Octopath Traveler Review! Flawed Final Fantasy? (Nintendo Switch)
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- The biggest Nintendo Switch RPG is finally here but was it worth the wait? Let's dive into my review of Octopath Traveler and see if this can come close to the perfect combat and fun of Final Fantasy!
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Octopath Traveler is a turn-based role-playing video game developed by Square Enix, in collaboration with Acquire, and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. The game was released worldwide on July 13, 2018. Octopath Traveler is a role-playing game that sports a graphical aesthetic, known as "HD-2D". Defined by the developers as combining 16-bit Super NES-style character sprites and textures with polygonal environments and high-definition effects. The game puts players in the role of one of eight adventurers, who each begin their journey in different ways. Each character comes from different parts of the world. The different parts of the world determine their job or attribute. Each character has a unique Path Ability command that can be used when interacting with NPCs that are divided into two categories: Noble, the ability's effectiveness dependent by the character's level or amount of in-game currency, and Rogue, which has a risk of its user losing credibility upon other NPCs. For example, Olberic and H'aanit can challenge characters, Cyrus and Alfyn can inquire about certain bits of information, Tressa and Therion can acquire items, and Ophilia and Primrose can guide NPCs and use them as guest summons.
The game features turn-based battles, in which the player can attack using different kinds of weapons or elemental attacks, as well as use abilities and items. Playable characters receive a Boost Point at the end of every turn, of which they can store up to five at a time. During their turn, a player can use up to three Boost Points to boost a command, allowing their character to attack multiple times, raise their defense, or increase the potency of an ability. Enemies have a shield counter that lowers whenever they are attacked with a weapon or element they are weak against. When the counter is depleted, they enter a stunned state where they can receive more damage and lose a turn.
This is easily one of the BEST games of the year, even if it does have some flaws I didnt love. Thanks for watching and liking this video!!
DreamcastGuy then why have a worrying title
DreamcastGuy What's odd is I also agree about the blurring affect and I'm only 3 hours in. By the end who knows how I'll feel.
Thanks for not revealing the story as I haven't gotten it yet, but soon. Great review!
Great review! I bought this game already and I completely agree with you. GotY without a doubt.
chris ruston I have 20 hours in and my eyes are fine.
Not up to the caliber of final fantasy? What? This game is way better than most of the recent FF games and holds its own with the classics
Recent Final Fantasy has been pretty bad, I don't think that's setting the bar so high that Octopath Traveler can't easily leap over.
The "perfect" RPG
I hope, there'll soon be sequels to it!
Other than maybe FF6, I enjoyed OT more than all the FF games.
Bravely Default & Octopath Traveler are the new final fantasy games imo
I may be very late to the party since I only played this game last year but " Flawed Final Fantasy " is such a bad take! This game does not try to be Final Fantasy and stands far above most Final Fantasies, I'm saying this as a FF fanboy with IX, IV and XII being my controversial favorites.
Another amazing Nintendo exclusive 🙌🏻
Cody Lerner Yeah, we've had Mario and Zelda and...ok, we got 3 Nintendo exclusives now lol
...........you sound salty
CEWIIH 3? Someone can’t count. Stay in school, bud
CEWIIH Xenoblade? Splatoon? Arms? Kirby?
Kirby isn't very good
Tbh this game bodies most of the newer Final Fantasy games and to me is up there with FF6 and FF7.
The realest comment dude really, this game makes it hard to leave my switch alone.
Replace FF7 with FF9. Octopath is better than FF7 but its lack of character interactions make it pale in comparison to FF6 and FF9.
I would chime in and say how great it is but, even though I preordered it a month in advance, GameStop decided I didn't need it yet. Thanks GameStop. You are slowly becoming the bane of my existence. Lol
Infinity Lefty When you're the emperor of a galaxy you have to stay relevant.
Executer 66 we meet again master!
There is a shipment coming in tomorrow, at least my EB Games said there is, not sure about Gamestop though as I am Canadian. I got mine today at Best Buy, loving the game!
