Octopath Traveler II - All Main Character Themes | Reacting To Video Game Music!

Thanks to Kevin, ALeafOnTheWind42, Armando & Clint for the request!
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#OctopathTraveler #OctopathTraveler2 #Reaction

[@tlamy1992]

Oh shoot, OT2 has the best soundtrack this year. I'm so excited to see this!

[@atew8277]

Hey that's my video! The soundtrack for both games are so damn good. I really hope people have requested more songs from them!

[@rbxq]

I'm glad how what you wrote about Temenos's theme conflicts with his job. Because he's made to subvert your expectations of what a cleric would act like.

[@ALeafOnTheWind42]

Good god do I have so much to say... First of all, yes, Yasunori Nishiki is an absolute mastermind. The things he did with the soundtracks of both Octopaths, but especially the second one is absolutely mindblowing... But I'll have more to say about that in future reactions. But what's insane is that Octopath 1 was indeed his first solo project, and good god did he knock it out of the park, and somehow he managed to outdo himself with the second game. Champions of the Continent, by the way, is a mobile game. I don't really know anything about it because I'm averse to gacha games, but I have heard that he does not disappoint on the soundtrack there. Also, yes, you would know him from FF7Remake. As for KH3, he only has a single credit on that soundtrack I believe, but it is one you have reacted to: he arranged Forza Finale Yes, these are all scenes from the game itself. Octopath 1 pioneered an artstyle for games called HD2D. It stands for what you think it would- High Definition 2D. Its signature is spritework characters in gorgeous high definition worlds. Octopath 1 was the first to use it, but there have been other games to utilize it, and there has been a push to remake some older games in the style. The push hasn't been too successful, though there is at least one case where a remake is planned in the style (Dragon Quest 3). For the characters' names and why they're in the order given: it really is as simple as what you said at the beginning of the video: the characters' initials spell out "Octopath". It's no accident- the official soundtrack lists the character themes in this specific order, and there's a couple of instances in-game where this specific order comes up. In fact, the same thing happens in Octopath 1, where the characters are: Ophilia, Cyrus, Tressa, Olberic, Primrose, Alfyn, Therion, and H'aanit (in that order)... With that said, I'm of the firm belief that in Octopath 2, they got the order wrong. I can't really explain why without going into HEAVY spoilers, but I have very strong reasons to feel that Ochette and Osvald should be switched, as well as Throne and Temenos As for your notions of a main character... Octopath doesn't really work that way. In Octopath, you get to choose any of the 8 characters to be your "main character", but really all that does is mean they can't leave the party... Until you've completed their story. See, there's not as much of a centralized story in Octopath (though there is more of one in Octopath 2), but rather each individual character has their own story to progress through. You start with whichever character you want, and then you have the freedom to recruit all of the characters you want, in any order you want... Or, if you want, you can do solo character challenges where you complete a character's story with only that character in your party. But you can (and are kind of expected to) eventually beat everyone's story in a single game file. It's very free form. Unfortunately the major downside to this is that the interactions between the characters are more limited... Tough the second game worked hard to remedy this. It's much better, though not quite to the degree I'd have liked. Now, as if this comment wasn't long enough, I think I'll add the in-game description of characters you get when you're selecting your protagonist. I'm going to stop myself from adding any commentary of my own to them, because I feel like I'm already overwhelming you with this comment. Ochette, the Hunter: Your name is Ochette, and you are a hunter. Your tale begins on the isle of Toto'haha alongside your fellow beastlings. Despite your troubles with the human islanders, you live a carefree life. That is, until you learn of an encroaching calamity known as the Night of the Scarlet Moon. “All right, Master Juvah. I'll do it. I'll find those Creatures of Legend and bring them back.” Desperate to save your home, you set sail in search of those who can help... Castti, the Apothecary: Your name is Castti Florenz, and you are an apothecary. Your tale begins in a port town of the Harborlands. Discovered adrift at sea, you awoke to the realization that you could not recall your own name. The only clues to your identity are your satchel and skills as an apothecary. Unable to ignore the nagging feeling within you, you embark on a journey to recover what you lost... “I need to rediscover who I am. And...there's something else. Something important I'm forgetting...” Throné, the Thief: Your name is Throné Anguis, and you are a thief. Your tale begins in a thrilling city in the Brightlands. You are a member of the Blacksnakes, a thieves guild that controls the city from the shadows. Your job is to steal... and clean. "Not again... Not this stench. Every time I breathe it in, it feels as though my very lungs are rotting... The stench of blood." Determined to escape the cycle of bloodshed, you embark on a journey for the keys to your freedom... Osvald, the Scholar: Your name is Osvald V. Vanstein, and you are a scholar. Your tale begins in the snowswept reaches of the Winterlands. You have been sentenced to life in prison for murdering your wife and daughter, and have since spent 1,879 days locked within a frigid cell. "Harvey-the man who took everything from me- shall die by my hand. I swear it." Not even the bitter cold can extinguish the raging fire in your breast. And so you set out to exact your revenge... Partitio, the Merchant: Your name is Partitio Yellowil, and you are a merchant. Your tale begins in the vast wastes of the Wildlands. After witnessing the rise and fall of the pioneer town you call home, you set your gaze upon the horizon. "I'll be back once I eliminate that devil called poverty from the world!" With dreams of bringing prosperity to all, you embark on a journey with only the scent of commerce to guide you... Agnea, the Dancer: Your name is Agnea Bristarni, and you are a dancer. Your tale begins in the verdant region of the Leaflands. Though a tavern dancer in a small village, you have big dreams for the future. “I’m going to become a star and bring smiles to people's faces. Just like Mama.” With hope in your heart and a spring in your step, you begin your journey to stardom... Temenos, the Cleric: Your name is Temenos Mistral, and you are a cleric. Your tale begins in the mountainous region of the Crestlands. Though easygoing in your duties as Inquisitor, that all changes the day a tragic incident takes place in the church. "Oh dear... I suppose it can't be helped. After all, doubt is what I do." Sensing that there is much more to the incident than meets the eye, you set out to solve the mystery left in its wake... Hikari, the Warrior: Your name is Hikari, and you are a warrior. Your tale begins in the desert region of Hinoeuma. You are the younger prince of Ku, a nation ever at war, and worry for your people who have suffered greatly from the ceaseless battles. “I pray for a world without conflict. Without bloodshed.” Hoping to bring peace to your nation, you strike out on a journey for your like-minded allies... (Sorry for the essay)

