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Wise

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,228
Press Start:

Octopath Traveler is truly a charming and wonderful J-RPG that has reminded me that there's still a place for old classics. Some might call it dated, I'd call it ageless and even peerless when held up against a recent generation of watered down, Westernised role-playing games. Square Enix delivers a nuanced, tactical game and an endearing cast to boot. 8/10

Nintendo Life:

Octopath Traveler is a special RPG, the kind of game that keeps an eye on the past while walking bravely into the future. Indeed, we'd even go so far as to say this is the best RPG you can find on the Switch to date, all elements of this game link together perfectly to make for a harmonious and immersing experience that you'll find difficult to put down. We'd recommend Octopath Traveler to both fans and newcomers of RPGs; the game does a fantastic job of straddling that line of accessibility and depth, satisfying both camps with its dizzying amount of content. Classic-inspired gameplay, an orchestrated soundtrack, and a unique approach to storytelling make this a game that you won't want to miss. This is an absolute must buy. 9/10

RPG Site:

Octopath Traveler is an excellent game, but the elasticity of its structure proves to be the one unassailable hurdle between it and becoming a classic in its own right. 7/10

GameSpot:

Octopath Traveler finds comfort in tradition but doesn't shy away from breaking the mold. 8/10

Destructoid:

Octopath Traveler is a small triumph in that it mostly delivers on its promise to give us eight stories worth seeing through. None of them push the envelope in any way, and several drag, but that's not a huge issue when you have so many to choose from. Even if you skip one or several tales altogether you're still going to get a handful of RPG goodness. 7.5/10

Gameblog:

Ocotpath Traveler is a strong entry to the old-school J-RPG genre, even though its classicism may forbid it to reach the greatest titles its taking inspiration from. As simple as solid, this retro adventure features enough mecanics to offer a deep fighting system, well-balanced and which brillantly avoids countless levelling sessions. Too bad Octopath Traveler's narrative simply serves us eight not-so-much-connected stories, otherwise it could have been an instant classic. 8/10

Shacknews:

Too many developers have tried and failed to capture the nostalgic and often magical feelings that players have for the JRPG genre. Pared-down retro releases and fluffed-up remakes come and go, yet none of them seem to get things exactly right. Fortunately, Octopath Traveler succeeds where other classically-styled RPGs fail: the presentation is spot-on, the combat is addictive, and tThe potential for party customization is tremendous. Small stumbles with dialog and framerate can be forgiven simply because the rest of the game is an absolute delight. This is an experience that players can easily get lost in for dozens of hours, and it's sure to be counted among the best Nintendo Switch exclusives released to date. 8/10

GameXplain:



Kotaku:

Octopath Traveler is a beautiful game with one of the best soundtracks I've heard. The combat system rocks and will hopefully be used in more Square Enix games to come. There are plenty of good ideas in here. But the game is too grindy, too repetitive, too full of structural problems to be viewed as much more than another botched JRPG experiment.

Twinfinite:

Octopath Traveler feels like a much more personal collection of tales that might go against what you'd typically expect from a JRPG. More than anything else, the way the characters fall together feels like coincidence rather than providence, and the game is far more concerned with telling intimate stories about grief, friendship, adventure, and redemption. You might not get to save the world, but there's joy to be had from just helping out someone in a bind and learning more about the deep history of Orsterra as you go. For what it sets out to do, Octopath Traveler excels. 9/10

EuroGamer:

Another fine turn-based battle system and some charming dialogue and visuals make up for an occasionally dry ensemble campaign. (recommended)

Metro GameCentral:

A fantastic balancing act between old and new, creating a Japanese role-player that's full of charm, innovative ideas, and clever nods to the past. 8/10

VideoGamer:

Octopath Traveler is a deep, diverse, interesting, sometimes risque and sometimes funny JRPG that you should play. 8/10

GameMag:

Octopath Traveler is an atmospheric game with unusual graphics, which suffers from a number of strange design and story solutions, as well as problems with interface and many minor flaws. There's also a lot of grinding, and that's may be a big dissapointment for many gamers. If you are not against grinding, try Octopath Traveler. 7/10

