Octopath Traveler's beautiful style and outstanding take on traditional turn-based combat make it a game that pushes JRPGs forward rather than simply paying homage to the greats.

Golden Age

Gorgeous visuals and slick animations; Superlative soundtrack; Fantastic combat system; Tons of things to do and locations to explore

Side quests are far too vague; Some QOL and design issues

Are these eight heroes able to take their place at the top shelf reserved for classic JRPGs That was the question we asked of Octopath Traveler as we prepared to write this review.

Octopath Traveler is a special RPG, the kind of game that keeps an eye on the past while walking bravely into the future. Indeed, we'd even go so far as to say this is the best RPG you can find on the Switch to date, all elements of this game link together perfectly to make for a harmonious and...

Eight people gather in a tavern, swapping stories and preparing for adventure. It's not clear why they're traveling together-there's a pious cleric and a murderous dancer in this odd crew-but they've united nonetheless.

Fantastic combat; visuals; music

Grindy; repetitive; shallow stories

There's no school like the old school as Square Enix takes us back to a classic era with Octopath Traveler, a traditional turn-based role-playing game that ticks all of the boxes sought after by the old people who still remember playing Final Fantasy on their Super Nintendo.

What is in a name Some JRPGs have absolutely weird names that never seem to get explained. Octopath Traveler is quite a mouthful, but it at least makes sense. Octopath, besides being eight paths, is the first letter of each character's name: Ophelia, Cyrus, Tressa, Olberic, Primrose, Alfyn, Therion...

Strong cast of characters; English and Japanese voice acting; Solid tactical combat system

Random difficulty spikes between characters; Shops are not always the best place for gear; Not all story sections are voiced; Guide actions border on busywork

Octopath Traveler draws inspiration from a lot of places that makes it feel almost like a classic Final Fantasy game from the early nineties. It is said to be a sort of spiritual successor to these classic games and from the opening right until the end, this is clear.

Square Enix has made multiple attempts to capitalize on the nostalgia generated by their 16-bit days. Games like I Am Setsuna, Lost Sphear, Brave Exvius and Bravely Default all draw from this sacred era in different ways. Octopath Traveler is no exception.

Beautiful graphics; Combat is compelling; A lot of interesting stories being told

Get ready for some grinding; Narratives never really coalesce; English voice acting sometimes falls flat

Great visual effects with the hybrid 2D and 3D mash up. Really awesome battle system. Only one down side would be that your character doesn't change outfits or weapons when equipping a new item. All in all, a very beautifully crafted game!