[@darkpyro786]

No, thank you for the essay, it's warranted. This game is legendary, I've never felt as moved as I did while playing this with the soundtrack since what Revo did in Bravely Default. If I ever get a chance I can't stop gushing about it either 😂

[@hideharu-xiii8852]

I straight up cried at the end. Octopath Traveler 2 was made with so much love.

[@kura2ninja944]

I've only just finished Partitio's story so far. All I'm gonna say is I'm glad I chose him as my main character. That guy is a natural leader. And his theme is my favorite.

[@ALeafOnTheWind42]

@@kura2ninja944 Osvald is my boy and I wouldn't change it for anything, but Partitio is an awesome dude

[@caydengarvey657]

Wait why do you disagree with the OT2 order of characters. I beat the game and I think I know what you're talking about but I can't figure out why the order would be wrong.

[@raarasunai4896]

Every single one of these themes carries the emotions of the corresponding character so perfectly! Ochette is venturing out into the world completely unknown to her to save her home. Castti is trying to dig out the memories lost within her mind, with the whole world being an unknown to her Throne has to deal with keeping her 'parents' happy while also trying to weasel her way to her own freedom Osvald has been allowing his emotions to slowly build as he has patiently bided his time waiting for his chance to escape. Partitio feels like he's about to get up on a podium and give a speech to the world about his plans to end poverty Agnea's theme just feels like a building and overflowing fount of hope Temenos is trying to solve all the mysteries being woven through the series of murders Hikari is regretful for letting his home and people be destroyed and killed at the hands of his power-hungry brother and more than his honor, he seeks to reclaim his kingdom to stop Mugen's murderous rule.

[@Naterkix]

Wow, you, uh, basically nailed what Throné's story is about. Also, Partitio's "poncho" is actually just a long coat he refuses to actually wear as a coat but uses as a cape.

[@deuterium87]

The Agnea theme has a different version of it in the finale of her story arc, and it is amazing

[@hideharu-xiii8852]

Song of Hope is literally my favorite track in the game. I still pop off when I listen to it

[@mrsocko316]

It seriously is an amazing version. I was least impressed by her part of the story but her boss fight was the best because of the music.

[@geek593]

Her story being about inspiring people to join in on the joys of music makes the progression of her theme so much more heartwarming. It sounds like a performance she wants other people to join in on. It's similar in Partitio's theme. Partitio's sax coming onto the scene and uplifting a downtrodden guitar only to have them trading solos back and forth, become more than what they were separately does an excellent job of presenting the themes of his character. GOD it's so good.

[@jowston100]

That fucking Partitio theme is hot fire.

