A few weeks ago we gave our first impressions of the new role-playing game for the Nintendo Switch, Octopath Traveler. Now that we’ve been able to spend a little more time with the game, we figured it was time for a full review.

To recap from before: Octopath Traveler allows players to choose from one of eight different playable characters (and also acquire the other seven in the party over the course of the game). There’s Olberic, the warrior; Alfyn, the apothecary; Cyrus, the professor; H’aanit, the hunter; Therion, the thief; Ophilia, the cleric; Primrose, the dancer; and Tressa, the merchant. Each character obviously plays differently in battle, and each has their own unique story to tell in the world shared between them.

You get to pick one character to begin the game with – in my case, I went with the thief, Therion. Like all characters, Therion has a “Path Action” unique to him. He can steal items off of NPCs in and around towns, with varying degrees of success, which makes the early game a lot easier in some respects because funds can be so hard to come by. By simply swiping useful items off of others, that’s less money that I have to spend. Of course, with that ability comes the risk of not stealing successfully, which can lower your reputation in the town you’re in, which can inhibit your ability to perform certain tasks. Every other character has a Path Action as well, which can come in handy in a variety of scenarios.

I genuinely like all of the characters, and with eight of them to choose from, I had sort of expected there to be some standout favorites and standout dislikes. But all of them are very charming! They all have really great and well-written personalities and all of them are very easy to root for when it comes to their individual stories.

While there’s been a lot of criticism leveled at the story itself, I actually kind of enjoy it. The eight different character stories definitely do not overlap in any sort of meaningful way, which can certainly be seen as a strike against it. However, I don’t mind that there’s no real overlap – the characters all have their own priorities and their own quests, and the way that each of them weaves through the world is unique and fun despite not having interaction between them. The characters themselves will comment on what’s happening via some travel banter that can occur in each chapter, and the vignettes provide some greater insight to how these eight different personalities would get along with each other.

Each of the eight different Chapter Ones leans pretty heavily into some well-worn RPG tropes, but once you get into the real meat of each story, the narrative begins to undercut expectations in interesting ways. Take Alfyn, the apothecary – his story begins light and fluffy, with him helping to save a sick girl from the effects of deadly venom. He then leaves to try and become a great traveling doctor. But his tale takes a pretty hard turn into some pretty grey morality, leaving him questioning what the true purpose of his job is. It’s that kind of storytelling that shines through in Octopath, and much like an engaging book, it keeps me wanting to continue through each Chapter and see what happens to these characters.

Besides the story and characters, the game also boasts some cool battle techniques as well, such as Boost Points. Characters get a Boost Point at the end of every round, and can expend them on their turn in order to deal additional damage. It’s a similar concept to what was used in Bravely Default, which was developed by the same team of people, but Octopath executes the concept in a far more solid fashion.

The game’s look is also striking. Octopath boasts what the developers call “HD-2D,” with 16-bit sprites that would look right at home on a Super Nintendo title on a gorgeous three-dimensional backdrop. It’s something I don’t think has been done before, and it certainly gives the game a unique flavor to it. It’s as if you’re playing a story in a pop-up book (which, given that the collector’s edition of this game actually came with a pop-up book, really makes a lot of sense).

Octopath Traveler is absolutely a must-play for anyone with a Nintendo Switch who even has a passing interest in JRPGs. Between an engaging story and a genuinely fun battle system, it’s the role-playing experience that this system has desperately needed.

-Carrie Wood