Octopath Traveler II Review - Second Time's the Charm

[@Urlastnerve]

This is one of those rare games that comes along that I don’t even have to worry about the reviews because if it’s even remotely on par with the first game I’m buying it day one

[@NoisyPixelNews]

You’ll have a great time

[@mcoupe69]

Same.. why I immediately pre ordered that collectors edition .. but thanks to “WEATHER CONDITIONS” no clue when I’m getting it -___-

[@mcoupe69]

@@NoisyPixelNews is scholar more viable this time around than Cyrus .. cuz I love osvald

[@ProcyonPal]

I am SO glad that they remembered RPG party members are meant to interact with one another. The fact that the first game pretended the rest of the party didn't exist 99% of the time made me drop it, it was such a disappointment.

[@zach177]

More like 75% of the time. They did talk to each other a lot during the travel banners. But I get what your saying. They do talk to each other a lot more in the second game.

[@jal-kx6tm]

first game was very formulaic

[@HazXbox]

Didn't enjoy thr first game at all

[@Evanz111]

I didn’t expect reviews to be coming out already!! I’m legitimately more excited for this game than any other release this year. The first one clicked with me so well.

[@marcgriffiths24]

Same here absolutely adored the first one and it looks like the sequel has solved my only really grip which was the lack of party interaction

[@pernellvaughan8535]

Stores actually already have the game in-house too but, sadly, they won't sell them.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

@@pernellvaughan8535 a few in LA sell them early sometimes lol breaking that street date

[@matttipton6009]

Never played the first but since it’s on ps5 it felt like a no brainer. The demo and this review sealed it as a buy for me. Great work as always!!

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Thanks! Yea the PS5 version sounds pretty dope.

[@zacharybecker8228]

U might want to play the first one before this even tho I don't believe they r story related the improvements might make it hard to go back to 1 and 1 is still a great game

[@marcar9marcar972]

2:27 honestly, that’s what the game needs, an ending

[@NoisyPixelNews]

For real

[@TheParaxore]

Absoloutly love the first game so I'm glad to hear this one stays to true and expands on what made it so great! Here's hoping for some cameos of the original party in the sequel

[@n.b.2164]

No, the original party does not appear. The sequel takes place a million years after the first game.

[@calvinmatthews1527]

It's nice to hear that OT2 improved on everything from the first game, which is pretty much the only thing you look for in a sequel.

[@more_UO_memes]

Played the demo on PS5 and loved it. The 60 FPS do even enhance such slow games for me. :) Now I’m thinking about to replay the first game on Series X.

[@ryanoneill9333]

Great video my friend. Love the way you break it down. Appreciate your work. I'll definitely be getting this game.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Appreciate it! Thanks :)

[@ryanoneill9333]

@Noisy Pixel no doubt my friend anytime. Keep up the amazing work brother. 💪💪

[@wurfinius1113]

The connection between characters was the only thing this saga needed and I am so fking happy my god

[@spindash_]

Thanks Azario, great review. 50 to 80 hours aligns with the runtime of the first game, but this seems like an improvement all around. Hope you are working on that new UGC though... 🤩

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Oooo yes!

[@Puddles4ETN]

So... do the characters in the sequel have a shared storyline later on in the game? Towards the end of the last character's story in the previous game, I remember thinking "Boy, I can't wait for these stories to be woven together", but then the game just ended. It was one of the most anticlimactic moments throughout my whole life as a gamer.

[@MuthaLicka]

They were tied together at the optional super boss

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Yes there’s a final chapter also there are shared chapters

[@marcar9marcar972]

@@MuthaLicka yeah but it was secret, and still kinda a letdown. This sounds cooler though

[@FelixS.]

@@marcar9marcar972 Wasn’t a letdown and personally it makes sense you have to work for a true ending. Still I agree there is room for improvements in that regards.

[@spiderdude2099]

One thing I love is how octopath reduces grind. Lower level characters get exponentially more exp, and then it falls off. This makes it really easy to get a low level recruit up to snuff with your veteran team fast, but then they all reach a similar growth rate after that point.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Yea I never felt like I was really held back on progressing the chapters and there was always something to do if I reached an area that asks for a higher level

[@Deepstab1]

The game is pretty grind heavy in my opinion, but there's always something to explore and do, so you are not just running in circles triggering encounters you are actually exploring and getting stronger in 2 fronts,better equipment/skills and more levels

[@spiderdude2099]

@@Deepstab1 if you use the turbo mode, it's not that bad.

