Decided to download the demo for Octopath Traveler on the Nintendo Switch. It is a turn based rpg (think old school Final Fantasy) where there are 8 characters with intertwining stories. You start off by selecting one of those 8 characters to begin your journey. Each character has their own story and as you progress through the game you can encounter and unlock each of the 8. I think it's a pretty good premise but I'm a bit skeptical about the game just being 8 separate stories as opposed to one great story with 8 characters each playing a role. I can't know this for sure based off the demo but that is the sense I got from the two hours I've played so far.
I started the demo as H'aanit, a hunter with an extremely annoying accent. The accent was so bad that I almost shut the game off before I had finished the introduction to her story. Her accent was of the ye olde style but then added random en's at the end of words. For example: I am writen this blogen on steemiten. The accent doesn't add anything to the story beyond making portions of dialog confusing. Thankfully not all characters converse in this style but even still it might be enough to dissuade me from purchasing this game.
The initial stories are very much walls of text as the game tries to give you a solid background on who each character is. I appreciate the idea but I was over twenty minutes into the game before I was able to actually start playing. I like all the information but I do have an urge to get a taste of the game as soon as I start it up. I wish they would have mixed in a bit more combat/mechanics into the initial backstories instead of just flooding the player with information.
I still have an hour left in my demo and have played through two of the back stories so far unlocking H'aanit and Ophilia for my party. The interaction and reasoning for the two characters working together seemed very weak and bordered on being non-existent which struck me as bizarre for a game that just finished giving me a huge backstory for H'aanit. It was just like two strangers bumping into each other in the streets and randomly deciding to be best friends.
The combat felt really good and seems simple but definitely has some hidden depth and strategy. Each character has a unique mechanic that changes how they approach battle plus an interesting weakness/break system that allows for even the simplest of fights be more engaging than simply mashing the attack button. In my opinion the combat was the highlight of the entire game for me and might be enough to push me over the edge on whether or not I purchase the game.
I can't see myself pre-ordering this game but I will be looking out for some reviews once the game releases before reaching my final decision. I'm guessing this title will easily have 100 hours of content and possible replayability depending on how the character interaction is structured (ie. can i beat the game with only using one of the eight characters).
My final vedict is, I see some potential here but I'm on the fence about whether or not that outweighs the obvious flaws I discovered during limited initial play. More information is needed!