VG247:


So that's Octopath Traveler: a beautiful, challenging and often utterly brilliant throwback to the golden age of Japanese RPGs that somehow scuppers its chances of being a true classic through an ambitious but ultimately flawed narrative structure. That open-ended story design pushes the game to be grind-heavy and, worse, fails to do its world, characters or the rest of the game in general justice. Hardcore and lapsed Japanese RPG fans should absolutely look into this, as it's a joyous experience for anybody who remembers that magical era for console RPGs in the mid to late 90s – but a true, perfect successor to those seminal games this is not.

Digitally Downloaded:

Octopath Traveler is a beautiful game that somehow never gets tired. 10/10

God is a Geek:

Octopath Traveler feels like a gem from the golden age of JRPGs that is something I've been craving with stunning visuals, music that deserves a vinyl release, and so much more. 8.5/10

Meristation:


An exceptional game in each and every one of its sections, a near-masterpiece. 9.5/10

IGN:

Octopath Traveler is a JRPG dream come true. Both its battle system and aesthetic pay loving tribute to the Super NES era while moving the formula forward in exciting and novel ways. This isn't merely a modern retread of past classics, but a phenomenal homage with genuinely fresh ideas in a fantastically charming wrapper of old-school meets new. While the eight different character stories could've used a little more connection between them, I'm looking forward to going back to complete them all, explore the many side areas, battle optional bosses, and unlock the final job classes. 9.3/10

IGN Spain:

Long, deep, and with a combat system tailored to perfection. Octopath Traveler is an almost perfect ode to the old school RPGs. 9.1/10

3D Juegos:

Like the titles of the time, it has an immense duration, simple but addictive gameplay and a charm that can not be expressed in words. It can only be experienced. 9/10


Metacritic: 85
OpenCritic: 84
 
Last edited:

Deleted member 2791

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
19,054
https://www.polygon.com/2018/7/12/17563366/octopath-traveler-review-nintendo-switch-jrpg

Every element of Octopath Traveler comes together brilliantly to create a refreshing take on the genre. While it channels the spirit of old favorites, it never feels derivative. It genuinely does feel like a 16-bit RPG that has evolved into something new rather than being mere nostalgia-bait. Even if its visual tricks can feel strained at times, I admire the way Traveler sidesteps and even corrects the mistakes that other RPGs tend to make in trying to recapture the essence of the Super NES era. It's informed by the classics, but it never feels blind or slavish. While I don't feel comfortable putting a score on this review until I've completed the game and seen how (or if) the stories come together, I can confidently say that anyone who's been pining for a great RPG will not be disappointed by Octopath Traveler... whether they want a vintage experience or a brand-new one.
 

Xavi

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,773
Lightning for Smash
RPG Site

https://www.rpgsite.net/review/7465-octopath-traveler-review

7/10

I really want to love Ocopath Traveler, but the messy nature of its story presentation is ultimately an enormous weakness. That stands out, but this game is also truly one of the most intriguing evolutions of the 'golden age' RPG formula out of Japan, managing to both build on and pay homage to the classics. I don't particularly mind that Octopath Traveler is a collection of eight separate stories, but the lack of any sort of cohesion even among the party members bogs it down and makes the stories that are there ring slightly hollow. Octopath Traveler is an excellent game, but the elasticity of its structure proves to be the one unassailable hurdle between it and becoming a classic in its own right.
 

TheFuzz

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,497
tumblr_ozna6tmuPq1vg1enro1_500-470x255.gif
 

Deleted member 3897

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,638
Kotaku

Octopath Traveler is a beautiful game with one of the best soundtracks I've heard. The combat system rocks and will hopefully be used in more Square Enix games to come. There are plenty of good ideas in here. But the game is too grindy, too repetitive, too full of structural problems to be viewed as much more than another botched JRPG experiment.
 

