Nintendo
Nintendo
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Octopath Traveler II is an upcoming role-playing game by Square Enix and Acquire. It is a sequel to Octopath Traveler, though it features a new cast of characters and setting separate from the prior game. It was released worldwide on February 24, 2023.

Gameplay[]

Similar to the first Octopath Traveler, the game plays as a traditional JRPG. The player move between eight separate characters, each with their own purpose for traversing the game world. Once again, each character has their own "path action" - a particular means for the player to have the respective character interact with non-player characters in the game world, often with the goal of getting reward items or characters to fight in support of their cause. New to the sequel is there being distinct "daytime" and nighttime" segments of gameplay, with path actions will differ depending on the time of day. For example, the player can chose to make the character Hikari duel characters in the daytime, in hopes of learning new skills for battle, but at night, there is the separate option to instead spend in-game currency to bribe characters for information or items.

Plot[]

While Octopath Traveler II retains the same structure of following eight separate character's stories throughout the game, it follows eight new characters in a new setting separate from the prior games. It takes place in the world of Solistia, a setting that is more modern than the prior game's medieval setting, which is presented more like something from the nineteenth or twentieth centuries. The game's main cast includes Agnea Bristarni, a dancer; Partitio Yellowil, a merchant; Hikari Ku, a warrior; Osvald V. Vanstein, a scholar; Throné Anguis, a thief; Temenos Mistral, a cleric; Castti Florenz, an apothecary; and Ochette, a hunter. A character's occupation generally ties in to the character overarching goal; the dancer Agnea is on a quest to become a world famous entertainer, and the merchant Partitio is on a quest to make money and end poverty. Hikari's story follows his quest to return home after being haunted by previous battles, Osvald is on a quest for revenge on a man who ruined his life, Throné is on a quest for freedom, Castti and Temenos are on separate journeys related to personal discovery and truth, and Ochette is searching for creatures of legend. The characters' stories intertwine more than in the prior game.

Development[]

The game was first announced during a Nintendo Direct broadcast on September 13, 2022, with first live gameplay footage being shown a few days later at the Tokyo Game Show. There is a playable demo of the game available.

Reception[]

Octopath Traveler II received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.

External links[]

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