Octopath is open-world?It is an open world game that most players seem to treat like an ultra linear RPG, which amplifies a bunch of design issues. If you think the game is grindy, you can just poke around later areas to get better gear faster, which is also fueled by a a bunch of the Path actions. If you think the game is repetetive, you can split up the main missions with exploration, gear hunting, and the totally non-formulaic and open-ended sidequests. If you think some of the plots are boring, you can just focus on the ones you like.
People are diving in with a set mindset, intent on 100%ing the game, but also doing it in linear fashion and ignoring side content, which is a really bad approach. Maybe it is because people aren't used to it in JRPGs, or because awful level scaling in WRPGs totally mutes the benefits of exploration.
The transitions from character specific pre-fight loops to the boss themes are something every JRPG, hell every game needs to learn from. These are my favorites:
Decisive Battle I (Primrose)
Decisive Battle II (Tressa)
Battle at Journey's End (Olberic)
Yeah, as soon as you finish your main character's first chapter you can go to any of the 24 cities in the game. You can do the optional bosses, get the secondary job shrines, loot higher dungeons, etc. You just can't do any one character's chapters out of order, and finishing character arcs open up a bunch of sidequests that follow from their event plots and intersect the supporting casts of the 8 stories.Octopath is open-world?
Now a price drop for the PC version can't come soon enough.
I have sunk 40 hours into the PC version and what a gem this is. The atmosphere and charm are top notch, but what's really standing out is the battle system. Who is saying that turned based combat is archaic? It works just as well today as it did 25 years ago.
Octopaths job system is some of the best I ever encountered. There are plenty of variation and strats, so I dont get bored with it. Not even the random encounters bothers me.
The overworld is pretty big and filled with towns. This is not something that we have been spoiled with lately. I also think the path actions are clever. Now you make every NPC useful in a way. The music is also good, and the graphics are a throw back to the old school games; though they went overboard with some effects. The story is fine, only negative is the party interaction I guess but I can overlook that.
I am plesantly surprised by this game. It is no FF6, but it is damn good. Probably a little underrated if you ask me. I like it better than Bravely Default. I am glad it made its way to PC.
AAhhhhh sort've.Octopath is open-world?
Now a price drop for the PC version can't come soon enough.
Yep
They need to go back to the drawing board with regards to the game's core structure. It would have been much better if each character had their own distinct game style, IMO. 8 totally different dungeon themes/concepts/layouts, with mechanics that specifically cater to the type of character you're playing would have been preferable to the "walk up for 3 screens and kill a boss" copy paste trash dungeons in the game.
To enjoy more this game, always use your weakest party (always!) and don't do one arch from start to finish. Do all the archs together.
This game is a mix of dragon quest and ff.
Also the environments cruelly lacked interactive setpieces. All the environments in the game were totally static and devoid of interest beyond their look. No moving pieces, no switches that activate things, no puzzles, no platforms, no objects to interact with, no changes. Totally static.
Well if you look at the inspiration for the game, it makes total sense as far as design choice.
The encounter rate is already annoying as it is, so imagine having to do a puzzle in a dungeon with platforms and all sort of things you mentioned.
It would be a test of actual patience
Cyrus has a skill that cuts enc rate in half.Goes hand in hand with what I was saying: They should have turned way down the combat encounters/grinding, and up the puzzles.
The stories were fine, the graphics were cool, the combat was actually really a good system.. what killed it for me was that if you took away the fancy graphics and looked at the maps they were generic and pretty much nothing to do in them. It became super repetitive way to quickly... that everything just felt the same.
8 characters was too much.. I wish it was just 4. I got to a point I just didn't feel like playing anymore and stopped.
I welcome the challenge as I find most jrpgs too easy these days.Yes, but then you get half the EXP. It's just not a well balanced game.
I welcome the challenge as I find most jrpgs too easy these days.
I am really curious about why you think this.
There is only forced griding if you decide to get straight to Ch4 with a certain character (or maybe 2) once you are done with all Ch1. If you keep on switching between 4 to 8 characters until the end, there is absolutely no forced griding (the game actually becomes way too easy if you move all 8 chapter per chapter). The only time I had to grind was before the optional final boss.
I don't know man. I was in chapter 2....and did Chapter 2's with everyone and it was an absolute slog of a grind with all battles just taking forever.There is only forced griding if you decide to get straight to Ch4 with a certain character (or maybe 2) once you are done with all Ch1. If you keep on switching between 4 to 8 characters until the end, there is absolutely no forced griding (the game actually becomes way too easy if you move all 8 chapter per chapter). The only time I had to grind was before the optional final boss.
Yes, but then you get half the EXP. It's just not a well balanced game.
I don't know man. I was in chapter 2....and did Chapter 2's with everyone and it was an absolute slog of a grind with all battles just taking forever.
Real question here. Do i need to get the second classes to make this go more smoothly and better equipment? The equipment is really expensive in the game as well.