Octopath Traveler II Reviews
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.
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 manages to improve on almost every aspect of its predecessor, whether they needed it or not. The exploration is deeper with more nooks and crannies to nose your way through. The combat is far more intricate, giving greater options to build your party and skillset, and a large degree of player choice. The visuals are absolutely beautiful, and the sound design is phenomenal once again. Honestly, Octopath Traveler II has basically negated the need to play the first title, and I cannot think of higher praise.
Octopath Traveler II is a more and better manual: a game that may not get the detractors of the first to change their minds, but thanks to its novelties and improvements will dazzle lovers of turns and traditional JRPGs.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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
The first Octopath Traveler is still a great game. The sequel does not change anything beside story and characters, but simultaneously maintains the strengths and rises comfort and depth. If you like the predecessor or JRPGs in general, you will need to play it.
Review in German | Read full review
Octopath Traveler 2 builds on its predecessor's strengths to create another charming retro RPG.
Octopath Traveler 2 is another love letter to Square Enix’s golden years. It’s a greatest hits comprised of mechanics from across several franchises, even if it doesn’t build on the original’s formula too much.
Octopath Traveler 2 is a very enjoyable JRPG sequel that feels a little too safe and familiar.
Octopath Traveler II outdoes its predecessor and adds in a lot of missing features as well as new mechanics, making it feel like a grander journey to embark on.
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.
When all is said and done, and the eight storytellers have finally found a way to make their narratives line up and come together to deliver the exciting finale, Octopath Traveler 2 makes for a satisfying night at the bar. It’s full of pathos and excitement that pushes you forward, and the gameplay is tight and enjoyable. You can’t help but wish it was a little more well-structured, but seeing how the storytellers learned so much from their previous attempt, it’s hard not to look forward to the tales they’ll tell next time.
Modern games are all about the player experience, but Octopath Traveler 2 isn't. If you change your mindset and take the time to experience it, you can feel the magic that keeps people hooked despite its awkwardness. It's like a thick adventure book, with exciting content no matter when you open it, and once you close it, you won't miss it too much. Octopath Traveler 2 is indeed a game that chooses its players, and I am happy to go back and forth with it.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Despite my frustrations with the limited ways that Octopath Traveler II improves upon the original, at its core the game still scratches an itch that no other game can satisfy. I still spent more than 50 hours in the world of Solistia, exploring every part of the map I could and seeking out new stories to immerse myself in...For those who lament the modern state of Final Fantasy, or want something that feels truly inventive in its design compared to many cookie-cutter AAA games, Octopath Traveler II is a journey well worth taking.
Octopath Traveler 2 is all about losing yourself in mini stories that connect to a wider, more epic tale – a little bit like The Lord of the Rings or a Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones in that regard. It’s also a game that lets you flex your strategic muscles as it plays on your nostalgia, all while delivering something new.
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
Octopath Traveler II is a small but noticeable gem, just like its predecessor, too bad that it indulges in past flaws without really improving them.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Octopath Traveler II has some faults in the execution of the intertwined story and character interactions. However, the game’s satisfying combat system and the flexibility of its job and party system make it an excellent game to play and it manages to improve upon the original game in nearly every way. Square Enix has created a retro-inspired RPG that innovates while still capturing the spirit and adventure of classic games from the SNES era.
Octopath Traveler II is a case of, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Almost everything is very similar to the first game, but there's more content, and the features are smoother. There are a number of areas where the developers clearly had more confidence than they had in the original Octopath. I loved the first game, and I found the second to be a more enjoyable experience in pretty much every way. It's a charming, delightful, and incredibly fun JRPG experience that fans of old-school RPGs should relish.
A JRPG that refines, polishes and perfects the formula explored by its predecessor, delivering an experience that borders on excellence in each of its sections, including its addictive combat system. A must for fans of the genre, especially for those who miss the stories that do not tend to grandiloquence.
Review in Spanish | Read full review