Everything we know about Octopath Traveler 2

During July 2018 Nintendo released Octopath Traveler on the Nintendo Switch, to much hype and gathering prestige in its own right. In September of 2022 during a Nintendo Direct, the announcement for the Sequel game was given to the masses. With new stories to tell, new enemies to face, and new lands to discover, here is everything we know about Octopath Traveler 2.

The roads less traveled

In 2018 Square Enix in collaboration with Acquire released Octopath Traveler for the Nintendo Switch. The game was a look back at not only turn based tactical RPG combat, but also a love letter to beautifully designed and rendered 2D sprite character in a pixelated 3D world. With 8 characters to choose from and 8 stories to intertwine, the game boasted over 60 hours of play time.

The game followed the stories of 8 strangers, each with their own unique back-story and motivations. As you progress, you will eventually meet the other playable characters, and they will join your party. The method here is the same. During the DEMO I played as the Warrior Hikari, and watched his story start on the battlefield and unfold into treachery and conspiracy. Eventually, his path would cross with another, and they would be present for events that happened throughout Hikari’s quest.

Eight Paths, One Story

This holds true for all the character you will play in Octopath Traveler 2. You will see each character’s backstory evolve and grow as you play, crisscrossing from one line to another. Needless to say that the stories are going to be a huge part of why people will be playing this over and over again. To get the whole of the story, you’ll have to walk each characters path.

Beyond intertwining stories, Octopath Traveler 2 has a unique feature in the overworld. During the day cycle of maps, each character will have an ability they will be able to use on NPCs. For Hikari it’s ‘Challenge’, allowing you to face off against opponents. And should you win, you will gain their attacks. Each of the playable characters have skills like this, allowing them to interact with the world and encouraging exploration.

Combat plays out about the same as its predecessor. Combat is a traditional turn-based move-set, turn order showing above at the top of the screen. Everyone has skills that can be used, but they also have weaknesses. Some enemies will be weak to certain weapons or elements of attack, which will cause them to stagger and take additional damage. With the right forethought and a little experimentation, you will find yourself coming on top in most battles.

What can we expect from Octopath Traveler 2?

On the surface not much has changed in between Octopath Traveler 2 and the original. The characters are interesting, extremely varied, and offer extended play-times and replayability. With the full release, more will be uncovered. But for this DEMO look, I had a good time. If you liked the first game, check this out. And if you’ve never played the first game, still give it a try.

Octopath Traveler 2 is slated to release February 24 2023, on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Steam.