After Octopath Traveler 1 and 2, there is not Part 3, but Part 0 for various platforms. And this numbering makes sense if you have played the JRPG, says MeinMMO editor Jasmin Beverungen. She tested the game for PS5.
A new JRPG series that has established itself in recent years is Octopath Traveler. It is described as a love letter to the 16-bit era, owing to its unique visual style. The games use a mix of HD-2D and 3D graphics in a pixelated look. You move in a three-dimensional world, but as a square figure.
However, in contrast to the picturesque look, there is the grind that the series is known for. As the game progresses, a lot of tedious leveling is needed to advance and overcome certain barriers. You cannot select a difficulty level here, and the preset one is brutally hard in high-level areas.
Therefore, on closer inspection, the series may seem like a traditional RPG from Japan. However, Octopath Traveler 0 incorporates so many cozy features that it is particularly suited for a certain type of player.
Story corresponds to traditional Japanese role-playing game
On paper, Octopath Traveler 0 looks again like a classic JRPG and fulfills several criteria to be included in the traditional ranks:
- There is a massive focus on the story
- There is a fantasy world to explore
- Octopath Traveler 0 can only be played solo
- There are fixed save points within an area
Octopath Traveler 0 is essentially the prequel to the already released parts of the main series. At the beginning of the game, you follow 3 storylines simultaneously, set in the fantasy world of Orsterra. You face an antagonist, who is dedicated to either wealth, power/strength, or fame. It vaguely reminds me of the intro to the One Piece anime, right?
Once you have battled through the chapters of each storyline, another part of the game begins, in which all desires converge. A major theme is politics and the military and how they shape the continent.
There are numerous plot twists where allies turn out to be enemies, identities are revealed, and relatively many characters die. Game of Thrones would greet.
The story is supposed to be, as is typical for a JRPG, somewhat lengthy: The developers estimate around 100 hours for a playthrough, as they explain to the Japanese magazine Famitsu. So it is a hefty chunk of serious story.
In my current playthrough, I am looking at each side quest, which is why I haven’t reached the end of the game yet. I am currently around 40 hours in and can imagine that I have seen about half of the game so far.
However, there is a major difference compared to the two predecessors: Instead of the titular eight protagonists, whose story you experience, you can gain more than 30 allies for your battle troop through main and side quests.
The allies are unfortunately often already gone after a quest and do not receive the attention they had in the predecessors. This is a bit unfortunate, but would probably also have inflated the playtime unmeasurably.
Turn-based combat system with slightly fewer tactics
Of the over 30 allies, only 8 can participate in battle at the same time, with 4 in the front row and 4 in the back row. Especially in terms of tactical depth, I noticed that this is a lighter version of the first two Octopath Traveler parts, because: The allies can no longer choose their subclasses, but have predetermined weapons and abilities.
Only the protagonist himself, who can be customized in this game, can take on 8 classes. To still introduce some depth to the group composition, the developers have introduced learnable skills that allies can learn in addition to their pre-made set of abilities. This allows for at least some design choices in the group.
The battles are again turn-based. Enemies must first be “broken” with an effective weapon or element in order to take more damage for up to two rounds. You can essentially divide the battles into 2 phases: exploit weaknesses, then the ultimate attack.
There is also the BP system, where points automatically fill in a bar with each round, which you can use for a stronger attack. You need to carefully consider when and how many points to use. So the combat system is also full of strategic considerations even without the missing subclasses from parts 1 and 2.
In terms of difficulty, I have also noticed that I have breezed through the game more easily than expected. There is only a fixed difficulty level, which made me worry that, like in the endgame of the first two parts, there could be a massive grind to catch up with the level gap between enemies and myself.
However, that was never the case in Octopath Traveler 0. I have floated through the game and have only failed in a side mission fight 3 times so far. If it proceeds like in the predecessors, the difficulty may increase a bit towards the endgame – but from my current point of view, I can say you will definitely have fewer difficulties than in parts 1 and 2.
Those who want can have it cozy
In addition to the easier difficulty level and the slightly flatter strategy in battle, there is perhaps the biggest innovation that makes the game particularly interesting for newcomers: building your own town.
Integrated into the story, players must eventually build a village from scratch. In the overworld, you collect resources at bright spots to build buildings and set them up at designated spots for this purpose.
With such tough gameplay and such a dark story, town building comes at just the right time for me. If I want to hear nothing more about murder and war, I simply retreat to the little village and enjoy the tranquility.