On release day, I ordered it online at bestbuy then walked in later that same day and picked it up. Wayfarer’s Edition in fact. 😁
Executer 66 actually, your preorder might be delayed due to the fact that the game practically sold out completely on shelves around the world, due to SquareEnix not anticipating such a huge success
Octopath Traveler is nothing like Final Fantasy other than both are JRPGs. That's where they end. Its also the best JRPG I've played in a long while too. At this point I'm not certain where the flaw is since its a pretty solid game 12 hrs into it.
the flaw is the lack of interaction between the main characters but that's a necessary evil because you can beat the game with anyone
J James yeah. I almost don't want to call it a flaw, but then I think about how they could have at least tweaked or added a few scenes.
Xenoblade 2 for example had the "heart-to-hearts" where there were specific character interactions.
But that is honestly my only complaint and personally the rest of the game makes up for it.
I think they could at least showed the other team members standing in the background and added a line to the bosses dialog where they simply acknowledge the other members existence like "and I see you brought a friend/some friends along!". Wouldn't have been that hard....
They have interactions between them? i just finished chapter 2 with Haanit for example. After the fight in town i had a option to press + to hear her and Olberic talk. So the chars speak to one another, regular banter but.. yeah. Did ppl miss this i wonder?
I had a couple interactions after the first few cut sceens with tressa's chapter 2. Not sure if it is based off of who is in your party or not. So it seems like it is there just have to pay attention to the top right for the press + for interaction.
Octopath is a jrpg fan jewel.
Stop it, Nintendo. I can’t afford a Switch, but you’re making me want to buy it.
Don't worry, the game will come out on PC in a few months anyways
d b Don't worry, there are people out there who has more common sense than you.
Weeby McWeaberson You should buy it already. There are tons of great games there. Breath of the Wild, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Mario O and now this game. You don't need anything else in life. 😍
Weeby McWeaberson that's the point
d b Lol, that moment when you realize your wrong.
It was published by Nintendo is on a Exclusivety contract. It isn't coming to anything but Switch.
Wish they brought golden sun back
Xavier Dez indeed
Fuck, a G.S for Switch would be amaaazing. Hopefully after the success of O.T, Nintendo will take notice and bring back their flagship Golden Sun!
SirChocula I would lose it if they made new golden sun in this style, plus put the previous golden sun games on the same cart.
Oh hell yes!!
Best RPG since xenoblade 2
Play YS VIII too that is an awesome game
Nice! I've been waiting for your review!
"I'm not gonna spoil anything"
*proceeds to spoil every fucking chapter 1 boss
Chapter 1, lol
Dude, it's a wolf.
Nicholas Rodriguez Uhm yes because I don't nessesarily start with the same character as he does and the last chapter one boss will take over ten hours to even get to.
Fortnite is CANCER Yeah and who says I played every chapter in the demo? And also who says I'm going to beat each characters first chapter right away? Depending on who you start with every chapter one boss can take over ten hours to even get to, that's alot of playtime to spoil.
Fortnite is CANCER Spoilers are still spoilers regardless. At least have the disclaimer I will only spoil some chapter 1 stuff.
why are you saying FLAWED FINAL FANTASY in title? then you give it a 9
unecessary clickbait -_-
Maybe because if there had been no flaws, a flawless game would have got a 10.
How do you compare this final fantasy then bash on it jackass hi everyone welcome to the shitcast show
You must be new here. That is literally all he does in his titles. and has made me almost unsunbscribe multiple times because of the annoyance. Hasnt happened yet though.
He literally discusses the flaws throughout the video. The lack of interaction is why this isn’t a perfect 10.
This looks like a Saga game!
Yeah, it really has more Saga and Bravely DNA than Final Fantasy.
tymcbee SaGa Frontier
tymcbee man I hope SaGa Scarlet grace gets localized!
