There were many people who rightfully wondered if there would be anything truly meaningful shown at the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase. Thankfully, there absolutely was, including multiple games that were being shown off for the first time. Square Enix arguably stole the show on that front, as it highlighted two games coming to consoles and PC, one of which was the surprise reveal of Octopath Traveler 0. The RPG is the latest entry from the beloved turn-based, HD-2D saga, but it has multiple twists that will take players on a much different journey than the two past sagas did.
Here is the official breakdown of the game from Square Enix:
“OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 is a standalone adventure set in the world of Orsterra – some years before the events of the first OCTOPATH TRAVELER game. For the first time in the series, you create your own customizable protagonist and set off on adventure to apprehend those who destroyed your beloved hometown – and rebuild it in the process.
It’s an expansive adventure full of incredible stories to discover. The series’ classic Path Actions make a return, allowing you to interact in different ways with the world’s many NPCs. You can also recruit over 30 characters to join you in battles, with a party of up to eight heroes at a time!”
That description alone weaves quite a tale, including dropping some key information that will entice many. In the first two mainline entries, your party was only allowed to be eight heroes, and you could only control four of them at a time for a battle. Thus, you’ll have more options in this game and be able to build the party however you desire. Plus, eagle-eyed fans will notice that characters from the first game are here.
As for combat, the turn-based strategy element is still there, as is the “Break and Boost” system that’ll allow you to store up power to do even more devastating attacks, and allow you to weaken your foes’ shields until they’re broken and unable to counterattack.
For those curious, yes, the game is basically a “revamped” version of the mobile title that Square Enix did a while back. However, they fully admit that this game enhances, refines, and even streamlines the events of that game to be a true console/PC experience that you can enjoy. Plus, there is voice acting in the game, all-new story beats and combat elements, and so on.
The game launches on December 4th.
