Octopath Traveler Review Thread

piratepwnsninja · Jul 12, 2018

I will never understand why some people latch onto a single review as gospel. Look for commonality between reviews, understand that some things bother some people more than others, and determine if the commonalities, both positive and negative, are ones that would affect you.

Looking forward to picking this up tomorrow.

Bruceleeroy · Jul 12, 2018

The only thing scaring me is the grinding talk. I can't handle games that make me grind too much anymore.

ghostcrew · Jul 12, 2018

So tempted to pick this up but I've got such a backlog. My PS4 library is full of JRPGs that I haven't even put in the console yet. I can't buy another!

But it looks so good.

BlueManifest · Jul 12, 2018

Devilgunman said:
So online game doesn't count? Remaster also doesn't count? Also, The Zodiac Age never released outside Japan so it's basically a new game for the West.

I updated post the original ff12 already had good scores

Aaron D. · Jul 12, 2018

Has ACG said if he's gonna review this one?

That's the take I'm most interested in hearing.

Dizastah · Jul 12, 2018

This thread is getting cray.

srtrestre · Jul 12, 2018

Nothing said:
I don't spend enough time here to understand something. Why are there three different threads for Octopath Traveler? For the last week I have been reading and posting in the preview thread. Now there is a review thread and an "OT" thread. Would you kindly explain to me what is the purpose?

It's just a convenient way to organize/coordinate discussion around the game is all. Most if not all the big, highly anticipated games get them.

Don't be too surprised when/if you see the Octopath Traveler screenshots or *SPOILER* threads.

WrenchNinja · Jul 12, 2018

ccieag said:
I don't think Jason Schreier loves JRPG's. He's not a fan of the old-school stuff at all from what I can tell, especially core mechanics like grinding and turn-based battles. It may be better to say he is a fan of modern RPG's that have more of a Western flavor to them. Like I said, different strokes

To me, this sounds like a breath of fresh air among the action-based "RPG's" I see these days (and I use that term loosely). DQXI will be another, but I will have to wait for the Switch version because I just don't want to sit in front of a TV that long anymore. I am interested in what the Japanese and actual RPG fans think

Those who love Chrono Trigger, old-school FF, DQ, and such... They seem to like it

lolwut. he brings up suikoden whenever he can.

MysteryQuesadilla · Jul 12, 2018

From the demo alone I can totally understand the criticism with the story feeling disjointed. But the gameplay alone felt great and the pacing made it a great contender as a satisfying game to play undocked here and there. Reviews are by and large what I was expecting.

JayWood2010 · Jul 12, 2018

reKon said:
People aren't acting that way, if you would read the thread. There's just certain components of the game which are a deal breaker. A lot of people in good faith were disappointed by this. Just because a game has a good MC score doesn't mean that it's must buy for all RPG fans. I do recognize though that there are definitely some people who never intended on picking up the game making comments, but we don't know for sure.

Nothing ever is a must buy for everyone.

Totakeke · Jul 12, 2018

reKon said:
People aren't acting that way. If you would read the thread. There's just certain components of the game which are a deal breaker. A lot of people in good faith were disappointed by this. Just because a game has a good MC score doesn't mean that it's must buy for all RPG fans.

Or you can ask why is it scoring pretty good despite all the glaring flaws? Glass half empty/half full kind of thing.

ShinobiBk · Jul 12, 2018

Devilgunman said:
That's a false statement. FFXIV: ARR is 86.

Ok, so second highest rated.
I really don't like lumping in traditional RPG's with MMO's though
Let's not forget A Realm Reborn was basically a mulligan after the disaster that was vanilla FF XIV

Deleted member 30151 · Jul 12, 2018

Jumpman64 said:
Damn, I was really looking forward to this, but all the reviews saying it's repeitive and has a very bland story. My time is limited with games so it looks like I'm passing on this one.

