This interview has been edited for clarity.
Finding a balance between modernity and tradition is never an easy task, but Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler surprised the game design world (in a good way) with a perfect blend of both in 2018. Now known as the pioneer of HD-2D, coined and trademarked by the Japanese juggernaut, it became the choice aesthetic for additional titles, including Triangle Strategy and the Dragon Quest remakes.
The stylings naturally carried over to its mobile prequel, Champions of the Continent, which released for Android and iOS in 2020 in Japan, followed by a worldwide launch in 2022, and its 2023 sequel, but the cross-pollination doesn’t stop there. As announced in the Nintendo Partner Direct showcase earlier this July, Octopath Traveler 0 will be the latest entry in the series, taking place in Osterra a few years before the events of the first game.
If it sounds a little familiar, that’s because Champions of the Continent also features the same setting and era, serving as the basis for the forthcoming JRPG. Similar to it, and unlike the original duology, the combat in Octopath Traveler 0 revolves around eight-character parties and a front/backline, each comprising four members, that can be swapped out freely at any point. Doing so regains the health and skill points (SP) of the fighters in the rear, allowing them to take a respite from the action, though it comes with a catch.
Ahead of Tokyo Game Show 2025, a one-and-a-half-hour hands-on preview held in Tokyo highlighted how the flexible positioning deepens the strategy element, and the heavier micromanagement focus can prove overwhelming at the start, even for returning fans, who will be more familiar with other parts of gameplay. The signature break and boost battle system, for instance, has been retained, marking a return to the cycle of identifying an enemy’s weaknesses, exploiting them to whittle their “shield points” down to zero, applying limited boosts to charge up the group’s attacks, and striking hard.
Each character can still switch between two weapon types assigned to their corresponding classes, with the protagonist now able to switch between the same eight starting jobs as before: Warrior (sword/spear), Dancer (fan/broadsword), Scholar (staff/tome), Cleric (staff/fan), Hunter (bow/axe), Apothecary (axe/tome), Thief (sword/broadsword), and Merchant (spear/bow). Amid the new and overlapping elements, one looming question remains – where does this prequel stand against Champions of the Continent, in terms of development?
As producer Hirohito Suzuki shares in a separate interview with select Southeast Asia media, the level design was a focal point during development, describing it as “largely very different” to accommodate its 30-plus playable characters.
“When it came to this latest instalment, we tried to make sure that the unique characteristics and personalities of each character could shine, which also allows players to complete the game using any one of them,” he explains. “It might be very surprising to hear how much time was really spent on ensuring that the experience feels different.”
Indeed, to write Octopath Traveler 0 off as a mere expansion of its smartphone counterpart would do the title a disservice. The character swap mechanics play out fluidly and seamlessly, bringing a steady rhythm and a more furious pace to the back-and-forth process. To no surprise of veterans, the battles can run long, even against common enemies (in our preview, a boss enemy had 60,000 HP), so it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. The pay-off, though, proves rewarding when the final blow lands, with the head-bopping soundtrack making the experience even more enjoyable.
The other new tweak to the formula is a character creator. In both Champions of the Continent and previous mainline instalments, players take on the role of a default protagonist; here, they are free to customise the main character’s looks, gender, and a few other elements. Don’t expect an intricate system as seen in its RPG contemporaries, for the choices are limited only to basic options like eye colour, hairstyle, and voice. What’s more interesting is the ability to select a favourite dish, which determines the type of boost that the character will receive, and name it, alongside a Learned Skill focusing on attack, recovery, or debuffs, and three Belongings, starter items that grant further stat boosts.
A personal touch is now present, and it makes all the difference. Not only can players become the centre of the story, but the forthcoming entry also marks a series-first in unravelling a new plotline: rebuilding a ruined hometown with each step of the way, a neat foil to its thematic motif of vengeance. The premise, simply put, finds Wishvale, the protagonist’s peaceful, lively hometown, destroyed, prompting them to set out to find the mastermind and restore it to its former glory.
“The main concept is that you, the player themselves, are the protagonist, and this is your story,” explains Suzuki. “A lot of the past key visuals tended to depict the characters in the middle of their journey, but here, we really wanted to show a moment where the characters are coming back or returning to their hometown after their journey.”
He continues, “There’s also more of a restoration-themed element to it, where there’s the feeling of wanting to recover and restore the original peaceful time that you had, which is presented as a choice.”
The solution? A literal town-building feature. After a combat-heavy sequence in the preview, constructing houses and new structures was a welcome respite from the action, unlocking a slew of other elements that include assigning NPCs to different homes, growing crops and livestock, placing various decorations, paving roads, and more. It’s reminiscent of Stardew Valley, with the experience rooted in intuitive controls, the relative freedom to build anything as desired, and thematic relevance.
“A lot of the people who are living in this town are now lost and scattered throughout, and the core emotion driving the player in that plotline would be wanting to save them and bring them back to your own town,” shares Suzuki. “Because of that, what we’re offering is a story with contrasting components of light and dark, with the former encompassing the happier experiences, while the darkness is more about wanting to defeat your enemies.”
It’s unclear how much this optional mechanic will expand further into the game, but the producer reveals that unique dialogue and exchanges will take place between invited characters, showing the stage of repair as the town becomes more populated. Building a tavern or bar, and then cooking in it, further grants a party buff, which strengthens or gives beneficial effects to the entire group, while investing in a training ground allows a character’s experience points and stats to gradually build on their own without having to do so manually – a nifty hack that reduces the effort required to train and level up eight main party members and over 30 others.
As much as Octopath Traveler 0 is about the player, the companions are no less important. Building on the character dynamics system from the previous titles, the sense of connection is stronger and more polished here, contrary to what its larger roster may suggest. Party chat, for instance, allows for moments of bonding during individual story progression, with encounters in various locations, such as a tavern, bringing an organic touch to the experience.
In Suzuki’s words, the protagonist “is the main tree, and then from there, just a lot of different things branch out.”
“Ultimately, you get to deepen your relationship with the other characters through the course of your journey, even within your day-to-day life within the game,” he concludes. “As you go towards the end, you experience everything that comes together and make the journey your own.”
Octopath Traveler 0 releases for all major platforms on 4 December 2025.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
Yonk
