A triumphant success for Team Asano. Octopath 2 is an improvement over the first in almost all aspects. While the first game felt rigid with its repetitive chapter structure and circular world, this one feels open with a world that lets you go basically wherever you want. The writing is also tighter. While both games feature fairly by the number fantasy plots, this game features far more interesting scenarios that take advantage of the setting and characters.
Speaking of the setting, Octopath 2 features a far more fleshed out setting then the first. This time involving a world on the verge of an Industrial Revolution. It’s an exciting and fun world that feels good to explore and learn about. The game is packed full of cities bursting with npcs that can be interacted with in a number of ways and quests that involve actually thinking instead of simply following waypoints to the solution.
The battle system is largely the same but there are some minor tweaks that add a surprising amount of depth and strategy to the gameplay. While battles in the original game started to feel dry around the halfway point, this time battles remain exciting all the way to the end with many of the later bosses messing with the combat system in clever ways like obscureing the turn order or locking you out of your primary class.
The game is also better looking. While the first game looked nice, this game really shows the potential of the hd-2d look.
The only area I wouldn’t say is an improvement is the music. Which isn’t to say it’s bad or a step down at all. It’s pretty much more of the same although there is a bit more variety this time as far as genres go.
All around Octopath 2 is an amazing game that learned all the right lessons from its predecessor. If Team Asano continues to learn from the past and build on those lessons learnt then they have an extremely bright future ahead of them.
Speaking of the setting, Octopath 2 features a far more fleshed out setting then the first. This time involving a world on the verge of an Industrial Revolution. It’s an exciting and fun world that feels good to explore and learn about. The game is packed full of cities bursting with npcs that can be interacted with in a number of ways and quests that involve actually thinking instead of simply following waypoints to the solution.
The battle system is largely the same but there are some minor tweaks that add a surprising amount of depth and strategy to the gameplay. While battles in the original game started to feel dry around the halfway point, this time battles remain exciting all the way to the end with many of the later bosses messing with the combat system in clever ways like obscureing the turn order or locking you out of your primary class.
The game is also better looking. While the first game looked nice, this game really shows the potential of the hd-2d look.
The only area I wouldn’t say is an improvement is the music. Which isn’t to say it’s bad or a step down at all. It’s pretty much more of the same although there is a bit more variety this time as far as genres go.
All around Octopath 2 is an amazing game that learned all the right lessons from its predecessor. If Team Asano continues to learn from the past and build on those lessons learnt then they have an extremely bright future ahead of them.