Octopath Traveler Switch NSP + Update Free Download Romslab

Octopath Traveler Switch  Free Download You only need to take a look at any screenshot to know that this game is one glorious, gorgeous, decadent homage to the mighty JRPGs of the 16-big era. Just as we were absolutely mesmerised by the colour, vibrancy, and spectacular vision of the Final Fantasies and Dragon Quests that were released on the SNES, so too is Octopath Traveler one visionary example of how simple pixels, drawn with care, can really immerse a player in its world.ROMSLAB.COM Best Switch Games

Octopath Traveler Switch NSP + Update Free Download Romslab

This sometimes comes at a cost; playing the game on the (relatively) small Nintendo Switch screen makes it difficult to navigate the world at points. So lavish is the level of detail in every square inch of the screen that sometimes I struggled to make out where the paths were to navigate through the world, let alone find those cleverly-hidden paths that led to treasure chests.

RPG

Beyond that, though, mild inconveniences like not knowing which path to follow are well worth putting up with for the stunning artistic vision that this game offers. I often argue that the technical side of video games is irrelevant; sure Kratos’ biceps are rendered well, and of course Ubisoft does an impressive job filling massive open worlds with stuff, but really, what I actually want to see with my eyes is abstracted beauty; art design that tantilises, intrigues, and kicks the imagination into high gear. For me, that’s Octopath Traveler. I haven’t played a more beautiful game in years.

Octopath Traveler Switch NSP + Update Free Download Romslab

Were Octopath Traveler just the extension of classic sprite-based JRPG action, I imagine I would have put it down well before actually finishing it. I love my old JRPGs, of course, but I’m busy enough these days that I’d rather not spend 80-odd hours in one that can’t push past tradition. But in practice, Octopath’s storytelling is that much more refined, nuanced, and mature that the classics that it draws inspiration from. Its greatest defining feature is the way it introduces characters.Wunderling Switch NSP 

Battle

At the start, you’re given the option of choosing any one character from the cast. At that point you lock yourself out of all the other characters, until you’ve completed an introductory story, dungeon, and boss battle. Then Octopath Traveler opens up, letting you visit the communities of each of the other heroes, in any order, and then experiencing their stories before having them ultimately join your team.

Octopath Traveler Switch NSP + Update Free Download Romslab

This structure allows you to spend the time to get to know each and every character properly, and independently of their role within the broader group. In so many JRPGs – particularly the classics, the story is told exclusively from the perspective of one or two main characters. Each of the supplementary characters in those titles was reduced to little more than their mechanical role in combat or are there as motivation to push the main protagonists along. Even the mighty Final Fantasy VI, for all its moments of narrative brilliance, had a significant number of meekly supplemental characters that were never given more than the most passing of treatment.Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA Switch 

Character

Octopath Traveler neatly sidesteps that through its structure so every character has genuine purpose, emotion, and motivations within their arcs. It results in a behemoth of an overall narrative that is every bit as unwieldy as other works in which the author insists on giving every character a proper arc (Game of Thrones, anyone?), but it works. As long as you’ve got patience for the game, you’re in for some of the most potent characters you’ll ever have experienced in a JRPG.

Octopath Traveler Switch NSP + Update Free Download Romslab

It’s nice that they’ve all got abilities unique to them outside of combat, too, and each time you add a new character to the team, you’ll want to go backtracking and see how that new character can interact with the people of previous towns. Coupled with the side quest structure, it’s easy to get very lost in doing everything but the main task in those early stages of the game (that task being adding all the other characters to your party), and somehow Octopath feels open, despite being far more linear than any open would game you might have played.1-2-Switch Switch NSP 

Add-ons (DLC): Octopath Traveler Switch