I took a look at the Octopath Traveler demo version recently, and it
left quite an impression on me. I'm still not quite sure whether it was
positive or negative, however, mostly because the game's intentions are
still somewhat elusive. While there are some aspects of the demo that
appealed to me a great deal, others feel a bit nebulous, and the game as
a whole seems to lack some direction. While the developers have
apparently taken some of the concerns of those who evaluated the game to
heart, there is still much that has not been said about Octopath
Traveler, and while its aesthetic is striking and its homages evident, I
hope to address some concerns regarding this new Square Enix RPG.
Breaking and Entering
Xenoblade Chronicles is a series that has consistently utilized a Break system, enabling characters the opportunity to knock over enemies and keep them from dishing out damage. Although the first entry in the series had specific enemies that required toppling, it was not a universal mechanic- that is, enemies didn't need to enter the Break state in order to be damaged.
If you have played the Octopath Traveler demo, you probably know where I am going with this.
While the Break state in the demo is certainly unique and adds an additional layer of complexity to combat, it is also an effective means of slowing the game's momentum almost entirely. Engagements that feature more than one enemy are often exercises in tedium, requiring either group-based skills in order to simultaneously Break, or a significant amount of buffing or debuffing in order to peel away the layers of defense that every enemy seems to possess. While earlier encounters in the game have enemies with Break weaknesses that are suited to your specific Traveler's equipment/job, this soon proves to not be the case, requiring additional party members and investment into new equipment and potentially sub-jobs (I want to call them "sub-classes," but, you know...). The combat of Octopath Traveler seems to be heavily centered around this Break system, but its stringent one-turn respite from enemy attacks only seems to draw battles out to an absurd degree. Assuming that the game will offer multiple party members and frequent sub-job changes in order to maximize Break potential, these prolonged engagements might not be as aggravating as they are in the opening moments of this demo.
That being said, if the developers have emphasized
a battle system motif as basic as the Break system as a means to inform
the entirety of the combat to come in the game, I question the
longevity and complexity of the combat system as a whole. Consider what aspects the Break system actually factors into: equipment, magic, turn-banking, jobs, and most importantly, enemy defense. This somewhat gimmicky mechanic has evolved into a full-fledged motif, and the rudimentary execution within the demo leaves its implementation open to a great deal of questions. While it may certainly be a means of cracking open enemy defenses and have the potential to be executed with far greater frequency and effectiveness in the full release, the demo gives a poor first impression of the idea. While many games use combat motifs as a means of supplementing damage, the Break system feels like a damage limitation.
Jobs and Sub-jobs: Opening a Can of Worms
Exploring the Break system further, we come to the Job system of Octopath Traveler, likely present due to the Masashi Takahashi and Tomoya Asano's previous experience with the Bravely series. Despite that series' nauseating insistence on grinding and unlocking new jobs, Octopath Traveler seems to strip things back, which may be both a blessing and a curse. Jobs themselves don't level up, but players are free to spend points on Job abilities in whatever way they choose. This seems to be based primarily on the idea that the player should obtain skills that enable them to induce the Break state with greater efficiency. In addition, they are able to take on Sub-Jobs at a certain point, further expanding their versatility. However, whether or not these Sub-Jobs are full-committal or temporary is yet-to-be known, and either path presents its own quandaries. While full-committal choices make each playthrough more unique, temporary selection allows for more grinding and a less-punishing difficulty curve. How punishing this curve is, however, depends largely on what enemies present themselves within the main narrative, as their number and variety of Break weaknesses will dictate what abilities and jobs players opt to invest in.
Ultimately, however, this will come down to the developer's preference, and if you have played Bravely Default or its sequel, you may be familiar with the way developers tend to gear their player accessibility. Hell, the fact that they offered a player survey should say even more. Sub-Jobs will likely be temporary and low-committal, allowing players to experiment with a variety of options in order to bypass the new enemy types they encounter during their playthrough. The only saving grace of this, is that there are only eight kinds of Jobs to access, which will (hopefully) result in less of an ability grind.
However, this also presents another conundrum.
A Path Entirely Your Own
One of the primary aspects of Octopath Traveler is that the player can choose one of eight protagonists' narratives to follow along the path of the game. While the freedom of choice may sound appealing, it may be more convoluted in execution. If there is one aspect of "singular narratives" that can hurt an overall product, it is the linearity that each story path offers. Games like The Legend of Legacy prove that, in allowing all characters to be become available over the course of a single story path, their roles and personalities become transparent and inconsequential. What's more, the two playable characters from the demo were selected because of the relative proximity to one another in regards to where their narratives begin, but this might also mean the world map is tightly packed or relatively small. If the other party members do not contribute to each other's narratives, these narratives may be vibrant and unique enough to entice the player into going through the game eight times. However, Octopath Traveler's narratives have proven somewhat bland upon first impression, and although there are mysteries yet to be discovered hidden behind overly-dramatic sprite-based cutscenes, the Bravely series isn't known for a compelling narrative. Will there be an unlockable final narrative after completing all eight paths? Will you care enough to go through with all of them to find out?