[@sabinfire]

Love the first game. Super excited for this one!

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Love you!

[@Dalamartm]

Already preordered this Metroid Prime and Zelda TotK.I am ready this year.

[@justinc882]

Loved the demo, can't wait to pick this up.

[@Blue_Tempest6]

I didn't finish the first one for two reasons: 1. Story is pretty vanilla as individuals stories, and there wasn't enough cohesion between the party members to make for an interesting overall story. 2. Combat becomes predictable. Trash mobs are usually best handled a certain way and the bosses as well. The combat started to get stale. // So I guess my question is, did the 2nd improve enough in those areas?

[@KrsJin]

Based on the demo, I think 2 will allow for more variety in your approach and skill usage. I can’t speak to how spongy bosses are in the later game but it -felt- better than 1 in this regard. Also can’t speak to how well character stories connect but the individual stories in the prologue were already more interesting than the first game imo.

[@djutmose]

I agree with your criticisms... Hope second one is better. For me the characters barely relating to each other was just weird, glad to see in 2 they at least chat.

[@Blue_Tempest6]

@@djutmose Their little dialogues with each other weren't enough either. Felt very generic.

[@lcdsoundfan8012]

What a great review!

[@NoisyPixelNews]

I appreciate it so much!

[@methodofinstruction1368]

Great review by a great reviewer!

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Thank you so much

[@LingLing-ou6nt]

Masterpiece, loved the demo so far and has exceeded everything from the first game.

[@NotCharAznable]

Masterpiece has no meaning anymore. lol

[@dangerass1982]

@@NotCharAznable It's true. The commenter hasn't even played the full game.

[@hmmmm6157]

I dont think i understand how this 8 charafter works. Does it mean each character has different prologue but starting at some chapter (lets say chapter 3) all 8 characters will join together so we dont need to replay the game as different character?

[@trollingisasport]

Basically you choose a main protagonist and you're free to travel throughout most of the world while you complete that main characters story. When you meet another character you are given the option to playthrough the prologue of the character you've encountered. Then they join your party. So yeah, you don't need to replay as all of the characters

[@hmmmm6157]

@@trollingisasport thankyou for answering my question, its been on my mind for weeks lol.

[@MalibuRacer102]

Real excited to play this one on the ps5 at 60fps. Such a beautiful game

[@Zino_blade]

Man I was so annoyed by how vague the side quests in Octopath 1 were. Sad that they still are

[@NoisyPixelNews]

it's really annoying sometimes haha, the menus to see what quests you have are annoying too.

[@kevindimas253]

Definitely interested in game and played demo did end up picking Osvald as his story was most interesting to me not others weren't his was just very intriguing. My main question is, I know you're party leader is character you pick, but will that take away from experiencing the other characters stories in full? If not I'm 100% sold on game. Last year triangle strategy brought me to all these HD2D games so they all catch my eye now

[@thatanonwholurksmoar7386]

Something that I need confirmation of. I know there's secondary jobs being the main 8 jobs from the characters and 4 extra job classes like the first game. But are there more hidden jobs or that's about it?

[@NoisyPixelNews]

There are hidden job classes that we were not allowed to talk about in the review

[@xavito4337]

Are bosses still damage sponges? I feel in the first game that in chapter 2 bosses easily got like 4 times the HP increase and it was more annoying and tedious than hard for me :P

[@Mgalens]

been skipping through various parts of the video to avoid seeing too much but im curious does the performance hold up well on switch since going by the demo and what ive seen in the video it seems to run smooth even in more detailed areas and still looks gorgeous even in handheld despite the lower resolution.. nice to hear that the final chapter is "epic" and im looking forward to hearing the games final boss theme after the amazing one in the first.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Yea there were no performance issues that I encountered

[@Mgalens]

@@NoisyPixelNews thankyou for the reply, that is nice to hear, definitely looking forward to this one. going by the demo the locations were even more stunning than the first and am looking forward to hearing more of the ost.

