Octopath Traveler 1 and 2 on Nintendo Switch 2: A Tale of Two RPGs

Square Enix's experimental role-playing games, Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler II, are now available on the Nintendo Switch 2. According to a review by Anime News Network, the new hardware offers a smooth 60fps performance upgrade, but the lack of save transfers makes these versions best suited for newcomers to the franchise.

The Octopath Traveler series has sold a respectable 7 million units worldwide, matching the commercial footprint of Final Fantasy XIII. Anime News Network notes that the franchise serves as a test bed for Square Enix to experiment with storytelling and the HD-2D visual style. This blend of 2D sprites and 3D environments has since been adopted for the Dragon Quest I & II remakes and the upcoming Final Fantasy Resonance.

The first game introduces players to the world of Orsterra, featuring eight characters in eight different locations. The review compares its split storytelling to 1994's Live a Live, where players choose a starting protagonist and later recruit the others. However, the reviewer found the formula repetitive: adding a new character forces the player back to level 1 to complete a solo introductory chapter, which typically involves a short dungeon and a surprisingly difficult boss fight.

Despite the disjointed narrative, the review praises the game's stellar voice acting. Square Enix cast prominent actors like Katsuyuki Konishi from Gurren Lagann and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka from Sword Art Online in leading roles, adding depth to the story.

Anime News Network calls Octopath Traveler II an improvement over its predecessor in every conceivable way, including plot, gameplay, visuals, and combat mechanics. Set in the new world of Solistia, the sequel features a massive graphical upgrade. The town of New Delsta, for example, showcases multi-story buildings, distinct neighborhoods, and advanced post-processing lighting effects, all viewed through a storybook-like tilt-shift perspective.

The sequel introduces a day and night cycle that affects both aesthetics and gameplay. Monsters become more fearsome in the dark, and characters receive nighttime variants of their unique Path Actions, such as Steal, Inquire, and Challenge. Players can switch between day and night at the touch of a button to gain different quest or leveling benefits.

To address the disjointed narrative of the first game, Octopath Traveler II adds interconnected Crossed Path chapters. These chapters feature two travelers working together after their main stories conclude, creating a sense of cohesion and camaraderie before the final showdown.

The review highlights several quality-of-life updates in the sequel. Players can now run battles at 2x speed, making grinding significantly easier, and the combat animations still look good at this faster pace. Cutscene dialogue can progress automatically, allowing the nearly full voice acting to shine. Additionally, the hunter character's captured beasts no longer have a usage limit, and the game removes an unpopular mechanic that required a thief to open specific purple chests.

Both games run at 60fps on the Nintendo Switch 2, and the reviewer notes that the performance upgrade feels nice, especially in handheld mode. However, Anime News Network warns that save files from the original Nintendo Switch versions do not transfer to the Switch 2. This limitation forces returning players to restart their progress entirely, which the reviewer found painful for RPGs that require dozens of hours to complete. The review also mentions that Octopath Traveler 0, a port of the mobile prequel, is available on the new console.

For players deciding between the two titles, Anime News Network recommends spending time on Octopath Traveler II. Unless a player is specifically keen to experience the first-ever HD-2D game and see the franchise's origins, the sequel's comprehensive improvements make it the definitive choice.

This article was written by AI from reporting by animenewsnetwork.com.