Square Enix surprised fans during the September 13 Nintendo Direct livestream event with the reveal of Octopath Traveler 2, a sequel to the 2018 role-playing game Octopath Traveler. Although officially marketed as a sequel, the game will take place in a new world and star eight new protagonists: Hikari the Warrior, Agnea the Dancer, Partitio the Merchant, Osvald the Scholar, Throne the Thief, Temenos the Cleric, Ochette the Hunter, and Castti the Apothecary. As with the previous game, the first letter of each protagonist’s name combine to spell the word OCTOPATH.
Octopath Traveler 2 will take place in a brand new world, Solistia, which appears to feature a more modern aesthetic compared to the generally medieval-themed realm of Orsterra from the first game. The reveal trailer for the game showed off steam trains, large cities, and multi-storied buildings, as well as the Travelers using boats and horses to get around rather than simply going everywhere on foot. In addition, while each character will once again have distinct Path Actions they can use during their journey, these Path Actions will now vary between day and night. For example, Hikari the Warrior can use Challenge to duel opponents during the daytime and Bribe to get information from NPCs at night.
Eight new travelers journey through the land of Solistia, each with their own story to tell.
See what happens when their paths intertwine and where their adventures lead them when OCTOPATH TRAVELER II launches for #NintendoSwitch on Feb. 24, 2023! #NintendoDirect pic.twitter.com/jhIp8E1DYc
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 13, 2022
One criticism which the first Octopath Traveler received is that the eight characters’ stories were primarily separate, with minimal interaction between them. The trailer for Octopath Traveler 2 promised that “stories will intertwine” and showed characters directly interacting with one another during the game. Combat was shown off briefly, confirming that the previous game’s turn-based style and focus on finding and targeting enemy weaknesses will return.
Octopath Traveler 2 is currently planned to release on February 24, 2023 for the Nintendo Switch. It is possible that a demo may be released prior to this, as the first Octopath Traveler debuted an extensive demo that included the first chapter of all eight character stories. The first Octopath Traveler is currently available for Nintendo Switch, PC, Stadia, and Xbox One. A mobile game, Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent, is available for Android and iOS devices.