News Summary

• A clever retro-inspired adventure with deep, endlessly absorbing combat and a superb story.
• Music and charm shine through, even if some poor side-missions and a basic village builder hold it back.
• A prequel to 2018’s Octopath Traveler (which spawned a 2023 sequel), it uses Square Enix's HD-2D technology, as also seen in remakes of the first three Dragon Quest games.
• By pairing 2D sprite-based characters with 3D backgrounds, it recreates the charming visual vibe of seminal early 8-bit and 16-bit RPGs.