[@Mintcar923]

I was going to go with Redemption Reapers initially.. But I'm still going strong with FE Engage as far as srpg.. So maybe I'll wait for the summer as far as that.. Ultimately decided to download this as I'm doing now.. I know it's a given it'll keep me busy during winter vacation

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Yea it took me 80 hours to complete

[@Mintcar923]

@@NoisyPixelNews Dunno why but whenever people tell me 80 hrs or 100 hrs it usually takes me 100-130.. So either I’m overly meticulous or maybe just suck😂

[@winterlord9942]

Much better and professional review compared with that joke IGN released. Thank you for this.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

wow, thank you! appreciate it

[@latinman7698]

Super fun game I love all the different back stories of each character. A blast to play and the music is really really amazing!

[@Terron29]

Man I cant wait for this game! Been so eager to play octopath 2 for so long and the demo was fantastic. I am gonna absolutely binge this! Cool review man. Glad you enjoyed it :) Its my second most anticipated game this year behind hollow knight silk song.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

We’ve been waiting awhile for silk song!

[@Terron29]

@@NoisyPixelNews its gonna be worth the wait I know it 😎

[@avaforlife4141]

​@NoisyPixelNews can you please shed some light on how many chapters each person has? I played the demo and if it follows octopath 1 I already burned 2 of Osvaldo 4 chapters. I was hoping for more longer chapters. Can you speak to any of that?

[@avaforlife4141]

​@NoisyPixelNews can you please shed some light on how many chapters each person has? I played the demo and if it follows octopath 1 I already burned 2 of Osvaldo 4 chapters. I was hoping for more longer chapters. Can you speak to any of that?

[@Omnivoid22]

EAsy day 1 buy. Its payday 22nd( also birthday) . followed by this coming out 2 days later. i love it

[@sinisterdesign]

Nice review! I'm very much looking forward to this one. 🙂

[@NoisyPixelNews]

thank you so much!

[@fastica]

Oh, well, I hate the cryptic sidequests in the first game and they didn't change that. I hate that nowadays we have either quests with big icons to tell us where to go or extremely cryptic quests. Nothing in the middle.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Yea it’s a pain lol

[@sagepirotess6312]

Any hidden or special classes. Like first game had 3 or 4.

[@tomcampbell8934]

There better be. How cool would it be if there were 6-8 instead of 4.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Yes. We couldn’t talk about them due to embargo

[@Zubatticus]

How much of the story is made of shared chapters? Do characters in the party interact at all during the standalone chapters? Asking because the lack of interaction in the first game was a deal breaker for me.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

No not in standalone chapters but they do have a common goal towards the end

[@TheBatosai]

Is this game better than Chained echos? I'm trying to decide on one of the two this week. pls help 🙏🏽

[@JohnRambo1947-July-6th]

So, do party members appear in other character chapters now, or is it just limited to travel banter?

[@NoisyPixelNews]

There are shared stories

[@JohnRambo1947-July-6th]

@@NoisyPixelNews ah, good to hear....

[@bryanlejano3775]

I was just going to download the game, but I accidentally pressed Purchased. wahaahah I've played the demo on PC but I accidentally bought it on Switch LOL. I started wtih Osvald, the story is great, took me awhile because of the need to explore every jail cell and get the boxes. Then the first boss fight was kind of rough(a good kind of rough), you really have to think and strategize using your MP pots, Hp Pots, when to break, who to break and utilize your Orb Enhancement damage. Thank goodness they made Osvald's damage AOE, or else you'd be dieng alot if it's single target because of lack of defense and HP. You would be heartbroken after chapter 1. It's a great Chapter 1 experience. I went with Temenos after. I think he is the one who set up the Whole Story Arc of the game. But I wont spoil them.

[@james441]

Ask Nintendo support for refund bc mistake

[@michaelporrini2045]

I played Osvald also on the demo the first boss was rough I died the first fight had to hit the drawing board 😅

[@bryanlejano3775]

@@james441 no im ok with it. I rather have it on handheld not gonna lie. For Switch version I went and get Hikari - Castti - Ochette. I manage to finish the three chapter 1s'. There's a glitch where you can still finish the 3rd character story even though you ran out of time, which is very nice. The game wants you to finish the story before having you time out. I can't wait for the game to come out. It's super fun.

[@Riz2336]

I'm looking forward to this game. I beat the first game in about a week of constant playing

[@stevensamudera1110]

is the weapon looks the same within each category? since octopath 1 weapon looks the same which makes me bored since the strongest weapon looks like the weakest one by graphic

[@NoisyPixelNews]

No they look different in battle

[@_Luluko_]

Can you get overpowered early with items? Or is it too balanced with a steady progression? Because thats quite boring.

