Square Enix’s upcoming Octopath Traveler is one of the best looking games that this year has to offer. In addition to its graphics, its story and combat are unparalleled. It’s a game packed with content that gamers will come to love. With the newest demo released on the Nintendo eShop, gamers can experience three hours of gameplay that will transfer over to the main game.
The Story
The upcoming turn-based RPG has eight different characters with their own stories. Each character has a unique set of goals and challenges that they must overcome. At the beginning of the demo, players pick their first person to take control of. After this, the first chapter must be completed in order to continue the adventure. Once the initial sequence is completed, the game branches out into an open-world adventure. This allows the player to decide which path should be taken, who to bring into their party, and if they want to tackle any side quests. It’s a massive eight-person long story that has already been confirmed for 50-60 hours of main quests with an extra 40 hours to complete all the side quests. There is much to be explored and uncovered, even in the demo.
The Gameplay
Combat in this game is intense. For starters, there is no HP gauge viewable for enemies. This provides an extra sense of strategy and depth to each battle. Players must uncover the enemy’s weakness and learn to exploit it with the system of breaks. It is a task easier said than done. Many of the battles are difficult and can be tedious at times. Octopath Traveler is much like old-school RPGs of the NES/SNES era. Gamers can look forward to plenty of grinding in order to level up and overcome difficult boss battles. When the world opens up, so does the gameplay. The other characters can be added into your party to help provide support in each respective stories. It’s a tough game but each victory is extremely rewarding and provides players with a drive to continue.
The Engine
Octopath Traveler uses a brand new engine that was built from the ground up. This allows for a unique graphic set that is gorgeous and captivating. Its graphics is one of the main selling points of the game. No other RPG looks this realistic yet pixelated. Fans have been clamoring to see this used on remakes of older Final Fantasy games and even the Bravely series on 3DS. Hopefully, Square Enix keeps this engine around for more RPGs and future releases. It’s a fantastic piece of tech that helps increase this game’s expectations.
Overall, the demo proves to not be enough because I’m already itching to dive back into the world of Octopath Traveler. Combat can be tedious and difficult at times, but its rewarding victories and vast narrative make up for it. The graphics are the cherry on top of this already delicious sundae. Nintendo Switch fans have a treat in store for them when the game hits store shelves on July 13.