And thats good since SaGa frontier is one of the greatest games ever
I’m confused as to why you said you don’t really need to grind and that you’ll get enough experience just getting from point A to B. Even if you focus on just the story of the 4 characters in your party you ABSOLUTELY need to grind even just to get from Chapter 1 to Chapter 2. Grinding is a key component of the game yet you brushed it off as if it wasn’t necessary when keeping your party up to a high level is central to advancing the story
Squampy exactly this
Yeah, it's not like H'annit for example, goes from her chapter 1 level 5 recommendation, to chapter two level recommendation of 27 or anything...even then, prepare to get your teeth kicked in if you make one wrong choice or don't have a good party set up.
He's just too good at the game to need to grind. ..he's just so cool that the bosses just let him win by default (at least that's what he'd have you believe)
Guys he doesn’t play the games. He gives fake reviews.
Damn right! I got to chapter 2 and was like "OH **** I GOT GRIND!!!" and that's what I'm doing.
One thing I remember from the demo is that bosses and even normal enemies were really hp spongy...until you learn how to exploit the boost gauge. Gonna be a fun game to break, assuming they haven't patched out some of those exploits.
Patrick Murphy it's not exploiting. It's a core mechanic. That's why the monsters have high health
Revz8bit yeah I understand that. Doesn't really change the fact that doing 3000 damage to the first boss feels like you're exploiting the games mechanics.
I usually check out your review before I buy, but I snagged this one because I was too excited. I think your final score is spot on. I'm a photographer though, so I really dig the blurry bokeh effect. It makes it feel more artsy to me.
Why always make your titles seem negative or controversial?
Ryuko Chan! That is what i was hinted at however its almost worse. Because his content is actually really good. So why does he degrade his contwnt with the b.s. clickbaity titles
Ryuko Chan! Hmm i see your point and cant say i disagree. Hope he gets his act together
Is called click bait. Title something everyone loves with a negative name and BAM! CLICKS AHOY!!!
@@fer04i81 well i see he changed it now. Some dumb shit thats for sure
THIS is why exclusives are important! Now I have a reason to buy a Switch!
rayburr80 zelda, mario odyssey, arms, splatoon 2, mario rabbids, kart 8, fire emblem, golf story, and the ability to play all the multiplats while on the shitter didnt do it for ya? ;)
Tell that to Microsoft who is perfectly content with splitting up their fanbase between Xbox One and PC.
rayburr80 bruh
I don’t understand why people say you don’t have to grind much in this game. This is practically grinding the game with how crazy strong the bosses are. Look how much the recommended level jumps in between chapters and you’ll see what I mean
Love the game! Never pre ordered a game before, but I did with Octopath. Glad I did especially since they sold out super fast!
AH, THE THRILL OF THE FIGHT!
Just got this on Xbox through game pass. Chose Primrose first because her bio seemed the most interesting. I was surprised at how dark the story telling was. Next I went to Bolderfall to meet Therion because he seemed like he would be a good companion to Primrose.
Glad to hear you loved it! I finally got to start playing it, and I'm really enjoying it so far. Haven't gotten to far yet, but hearing your thoughts as a fellow JRPG fanatic makes me look forward to what I can find even more.
The ‘blur effects’ are there to mimic tilt shift photography, not just for the blur.
This has been the best/ most informative review I've watched surrounding Octopath. Thanks so much for the content! There was some spoilers in the footage you showed for those of us who have played some of the game, but it wasn't too bad and actually got me stoked on what's to come. Please keep doing what you do because your very good at it imo.
I bought my first Switch last Monday and bought this game as per your recommendation. Loving it so far!
Takes me back to the SNES days as a kid. Very good game.
Octopath Traveler > Bravely Second > Bravely Default > Final Fantasy: 4 Warriors of Light.
I’m happy to see this studio keep improving on it’s battle engine. They’ve truly reached top tier.
Three games that this game's structure reminds me of: Metal Max returns (you can literally end the game from a dialogue choice from the second person you meet in the game...in the 2nd room from the start), Unlimited Saga, and Romancing Saga.
My biggest complaint is that none of the party members really have a reason to travel with and help each other. There individual stories are good, but there is no big story that ties it all together.
Niiice, work my dude!!
I've never been a huge fan of the genre but I played the demo and loved every sec of it.
Bravely Default, Final Fantasy spritual successor
Octopath Traveller,SaGa spritual successor
Nay. Final Fantasy is a flawed Octopath Traveler.