[@reignofswords6575]

Beautiful on Steam Deck. Great review

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Thank you!!!

[@hoovadhd9529]

I got it for the ps5 instantly, thinking about getting for the switch too

[@bilrts55]

How big are the dungeons? I've only played the alchemist's chapter in the demo, and the only available dungeon was incredibly short (about 15 minutes, and half of that time was for the boss). Loved everything else, but pocket-sized dungeons are kind of a pet peeve of mine, so I'd like to know if it's the same throughout the whole game before shelling out 60 bucks...

[@NoisyPixelNews]

So the chapter dungeons are short. The secret dungeons are much more substantial. I think it is to push to explore more outside of character chapters. The character chapter are generally more to progress the narrative than for a you to fight.

[@bigbro88]

Playing the DEMO!

[@carlthewinner]

In Bravely Default to, you can re-play the same actions you took last turn really easily. Does Octopath traveler 2 do that too?

[@NoisyPixelNews]

No you would want to do that here I feel

[@binnomajumder8999]

how long is the game for an average playthrough?

[@NoisyPixelNews]

I said in the video maybe 60 hours?

[@GeorgeZimmermen]

1st was to long and this sounds to be about the same length

[@kg21bestpf94]

game is a close to a 10 outta 10 I'd give it a 9.5

[@axman3128]

🤔🤔 I just might

[@NoxLegend1]

Yeah but I bet you the extremely high encounter rate didnt change

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Mentioned that in the video. But there’s support skills to lower it.

[@RyuBateson218]

I like the decimals.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Us to lol

[@sdtrawick]

I'm not sure why any modern game would still use random encounters. Do people like that more than seeing enemies in the overworld?

[@NoisyPixelNews]

I like them but it depends.

[@seanbcusack]

the 8.5 was an utter shock considering how much you were gushing about this game the whole time, i was expecting a 9.5 - were the blurry minimap and vague npc quests THAT big of a negative? they're practically the only criticisms you had the whole time.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

The directionless side quests are a huge time waister and the limited fast travel adds unnecessary back and forth.

[@seanbcusack]

@@NoisyPixelNews lack of a robust fast travel sounds like a massive step back from the excellent fast travel of the first one, for sure

[@GeorgeZimmermen]

I’d give the first game an 8.5. This looks to be the same. Everything I liked, everything I disliked.

[@TdMe99]

I'm SO GLAD they fixed the issue of character interactions. I hated how in the first game the characters had almost no interaction with one another. It was almost like a single player story for each character and the other cast wasn't even a support character for that story it was just like a nobody just helping out.

[@termina2737]

Did they fix the issue of character interactions though? Reviews seem mixed on this point of contention.

[@ghostHackd]

Live A Live... both words rhyme with five

[@adblockevery1243]

Theatrhythm gets a 10 but this is a 8.5? That doesn't seem right.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

that's a rhythm game compared to a JRPG

[@adblockevery1243]

@@NoisyPixelNews A rhythm game based on a series of jrpgs with jrpg elements in it like you said in your review. Honestly there's no way in hell it's better than octopath traveler 2.

[@Omnivoid22]

i could careless about reviews. im just here for gameplay

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Me too!

[@xxProjectJxx]

I liked a lot about the first Octopath, but I felt like the story elements were some of the worst I've seen. Dreadfully boring, awkward dialogue, and pretty shallow honestly. I'd be down to play Octopath 2 if it fixes the narrative, but I'm not confident.

[@Luso1221]

No, the narrative structure is the same. Some characters have more 'weirder' stories than the original, but it still doesn't add much.

[@xxProjectJxx]

@@Luso1221 I got that sense from the demo. A shame. The Octopath games really nail it with presentation, music, and gameplay. It's just that they completely drop the ball with the narrative, which is the most important part of the genre, lol.

[@AM-uk7jv]

So there is, in fact, an overarching story and banter and dialogue between all 8 party members?

