Octopath Traveler: Preview Thread

Schreier saying that after 20 hours in the characters stories don't interact all that much has bummed me out. Even in the demo it was weird that the rest of your party was absent in the cutscenes of other character's first Chapters.

I saw the map marker on the west end of the map that had a Tressa and Cyrus icon and thought maybe Chapter 2 would begin to bring them together.

I'm sure the game will still be good, I just really hope they don't keep these characters isolated for the duration.

FUUUUCK. I need that boy before July 15th...need it for a road trip...Amazon. You did this for God of War as well. Disgusting.

Dmax3901 said:

Schreier saying that after 20 hours in the characters stories don't interact all that much has bummed me out. Even in the demo it was weird that the rest of your party was absent in the cutscenes of other character's first Chapters.

I saw the map marker on the west end of the map that had a Tressa and Cyrus icon and thought maybe Chapter 2 would begin to bring them together.

I'm sure the game will still be good, I just really hope they don't keep these characters isolated for the duration.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

What i dont get is why they made these scenes as cut scenes, like as if it was an FMV or something? I dont need the other party members to speak or anything, but they could atleast just be present in the scene standing there.

Dmax3901 said:

Schreier saying that after 20 hours in the characters stories don't interact all that much has bummed me out. Even in the demo it was weird that the rest of your party was absent in the cutscenes of other character's first Chapters.

I saw the map marker on the west end of the map that had a Tressa and Cyrus icon and thought maybe Chapter 2 would begin to bring them together.

I'm sure the game will still be good, I just really hope they don't keep these characters isolated for the duration.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I'm not anticipating anything outside of a small chunk at the end - maybe. i suspect reviews will differ entirely based on this aspect, as most of these previews are absolutely glowing around the battle mechanics and world design.

Hopefully for Schreiers sake it does pick up. I'm still optimistic about how much I'll enjoy it.

Is anyone getting discount via amazon prime or GCU? I have both and see no discounted

ccieag said:

Well, I am having budgeting problems for the Switch given that this, Cosmic Star Heroine, VC4, Disgaea Refine, TWEWY, and Vesperia are all coming out this year. I'm going to have some hard, Day 1 decisions to make

Thank God Fire Emblem was delayed

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I feel your pain. I have this, CSH, TWEWY Remaster, Dead Cells, Dragon: Marked For Death, MonHun Gen U and Hollow Knight as games I want to buy from this year. Definitely can't buy them all....so I think I'll have to refine by what I know I can buy down the road, and what I know will be sold out and harder to get later. This game, with the awesome demos they provided, is going to break me.

For me its:

Octopath Traveler
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
Megaman 11
Super Mario Party
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Tales of Vesperia

Thankfully September is super dry for me

III-V said:

Is anyone getting discount via amazon prime or GCU? I have both and see no discounted

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Both are discounted in cart for me.

nm

I've bookmarked this as it may be my next game. Waiting for reviews. In not going to get carried away with hype, I'm not expecting more than 80% on metacritic.

Disclaimer said:

It's ridiculously good.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

My favorite theme that I've heard so far.

Just finished the 3 hour demo. I like it, but the demo didn't answer something important: is there an overarching, epic story, where all 8 characters work together (also talk to each other)? Because as of now, it's just 8 sidequest-like stories without connection. Would be a bummer if that's it.

Anecdotal, but I've already heard quite a few gamers that are generally not into Nintendo that much talking excitedly about the game. So I've started to think it'll do better than expected (or at least better than I expected it before all the hype began.)

Ashidome said:

Just finished the 3 hour demo. I like it, but the demo didn't answer something important: is there an overarching, epic story, where all 8 characters work together (also talk to each other)? Because as of now, it's just 8 sidequest-like stories without connection. Would be a bummer if that's it.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Doesn't really seem like it from the previews we've seen today. There are small things but nothing that really brings them together like a team.

jwk94 said:

Doesn't really seem like it from the previews we've seen today. There are small things but nothing that really brings them together like a team.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Well, that'd make it a no-buy then. I'm already not a fan of Dragon Quest's 'go visit various town, do generic, tropey quests, nothing relates to each other' style. If Octopath also doesn't have any meaningful interwoven story between its characters, it's probably not for me. Sucks. :(

Ashidome said:

Just finished the 3 hour demo. I like it, but the demo didn't answer something important: is there an overarching, epic story, where all 8 characters work together (also talk to each other)? Because as of now, it's just 8 sidequest-like stories without connection. Would be a bummer if that's it.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

The eight characters have interactions and relationships, but don't participate in each other's personal storylines, and the personal stories comprise most of the game. There's evidence that it'll all coalesce into an overarching plot by endgame, at least.

