Ah, Octopath 1.
I remember being a lot hesitant of trying this game when I first got it, because the reception people had on the story and the characters, and I kinda told myself to agree to those statements. For the most part I thought the criticism of the game were enough to justify the "lack of quality" of this title.

But then I swallow this hesitation and finally tried by myself and...... this game is magical.

It's an amazing recreation of a old formula with a tecnology that not only evolves it from a graphical stand point (many people don't think that this game LITERALLY INVENTED the HD2D), but also from a gameplay stand-point, creating a combat that feels simple and deep at the same time, that alone makes you replay the title over and over again.

Yasunori Nishiki, the main composer, is easily my favorite musician in the industry, able to create some of the best OST I have heard in a videogame.

The writing is.... I like to describe it as a really tasty "Pizza Otto Stagioni": basically a meal prepared in eight sections, each with diverse ingredients, with each section having a different "tone" or vibe. As a whole it may feel too segmented (especially for a JRPG) and I get if people may not like it.
But the way it is all presented, prepared and cooked makes you understand how much care was put into it, despite its shortcomings, and makes you appreciate the title even more.

It's not a title for everyone and I personally prefer of Octopath 2 evolves the formula, but nonetheless, I will still recommend Octopath Traveler to any sort of fans of JRPGs. It's a gem!

Reviewed on Apr 17, 2024


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