[@raarasunai4896]

Hell yeah! Feels like it would be perfect for an inspirational moment in a sitcom

[@thoet7270]

Just like Partitio himself... sorry, I need some water

[@kevinnguyen4711]

Glad you really enjoyed this one, and special thanks for the video's uploader for putting the compilation together! Apologies for bombarding you with eight different themes at once, but I wanted you to really see the variety in the Octopath soundtrack, and there really isn't much better to demonstrate that than with the main themes of the eight protagonists themselves. One big reason why fans enjoy Yasunori Nishiki's work (and some even lauding him as the second coming of Nobuo Uematsu, which is _massive_ praise) is that there is so much diversity in his music. The big selling point of Octopath Traveler is that you have eight different characters from different walks of life and corners of the planet, and how despite traveling together, each have their own stories to tell and each are the hero of their own tale. You can really see that with how distinct each character's theme is: Ochette, the Hunter: This one is fun and bouncy, and the character is also free-spirited and a wild child. You're right on the money with the atmosphere being outdoorsy, because Ochette is a hunter raised in the wild and is all about being one with and respecting nature. The music really screams "let's go out on a big adventure!" and that's also the general feeling her story is about, albeit one with higher stakes than usual. Castti, the Apothecary: This has a really wistful and aching vibe, almost like grasping for something long lost. Castti's story is a story about amnesia and recovering forgotten memories, although in my opinion, it's told a bit more creatively than most. This theme also has a few arrangements in the game that go with the more somber mood, and they're tied with some of the game's most emotional moments. Needless to say, Castti's theme and its variations are fan-favorites for never failing to wring tears out of the audience. Throne, the Thief: You're also right in that there is a lot of regret tied to Throne's story. Throne is essentially trapped in a thieves' guild that won't accept resignations, and her story is about her complicated struggle to leave her criminal life while killing every obstacle in her way. I like how malevolent the violins in this sound, but there are undercurrents of melancholy there, which really sells the duality between Throne's blood-soaked life and her desire to escape it. Osvald, the Scholar: To be honest, when I first heard snippets of this theme, I thought it would be my least favorite. The first half is slow and plodding, but the second half with the more moving strings really brings it all together, to the point that this is probably my third favorite theme out of all of them. I love me some really dark and brooding themes. Without much spoilers, Osvald's tale is one of revenge, and boy-oh-boy, it is a pretty twisted one... mainly because of the villain. Partitio, the Merchant: Now THIS is commonly cited as the fans' favorite character theme, and to be honest, it's tied with another as my favorite, as well. I love how the guitar in the background works with the sax to create a really lively and groovy anthem to one of the most optimistic and spirited characters in the cast. Partitio _is_ quite rambunctious, but he's also a wholesome dude who sees the worth in every person and wants to eliminate poverty from the world. His charisma combined with this awesome theme really makes you root for him. Agnea, the Dancer: This is tied with Partitio's as my favorite, and that's mostly because Celtic music is some of my favorite music in the world. It's also very sprightly and sounds like something you would hear in the tavern on a lively evening, and it also matches Agnea's very straightforward, cheerful personality and her wish to bring smiles to the world. The theme also sounds like it's unsure at first, but quickly finds its footing and never stops running forward... which also fits Agnea to a tee. Just overall, a very feel-good theme. Temenos, the Cleric: Sounds like a theme you would hear in a whimsical detective story, doesn't it? That's because despite being a priest, Temenos is a detective in all but name, and his story revolves around investigating the murder of the beloved pontiff of his church. Temenos is also _very much_ not your typical priest. He's lazy, acts like the gods he worships are his obnoxious superiors instead of, you know, gods, wholeheartedly believes that faith and trust are things to be earned rather than given unconditionally, and is just a sassy guy who doubts and is disrespectful of everything around him. That's why his theme sounds rather dark and lackadaisical instead of all holy and sweet... and it's why he's my favorite character. Hikari, the Warrior: AKA the shonen protagonist theme. There's no main character in Octopath Traveler, but if there's any candidate for the one with the most protagonist energy, it's Hikari. His theme is grand, heroic, and fits his more large-scale goal of finding allies to unite his war-torn nation. Hikari is from a land with a fusion of Japanese and Chinese influences, so that's why his theme sounds so... Eastern compared to the rest. But hearing this really makes you feel like you're off on a sweeping quest to change the world for the better. Whew. I wrote more than I usually do, but there you have it. These tracks really sell the vibe that multiple people from vastly different backgrounds are coming together on a life-changing journey. Best of all, these short pieces of music form the basis for other tracks in the game as recurring lietmotifs, including in the battle themes. And yes, those scenes in the video ARE scenes from the game, and the themes actually play during them. Now that I'm finished, I'd like to see what everyone's thoughts are on each theme. I'm sure there are going to be a lot of varying opinions.

