Octopath Traveler 0 Review

When I first heard that Octopath Traveler 0 was evolving out of Champions of the Continent, I’ll admit I was cautious. The mobile game had some great ideas and a surprisingly strong story, but it was also very much designed around gacha systems, daily play habits, and bite-sized progression. Turning that into a full, premium console RPG felt like a tall order. After spending close to 90 hours with Octopath Traveler 0 on Nintendo Switch 2, I can safely say Square Enix didn’t just port a mobile game. They rebuilt it into something that finally feels like a true mainline Octopath entry.

At its core, Octopath Traveler 0 is still rooted in the familiar world and systems fans expect, but it takes a very different approach to structure. Instead of following eight separate protagonists with connected stories, this time everything revolves around a single main character, the adventurer you create yourself. That change alone gives the game a very different tone. This isn’t a collection of personal vignettes. It’s a long-form journey that follows one character across years of in-game time, shaped by the people you meet and the choices you make along the way.

The story begins in a relatively humble fashion. You create your character, choose their appearance and starting job, and are quickly drawn into events that spiral far beyond what you initially expect. Without spoiling specifics, the narrative is built around cycles of power, ambition, and consequence. It’s noticeably darker than I expected, even by Octopath standards. There are betrayals, moral compromises, and moments that genuinely caught me off guard. The game isn’t afraid to sit in uncomfortable territory, and that willingness to go dark gives the story real weight.

Rather than splitting the narrative into character-specific arcs, Octopath Traveler 0 uses a chapter-based structure focused on major events in the world. Those chapters often span large stretches of time, and you feel that passage in meaningful ways. Towns change. Relationships evolve. The consequences of earlier actions resurface much later in the story. It gives the adventure a sense of scale that previous games sometimes struggled to achieve.

This is also a very long RPG. My playthrough landed just under 85 hours, and that was without completing absolutely everything. If you’re thorough, 100 hours isn’t unrealistic. What surprised me most is how well-paced it is. I was worried the length would lead to filler content or repetitive storytelling, but that never really happened. The plot continues to introduce new ideas, twists, and character dynamics at a steady pace. Even when the game slows down, it usually does so to let the world breathe rather than to pad out playtime.

A big reason the story works as well as it does is the massive cast of characters you meet along the way. There are over 30 recruitable party members, each with their own background, motivations, and personal side stories. These aren’t throwaway NPCs. Many of them grow alongside you over the course of the game, and learning about their pasts often recontextualises earlier moments. I found myself genuinely attached to several party members I initially recruited just because they filled a gameplay role.

Each character comes with their own job class, skills, and path actions, which return in a refined form. Path actions still let you interact with NPCs in different ways depending on the character you’re using, whether that’s gathering information, acquiring items, or influencing the world through less honorable means. With such a large roster, there’s a lot of flexibility in how you approach towns and side content. It encourages experimentation without ever feeling overwhelming.

Combat remains turn-based and firmly rooted in the Break and Boost system that defines Octopath, but it’s expanded in meaningful ways. The biggest change is that you can now bring up to eight characters into battle. Four are active on the frontline, while four remain in the backline, ready to tag in. The tag system is simple but adds a lot of tactical depth. Characters can be swapped mid-battle, allowing you to respond to enemy weaknesses, manage resources, or set up powerful combinations without wasting turns.

Customisation is where the combat really shines. With so many characters and jobs available, the number of viable team compositions is huge. Each character can equip different weapons, learn skills, and specialise in ways that suit your playstyle. I enjoyed building parties around specific strategies, whether that meant exploiting elemental weaknesses, focusing on break damage, or setting up long combo chains. Battles rarely feel repetitive, especially later in the game when enemies demand careful planning.

Another major addition is the town-building system centered around Wishvale. Rebuilding this town becomes an ongoing side objective that runs parallel to the main story. You unlock new structures, upgrade facilities, and recruit residents, each of which provides tangible benefits. Some buildings improve shops, others unlock new services, and a few even tie directly into character progression and side stories.

What I appreciated most is that the system is mostly optional. If you love town-building and management, you can sink a lot of time into Wishvale and see meaningful rewards. If that’s not your thing, you can engage with it only as much as the story requires and move on. It never felt forced, which is impressive given how central it could have been. For me, it struck a nice balance. I invested enough to see the town flourish without feeling like I was managing a spreadsheet.

Visually, Octopath Traveler 0 is another excellent showcase of Square Enix’s HD-2D style. The blend of pixel art characters with richly detailed environments continues to impress. Lighting effects, shadows, and particle effects add depth and atmosphere to scenes, especially during dramatic story moments. Towns feel lively, dungeons have distinct moods, and combat animations are sharp and satisfying.

Performance on the Nintendo Switch 2 is also very solid. I didn’t encounter any major frame rate drops, even during busy combat encounters or visually dense areas. Load times are short, and the game feels responsive whether docked or handheld. It’s clear this version was built with the hardware in mind rather than being a quick conversion.

That said, the game isn’t flawless. The most noticeable issue for me was the audio quality during voiced dialogue. At times, especially in handheld mode, the voice audio sounds compressed. It’s not constant, but when it happens, it stands out against the otherwise polished presentation. It doesn’t ruin the experience, but it’s a shame given how strong the writing and performances often are.

There are also moments where the sheer size of the cast can make some characters feel under-utilised if you don’t actively seek out their side content. The game gives you the tools to learn more about everyone, but it does require effort. Players who stick to a small core party might miss out on some excellent character moments.

In the end, Octopath Traveler 0 exceeded my expectations. Square Enix managed to take a mobile-focused title and transform it into a cohesive, ambitious RPG that stands proudly alongside the rest of the series. The shift to a single custom protagonist, the darker and more interconnected story, the expanded combat system, and the optional town-building all come together in a way that feels thoughtful and confident.

This is a long game, but it earns its length. It respects your time, rewards your curiosity, and offers enough depth to keep things interesting from start to finish. If you’re an Octopath fan who skipped Champions of the Continent, this is an excellent way to experience its world in a far more complete form. And if you’re new to the series, Octopath Traveler 0 is a surprisingly strong entry point, offering a rich, memorable adventure that lingers long after the credits roll.

A Nintendo Switch 2 review code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

If you want to see more content like this and never miss one of our frequent gaming and anime giveaways come and Follow Ani-Game on Twitter.