Octopath Traveler II

Octopath Traveler II is the second installment of the jRPG series launched in 2018. The game was developed by Acquire studio, and it was published by Square Enix.

Plot

Octopath Traveler II takes us on a journey to a steampunk universe, or more precisely - to the land of Solistia, which stretches across two continents divided by the sea. We arrive in this vibrant world, whose civilization progress is ensured by steam engines, in the skin of one of eight characters. The heroes and heroines come from different regions and social strata of Solistia, have unique specializations and talents, and are driven by different motivations.

Game mechanics

We start Octopath Traveler II by choosing one of eight characters. We are talking about the warrior Hikari, the dancer Agnea, the merchant Partitio, the scholar Osvald, the thief Throne, the cleric Temenos, the hunter Ochette and the apothecary Castti. Further on, we have no choice but to throw ourselves into the vortex of adventures that lead us through various corners of Solistia. As we traverse the land, we get to know its inhabitants, meet the other heroes who join our team, and complete various tasks.

The game did not lack the so-called Path Actions, which distinguish the series from other representatives of the genre. The specialization of each hero provides him with a variety of skills, which he can use in various ways. For example, Hikari can challenge people to duels and bribe interlocutors to gain access to valuable information in this way, while Agnea can recruit encountered characters and summon them to the battlefield. Interestingly, this time the ability to use Path Actions is determined by the time of day; nevertheless, the game does not force us to wait, allowing us to quickly change it manually if necessary.

Staying in Solistia is not an idyll, so there is plenty of opportunity for combat while traversing this land. Battles take place in turn-based mode, and during them we have to make good use of the individual abilities of each character and choose our attacks in such a way as to target the weaknesses of particular enemies (thanks to which we can stun them and make them defenseless and unable to act for a short time). In addition, over the course of successive turns we gain so-called Boost Points, which allow us to strengthen certain skills (they can be used both offensively and defensively). A novelty is the Latent Power indicator, after filling which we gain access to a powerful special skill.

As we progress, we develop heroes, which allows us to face more and more challenges.

Technical aspects

Graphics in Octopath Traveler II is made in the "HD-2D" style known from the original. Behind this enigmatic term is a design combining 16-bit sprites and three-dimensional environments. The whole thing was made in pixel art technique and enriched with modern solutions, headed by dynamic lighting. Nevertheless, the authors have made a number of changes to the game, which primarily include improved character proportions and new animations, as well as a moving camera, showing the action from different perspectives.