Project Octopath Traveler Headed To Switch Next Year

Sweet

Meh. Why can't they give us a big game?

I really wish I enjoyed RPGs more. There are so many compelling-looking RPGs coming to Switch but they never seem to hold my attention in practice...

Too excited about this game! Looks to have enormous replay value too!

Today marked the day this game actually got interesting.
It's not Kingdom Hearts, it's not Final Fantasy (although the XV announcement put that old joke out of its misery, especially if it's not the Pocket Edition seen in its frighteningly timed announcement), but this time around the exclusivity wasn't a matter of faint praise (I'm looking at you, Theatrhythm, the only 3DS FF game that's also 3DS-only... with none of the rival consoles caring), and more a matter of us getting an exclusive that's actually unique. Bravely Default was a good start but this time around the uniqueness is palpable.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE
This is a big game. I never played Bravely Default because I hated the art style but it was a pretty big hit from what I understand, and this is from the same creators. It looks fantastic to me, I love RPGs that give you the freedom to make choices and find your own path.

I was wondering if this game was still a thing. I was very impressed of what I saw on the presentation, considering it's made by the same people that made Bravely Default it should be good.

Very much looking forward to trying out the demo.

When i read a new Square-Enix RPG exclusive for Switch i felt butterflies in my stomach. Then i saw the graphics.

My hunch is that development for this game started for 3ds and they moved it to the Switch. Its good as long as they don't ask full price for it..

This actually looks really neat, and I'm not one for RPG's. Shame the comments on stream were mostly 'BOOOOORING WHERE'S SMASHHHH'. This is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Size isn't everything.

This was one of the games that sold me on Switch, and it looks soooo good! I can't wait to test out the demo!

Looks great. I'm going to try the demo later, but I've already downloaded it. Hopefully Switch gets a lot more RPGs, both Japanese and "Western" as time goes on. That's one genre that Nintendo home consoles have lacked since the N64 days.

This looks absolutely incredible. Was slightly on my radar before, now it's shaping up to be a total must-buy.

Exclusive to Switch

Story of my recent life. And I love it 😁

Keep the great exclusives coming! I absolutely love the art style in this game. I was thinking a new Bravely Default on Switch would be a good move, but this is so much better. And they actually did something totally original with it too!

Game looks fantastic, although I'd be surprised to see it stay Switch exclusive for more than a year or so.

English voices are bad imo and I don't like graphics. You can switch to japan voices which is nice. Other than that it seems fine

Not bad so far! The letter font is way to small tough :/

This is one of those lock myself in a room and don't come out until I beat it games. I look forward to the weight loss. I need to lose 5 lbs.

@Doggedfrog lol

This game looks far more interesting to me than any Bravely Default or Final Fantasy ever has. (I was never a big FF fan...)

...this game is making me feel feelings I had not experienced since the SNES was current gen. Wow!

This is one of my most anticipated games for 2018 with Travis Strikes Back and new Fire Emblem.

To me this is almost the perfect riff on the 2D aesthetic of Square's RPG classics. I think it is as beautiful as a game gets and I love that it celebrates the era of sprite RPGs evoking a grand sense of wonder with meager hardware.

Octopath Traveler feels made for me and I was desperately afraid it would become vaporware, so I couldn't be happier to be sprung a demo of all things. I even love the absurd name.

I will keep my eyes peeled for this game!

the DEMO is ok... if they sell this for 19.99/29.99 - maybe. I have no idea why these publishers think "handheld" means 1999

It looks horrid docked on a 1080p TV. It is like a retro game with blurry edges.around the screen.

@ACK
Makes me happy reading your reaction. I feel the same way, only you put it into words much better than I ever could.

I'm playing th eDemo now - Seriously high production values! Fantastic Job ( Better "dance" club than in GTAV by far! )

@cfgk24
And the music... oh my gosh this game has some of THE best music, we're talking top shelf A1

I thought that we should have received some final fantasy instead of this game (which looks awesome either way)
but then I remembered that final fantasy games stopped being good since the ps2 era.

This game looks wonderful. I really enjoyed the Bravely Default games but this looks even more appealing to me.

Having played the demo for about 30 mins now and it feels awesome! They really captured that Snes/PS1 era RPG feel with this one I feel. Really digging the seemingly more serious/grounded story approach too after the Bravely games.

I'm extremely pleased by this one, I'd say this passes Mario Odyssey as my most hyped Switch game.

