OCTOPATH TRAVELER + OCTOPATH TRAVELER II Bundle from SQUARE ENIX brings us a pair of excellent HD-2D JRPGs that are must-plays on Nintendo Switch 2. Find out why in our OCTOPATH TRAVELER + OCTOPATH TRAVELER II Bundle review!
OCTOPATH TRAVELER + OCTOPATH TRAVELER II Bundle from SQUARE ENIX brings us a pair of excellent HD-2D JRPGs that are must-plays on Nintendo Switch 2. We’re getting two of the best turn-based JRPGs of recent times with improved graphics and performance while still retaining the convenience of being able to easily play at home or on the go thanks to the hybrid nature of Nintendo’s current-gen console. You’re looking at an easy 130+ hours of content to take on, with dozens of hours on top if you’re the type who likes to 100% games.
What’s different when comparing the Nintendo Switch versions of OCTOPATH TRAVELER and OCTOPATH TRAVELER II to these new Nintendo Switch 2 versions? While the content and gameplay remain the same, we’re now getting a higher resolution when playing in Portable or Docked, as well as a bump to 60 frames per second compared to the 30 frames per second on Nintendo Switch. There’s also improved transparencies, lighting, shadows, particle effects, and depth of field, which helps to make everything pop on the screen. Oh, and the games also load faster than their Nintendo Switch counterparts.
OCTOPATH TRAVELER was originally released on the Nintendo Switch in 2018, making it the first release in SQUARE ENIX’s beloved HD-2D series. As you can tell from the trailer and screens in this OCTOPATH TRAVELER + OCTOPATH TRAVELER II Bundle review, HD-2D is an art style and perspective that uses pixel art and billboard sprites with fully 3D locations, which helps to make everything pop. Add dynamic lighting, tilt-shift, depth of field variations, and other special effects, and you have some of the best-looking games out there! The game remained a Nintendo Switch exclusive until it was eventually ported to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in 2024. In fact, Nintendo published the game until the PlayStation versions were released, and SQUARE ENIX took over as publisher for the Nintendo Switch version as well.
The first OCTOPATH TRAVELER tells the stories of eight different travelers, which means you’ll be experiencing eight different adventures. These journeys take place in Orsterra, a land that was created long ago by thirteen deities. Your options for adventurers will be: Sacred Flame priestess Ophilia Clement, Royal Academy teacher Cyrus Albright, merchant Tressa Colzione, Olberic Eisenberg, a former knight of the Kingdom of Hornburg, Primrose Azelhart, a dispossessed noblewoman seeking revenge, traveling healer Alfyn Greengrass, thief Therion, and huntress H’aanit.
You might have noticed that these characters have a specific job as part of their description. This is how the game handles classes, since each character is tied to a specific job they can use to help others, as well as to use a special ability while exploring and interacting with the many, many NPCs that you’ll get to meet. On top of that job, you’ll also be able to assign a sub-job to each character in order to maximize their potential.
Ophilia is a cleric, and that means she can heal and defend other party members. Cyrus is a scholar, and he’ll be able to use attack spells to deal good damage. Tressa is a merchant, making her a great character for maximizing profits. Olberic is a warrior, making him a great tank character who can dish out a ton of damage. Primrose is a dancer, and she can use her dancing to buff allies. Alfyn is an apothecary, and he will be able to concoct by combining reagents. Therion is very much a thief, and can use his sneakiness to siphon a bit of an enemy’s HP and SP. As for H’aanit, she’s a hunter who can capture beasts and call them into action to aid the group.
And what are their special skills while exploring? These are known as Path Actions and are unique to each character. Ophilia has Guide, which will allow her to bring some NPCs along with her. Cyrus has Scrutinize, allowing him to gain extra information from NPCs by interrogating them. Tressa has Purchase, a very useful skill that allows her to buy items that might not be available in stores, as well as adding a chance of getting a discount when buying something. Olberic has Challenge, which lets him duel some NPCs in one-on-one combat.
Primrose has Allure, which behaves in a similar way to Ophilia’s Guide. Alfyn has Inquire, similar to Cyrus’s Scrutinize. Therion has Steal. You know, because he’s a thief. This will allow him to procure and obtain some items from NPCs, including those that are marked as “Not For Sale.” That’s your cue to try to steal them. As for H’aanit’s Provoke, it will let her sic a beast on an NPC for a duel, similar to Olberic’s Challenge.
And then we have the sequel. OCTOPATH TRAVELER II was first released in 2023, and it’s technically the third game in the series, since we also got the prequel OCTOPATH TRAVELER: Champions of the Continent in 2022 on mobile. OCTOPATH TRAVELER: Champions of the Continent eventually was used as a base for last year’s OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0. This new game features 8 new travelers and is set in Solistia, a location that feels a bit more technologically advanced than Orsterra. It offers a familiar yet different journey that expands on what its predecessor did so well.
The protagonists for this new adventure are hunter Ochette, apothecary Castti Florenz, assassin Throné Anguis, scholar Osvald V. Vanstein, merchant Partitio Yellowil, dancer Agnea Bristarni, cleric Temenos Mistral, and crown prince Hikari Ku. These 8 characters will also have combat abilities that will remind you of what the protagonist from OCTOPATH TRAVELER could do, and the same goes for their Path Actions, with Ochette having Provoke, Castti using Inquire, Throné having Steal, Osvald using Scrutinize, Partitio having Purchase, Agnea having Allure, Temenos using Guide, and Hikari using Challenge. What’s different is how each of the travelers has a Path Action that can only be used at night!
During the nighttime, Ochette gets Befriend, allowing her to give some NPC an item and then lead them around. Castii gets Soothe, which makes it so that she can give some NPC an item and put them to sleep, thus removing them from her path. Throné gets Ambush, a powerful one that can knock some NPCs unconscious to get them out of his way. Osvald has Mug, with which he’ll duel some NPCs and be rewarded with their possessions after winning. Partitio can use Hire to pay a fee and have some NPCs follow him. Agnea will have Entreat, allowing her to convince some NPCs to give her items. Temenos has Coerce, which will let him duel some NPCs to obtain special information. Hikari will be able to use Bribe, so that he can use money to bribe NPCs and get information.
OCTOPATH TRAVELER + OCTOPATH TRAVELER II Bundle from brings us a pair of excellent HD-2D JRPGs that are must-plays on Nintendo Switch 2. We’re getting two of the best turn-based JRPGs of recent times with improved graphics and performance while still retaining the convenience of being able to easily play at home or on the go thanks to the hybrid nature of Nintendo’s current-gen console. You’re looking at an easy 130+ hours of content to take on, with dozens of hours on top if you’re the type who likes to 100% games.
OCTOPATH TRAVELER + OCTOPATH TRAVELER II Bundle is out on Nintendo Switch 2 with a $74.99 price tag. This is a great offer, since each of the games is also available separately on Nintendo’s current-gen console. Do note that, while there are also Nintendo Switch versions of these games, the save data from those versions are not compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 versions, and vice versa.
Disclaimer
This OCTOPATH TRAVELER + OCTOPATH TRAVELER II Bundle review is based on a Nintendo Switch 2 copy provided by SQUARE ENIX.
