This game isnt bad bad, but i think its boring, hence why i wont recommend it.

I like the visual designs of the characters, but their stories are bland and have no essence. There is also almost no interaction between the characters...so whats the point of having 8 protagonists?
Feels like they just put some overall liked character archetypes in a box, sprinkled some cute pixel art in it, a bunch of random treasure chests and an easy combat system. Shake that and you get octopath traveler.

Also, why would you put in achievements for play hours? That seems so disingenuous.

If you still want to play this game, check out guides to fix the graphics with ReShade. The random shadows and weird light effects are horrendous on the eyes.

Overall, do I recommend this game? Yes. But be aware of what this entails, it is a bunch of short sprints with interconnecting stories in between each leg of the sprints

Octopath traveler is an old school jrpg built in the modern day. For better and worse. Down to the pixelated art style, to the combat system and having a wonderfully chunky feel. The music is orchestral and has such a wonderful arrangement. Soon as the title card opens the energy is set, a bass string instrument (cello), Then a whimsical flute waiting to guide you forward on your adventure. Slowly each instrument added as if people are joining your journey
Each town has its own tune and each character feels represented by an instrument.

The gameplay is pretty solid. There is a stun system based off weapon/element types and a number. You hit said number by using any of the 2-5 different elements/weapon types it shows. It shows nothing until ya hit it with said attack type or an optional passive skill is equipped reveals it.

The game remembers if you hit a creature with said attacks. So as you fight them more you become more and more able to stun them quickly, which emulates expertise fairly well. The variety of enemy types are solid. They're not just color swaps, Their state swaps that happen throughout.

A great example is an evil salamander, slowly becoming more and more demented looking as their levels increase, scaling levels to match the point you are in the character's story, in that particular area. Each character has their own job and can have sub jobs added. But this isn't something that's explained to you outright. You need to go to a shrine in order to unlock them. All of the standard jobs you can get without a fight/test.
The advanced jobs require you to pass a test. Their fairly tough fights. There are also 4 passive abilities you can learn and equip from each class, augmenting them.These advanced jobs are very strong classes to have that make the base story trivial for completion.

The story is well written and quite enjoyable with good moral messages as a whole surrounding them. Their simple/classical retellings, Plenty of sidequest in between them. There is a main story for each character and they are interlocked in some obscure way later.
Each character's quest is a twist on a classical story.
The betrayed knight, The devoted sister, The traveling apothecary , the lost tome and the scholar. etc. Their engaging stories with endearing character arch-types. Fairly believable motivations and hang ups for each character. Each character's story is told in 4 parts, most wrap up well and have a satisfying conclusion to each one.


You can finish the chapters for each character in any order. The sidequest can range from single jaunts to sprawling interconnected stories. Some of the sidequests are what people call joint side quests as well. Though they are mostly arbitrary requirements for the most part.. This is where you find the meat of the challenging fights, through sidequest. One of the areas with the highest levels mobs is only unlocked via a sidequest. Which Is a great area for grinding levels, But these side quests don't give you the best equipment.
You unlock the ability to grab the best equipment by completing each character's main storyline. So the rewards can fall a bit short in comparison to the challenge you face for both story and sidequest. I get why you would want to effectively level gate the equipment, but there's a long history of sidequest being where you get the best equipment in games and the toughest fights because of it. The same history that leads to tough sidequest.


I finished the game and all chapters for each character and almost all the side quest. It left me feeling a bit hollow at some points after completing each story. “That's it?” but i get it, its about the journey, Not the destination. Some of the story beats for characters' stories feel like they're more connected than others. You can end up missing that entirely due to the freeform they afford you. I wish there was at least a light order to it.

There's even scenes where companions in your party will interject with their say on the matter or their support. The voice acting for cutscenes is great, but sometimes it feels like this should have one and it doesnt while others do. It definitely was still a great call and wonderfully performed.

The true endgame is done via one of those sprawling sidequests. Unfortunately this is one of the negative aspects of being an old school jrpg in a modern day.
You have to refight 8 of the characters' chapters bosses, then fight the final boss in 3 phases…. That would be fine. But if you die, you have to do the whole thing all over again, no saving.
It makes it so you have to be a perfectionist in order to beat it or look it up. Over and over again I tried for 20-30 hours without looking anything up. After that I tried for another 10 with a guide. It gets to the point of rng being the defining charter for success.

SOOOO I ended up watching the endgame cutscene. The morale of the story is as I summarized earlier, the story ends here. But their journey they call life continues onward and upward. While I appreciate it and I enjoy the game as it is…. IT can feel hollow to a degree if you miss the point I highlighted earlier.It's the journey we enjoy, not the destination.

Ophilia main theme plays in the background*

- May the Sacred Flame guide your path.

banger game