Info about OCTOPATH TRAVELER II:

Official game description:
Reviews and Accolades
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OCTOPATH TRAVELER II Prologue Demo
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A free demo is now available! You can choose any of the eight protagonists, play for three hours, and carry over your saved game data to the full game. Travel beyond starting areas is restricted, but you can explore those corners of Solistia to your heart's content.
About the Game
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The story takes place in Solistia, a land comprising an eastern and western continent divided by the sea.  
It is a bustling era, wherein large vessels navigate busy sea routes and the power of steam gives birth to new technologies.  
Some people thrill to glamorous stars of the stage and industry, while others are brought to tears by war, plague, and poverty.  
In this faraway realm, eight travelers hailing from different regions venture forth for their own reasons. Step into their shoes and explore the land as you see fit, using their unique talents to aid you along your journey.  
Embark on an adventure all your own.  
*   Begin your adventure as one of eight new travelers, each with their own origins, motivations, and unique skills.  
*   The series’ HD-2D graphics, a fusion of retro pixel art and 3DCG, have reached even greater heights.  
*   The story takes place in Solistia, where diverse cultures thrive from east to west and the industries of the new era flourish. You can sail the seas and explore every corner of a world that changes from day to night.  
*   Each traveler has a unique set of Path Actions they can use to battle townspeople, obtain items, take others along in their travels, and more. Where will you go? What will you do? Every path is yours to take.  
*   Familiar mechanics from the original game have been preserved, like the freedom to develop your travelers’ jobs and skills, as well as the Break and Boost system that made battles so exhilarating. New mechanics have also been added.
*   Toggle between day and night with the push of a button to transform towns and the people within them. Path Actions will also vary by the time of day, enabling you to further explore the world.  
*   A new type of tale starring two travelers who now walk the same path.  
*   Each traveler possesses a unique latent power, which can be used to turn the tide of battle.  
*   Board canoes to cross rivers or sail the sea on a large vessel to voyage to every corner of the realm.

Release date: Feb 24, 2023

Categories: Turn-based Combat, Character Customization, Interconnected Narratives, Day/Night Cycle, Exploration, Job System, 2.5D Platformer

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 15; verdict: Overpriced but Fair; summary: 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.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Needs Improvement in Instructional Data; summary: 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.
- Steam Deck: score 30; verdict: Playable with Minor Issues; summary: 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.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Deep and Enjoyable Combat System (weight 0.97): 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 (weight 0.95): 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 (weight 0.93): 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 (weight 0.93): 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 (weight 0.91): 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.
- High Replay Value (weight 0.88): The game has a high replay value due to its variety of job combinations, character builds, and party synergies. The diverse gameplay methods and strategic mechanics keep the experience fresh and engaging.
- Improved from Previous Game (weight 0.86): The game has seen significant improvements over its predecessor, including better storytelling, enhanced combat mechanics, and refined gameplay elements. It fixes issues from the first game and offers a more polished and enjoyable experience.
- Cozy and Innovative Game Experience (weight 0.1): The game offers a cozy experience with its beautiful music and innovative 2.5D pixel art style. The atmosphere is unique and the turn-based gameplay is pretty and engaging, providing a fresh take on classic JRPG elements.
- Interesting NPC Interactions (weight 0.04): The game includes interesting NPC interactions and backstories, with cool subtleties in quests and dialogues. The thief and dancer storylines, in particular, are appreciated for their depth and engagement.

Common complaints:
- Disjointed and shallow storylines (weight 0.79): 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 (weight 0.64): 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 (weight 0.57): 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 (weight 0.5): 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 (weight 0.35): The game is criticized for having superficial party interactions and forced character interactions that feel unnatural and unsatisfying.
- Tedious and excessive dialogue (weight 0.08): The game is criticized for having lengthy and repetitious conversations, with excessive use of dialogue and text scrolling. This can make the game feel slow-paced and tedious.
- Save and technical issues (weight 0.05): The game has issues with saving, including the automatic deletion of save data and problems with saving on specific platforms like Windows 11.
- Unappealing visuals and interface (weight 0.04): The game's visuals, including the HD2D graphics and pixel art style, are disliked by some players. The interface is also criticized for being archaic and lacking quality-of-life features.

Gameplay feedback:
- Turn-based combat with depth (weight 0.44): 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 (weight 0.14): 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 (weight 0.11): 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 (weight 0.07): 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 (weight 0.04): 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.
- Variety in gameplay (weight 0.03): The game offers a variety of gameplay methods that expand as players level up. This includes unlocking new characters, abilities, and exploring different areas.
- Frequent combat encounters (weight 0.03): Combat encounters are frequent, occurring every few steps. Players can develop skills to avoid these encounters if desired.

Performance notes:
- Performance and graphics improvements (weight 0.06): 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 (weight 0.05): There are some issues with keyboard and mouse optimization that need to be fixed for a better user experience.
- Improved Steam Deck performance (weight 0.01): The game's performance on Steam Deck has been improved, providing a better gaming experience on this platform.
- Hardware-specific freezing issues (weight 0.01): Some players experienced freezing issues on specific hardware configurations. This indicates potential compatibility problems that need to be addressed.