This is where the issue- or perhaps saving grace- with temporary, low-grind sub-jobs. If there's a low number of jobs and abilities, and a large number of "main" narratives, that likely means either the game is balanced with shorter narratives in mind that can be completed one after another, or each other narrative has such a strong focus on its protagonist that all the other party members lose any semblance of personality. Either way, it doesn't look perfect.
The real oddity of all of this is present within the demo, where certain side quests are only completed by having specific characters in your party. While this might mean your choice in party member is more committal, locking certain quests out of specific party builds, it more likely means that the player will have to collect all eight protagonists within a single playthrough in order to complete every side quest. If this is the case, then playing the game really only amounts to which character you think will have the most interesting narrative, which... doesn't really seem to be a great impetus.
Hope Against Hope
Now, if there is anything a skeptic can take from this article, its that a great deal of its latter half is based on speculation coming from experience with Silicon Studio's prior work. This is unfortunately all we have as a basis for this title, however, and your impressions of the previously mentioned caveats in the battle and jobs systems as well as the narrative structure will vary depending on whether or not you truly enjoyed titles like Bravely Default. However, a number of that series' calling cards are present, down to the relatively simplistic dungeon design, turn-banking, and wordy cutscenes.
Does this mean that Octopath Traveler is going to be a bad game? No, just that it has some quirks that really emphasize its experimental nature. While I would love each narrative to utilize every character in its story, and for the job system to be high-committal in order to encourage multiple, varied playthroughs (emphasizing the Nintendo Switch's mantra of organic, player-driven experiences), I think it's best to be cautious in approaching this title rather than falling head-over-heels immediately. And hey, what's present in the demo is not all bad, either- the aesthetic quality of the game is decidedly retro, but also very fresh looking. There's a pretty neat little touch where every player's outfit is different, even if they share two of the same Jobs. The turn-banking system is far superior than Bravely Default's own, but it favors the Break system (a bit) more. Even when attacking, you still build up turns, and they can only be stacked with specific attacks and abilities. Also, the option to wield multiple weapons in order to access numerous abilities is pretty neat.
All-in-all, it's nice to get a glimpse at what a game may play and look like, and Octopath Traveler's demo has given both its audience and developer plenty to consider. Some improvements, like movement speed, cutscenes, and aesthetics are being altered, but it is important to note that the fundamental aspects of the game are largely untouched. As we near the July 13th release date, keep an eye out for reports and reviews mentioning any of these potential aspects, as it may reveal the nature of this project. It may be too soon to tell whether this game will have players wading through familiar and stagnant waters, or braving new uncharted territory that encourages unique experiences and storytelling.
Do you have any thoughts on the battle system in Octopath Traveler? What did you think of its narratives? Did you- you poor soul- get to the true ending of Bravely Default? As always, feel free to leave a comment, and please subscribe for more updates and articles.
Breaking and Entering
Xenoblade Chronicles is a series that has consistently utilized a Break system, enabling characters the opportunity to knock over enemies and keep them from dishing out damage. Although the first entry in the series had specific enemies that required toppling, it was not a universal mechanic- that is, enemies didn't need to enter the Break state in order to be damaged.
If you have played the Octopath Traveler demo, you probably know where I am going with this.
While the Break state in the demo is certainly unique and adds an additional layer of complexity to combat, it is also an effective means of slowing the game's momentum almost entirely. Engagements that feature more than one enemy are often exercises in tedium, requiring either group-based skills in order to simultaneously Break, or a significant amount of buffing or debuffing in order to peel away the layers of defense that every enemy seems to possess. While earlier encounters in the game have enemies with Break weaknesses that are suited to your specific Traveler's equipment/job, this soon proves to not be the case, requiring additional party members and investment into new equipment and potentially sub-jobs (I want to call them "sub-classes," but, you know...). The combat of Octopath Traveler seems to be heavily centered around this Break system, but its stringent one-turn respite from enemy attacks only seems to draw battles out to an absurd degree. Assuming that the game will offer multiple party members and frequent sub-job changes in order to maximize Break potential, these prolonged engagements might not be as aggravating as they are in the opening moments of this demo.
Jobs and Sub-jobs: Opening a Can of Worms
Exploring the Break system further, we come to the Job system of Octopath Traveler, likely present due to the Masashi Takahashi and Tomoya Asano's previous experience with the Bravely series. Despite that series' nauseating insistence on grinding and unlocking new jobs, Octopath Traveler seems to strip things back, which may be both a blessing and a curse. Jobs themselves don't level up, but players are free to spend points on Job abilities in whatever way they choose. This seems to be based primarily on the idea that the player should obtain skills that enable them to induce the Break state with greater efficiency. In addition, they are able to take on Sub-Jobs at a certain point, further expanding their versatility. However, whether or not these Sub-Jobs are full-committal or temporary is yet-to-be known, and either path presents its own quandaries. While full-committal choices make each playthrough more unique, temporary selection allows for more grinding and a less-punishing difficulty curve. How punishing this curve is, however, depends largely on what enemies present themselves within the main narrative, as their number and variety of Break weaknesses will dictate what abilities and jobs players opt to invest in.