Octopath Traveler is a beautiful game that somehow never gets tired. It has a labyrinthine plot that bravely attempts to give eight characters the same scope and development as eight sole protagonists would get in lesser games. It's also a game that bravely makes the story all about those characters, with the world, harsh as it can be, almost secondary to the insular unit and their individual arcs. That sheer ambition is all the more impressive because Octopath Traveler uses sprites. Little 2D characters made up of even littler squares. People need to play this game if only to realise that not everything spectacular needs to be photo-real. - DigitallyDownloaded

This is not all, right?

Deleted member 4090 · Jul 12, 2018

I remain super skeptical about comments on mandatory grinding. Everything about the demo pointed to like dozens of different things being broken. Like, there are hundreds of NPCs to fight, steal, and recruit, and 100+ sidequests, and dozens of optional areas and bosses.

Devilgunman · Jul 12, 2018

BlueManifest said:
I updated post the original ff12 already had good scores

But Zodiac Age isn't just FFXII. It's an upgraded version of it and it's just released for the first time in the west last year.

sanstesy · Jul 12, 2018

Totakeke said:
There will be some unavoidable aspect of grinding due to having to bring up a character you have not been using as much up to recommended levels for their chapter. You could negate that by spreading your use of your party members, but it's not like that is effortless either.

Instead you have potentially 3 other party members that are pretty high-leveled, though. And as I understand there are no strict character level gates and only recommended levels, right?

ccieag · Jul 12, 2018

Also, don't think grinding will be that difficult for old-school RPG fans. Played enough of the demo to know that it took a bit to figure out and "break" the system, but it certainly wasn't too difficult to do so if you use the right combinations. Just like Bravely Default, which makes sense.

The right party composition can make things a cakewalk, while others struggle. And the best part is that the "best" party varied for many of the dungeons. It is great to hear that some of the later bosses are much more difficult

Nothing · Jul 12, 2018

Snake Eater said:
Damn shame to read that, pretty much what I was afraid it was going to turn out to be

It's mostly confirmation bias. The people going into this game expecting to dislike it are probably going to hate it. They have been looking for reasons to dislike it and there are a few reasons. The same way that people that already love the game for its art direction and music are going to go into this game and love playing it, despite its flaws.

I sincerely think that OT is one of those games where your premonitions will hold true in regards to the way you feel about the game after playing it. If it's "uh oh, this is yet another jrpg with many problems" then this very clearly isn't the game for you. On the other hand if you're in love with the preview material, the demo, and you loved old school jrpgs then you will probably enjoy this game immensely. It's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Totakeke · Jul 12, 2018

sanstesy said:
Instead you have 3 other party members that are pretty high-leveled, though. And as I understand there are no character gates and only recommended levels, right?

Yeah. I would love to see someone doing a solo character run of the game, but for most people the instinct will be most likely to grind it out rather than to have one potentially uselsss party member.

Zafir · Jul 12, 2018

Not going to lie. The structural problems and grinding issues do slightly worry me. :(

Still getting it though.

BlueManifest · Jul 12, 2018

There's actually negative people in this thread over an 8.5 average? I haven't read through any of it, don't know if I want to

Tremis · Jul 12, 2018

I find that the most hyperbole ironically comes from people who are posting about how "crazy" and off the rails the thread is. People seem pretty calm in their posts and responses on either side of the fence. I just don't see the drama some poster like to go on about.

snausages · Jul 12, 2018

ShinobiBk said:
Let's not forget A Realm Reborn was basically a mulligan after the disaster that was vanilla FF XIV

Why does that matter tho, FFXIV 2.0 is maybe my second favourite in the series. Some of the best gaming I've had in years.

Grouch Douglass · Jul 12, 2018

Reviews seem kinda lukewarm, but I will trust other JRPG fans opinions/impressions on a game like this.

Einbroch · Jul 12, 2018

Lower than I thought.

BrandoBoySP · Jul 12, 2018

Extreme Kiwami said:
But isn't this all in all the problem in this day and age? The own expectations get's absurdly high in the year 2018, yet, Square Enix never managed to surpass their SNES and early PlayStation Era. I will not say people should calm their expectations, but there was a playable Octopath Traveler Demo last year and people should have known in what direction Octopath Traveler is going.