Recommendations:
- Wait for a sale (weight 0.23): 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 (weight 0.19): 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 (weight 0.19): 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 (weight 0.18): 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 (weight 0.15): 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.
- Suitable for all ages (weight 0.01): The game is considered suitable for a wide range of audiences, including kids, teens, adults, and even grandma, making it a family-friendly option.

Other player notes:
- Lack of consequences for stealing (weight 0.01): 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 (weight 0.01): 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.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.23): Players are disappointed due to a variety of issues, primarily centered around the story and gameplay mechanics. The narrative is criticized for being weak, uninspired, and poorly executed, with characters lacking chemistry and development. Additionally, the gameplay is seen as repetitive and lacking innovation, with some players feeling that it does not offer enough new content compared to the first game. The combat system is also noted for its lack of balance and depth.
- Frustration (weight 0.2): Players express frustration mainly due to the game's mechanics and design choices. The turn-based combat system and frequent monster encounters are cited as tedious and time-consuming. High difficulty levels, grinding mechanics, and issues with save data and game progression also contribute to this frustration. Additionally, the encounter system and invisible enemies are noted as particularly annoying aspects of the gameplay.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Players enjoy the game for its unique pixel art style, engaging combat, and enjoyable story. The music and character traits are also highlighted as positive aspects. The turn-based RPG style and individual character stories contribute to a fun and cozy gaming experience.
- Joy (weight 0.05): Players find joy in the fun and strategic gameplay mechanics, stunning presentation, and beautiful music. The great story and characters, along with super fun battles and mechanics, contribute to this positive emotion. The game's art and its reminder of old Sega RPG games also bring joy to players.
- Love (weight 0.05): Players love the game for its graphics, soundtrack, and unique aspects. The storylines, side quests, job and party combinations, and battle system are also highly appreciated. The detailed map instructions and NPC interactions add to the overall positive experience.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.05): Players feel satisfied with the game's satisfying weakness and shield system, great battle system, and excellent boss battles. The improved combat system, high-quality graphics, audio, and music, along with enjoyable leveling system and challenging final boss, contribute to this satisfaction. Improvements over the previous game and respect for player judgment are also noted.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Players are excited about the game's excellent music and seamless transitions, addictive gameplay, and great combos. The engaging combat mechanics and enjoyable boss battles, along with the anticipation of the upcoming release of Octopath Traveler 0, contribute to this excitement. The interesting design and systems, along with fun battles and engaging gameplay, also add to the excitement.
- Anger (weight 0.03): Players feel anger due to perceived unfair pricing and poor gameplay experiences. The poorly written side quests and the lack of an auto-battle feature are also cited as reasons for this anger. The encounter mechanics and player reactions to criticism, along with frustration with certain storylines and decisions, contribute to this emotion.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.03): Players feel nostalgia as the game reminds them of classic RPGs like Romancing SaGa and Final Fantasy 7. The memorable experiences with the characters and the game's ability to evoke childhood memories contribute to this feeling. The beautiful 2.5D graphics also add to the nostalgic experience.
- Boredom (weight 0.03): Players feel bored due to the repetitive combat and tedious gameplay. The boring story and lack of overall plot, along with excessive XP farming required, contribute to this boredom. The dull and boring gameplay and story, along with the combat system, are also cited as reasons for this emotion.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admire the game's deep mechanics, beautiful design, and overall quality. The game's evolution from the first title and its peak pixel art are also highly appreciated. The art, music, and story development contribute to this admiration.
- Excited (weight 0.02): Players are excited about the addictive battle system and super fun combat. The excellent music and art, along with the adventurous storyline and characters, contribute to this excitement. The upgrades to the combat system and the overall addictive nature of the game also add to this emotion.
- Frustrated (weight 0.01): Players feel frustrated due to poor boss battle design and inconsistent character reactions. The frequent random encounters also contribute to this frustration.
- Happy (weight 0.01): Players are happy with the game's soundtrack, which is considered one of the best. The well-rounded aspects of the game also contribute to this happiness.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Players feel awe due to the stunning visual style and detailed environments. The music that reflects character personalities also contributes to this emotion.
- Disgust (weight 0.01): Players feel disgust due to the boss mechanism and cringe dialogue. The poor writing is also cited as a reason for this emotion.
- Nostalgic (weight 0.01): Players feel nostalgic as the game reminds them of classic JRPG games. The beautiful 2.5D graphics also contribute to this feeling.
- Disappointed (weight 0.01): Players feel disappointed due to the weak storyline and boss reveal. The lack of soul-stirring moments and the fact that only about half of the conversations are voice-acted also contribute to this disappointment.
- 失望 (weight 0.01): Players feel disappointed due to the story and character interactions not meeting expectations.
- Sadness (weight 0): Players feel sadness due to the emotional ending of the game.}