[@ALeafOnTheWind42]

My opinion on the themes is that they're all incredible. I've tried to think about what my lease favorite was, and it was just so hard because they're all really good, whereas in the first game, there are a few that are mid. In general, there's just so much I want to tell Jesse about this soundtrack. As a musician, I think he'll really appreciate the care that Nishiki put into it and the things he managed to do... But we'll have to get into that in future reactions

[@IsraelLlerena]

Thank you so much for requesting the song , I love the game so much and I love the different backgrounds the characters have too! Since your comment mentions diversity, have you heard the soundtrack to LIVE A LIVE? It was Octopaths inspiration (from what I read) and there’s music that depicts different eras of history and it was all composed by one composer! The music is amazing. Give it a listen if you want !

[@kevinnguyen4711]

@@IsraelLlerena Oh, I'm very much aware of Live a Live. I'm thinking of requesting one of its themes one of these days.

[@IsraelLlerena]

@@kevinnguyen4711 thats great! I want to request one soon too because I feel like the games music has been underrated even after it’s remake. Sucks that characters don’t really have their own themes, it’s mainly in the battle music where you can tell how diverse the soundtrack is.

[@jvdach4652]

​@@IsraelLlerenaLive a Live is composed by the nice Lady Shimamura. It also inspired Toby Fox for his Megalovania(?) track in Undertake.

[@wesnohathas1993]

Gorgeous artstyle, beautiful ost, super satisfying gameplay loop, great characters. That's my personal game of the year right here.

[@SILVERONIN]

When I tried the demo, I picked Partitio and as soon as I heard his theme tune, I INSTANTLY BOUGHT THE GAME! to me Octopath 2 is my OST of the year!! That Kenny G-esque saxophone had me clapping for the composer!

[@thoet7270]

I bought the game because I was a fan of the first octopath, but I forgot that octopath 2 even came out. I saw Partitos art on twitter and fell in love with him, the guy is so wholesome and cool, he's a perfect main character. Though I have to say Castti quickly grew to be my 2nd favourite due to concoct (pomegranate leaf drugs, anyone?) And her story/theme. Her last path action broke me REALLY badly, straight up started crying

[@RockBomber]

Yes, this is what the whole game looks like! They call it "HD-2D". It's such a great mix of classic sprites and textures with modern lighting and cameras. That aside though, Octopath Traveler in it's entirety has some of the BEST music I've ever heard in video games ever and it deserves far more attention than it gets. I'd highly recommend checking it out if you felt inclined. Octopath 1 and 2 have separate stories, so you can play whichever you want. However, I'd personally recommend OT2 as they made so many improvements to the game overall (which I didn't think was possible after OT1)

[@nekorion]

I know we focus on the music, but octopath visuals are so good it basically got a style named after it. Anything you see labeled as 2DHD is trying to be octopath.

[@suplextrain]

I think Octopath has been outclassed by recent examples like Live A Live remake. Especially since Octopath tends to go wayyy too heavy on things like bloom and blur.

[@ALeafOnTheWind42]

@@suplextrain I could agree with this for Octopath 1, but I think Octopath 2 outclassed both.

[@lanonyme-vod8090]

Yasunori Nishiki is a madlad After his work on OT1 he worked on some FFVII Remake tracks and blessed us all with OT2 OST Now that the second entry in the series has a day and night cycle, we even have different versions of the same exploration tracks, that transition seemlessly by pressing a button By the way, there's no specific order as to which character you get to meet next, basically you chose your main character and then you meet the others in whatever order you want. He even managed to make pre-boss battle tracks that suit the character you play before transitioning in the actual battle track There's just so much in these games musically He already said back when he worked on OT1 that he wanted to focus on melody just like the old school JRPGs so that it's not burried in the orchestra. Anyway, amazing game, amazing soundtrack And this was indeed gameplay footage by the way! Square Enix created this artstyle they called HD2D, blending 3D with sprites and pixelart as some kind of hommage to the SNES era of JRPGs. Edit : Your Throné guess is on point haha

[@starknightlumina8680]

Glad you enjoyed the music and visuals of this game. I listen to all the Octopath games OSTs frequently. After completing it recently, Octopath 2 has skyrocketed to my GOTY of 2023, and it's also one of my favorite turn-based RPGs ever!