Ashidome said:

Just finished the 3 hour demo. I like it, but the demo didn't answer something important: is there an overarching, epic story, where all 8 characters work together (also talk to each other)? Because as of now, it's just 8 sidequest-like stories without connection. Would be a bummer if that's it.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

There are at least one-on-one character interactions starting from chapter 2 onward depending on who you have in your party and where, and there are hints even based on the demo already that there IS an overarching plot but at least at this point it doesn't look like it's going to combine into one "path."
Def feels like the character interaction/development side of this game is going to be pretty bare bones unfortunately.

Yeah, that's the impression I got. I prefer parties like Xenoblade 2's, where everybody interacts with each other and it really feels like you're going on an adventure. If characters barely interact with each other and the plot only unites at the end of the game, that's too dry for my taste.

Will wait for cheaper ;o

Why is an overarching story even important?

The stories of the eight characters seems to be the best in RPG since years. A few points of contact for the stories would be more than enough. There is no need for "lets fight friends, we all together can kill the big bad guy" moment. This has been done in to many JRPGs. Let Octopath be a mature JRPG, these are rare enough.

I still think that the majority of the "overarching story" aspect of this is going to be more of a lore/worldbuilding thing, piecing parts of the individual 8 stories together to inform and lend context to each other but without having to directly intersect. I guess the "lack of a single epic story" is a concern if that's the only way you like your stories told, but the world as they're setting it up in the character prologues is interesting enough to me that I'm into seeing what direction they go with it.

The game looks more like Romancing Saga... sure the devs went with FFVI probably because Final Fantasy 6 is one of their most popular rpgs...and a more established franchise over Saga games. Can't blame em...one of the charm of FFVI was how the characters interact with each other...and so many outside of maybe GOGO...this game seems like people just tagging along and not really interacting with each other which is why many would disagree at the FFVI comparison.

Why not just remake VI in the engine and art of Octopath Traveler?

I will buy the game but I am still disappointed that they don't intererct

If you think an overarching story is important, go with the assumption that there is none until review embargo breaks and people get their hands on the game.

KratosEnergyDrink said:

Why is an overarching story even important?

The stories of the eight characters seems to be the best in RPG since years. A few points of contact for the stories would be more than enough. There is no need for "lets fight friends, we all together can kill the big bad guy" moment. This has been done in to many JRPGs. Let Octopath be a mature JRPG, these are rare enough.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

This doesn't make Octapath Traveller any more mature then a typical "lets fight friends, we all together can kill the big bad guy" JRPG.

Having 8 characters and having each story ignore the rest of the 7 protagonists is jarring and in my opinion it just sounds bad and seems like it will just end up feeling disjointed.

KratosEnergyDrink said:

Why is an overarching story even important?

The stories of the eight characters seems to be the best in RPG since years. A few points of contact for the stories would be more than enough. There is no need for "lets fight friends, we all together can kill the big bad guy" moment. This has been done in to many JRPGs. Let Octopath be a mature JRPG, these are rare enough.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I know I don't necessarily care about the one big bad guy they all kill together thing -- like I wouldn't mind it, but wouldn't care either if it WAS just eight separate bosses. But having it all connect somehow is really cool, cuz it adds to the lore/world/story building side of things. Most of all, however, I just like having characters in a party interact with each other. I want them to build friendships and have cute, fun dynamics and dialogue. Characters & their interactions is half of what I live for in games.

Doorman said:

I still think that the majority of the "overarching story" aspect of this is going to be more of a lore/worldbuilding thing, piecing parts of the individual 8 stories together to inform and lend context to each other but without having to directly intersect. I guess the "lack of a single epic story" is a concern if that's the only way you like your stories told, but the world as they're setting it up in the character prologues is interesting enough to me that I'm into seeing what direction they go with it.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Yeah, this is exactly what I'm kinda expecting based on these previews, too.

Ashidome said:

Well, that'd make it a no-buy then. I'm already not a fan of Dragon Quest's 'go visit various town, do generic, tropey quests, nothing relates to each other' style. If Octopath also doesn't have any meaningful interwoven story between its characters, it's probably not for me. Sucks. :(

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

whoa whoa whoa. Which DQ game are you referring to here?

Doorman said:

I still think that the majority of the "overarching story" aspect of this is going to be more of a lore/worldbuilding thing, piecing parts of the individual 8 stories together to inform and lend context to each other but without having to directly intersect. I guess the "lack of a single epic story" is a concern if that's the only way you like your stories told, but the world as they're setting it up in the character prologues is interesting enough to me that I'm into seeing what direction they go with it.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I kind of prefer this, trying to meld all the stories to a single focal point seems like it could get messy very fast.