What's disappointing the most is, many people can't appreciate simple storytelling anymore. Calling the stories in Octopath Traveler dull and boring when Persona 5 is telling the fith time the story about a bunch of outsiders who confront their inner self is harsh. Tales of is telling the same story about friendship again and again. On the other hand, I enjoyed the writing of the Octopath Traveler prologues so far because every story is going a different route and are telling the stories of not so almighty individuals. This feels fresh for me. More fresh than summoning a fallen angel at the end who wants to destroy the whole world.

While I give them that, a final chapter like in "Live a Live" would had been sweet. It would be the cherry on the cake.

You can have a simple storyline that's still told in an interesting and engaging way with decent character arcs. Look at how simple, for instance, Pacific Rim was: it's a movie about giant robots fighting giant monsters. It's incredibly straightforward. But there's a layer of originality to the storytelling in the drift system, and the main characters-especially Mako--get a fully-fledged arc. From what I'm seeing from Schreier, Octopath Traveler is simple to the point of predictability without decent characterization; the originality comes from the combat and graphics, not the story.

Besides, there's nothing wrong with people not liking it. It's not an attack on anything.

DVCY201 · Jul 12, 2018

The fact that the narrative doesn't intersect is really a sticking point for some of these reviews, which I'm a bit ambivalent on.

Kainé · Jul 12, 2018

ccieag said:
I don't think Jason Schreier loves JRPG's. He's not a fan of the old-school stuff at all from what I can tell, especially core mechanics like grinding and turn-based battles. It may be better to say he is a fan of modern RPG's that have more of a Western flavor to them. Like I said, different strokes

To me, this sounds like a breath of fresh air among the action-based "RPG's" I see these days (and I use that term loosely). DQXI will be another, but I will have to wait for the Switch version because I just don't want to sit in front of a TV that long anymore. I am interested in what the Japanese and actual RPG fans think

Those who love Chrono Trigger, old-school FF, DQ, and such... They seem to like it

grow up

Firemind · Jul 12, 2018

Maffis said:
Why is that so many JRPGs have dull dungeons? Like, puzzles are gone completely. Running through 50 different dungeons that just offers branching paths sound extremely tedious. Not just this game but many I've played recently.

Laziness (and budget allocation)

BlueManifest · Jul 12, 2018

Grouch Douglass said:
Reviews seem kinda lukewarm, but I will trust other JRPG fans opinions/impressions on a game like this.

If 8.5 is lukewarm we don't get very many good games each year

Mezentine · Jul 12, 2018

Unfortunately I don't have time to put into something this long if the story isn't better than "eh". A shame because I love how this game looks but oh well

Celine · Jul 12, 2018

Game seems to be well received by critics.
Can't wait to play it.
The first demo really impressed me as I'm a 16-bit RPG lover.

King_Moc · Jul 12, 2018

Decent reviews from everyone that matters, sounds good.

Zafir · Jul 12, 2018

BlueManifest said:
There's actually negative people in this thread over an 8.5 average? I haven't read through any of it, don't know if I want to

There's infinitely more to reviews than scores, and what's worrying people is the text of some of the reviews.

sanstesy · Jul 12, 2018

Neoweee said:
I remain super skeptical about comments on mandatory grinding. Everything about the demo pointed to like dozens of different things being broken. Like, there are hundreds of NPCs to fight, steal, and recruit, and 100+ sidequests, and dozens of optional areas and bosses.

The only JRPG I've played in the last few years where grinding is mandatory is the original XC where you can't do damage to enemies if your party isn't near the enemies level. In contrast, XC2 was criticized for grinding when that isn't the case at all.

Phonzo · Jul 12, 2018

Mezentine said:
Unfortunately I don't have time to put into something this long if the story isn't better than "eh". A shame because I love how this game looks but oh well

Story is pretty "eh" for all the characters except maybe Primrose. It is really the charm of the characters that makes the story.

Deleted member 2834 · Jul 12, 2018

I love grinding. Can't wait for this.

