Octopath Traveler 2 is a sequel, but it feels more like a second season of a show rather than a new game. It doesn’t add or fix a lot of the problems from the original, which is a shame. That said, what made the original so great remains amazing in this game.
The music is astounding as are the HD-2D graphics. Plus the turn-based battles are just as addictive as ever. It’s a marvel a game like this was ever made. Octopath Traveler 2 is brand new, so even though Square Enix didn’t add these things at launch, they could in future patches.
8 Share Experience
The absolute worst thing about the original game was that characters not in the party could not earn experience. The same is true for the sequel, and it unnecessarily adds more tedious hours. If players start with Throné, Temenos, Osvald, and Ochette and then gain Castti later that they place in the wings, the latter will not level up alongside the main party. The tricky part here is that all eight characters have their own stories to play through.
This means that, unlike a lot of RPGs where players could ignore characters they don’t like, players can’t do that in Octopath Traveler 2. Every character needs to be in peak condition to finish the game properly. An experience-sharing mechanic was needed five years ago, and it is needed even more today.
7 Add Autobattle
This game, at least, has one modern mechanic to keep it up to date with turn-based RPGs. Players can speed up the battles by two, making them go by quicker. More speeds should be added to the experience, similar to how Bravely Default 2 has higher settings.
That game also has the benefit of autobattles, so that players can sit back and relax while grinding. Octopath Traveler 2 should get this feature as well, along with a bigger wheel of speed options.
6 Add Difficulties Or Assists
If Square Enix and its related developers still don’t want to add autobattles or experience sharing, then there are things they can add to alleviate the tedium of grinding. They could always add difficulties to the mix. Allow players to switch to an easier mode if they like, or a harder mode if they want a bigger challenge.
Square Enix could alternatively add assist modes in the game that could adjust HP levels on heroes and enemies, as just one example. There are many ways Square Enix could help players if they only patch the options into Octopath Traveler 2.
5 Adjust Random Battles
Silicon Studio and Square Enix's Bravely Default had a lot of innovative features when it launched on the 3DS that then carried over to the sequel. The most forward-thinking feature of the bunch was the adjustable random battle meter. At any time, players could go into the options and say whether they wanted high, low, or absolutely zero random encounters.
There are skills in Octopath Traveler 2 that assist in random battles like Osvald’s Evasive Maneuver which reduces encounters. However, Square Enix could have taken a page from Bravely Default's playbook and added the adjustable menu to Octopath Traveler and its sequel, but it is not too late to patch it in.
4 Add More Detailed Maps
There are two types of maps in Octopath Traveler 2. The first is a world map in the menu that shows locations and allows players to fast travel. Then there is the mini-map which showcases markers like where save points and main objectives are.
However, the mini-map is more like a radar, but it should act more like a map. It needs more details to help players in their exploration as this is a giant RPG wherein maps are usually everything. The world map could also use some refining.
3 Add Quest Trackers
In the game, green markers on the mini-map will show where players need to go for the main objectives. These directions are vague at best, which is why the mini-map needs the aforementioned upgrade. That is a problem, but attempting side quests is even more confusing.
NPCs with side quests will appear on the mini-map as orange, which is fine. Once a quest starts, it’s up to players to figure out what to do next. Octopath Traveler 2 could adhere to more modern RPG features which tend to highlight side quest objectives better.
2 Save Upgrades
Players can save in one of two ways in the game. When they go from screen to screen, Octopath Traveler 2 will autosave. Progress can also be saved at dedicated save points, with nine files available. More files would be nice, but that is not the main problem here. Save points, in dungeons, should heal players when they go to them like the save points in Final Fantasy 10.
The developers could alternatively add some type of drinking fountain next to save points that could heal players. Also, a load option should be added to the menu outside of the title screen for a variety of reasons, like if players want to reload stealing attempts from NPCs with Throné.
1 Sell All Junk
Speaking of Throné, some of the objects that she can steal are useless. The Gold Ring, Old Locket, Stuffed Toy, and so many other items are put into the game for the sole purpose of being sold. There should be an option in stores to sell all junk which is a common feature in RPGs.
Also on the subject of items, it would be helpful if players could access all eight characters from the menu so that they can swap equipment around. Overall, the menu system in Octopath Traveler 2 could use a few modern tweaks besides the aforementioned loading feature.
Octopath Traveler 2 was released on February 24, 2023, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Switch.