Current Events > I am not so sure about Octopath Traveler (16 hours in)

(+) Yeah! (+)

OCTOPATH TRAVELER SPOILERS BELOW THIS LINE

So far I have gotten all the characters, unlocked all 8 of the basic jobs, done one chapter 2 quest for Alf (my main).

The combat is great. I enjoy the hell out of it.
I love the music. I enjoy the hell out of it.
I give absolutely no fucks about the story.

It's 8 separate, totally non connecting (except for the fact that people might be headed the same direction), and are basically tropes.

I need to find this holy item.
I need to kill the guy that killed my parents.
I need to make my parents proud.
My brother went missing.
(Some of those are made up but are an example of the super basic RPG tropes that are used for the story)

The story is just trash.

Maybe it will get better, and maybe by the 16 hour mark in an RPG I am used to knowing more than "I need to make my parents proud" and maybe even knowing if there is a big bad guy at the end and who he is (no idea at this point of the game)

Once again, the rest of the game is great and I love playing it... as you may be able to tell by the amount of time I put in. But this game's story is absolute trash.
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Cool story, bro
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Tyranthraxus posted...

Cool story, bro

Literally not in this games case.
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Unfortunately that seems to be everyone's feedback on the game. Could be the greatest gameplay ever but if the story doesn't grip me then I fail to get invested.

See: Kingdoms of Amalur.
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pinky0926 posted...

Unfortunately that seems to be everyone's feedback on the game. Could be the greatest gameplay ever but if the story doesn't grip me then I fail to get invested.

See: Kingdoms of Amalur.

That's what's killing me with it. I still want to play and I want to finish but this game could have been a masterpiece if the story was any good.
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WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

The story is just trash.

I saw the endings and post and thought that as well but apparently having this opinion means your trolling so....
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I can go either way with RPGs. I couldn't give a shit about FFX's story until around the very end and even then, barely, but the combat had me hooked.
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I dunno. I don't feel as if there needs to be some grandiose adventure going on behind the scenes. The idea of 8 semi normal people going on their own personal journeys for sometimes selfish reasons is oddly refreshing. It feels like it's circumventing the "chosen ones save the world" trope in a nice way
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It does feel disjointed because of that. Once getting all the characters, I was like, man, paying attention to each story feels like a slog. Having to switch narrative gears in my head constantly. The rest is solid.
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happibivouac posted...

I can go either way with RPGs. I couldn't give a shit about FFX's story until around the very end and even then, barely, but the combat had me hooked.

FFX overarching story was secondary to its character development I think. I think the story was good, but what set it apart for me was the camaraderie and how every member of the party felt like part of a family. You really wanted to use them in your team and each person fulfilled a distinct, critical role, both in the gameplay and in the setting.

Too many RPGs throw all these characters at you that you don't give a shit about.
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pinky0926 posted...

FFX overarching story was secondary to its character development I think. I think the story was good, but what set it apart for me was the camaraderie and how every member of the party felt like part of a family. You really wanted to use them in your team and each person fulfilled a distinct, critical role, both in the gameplay and in the setting.

Except for Kimahri, fucking useless on both fronts.
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MarqueeSeries posted...

I dunno. I don't feel as if there needs to be some grandiose adventure going on behind the scenes. The idea of 8 semi normal people going on their own personal journeys for sometimes selfish reasons is oddly refreshing. It feels like it's circumventing the "chosen ones save the world" trope in a nice way

This. I actually really like that it's just eight people traveling together on their own personal journeys of discovery and self-reflection. Reminds me of D&D parties where everyone has their own goals as well.
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voldothegr8 posted...

pinky0926 posted...

FFX overarching story was secondary to its character development I think. I think the story was good, but what set it apart for me was the camaraderie and how every member of the party felt like part of a family. You really wanted to use them in your team and each person fulfilled a distinct, critical role, both in the gameplay and in the setting.

Except for Kimahri, fucking useless on both fronts.

