Which Octopath Should You Play First?

With Octopath Traveler 2 being out for roughly a month, I figured it would be a good idea to discuss whether you should start with the newer title or go to Octopath Traveler 1 as your entry into the series. Hopefully, with this video, it will give you a good idea of what to expect from both titles.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Start
00:34 - What Octopath 1 Does Well
03:35 - The Better Entry
04:17 - Octopath 1 or 2?
04:37 - Octopath Traveler 2
07:53 - Octopath Traveler 1
10:30 - Final Thoughts
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#OctopathTraveler2 #OctopathTravelerII #OctopathTraveler

[@ninjakirby777]

Reasons to play octopath 1: Primrose Reasons to play octopath 2: Ochette Therefore just get both :)

[@johangp1990]

Absolutely love Ochette. Her theme also top 3 best soundtracks of the game IMO

[@JeannieLove]

Nah Throné for 2

[@jgrif7891]

I've played both, and I can say that if you haven't yet played the first one, just play Octopath 2. Octopath 2 is an improvement over it's predecessor in every way I can think of. If you REALLY love Octopath 2 and if you are still jonesing for more content like it, then play the first one.

[@khanhnhi5105]

I agree. Especially due to some job classes having different skills with some having little changes (merchant) to those that have had major revamps (scholar). Some may find more enjoyments with experimenting with one or the other

[@guerrillagorilla6537]

Don’t get me wrong it’s great, I’ve nearly put 100 hours into it it, but it isn’t an improvement in every way. The combat is far easier, and I guess if that’s what you’re looking for that’s an improvement. Personally, I want to die every so often to keep things interesting.

[@shadestrider1033]

…Not every single way. Some decisions are double edged swords. Like being able to make 3 characters a single class, such as having 3 merchants or thieves, can make some boss fights too easy to cheese in the late game, and it kinda removes that decision making process when you have to smartly decide which characters will take which role. The game is also really hostile towards runs with single characters. In the original, you could pretty much get across the whole map even with single characters, though some areas are blocked because they are a part of the story of another character. Still, getting appropriate gear was still doable. This game locks way too many things behind certain characters, making single character runs restricted. The combat is also easier because the skills you can get early on, like Boost Start and Full Power, are broken. I love Octopath Traveler II, but I’m not gonna pretend that it does “everything” better than I. And I recommend playing I, though it’s not required for playing II.

[@jgrif7891]

@@shadestrider1033 I really feel like the overwhelming majority of people don't care about single character runs. Also, you don't get the broken stuff for free. You have to find the licenses and grind your characters up. And don't act like warmaster Hannit didn't trivialize 95% of encounters in the first game. Whether you break it with one character or 4, neither of these games are known for difficulty, nor should they have to be.

[@shadestrider1033]

@@jgrif7891 At least Warmaster H’aanit was late game. Boost Start and Full Power are Earlier game, you can really easily get the Inventor up early game, and then he gives those skills to “everyone”, meaning everyone is busted from the get go. Furthermore, just because you didn’t do it doesn’t mean that the option being there is irrelevant. Even if only 5 percent of players do single character runs, it is still an element of the game. This reeks of an argument defending a Pokémon game for removing content because “not a lot of people did it anyway”, which is a terrible argument. I do appreciate having to earn additional licenses, but my point about it still stands.

[@lewis9s]

