Octopath Traveler 2: Release date, news … We take stock of the Nintendo Switch RPG

Game News Octopath Traveler 2: Release date, news … We take stock of the Nintendo Switch RPG

What is the release date of Octopath Traveler 2?

This is one of the projects unveiled as a surprise during the Nintendo Direct in September 2022: Octopath Traveler 2 accompanied other JRPGs (Japanese role-playing games) during this event such as Fire Emblem Engage, the remasters of Front Mission and Tales of Symphonia as well as Square Enix’s rhythm game Theatrythm Final Bar Line. During the digital meeting organized by “Big N“, the sequel to Octopath Traveler is illustrated in a trailer of more than two minutes by highlighting its gameplay, its characters but also its release date: it is expected on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch for the February 24, 2023.

What is the storyline of Octopath Traveler 2?

Octopath Traveler 2 takes up the principle of the first episode released in 2018. The player embodies eight distinct characters (the warrior, the scholar, the hunter…) all having a distinct story: some want to know who they really are while others others seek to explore the world and discover its treasures. If the architecture of the first game is taken up, there are four chapters per character that await the players as well as a final part. It is in the world of Solistia that the journeys of our heroes take place, during “an era of technological and industrial development“. It is divided into two parts (one Western and the other Eastern) separated by an ocean which should also be at the heart of the gameplay:

Discover a world where some rejoice in industrial modernization and flourishing culture, while others mourn and suffer under the weight of wars, disease and poverty. – Octopath Traveler 2 Steam page.

What is the gameplay of Octopath Traveler 2?

We come here precisely to the gameplay of Octopath Traveler 2. Regarding the fights, this sequel should not revolutionize the system since each character has skills that are specific to him and useful in the fights. Offensive as well as defensive abilities. The confrontations are organized on a turn-by-turn basis: depending on their speed, the characters act sooner or later, carry out their action and the turn begins again. It is above all through its system of flaw and exaltation that Octopath Traveler differs from other games of the genre: once the weak point of the enemy has been identified (the faults), it is possible to take advantage of it to put him in a state of shock. A status that allows you to do more damage especially by exploiting the exaltation mechanic: something that allows you to strengthen your attacks and spells in different ways.

Like the first episode, Octopath Traveler 2 takes the protagonists on a journey through different parts of the world in HD-2D graphics. Besides their skills in combat, they all have a useful ability when exploring towns and villages. Some can recover objects, others rally strangers to their cause or defeat refractory individuals in a duel. Actions which we are promised will vary according to day and night.

What are the known novelties of the second compared to the first?

Octopath Traveler fans will therefore have noticed: this day/night cycle is a novelty in this second episode. Acquire Corp developers promise that “many details will change depending on the time of day“. Enough to emphasize an extended exploration of Solistia. This should also innovate compared to the first episode. To stick to the historical and geographical context of the universe, the journey will be accompanied by boat trips with customizable ships.

Finally, there are also novelties concerning the fights that are expected. Each protagonist has a latent power that can turn the tide. For example, that of the scholar Oswald allows him to focus his spells (usually multi-target) on a single opponent. Enough to quickly eliminate priority enemies. Finally, Acquire also promises improved 2D-HD”and more beautiful than ever” as well as “new new mechanics added to this second installment“.

What are the known technical specificities of Octopath Traveler 2?

Although it has a simultaneous release on February 24 on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, few technical characteristics are known so far. We learned at the start of the year that the game would be 5.358 GB on Nintendo Switch: it’s 2 GB more than the first episode. Something explained by the reworked graphics as well as the novelties promised by Square Enix and the developers of Acquire. The required configurations on PC are still absent today.

What are the pre-order bonuses for Octopath Traveler 2?

Expected for the end of February, Octopath Travaler II has been available for pre-order since its announcement in September. Interested players will have to pay €59.99 on the platform of their choice (between Steam for PC, the PlayStation Store for PS4 and PS5 and the Nintendo Store for Switch) to make this long-awaited sequel their own. They will then benefit from the following pre-order bonuses:

• Healing Grape (M) × 5
• Stimulating Plum (M) × 5
• Revitalizing jam × 2
• Gold Dust (this item can be sold for 5,000 leaves in the in-game store) × 1

The curative grape is used to restore hit points, the stimulating plum talent points while the revitalizing jam restores all hit points, mana points and exaltation points. Gold dust makes it possible to recover sheetsthe in-game currency.

Why is Octopath Travaler II expected?

Octopath Traveler II is probably among the top 5 most anticipated games of the first two months of the year. If it should be recognized that the remake of Dead Space, the game Hogwarts Legacy or Atomic Heart and Wild Hearts are more likely to attract the attention of players. However, Square Enix can expect great enthusiasm for this sequel thanks to the figures achieved by the original opus: more than three million sales with its marketing on PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One, as well as several very convincing metacritic notes with 83/100 for the press and 8.1/10 for users.