Monius13 // Relax kid, legacies aren’t destroyed over night.
Lol!
Bold words! I'm just glad we are witnessing a time where we can even consider such things!
Monius13 damn right
Turan X unless you judge games based on their own quality instead of you know nostalgia
you didnt even mention the music, this game has a glorious soundtrack.
Absolutely. Stunning soundtrack that really belongs way up there with the very best JRPG OSTs.
Solid review once again!!
I have been following you for a long time and you are one my most trusted reviewers. You have helped inspire me to start a channel of my own. Thank you! (I plan to give a shout out about you on my first upload today)
One good thing for the PC version is editing config files to turn that blur filter off.
This game is nothing like Final Fantasy except they are JRPGs... It's Saga Frontier, Live A Live, Seiken Densetsu and those stuffs that this game is based on and contributes to, but the name Final Fantasy will draw more people to click the video I guess.
Fuya Hanabi I can see live a live and saga DNA in the game, but where the hell are you pulling seiken densetsu from.
Patrick Murphy My bad, meant to type Seiken Densetsu 3 in particular but the numlock didn't come up.
Fuya Hanabi seiken densetsu 3 is an action rpg though. I dunno, just not sure I see the connection beyond both being jrpgs in a 2d sprite style.
Patrick Murphy The game gives you a list of characters to start with, you pick one, and they later come together in a conjoined stories. This has been a trope for early SquareEnix games and Seiken Densetsu 3 stands out among the Mana series because of this. You can't really categorize JRPGs by their combat system though.
Fuya Hanabi well yeah, but the saga games did this too.
I’m loving the game as well. Bless your soul for not mentioning anything about the characters interacting with each other. Like every review I’ve listened to has said that’s a big issue for them, like why??? It’s not path traveler, it’s octopath traveler!
All these people in the comments saying that Octopath is nothing like Final Fantasy forget that Octopath has a job system, just like Final Fantasy 5 and the Bravely series. Also, not a spoiler since they showed us in the trailers.
I grew up playing RPGs. Loved FF 1,2,3, mystic quest, chrono trigger etc. I dont like when they changed from the pixel graphics to 3d. FF 7 was awesome but that was the last rpg i completed start to finish. I always preferred the pixel style graphics and this game really brings me back. I love it. So far 35 hours in and im addicted. The combat is amazing. Every other game is on hold until i finish this. Its that good. I want this style to continue. Great review btw. 👍
Looking foreword to more games like this coming out. I’m ready for triangle strategy
I would say it's in no way a "flawed FF", since FF is flawed in its entirety in recent years to begin with. The last good FF I remember was 10 and everything afterwards felt poor.
Truth is... most FF games lack emotion and the characters are cliché for about 60-70% of the game, even some of the best ones. This is a masterpiece from the title screen to the end. And yes, some characters like Ophelia or Olberic may seem cliché... but with a twist and you know what's going on with them from the start while leaving space for surprises, while FF hides their identity for several chapters. Oh and if you hate a story, just skip it.
WAIT, THERE'S A SONIC ADVENTURE ESQUE FINAL CHAPTER!? YAAAAAYYYYY!!!!
I got this game literally yesterday and I'm blown away by it. When it came out I didn't know it was this good otherwise I would have got it earlier. But while enjoying it I've only started it but I've died like 5 times. Im in the cave and used up everything but yeh keep dying so I'm thinking do I have to power up by leveling up a fair bit at the start? Cause I'm thinking well I mustnt b stronger enough, sorry probably bad grammar there. And I think its actually the wolf that your chatting about as I type this. U sutterly say do the side quests for skills so I'm hoping thats some advice to beating the wolf. But this games beautiful! The music and design take u in and without sounding weird its like the game seduces u. Its really personal. The talks about death at the start made me think dang, I'm keen to see what happens here. I've coppd MK11, Yoshi, Final Fantasy X hd remake and yeh this one has made me think about it on n off all day. Really keen to play it tonight. Anyway I'll hit up side quests I think, stoked, review and advice in one! :)
If I get a Switch this would be the first game I get for it. Very stoked to see a great rpg come out in turned based style.