[@LunaTDB]

It's something you can't really know from the Job classes alone, but I love how the themes fit each character perfectly. For example, Thrones story is about escaping and gaining freedom, and you can hear that in her theme. And yes that is indeed all in game footage

[@alexandrexapa]

19:10 Yes, iirc Yasunori Nishiki said in an interview that he recorded a demo CD with a bunch of battle songs he made and distributed to game companies trying to get a job, Square Enix called him 1-2 days later

[@coreyburgh5831]

From Osvald's sorrowful and mourning tone to Partitio's "LET'S GO ON AN ADVENTURE" is the best switch up 😂 My order was Partitio, Osvald, Castti, Temenos, Agnea, Ochette, Hikari, and Throne.. the last being a bit more forgettable

[@zerosolis6664]

Please. Play Octopath Traveler II. I've still yet to watch your more classic RPG playthroughs (FFVIII/IX? Wild ARMS and Chrono Trigger) but if you loved or enjoyed any of these, you would be right at home with Octopath II and would absolutely adore it. AND the soundtrack. I wasn't that big a fan of the first one, but it feels like the devs took that to *heart* and delivered something...I never knew I would fall in love for so much. I went in expecting Octopath 1 "but more" and got an entirely different beast, man. Shine on, Jesse and looking forward to if you do more Octopath II music or play the game!!

[@RoyalCrustle]

One of my all-time favorite video game soundtracks. Glad to see a lot of music from this second game on the list. 🥰

[@flare9612]

The fact that you're guessing all character's backstory accurately just depicts of amazing Nishiki-san is at delivering emotion. For Temenos, he's more of an Inquisitor rather than a cleric. He stops at nothing but the truth. I really hope you're doing both endgame and superboss' theme.

[@CaelanBassett]

Octopath Traveler’s (Square-Enix) patented HD-2D graphics engine indeed looks like that. The game is visually beautiful and all the music is orchestrated in this quality you just sampled. Wait until you get the Boss battle requests.

[@emmiccino528]

For some context on the character's themes! Ochette, The Hunter: Ochette's theme is supposed to sound very outdoorsy. She lives on an island, in a primitive way compared to other places in Solistia. Toto'Haha, the island in question, is a jungle. She's a lively character, curious and adventurous. Castti, The Apothecary: I was only thinking about it while watching this video, but I believe Castti's theme is meant to sound hollow and empty. Her story is mainly lead by her having amnesia, and acquiring her memories is the main focus up until the final chapter, so the instruments aren't exactly "full". She's solemn, and has a strong sense of duty. She starts in the Harborlands, which is a grassy area that's mainly set high above the water. Not sure if that location means much to the theme though. Throné, The Thief: You're right about this, pretty much! She's wrapped up in a crime syndicate called the Blacksnakes, and she wants out. Her story is seeking out the means to escape. Her theme sounds imposing and gives me the vibe of discovering something you weren't supposed to, which is pretty fitting. Tracks associated with Throné aren't easy to read for me, though. Her personality also isn't easy to describe for me, maybe my vocabulary just isn't big enough. Her starting location, where the Blacksnakes make their base, is called New Delsta. It looks almost like New York city in the 19th century, it's one of the more modern looking places. Osvald, The Scholar: Osvald's theme is easy to connect to his character once you know it. He seeks revenge for the murder of his wife and daughter, a crime that he was falsely convicted of. He starts the game on an island in the snowy Winterlands, far from shore, locked in a prison thought to be inescapable. He's an aloof character, and almost everything he does and doesn't do is based on logic. He's not socially inclined at all, but that doesn't mean he's without emotion. His theme is broad, but it doesn't have very many unique sounds. It sort of reflects how he's tunnel visioned on his revenge. Partitio, The Merchant: Partitio's theme doesn't really have a second meaning to it I don't think. It does fit with his character though. His journey is about bringing prosperity to the impoverished, and not once during his story does he back down and doubt himself. He's confident that he can do whatever he sets his mind to, no matter how impossible it sounds. He's an honest man who knows how to lift the spirits of those around him, and lives by a policy of never getting down on yourself. His is the easiest to tell, but he starts in his hometown of Oresrush, a mining village that, over the years, fell on -very- hard times. People from here have some kind of southern US accent, if that tells you anything. Agnea, The Dancer: I'm not gonna lie, this theme doesn't really bring much to mind for me. It sounds nice, but I just can't pick it apart. Agnea's from the Leaflands, a lush forest, and the only place that has a traditional king and queen. She's confident, and aspires to be a star. She's definitely the hardest character for me to describe, much less her theme. Temenos, The Cleric: Temenos is the inquisitor for the ever-important Church of the Sacred Flame in the town of... Flamechurch, but he's also a skeptic. He doesn't blindly follow the church, and finds himself more inclined to dealing with those who threaten it. His story follows just that, looking into a strange matter within the church itself, sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. His theme feels perfect for this type of story, it's like what should be playing during a very immersive game of Clue. Hikari, The Warrior: Admittedly his actual character theme flies under the radar for me every time I hear it, so like Agnea, I don't have much to say. But I'll still tell you who he is. He's the younger prince of Ku, a nation in the desert. In the past, it was a warbound nation that conquered those around it for power. But, the emperor chilled the fuck out at some point. Hikari's story is about him trying to ascend to the throne, fighting his way to the type so he can bring peaceful times to Ku. I wrote this all out of passion on a whim, so I'm not expecting it to get read, but if you do read it, please send me ten-thousand USD via Paypal

