Though a prequel, Octopath Traveler 0 manages to feel like an evolution of the unique JRPG formula pioneered back in 2018. Conceptually, the first Octopath Traveler had a lot going for it. Its pioneering HD-2D aesthetic gave pixel art, arguably more commonplace today in lower budget small-screen titles, a renewed sense of grandeur that the artform would have evoked in its 90s console heyday. Its core premise of getting to play as an ensemble of protagonists, each with their own arc, while clearly taking inspiration from SquareSoft classics including Final Fantasy 6 and Live-A-Live, also felt novel from the typical JRPG formula.
The execution however had always fallen short, the individual characters' narrative threads never making for a satisfying coherent whole. As Square Enix gave more of its back catalog the HD-2D treatment, even this novelty was beginning to wear thin. After a sequel that was in many ways more of the same, I had tempered expectations for Octopath Traveler 0. Doesn't a prequel that's actually kind of a remake of free-to-play mobile title Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent suggest that the series has run out of steam?