Is there a way to see enemy health? It’s like a complete guessing game how much longer I have to hit them before they die. I don’t see a health bar anywhere.
Cyrus has a skill that reveals enemy health.
Cool, I was up to his part yesterday when I saved. So not much longer now.
it's not multiple layers tho. the game is actually 3d with 2d sprites. the depth of field emphasizes the oneiric feel - it would not be the same without it.
You can go into options and turn off the option "Shadow Corners" and that removes the Blur effects.
Ive got to say, i thought id tire out quite quick with this game( grinding etc) but im hooked! I love it ! The music, graphics (2d and 3d effects) and each of the individual stories have me wanting more. Im 20hours in and only have 4 of the characters chapter 1's so far ( lots of exploring, backtracking and grinding ). I AM IN LOVE.
My only complaint is the side quests. A lot are so vague and I was annoyed to learn that some side quests had two versions to complete them. I only learned that by looking up a guide. I understand discovery and after completing the quests I learned what the hints meant, but then quests when some guides were across the world was more or less looking for a needle in a haystack. I only found them by chance and that was it. Like the first kit quest I kept looking for anothr actor, but I had no idea it was him I had to bring that one actor too. I would have never made the correlation without a guide.
So far only just over 3 hours in and what I've seen I'm loving!
So Saga Frontier meets Dark Souls meets my SNES.
Wtf does Dark Souls have to do with anything?
I hope the good sales get us an Octopath Traveler sequel!
Great review. Thanks for going in depth on the combat mechanics and some combat scenarios. I'm sold, this sounds awesome.
10 hrs in and already I'm like this is better then any of the old school final fantasy games.
Found out you don't need to grind at lower levels. Kill the cu sith near Atlasdam for massive level boost.
Now they just need to make a true Chrono Trigger sequel. I think this graphic style would work for it.
tazgamer it's called Chrono cross. Also why does CT even need a sequel?
Patrick Murphy A lot of people don't consider Chrono Cross to be a true sequel, and if not a sequel maybe a graphical upgrade instead of that awful phone port to pc that they gave us.
I am so behind on some games that I chose to wait until I finished them. Can’t wait for it
That wolf boss is weak to spears. Olberic's Thousand spears move makes the fight alot easier
Good job man. I'm getting the game today.
I didn't buy any big Switch game since Odyssey in October 2017. Now i bought Mario Tennis Aces, Captain Toad, and Octopath in 3 weeks. And also Hollow Knight, which might be my favourite indie game on the Switch, even better than Stardew Valley and Steamworld Dig 2.
"There is never a fight that is easy even if you overlevel" judging by your party you left Cyrus in the dust, you have lv 26 therion which sucks ass at dps (great for breaking armor tho) and a lv 3 Cyrus which is arguably the most powerful character when you get those 300+ sp atk staffs and gain the secret magic skills, he basically one shots most things except bosses.
Hey Dreamcastguy, I’m kinda interested in the game but I just wanted to know how long a single play through is??
Ike Andrews 40 to 60+ hours
90-100 for the true ending according to him.
Ike Andrews about an hour
Main missions takes 40-50 hours.
I'm assuming it's takes 80 hours on average, for everything.
James Keith Tampus nah it’s more like 45 minutes
I'm not a fan of the washed out dull colors.....that's about it. Having a blast so far.
Without any spoilers, are the plot twists and the conclusion to the stories feel rewarding though? I'm contemplating on getting it.
Octopath is a combination from the first letter of the characters names
You beat this game at a convention?...jesus, that’s a convention to avoid.
Loved the review. You just pumped me up even more for this game!! Subbed.
Octopath was the game I was waiting for since the announcement of the Switch. However this is not Final Fantasy. It may have similarities but it isn't. Can't wait to finish this game.
You didn't mention that there are random encounters, did you? Also, have you reviewed any SaGa game, like Romancing SaGa 2, which is out in latest gen consoles for download, like N-Switch? Some other reviewers are comparing this game to the SaGa series. Well, I'm currently playing Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song and am currently on one of eight quests of the game.
