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Octopath Traveler 0 There is a different kind Octopath the game
It still features the series’ distinctive HD-2D aesthetic, the tried and tested break and boost battle system, and even returning characters and locations. It also mixes things up with a now well-understood formula.
Review the review information
Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available: PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X | S, PC
Release Date: December 4, 2025
For example, the plot doesn’t have names like eight-character stories—the paths of OCTO. Instead, your adventure for the first time focuses on your own player-created character, on a quest to be avenged against the villains who have destroyed their hometown—each embodying the pursuit of wealth, power, and fame.
You’re still joined by other adventurers – over 30 in fact, though I haven’t unlocked them all yet – however, they’re along for the ride for you to follow on their separate journeys like we would in other series entries.
The eight-person theme isn’t completely lost, thankfully, as combat has been redesigned to feature eight-person parties—a team of four in the front, and four in the back. I’ll go into more detail about why I love this change below, but I do know that it provides a lot more depth and customization possibilities to the party composition without making battles feel too easy.
Both of these changes make sense. However, when you remember Octopath Traveler 0 There is no new game. It is adapted from Octopath: Champions of the Continent Mobile gacha game. A free-to-play system requires a lot of characters to unlock, the story can’t focus too much on your party because you can’t own the passengers, and you want to allow larger teams so you can use as many of the cool units you’ve invested in financially.
now, Octopath Traveler 0 Gacha is not a game. I’m just saying that you can feel the remnants of the game it’s based on, and it might feel a little jarring at first because it’s not. Octopath As we know – in fact, you can convince me it’s lost 2D The ultimate fantasy Sometimes
Stick with this adventure, however, and you’ll see that it has enough to offer an engaging adventure that will keep you entertained for tens and tens of hours – no additional purchases necessary.
Revenge and Reconstruction
As I mentioned in the intro, in terms of his story, the Octopath Passenger 0 Doesn’t feel ‘octopath’ at all. Instead of following eight plots for eight separate adventures that converge into one ending, you instead follow your own adventure – and can recruit more than 30 different heroes into your party.
You create your own custom character for the game and then encounter stories centered on the corrupting effects of wealth, power and fame – which is where you’ll find the meat of the plot.
Its focus on a linear story with a limited opportunity to explore branching tracks is very different from Octopath that came before, but it’s not an entirely negative change. My only gripe is that a less free-form plot feels better suited to a classic The ultimate fantasy 2D entry instead of one Octopath Adventure
It’s not a bad adventure, though, in fact, it’s a very compelling one with a suitable villain you can’t help but hate – a true classic RPG story. I especially found the change of pace a little jarring for this sequence.
There’s also a revival of the flame plot, in which the protagonist rebuilds his old hometown by finding its surviving inhabitants and rebuilding the long-destroyed properties that called it home.
It’s not as in-depth as a real casual town simulator, but it’s a pleasant change of pace from action-oriented adventures. Plus, turning your revenge into something more constructive can have useful benefits — including the ability to empower your allies. So it’s worth pursuing even if revenge is your only goal.
For war!
While the plot may not feel very Octopath, the turn-based combat feels more Octopath than ever. That’s because your group now consists of eight fighters—a four-man front row and a four-man back row—which allows for much more diverse team formations than the series’ usual four-man limit.
Only characters in the front row can take actions, but each hero can swap with a teammate to take a turn, and there are non-locket skills that allow your back row to help those in front of them without requiring an action, or allow your front row to use a skill and tag out in a single move.
For example, I currently pair a knowledge that can automatically heal the person in front of them with my squishy spell caster because their health can run low very quickly without help, and my tank that can fire attacks, paired with an ally that has a skill that causes her to set her bow on fire and instantly turn her tank into a blink.
The best bit
Combat feels like such a step up from the previous game, thanks to the large party allowing for more personalization of your team than ever before, and the ultimate technique never kicking in.
The other big change is that the character you create has unlocked a special skill called Ultimate Technique. As the name suggests, this compensatory ability (you can’t spam it all the time) allows the main character to offer a huge burst – you can unlock options like performing mass healing or dealing a powerful strike among others – that can turn the tide of battle in your favor.
As you improve your city, you’ll rebuild training grounds so other party members can unlock their techniques too – I told you there’s a reason to play houses even if your only goal is violence.
None of this is to say that combat is trivial thanks to your ultimate moves and large team. Boss battles and high level bouts can still present a challenge if you don’t prepare yourself. You can push your luck somewhat at higher level points, but for the main quests, you’ll even find yourself three or four levels into the adventure where you can prove to be much more difficult than you currently expect if you’re not careful.
Octopath or not, it’s still delightful
Octopath Traveler 0 Is a really enjoyable RPG experience, however real it feels Octopath For me or not.
Because all changes still work. The cohesive, more solo story is an amazing adventure that feels like the fantasy epic that RPGs have taken players to for decades, and the combat is compelling and allows for some really creative and personal party building with some team members.
There’s also been a simplicity to Path’s actions, with the maze of capabilities on offer being much simpler than the web Octopath Traveler 2 Even if it takes away from each character’s identity far more than their lack of unique plots.
If you like Octopath The series, A New Adventure by Astra, will appeal, while more casual RPG fans may find this entry more accessible than ever, given that it follows a more standard story structure.
I had a great time on my adventure, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.
Should you play Octopath Traveler 0?
If you play it…
If you don’t play it…
stability
As accessible as a turn-based RPG, Octopath Traveler 0 The advantage is that players can take the fight at their own pace – you can take 5 seconds or 5 minutes if you need to.
Cutscenes are also played as text dialogue that you can play automatically, one message at a time, or at a faster auto-speed if you want to hurry. Again, allowing you to enjoy the game at your own pace.
Most of the big cutscenes are also voiced, which makes the plot even easier to follow if you hate reading too much (because as someone who is dyslexic, voice acting is always a huge help for me).
How I reviewed Octopath Traveler 0
i play Octopath Traveler 0 Played mostly on my Nintendo Switch 2, but I also made sure to load the game onto my TV so it would have a sense of grander scale on the 55-inch QLED screen.
During my playthrough, I tried not only to follow the mainline quest, but also to explore side quests and other adventure opportunities to make sense of the whole experience. Octopath Traveler 0 Presentation
First reviewed November-December 2025
