OCTOPATH TRAVELER II Review Summary

Deep and Enjoyable Combat System: The combat system is deep, satisfying, and fun, with a lot of strategic depth. It includes a boost and break system, weakness and shield mechanics, and a variety of job combinations. The turn-based combat is engaging and improved over the previous game.

Engaging Story and Characters: The game features a well-crafted story with unique character arcs and emotional endings. Characters are compelling and well-developed, with detailed and mature descriptions. The storytelling is delivered in engaging chunks, making it enjoyable and satisfying.

Stunning Visuals and Art Style: The game boasts a beautiful and detailed visual style, combining 2D and 3D art with a unique pixel art aesthetic. The HD-2D graphics are visually stunning and the character designs are gorgeous, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

Exceptional Music and Sound: The game features an amazing soundtrack with high-quality music that enhances gameplay. The music is captivating and memorable, with seamless transitions and day/night versions. Voice acting and sound effects are top-tier, adding to the immersive experience.

Exploration and World-Building: The game offers a huge world with plenty of content to explore, including side quests and secret nooks. The day and night system adds depth to exploration, and the world-building is detailed and immersive, providing a peak exploration experience.

Disjointed and shallow storylines: The game's story is split into eight parts, making it shallow and disjointed. The lack of interaction between characters and the disjointed nature of the storylines make it difficult to follow and enjoy.

Repetitive and tedious gameplay: The gameplay is criticized for being repetitive and tedious, with frequent random encounters and excessive grinding. The combat system is also seen as uninspired and derivative.

High difficulty and poor balance: The game's difficulty is criticized for being either too high or too low, with wild swings that make it inconsistent. Over-leveling can trivialize challenges, and boss fights can be overly difficult compared to normal fights.

Poor quest design and guidance: The game's quest design is criticized for being confusing and requiring specific skills. The quest guidance is also seen as poor, with side quests being repetitive and uninteresting.

Weak character interactions: The game is criticized for having superficial party interactions and forced character interactions that feel unnatural and unsatisfying.

Turn-based combat with depth: The game features a turn-based combat system with a variety of mechanics such as boost and break systems, job skills, and character customization. Players need to understand and plan their strategies to succeed in boss battles and other encounters.

Character customization and development: The game offers extensive character customization options, including job combinations, skills, and abilities. Players can develop their characters in various ways to suit their playstyle.

Interconnected character stories: The game includes eight main characters, each with their own storylines and goals. These stories are interconnected and can be followed in different ways, providing a rich narrative experience.

Day and night system: A day and night system affects gameplay, visuals, and NPC behavior. This system adds depth to the game by changing the environment and interactions based on the time of day.

Exploration and world design: Exploration is a key aspect of the game, with a variety of maps and environments to discover. The world design encourages players to explore and interact with the game world.

Performance and graphics improvements: Many players noted significant improvements in the game's performance and graphics. The game runs smoothly with enhanced lighting and dynamic camera movement, and it performs well even in 4K at 120fps.

Keyboard and mouse optimization issues: There are some issues with keyboard and mouse optimization that need to be fixed for a better user experience.

Improved Steam Deck performance: The game's performance on Steam Deck has been improved, providing a better gaming experience on this platform.

Hardware-specific freezing issues: Some players experienced freezing issues on specific hardware configurations. This indicates potential compatibility problems that need to be addressed.

Wait for a sale: Many reviewers suggest waiting for a discount before purchasing the game. The game is often considered not worth its full price, especially for those who are not die-hard fans of the genre.

Recommended for JRPG fans: The game is highly recommended for those who enjoy turn-based combat and are fans of JRPGs. It is particularly appealing to veterans of the genre and those who enjoyed the original Octopath Traveler.

Not recommended for story-focused players: Players who prioritize story in their games are advised against this title. The game's story is considered weak and not engaging enough for those who value narrative heavily.

Worth playing for relaxing RPG experience: The game is described as offering a relaxing RPG experience with unique and romantic elements. It is recommended for those looking for a laid-back gaming experience.

Try the demo first: Reviewers suggest trying the demo before purchasing to ensure it meets your expectations, especially if you are new to the genre or unsure about the gameplay.

Steam Deck: The overall experience of playing the game on the Steam Deck is highly positive, with many users praising its visual appeal, smooth performance, and efficient battery life. However, there are notable issues with frequent crashes and small text size that detract from the experience. Despite these issues, the game is generally well-received on the Steam Deck.

Monetization: The primary concern among users is the perceived overpricing of the game. Many users feel that the game does not offer sufficient value for its cost, even when purchased at a discounted price. There are no mentions of microtransactions or additional paid content, which is a positive aspect.

External guides: The game features complex mechanics and hidden secrets that are not well-explained in-game, leading to a heavy reliance on external guides and wikis. This impacts the user experience by making the game feel incomplete or unfair, as players often need to consult external resources to fully understand and enjoy the game.

Lack of consequences for stealing: Players have noted that there are no penalties for successfully stealing items from NPCs. This could imply that the game mechanics around stealing need to be balanced or revised.

Desire for more hand-drawn still images: Players have expressed a wish for additional hand-drawn still images in the game. This suggests that they appreciate the artistic style and would like to see more of it.