[@AlexBermann]

That's a great description. To add a description of Thronès' personality: she is a kind person in unkind circumstances - in some sense, she is already broken. When the game starts, she is betting everything on seemingly impossible odds since she has nothing to lose. She doesn't fear death and her life gave her the skill to be ruthless, but this conflicts with the person she wants to be. Her story is about freedom. While there is the obvious level of literally fighting her parents to assert her freedom, she also has to overcome her upbringing as a blacksnake and accept the cruel realities about herself. To sum it up: she is suffering from mental scars that look like strength.

[@Abyrae]

I haven't played Octopath 2 yet, but damn. Oswald's theme. I made me cry.

[@robertsilvermyst7325]

Once you do play it, you will be crying at various points for different reasons and different emotions.

[@Farnzy11]

The best soundtrack of 2023. It should win every award possible. It's hard to explain but these themes hit harder when you get to know these characters and spend hours with them. 10/10 video game.

[@wolfiexe]

Always glad to see more Octopath 2 here. The game and soundtrack are both phenomenal, and Yasunori Nishiki's work on it elevated him to one of my favourite composers.

[@hideharu-xiii8852]

HELL. YES. My personal game of the year. Yasunori Nishiki is a musical genius. I love all the characters and each theme describes them perfectly. Like you said at 6:00, Throné is in an emotional state of turmoil because she’s trying to leave the organized crime life and essentially bring down the ring, but it’s all she’s known since she was young, hence her struggle to finally be free of it. I highly HIGHLY recommend playing this game to anyone out there.

[@serisothikos]

My game of the year. Lots of amazing choices in 2023 but this game hit me like a ton of bricks.

[@leftymu]

Oh man, it is so cool to see this on your channel, the Octopath osts are insane. The character themes in OT2 are some of its strongest themes, imo, and sometimes when I think I have a good idea about which is my favourite, I hear another and I'm like, oh damn, yeah this one _was_ that good. I go between Ochette's and Agneas; I actually was kind of obsessed with Agnea's theme for a while, had it on loop a lot and looked up just about every cover I could find, that theme is like pure joy condensed into song. Castti's is one that really sneaked up on me - which actually goes for her story and her as a character too - initially I didn't get too much from it, but as her chapters went on hers became my favourite story, and now I can't hear the melody of her theme without getting chills. Temenos is actually a great one; I really like that they subverted the norm by making the cleric the shrewd, calculating one, instead of the typical holier than thou archetype like Ophilia in the first game (don't get me wrong, I like that and absolutely _adore_ Ophilia). Yasunori Nishiki is somewhat of an unsung genius, imo; anyone who plays the OT games sings his praises to no end, certainly, but he is not quite as much of a household name as say Yoko Shimomura. I listen to his OSTs sometimes and honestly just go, "how does one even create music this amazing?" It may also interest you to know that he worked a little on FFVII Remake; I don't know if he did more than this but I know that he was the arranger for One-Winged Angel in that game.

[@josetsz7657]

We definitely need more OT2 here!

[@handsoaphandsoap]

Octopath was Nishiki’s first major project but I believe he’s been orchestrating for Square for some time. That’s what his Kingdom Hearts credit is for at least, he arranged some of Shimomura’s older tracks which was then used for the various KH concerts and one track on KH3. Also, the naming convention of them spelling out Octopath is just a fun detail, it’s not really significant what order they go in. Each character mostly has their own seperate story that you can play in any order you wish, same thing with the first game.

[@ColinCannoli]

This game is so, so, so good. 10x more engaging and more accessible than Octopath Traveler 1, imo. Hope you get around to playing it some day dude.

