Impressions - Octopath Traveler 2 Demo

Demo Available on Nintendo Switch, PS4|5, and PC

Demo Thoughts

If you have seen the YouTube channel lately you may have noticed that I played through an hour of the Warrior Hikari chapter of the Ocotopath Traveler 2 demo. I played and enjoyed the first game even with some of the issues I had with it as it pertained to the story. If you haven't played the first game, here's the short version. You play as one of eight 'travelers' each of these travelers has a specific story that plays out over 4 chapters. The game is an homage to the SNES era of JRPG. This means that the combat is turn-based and the characters' ability ties into their particular 'job'. From a visual standpoint, the game uses the HD2D style and I really don't know how to explain this but visually it looks better than LiveALive. As a matter of fact, every HD2D game looks better than the last, I don't know how Team Asano does it but that team definitely has some magic. If you have played through the first game then you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Story wise I am looking forward to jumping in and playing with each of the characters. My favorite so far is Hikari the Warrior I am very interested in his story and how it will all play out. 

Gameplay

The combat in the game is turn-based with each character having moves based off of their class/job. Just like in the first game though you will be able to give your character another class it makes things very interesting and adds a layer of strategy to the game. The new gameplay element they add to this outing is the addition of latent power. Each character has one and it can really change the flow of battle. The boost gameplay element is back and works just like the original. The menus are largely the same as the first game and are easy to navigate. Knowing your character's latent power and when to utilize it will be crucial to success in this game. Another new element of the game is the day/night cycle and how it will affect your path action. Each character has a path action, talent usable by that job, and at night that action changes completely. All of the characters add something and it will be interesting as your party has a max limit of 4 players. 

The Soundtrack

The soundtrack to this game is amazing. The music fits each area perfectly and gives that particular area a unique feel. The game is fully voice-acted as well. With a couple of voices, I recognize from anime I watch. I really wish they would sell the soundtrack or at the very least let it be available on streaming platforms. I am interested to know what you all think of the soundtrack. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Overall Thoughts

I think the demo is amazing and does a good job of getting players ready for the game. You are able to play the first 3 hours of the game and if you purchase the game you are able to carry over your save data. Most characters you only play through their first chapter one character you play through the first two chapters of his story. All in all I am picking this one up. I enjoyed the first one and the HD2D titles have just been getting better and better in my opinion. Have you played the demo? What did you think? Who will you be starting the game off with? Leave a comment and let me know. Thanks for reading and supporting the channel. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Prince Hikari Gameplay

Images via SwitchShare