Pros and Cons for both Octopath I +Easy to start and learn +Very cosy start in most chapters and get you invested immediately +Teaches you how to use Path actions +A lot more free and open as you can just make a dead sprint for every corner of the realm with nothing but random encounters to stop you +More well hidden secrets +Finding job shrines and bonus dungeons can be fun and rewarding +The “hidden” bosses are both challenging, rewarding and handled better overall +Primrose’s Entire storyline -Very Formulaic with every chapter having an obligatory dungeon and boss at the end -Little Character interaction -The overarching plot can be easy to miss -Some character’s abilities are less useful than others (e.g. Olberic’s boosting defence is made completely obsolete when you get Tressa who can side step any physical attack anyway) -Can be much more challenging and difficult for newcomers to the series -Final dungeon is hidden behind a vague side quest with a gauntlet of 8 bosses before you can challenge it with no save point before the fight Octopath II +Easy to start and learn +Major and Minor Quality of life improvements (battle speed, auto dialogue, etc.) +Narrative intertwines in a way that is easier to understand +Immediately gets you invested in every storyline +Overall quality of every story is improved and have better execution +Save point before final boss and no fear of having to fight 8 bosses just to face the final boss again +Easier for beginners +Latent Powers add a new layer of strategy +Environments look incredibly pretty and are overall more memorable (New Delsta, *[REDACTED SPOILER]* ‘s Island, Canalbrine, Ku and Cropdale to name a few) +Boats now make things more interesting (new secrets) +Bonus Party Members for Chapter 1’s where a support character may struggle (e.g. Temenos gets Crick) -Some characters cannot beat the game entirely alone like in the original -The extra jobs are a bit underwhelming compared to the ones in the original -Gathering the travelers is more difficult this time -The job classes being applied to multiple party members can make some bosses far to easy to cheese -The job shrines aren’t consistent in where they are scattered (some within a town, others out in the wild)

[@vivianfoxthief]

Who would win: One powerful Knight who has been trained under order and is retired and can take the world on, or . . . One cute merchant.

[@whitevii1533]

"Gathering the travelers is more difficult this time" okay so I'm not just going crazy

[@Kranitoko]

"overarching plot" I'm like... 2 chapters into everybody's stories right now, and I cannot see any overarching story??

[@MohdAmirulHafiz]

Start with 1. Because 2 will exceed your expectations after playing 1

[@joapaisa]

Jugué a ambos y confirmo, empecé con el 2 y luego fui por el 1, la verdad se extraña muchas mecanicas que tiene el 2, más allá de que sea "fácil", se extraña realmente porque hacen más dinámicas las peleas.

[@mikokun7714]

How did you respond to an english comment in Spanish to a dude that's Muslim, even google translate be like naniiii????? 😂😂​@@joapaisa

[@joapaisa]

@@mikokun7714 because I like and I Can 🤷‍♀️

[@aahen5303]

This was very helpful, thank you!

[@kindredzpirit6046]

Definitely 1 if you're an RPG fan. 2 is a better start for a wider demographic because is more accessible in dificulty, has easier and faster grinding, and improves in a lot of things that were disliked from 1 for some of those people.

[@enerjak3335]

Thanks for this. I was just debating on which one I should buy with my next paycheck.

[@AraumC]

If you start with 2, you can’t really go back to 1 unless you REALLY loved 2 and just want more. If you’re willing to put more time into it, if you’re a big JRPG fan, start with 1.

[@calyxatlas]

I got 2 first because both games were full price and I assume 1 will go on sale sooner 😅 Thanks for the info! I'm loving 2 so far but eventually want 1 since I enjoy solo-running these kinds of games

[@travisometimes3126]

I appreciate this video so much and after listening I’m gonna purchase OCT2 I’ve played 1 twice but stop by chapter 3 each time

[@pvfpinto]

Started with the 2, and the game is amazing. Will see if going to the 1st. Until now the game isn’t hard and I like difficult games. Great video

[@goresheite]

Didya like 1?

[@NightaYuu]

I am currently completing the Ch3s in Octopath II, so I am far from finished. It is so enjoyable and I would recommend it over the first one for sure. Pretty sad to say, in my Switch friends list I saw many people starting the first game and maybe quitting before reaching the mid game, according to the play time. One thing I miss from Octopath I, however : the game felt more like a ,,travel'', a little journey. I adore Agneas story for that reason, the other stories are pretty grand in contrast. In the first one, it felt like a huge breath of fresh air compared to all of the RPGs with epic tales. Tressa, Alfyn, and Ophilia start out their travels for the reason of doing (mostly) exactly that - traveling. It is very nice to have something lighthearted, yet not boring.