[@IsraelLlerena]

There’s another square Enix game called Live A Live that has main characters based off of different time periods (prehistory, near future, imperial China ect.) that has diverse music styles and it’s all composed by the same person in one game! Hopefully someday me or someone else will be able to request it because it has amazing music!

[@rbxq]

HELL YEAH i was not expecting this but i'm so happy

[@MTGHedgefund]

Not sure what I love more. Seeing an octopath reaction or hearing cosmic star heroine in the background. Joy all around! Looking forward to more reactions from both games.

[@IsraelLlerena]

I just read that Square Enix games cannot have their OSTs uploaded to KZbin unless the gameplay is displayed in the video.. That’s probably why some of these KZbin videos show Square Enix gameplay with the ost!

[@wesnohathas1993]

Yep, they're quick to take down all the ones without gameplay.

[@IsraelLlerena]

@@wesnohathas1993yeah really quick! I just gave in and bought some tracks off of iTunes for some of these games

[@rocketdog734]

i cant imagine just looking down at your notes and seeing a bunch of concise notes and then just. seeing spaghetti lmao

[@gigaganon]

now it would be nice if he listened to the final boss theme of each character chapters! Which are these themes, but in a battle theme format!

[@jayman5234]

I'd love to see more octopath on this channel! Both of the games, and even the mobile game are full of bangers.

[@iarmandov2]

I requested this and you actually came through thanks!! Castiis is the best and Paritios too haha

[@degapalgamer3772]

damn that was amazing, I just bought octopath 2 and hearing the music is this good has made me hyped to play it now!

[@Nedoxu]

So Jesse, Yasunori Nishiki is actually an understudy of Yasunori Mitsuda, of Chrono Trigger fame! So now ya know.

[@enji1633]

I really enjoyed 2! Felt like a big step up in most aspects to the original, but the music remains incredible between both.

[@harrywinkson9158]

Great video I particularly enjoyed Partitio theme

[@eprohoda]

Good night~Love it! really useful . 👐

[@pokeguyz123]

Nishiki’s work in OT2 is one of my fav osts of this year. Even as a casual player I have many hours being immersed in both the overworld and battle music. Most of the songs are fairly short, but it’s a vgm listener’s dream imo with a good game sprinkled on top. Give it a try if you can Jesse, or anyone else reading. Funnily enough, I chose Partitio just cuz of his theme alone and despite that, his story is very earnest and wholesome (with an absurd final boss iykyk)

[@IsraelLlerena]

Partitio was my favorite character just from the song too and that’s why I picked him! He had my favorite stories and it genuinely impacted me in a positive way! We all gotta be like him !

[@SILVERONIN]

Partitio's theme made me drop 50 british pounds on this game, instant love at first listen! This game's OST is the best this year in gaming!

[@kura2ninja944]

Yes! Partitio is the man! Glad I chose him as my main.

[@SolonGaming]

@@SILVERONIN Hello traveller. Enjoying quality music in quality channels i see.

[@SILVERONIN]

@@SolonGaming Yoo good to see you here mate lol of course I appreciate those who appreciate great music which Octopath is blessed with 😎

[@rbxq]

PLEASE say there's more of this on the horizon. i'm so obsessed with this game.

[@proudlarry8225]

If you wanna see that style of Visual again, check out the remake of Live-A-Live since they made it with the Octopath engine.

[@6dm978]

The engine is Unreal 4. The live a live remake was done by a slightly different team, so they didn’t use the same framework as octopath

[@falcon10649]

Oh yes! Love all these themes! The glasses for Partito!

[@Malficious]

Octopath traveler 2 is such a great game, sure some of the stories are a bit weak and don't hit as hard as some of the others, but overall it is in the running for one of the best games i've played this year. Castii had my personal favorite story in the game, followed up by Throne.

[@Pathfinder3877]

Ochettes theme is so well done, fits her character to the T and shows what kind of a joybundle she is.

[@paixeon8816]

Yoooo octopath finaly, i was going to recommend these soon

[@Kumiko026]

Yesss!,, more Octopath music please! Octopath has my favourite OST! ❤

[@hiccupasterisk]

OCTOPATH TRAVELER II GOATED SOUNDTRACK RAAAAAAAAAAAAGH

[@RoyalCrustle]

I recommend giving this game a try. There's a hefty demo out for it. Absolutely one of my new favorite games of all time and likely my pick for Game of the Year, even after stuff like Zelda has come out since.

