The interesting implementation of “HD-2D”-a combination of retro pixelated textures with polygonal environments and high-definition effects-makes Orsterra an exciting world to explore as you experience the eight storylines. Heightened with new battle features, the eight characters’ unique play styles, and the various ways they can be strengthened with the Sub-Job/Class system, Octopath Traveler challenges you in becoming an efficient tactician to overcome difficult fights. The game is reminiscent of a classic Japanese RPG with turn-based combat. However, Octopath Traveler’s combat system and world design greatly counteract any hard feelings towards the story mechanics. It doesn’t impact the main storylines at all, and the rest of the party feels invisible whenever you start a new story chapter, which is more than a little jarring. It’s a bit rectified in all of their Chapter Two and beyond with “Travel Banters”, wherein you get seven short cutscenes with the main star of the chapter talking briefly with the others about what’s happening, but even then, it’s very lacking. When you do a story chapter for anyone, the game acts as if your characters are still all alone and not with any allies, even though you progress through the towns and dungeons in a full party.

But while the game emphasizes the expansive storylines for the eight characters, there’s a lot of plotholes with the very fact that they’re all traveling together. You will go on completing each chapter of their tales, as well, leading to up to more than 40 hours of gameplay in a single playthrough. No matter who you choose won’t matter much, as you will live through the rest of the others’ prologues anyways. You start off by choosing your main character among the eight different characters-who is essentially just the first character you’ll be using at the beginning-and each of them starts on different parts of Orsterra. They can share their valuable skills in combat and in progressing through each other’s dramatic stories, and they must work together to resolve their ambitions and eventually save Orsterra from the approaching darkness. Each of them is unique in every way and the player must utilize this. Here, you direct the journey of eight characters coming together from all over the land of Orsterra to travel the world for personal reasons.

Octopath Traveler is a turn-based single-player role-playing video game developed by Square Enix, in collaboration with Acquire. Softonic review Travel the World with a Band of Eight in This Turn-Based JRPG

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