Octopath Traveler 0 First Impressions: New Tricks, With a Little Less Soul

In July, Square Enix unveiled the newest entry in its Octopath Traveler series of role-playing games in the publisher's HD-2D retro pixel sprite style. This prequel, Octopath Traveler 0, adds features but in my short time with the game I feel it loses some of the charm of the former games in the series, which might disappoint fans.

Octopath Traveler 0 comes out in December and I've played the early parts. What I've seen so far has the same caliber of gameplay and storytelling as the previous games in the series but it's missing those interesting characters that were the heart of Octopath Traveler 1 and 2. In its place is a town-building mechanic that, while probably appealing to some players who want a cozy component to their RPG, wasn't making up for the lack of storylines.

Solopath Traveler 

In Octopath Traveler 0, instead of players picking one of eight distinct characters with different classes and backstories as in the previous games, they're stuck with just one silent protagonist, which is an unfortunate departure. The main draw of the first two Octopath Traveler games was choosing heroes and watching their stories unfold and intertwine with each other, so turning to the mute-hero trope found in so many other games feels dull. Octopath Traveler 0 even starts in the most familiar way possible: The hero wakes up the morning before a big town festival that inevitably ends in tragedy.

After the fire that destroyed the hero's hometown with the predictably tragic name Wishvale, years have passed and now it's up to them to seek revenge and rebuild. While you're stuck with one protagonist, you can decide which of the three main villains behind Wishvale's destruction to pursue first.

Even though there isn't a selection of pre-made characters to choose from like the other Octopath games, this hero can be customized. You can choose their look and class: warrior, hunter, merchant, apothecary, cleric, scholar, dancer or thief. The apothecary can deal physical damage and cast healing or attack spells, while the dancer buffs allies and weakens enemies. I chose the merchant, who earns extra experience, job points, and money after battles. Later, players can switch classes if they want to try something new.

Pick one of eight classes for your hero.

Square Enix

And while you do meet up with other characters who join your adventuring party, it's not nearly the same experience as playing multiple storylines of these individuals from different backgrounds with their own motivations that converge in dramatic fashion. Your hero is the focal point of the game, and the only characters who receive some additional plot development are the villains, who are just being evil in far-off castles. 

From Ruins to Glory

Another big new aspect in Octopath Traveler 0 is the rebuilding of Wishvale. This aspect reminded me of the Breath of Fire and Suikoden games, where you build your own community. Wishvale, now a ruin of the town, can be built up anew over the course of the game. Rebuilding the ruined town requires materials like wood, stone and cloth, which can be found all over the world map over the course of your journeys. Characters you meet on the road can move in to help the town grow. It's a fine idea, though I'm not much of a city-builder player. Others will likely spend hours crafting the RPG town of their dreams.

You decide what your hometown is going to look like. 

Square Enix

Along with those two new features, one new mechanic is having eight players in a battle. As in previous Octopath games, battles are turn-based using the series' "Break and Boost" system, where enemies have a certain number of Shield Points and when depleted, the enemies "break," causing them to go into a stun state. Team members have boost points earned in each round of a fight and can be used to unleash mult-hit attacks on a vulnerable enemy. I've always been a fan of this more active turn-based style of combat, and while I didn't get far enough to experience the eight-player teams, I'm excited for when that happens, as I'm all for large party battles in RPGs. 

While I still have plenty to play before finishing Octopath Traveler 0, I'm disappointed by the lack of memorable characters, which were the soul of the earlier games. I haven't found any substantial flaws so far, but it just feels like another solid, traditional turn-based RPG without the signature Octopath novelty of multiple storylines meeting up to tell a larger tale. Maybe the story will hook me later, but that remains to be seen.

Octopath Traveler 0 will be released on Dec. 4 for $50 on the PS4, PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2 and Xbox Series X and S consoles.