APZonerunner

Features Editor at VG247.com
Verified
Oct 28, 2017
1,726
England
Here's me on VG247. We don't do scores, but the long and the short of it is that I like the game a whole lot but the structure of the game significantly damages it in multiple ways (story problems, encouraging a lot of soul-crushing grinding, etc): https://www.vg247.com/2018/07/12/octopath-traveler-review/

VG247
So that's Octopath Traveler: a beautiful, challenging and often utterly brilliant throwback to the golden age of Japanese RPGs that somehow scuppers its chances of being a true classic through an ambitious but ultimately flawed narrative structure. That open-ended story design pushes the game to be grind-heavy and, worse, fails to do its world, characters or the rest of the game in general justice. Hardcore and lapsed Japanese RPG fans should absolutely look into this, as it's a joyous experience for anybody who remembers that magical era for console RPGs in the mid to late 90s – but a true, perfect successor to those seminal games this is not.

And one over on RPG Site: https://www.rpgsite.net/review/7465-octopath-traveler-review

RPG Site
Octopath Traveler is an excellent game, but the elasticity of its structure proves to be the one unassailable hurdle between it and becoming a classic in its own right.
 

Theorry

Member
Oct 27, 2017
61,041

JarlRaven

Member
Nov 8, 2017
825
Damn I guessed 87 on Opencritic though that is a very high bar to set. Am still probably going to pick this up tomorrow though looking forward to reading in-depth reviews.
 

kennyamr

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,587
New York, NY, USA
Interesting, I'm very disappointed by the story issues and lack of character interaction, because I consider a story and character development the most important parts of a game.

I will still buy it, but I am definitely plummeting my expectations of the game to the bottom of the ocean.
 

Deleted member 3897

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,638

aerie

wonky
Administrator
Oct 25, 2017
8,036
Seems like there are some really great positives, but strong criticisms too. I always feared people may be setting themselves up a bit for disappointment with this game, and it may end up being divisive. For me, it sounds like the positives far outweigh the negatives, but i'm an oldschool RPG gamer. I look forward to playing it.
 

Plum

Member
May 31, 2018
17,299
Lower scores than I expected so far but it should still be fun... right?

EDIT: Fuck, I can feel all the excitement for this game draining out of me. Seems like this is just another disappointment to add to the pile...
 

Barrel Cannon

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
9,297
Read one review and felt like I was partially spoiled so I closed it. Going to go in blind as possible I think
 

Phonzo

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,817
Falls inline with my 78-84 prediction, though its scoring on the highend of my prediciton so far.

Can't wait till tomorrow.
 

LuisGarcia

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
3,478
Read a couple reviews. Was going to get it as soon as I finish Ys but going to wait for a sale now with the story and structure complaints. I'm sure I will still enjoy it.
 

jschreier

Press Sneak Fuck
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
1,095
Polygon's article is a good example of how the game can be extremely charming for its first few hours (the writer says he hasn't finished it all) but once you've played through all 32 chapters, the repetition really gets at you.

And, to answer a question many of you have, there is no epilogue or final chapter, despite the misinformation that was floating around. The stories do not intersect at all. Nintendo tells me there's some sort of post-game content but couldn't tell me what it was or how to unlock it, so we'll see what that turns out to be.
 

mindatlarge

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,926
PA, USA
This would have to score pretty poorly for me to pass on it. From what I've played, I've been waiting for a new RPG like this for a long time.
 

Deleted member 8791

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
6,383
Seems like most of the complaints are focused on the story and grinding, two parts I don't care much about. Great to read some more impressions anyway, super stoked for tomorrow.
 

Noppie

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,770
Damn I was hoping given the 8 stories there wouldn't be much grinding.
I honestly didn't grind much at all. The only grindish part I encountered was post chapter 1, but after that it's all fun and games. Of course you'll do some fighting, but I don't agree with 'too grindy' complaint, especially given how generous the game is with it's XP.
 

Larrikin

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,739
Not to seem pretentious but I think a lot of people are going to into this game expecting the wrong thing. Wasn't it heavily inspired by a creators D&D group? Its not really meant to be a heavily intertwined story. Everyone has their own personal venture to go on.

It seems to be more like a western RPG than a JRPG due to the mission/story structure.