[@sleightasteeg017]

yeah Partitio deserved Jesse's praise after he gave the Steam engine to everyone

[@Ozeki_Negima]

"This composer's crazy," he says a mere second before the surprise sax 😂

[@KliphnirTheHeroe98]

Am currently playing through it... it's great

[@thyleria]

Lesgoo we're starting the Octopath 2 train rn

[@harryw3310]

Both games have stunning Ost, Nishiki is honestly such a genius

[@amnesiacapothecary]

I love Octopath 2's character themes so much! (P.S. this thought is so random but what if the vod channel was named "Jesse's VODitorium") Ill see my self out

[@shugafakker]

this was so good, do you have one for the octopath traveler 1 character themes?

[@mexicanzoidburg8072]

I agree with you. The musicality of this composer is insanely good.

[@mowrt620]

Castti's theme has been such a go-to for me lately. Soo good

[@fell5514]

When Partitio's sex saxophone comes in and you feel yourself sliding into a completely different decade when the despair had not yet set in.

[@bekir51500]

Yasunori Nishiki is one of the best composer of the new generation of japanese composer imo, dude still has years of work to put out he already is better than most. He composed some pieces for Granblue Fantasy Versus too, those are amazing.

[@geek593]

He also worked on Yugioh Master Duel. His work on Octopath Traveler is his best work for sure. His ability to distill a character down into a musical theme is unrivaled in modern game music. It's strange to say but it's like his skills were ripped from the classical symphonies and placed in modern gaming.

[@BlazinVoid59]

Its kinda hard to find a specific compilation, but each of the character themes also have a In Pursuit of X version where it plays right as a boss fight is about to begin and smoothly leads in. For example, Temenos the Cleric has In Pursuit of Truth.

[@asaka616]

The order of the songs, the first initial of each character spells OCTOPATH: Ochette, Castti, Throné, Osvald, Partitio, Agnea, Temenos, Hikari.

[@traxym]

Just wait till his ears hear phase 1 and 2 of Vide...

[@rbxq]

all of these visuals are in-game

[@KitsyX]

The visuals are pretty cool... It's like some of the PS1 or PS2 JRPGs that used nice 2D art for the backgrounds and character sprites... An evolution from the SNES JRPGs that typically used tile sets to make locations rather than pre-rendered backgrounds...Around the PS2 era there was more focus on using 3D models and such... Although some companies would prefer to go with 2D still... At least partly... Some of them are really beautiful...

[@wavedash101]

I admit, I laughed when you confessed you didnt know what a cleric is. I'm not entirely sure why.

[@rbxq]

this is my game of the year

[@JetBalrog]

They're all SO good but I'm honestly surprised how much I liked Hikari's in particular.

[@GamersBlogX]

That was, in fact, the game. Square Enix started putting out lower budget games like Octopath 2 with a style they call "HD-2D" which is basically just taking good looking 2D sprites, slapping them in a 3D environment, and then throwing as many post processing effects as they can on top while making sure it still looks good. The quality of this has improved with each game in that style, with games like Octopath 2 being one of, if not the current peak, of the HD-2D styled games.

[@cheddarsunchipsyes8144]

Lower budget?💀 bro if this is lower budget the high budget games better sound like Mozart 💀

[@gj1234567899999]

6:44 my fav song here- Oswald theme!

[@nerdzone]

That's the game, yeah. It's in game footage only this video. If you've heard battle themes only, yes, they are aggressive, of course, but the soundtracks are super diverse. Octopath 1 is my fave soundtrack of all time and Octopath 2 is super good either (although just a tad bit under 1 for me). EDIT: After you listened to Partitio's theme again, at about 19:00 is that Cosmic Star Heroine's battle theme? EDIT2: Also, yes, Throne is not about that kind of living. She is not necessarily drawn into the Thief lifestile. She is taken from her mother's corpse, beaten and blamed into submission by a problematic father and mother figure in the leaders of the guild and trained to be one of the most ruthless and skillful thieves and assasins.

[@Swix_FGC]

Partitio is best boy and its not even close

[@zerosolis6664]

Also, always Nishiki for Octopath! :)

[@rbxq]

i clicked so fast

[@guilhermeflou6686]

Jesse's Auditorium reagir Legaia 2 dual Saga Main Menu ost. eu agradeço vocês Desejo-lhe muito sucesso e grandes conquista

[@TajinQ]

Agnea's might be one of my favorite theme of the bunch yet her story is the most boring to me. It gave me something nice to focus on when I had to play her chapters

[@finalrush7]

Octopath is God tier. Only Zelda and Xenoblade are better.

[@UrLastSurprise]

No recent Zelda game OST comes close to Octopath 2’s. Lmao

[@PeachBootyPoppin]

Oh nice! My favorite video game OST of all time. 😊