I think in the story he was Yuna's original and most devoted protector and he also tied in the Ronso race, but yeah he was pretty lacking in general. He could make a half decent character if you were really careful about his skill tree and chose really unlikely skill choices, but who cares really.
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VandorLee posted...

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

The story is just trash.

I saw the endings and post and thought that as well but apparently having this opinion means your trolling so....

I haven't watched the ending and won't until I beat it.

MarqueeSeries posted...

I dunno. I don't feel as if there needs to be some grandiose adventure going on behind the scenes. The idea of 8 semi normal people going on their own personal journeys for sometimes selfish reasons is oddly refreshing. It feels like it's circumventing the "chosen ones save the world" trope in a nice way

Agree. But they aren't going their separate way, they are all traveling in a group. I would be okay if it was 8 stories that literally never connected and person A never saw person B until maybe the end or something. But that isn't what happens here. They go into battles together but never interact.

MegaTech posted...

It does feel disjointed because of that. Once getting all the characters, I was like, man, paying attention to each story feels like a slog. Having to switch narrative gears in my head constantly. The rest is solid.

Right?

pinky0926 posted...

happibivouac posted...

I can go either way with RPGs. I couldn't give a shit about FFX's story until around the very end and even then, barely, but the combat had me hooked.

FFX overarching story was secondary to its character development I think. I think the story was good, but what set it apart for me was the camaraderie and how every member of the party felt like part of a family. You really wanted to use them in your team and each person fulfilled a distinct, critical role, both in the gameplay and in the setting.

Too many RPGs throw all these characters at you that you don't give a shit about.

And I get that, and I agree with you except in 16 hours the only conversations the characters have had with each other is when you find a new person and they say "oh I have to (insert story trope), you guys look strong, I'll come with you"

That's it.
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WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

this game's story is absolute trash.

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

I give absolutely no fucks about the story.

So why'd you make this topic
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Muffinz0rz posted...

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

this game's story is absolute trash.

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

I give absolutely no fucks about the story.

So why'd you make this topic

The game is giving me no reason to give fucks about the story is what I meant.
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WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

this game's story is absolute trash.

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

I give absolutely no fucks about the story.

So why'd you make this topic

The game is giving me no reason to give fucks about the story is what I meant.

ohhhhhhh gotcha that makes sense, i misinterpreted OP as "i don't give a fuck about the story" in general is how you approach video games, or rather, the gameplay is so much fun that it negates the shitty story
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Fuck the story...do you enjoy playing the game?

Muffinz0rz posted...

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

this game's story is absolute trash.

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

I give absolutely no fucks about the story.

So why'd you make this topic

The game is giving me no reason to give fucks about the story is what I meant.

ohhhhhhh gotcha that makes sense, i misinterpreted OP as "i don't give a fuck about the story" in general is how you approach video games, or rather, the gameplay is so much fun that it negates the shitty story

Nah it's cool. I do give a fuck about the story of all games but this game shines in every other area except story which is why I'm still playing.

Cocytus posted...

Fuck the story...do you enjoy playing the game?

For sure. The rest of the game is great.
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This person pretty much hits it on the nail for me: https://www.reddit.com/r/octopathtraveler/comments/8yu1zz

8 travelers, 8 stories, 8 very linear games in one weird package. I liked the concept of not having a main character and the idea of having 8 destinies intertwined even though at first they had nothing to do together. The problem is that at no point during the game the 8 travelers interact in any significant way together. Party banter is even more frustrating because the dialogs between "party" members are actually pretty cute and nice to read. I loved how Therion was always so cynical with the others, how Ophilia is so naive and awkardly positive, how Cyrus is being called "Professor" by everyone else and is treated as such.
This could have made some really really good story with actual fleshed out characters similarly to a FF6 (or any other game with a similar concept). But no, we get 8 self contained stories which are threfore very small in scope and can be summarized in a couple of sentences. You see where this is going from the prologue and it never becomes epic in any way. On top of that I really hate how the game so artificially makes you travel for every single story and how they are split into chapters. In a nutshell it's like "Hey congrats for moving forward on your not so epic quest, now please travel at the very opposite of the map for no particular reason other than just traveling very far" and you do that for every single chapter. It's not that weird the first few times it happens but when it happens for every single chapter of 8 different stories all at once it starts to feel really absurd.
Which leads me to my following point

