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Octopath Traveler is a role-playing game from the team at Square Enix behind Bravely Default and Acquire for the Nintendo Switch. It focuses on a job mechanic with multiple protagonists and each having a different story. It has an "HD-2D" aesthetic that resembles 16-bit-style sprites with highly detailed environments and effects.
Gameplay
The game features 8 protagonists, all with a different job and the game is divided into different storylines based on which character. The jobs all play differently with each focusing on their main command. The field command is called a path action which is how they interact with characters. The 8 character actions are divided into noble and rogue with noble skills having some upfront cost like skill level or money while rogue skills being always possible but, with a chance of failure that reduces the player's reputation. The player can fix this by paying the barkeep to spread good rumors.
Each character has a talent related to their skill which allows them special skills in battle like bringing in an ally, capturing a foe or crafting potions.. Each character can also equip a sub-job eventually that gives them the abilities of that job in battle. Skills are also not acquired in any set order. instead, players earn Job Points which can be applied to learn any skill. The weaker skills don't cost that much while the better skills cost a lot more but are more powerful and have better effects.
During the course of the game, the player will encounter the other heroes and be able to recruit into the active party. The player can only have 4 of the main characters in their party at any time but, they can be swapped out at an inn. The player can also follow the story of each encountered character by selecting "Hear a Tale" at an Inn. In addition to the main quests, the player can encounter Side Stories which are side quests revolving around path actions. Depending on how it is solved, their endings can change.
Characters
- Ophilia - Cleric - Guide - lead people to where they are needed most
- Cyrus - Scholar - Scrutinize - can gain info from conversations which can be used to solve mysteries
- Tressa - Merchant - Purchase - buy items off villagers
- Olberic - Warrior - Challenge - confront people to bring them into battle
- Primrose - Dancer - Charm - dance for people to get them to follow, has a chance to fail.
- Alfyn - Apothecary - Inquire - can talk to people to get tips and find hidden items
- Therion - Thief - Steal - take various items from people with a chance of failure
- H'aanit - Hunter - Provoke - attack people with beasts to bring them into combat
Plot
Development
The game was announced at the Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 in January 2017 under the title Project Octopath Traveler. The game received a playable demo released on the Nintendo eShop on September 13, 2017. The demo only featured Olberic and Primrose early in the story. The feedback from this demo was polled which the development used to improve the game.