Octopath Traveler's stylish fusion of sprite work and more modern 3D backdrops couldn't paint a better picture of what the game is: a classic RPG with...

Beautiful diorama-esque art style; Fantastic soundtrack; Interesting combat mechanics

Chapters can feel formulaic; The odd cruel difficulty spike; Some sketchy writing/delivery

Now I must say that up until now, I have never played a ‘turn-based' JRPG (though I did get introduced to the JRPG genre earlier in the year with Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom ). I've been gaming for over 30 years, so it's quite mad to think that this beloved genre has eluded me over the years.

Beautiful 16-bit HD visuals in a 2D/3D hybrid world; Sublime soundtrack; Brilliant voice-cast; Great replay value that will have you playing as all 8 characters

JRPG's aren't for everyone

Octopath Traveler is one of those games that tap into nostalgia feels at full steam. Tons of gamers have fond memories of Square Enix's 16-bit RPGs, so much so that some of them just can't accept that Final Fantasy 7 was the best game in the series, not Final Fantasy 6 (fight me IRL) It's no...

Old-school JRPG aesthetic with modern effects looks amazing; Simple but rewarding battle system keeps things fresh; Likable characters; each with unique ways of interacting with the world

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It's no easy task to combine the old with the new; gamers may yearn for the good old days, but few things will turn even the most nostalgic retrogamer off like dated mechanics and tedious gameplay.

Gorgeous retro-modern graphics; 50+ hours of gameplay; plus sidequests; Strategic; turn-based; only occasionally monotonous combat; Unique characters; abilities; and skill sets

Surprisingly little and limited character interaction; Some character stories are stronger than others; Grinding is required

Disclaimer: I'm only on Chapter 2 So far this game feels like a crisp RPG with the emphasis on story. The battle system is simple and solid. The graphics are a throwback to pixelated sprites, but there's a lot of dynamic lighting going on, giving it a clearly modern take on it.

Square Enix is known for their rich history of games in the JRPG genre. From beloved retro classics such as Final Fantasy VI to more modern experiences like Bravely Default, Square Enix has been at the forefront of the genre for decades.

The visuals and music are very captivating for the game. However, if grinding isn't your thing, this may become a more tedious game than you'd like.

After more than a year of waiting, Octopath Traveler has finally arrived on the Nintendo Switch, and boy are JRPG fans excited. One look at its aesthetic is all you need to begin drawing comparisons to the many excellent JRPGs from the 1990s, like Secret of Mana , Final Fantasy VI , and Chrono...

A big; meaty RPG you can sink your teeth into; Combat system is varied; tactical; and deep; Fantastic graphics and soundtrack

Story is disjointed with no single direction; Characters never really develop relationships; Chapter structure gets a little old after a while

Incredibly good rpg. Story, gameplay, graphics / atmosphere are amazing. Have you ever played an older rpg with a turnbased fighting mechanism and liked it, you should invest in this. Already a classic!

Octopath Traveler is a gorgeous modern JRPG with a great combat system. Unfortunately, a messy and lackluster narrative progression slightly sours the experience.