I

Doorman said:

I still think that the majority of the "overarching story" aspect of this is going to be more of a lore/worldbuilding thing, piecing parts of the individual 8 stories together to inform and lend context to each other but without having to directly intersect. I guess the "lack of a single epic story" is a concern if that's the only way you like your stories told, but the world as they're setting it up in the character prologues is interesting enough to me that I'm into seeing what direction they go with it.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I dont think people are complaining about lack of a "single epic story". The problem is having 8 people with 8 different stories grouping together for absolutely no reason. If you played the demo to the point of recruiting another character, you saw how awkward it was: you talk to them as if they were a common NPC, and it says something like: "let me tell you how I got here", and bam, there you are playing their prologue. I think it detracts from the overall experience/worldbuilding/lore. Id be totally fine if they were completely different stories that you could choose on the main menu, but having 8 people that cant even interact with each other traveling together just feels unbelievable and does more harm than good, imo of course.

Shepherd said:

I

I dont think people are complaining about lack of a "single epic story". The problem is having 8 people with 8 different stories grouping together for absolutely no reason. If you played the demo to the point of recruiting another character, you saw how awkward it was: you talk to them as if they were a common NPC, and it says something like: "let me tell you how I got here", and bam, there you are playing their prologue. I think it detracts from the overall experience/worldbuilding/lore. Id be totally fine if they were completely different stories that you could choose on the main menu, but having 8 people that cant even interact with each other traveling together just feels unbelievable and does more harm than good, imo of course.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Yea spot on. It's not even really the overaching story. It's really what does this party member have to do with this other party member? How is s/he vital to your own story?

Shepherd said:

I

I dont think people are complaining about lack of a "single epic story". The problem is having 8 people with 8 different stories grouping together for absolutely no reason. If you played the demo to the point of recruiting another character, you saw how awkward it was: you talk to them as if they were a common NPC, and it says something like: "let me tell you how I got here", and bam, there you are playing their prologue. I think it detracts from the overall experience/worldbuilding/lore. Id be totally fine if they were completely different stories that you could choose on the main menu, but having 8 people that cant even interact with each other traveling together just feels unbelievable and does more harm than good, imo of course.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Watch the GameXplain preview, where Primrose and H'aanit bond over their past tragedies. Characters talk and form relationships after Chapter 1, they just don't participate in each other's personal storylines.

Disclaimer said:

Watch the GameXplain preview, where Primrose and H'aanit bond over their past tragedies. Characters talk and form relationships after Chapter 1, they just don't participate in each other's personal storylines.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I saw it. Hope there's more like it, but cant shake the feeling that I would have liked more if this interaction happened during normal gameplay/story progression instead of during a skit.

Shepherd said:

I saw it. Hope there's more like it, but cant shake the feeling that I would have liked more if this interaction happened during normal gameplay/story progression instead of during a skit.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

It might just still be too early to tell. Didn't the devs say this game had a 60 hour story? If the first 20ish hours is playing through each character's prologue it would make sense that most previews don't mention an overarching story yet or much party interaction because the prologues are all tuned to be isolated as if it's your first character.

Disclaimer said:

Watch the GameXplain preview, where Primrose and H'aanit bond over their past tragedies. Characters talk and form relationships after Chapter 1, they just don't participate in each other's personal storylines.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

This happens only in optional vignettes, I believe one per character per chapter, and they're all very short and insignificant.

Some of the stories are really good from what I've played so far -- Tressa's is my favorite, and keeps cracking me up -- but it is indeed disconcerting that each chapter's story pretends that the rest of your party doesn't exist.

Dmax3901 said:

Schreier saying that after 20 hours in the characters stories don't interact all that much has bummed me out. Even in the demo it was weird that the rest of your party was absent in the cutscenes of other character's first Chapters.

I saw the map marker on the west end of the map that had a Tressa and Cyrus icon and thought maybe Chapter 2 would begin to bring them together.

I'm sure the game will still be good, I just really hope they don't keep these characters isolated for the duration.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

When the map has both characters' markers in the same place, that just means that both chapters are located within that same city. Not that they interact.

jschreier said:

This happens only in optional vignettes, I believe one per character per chapter, and they're all very short and insignificant.

Some of the stories are really good from what I've played so far -- Tressa's is my favorite, and keeps cracking me up -- but it is indeed disconcerting that each chapter's story pretends that the rest of your party doesn't exist.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Glad to hear the stories are really good, and that's frankly all I expected from the interactions, knowing the premise and possibilities (i.e., being able to solo the game).

Primrose and H'aanit's seemed affecting enough to convince me that these people were bonding. Obviously more significant ones would've be been preferable, but I respect a unique take on the genre, and the open-ended recruitment/party options would have made interactions in-story tricky.

Wait, can you not download the demo anymore

Ashidome said:

Just finished the 3 hour demo. I like it, but the demo didn't answer something important: is there an overarching, epic story, where all 8 characters work together (also talk to each other)? Because as of now, it's just 8 sidequest-like stories without connection. Would be a bummer if that's it.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

You echo my thoughts exactly. I dislike stories and worlds that feel disjointed and unconnected.

