Octopath Traveler 0 is the prequel to the hit title Octopath Traveler, a turn-based JRPG in a nostalgic HD-2D art style with modern twists. Releasing on all major consoles and PC, Traveler 0 draws on elements from the mobile game Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, which was first published in 2020 in Japan. Given both have Square Enix at the helm, players may expect a certain quality of gameplay to be delivered. Does Octopath Traveler 0 hold up to what players love about Octopath Traveler 1 and 2?
From the get-go, Octopath Traveler 0 is different to previously released Octopath titles. In the first Octopath Traveler, players started by choosing one of eight established characters, this time round they get to create their own hero. Select from different hairstyles and colours, voices and poses, as well as belongings and other little titbits to make this character your own, and finish off by assigning them a name.
The story starts out in Wishvale, a quaint little village and the hero’s home. It is peaceful and quiet, but naturally, this does not last. Soon enough, the village gets attacked and burnt down. A lot of the residents lose their lives, and all this for a mysterious ring that seems to have chosen this special character as its bearer…
From here, the adventure really starts. The player’s crafted hero is naturally out for revenge, while also trying to rebuild the town with the help of their friend Stia. This is another unique aspect of Octopath Traveler 0: there is a homebase, and with it comes a decorating game. By continuing main and side quests, more and more features of the town can be unlocked, and houses, institutions and decorations can be placed, with hard work meaning more residents will move in. These residents can be part of the player’s party, or random NPCs met throughout gameplay and invited to live in Wishvale.
Building the town comes with benefits, such as gifts from residents in the form of items or boosts, and supports story progression as well as aid in battle, albeit passively. There is something relaxing about returning to Wishvale after a story mission and speaking to residents, receiving gifts and decorating the village. It certainly helps to break the game up a little, while not being overly overbearing.
Naturally, however, the main gameplay is focused on the classic turn-based battle system. In Octopath Traveler 0, the player initially starts out with only a handful support characters in the party. While travelling and following the quests, though, more and more faces are recruited to the party. Compared to other standard RPGs, there are now eight active characters in the group; four at the front and four at the back. There are more members to collect to have on standby, however, and these can be swapped out during downtime with the active party.
During battle, only the front row characters will actively execute commands, with the back in reserve. Given they can be swapped, it also means that there are four back-up characters should the worst happen to the front line. This new battle system allows for a lot more strategy and can be utilised to successfully defeat even the most difficult foes. It is fantastic to plan every move, swap between characters and make use of the different classes.
At the start of the game the main character’s class can be chosen, and by earning job points through battle, the list of available commands for this class can be expanded. Throughout the adventure, other classes will be unlocked one at a time and can be swapped between. Each class also comes with specific weapon skills, meaning that the character can only wield the weapons according to their class.
It is therefore of utmost importance to have a good variety of classes (and skills) spread throughout the party. This is also essential for the shield battle mechanic. Enemies will usually have a number of shield points that can be reduced when hitting their weakness. Reducing shield points to zero breaks the foe and allows the party to attack for one round, with each attack being more effective than when the shields are up. Different enemies will be weak to different magic or weapon types, so having a variety available is very important.
Of course, special attacks and items are also available. Items can be acquired by finding them when exploring the map, obtaining them from NPCs, or simply bought in shops. Generally, battle is very enjoyable for anyone who loves to strategise.
When it comes to Octopath Traveler 0‘s story, it may at times be a tad too cliché and predictable; at other times, it can really surprise. Linear in some places, non-linear at others (especially when getting side-tracked by side quests), it keeps the player on their toes. Some familiar faces may be met along the way, and some difficult decisions must be made; however, more often than not, these decisions turn out to be of little consequence. Realising this is definitely a little disappointing. It would have been much more fun to create irreversible consequences due to decisions made earlier in the game.
Being an HD-2D game, Octopath Traveler 0’s graphical style seems simple compared to what players are used to nowadays from games such as Final Fantasy VII Remake or Alan Wake 2. However, little details give away that graphically this title is not actually stuck in the past; particularly the amount of movement going on and the water effects. That said, for a seemingly graphically simple game, it is disappointing to see some hiccups throughout gameplay. While only seen occasionally and in certain scenes, there is stutter that appears almost as though the animation is restarting. However, this is purely a graphical issue and does not impact gameplay whatsoever.
The world to explore in Octopath Traveler 0 is huge. While only a small part is available at the beginning, as the player levels up, more and more regions become available. This includes brand-new areas and some already known from Octopath Traveler, which feels surprisingly nostalgic. On top of that, the soundtrack has also simply been taken from the preceding titles. This means that players familiar with Octopath Traveler and its sequel will recognise some of the themes immediately. There are new themes, as well, but the vast majority have been re-used, which is an interesting decision. It could be argued that a new game deserves a new soundtrack; however, it is nice that the same areas come with familiar themes, aiding recognition and nostalgia.
