Octopath Traveller: Square Enix also celebrating the Year of the Octoling/Octopath 2: Octopus Boogaloo

I'd imagine they'll put out a decent demo for it to try and swing the on-the-fencers into buying it - that's what they did for the original and for Triangle Strategy as well, at least.

The apparent differences between the characters was one of the things that appealed to me.

JayMoyles wrote:

I guess they could bring in that sub-job mechanic back from the first game. I hope they do, actually, as it was a neat bit of variety and made for some interesting ability pair-ups.

Sorry, that wasn't what I meant: what I was hoping for was a bunch of new jobs that you can then merge using the sub-job mechanic in the same way as the original. More jobs (for the lads)!

Second is getting good reviews (Sat on an 87, so good job who's got that on FC) though seems the stories still don't really connect again, but the ending makes more sense to the overall game or along those lines.

Anyone picking it up? I'm sort keen yet with getting a PSVR2, games for that, Kirby and then playing Primaster along with backlog featuring Forspoken does seem daft to get it then been things like Wanted:Dead (to me looks so bad it be good), Theatrhythm in front of it as well from Feb. Do think March might be a tad meh, maybe for me gets a look in then by finishing Kirby, trading that in etc

Yep, I am. I'm kind of regretting it, but I am. I preordered it like a ninny because previews said that the character paths come together more. Now the reviews are saying no, the endings are still completely separate, and everything else is basically the same as the 6/10 game I -ed at five years ago. Hooray!

I think I finished the first one when I had loads of spare time during lockdown - I'm not sure I'd want to do it all over again. It's a bit like Bravely Default - I did finish the first one but I didn't have a positive enough time with it to particularly want to invest days of my life into another one.

First thoughts!

This is definitely more Octopath for sure. The core hasn't changed, be that the good stuff like breaking enemies and the ace soundtrack, or the bad stuff like random battles. However, I'm cautiously hopeful that it'll be better than the original. The dungeons are still dull, but they're not all merging into a homogeneous mass in the way 1's did. The writing and characters are more consistent: perhaps Cyrus is still my favourite across both games (although the new cleric is clearly cut from the same mould), but there's nobody as bad as Ophelia or Ha'anit here. The stories lean a bit heavily into the 'obvious betrayal in the first act by the inevitable boss of the fourth', but I'm basically enjoying them all at this early point.

Oh, and Jason Schreier's been absolutely raving about it. He looks like he was pretty indifferent about the first one too, and emphasises more connection between the stories. I'm hopeful.

After almost 90 hours I finished Octopath 2 today, pretty much 100%ing it apart from the truly-optional-this-time superboss.  I'll give my general thoughts in LGYF, but I thought I'd go into some more detail about the various character paths here - because I was wrong, there was a Ha'anit amongst them. From best to worst, except only the last one is truly bad:

1. Temenos - A mix-up of Cyrus from OT1 and Sherlock Holmes, the cleric might be my favourite character in the game.  'Doubt is what I do.'  Also has one of the best side-characters in the form of Crick-kun.  The villains are a bit in the standard maniacal cackling vein, but this is still the best of the stories I reckon.
   
2. Ochette - The hunter goes from being the worst character to one of the best.  Ochette does what Agnia fails to do: make a light-hearted character appealing.  A decent story with adequate stakes and a humans vs. beastlings narrative that speaks to the environmentalist in me.
   
3. Osvald - The best 'serious' story, Osvald's prison break and subsequent revenge quest is solid.  The scholar himself is a believable combination of misanthrope and family man.  Harvey is an engaging villain.
   
4. Throné - My main woman, but sadly the thief herself is a bit naff, even aside from her being 'the sexy one'.  Deadpan thousand-yard-stare trauma stuff, lots of hand-wringing about the stench of blood.  Fortunately her NPCs and general plot are broadly decent - until the final chapter, which is the best in the game.  Possibly the best villain too.
   'TOOT', heh.
   
5. Partitio - Partitio is a lovable enough fella and his villains are both good in themselves and form solid connective tissue through a story that's always ramping up.  On a pure plot-and-characters front he might be top two, but his whole thing is saving the world through well-judged capitalism.  Appropriate for a merchant, but you kind of feel he'd probably vote Republican the moment your back was turned.
   
6. Castti - Ophelia mk. 2, the apothecary is too straight-laced to be any fun.  Her plot tries to be as heart-rending as Alfyn's was and isn't, but the villain is a good one, and the moral at the end of the villain fight is a refreshing take to hear from a JRPG healer.
   
7. Hikari - Another straight-laced lad but he has a decent inner conflict, and the villain and rival characters are good.  Could be a place higher on another day.
   
8. Leaving an empty place in your party
   
9. Agnia - Here she is, the failure.  When I started her story, the light-hearted tale of a dancer wanting to be a star was actually pretty appealing amidst all the backstabbing and revenge.  Except, Agnia is super-talented and everybody loves her by the end of each chapter. All her conflicts (which don't mesh at all) feel super-low stakes.  The main villain is dull and entirely detached from the broader plot, the job is by far the most disposable, and most of all: dances aren't interesting to watch in videogames without the effort of an actual human behind them!  The worst plot across both games by a way, I actually wonder if they gave her to a different writer.
   

Basically Mas, don't start on the western continent.