The construction of the town runs throughout the entire game. With higher levels, new quests are continually added, through which you gain new inhabitants and unlock special functions:
- Some inhabitants gather resources that you need for building
- There are inhabitants who take on special tasks such as farming or running the church
- You can freely decide which inhabitant you assign to which building, but they have preferences in certain areas
Due to the last point, it is crucial which inhabitant you assign to which building. This creates a slight management aspect that further motivates during town construction. Sometimes I have left the main quest aside and focused on finding new inhabitants for my town, just to escape the dark story for a while.
The town can then be decorated with flowers, barrels, and fountains. You can even adjust the ground and ramps. Designing is a lot of fun if you have a penchant for it.
However, there is not such a gigantic selection as in Fantasy Life i or even Animal Crossing when it comes to building. Here, you have to make some compromises in freedoms because the terrain and building areas are predetermined and there are not as many decorative objects as in those mentioned titles.
Another feature known from cozy games is cooking. With collected or harvested ingredients, players can whip up dishes that provide effects in battles. To ensure you don’t forget, you receive a notification on the screen when the duration runs out.
The function is super practical, but nothing more. You are not involved in the cooking process and there is no brilliant animation like in Monster Hunter that makes your mouth water. However, it is particularly funny that you can name a dish from your village yourself. In my game, there is now a fried herring that I can serve. I almost went for a mochi cake.
Transition from mobile to console
All these relaxations that make Octopath Traveler 0 more accessible to newcomers are likely also due to the fact that the title was originally developed for mobile. Under the name Champions of the Continent, Octopath Traveler 0 was released 5 years ago.
The smartphone game was free-to-play but had gacha mechanics. The 30 characters that you now simply receive during the story had to be drawn in pulls. Which characters were drawn was purely a matter of luck.
This wild mix of traditional JRPG and gacha mechanics has fortunately been broken up for the console version. As a result, the story is no longer released over years in filler episodes, but comes directly at release in a tight package – yes, the 100 play hours are already the “tight” version.
However, one can still feel the mobile past also in terms of visuals: These extreme light and shadow effects that were present in the first two parts have been somewhat toned down here. This allowed the game to run smoothly on mobile.
For the PS5 version that I tested, improvements are said to have been made – but essentially, you can tell that there are many more dark areas on the screen and the environments are not as flashy as in the two predecessors.
However, the soundtrack has not diminished at all. No matter where you are on the map, a beautiful song always plays in the background. The songs are so harmonious that they have not bothered me even after countless hours of gameplay.
Conclusion: For newcomers, Octopath is the perfect entry into the series
If you ever wanted to dip your toes into the Octopath Traveler series, you should do so with Octopath Traveler 0. Logically, since the zero comes before the one.
Here there is an easier entry, no overwhelming tactical depth in battles, and more cozy features than the two predecessors. This way, newcomers who have so far been put off by the game mechanics and the grind can also experience the special HD-2D graphics.
Additionally, fans of dark series like Game of Thrones will get their money’s worth. Many situations in the game reminded me exactly of this series – it’s all about intrigue, murder, and politics. The story is bittersweet and has numerous twists, which keep the player engaged even after so many hours of gameplay.
Also, the many different allies and the town-building system kept me much more engaged throughout the gameplay than the predecessors.
However, veterans and fans of the first two parts must expect some minor concessions. The group cannot be customized as strongly and freely as before, and the visuals have decreased somewhat due to the mobile origins. But all other points are just as fun as before – if not even more fun.
Who is Octopath Traveler 0 suitable for?
You should play the JRPG if you…
- Have always wanted to try the series
- Like the special visuals and soundtrack
- Are into dark stories with lots of death and politics
- Need variation in the form of town building
You should avoid the JRPG if you…
- Can’t stand triple-digit playtimes
- Are not a fan of turn-based combat
- Just want to grind
- Prefer a casual gacha game
Is Octopath Traveler 0 worth it for veterans of the series? The developers have kept their promise with the zero in the name and designed the game so that it serves excellently as a prequel for newcomers. The grind, difficulty level, and combat options have been toned down a bit, allowing beginners to navigate Octopath Traveler well.
However, the game is also worthwhile for veterans because they can experience the prehistory to parts 1 and 2 and relive the familiar gameplay – just in a slightly toned-down fashion. While you can no longer equip characters with subclasses, you can still equip them with additional abilities. This way, there is still some of the customization of the group left.
