Octopath Traveler 0 Is a Bold New Direction for the Series

Octopath Traveler 0 is the latest installment in the series by Square Enix, and it blends elements from the mainline game with those of the mobile spin-off, Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent. The original has made the HD 2D aesthetic as popular as it is today, and it also stands out as an exceptional JRPG, a foundation upon which Octopath Traveler 2 was built. With the third entry, Square Enix has made major changes to the series’ formula, both in its narrative and gameplay.

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Set in Wishvale, players are first tasked with creating their character before joining the town in preparation for the Day of Reverance. However, things go awry quite quickly as the village comes under attack, an event that sets up the four main questlines in Octopath Traveler 0. With this preview, I was able to play through the initial chapters of all four.

Octopath Traveler 0’s Divergent Narratives

One of the major differences in Octopath Traveler 0 is how the game handles the narrative. Instead of eight characters with eight plotlines, you follow the protagonist’s story. This branches into four paths, which can be completed in any order. These lead into different parts of the world, where you will encounter various characters you can recruit. While each has a backstory and goals, these primarily align with your avatar and the mysterious Ring of the Flamebringer you acquire early on.

The four paths revolve around rebuilding Wishvale and seeking out the three main antagonists: Kindlers of the Flame, Master of Power, Master of Fame, and Master of Wealth. The motivation for each villain is the name of their respective path, but each almost feels evil for the sake of being evil. JRPGs typically feature shallow villains, but this isn’t always the case. I enjoyed the antagonists of the first two games, and I hope my early impressions of Tytos, Herminia, and Auguste are wrong and that the three have more depth.

Another major issue is the protagonist. Previous games had you select a character to start with and then collect more on your journey. As much as I loved the ability to create my own character and customize their appearance, Square’s decision to make them a silent protagonist is disappointing. I would have preferred a fleshed-out character that simply lets us change their appearance and playstyle, similar to Cyberpunk 2077’s V. That said, I have enjoyed the characters I’ve met and recruited along the way.

Combat Feels Even More Tactical in Octopath Traveler 0

While the narrative has a slow start and weak motivations, the combat is among the finest in the series. Octopath Traveler 0 keeps the Break system, but adds a new layer by allowing you to use eight characters across two rows. I wish this system were in the first two games, because it adds so much strategy and allows you to take full advantage of enemy weaknesses. It also prevents having to choose what characters you’ll use, at least until you unlock more than eight.

Switching rows isn’t just about lining up more attacks and breaking weaknesses; it also lets you heal and regain SP. This lets you bench characters, and some attacks even swap your character’s row, such as Macy’s Expert First Aid. Some deal more damage if used from the back row, such as the Warrior’s Assault skill. This adds to the rhythm of combat, but it isn’t necessary if you prefer having a set of four characters.

One additional change is the Job system. Previously, you could swap any character’s jobs, but in Octopath Traveler 0, this seems limited to the protagonist. As you learn more skills, you can switch jobs to increase your skill selection. This lets you further customize your character and showcase your preferred playstyle. It remains to be seen if there are secret jobs, but new ones like Stia’s Architect are available for other characters besides the avatar.

Square Enix Still Hasn’t Fixed Pacing

One area I was really hoping would be fixed is pacing, specifically with leveling. I always want to follow the various plotlines in previous games one step at a time, doing each in turn. I did the same in Octopath Traveler 0, but doing each path’s Chapter 1 has me overleveled already. This ultimately forces you to choose between cruising through each story or playing one to completion and using a new party of lower-level characters for the others.

I wish Square Enix and DokiDoki had used some form of level scaling to counter this. As it stands, only the first Chapter of the Master of Power questline proved to be a challenge. I breezed through the other paths, even beating the optional bosses with ease. Both previous games had the same issue, and it’s disappointing that nothing has been done to fix this.

The opening is also rather slow, with numerous cinematics. This picks up as you go, though you do still have a fair bit of cutscenes. However, given the narrative importance in Octopath Traveler 0, this is forgiven, and the individual characters and plots I’ve encountered so far have been interesting. Once I was through the slow beginning, the game definitely opened up.

Octopath Traveler 0 is set to launch on December 4th, and will be available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The game will cost $49.99

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