Octopath Traveler II Reviews
While there are still some improvements to be made in terms of difficulty balancing and dungeon designs, Octopath Traveler 2 makes meaningful improvements over the original and manages to realize most of its lofty ambitions, culminating into an experience not to be missed by any JRPG fan.
By strengthening the writing and characters, Square Enix has brought every other aspect of Octopath Traveler snapping into focus with this second entry. Beautiful, engaging, and challenging, Octopath Traveler feels like a classic JRPG, in all the best ways. This is a huge, and hugely rewarding, game.
Octopath Traveler 2 is one of the best JRPGs ever made. It continues to deliver on what made the original so good while improving on its weaknesses. Its only true flaw is that the new Crossed Paths stories are treated as a side act rather than the main selling point. Despite this shortcoming, when all is said and done Octopath Traveler 2 will be remembered as an all-time great.
An outstanding achievement from start to finish. Octopath Traveler II takes what made the original such a success and builds on it. It may feel more of the same but why fix something if it isn't broken. The additions made to exploration and combat are all for the better. The only real issue is that not much effort went into making the game less grandy or addressing the various difficulty spikes Octopath Traveler II suffers from.
Octopath Traveler II is the worthy second chapter of a series that made the history of the genre to which it belongs. The influences deriving from the predecessor are more than obvious, but the filings made to the formula, the additions and the large amount of content make it one of the best JRPGs out there.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Whether or not you’ll enjoy it yourself comes down to what you’re looking for. If you’re starving for more Octopath, then this is perfect. Eight new characters, a whole new world to explore, and a handful of new systems. On the other hand, if you’re hoping for something truly new, you’ll be disappointed. I loved the first game, so all I wanted was more of the same. There are enough little changes to keep me pretty happy. But if you weren’t happy with the first one, then Octopath Traveler 2 likely isn’t for you.
Octopath Traveler II plays it safe when it comes to its core gameplay, offering a handful of small positive tweaks that don’t entirely make up for returning problems like clumsy party management and battles that take too long to wrap up. Thankfully, the game also takes a big, confident step forward in terms of writing, offering a cast of well-wrought, interesting characters and a vividly-detailed world you won’t soon forget. Octopath Traveler II may have the same old engine under the hood, but the road trip it takes you on is well worth experiencing.
Octopath Traveler II presents enough rich, turn-based action to forgive its minor combat system flaws. It's a breath-taking work of art, filled to the brim with story and adventure, bolstered by a cast of incredible characters who will leave you wanting more at every turn. A masterfully crafted RPG.
Octopath Traveler II’s ultimate triumph may be the tightness of its design and how it wards off repetition. It presents itself with the confidence and experience of a deluxe guided tour, marking all the key spots for you to visit but also encouraging you to wander off the beaten path. It’s utterly engrossing without ever feeling overwhelming—the bite-sized narrative chunks help in that regard—and every system feels fine-tuned for maximal enjoyment. And with so many different experiences in one package, it’s a great game to get lost in eight times over.
Octopath Traveler II is basically a "more of the same". Although the guys at Acquire have made several adjustments to the formula of the original, implementing interesting innovations such as the day / night cycle or latent powers, none of them can be defined as really impactful.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Octopath Traveler II is a very well finished game, with a beautiful realization and music. But the game is also a bit lazy and feels like a big DLC of the first game.
Review in French | Read full review
Octopath Traveler II is simply a better version of the original. It expands upon what made the first game great while shoring up its weaknesses. That being said, if you didn’t like Octopath Traveler then the formula is similar enough that you probably won’t like the sequel either. This is an excellent take on the classic 2D JRPG and fans of the genre won’t be let down.
I liked it back in 2018, and sure, I like it in 2022, as well. It would be disingenuous not to highly recommend it to JRPG fans, or single-player gamers in general. But make no mistake; should a third entry spring forth, I will be expecting something definitively new and unique. Call it selfish if you must, I just want to see the true Latent Power this franchise holds.
Octopath Traveler 2 builds on its predecessor's strengths to create another charming retro RPG.
Octopath Traveler 2 is a really successful successor that builds on the strengths of its predecessor and brings meaningful improvements.
Review in German | Read full review
Thanks to a fantastic combat system, entertaining stories and a spectacular visual style, Octopath Traveler II is the sequel we have been waiting for so much. It is a JRPG for those of us who love JRPGs.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Octopath Traveler II is a triumphant and confident follow-up to its predecessor, building on the established foundation with welcome new ideas and tweaks that make for an overall excellent experience. A strategic combat system, open-ended character progression, well-written stories, gorgeous visuals, and an incredible soundtrack all coalesce into one of the finest RPGs available on Switch to date. Though it may be more of the same, Team Asano demonstrates mastery of its craft at every turn here. We'd give Octopath Traveler II a high recommendation to anybody looking for a beautiful new RPG to add to their Switch collection.
Octopath Traveler II sticks with what works, weaving the lives of eight unique characters -- each with their own story and motivations -- to create an epic narrative that old-school gamers will absolutely love.
As a fan of JRPGs, Octopath Traveler II shines as an excellent classic JRPG experience for the PS5. It is a very easy recommendation for PS5 owners wanting a good JRPG while they wait for Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters to make their way to next-gen consoles. If you're a PS5 owner and are curious about JRPGs, Octopath Traveler II works as a great entry point into the genre, giving some players a taste of party management, mild grind, and incredible storytelling. I'd caution some newer players unfamiliar with the genre to consider using a guide, but the combat is easy enough to pick up and play without feeling like a text guide is required.
Octopath Traveler II doesn't reinvent the wheel to stay relevant. Instead, it dives deeper into what made the first game so much fun. It doesn't hold up quite as well as the original, but it's still an excellent JRPG to play!