Octopath Traveler II is a huge upgrade from the original game, while keeping a similar premise: you play as 8 different characters who you find along the way, each with their own stories and gameplay abilities. Each of the stories are varied and different from each other, and all are written well. When I think about playing Dungeons and Dragons, part of the fun is finding out each character's backstory, and that is half of the fun of this game, as finding a new character and delving into what's making them tick is consistently engaging. I have not yet finished the game, but I can already see ties that will bring these characters and stories together eventually, which is a big difference from the first game.
The combat is a very comfortable JRPG turn-based system, with a few extra wrinkles. Every character has a resource called Boost Points that build up over rounds of combat. You can choose to use up to 3 Boost Points on a round to beef up any ability you use in that round, so there is a push-pull strategy to knowing when to use those points, or when to save up. This rewards thinking a few rounds ahead, and is absolutely crucial in harder fights. Each character also has a Job, which is essentially a subclass that comes with its own abilities. These abilities are often tied to outside-of-combat actions as well, such as recruiting a townsperson to help you once you are in combat. These extra systems in combat help it to remain fresh and engaging without getting bogged down. Thankfully, there is also a combat speed option to help fights go quicker, which is incredibly helpful when trying to grind levels (every JRPG should have this!!!).
There is not much in this game that isn't engaging, and while at heart it is a traditional JRPG, Octopath Traveler II nails every aspect, and is a jewel in a stacked year for RPGs. I'm not sure it is the most innovative game, but it is consistently excellent at everything that it tries to do. This is top-tier Comfort Food gaming, and even in a year packed with experiences that were swinging further for the fences or pulling off more ambitious goals, it was still nice to play a game that understands its groove, and never stops being fun.
The combat is a very comfortable JRPG turn-based system, with a few extra wrinkles. Every character has a resource called Boost Points that build up over rounds of combat. You can choose to use up to 3 Boost Points on a round to beef up any ability you use in that round, so there is a push-pull strategy to knowing when to use those points, or when to save up. This rewards thinking a few rounds ahead, and is absolutely crucial in harder fights. Each character also has a Job, which is essentially a subclass that comes with its own abilities. These abilities are often tied to outside-of-combat actions as well, such as recruiting a townsperson to help you once you are in combat. These extra systems in combat help it to remain fresh and engaging without getting bogged down. Thankfully, there is also a combat speed option to help fights go quicker, which is incredibly helpful when trying to grind levels (every JRPG should have this!!!).
There is not much in this game that isn't engaging, and while at heart it is a traditional JRPG, Octopath Traveler II nails every aspect, and is a jewel in a stacked year for RPGs. I'm not sure it is the most innovative game, but it is consistently excellent at everything that it tries to do. This is top-tier Comfort Food gaming, and even in a year packed with experiences that were swinging further for the fences or pulling off more ambitious goals, it was still nice to play a game that understands its groove, and never stops being fun.