Yeah exactly. I'm far more interested in the main stories that I'll be playing through for the whole game than a final post-game chapter.
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Octopath Traveler Review Thread
- Thread starter Wise
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Yeah exactly. I'm far more interested in the main stories that I'll be playing through for the whole game than a final post-game chapter.
This game really feels like something special.
You wont regret it my friend, I promise you that!
Just take your time and enjoy it!
Japanese language guide is out and reveals some slight details about the postgame stuff. A reddit user posted photos, but we can't post them here directly. The guide doesn't go in depth into the content itself but has a lot of pictures and the statement (translated according to the guy that posted it, Reddit user "marco768")
And:
So I guess that is that. Pictures show some sidequests that are immediately recognizable, and some that I don't recognize.
( "The adventures of the travelers continues" I couldn't quite understand the central horizontal white text a (very very) rough guess is that "The 8 adventurers reach their own closure, but their adventure still has not reach the end.")
And:
"As they continue their adventure, their bonds grow, and they began to unravel/reveal/solve the mysteries of the world."
So I guess that is that. Pictures show some sidequests that are immediately recognizable, and some that I don't recognize.
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Once you finish all chapters with everyone it is revealed that the game is in fact, Final Fantasy VI: the after years.
IDG why an interconnected story bothers people. Even if he game was 8 mini-RPG's in this style.
And apparently later chapters do have a ton of interconnectivity. So... *shrugs*
And apparently later chapters do have a ton of interconnectivity. So... *shrugs*
Leaning towards not buying this, kinda Fell into the FF6 trap. But I,ll read acouple of reviews as well and see if that changes my mind.
It seems like most people writing it off are focusing on the content of said reviews, rather than numbers, which is ideally how reviews should work. I've read reviews of 80s-90s games that just don't sound particularly interesting, but some 60s reviews that tell me about a few interesting and offbeat features that actually get me interested in the game.
Excellent point and a great reminder that I shouldn't rush into posting the second I get out of bed and haven't started to actually think yet.
I knew it!
I fucking knew it!
Even when I mentioned the missing scores from the CD and slightly spolierish info that all signs pointed to this!
Trust me, I've been there.
It's pretty telling that the review that's caused the most discussion is the one without a score attached. That's the one that comes across as most negative to people.
Except it's already been stated multiples times the characters to interact. It's not a unified story, as that's now the type of game it is, but characters do interact.
You don't think it's more likely the postings of the reviewer in this very thread and the excerpts of his review posted in here that caused this? There's many reviews in the OP, many giving a different view on the game. So, for me at least, it's not that ppl read reviews and decided upon that, it's that (many times usual suspects) people use a single review that got most focus, and the posts of the reviewer, to paint an all doom about the game. It's like going into the GoW review thread, looking for the single mediocre review among the bajillion amazing ones and declaring the game shit just because of that.
I can understand people not being keen on grindy games, and there sure are things that rub me the wrong way in this one (like the no EXP for chars not in active party), but you have to see that the stuff in this thread got overblown big-time.
Don't assume they missed the true ending. They could have been given guidance by Nintendo that they were not to mention any of it in reviews.
For instance, kid Icarus uprising. Reviewers weren't allowed to mention anything that happens after the fight against medusa- which means about two thirds of the game had to go unmentioned in reviews!
Here's something I do suggest... take the time to soak in this game. Feel out the edges of the world, explore the systems, interact with as much as you can. After my first hours continuing off of my demo save, the music, the game play, the dialogue, the menus, battle mechanics and all the little touches- just feels like good, delicious comfort food for JRPG fans. For me, a person who's cultural touchstone is Final Fantasy VI and the sentiments of the SNES JRPG, this feels right and good. I want to take my time and soak it all in- and not blunder though it reviewer style.
The thing to remember about reviewers is that they have their minds scattered and rushed all the time. Rarely do they get to take JRPGs the way they are supposed to be taken- with care. I remember when I had to review Final Fantasy XII- I was on a deadline, reviewing a series of other games, trying to get into my own personal games - it wasn't how I like JRPGs. I came down hard on XII and didn't really get what the fuss was about. When I returned to it years later on my own terms I was treated to a much richer, more beauteous and meaningful experience.