The world doesn't feel like a world, at all. I always had during the demo and still now that I've been in every region of the game the feeling that a computer could have randomly generated the maps and I wouldn't have seen the difference. There is no level design whatsoever, the outdoors area are just glorified corridors and the "dungeons" are just a couple of rooms with unnecessarily wacky layout which is basically a game of "where is the not so secret passage to access that flashy pink chest on my screen". It's cute for a dungeon or two and it gets really sad by the end of the game. Not a single area in the game ever made me feel anything. Yes the very first time you enter the desert, or a snowy area you are surprised by the unique artistic design but beyond that first surprise effect it's very bland and very samy all the way. Even the names of the locations are quickly getting quite stupid and stereotypical. You have the snowy place, the place with the river, the place with the oasis and so forth. At this point I would almost have preferred that the game had some self awareness and go all the way and call them Snowtown, Rivertown and so on.

Again, I enjoyed the game for some parts of it but I can't help but being so frustrated at how much potential has been totally wasted and I would sadly not even recommend the game at full retail price to JRPG fans because it's not that good. The more I play the game and the more I want to go back to FF 4 heroes of light, Bravely Default or Bravely Second which in my opinion are all 3 far superior games which heavily relies on similar ideas (in particular FF 4 heroes of light, it's basically Quadrapath Traveler done well, with a story, actual characters, actual content and a progression).

There's some combat stuff in the original post that I half agreed/disagreed with so I didn't include it, but the rest I think is a real concern and make me regret paying full price (or rather, $48) for it

How long is the game to beat, overall? I can't imagine many people have beaten it yet though, considering how long it's been out and how long RPGs tend to be.
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WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

Tyranthraxus posted...

Cool story, bro

Literally not in this games case.

Lol well played.
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KarmaMuffin posted...

This person pretty much hits it on the nail for me: https://www.reddit.com/r/octopathtraveler/comments/8yu1zz

-long reddit snip-

There's some combat stuff in the original post that I half agreed/disagreed with so I didn't include it, but the rest I think is a real concern and make me regret paying full price (or rather, $48) for it

Some legit complaints. I'm still content paying full price. The dungeons / "field map"s aren't really intended to be the highlights, but rather, the town interactions (path actions) and bosses are where the game really shines.

They could be a little better though, but I like them nice and small since yeah there is a lot of cross-map traveling and no way to repel random encounters (Cyrus' skill helps immensely though)

MeIon Bread posted...

How long is the game to beat, overall? I can't imagine many people have beaten it yet though, considering how long it's been out and how long RPGs tend to be.

I'm 16 hours in, I've completed everyone's ch. 1 (skipped dialogue for all but one of them though since I saw them all in the demo) and only three people's ch. 2s. By my estimates, I could probably hit 100 hours (IIRC there are what, four chapters per character?) without necessarily intentionally going out of my way to drag it on. However my natural playstyle is to check pretty much every NPC's path actions, so I can indeed take a while.
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KarmaMuffin posted...

There's some combat stuff in the original post that I half agreed/disagreed with so I didn't include it, but the rest I think is a real concern and make me regret paying full price (or rather, $48) for it

I haven't had any party banter yet. And I said in the OP that I'm 1/3 through most of the games individual stories so maybe it will come up. But it took me around 12 hours to get all 8 characters so you would figure maybe the first two or three guys I got might start banter.

And I agree with that dudes reddit post. I GET what they are trying to do with this game... they want 8 individual stories but they need to all tie together. And once again, maybe they will after I finish everyones "part 2" of the story.

MeIon Bread posted...

How long is the game to beat, overall? I can't imagine many people have beaten it yet though, considering how long it's been out and how long RPGs tend to be.

I'm like 16 hours in and have done 1/3 of the story. I'm guessing it will take 60-70 hours to beat because there is level grinding that's needed.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

(IIRC there are what, four chapters per character?)