@Shiryu "...this game is making me feel feelings I had not experienced since the SNES was current gen. Wow!"
That is exactly what was going on in my mind when i booted up the demo as well !

You know, this sentence is thrown around left and right, but "I cant wait" has never been so true.

Its scratches every available itch. It sounds great, it looks like a freakin SNES game on steroids, the lighting is phenomenal and the gameplay looks like SaGa and Bravely Default has the best WooHoo you could think of...

Damn, i want this game...

@JaxonH And.. er, ...very adult!

@Einherjar They had me at "From the creators of Bravely" because I love that series. I like the art styles being used in the character sprites and backgrounds, but wasn't sure how well they worked together. And then they showed the lighting in the battles and I was all "daaaaaaaaaaamn"...

I gotta DL this when I get home from work!

I haven't watched the direct but can't wait to watch all trailers when I get home from work! Great news for 3rd party stuff!

@PanurgeJr They had me at the visuals really. The late SNES era Square sprite art is just...its things i may not write here
And while i do like Bravely Default, being from these devs alone wouldn't trigger an insta-buy reflex for me.
But the whole package did...more than i would want it to

Game actually looks pretty awesome. Very creative art style with the HD 2D. I bet Nintendo utilizes that art style with something like an Earthbound remake in the future.

Wow, they have me sold on the visuals alone! I'm loving the style.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE You are never happy. I'm playing the demo right now and it's a pretty good game so far.

This bored me during the direct. It was so long and it's just like every other RPG. People are probably gonna disagree with me but these games aren't any fun to me

@HeroponRiki I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, but you do realize that Square Enix shovels out RPGs like there's no tomorrow?

A hit here or there (like Bravely Default) doesn't mean that every RPG they make will be a "big game." I've tried out many of them and they're typically mediocre.

Although once again the Bravely series is amazing.

Aesthetically it's very interesting. Found the demo quite difficult as the warrior when I got to the first boss opponent. Yet to try out the private dancer.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE This IS a big game. Cool off.

Nice! Going to have to find time for this one. Loved the Bravely Default series though must admit never finished either of them... just don't grind them out like i used to...

At first, I didn't gave anything to this game but after playing the demo for 45 minutes now, I think it's interesting. I am enjoying it so far...

EDIT: I hope they give it a better name than Octopath Traveler and Bravely Default (series).

I'm not into RPGs but this artstyle is so amazing I might make an exception.

Love the visuals. Not a big RPG fan, but I'm giving the demo a go. Will consider purchasing at some point.

With Nintendo backing, localizing, and publishing this game, I'm confident we're on to a hit! Downloading the demo right now.

Wow I am loving those visuals. Kind of reminds me of 3D Dot Game Heroes. This is definitely on my must have list.

I'm glad I like sprites, but I hope other studios don't saturate the market trying to copy this distinction.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Having just played the demo for about 1.5 hours now, I dare say I actually prefer this over the likes of FFXV. Now, I admit that FFXV cannot and should not stand in for every potential "big game" out there, but if we are talking big Square console RGPs, it kinda fits the bill, so ... yeah.

Anyways, I actually liked this more than I thought I would and certainly more than Bravely Default. The tone is alot more mature, the combat is more involved and the visuals are just incredible neat and really gorgeous, the way they combine 3d elements (like real-time lighting) and pixel art.

I'm not big on the random-battles, that is one thing from previous jRPGs, I could really do without, but it's not a deal breaker either. My other concerns are limited to the tiny, grey-on-black font they are using for descriptions, which is kinda hard to read on the Switch, as well as with the apparent inability to skip cutscenes/dialogue (at least I couldn't figure it out). It took me three runs to kill that first boss, and by that time I was really annoyed with having to go through the whole preceding dialogue for a third time.

Other than that, the demo absolutely sold me on the game. Visually appealing, with a way less childish tone than BD, and a really compelling combat system as far as these things go.

I hope the final product lives up to these bits, then I'm definitely on board next year. Frankly, I'm kinda surprised they put a demo like this now, with the game still several months away. Also, I hope the save files might carry over as they did with BD

Can't wait for the demo and hope the best for the final version. Such a beautifully crafted 2D sprite style turn based RPG.

I think the Warriors voice actor was Patrick Seitz. I've got the demo downloaded but it'll need to wait until next week. It does look pretty though.

Aw man... played the demo for about an hour now... I said it in the forum and I'll say it here this game is 110% legit.

