Review – Page 3 – HereticDerek

Credit: Octopath Traveler. Screenshot by me. A mixture of old and new graphics, in a style known as “HD-2D.” I cannot capture videos from my Switch with this game, sadly, so only screenshots for this review.

If you read this blog regularly, you know I never pay full price for a game. Still, $60 seemed like a worthy price after playing the three hour trial version of Octopath Traveler. I played it on the Nintendo Switch, which it originally launched on in 2018. It is also now available on multiple PC platforms and Xbox including with Game Pass. It is a turn-based role-playing game done in the spirit of Super Nintendo classics like the Final Fantasy series. A strong sign I was in for something good was it being developed by Square Enix, the company that created Final Fantasy. After a bit over fifty hours, I have scratched the surface of this game and had an absolute blast throughout the journey.

Octopath Traveler uses an aesthetic known as “HD-2D;” a mixture of pixelated retro and more modern graphics. It is such a unique and charming art style. The adorable old-school sprites, detailed set pieces that aren’t over-repeated, cool enemies, satisfying skill effects such as calling in lightning to strike your foes, and certain environmental effects with modern graphics, like water. I’m always excited to boot this game up, in part because of how pleasing it is to the eye. The visual art style makes even the map something at which to gaze.

The soundtrack should not go unmentioned, either. Modern orchestral arrangements paint the backdrop with extraordinary elegance and inspiration. The music enchants every mood. As you explore the vast game world and it’s many corners, you’ll hear a wide variety of songs well peppered in. The game has many epic boss fights, which when you pull off a valiant triumph, the victory music truly suits the moment. Although while grinding for higher levels, at times I would enjoy putting on some of my own music to spice things up. The limited voice acting is performed with enthusiasm that enhances the experience.

Credit: Octopath Traveler. Screenshot by me. A quick glance at the basics of turn-based combat. Refined and intuitive.

When you first start Octopath Traveler, you choose from one of eight characters based on some loose information about them, who is now your protagonist. It is worth noting that once you choose your first character, they are the only person you cannot remove from the party until you finish their campaign. After you complete their first chapter, the world is yours. The other seven characters are out there for you to recruit by playing through their first chapter. You can complete any of their stories in the order you desire. I have only completed my protagonist’s plot, but I have been advancing several plot lines as they are all interesting. It is also nice to do some lower level story missions between grinding sessions as you advance your protagonist.

The eight characters by class are: Scholar, Cleric, Merchant, Dancer, Warrior, Hunter, Thief and Apothecary. I chose the Scholar as my protagonist and I am very happy with that decision. Cyrus, the Scholar, has powerful magical attacks that can deal massive damage to foes. He can also analyze the enemy to uncover their weaknesses and their health points. Enemies are weak to certain attack types, and delivering a certain number of blows to an enemy’s weaknesses breaks their guard. This opens them up to taking significantly more damage and makes them unable to perform any action for a short time.

The biggest complaint I hear about Octopath Traveler is all the grinding that is necessary. With eight characters and only four allowed in your party at a time, you will be dedicating an unbelievable number of hours getting everybody up to the levels you need them to build your party for respective chapters. Personally, I enjoyed grinding in this game as I never have in an RPG before. I’ve always been a fan of turn-based combat, and here it is done with near flawless execution. You feel stronger as your level increases.

Credit: Octopath Traveler. Screenshot by me. A feast for the eyes and ears awaits.

My Scholar was level 59 when I finished his campaign. This was almost fifteen levels over the recommended level for his final chapter, but the bosses are not for the trifling. Even at my level, the final boss took masterful strategy and a little bit of luck. The final fight took forty-five minutes, minutes that moved at a blistering pace, even during a turn-based engagement no less. I was very happy with how his tale wrapped. Each character is so special in their own way, I simply can’t wait to go back and complete more story arcs. They all tell a quality story, so far.

This will be a game that ranks highly with me, I must say. One of the most engaging and fun RPGs I have ever played. No exaggeration here, this is one of the greats. I often times have a hard time getting into RPGs enough to finish them. I found Octopath Traveler more accessible to me. The battle system isn’t overly stymieing. The more you do it and experiment, the better you will become. Another reason I didn’t mind grinding. You get a feel for individual class’ strengths and weaknesses, as you upgrade equipment and abilities into endgame. With lots of ways to build your party.

Numerous fond memories are being formed as I play. The graphical style, the music, the gameplay, everything comes together and you see the result. A perfectly balanced game, if overly focused on grinding for some players. Presented in a manner I will call genius. They created a rich fantasy world that will keep you returning, no matter how much time you have to sink in during a particular session. Maybe you just flip it on and grind some experience points and money for an hour. Or you could put more serious time in.

If you already have Xbox Game Pass for console or PC, and you like RPGs, especially turn-based, be certain to put this in your download queue. If you have a Nintendo Switch, there is a three hour demo available of the full game, from which if you then buy it you can continue from the demo save file. As I said at the beginning, I paid $60 and I regret nothing. I’m sure when I wake up tomorrow, this may very well be the first thing I boot up and continue focusing on other campaigns. Octopath Traveler is unforgettable.

Credit: Octopath Traveler. Screenshots by me.