[@yurolowell6795]

Great video overall, you made a lot of good points. I'm about to finish the game myself, so here's my two cents : While I do agree the replayability of Octo II is limited and restricted due to many segments necessitating certain path actions, I do believe it's a bad thing leading to a very good one. The first game, while it introduced path actions, had some of them being quite useless or at least, they felt underused, sometimes redundant (looking at you H'aanit). Let's be honest: Steal and Scrutinize were just incredibly more valuable because of how they made you feel like you cheated the system to gain some really good stuff, and the rest wasn't really that worth it in comparison. As a result, despite the variety of path actions, most players ended up using the same few over and over. Octo II making a lot more path actions necessary to access stories and side quests gives these actions a lot more value, and considering who to take with me when going to the unknown has felt much more enjoyable this time around, as there was no saying who would be useful. I guess you could say Octo II trade some of its replayability for a much better first time experience, which is something I respect.

[@ZeShado]

I can definitely agree with that! Giving some of the path actions more of a purpose is really good and I can equally respect that.

[@Tuinuiski]

I wanted to start with OT2 but accidentally bought OT1 because I was careless when buying online and selected the wrong game 😅 No regret though, really enjoying it. I will no doubt buy OT2 too!

[@marinadavies1917]

youll thank yourself, the second game has so much more that if you played it first and then the first one youd miss so much

[@jd2161]

How does one get all the way to checkout and not notice there is no 2 in the title? Multiple screens...

[@LucidCoder]

I played 2 first (about a year ago), and I'm now playing through 1. They're both great, but 2 refines the formula. It's a little weird giving up the improvements you were accustomed to, and I think I'd prefer to have played 1 first. That being said, these are BIG games, so you probably won't play them back-to-back anyway. If you might lose momentum and not play both games, start with 2.

[@stanacc6999]

Curious to hear your take on which moments in OT1 eclipsed the stories in OT2

[@ZeShado]

Without going into spoiler territory, I would say Olberic’s story built up to chapter 3 is some of the best Octopath has to offer in terms of storytelling. I also really enjoyed Primrose’s and Therion’s stories a lot. That being said, I really do enjoy a fair amount OT2’s stories, especially Osvald’s and Castti’s. Also special shout-out to Alfyn and his Chapter 3.

[@Shyguymask]

My only disappointment with Octopath 2 is that it's a lot easier than the original overall. But I can't really blame the game itself for it because of all the complaints of supposed """grinding""" the first game got by bad players who can't handle a challenge and learning a game's mechanics.

[@ZeShado]

I thought I was crazy in thinking that grinding wasn't an issue in the original but I'm glad to know it wasn't just me lol

[@nerdzone]

@@ZeShado You are not crazy. I did not grind for a single battle in both of the games. It's just that people are used to avoid challenges to such extent that they consider preferable (and thus intended) to mindlessly kill monsters for EXP and/or loot instead of re-thinking their strategy and adapting. That's why a charity mechanic (which is the possibility to level grind in order to relieve some of the challenge) is brought against great games that try to be at least a little challenging. Cause there are people that think the intended way to beat a game is to first try everything. And even if 2 was noticeably easier than the first one, you will still find videos and articles calling it grindy. I AM LIVID! I really, really hate that. People praising Dark Souls and Celeste for being challenging games while whining about JRPGs being "grindy" just because they expose them to some challenge all the while giving them the tools to avoid the challenge. I think this is the Achiles' heel of a lot of more challenging JRPGs. I would love if they were more brave with their challenge. Cap the levelling within reason. Make it known that the challenge is intentional. Don't allow randoms to think "it's bad game design". Make them earn their progress or ditch the game. Or even better. Make grinding as painful and as non-productive as possible. I think Diablo 2 did it in the past. Have those lower level monsters give single digit XP values or whatever.

[@FCXmaster]

I played both and loved them. This series deserves more love. I really want them to make a third one.

[@AleksandarIvanov69]

I didn't think I would like the game (I am not an OT1 player) when I tried the demo on a whim. 50hrs in I love it so much and I am not even half way done 😊

[@XtianApi]

I've always wanted to play octopath, I played the first demo, enjoyed it, but never bought the game now I have the second game and I'm diving in

[@demosthenes995]

Did you draw the thumbnail art yourself?

[@ZeShado]

Nope, it’s part of the official countdown art. You can find it either on the twitter or wiki!

[@rossjones8656]

Hey, i suddenly saw the octopath traveler is unavailable in the e-shop.

