. Fact is just that people who enjoyed something feel less need to voice their opinion on stuff.

 

[RDreamer]

The game was an absolute delight from the beginning for me. Seems like it's not for you I guess. It's my GOTY though and one of my favorite JRPGs in a long time. It's got a ridiculous amount of soul in it. The art, music, combat and characters were all awesome. I even really ended up loving a lot of the side characters by the end. And the combat is some of my favorite ever.

 

[Piston]

I think most people who are disappointed in the game feel so because there is so much potential here and I think people expected more from the characters and story. If you dive in with reasonable expectations I think you'll have fun. It's definitely an above average RPG and easily one of my favourite Switch games from last year.

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There is a lot of room for improvement in a sequel or spiritual successor no doubt. I think we will probably see something else from that team/studio in 2019 announced and I'll be interested to see what it is. Square said that studio would be dedicated to Switch games before the release of Octopath.

 

[tokubek]

It gets better and better actually but it seems like this game isn't for you OP. I loved every minute of it.

 

[bytesized]

Only played the first demo which really impressed me but going by what you describe I think I will definitely not buy this game even at a discount, sounds really bad.