For some reason 3 is in my mind but I could be wrong.

It should be noted too that I am doing everyones Chapter 1, then I went and got all the classes to dual class, then I leveled up 4 guys so the lowest was level 25. When one guy hits 25 I will switch them out with someone to level them up to 25. Once all are level 25 then I will move on to the rest of the Chapter 2's and probably have to level all the guys up to 30-35ish for their Chapter 3's.

It sort of kills momentum having to grind levels "between acts" of this story. I'm not opposed to grinding and the combat is fun but it's an absolute must.
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I knew that the story wasn't going to be epic or even a big deal when buying the game. I read reviews, I heard stories, I still planned to buy the game because when I played the demo, the gameplay was great and I loved it.

I'm that kind of guy who loves stories and characters in rpgs but damn is this game addictive. I rather play a game with the positives in mind. If i really feel it necessary to come complain about a game, I know its time to put the controller down.

My advice to you TC is to bring this game back. If you're obviously disliking the game because of that one feature, its not for you.

I like the story for the characters I've gotten so far, sans Ophelia cuz her intro was lame af.
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Smashingpmkns posted...

I like the story for the characters I've gotten so far, sans Ophelia cuz her intro was lame af.

Pfft, i thought it was adorable.

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

I went and got all the classes to dual class,

hold up how do you unlock sub-classes? i assume it's when you unlock every skill for the main's class (for example I'm only 2,500 JP from unlocking Tressa's (???) skill that was just revealed to me). Is that when I can choose a sub-class for her, or did I just totally miss something?
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dameon_reaper posted...

Smashingpmkns posted...

I like the story for the characters I've gotten so far, sans Ophelia cuz her intro was lame af.

Pfft, i thought it was adorable.

It was so slooooow.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

I went and got all the classes to dual class,

hold up how do you unlock sub-classes? i assume it's when you unlock every skill for the main's class (for example I'm only 2,500 JP from unlocking Tressa's (???) skill that was just revealed to me). Is that when I can choose a sub-class for her, or did I just totally miss something?

there are shrines in slightly higher level areas near where you obtain each character that gives their specific class as a sub.
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Smashingpmkns posted...

dameon_reaper posted...

Smashingpmkns posted...

I like the story for the characters I've gotten so far, sans Ophelia cuz her intro was lame af.

Pfft, i thought it was adorable.

It was so slooooow.

I agree about that though. I was trying to hurry and get the cutscene over before bed so I could do her dungeon in the morning and thought it was taking too long but the scene with her and Lianna(in Japanese) made me go "dawww" so I was like "all is forgiven" lol

Smashingpmkns posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

I went and got all the classes to dual class,

hold up how do you unlock sub-classes? i assume it's when you unlock every skill for the main's class (for example I'm only 2,500 JP from unlocking Tressa's (???) skill that was just revealed to me). Is that when I can choose a sub-class for her, or did I just totally miss something?

there are shrines in slightly higher level areas near where you obtain each character that gives their specific class as a sub.

Go to the town's where there are "Part 2" of the stories. Go outside of the town and look for an icon that looks like a jail door (bars going vertically.) The jobs are in caves at those icons.

There are a few jobs that are in super hard areas that are "new". The ones you'll unlock that are in the spoiler area are the same jobs that all 8 characters have now. You'll unlock apothecary (called healer) and whatever job Ophelia has (called Cleric) Basically it's a way to give your characters the ability to use additional weapons and skills.
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dameon_reaper posted...

Smashingpmkns posted...

dameon_reaper posted...

Smashingpmkns posted...

I like the story for the characters I've gotten so far, sans Ophelia cuz her intro was lame af.

Pfft, i thought it was adorable.

It was so slooooow.

I agree about that though. I was trying to hurry and get the cutscene over before bed so I could do her dungeon in the morning and thought it was taking too long but the scene with her and Lianna(in Japanese) made me go "dawww" so I was like "all is forgiven" lol

Cyrus' made me go WTF with that Therese chick.

