Platforms: Switch 2 (tested), Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox, PCAge: 12+Verdict: ★★★★☆
That’s a nought not an ‘Oh’ on the end of the title –– notionally signifying a prequel that occupies a different niche to its two predecessors, Octopath Traveler 1 & 2.
Zero, as it should really be known, has its genesis in a somewhat grubby free-to-play mobile rendition from 2020 of this turn-based Japanese RPG series. But developer Square Enix has stripped out that game’s obnoxious microtransactions and user-hostile mechanics to give us what is, to all intents and purposes, Octopath Traveler 3.
The outcome is an agreeably taxing RPG that uses Octopath’s cutesy art style and will absorb dozens of hours of your time, most of them enjoyable. The gameplay will be familiar to veterans of Octopath (or of many a similar JRPG) but Square Enix introduces a handful of worthwhile twists to give Zero its own flavour.
The storyline leans towards the generic – an unholy trinity of villains burns down your village and your hero forms a posse to take revenge.
However, Zero does two interesting things with this set-up. First, it lets you tackle the baddies one by one in any order and even in parallel, following the quests of your choice by criss-crossing the map. Meanwhile, you resolve to rebuild your little town house by house, giving you perks and support depending on which structure you choose and who you recruit as residents. This base-building is a little simplistic and lacks real customisation, but it provides a welcome change of pace between villain bashing.
The main quests chiefly follow a pattern that sends you out around the countryside, into a dungeon and up against a boss. Random battles against weak enemies as you explore can take as little as 10 seconds to complete, which is a relief because they are too frequent for my liking. But it’s in the skirmishes with bosses big and small that Zero’s battle system shines.
Your hero can enlist the help of others to form a party of up to eight to bring into combat, picking ultimately from a roster of 30 characters. It might sound unwieldly and indeed juggling the eight takes concentration. When you face off against enemies big or small, you choose which half of your party sits in the front row dealing damage and which hunkers down in the back to provide support and healing.
The turn-based combat in all Octopath titles lies is already complex, thanks to the stagger and weakness systems by which you can hit enemies with specific attacks to bring down their shields and then unload your spiciest moves to maximise damage. So every major fight becomes an extended dance – recognising vulnerabilities in your foes, rotating your party’s moves and prioritising targets. The bosses hit back hard, sometimes change their weaknesses and generally offer a stiff challenge.
Zero perhaps repeats its formula a little too often and stretches the storyline beyond its merit. For lovers of JRPGs, however, this prequel/sequel/whatever will do a number on you if you give it time.