OCTOPATH TRAVELER II Review

mmorpg.com:

Sequels have the unfortunate stigma of needing to be better than their predecessor or they’re often criticized or forgotten. They can’t simply replicate what the original did right or they’ll be written off as bland an unimaginative. Thankfully, Square Enix realized the faults of thefirst Octopath Traveler while also building upon what made it a strong title in Octopath Traveler II.

The gorgeous HD-2D graphics are back in full force with improved cut-scene rendering, and it’s clear that no expense was spared on the beautiful soundtrack and top-notch voice acting. If old-school, turn-based JRPGs are your thing then prepare for a treat with Octopath Traveler II.

One of the biggest issues I had with the original Octopath Traveler was the lack of interesting stories for its characters. I found some to be more stimulating than others, but overall the storytelling was just okay; it didn’t go above and beyond to truly move me.

With Octopath Traveler II, I found nearly all of the stories to be significantly stronger. Two of my favorite story arcs in Octopath Traveler II followed Temenos the Cleric and Throne the Thief.

In the original, I found Ophilia (cleric) to be too wholesome. There were eventually some dark elements to her story, but her character overall was a bit vanilla. Temenos, on the other hand, is clever and sharp-tongued. Despite being an Inquisitor for the church, he questions everything including the church, its Sanctum Knights and his gods. His slogan is “doubt is what I do,” and he focuses more on deductive reasoning than prayer or faith, which is unconventional for a white mage archetype.

While I did enjoy Therion’s story in Octopath Traveler, it was very straightforward and predictable; a young thief gets caught