For the Nintendo Switch this year, one of the confirmed 3rd party exclusives that many can’t wait to get their hands on is Octopath Traveler from Square Enix. The unique 2.5 HD RPG will feature 8 main characters that the developer has been slowly unveiling, and now, we finally know the final two.
First up is Cyrus, a Scholar. His journey takes him to find an ancient lost tome, which is said to have the key to unlocking lots of mysteries. His special “Path Action” is called Scrutinize, where he can glean information from people and learn all sorts of things, including clues that can help solve mysteries.
Finally, we have Ophelia, the Cleric. She is a servant in the Order of the Sacred Flame, one who goes on a pilgrimage with the goal of bringing light back to the world. Her Path Action is Guide. With it, she can actually take people along with her on her journey, and literally “guide” them to where they need to be in the world. This will set up a lot of options for quests, and could lead to some very interesting story moments.
The Octopath Traveler demo also gave insight into something else the game was going to offer with the characters, “Eight Talents”. Each character, from Olberic to Ophelia have a Path Action, but, they also have a special Talent. Here’s the breakdown:
Cyrus can Study Foe and learn a weakness. Olberic has Bolster Defense, which lets him enter Boost Mode when defending. Alfyn can Concoct, making potions to heal allies or hurt foes. H’aanit can Capture, taking a beast in battle for herself and then send them after other enemies. Ophelia and Primrose can both summon characters they have attached to them into battle, which can bring your party up to 6 people. Tressa has Eye For Money, which lets her pick up money by walking through the world. And Therion can use Lock Pick to open up special treasure chests.
One of the biggest questions gamers have had about Octopath Traveler is about how the eight protagonists come together, and how that’ll affect the story. The trailer how this will all break down.
As expected you’ll start off with one character choice, and start on their story. As you progress, you’ll meet the other seven characters. You can have up to four in your battle party, but can swap characters by going to a Tavern in various towns.
In regards to the story, every characters tale is broken up into chapters. As such, you can progress through any character story at any time at any rate that you want. You can even beat all eight stories in playthrough.
This makes me more excited for Octopath Traveler, and I can’t wait for it to arrive on Switch on July 13th.
