In Octopath Traveler, you play with eight different characters: scholar, cleric, warrior, hunter, merchant, dancer, and apothecary, and you explore the game location and map while also trying to fulfill the unique goal of each of the personas. It's up to you to decide which one you want to start the adventure with and in which order you want to recruit the rest to be part of your team.
As a squad, you travel through tundras, deserts, and woodlands and engage in combat based on the Boost/Break mechanic, where you first need to take down enemy shields and then use combos to deal massive damage. The storyline is divided into multiple short chapters, and you can focus on a specific protagonist's journey first or mix them up. This gives you an open-ended way of playing where, next time, you can decide to drive that game differently.
Even though Octopath Traveler was first an exclusive title for Nintendo Switch, it has now expanded to other gaming consoles and Windows PCs, and it offers beautiful pixel art graphics that use the innovative HD-2D engine that merges 16-bit visuals with a modern, polished aesthetic.
Why should I download Octopath Traveler?
Octopath Traveler is a layered RPG game where you can freely explore the game location, take part in different enemy battles, and follow the storyline of a specific protagonist.
This game has eight different paths you can choose from and progress in, representing eight characters you play with. Each of them has unique skills and abilities and interacts differently with the world and other NPCs.Some of them are better at inquiring, others are charismatic and can convince people to follow them, and then there are also the ones who are good at stealing resources. This allows you to have varied gameplay, depending on which protagonist you decide to use to move the story forward.
As for combat, Octopath Traveler has a Boost/Break system that forces you to make tactical decisions and explore enemy weaknesses in order to break their defenses. Then, you can launch powerful attacks to finalize the battles. This system becomes more complex the further you are in the game, and you also need to remember that your characters belong to different classes, like Warrior, Scholar, or Dancer, which determines how they fight. Later, your characters can get additional jobs to expand their skills and have a secondary class.
Since Octopath Traveler doesn't offer a linear storyline, it's up to you to decide in which order you want to fulfill missions, which character you want to focus on first, when you want to recruit others, and in which order. This lets you develop your characters in various ways, compose your team to get the best results for the challenge at hand, and upgrade their levels. Protagonists who aren't currently part of your team don't gain experience, so you need to swap them with other characters in order to level them up.
When it comes to the game narrative, in Octopath Traveler, each of the characters has their own story that is divided into four chapters. They stem from personal conflicts, betrayals, vengeance, or the need for redemption, and they don't mix with the storylines of other protagonists, so you can fully immerse yourself in the narrative you're playing and enjoy its tone, emotional arcs, and personal angles.
Octopath Traveler has a soundtrack created specifically for this game, full Japanese and English voice acting, and mechanics known from modern games like auto-saves and fast-traveling, even though the game visuals remain retro. You can download Octopath Traveler on Windows PCs or buy it on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Is Octopath Traveler free?
No, Octopath Traveler is a paid game, and its price depends on the platform you want to play it on. The game was released in a single edition format, and there are no Deluxe versions. The moment you buy the game, you get full access to everything it has to offer.
What operating systems are compatible with Octopath Traveler?
Even though the game was initially only released on Nintendo Switch, you can now buy and download Octopath Traveler on various platforms. The game is available on Windows 7 or higher through Steam, and you can buy it for the Steam Deck too.
Apart from that, the game also works on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, both in digital and physical versions.
What are the alternatives to Octopath Traveler?
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Coming from the same game studio, Final Fantasy VI is a remaster of a classic turn-based RPG with deep character narratives and an innovative battle system focused on special abilities. The remake was released on Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox Series X, and S.
