OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 at PAX West 2025 was supposed to be my personal hell🔥. I mean, turn-based combat? 🤢 But SURPRISE! I’m now a certified Octopath Stan™️ and will be mainlining OCTOPATH TRAVELER II as soon as I get home. OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 is so easy, even *I* can play it, but it also has enough stuff to keep the “pros” busy.
So, let’s address the ROOM-TEMPERATURE elephant in the room. 🐘 OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 ISN’T just another garbage mobile port. No gacha BS, no controls that make you want to throw your Switch 2 into a wall, and NO MICROTRANSACTIONS! 🚫💰 Square Enix actually did something right for once and reworked *Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent* into something that doesn’t suck on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Now that THAT’S out of the way, let’s dive into my oh-so-important hands-on experience with OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 on the Nintendo Switch 2 (which, by the way, is TOTALLY worth the upgrade).
People are whining because there are, like, over 30 characters in this game. CRY ME A RIVER. 😭 Instead of EIGHT, you get eight characters in your PARTY in OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0. You just keep recruiting randoms throughout the story and decide who gets to stay and who gets the boot. 🥾This is where they ripped out the gacha system from the mobile game (thank god 🙏). You also get to create your own character. You can even pick their voice!
“I thought OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 would have me completely out of my element—but instead I walked away a fan.”
Yeah, yeah, I said that. What of it? 🙄
The “0” in OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 has a super-deep meaning, guys. 🤓 First, it’s a prequel. Get it? ZERO! It’s also because you start the game alone, like a loser with no friends. 🤣 You have to build your team from scratch. From ZERO! These changes might make the “true fans” angry 😡, but as a newbie, I think it’s a good thing.
But wait, there’s MORE! Introducing the OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 Town Build System! 🎉 Just like your party, you gotta build Wishvale. It’s where your losers hang out, and you force them to move there. I played around with it and it was surprisingly fun! You can even farm, raise livestock, and become a virtual chef! 🧑🍳
From what I saw, I could slap down a House, Large Houses (for more losers), Workshop, Hub, Fields, Ranch, and even a Salon. 💇♀️Some buildings have limits because apparently, you CAN have too many hubs. You can also customize the buildings with different styles. Change the roof color, the facade, the WHOLE THING! 💅And you can upgrade them too, probably to fit even MORE losers, grow more crops, or breed more animals. 🐑
“Octopath Traveler 0 looked great on the Nintendo Switch 2 and sounded impressive, with full voice acting.”
…As if graphics mean anything. 🙄
There are also decorations you can throw around, and special decorations like the Tome of Records and Harvest Box (which, you guessed it, have limits). Everything costs materials you find on your journey, like stone, lumber, and flowers. Except for paths, which are FREE! 🆓
The BEST part? You can hold down ZR to continuously build! It’s the LITTLE things, people! No build times either! Everything is INSTANT! Like magic! ✨ (Okay, maybe it was just the demo).
Standard gameplay? It’s just like the other Octopath games with the Break & Boost battle system. YAWN. 😴 I had access to classes like Warrior, Architect, Hunter, Merchant, Apothecary, Scholar, Cleric, Dancer, and Thief. In battle, you switch weapons and use skills. The Warrior learned Spearhead and the Architect learned First Aid! SO exciting! 😐
The ONLY problem with OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 is the party size. Eight members? That’s SEVEN TOO MANY. 😫 Battles are LONG. Some people might find this tedious. But if you’re a masochist who loves combat, then go for it! 👍
OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 looks great on the Nintendo Switch 2 (duh) and sounds impressive with full voice acting. I think it’s a good starting point for people who like turn-based combat. Veteran players get a ton of content. So, what are you waiting for? It releases Dec. 4, 2025. Get HYPE! 🔥🔥🔥