The visuals are amazing and I love how the camera focuses in where you are and everything else looks blurred and then as you move towards a blurred area it fades into focus. It has a battle system that's clearly inspired by Bravely Default, but better. You get 1 BP per turn (doesn't stand for brave points this time though) and you can save up to 4 (sound familiar?) only you don't have to skip a turn to earn a point. You simply earn it. And you can use R to toggle how many of your BP you want to use to amplify your attack. So if you go three turns without using any BP then you'll be able to use up to x4 on the next. The first time you tap R for x2, the screen flashes red and then stays a reddish tint, then for x3 it flashes yellow and for x4 it flashes blue. It's the coolest effect- it just looks so good!

This game is what's up. I mean, Lost Sphear looks like the real deal too, but Octopath Traveller is clearly playing in another league.

Finally

I'm really looking forward to this.

It looks beautiful

LOVING the demo.
I like the strategic feel if the battle system, and the visuals, oh the visuals!

After playing the demo I am super excited for this game.

Worlds look great, but the battles appear dull.

@BigYellow TBH although I'll probably buy Xenoblade 2, watching someone else play it was kind of boring.

The graphics in this game made me think immediately of Lufia II. Like if they did a "3D Classics" remake of that.

@JaxonH I see what you mean by the music. That battle music that kicks in when the village gets attacked by bandits rivals the best battle music that even the Final Fantasy series offers.

The most interesting thing in the Direct by a country mile.

Why is this one small team in Square Enix better at creating Final Fantasy games than the actually Final Fantasy team?
This demo is great. Really looking forward to the full game.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Wtf is a big game? Have you ever figure out that maybe you just a giant especially with those big caps of yours?

Literally cannot wait to play this demo!

The game is gorgeous, like a blend between FF6 and Tactics. I just wish they didn't make you watch an entire movie before letting you control your character. And then also just have you barely walk around before even more cutscenes happens. I always preferred the old school RPGs that just let you... hit the ground running. Just pop the game in and go.

Just played the demo, the HD rumble surprised me... never has opening/closing doors been so satisfying.

Visuals is good but not as good as 3D stereoscopic Bravely default.

What a feeling! I’m in love. This is a real rpg, no extreme handhelding, epic music, mature storyline and satisfying fightingsystem. Just finished the dancer demo-storyline, and what a treat. The graphic is very nice and with a distinct style. And the HD rumble is great, especially the door and guard breaks. Damn, it really is HD rumble made right...

Will count the days until relese

@thesilverbrick For me it's the turn based battles in most of these RPG games. I just don't get it or enjoy it. It's like I'm trying to have an adventure and these bloody battles screens keep getting it the way. In action 'RPGs' you just hack those dudes out of your path and get on with seeing the world. Like you I've tried to enjoy FF etc... but too me they just aren't fun. Each to their own though.

I'm not sure about the art style on this either - it's an interesting look - just not sure if that means good too.

@Agramonte
This, times infinity. Octopath Traveler surely looks a lot better now that we know the ideas in it are actually unique, but still developers always seem to think that Nintendo's handhelds only deserve side projects because they're handhelds. It doesn't, it shouldn't work this way.

This ain't no Life Is Strange....Square Enix you bums!

@brunojenso For me it's the points in the game where I'm underleveled and have to grind experience for hours to proceed. I usually put the game down for weeks and then when I come back to it the story isn't fresh in my mind and I feel like I have to start over.

I'm loving this "HD-2D" style they've used! Looks really beautiful. Hope it looks as well as in this trailer when I try out the demo later tonight. Unless something really puts me off in the demo, this is a sure buy for me.

And in any case, I really, REALLY hope SE will use this style for more upcoming games. To me, this is how you do a "retro" 2D art style with a modern flair.

Just finished playing the demo and I love it.
It gave me that same feeling I got when I played these three amazing games: Suikoden, Final Fantasy VII and Shenmue.
Just good ol' fashion enjoyment.

Looks amazing, it may not be Bravely Default 3 but its the next best thing.

Loving it so far, they've spared no expense for VA as Patrick Seitz does Olberic which is a big plus in my book.

The only gripe that I have, is that it's a 2018 release date. I really want it

The demo is feeling good, lets support em boys !

Looks cool, though I don't have a Switch to try the demo yet.
The only thing that bugs me (and I haven't seen mentioned by anyone) is the fact that during battles the heroes appear on the right, with the enemies on the left.
It made my head hurt trying to figure out what was going on.

This was my highlight of the Direct. I downloaded it but I did not try it yet. It looks awesome.

@crackafreeze I thought about this last night. They have to mean early 2018 since there's a demo already. I can't imagine this means summer or even worst....next Holiday!