When I play a JRPG for me, it's the only game I play. I take it all in and rush nothing. It's about experiencing the coterie of systems, music, writing, graphics, world building, bestiary, lore, fantastical elements and interactions with lots of NPCs. It's reading a big book- it's challenging and if you rush it you miss so much.
I think, if you like games like Final Fantasy, SaGa, Chrono Trigger you will find something here. If you like music with hooks and building textures you will find something here. If you like turn based battles you will very much find something here.
But I would like to highlight something I don't think many people have mentioned: The nature of the dialogue.
There was a quality to old, localized SNES JRPGs I can only describe as "punchy, melodramatic and fun" - I have had a feel for this kind of writing for many years, it was a kind of odd "something is sort of lost in translation here" experience that just feels like such an integral part of a classic JRPG. The thing is, as JRPGs became more mainstream that quality has started to vanish- it still exists to some degree with translated Japanese games, but man oh man does this game every have that "punchy, melodramatic, fun" quality to its dialogue. For me, this is the marshmallows in the hot chocolate of this game. It's writing FEELS like an older localized SNES JRPG and sometimes I'll sit and just smile at a line of text with a strange wave of nostalgia as the soundtrack plays and the 16 bits glitter.
The thing to remember about reviewers is that they have their minds scattered and rushed all the time. Rarely do they get to take JRPGs the way they are supposed to be taken- with care. I remember when I had to review Final Fantasy XII- I was on a deadline, reviewing a series of other games, trying to get into my own personal games - it wasn't how I like JRPGs. I came down hard on XII and didn't really get what the fuss was about. When I returned to it years later on my own terms I was treated to a much richer, more beauteous and meaningful experience.
When I play a JRPG for me, it's the only game I play. I take it all in and rush nothing. It's about experiencing the coterie of systems, music, writing, graphics, world building, bestiary, lore, fantastical elements and interactions with lots of NPCs. It's reading a big book- it's challenging and if you rush it you miss so much.
I think, if you like games like Final Fantasy, SaGa, Chrono Trigger you will find something here. If you like music with hooks and building textures you will find something here. If you like turn based battles you will very much find something here.
But I would like to highlight something I don't think many people have mentioned: The nature of the dialogue.
There was a quality to old, localized SNES JRPGs I can only describe as "punchy, melodramatic and fun" - I have had a feel for this kind of writing for many years, it was a kind of odd "something is sort of lost in translation here" experience that just feels like such an integral part of a classic JRPG. The thing is, as JRPGs became more mainstream that quality has started to vanish- it still exists to some degree with translated Japanese games, but man oh man does this game every have that "punchy, melodramatic, fun" quality to its dialogue. For me, this is the marshmallows in the hot chocolate of this game. It's writing FEELS like an older localized SNES JRPG and sometimes I'll sit and just smile at a line of text with a strange wave of nostalgia as the soundtrack plays and the 16 bits glitter.
Even if journalists are tasked to not mention anything, they are not contractually obligated to lie to its audience. Several reviewers claimed there were nothing past the credits rolls, not that they weren't allowed to say. So the post-game scenario/epilogue has to be pretty well-hidden or would require arcane things that people doesn't expect to do because reviewers didn't get there.
Now that the post-game stuff are out, time to bail out from Octopath's thread, gaming sites and forums, log off from Twitter/FB and Youtube. I don't want to know anything in advance.
There's no indication he had an actual source. It was still probably a total optimistic stab in the dark.
Yeah. If you know how the conclusions were reached 24-48 hours ago, then it probably shouldn't be that hard to figure out what the in-game criteria is (or at least I'm expecting).
This is exciting.
Yeah true, from what I've read and heard though, it isn't use extensively or consistently throughout the game. Other NPCs don't acknowledge other members of the party etc.
There is a big difference between having a small, detached scene where Haanit and Primrose talk about men and say a scene in Primrose story where she goes to murder someone for Revenge and Olberic stops her, reminding her that revenge has no place while Haanit and Therion are in another room holding off the guards.
The latter is what people were hoping for when they say they want the characters to interact, their are levels to this.
The problem here is that because of the non-linear nature of the game, Trying to do cutscenes like the latter would be incredibly difficult due to the permutations involved. You'd have to write and code a version of that scene for any party combination imaginable.
