Octopath Traveler II: The Best Video Game Sequel

Octopath Traveler II is the first sequel I have ever played that completely eclipsed the original. I was skeptical on purchasing the second game of this franchise because, while I enjoyed the previous title, it did not keep me interested enough to complete the whole thing. All my concerns were disposed of instantly after playing the demo; even just from the first three hours of gameplay and story, I could see how OT2 took the gems from its predecessor and improved them in leaps and bounds. Not only did I finish this game, but I kept coming back again and again to complete and perfect it. My party is powerful and its world is vast; this is truly a game I can see myself coming back to again and again. The original Octopath is obsolete; the only reason to play it is to have a sense of scale of how good OT2 is. 

Octopath Traveler 0 was recently announced. It’s based on the story and gameplay of OT1…which is such a mistake when OT2 is so much better! To help me pass the time until 0 comes out, here is why OT2 is better in every single way.

Gameplay

As hilariously illustrated in the famous videogamedunkey video, the battle in Octopath Traveler was slow. 

Square Enix did not only enhance the speed of combat in 2, it also added some new features. The shining star of new additions is Latent Power, a personalized skill or set of actions that only a certain character can use, no matter what class is equipped. The Latent Power bar fills when a character takes damage or certain items are used to increase the fill rate and unleashes an attack, buff, or advantage that reflects the character's strengths.

This not only adds an extra layer of strategy and flexibility to combat, but it also assists in supporting each unique persona on your team. No matter the differing move sets players can have per battle, each character has their own individual skill that belongs solely to them and allows them to act in a way that no one else can. It allows the game to reinforce the eight individual stories of its cast even in combat which truly reflects how focused the creators were on making sure all eight stories shine brightly. Speaking of the cast…

Character Writing

I think the biggest downfall of OT1 is its writing and storytelling. The characters are dull, the stories do not mesh well together, and the dialogue is stale and uninteresting. Don’t even get me started on what they did to H’aanit. I think OT2 improves the dialogue, expressiveness of the characters, and has a better set up for the individual stories to blend together better.

Yes, there are complaints that some stories in OT2 clash with others. Osvald is trying to avenge his murdered family while Angea is traveling the world trying to become a pop idol. There are definitely plenty of thematic differences amongst the crew, but –  to me – that just gives the story variety and helps broaden its audience. Telling a diverse set of stories increases the chance the player will be able to relate to one or more of them. Where Agnea is Kiki’s Delivery Service, Osvald is Princess Mononoke, and there are plenty of people who like both those movies for different reasons. You just need to keep an open mind.

OT2 includes side stories where the characters pair up and have a small side quest together throughout the game. Finally, the characters are talking to each other! That was a mainstream complaint from the previous game. These stories are definitely still individual, but the devs throw us a bone with some slice of life action. Hikari and Agnea traveling together, Castii and Ochette bonding as sisters, these characters finally have character and the small stories showcase this brilliantly. I loved watching everyone hang out, and it made the group effort at the end of the game even more believable.

Also, Crick is the best of us.

World Building

One of the coolest additions to OT2 is the new Day/Night mechanic; you can change the time of day at any time with a click of a button. This changes a lot of things. One, and most importantly for me (and probably not for you), is that it doubles the music – every town has a day and night version of its theme and I am obsessed with all of them. The music in this game is so lush and thrilling to listen to. OT1 had an incredible soundtrack as well, so being able to have more of it and different arrangements for day and night is such a treat you don’t even want me to get started.

Now, where it actually matters is how it affects the world and gameplay. Only certain items and side quests can be triggered at certain times of day, so you need to explore each map twice (once in the day and once at night) to be thorough. It also makes the world feel much more lived in. Some people work in the day and would only be out at night, bandits don’t usually mug people in broad daylight, kids can only be seen running around while the sun is out, etc. It brings believability to this 2D HD fantasy world. The towns and cities are bustling or not depending when you go, like real life. This mechanic brings unique gameplay, questing and a sense of normalcy to the lives of these characters.

Also, boats! I never thought boating would improve the gameplay of anything so much. OT2 gives you a ship so you can travel throughout different continents and explore islands for hidden loot and goodies. Who doesn’t love hidden treasure!

The boat isn’t even the best part. You also get a little canoe so you can travel around the maps by land or river while getting from town to town. See a treasure but can’t figure out how to get there? Jump in your canoe and explore the waterways, you’ll find a secret path. This form of travel maximizes every map – two for the price of one – and you have more fun bumming around the world sometimes than following the story beats. OT2 rewards its players greatly for putting time into exploration. I’ll say it again, who doesn’t love hidden treasure!

Octopath Traveler II on its own is a great game, but seeing how much the series has progressed and improved over the last few years makes this title even more satisfying. With a memorable cast of varying characters, an updated battle system to cater to different speeds and playstyles, and, most importantly, boats, Octopath Traveler II is one of the best RPGs in the last few years and is unequivocally better than 1. Don’t disappoint me, 0. Don’t you dare.