EDIT: I have now put in almost one hundred hours into this game, and beat all eight stories. Still, I hunger for much more. There are still side missions, epilogues and more to delve into. Each campaign was very much enjoyable. Of the seventeen games I reviewed this year, Octopath Traveler may be my favorite, no small achievement. It is so satisfying in all its aspects. The soundtrack has been in my playlist non-stop. Absolutely check this game out if you like RPGs.

Credit: BioShock. Screenshot by me. The underwater city of Rapture makes for a breathtaking setting in this FPS/RPG hybrid.

BioShock was a game I bought when it first came out. There was a lot of hype around this game. I remember loving it enough to play through twice to get both endings and on different difficulties. It was unlike anything I had ever played, and playing the remaster on my Nintendo Switch reminded me how great this game is to this day.

Initially developed by 2K Australia and 2K Boston, BioShock was released in 2007 to critical acclaim. In 2016 a remastered BioShock trilogy was released by Blind Squirrel Games. The game blended RPG-like elements into a first-person shooter. It is about an Ayn Rand inspired dystopian city under the ocean away from society, and the player finding themselves there dealing with a crumbling gilded cage where power is everything, and economics runs completely unchecked.

There is a tremendous attention to detail in BioShock. The way the plot is laid out, introduced and enhanced by optional diaries about the world, the balancing of combat, the constant trickling in of tougher enemies. It often appears there is no aspect of the game that hasn’t been carefully thought out. The remaster comes with director’s commentary, from which you can learn many of the concepts were well established early, but they were making adjustments up to the final moments before release. Never resting on their laurels, development was a constant process of improvement, it seemed.

What the player is rewarded with is a game whose impact is undeniable. Without revealing plot details, I will say the story is one that will stick with you, as it has with me. There are phrases and scenes that are unforgettable. The blending of RPG and FPS is something which has really taken off since this game, one of my favorite games, Borderlands, included. There are other striking Borderlands parallels: the importance of vending machines, economics run amuck as a theme and being 2K games are all similarities. RPG elements such as upgradeable action skills and passive abilities, player choice having an impact on game outcome, diversity of player build and choice to name a few influences from role-playing games. According to the director’s commentary, the goal was to make an enhanced FPS, not a diluted RPG.

Credit: BioShock. Screenshot by me. Using one of my interchangeable powers, Hypnotize Big Daddy, to get this brute to come to my aid in battle.

The atmosphere of 1950’s inspired decorations, grandiose architecture, and the omnipresent reminders that you are leagues under the sea in a horrifying, decaying dystopia wherein human genetic splicing has ruined the population, which is honestly the least of some of the tragedies of the city, Rapture.

When I say Rapture is “horrifying,” I couldn’t pick a better term. It is fair to call this game horror adjacent. The themes are very mature, involve children being killed and commodified, there is body horror of modifying yourself to produce electricity or to have an insect swarm living in your hand, for example. The themes aren’t the only thing giving this game a loose horror tag. The gameplay dynamic involves careful resource management on any difficulty. Health is taken quickly. The game is often dark. There are numerous things that make me say this game is touching on survival horror, while not going the whole nine yards in the genre.

Visually, this game was top notch when it came out. The remaster does it justice, and there is a recent rumor of a remaster update coming with ray-tracing. Seeing this game in HD is spectacular. Rapture comes alive. So many times, I found myself just admiring the scenery. I took far more screenshots and videos than I will post here, just for personal memories. The voice acting is executed well, and sound design is immersive.

The game took me well over fifteen, even twenty hours to beat. I was a bit of a completionist. I left no level without fully exploring it, and doing all the side stuff I could. You may beat it in significantly less time on an easier difficulty, or just charging through the game. I played on Normal, the second of four difficulties. So, it may even take you longer if you play on Hard or Survivor.

Credit: BioShock. Game clip by me. Fighting an acrobatic enemy.

No matter what difficulty you play on, I suggest saving as often as possible. You can do it from the pause menu at any time, and you’ll save a lot of heartache this way. The only thing you lose when you die is that you must go to the nearest respawn point, and whatever you spent fighting the thing that killed you is lost, the latter of which turns out to be taxing.

One thing that is neat about BioShock is that there really is no useless weapon. Even the melee weapon has its uses, not the least of which is resource management. The only weapon I will say I hardly used was the Chemical Thrower. All guns have multiple ammo types, and even this weapon has at least one useful type. The Trap Bolts on the Crossbow are also tricky, but do a lot of damage if you can foresee an ambush.

I would recommend this game to anyone that wants to experience a true classic FPS. BioShock is a piece of gaming history, I don’t think anybody can deny that as a fact. It took so many bold steps, and the developers fought for those steps. I came to expect so much more from an FPS after this game. More story, diversity of experience, risks, atmosphere and just overall resonance.

It was both nostalgic and fun to visit Rapture again. There were certain environments I remembered vivid details of, but the world in this game is so rich you could play a dozen times and still appreciate parts. I can’t wait to explore the next two games in the collection, which I have never played before, but have heard nothing but top-shelf comments about. Rapture is such an interesting place, I’m glad the second game brings us back for more stories to be told. Then, the third game, BioShock Infinite, tells an original story in a city in the sky.