Oh, you have a crush on him and want to spend more time with him? why not make up a lie about him banging the princess. <-- Cyrus chapter 1 story spoilers
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WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

Smashingpmkns posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

I went and got all the classes to dual class,

hold up how do you unlock sub-classes? i assume it's when you unlock every skill for the main's class (for example I'm only 2,500 JP from unlocking Tressa's (???) skill that was just revealed to me). Is that when I can choose a sub-class for her, or did I just totally miss something?

there are shrines in slightly higher level areas near where you obtain each character that gives their specific class as a sub.

Go to the town's where there are "Part 2" of the stories. Go outside of the town and look for an icon that looks like a jail door (bars going vertically.) The jobs are in caves at those icons.

There are a few jobs that are in super hard areas that are "new". The ones you'll unlock that are in the spoiler area are the same jobs that all 8 characters have now. You'll unlock apothecary (called healer) and whatever job Ophelia has (called Cleric) Basically it's a way to give your characters the ability to use additional weapons and skills.

Ahhh good shit, so I didn't like totally waste JP/EXP by missing out. I've only done a few chapter two areas, so I've lost a LITTLE time, but it's definitely not a game-breaking amount.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

Ahhh good shit, so I didn't like totally waste JP/EXP by missing out. I've only done a few chapter two areas, so I've lost a LITTLE time, but it's definitely not a game-breaking amount.

Nah. Didn't miss anything. To level up the second class it still takes 30, 100, 500, 1000, 3000, 5000 or whatever the skills are. Your JP go into one pool so you can spend 30 on your dual classes first ability or save that 30 for the ultimate for your main class.

You do still get the "bonus" things though. I gave Cyrus the dancer ability that you gain SP back each turn, which means I had to buy 3 or 4 dancer abilities as Cyrus and use one of my limited spaces for that ability. I switched him back because I am trying out him as a Scholar/Apothecary. Still got to keep that dancer bonus though.
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I haven't played it, but the small scale of the story is what appeals to me, actually. A quaint RPG seems refreshing to me. And I like that it doesn't seem very modern animey. That is there isn't a big focus on over the top nonsensical fantasy elements. It seems like a bunch of relatable, believable stories.
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WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

Your JP go into one pool

Oh ok nice

WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

I switched him back because I am trying out him as a Scholar/Apothecary. Still got to keep that dancer bonus though.

Clutch AF, so you could effectively have four bonuses from four different classes?
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An rpg where most think its story is slow/boring or even bad.

Yeah, good luck with that.....
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VandorLee posted...

An rpg where most think its story is slow/boring or even bad.

Yeah, good luck with that.....

Idk what to tell you bruv, look at the reviews

Or just, y'know, play it for yourself since there's a 3 hour demo available. Game's fun to play, as long as it's fun, story can take a step back.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

Clutch AF, so you could effectively have four bonuses from four different classes?

Yeah. I haven't seen otherwise at this point.

spanky1 posted...

I haven't played it, but the small scale of the story is what appeals to me, actually. A quaint RPG seems refreshing to me. And I like that it doesn't seem very modern animey. That is there isn't a big focus on over the top nonsensical fantasy elements. It seems like a bunch of relatable, believable stories.

I'm okay with mediocre stories. This one just has shitty, classic RPG trope type stories.

Literally they are like: Spoilers for ACT 1 stories below
A priestess takes the place of her sister on a world-wide journey to spread the light of their religion. Why does she take the place of her sister? Because it isn't really her sister, she was adopted and her adopted dad (sister's father) is dying.

A knight for a king is betrayed when a "friend" kills the king causing this knight to go into exile in a small town. The story kicks off with him hearing word of his friend and he wants revenge.

A huntress for a village has to go find her master who disappeared on a big hunt.

A trader gets bullied by pirates and she has to stand up to them! A world famous, now-reformed, pirate gives her the idea to sail the world and see all of it.