Can't kill the bandit boss before he kills me. If I get stuck on the demo then I'm not buying the full game...

Man the demo is great, super excited for this now

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Not sure what you mean by "big." If you mean the scope, I think this game is pretty big. It seems that it's supposed to be played 8 times by using 8 different characters.

@NinNin From what you said, it's even lazier than I thought. Going over the same ground 8 times with 8 different characters? That's ridiculous. I was hoping for a real Final Fantasy or a Kingdom Hearts game.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE It's called "Project Octopath Traveler," so I assume that each character will have a different path.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE What small margin of games do you even play dude. This game is a great call back to the original Final Fantasys and Romancing SaGa. I highly doubt I need to explain to you that those were "big" games that were well recieved. Romancing SaGa has done the "same world from X amount of characters point of view" and done it well so that each character story feels unique.

If this isn't your kind of game ok, cool. Just say that. But this appeals to a significant margin of rpg fans, and comparing it to something like KH does nothing than sound childish. After playing the demo I am certain this game will be a hit, and it really seems no one in here cares for your usual brand of pessimism.

@Alikan Try a different approach friend. My first strategy of fighting them got me killed too. No reason to give up on it.
Ya know, a single problem can have multiple solutions.

They should make a FF6 remake that looks like this.

The aesthetic of this game is quite simply astonishing. I think it's probably the best looking game I've ever seen. I don't know if it's the 3D/2D/HD pixel look, the heavy blurring of backgrounds or just simply the overall mood it evokes, but something about it really resonates with me.

As others have said, if they remade FFVI with this aesthetic I would be so happy.

Loving the demo so far. The game is gorgeous and the music is fantastic.

love what I have played so far, very generous demo that lets you try 2 different characters. I am getting final fantasy tactics vivbes from this which is a good thing. the game looks stunning I haven't tried on big screen yet my only criticisms so far are that the characters look quite small in handheld mode and the game seems very slow to load easily the slowest loading game I have tried on switch so far but this is a demo so it doesn't mean it will be like that in the final game. Im also hopeful this is a Q1 release next year the fact we have a demo now to me indicates it cant be too far off release. This will be a full price game I cant imagine they will release it at the £20 mark.

@GravyThief Have you seen Bravely Default in stereoscopic 3D? Octopath Traveler is trying to recreate that stereo 3D look by using depth-blur for the 2D screen on Switch. It gives an illusion of depth, while not as impressive as the 3D effect on 3DS, it is still very nice looking.

@Nincompoop yeah I've got the game and played it. I think I stopped when it got to the point of having to re-do all the dungeons again!

I remember being blown away by the visuals of that game too, especially for the 3DS, but it still didn't have the impact this game has from what I've seen of the trailers.

It's hard to explain, it's almost like it looks like a set of models on a table that you're looking into, like a diorama. I just love it.

Even though the games look completely different, I love the aesthetic of the new Yoshi game for Switch for exactly the same reasons as this game.

@GravyThief I think you will like 'The Last Night' too. Too bad it's an Xbox One X exclusive.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Hey, you know me, I usually side with your opinions more than others do on this site, but this time I don't. I think the fact that it's 8 different characters with completely different skills traveling from 8 different base locations, encountering 8 different stories sounds big. I'm really looking forward to this game.

However, I kind of get what you're saying too. Why doesn't Square Enix release a Final Fantasy game for a Nintendo system? They release them on the Xbox systems and that just seems like a poor choice.

Really impressed with this game, and I've been impressed since the Switch was unveiled regarding this game. It's like how I felt when I saw the graphics to Chrono Trigger back in the day, and this game literally looks like those games of yore, "popped" into 3D HD visuals which almost gives the game a diorama type look. Voices are quality, combat is simple yet deep, music is on point too. I walked away from the demo thoroughly impressed and I've only done Olberic's segment so far. I've had a close eye on this game and cannot wait to get my hands on it in 2018. Now to learn more about Lost Sphear...

Wow, that mix of HD textures and graphical effects with ugly sprite art is really off-putting! I've never seen such a disconnect between two different styles of graphics used in the same game before, and that's not a good thing. Maybe with good looking sprites it would've worked, but this, just no. Even the SNES Final Fantasy games have better sprite art and overall look better than this.

The demo is really awesome. With this and Xenoblade 2 the Switch looks like a winner as far as RPGs are concerned.

Demo is AWESOME so far, love it.

This game is going to be a hit exclusive, I can feel it.