More and more, this is feeling like a "get on sale" purchase. I wasn't terribly happy with the latest demo and all this new information isn't exactly making me more excited. I hope they at least vary up the dungeon design because man, the ones you play through in Chapter 1 are snoozes.

KratosEnergyDrink said:

Why is an overarching story even important?

The stories of the eight characters seems to be the best in RPG since years. A few points of contact for the stories would be more than enough. There is no need for "lets fight friends, we all together can kill the big bad guy" moment. This has been done in to many JRPGs. Let Octopath be a mature JRPG, these are rare enough.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Because hannit's story sucks so far and Ophelia's clearly sets her up to be traveling with someone.

Nori Chan said:

Wait, can you not download the demo anymore

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

You can. It's on the eShop. If you had it downloaded but archived it, you can redownload it from your full game list.

To be fair, this game has always advertised itself in promotional material as "8 paths, 8 stories to be told". The developers probably led people astray by mentioning Final Fantasy 6. It's clear that this game captures the same aesthetic as that game, but tries to take a very different and non-conventional approach to the storytelling.

I'm a little bit concerned that all the hoopla about Final Fantasy 6 means that Octopath Traveler is not going to be judged on the merits of its own design and storytelling decisions. If I read a review and someone complains about a lack of an overarching narrative, I'm actually going to roll my eyes. Does it have to have an overarching narrative and intense character interactions to be a classic RPG? Of course not! In fact, thank goodness the developers are trying something different.

I'm not interested in someone complaining about something that isn't there. What I really want to know as a consumer is:

a) Are the eight stories actually good?
b) Do these design and storytelling decisions made by the developers actually work?
b) Do they add or detract from the overall game?

If the developers did not successfully execute their own design decisions, then criticising it is fair enough.

One other note - I've probably read about ten previews of this game, from US, European and Japanese authors (translations). For some reason the American previewers are by far the loudest in complaining about a lack of an overarching narrative. Most of the European previews I've read have either not mentioned it, or only mentioned it in passing and said it wasn't detracting from their experience. .

Wooo baby I can't wait for this.

Ashidome said:

Yeah, that's the impression I got. I prefer parties like Xenoblade 2's, where everybody interacts with each other and it really feels like you're going on an adventure. If characters barely interact with each other and the plot only unites at the end of the game, that's too dry for my taste.

Will wait for cheaper ;o

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Will wait for some 4 years

If there are 8 good stories or variation of solid quality, is a main connective story be all end all? I'd be fine with the characters resolving their goals if done well.

I guess what bums me out most about this whole 'characters don't interact with each other' is SE's marketing. If you look back, EVERY trailer made it seem super important how there's EIGHT characters who's story is key to the game. Here's what I expected based on SE's marketing:

You choose to start with one of the 8 characters. You then choose the order in which to pick up more party members. DEPENDING on the order, you'd see different character interaction, different dialogue and even different story developments, THUS having the game feature extreme replay value, to see what would happen if you did things in different order.

But that's not what Octopath is from what I've seen so far. It's just a very standard jrpg that switched focus from main to side stories. It may be my fault for having wrong expectations, but I also feel like SE advertised this game as if it did something meaniingfully special. It doesn't :/

Again, the demo was fun and I'll get it once it's cheaper. But it doesn't seem to be a hype day 1-kind of game. Imo.

KrigareN- said:

Large part of the negativity here were generated by overly sensitive users who decided to reduce Jason's write up to "OT =/= FFVI," ignoring the many reasonable criticisms, comments, and observations someone who's played through 10x more content than them.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

You mean this whole derail does not happen because a certain NnK2 reviewer fan need to attack other preview word with hyperbole and further derail the whole thread with his hate boner on Xeno 2 where the game will be exposed in the future?

Okay then.

Ashidome said:

But that's not what Octopath is from what I've seen so far. It's just a very standard jrpg that switched focus from main to side stories. It may be my fault for having wrong expectations, but I also feel like SE advertised this game as if it did something meaniingfully special. It doesn't :/

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

I mean, say what you will, but it's clearly doing something special if it's defying people's expectations of the genre to such an extent, from narrative structure, to gameplay challenge, to grounded tonal maturity.

It's hard to attribute any misconceptions to the game's marketing, however; from the very beginning, it's been about eight characters' unique storylines, and not a single scrap of interaction was shown. That's why people were so concerned, which has been alleviated somewhat by the knowledge that characters have personal dialogue with each other, but also exacerbated because the game's lack of in-your-face main quest is panicking people, because it's something different.

Is it now officially confirmed your first character is stuck with you for the whole game?

Kiro said:

Is it now officially confirmed your first character is stuck with you for the whole game?

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Yes, so choose your favorite. :P