Primrose could be in a party full of Rogue Path characters that probably wouldn't care about her taking revenge, or Prinrose could be in just a party of three, or Primrose could be by herself entirely. I could see why they decided to go with a skit-like system instead for interactions. There are still permutations to take into account, but it's easier to account for and allows the non-linear nature of the game to stay intact.
I don't know if it's been already said, but, the day before embargo finished, my console downloaded and installed a little update for Octopath Traveler (day-1 patch, I suppose). Don't know what kind of changes it made, and I don't want to think it was related to the post-game, but it may be...
My takeaway from Olberic's prologue is that he wants to settle the score with his kingslaying former compadre, so that would be hilarious.
Except, people as well as other reviews have also pointed out the the interactions included do a lot for developing the characters and adding to the world building. But at the end of the day, it is still 8 individual stories. People expected one big unified story, which is what you are describing. That's not what the game is. The only really jarring part is story specific cutscenes for that character, which I agree with, but as someone pointed out, considering 8 characters leading to so many possible party combinations or lack of, would be at the same time a nightmare due to the nature of the story.
I think there's a good chance there is some sort of post-credits content that I haven't unlocked yet, but the dude on Twitter misled a whole lot of people into thinking this was a very different type of game than it is. He said that at the "beginning" it's a game about individual characters and then morphs into an ensemble game, and as I've been saying for a week now, that's not true. Even if there is some sort of uber-tough-to-unlock post-credits stuff, that still remains untrue.
Im so on the fence about this. The whole end game is really bothering me. I did tried both Bravely games and did not like them, think I'll like this?
So if I understand correctly, The post-game is barely, if not mentioned in the reviews and the lack of interaction between characters is a lie?
So what's the jest? Were we lied to?
So what's the jest? Were we lied to?
There's a free demo available on the eShop. Octopath is quite a bit different from Bravely.
I don't think reviewers were intentionally lying, no, but some statements were dangerously definitive or dismissive of what's actually in the game.
As far as interactions, they just failed to differentiate between characters not participating in each others' stories and there not being meaningful character interaction. The former is true, the latter is false, and it should have been noted that the banter scenes eventually extend to 3, 4 parter members, all dependent on your active party, meaning the level of detail in the combinations is extremely high.
Youre on the fence about a the entire game based on a portion that you wouldnt even hit until maybe 60hours later?
We don't know yet. Nobody has been able to crack the requirements or isn't really specifying if they had at the moment. I expect soon though.
There has to be a reason for the
4 uber classes earned in very late parts of the game
It has a much higher metacritic score than I would have thought for a game of this style and length
I'm not arguing whether the thread is hyperbolic or not, but I can understand that some people might be annoyed that so much of the discussion was focused around a fairly negative review. But I think that Jason entering the discussion in this thread is very much a good thing, and his review being text based rather than score based means that the thread isn't really prone to bellyaching about scores. Frankly, if he'd attached a relatively low score to the review I imagine this thread would be at least twice as long. As such, I've seen much worse review threads, I'm kind of proud people are actually discussing review content rather than comparing scores.
Very few people are writing the game off entirely, there's just a few postponing their purchase because they trust Jason as a reviewer on such games. I've always been a proponent of scoreless reviews and finding a reviewer whose opinions broadly align with your own.
I was just trying to clear up that there's more to the negative discussion than "Ugh, only mid-80s, preorder cancelled".
It certainly doesn't help though that there appears to be content that the reviewers didn't find in time that may have alleviated some of the common concerns.
No one was lied to. Just because suddenly the paths or may not intertwine in post game content does not at all change the fact that the game is meant to be taken as 8 standalone chapters. There is no obligation for any reviewr (or gamer for that matter) to play a post game. It's optional.
And assuming it is true and there is one, I don't necessarily think that should impact scores either.
Honestly IGN review video is like a Square Enix ad for the game and it's embarrassing. I would recommend watching other reviews of the game.
Someone on Reddit is saying this guidebook confirms a postgame?
https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSw...spoilers_the_official_guidebook_on_octopaths/
https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSw...spoilers_the_official_guidebook_on_octopaths/
Glad to see it's getting good reviews, I'm definitely not in the market for a new $60 old school rpg right now but I'll keep an eye out for a sale.