[@jesusalonso2179]

It was a gliched. Nintendo placed the gamr developer under "nintendo" and not "square enix"

[@dothesick]

I played half of Octopath 1 and lost interest. Then I picked up Octopath 2 and couldn’t put it down. I think it’s the story and the improvements in gameplay and areas to discover and voice acting.

[@vivianfoxthief]

I have played both I can say story and character wise I like first 1 better (tressa best girl) but when it comes to features and game play wise I can say octopath 2 is something you should pick. (Btw this how I see it I have not seen the full video at the time am posting this comment)

[@Kwizii]

Hello, I dislike random encounters but tolerated them through octopath traveler because the rest of the game was brilliant in every way. I want to buy Octopath II but if it gets too grindy, it might kill the magic for me (especially since my play time is limited, so if I feel that I'm just beating enemies I will get frustrated). Should I get Octopath II?

[@medalgearsalad1419]

Thats called burnout. Take a break from the series, play another game and then comeback to Octopath 2. This is like spending hours playing Dark Souls and then immediately starting Dark Souls 2 after, burnout is inevitable

[@JeannieLove]

Now that they have the double pack, I'll play Octopath 1 first because the 2nd has better quality of life.

[@johnnny9]

i played Octopath 1 for 10 hrs and got bored af i thought the game would get better or good within that time frame but nope, i really did not care for the story telling for some characters and deleted it but the Octopath 2 fast forward interactions instead of skipping and fast battle is pretty sweet

[@cesara.segoviaaguirre6168]

1st so you don't miss the QoL additions of the second.

[@jeshuaavila1620]

I been playing octopath for years now it such a slow burner for me. I started playing cause of my ex

[@anonmisfit]

from what uve presented, HAVING to have the thief in op1 is by far the greatest downside to op1 / rping

[@nerdzone]

I'd say don't give too much attention to people saying that playing 2 first will ruin 1 for you. That's really not the case. If you liked 2 chances are you will like 1 as well. Both Octopath Travelers are amazing games and are my number 1 and 2 favourite JRPGs. Yes, 2 is superior to 1 but 1 is still better than literally every other JRPG I played. Even if you don't rank them as high yourself, you will definitely going to enjoy both games in their own right. Saying that playing OT2 will ruin playing OT1 is like saying playing Suikoden 2 will ruin playing Suikoden or Star Ocean 2 is going to ruin Star Ocean for you. It won't. Yeah, one is clearly better than the other but both are great in their own rights.

[@RaidenKaiser]

I feel like some of the "flaws" people complain about with octo 1 are part of its strengths lol. I think octo2 goes too far showing players how to unlock the true ending i think giving dialogue hints would of been alot better than showing a marker where to start the final part of the story.

[@diablioscortes862]

i bought game 1 two weeks ago during a sale and gave up within 3 hours. For a JRPG game I thought the story was really lacklustre and I didn't like any of the characters I'd unlocked. I googled the rest of the characters and none of their backstories appealed to me. The combat was decent but not enough to keep me going with the boring stories. Fast-forward two weeks, I decided to buy game 2 on a whim. And over 10 hours later I can say I love it. The story is such a massive improvement and I felt that by the end of chapter 1, everyone's motives for travelling and their enemies were firmly established. The new latent ability and talents like Hikari's learned skill are really fun to play with, making the combat much more interesting than the previous one which sometimes felt like a Persona clone. Overall, I'm glad I gave game 2 a try and I don't think I would be going back to game 1 even after completing 2.

[@hawkeyemihawkgettingmoneylord]

The first game was almost as good as the second. The story definitely didn't improve

[@marky6456]

@@hawkeyemihawkgettingmoneylord Now that's a straight up lie lol

[@danebirbhaha7520]

​@@hawkeyemihawkgettingmoneylord let's be fr

[@ZeShado]

The story hooks in the new entry are really good at keeping people interested for sure!

[@Shyguymask]

Persona clone?... how in the world lol, especially since you're implying 2's combat is so different from 1's which isn't the case at all? Octo 2 has the latent abilities and that's it, it's pretty much the exact same combat mechanics.

[@chunli1758]

Wow, I thought this was gonna be a great server, but I guess I was wrong. This server loves to just antagonize and attack people for opinions. Like I can’t talk about raiding other servers without mentioning the ban or just downright giving me negative opinions