Looking at all of these reviewers it seems I'm the only one who has Cyrus as his main. Cyrus mains where you at?
Best review of octopath traveler by now
Oh cool you started with Therion just like I did, I thought he was a pretty cool character
so they used some FFXIII. Breaking shield before you can cause damage :)
You should just be bold and give it a 10!
This looks so sick but I can't afford spending 60bucks on this :c
That had to be the worst fight you could have shown to show strategy. That was a squash match.
The first must buy game of 2018? Are you crazy, did you play God of War
Graham McCann trash
Graham McCann hahaha so true, Nintendo bias nowadays! 😂
JaviSoulOS what's trash?
Graham McCann im pretty sure he said "first must buy on switch" soooo
Ah well, don't expect much listening comprehension from Sony fanboys.
Patrick Murphy no he didnt say that actually.. Maybe you should listen to what is being said.. And funny all of a sudden i am a fan boy because i like a game that has had some of the best reviews of this generation.. grow up!
Need to beat zelda first then I'll pick this up
The combat is really nice and all but the story being average at best is what kills it for me. I shouldn't have to dig in the game for character banter and chemistry. It should already be there like it is in most JRPG's. I'm currently doing my 1st playthrough of FF7 and as we go on our adventures, I grow closer to my party every step of the way on our journey. In this game, the characters are just tagging along for no reason it feels like and they don't even acknowledge each other until way later. I also don't really like how the stories aren't interconnected in some way or another. I know a lot of people are going to counter argue that this is a game of 8 stories and not one big plot the likes of we've seen in most JRPG's where you kill god at the end BUT I wanted that and octopath just doesn't have it. With that being said, I appreciate what the team has created and the combat is superb but not enough to keep me engrossed when the story isn't all that interwoven like I expected.
the game reminds of the strawhat pirates from one piece 8 people with different goals joining each other to accomplish all there goals together
Is there any plot reason for all the bosses being so big or is it just copying pre-5th gen Final Fantasy?
Wiseman your character profile is rpg legend and many wont even know.
Haven't got it yet but I'm really looking forward to it. That first demo was great.
Zelda BotW, Xenoblade 2 and Octopath are the best games on Switch so far.
Shouldve just called it.... Final Fantasy: Octopath Traveler
ELLIEZEL GAMING or final fantasy legends 4.........
Great review. I'm loving this game! How many hours do you have in?? I'm around 20
I came here just to read the comments.
Is this a big step above I Am Setsuna and Lost Sphear? I picked them up during the Switch eShop sale a few weeks ago so I feel obligated to play them first, but this looks so good! 😍
in term of technologie it may not be superior to the latest FF game but to me I have so much more fun playing Octopath Traveler than any recent FF games. Since they made FF games more action base and less tactictal I did not enjoy them as much as in the past.
I love the art, music and while I have enjoyed the combat, the excessive grinding being asked of me is killing my fun.Jrpgs have never been my jam and while this one was a gem, it will be the genre's last chance for me.
You opened up with, I’m gonna talk about the story, but you never talked about the story.
Pre ordered this and got hollow knight a few days before. I’ve got a lot of hours on the switch to be played XD so far got about 22 hours on each
Glad to hear this game is doing so well. Glad I pre-ordered, but I gotta put my backlog on soon. Too many games.
Man, this is going to force my hand and buy a switch.
Great review, looks like I’m picking this up soon. Need to sink my teeth into another good RPG
is this a new ip? or are there previous ones?
kzilla 689 it's a new ip
Im no math wizard but if there are 24 hours in a day, and you played this game friday, saturday, and sunday. That equals 72 hours, where did you find the time to sleep, eat, and edit this video, and play this game for 72 hours?!?
great review! FF is also my favorite gaming franchise. I just started playing FFXV for the second time, since the game has been patched several times since launch. Since you're also a FF fan, do you think I should try OT instead of replaying FFXV? I ask because I don't have that much time available to play, so whatever I choose I'll have to play it for at least 2-3 months.