OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 Review – Eight‑Party JRPG with Town Building
I dug into Octopath Traveler 0 and found the series' familiar HD‑2D charm, a clever eight‑member combat twist and cozy town building — but a noticeable audio compression problem and uneven storytelling keep this from being a slam dunk.
Octopath Traveler 0 takes the franchise in a new direction: you create a protagonist, recruit dozens of allies and rebuild a hometown while the old Break/Boost combat gets a bold eight‑person spin. If you loved OT1/OT2 you’ll recognise the DNA — but expect some rough edges from its mobile roots.
Combat still lives and breathes on the Break + Boost pillars, but now you field up to eight characters split between front and back rows — swapping pairs mid‑fight is surprisingly tactical and opens creative team builds. The main protagonist is customisable (appearance, voice, job) while over 30 recruitable allies bring different job kits and learned skills you can graft onto others. Path Actions return in a more flexible form and town building ties progression into useful rewards. Music and HD‑2D visuals are lovely—Nishiki’s themes still hit — although many assets and tracks will feel familiar to series veterans. Downsides: pacing can drag in middle acts, some characters feel like roster fodder, and a worrying audio compression/mixing problem on PC makes voices and sfx sound brittle for many players. The demo is generous (three hours, carryover saves), so try before you commit.
Octopath Traveler 0 is a worthwhile and surprisingly fresh spin on the series — great combat and cozy progression, marred by technical audio problems and uneven writing. Fans should buy (or try the demo) but anyone sensitive to audio or expecting OT2‑level polish might want to wait for patches or a sale.
Pros
- Deep, tactical battles with an 8‑member twist — swapping front/back pairs is fun and strategic.
- Charming HD‑2D visuals and a fantastic soundtrack — the series’ atmosphere remains intact.
- Character creation plus town building add long‑term goals and a cozy progression loop.
Cons
- Widespread audio compression/mixing issues on PC make voices and some SFX sound harsh.
- Uneven story pacing and many recycled assets — some arcs feel rushed while others drag.
Player Opinion
Players praise the return of Octopath combat feeling and the new eight‑person tactical layer, plus the music and town mechanics. The loudest gripe across reviews is the compressed/poor audio quality in voices and sfx, which many hope will be patched quickly. Opinions on story and characters are split: veterans enjoy the systems but some find the writing melodramatic or thin, while newcomers often enjoy the cohesive protagonist‑led plot. If you loved OT1/OT2 you’ll probably enjoy this — try the demo first.