[@KentzHodiono]

wish they were more specific about that in the review. Party interactions was personally what I was looking forward to the most in octopath 2

[@AM-uk7jv]

@@KentzHodiono Yea it kinda almost seemed like the reviewer intentionally glanced over it. I've watched other reviews stating that it's more OT1 but improved, and the crossed paths, while they exist, don't really add anything to the overall disjointedness of each of the stories. If I wanted to play 8 different, disconnected JRPGs, I would literally just play 8 different, disconnected JRPGs from 8 different developers. Not something that amounts to what essentially is Live A Live 3.

[@trollingisasport]

I love the demo so this a no brainer for me. Im wearing a diaper.

[@josesitocomunica9056]

Lo necesitooooo

[@ZeNex74]

Didn't like 1 couldnt get into then heard reviews.. but 2 is cool so far

[@angrymikko]

I loved the first one but the choice to let players play the chapters in random order takes away from the momentum of a single story and it ties the developers from writing a better paced story. The writing in the first one is great so it’s not about lack of talent. The choice part isn’t worth the cost in my opinion.

[@RangoTheMercenary]

I love that you pronounce Live A Live the same way I do.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Solidarity

[@mrfeelgood561]

Is the dialogue actually voiced, or do i need to read every god damn interaction

[@tomcampbell8934]

Voiced

[@kayanprovince]

First 8.5 tq

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Yay lol

[@radubalea4230]

My biggest gripe with this game,and the main thing that made me not buy the first one,and it seems not this one also ,is the enemy sprite size,I get it that Bosse's have to be,old school style for intimidation etc,but come on,does every weak bandit etc have to be a giant ?!

[@OzkarGlez]

My main problem with the original game was always the writing. Playing the demo, the Primrose storyline was so terribly told it made me drop any interest in the game even though I enjoyed the mechanics. Same thing for Triangle Strategy. I really wonder if this one is any different.

[@braidena1633]

triangle strategy is unplayable for me since they don't do the walking-in-place thing from the tactics games. not a joke, it really bothers me. i figured the narrative wouldn't be good either

[@michaelpitts9762]

@@braidena1633 that small detail? lol

[@SirKupoNut]

That's a shame Triangle Strategy had one of the better plots in recent years in a SE game. Was my GOTY

[@the121smashchampion]

How are people getting early access to the game?? I thought release date was Feb 24

[@NoisyPixelNews]

Review copy

[@brian728]

I'm gonna download this game, put on some young Sheldon in the background and have the time of my life.

[@NoisyPixelNews]

We should have a young Sheldon podcast

[@Trosgustav]

Was kinda hyped for this game, then chained echoes ruined rpgs for me.

[@tomcampbell8934]

Didn’t like the leveling system though. Still a great game.

[@MuthaLicka]

Chained echoes is one of the best if not the best rpg experience I've ever had. Can't wait for Sea of Stars!

[@Trosgustav]

@@tomcampbell8934 if someone asked me "what's the best jrpg to begin with if I want to get into the genre?" I'd say chained echoes. It's not even close. I don't think it's better than FF VI, Xenogears or Chrono Trigger, but it's almost perfectly balanced.

[@trollingisasport]

@@Trosgustav AHAHAHHAHA

[@jettythesunfish]

I'm seeing good reviews, but what will make or break this game for me will be the ending. I quit the first one due to horribly it was set up (a boss rush where we are expected to defeat a number of opponents THEN a final boss all in one go??) and I'm afraid to invest in the sequel because I fear they'll pull the same nonsense... 😰

[@braidena1633]

you made it that far?

[@jettythesunfish]

@@braidena1633 Indeed I did.

[@Luso1221]

This game is just a slightly better Octopath 1 (which is a mediocre game) with almost no improvements. Praising it is delusional, just like people who praise FFXVI.

[@ItsMeNobody666]

Based realist.

[@FL-uj7cs]

I just can't not cringe at this game's character names. Partition, Ouch-it and Throne-(eh?) sound like they're straight out of some try-hard European fanfic by a middle-schooler that knows nothing about foreign languages, though, let's be real, Square's probably consciously appealing to this demographic with much of the writing in their games.

[@adam_antoise]

Ah yes, the lucrative European high-schooler who writes fanfic demographic!

[@Ponaru]

Says the one who can't form a proper sentence.

[@FL-uj7cs]

@@Ponaru lol show me my mistake? If you can that is.

[@FL-uj7cs]

@@adam_antoise Hi Kingdom Hearts fan!

[@Ponaru]

@@FL-uj7cs From "partition" to "games".