Nintendo Switch

[MayImilae]

I'm ~13 hours into Octopath Traveler. It's good! It definitely borrows from Bravely Default in its combat system, but that's totally fine with me since I adore that game and its combat! It has a really great blend of rock-paper-scissors style type mechanics and timing breaks to open enemies at just the right time to nail them with obscenely powerful attacks. It requires thought and planning, and setting it all up and executing it is so satisfying! My only complaint so far is that the eight characters and their stories are very disconnected at this point. The game has hinted eeeever so slightly at the Big Plot™, but it really makes you work for it. I mean, it's fine, the individual arcs are pretty well done for the most part, but the characters have had no reason to form a party at all, and in some cases have even had reasons NOT to join the party!

Spoiler/rant: (Show Spoiler)

This is like, actually a spoiler, just warning you!

I'm referring to the thief specifically. Like, his whole chapter 1 is about how he won't team up with anyone, because of how he misses his old partner and the implied awful end of that relationship, and then my party waltzes into town and he's like "sure let's team up!". Argh! Mechanics and narrative conflict! At least this is the exception, but it is kind of a symptom of how isolated their stories are for their whole first chapters.

It just seems like it would make more sense to have each chapter 1 of each character's stories tie into the Big Plot™ in some more direct way so they all have some reason to travel together. Without a big arc yet, I don't have a lot of drive to complete the game, so I find myself playing it only in bite size sessions every day. It's kind of hard to get lost in. Still, it helps that most of the individual character arcs have been really good so far! (Primose's arc is my favorite, she's just awesome! Ophilia's is also a favorite, since she practically is me) So it isn't been a terrible detraction from the game, as I've kept playing it and I'm having fun!

Also Octopath Traveler's music is FANTASTIC!

On a minor note, I really wish they borrowed a liiiittle more from Bravely Default, and picked up the the random encounters spawn control. I miss that so much! But it has a very easy to use fast travel available right from the start, that helps.

Spoiler: (Show Spoiler)

Octopath Traveler is way better than the awful mess that was Xenoblade Chronicles 2. *runs*

EDIT: OH! Word of warning for new players! Whoever you pick as your first character is YOUR character. They aren't kidding on that point. Until you reach chapter 4 of that character's story arc, which will be really late game from what I can tell, the character you pick first is going to be required to be in your party. So make sure you pick a character that is useful for any party and/or has mechanics that you enjoy. You'll be with them for quite some time! Personally, I went with Ophilia, for practical reasons - since she's a healer she's always useful. I've been happy with that choice! She doesn't have a lot of type or weapon variety, but she's really strong, can attack-all early on, is a healer, and isn't super boring mechanically, so she's a good first pick!