Octopath Traveler Stadia
Octopath Traveler Stadia
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Genre:
PEGI: T
Comments:
First releasing on Nintendo in 2018 Octopath Traveler was a big hit selling over two million copies. Square Enix brought us Octopath Traveler on Google Stadia on April 28th, 2020. I am personally a huge fan of RPG games so I was excited to give this game a try. Octopath Traveler has beautiful 2D graphics with a SNES feel to it. The game takes place on the continent of Orsterra where we have the option to chose from 8 different characters to start our journey. Each character has their own story and special abilities. The 8 Characters are:
- Ophilia The Cleric with special ability Guide
- Cyrus The Scholar with ability Scrutinize
- Tressa The Merchant with ability Purchase
- Olberic The Warrior with ability Challenge
- Primrose The Dancer with ability Allure
- Alfyn The Apothecary with ability Inquire
- Therion The Thief with ability Steal
- H’aanit The Hunter with ability Provoke
For my journey I chose Therion to start off with. Keep in mind, you can eventually get all the characters in your party and do all the paths. Octopath Traveler reminds me of Secret of Mana on the SNES with a splash of Pokémon. When exploring the beautiful world of Orsterra, random battles start which remind me of Pokémon, and it also has the same turn-based game style. I was amazed at the great detail that went into this game, even with 2D graphics.
The bottom right of the screen shows this map, and this is important for following objectives on your missions. The game stars off slow with lots of reading and slow game play. This all changes after the first boss battle and the game got more fun and interesting for me. I will also have to admit the first boss battle took a long time. I wasn’t sure I would be able to beat it, but I did. Throughout the world there are also chest you can open with items; never ignore these as they can help you on your journey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIfOSnc4lTY
When in battle each enemy will have question marks at the bottom of their name, and these signify weakness. Trying different weapons and moves will unlock these, it’s important to figure out the weakness of each enemy so you can deal massive damage. On top of that, keep an eye on the top right of the screen this will display your HP (health in green), SP (Blue); you can use items to keep these topped up. I love using SP as the moves are unique to each character. For example, Therion can steal HP from an enemy. While playing the game, having good weapons and armor is vital, I was constantly looking in shops and the world for better weapons.
Remember to constantly save your progress by interacting with the books with the feather on top throughout the world. I made the mistake of playing several hours without thinking to save and died in a battle which took me to my last save point, breaking my heart in the process. If you decide to do all the 8 character quests it will add tons of hours to the game which I recommend. Also, the writing in the game is well done bringing laughter at times.
In conclusion, Octopath Traveller on Stadia in a must play. It will give you several hours of entertainment on the go the beauty of cloud gaming. The game is stunning, has good mechanics, with a decent story to it. Go forth adventurer and explore the beautiful land.