Ultimately, however, this will come down to the developer's preference, and if you have played Bravely Default or its sequel, you may be familiar with the way developers tend to gear their player accessibility. Hell, the fact that they offered a player survey should say even more. Sub-Jobs will likely be temporary and low-committal, allowing players to experiment with a variety of options in order to bypass the new enemy types they encounter during their playthrough. The only saving grace of this, is that there are only eight kinds of Jobs to access, which will (hopefully) result in less of an ability grind.
However, this also presents another conundrum.
A Path Entirely Your Own
One of the primary aspects of Octopath Traveler is that the player can choose one of eight protagonists' narratives to follow along the path of the game. While the freedom of choice may sound appealing, it may be more convoluted in execution. If there is one aspect of "singular narratives" that can hurt an overall product, it is the linearity that each story path offers. Games like The Legend of Legacy prove that, in allowing all characters to be become available over the course of a single story path, their roles and personalities become transparent and inconsequential. What's more, the two playable characters from the demo were selected because of the relative proximity to one another in regards to where their narratives begin, but this might also mean the world map is tightly packed or relatively small. If the other party members do not contribute to each other's narratives, these narratives may be vibrant and unique enough to entice the player into going through the game eight times. However, Octopath Traveler's narratives have proven somewhat bland upon first impression, and although there are mysteries yet to be discovered hidden behind overly-dramatic sprite-based cutscenes, the Bravely series isn't known for a compelling narrative. Will there be an unlockable final narrative after completing all eight paths? Will you care enough to go through with all of them to find out?
This is where the issue- or perhaps saving grace- with temporary, low-grind sub-jobs. If there's a low number of jobs and abilities, and a large number of "main" narratives, that likely means either the game is balanced with shorter narratives in mind that can be completed one after another, or each other narrative has such a strong focus on its protagonist that all the other party members lose any semblance of personality. Either way, it doesn't look perfect.
The real oddity of all of this is present within the demo, where certain side quests are only completed by having specific characters in your party. While this might mean your choice in party member is more committal, locking certain quests out of specific party builds, it more likely means that the player will have to collect all eight protagonists within a single playthrough in order to complete every side quest. If this is the case, then playing the game really only amounts to which character you think will have the most interesting narrative, which... doesn't really seem to be a great impetus.
Hope Against Hope
Now, if there is anything a skeptic can take from this article, its that a great deal of its latter half is based on speculation coming from experience with Silicon Studio's prior work. This is unfortunately all we have as a basis for this title, however, and your impressions of the previously mentioned caveats in the battle and jobs systems as well as the narrative structure will vary depending on whether or not you truly enjoyed titles like Bravely Default. However, a number of that series' calling cards are present, down to the relatively simplistic dungeon design, turn-banking, and wordy cutscenes.
Does this mean that Octopath Traveler is going to be a bad game? No, just that it has some quirks that really emphasize its experimental nature. While I would love each narrative to utilize every character in its story, and for the job system to be high-committal in order to encourage multiple, varied playthroughs (emphasizing the Nintendo Switch's mantra of organic, player-driven experiences), I think it's best to be cautious in approaching this title rather than falling head-over-heels immediately. And hey, what's present in the demo is not all bad, either- the aesthetic quality of the game is decidedly retro, but also very fresh looking. There's a pretty neat little touch where every player's outfit is different, even if they share two of the same Jobs. The turn-banking system is far superior than Bravely Default's own, but it favors the Break system (a bit) more. Even when attacking, you still build up turns, and they can only be stacked with specific attacks and abilities. Also, the option to wield multiple weapons in order to access numerous abilities is pretty neat.
All-in-all, it's nice to get a glimpse at what a game may play and look like, and Octopath Traveler's demo has given both its audience and developer plenty to consider. Some improvements, like movement speed, cutscenes, and aesthetics are being altered, but it is important to note that the fundamental aspects of the game are largely untouched. As we near the July 13th release date, keep an eye out for reports and reviews mentioning any of these potential aspects, as it may reveal the nature of this project. It may be too soon to tell whether this game will have players wading through familiar and stagnant waters, or braving new uncharted territory that encourages unique experiences and storytelling.
Do you have any thoughts on the battle system in Octopath Traveler? What did you think of its narratives? Did you- you poor soul- get to the true ending of Bravely Default? As always, feel free to leave a comment, and please subscribe for more updates and articles.
Comments
Post a Comment