Falchion · Jul 12, 2018

Sounds awesome!

ShinobiBk · Jul 12, 2018

tinyhipsterboy said:
You can have a simple storyline that's still told in an interesting and engaging way with decent character arcs. Look at how simple, for instance, Pacific Rim was: it's a movie about giant robots fighting giant monsters. It's incredibly straightforward. But there's a layer of originality to the storytelling in the drift system, and the main characters-especially Mako--get a fully-fledged arc. From what I'm seeing from Schreier, Octopath Traveler is simple to the point of predictability without decent characterization; the originality comes from the combat and graphics, not the story.

Besides, there's nothing wrong with people not liking it. It's not an attack on anything.

I hate Pacific Rim
That movie sucks

Gobias-Ind · Jul 12, 2018

I've definitely decided that I'm going to focus on playing through a single character's storyline before jumping around to other ones (unless I just get caught up in one I don't like).

The chapter 1s, from what I've seen, come across very much like an "intro" not just to a story, but to a player who just started a game. The GameXplain review emphasized a bit of burnout after going through all 8 chapter 1s until they got reinvigorated by diving into deeper chapters. I'll prob just pick out four characters and then take my lead through their story, then circle back for the rest at my leisure.

AlexxKidd · Jul 12, 2018

Had high hopes for this one as RPGs are my favorite genre, but they were all contingent on the the 8 paths coming together no less than halfway through the game. I don't care if the game got 100s across the board, 8 different path "Saga Frontier" style games are not for me. I don't mind them starting separate, but you need to come together to unify the story, characters and journey, and not wait until the game is nearly over to do it. This is nothing to say with the claims of repetition, while disheartening, I would have dealt with had the story been strong and overarching.

ShadowSoldier89 · Jul 12, 2018

Phonzo said:
Story is pretty "eh" for all the characters except maybe Primrose. It is really the charm of the characters that makes the story.

this was my biggest concern coming from the demo, it seemed like the story was going to be bland and jump around. I've been hoping the characters can still carry it as I was enjoying the introductions I got to them, so hopefully that is the case for me. I loved that early taste of the combat.

IlGialloMondadori · Jul 12, 2018

Tracking higher than XC2, which I loved. Sounding good to me.

Deleted member 30151 · Jul 12, 2018

Zafir said:
There's infinitely more to reviews than scores, and what's worrying people is the text of some of the reviews.

Like the review from DigitallyDownloaded I quoted who really like the story and praise how much effort they put in every story of the 8 characters. And grinding, yeah, welcome to JRPG's.

The best way to decide if the game is something you may like is simply testing the current demo. It let's you play for 3 hours and in 3 hours you can manage to complete many Prologues. This is the only way to really decide if the game is for you or not. Not a number and not a single individual who is giving his opinion. A review can simply tell you about some of the mechanics of the game not present in the demo. If there is a lengthy demo out and you own a Switch, play it. It's so simple.

BlueManifest · Jul 12, 2018

Zafir said:
There's infinitely more to reviews than scores, and what's worrying people is the text of some of the reviews.

I try to not read reviews because of spoilers

What? Did they say the game was bad in the review then give it a high score?

Deleted member 6730 · Jul 12, 2018

Sagadego17 said:
ENOUGH you got warned already.

Are you actually threatening me?

Nathan.exe · Jul 12, 2018

I was waiting for the reviews but I guess I can buy it ! Not really scared by the grind in JRPGs anymore, thanks to Granblue.

Wolf Parade · Jul 12, 2018

I'm a 35 year old gamer reared on 8 and16-bit Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and I love the Saga series. Grinding is my drug. Put this game in my veins please.

Phonzo · Jul 12, 2018

Spyder_Monkey said:
Are you actually threatening me?

LOL, i thought he meant a mod warned you or something. But is he the one warning you? HAHAHAHA

IlGialloMondadori · Jul 12, 2018

Spyder_Monkey said:
Are you actually threatening me?

Forum fights over jrpg scores. Awesome.

Octopath Traveler Review Thread

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