[h2] 🌍 Octopath Traveler II – One of the Best JRPGs I've Played [/h2]
Story
The biggest strength of Octopath Traveler II is undoubtedly its storytelling. Each character has their own journey, and for the most part they're genuinely fantastic. I found myself invested in nearly every protagonist and was always looking forward to seeing how their stories unfolded.
...Well, almost every protagonist.
Agnea's story was a huge miss for me. Compared to the emotional highs and compelling narratives of the rest of the cast, hers felt incredibly weak and never really grabbed my attention. Thankfully, the remaining seven stories more than make up for it.
Character Interactions
One of my biggest criticisms isn't the writing itself—it's how the developers chose to present it.
The party banter and character interactions are genuinely excellent, but making them text-only already feels like a missed opportunity. Worse still, hiding them behind optional party interactions is an absolutely baffling design choice. Without the Banter Mod, I would've missed a huge amount of character development simply because I didn't have the right party composition at the right time.
It honestly feels like one of the worst design decisions in an otherwise incredible game.
Combat & Bosses
Combat remains one of Octopath II's greatest strengths, but the bosses are where the game truly shines.
Every major boss felt unique, memorable and rewarding to overcome. The optional superbosses, in particular, are brutally difficult—but for the right reasons. They demand proper strategy, party building and planning rather than simply mashing through encounters.
That said, I wasn't a fan of how progression works for those optional bosses. Even when using the correct strategies, I often found the fights came down to luck unless I returned massively over-levelled. I eventually beat them, but many victories felt more like brute-forcing the numbers than mastering the mechanics, which was a little disappointing.
Random Encounters
This was easily my biggest gameplay frustration.
Random encounters become incredibly irritating, especially late in the game. Returning to early-game areas only to have low-level enemies constantly interrupt you became exhausting.
By the end of the adventure I shouldn't still be getting stopped every few seconds by enemies that pose absolutely no threat. It made revisiting old locations feel like a chore rather than something enjoyable.
Music
Absolutely phenomenal.
The soundtrack is honestly God-tier. Every town, battle and emotional moment is elevated by the music, and I genuinely don't have a single complaint here. It's one of the best video game soundtracks I've heard.
World & Visuals
The world is gorgeous.
The HD-2D art style continues to impress, and every location feels distinct, colourful and full of personality. Whether exploring bustling cities or quiet countryside, the game constantly reminded me why this visual style has become so beloved.
English Dub
As someone who almost always plays Japanese games with Japanese voices because English dubs often miss the mark, I was genuinely surprised here.
The English dub is excellent.
Not only are the performances consistently strong, but the different regional accents help make the world feel larger and more believable. I'd actually recommend playing in English, which is something I very rarely say for JRPGs.
Final Thoughts
Octopath Traveler II is an outstanding JRPG and one of the best I've played in years. The storytelling, soundtrack, world design, visuals and boss battles are all exceptional.
Most of my frustrations come from JRPG conventions that some players may not mind at all—particularly the random encounters and some of the optional boss progression. They never stopped me from loving the game, but they did hold it back from perfection.
Despite those issues, this is an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys turn-based RPGs.
⭐ Final Score: 9/10