SOOOO cliche. Now throw 8 of these stories together and put them in a group for no logical reason at this point in the game and call it a story. it isn't that they all have to go to the same town for the next part of their story. They have to go to 7 or 8 different towns. So why are all of these people together?

Edit: It isn't like all 8 are going to towns that are close to each other. The towns are literally on the other side of the continent.
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WrkHrdPlayHrdr posted...

SOOOO cliche

You forgot

CYRUS CH 1 SPOILER

Professor expelled from university after false claim of sexual harassment

Oh wait that is cliche in 2018 America
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Muffinz0rz posted...

VandorLee posted...

An rpg where most think its story is slow/boring or even bad.

Yeah, good luck with that.....

Idk what to tell you bruv, look at the reviews

Or just, y'know, play it for yourself since there's a 3 hour demo available. Game's fun to play, as long as it's fun, story can take a step back.

I already have plenty of rpgs to play with good stories. Itll be a while before i start playin ones known for having bad/slow/boring stories. But i guess with how few rpgs there are on switch that switch owners are just happy with anything.
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VandorLee posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

VandorLee posted...

An rpg where most think its story is slow/boring or even bad.

Yeah, good luck with that.....

Idk what to tell you bruv, look at the reviews

Or just, y'know, play it for yourself since there's a 3 hour demo available. Game's fun to play, as long as it's fun, story can take a step back.

I already have plenty of rpgs to play with good stories. Itll be a while before i start playin ones known for having bad/slow/boring stories. But i guess with how few rpgs there are on switch that switch owners are just happy with anything.

So why are you so obsessed with talking about it? Have you seen your posting history recently?



I mean I literally didn't even have to click into your name, both the topic and the post are about Octopath lmfao
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VandorLee posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

VandorLee posted...

An rpg where most think its story is slow/boring or even bad.

Yeah, good luck with that.....

Idk what to tell you bruv, look at the reviews

Or just, y'know, play it for yourself since there's a 3 hour demo available. Game's fun to play, as long as it's fun, story can take a step back.

I already have plenty of rpgs to play with good stories. Itll be a while before i start playin ones known for having bad/slow/boring stories. But i guess with how few rpgs there are on switch that switch owners are just happy with anything.

The rest of the game is great, as I've said before. The graphics are great and the way they do the background stuff reminds me of 3D Dot Game Heroes with the way the light reflects off the water and some other small stuff.

The music is great.

Combat is fun, but I wish the battles were maybe 10 seconds shorter. These aren't quick in and out battles.

It's just the story man... if this would be good we would have a for sure GOTY.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

VandorLee posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

VandorLee posted...

An rpg where most think its story is slow/boring or even bad.

Yeah, good luck with that.....

Idk what to tell you bruv, look at the reviews

Or just, y'know, play it for yourself since there's a 3 hour demo available. Game's fun to play, as long as it's fun, story can take a step back.

I already have plenty of rpgs to play with good stories. Itll be a while before i start playin ones known for having bad/slow/boring stories. But i guess with how few rpgs there are on switch that switch owners are just happy with anything.

So why are you so obsessed with talking about it? Have you seen your posting history recently?



I mean I literally didn't even have to click into your name, both the topic and the post are about Octopath lmfao

Obsessed is two topics, one i didnt make?
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pinky0926 posted...

See: Kingdoms of Amalur.

Amalur had good gameplay?

For a game called Octopath Traveler you'd think the stories intertwine in a fascinating way with some characterization along the way. Yet no one seems to think so. An easy no-buy even on sale.
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MelzezDoor posted...

For a game called Octopath Traveler you'd think the stories intertwine in a fascinating way with some characterization along the way. Yet no one seems to think so. An easy no-buy even on sale.

Use the wind magic to break those guys, then a couple axe-guys to break that last guy, and finally obliterate them all with that dance.

MelzezDoor posted...

For a game called Octopath Traveler you'd think the stories intertwine in a fascinating way with some characterization along the way. Yet no one seems to think so. An easy no-buy even on sale.

Depends on the sale tbh. 60 is insane but 30 or better 20 then sure.
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