Octopath Traveler 0 Review: A Genuine Classic for RPG Fans

Last Updated on December 9, 2025 by Dante

After logging 10 hours consecutive hours in this game, I decided to write an Octopath Traveler 0 review that sums up my experience playing so far. And, so far, I am genuinely impressed. I’ve never played any games in this series, so this was all new for me.

With that said, here is my honest review of this game after spending the last two days playing it and getting deep into the main storyline and my campaign against Tytos.

Overall Score: 8.5/10

If you’re new to this series, check out my 1-Hour playthrough:

As you can see from the video, Octopath Traveler 0 is a unique RPG that throws the traditional format out of the window and embraces multi-party dynamics, open-world gameplay, and non-linear story progression. You can literally start whichever story you want or focus on rebuilding Wishvale.

Or, you can get the heads of the three tyrants who threaten Osterra. It’s completely up to you. If you’re looking for a traditional RPG, this isn’t gonna be the right fit for you.

But if you want to try something new, you’re really going to like this game. The gameplay is really beginner-friendly. There aren’t long battle tutorials and no huge learning curve. You can master battle mechanics within like 10 minutes. On top of that, the class system is straightforward and you can learn skills by leveling up and fighting across the region.

My only issue is that the enemies are hard to beat once you step in medium-level zones. You are not going to coast in this game at all. The first boss we faced would not go down at all despite me making him “Weak” like 100 times. And it’s not like I could’ve grinded before fighting that wolf thing. It was a pretty sudden boss and it was still challenging to take down.

Also, EXP gains are not plentiful at all. Fighting three tough enemies may only net you 2+1 EXP when your EXP to Next Level is at 45.

So, you have to grind like crazy and never run away from a battle to survive. And since certain regions have recommended level limits, you are literally deadlocked until you start grinding. It’s not optional. You could be traveling near Valore with a recommended level of 6, and the region next door has a recommended level of 25.

I ran into this problem immediately when Sunshade’s recommended level was like 25, and I was level 15 in the previous quest. I had to run there, barely survive, and then run in and out of the city to train and use the Inn just to get to level 25. Took maybe an hour and a half.

It’s crazy.

I even fucked up heavily when I saw this charming young lady and thought she was an NPC:

In any case, I really enjoy getting intel from NPCs across the map, entreating them for drops, and recruiting them as helpers or to live in Wishvale. Each NPC has some great utility, whether theyre providing information about the different lands or can provide farming resources to Wishvale. You’re going to have to put in a lot of hours to check under every stone.

Another huge pro is the story which is fantastic. Without getting into any spoilers, it’s amazing how you’re thrust into the main storyline without it feeling rushed or contrived. The prologue gives emotional depth to the old residents in Wishvale before something terrible happens, and its moving enough that you feel strongly for our heroes who witnessed it.

Finally, I’m really impressed with the graphics. The visuals are absolutely stunning. Unreal Engine was used to its absolute max with this game. I also noticed that a great deal of attention was paid to the map design. You can enter virtually any house in the area to talk to people, claim treasures, and gather intel.

Exploration reminds me of Secret of Mana, and there is a lot of intelligent map making here without them being bloated to the extreme. Most of the time, between quests, I’m literally traveling to see what treasures I can find and what dungeons lurk about, even when I’m significantly under-leveled for the harder regions.

There isn’t any fatigue crossing over from region to region, and it’s one of the only RPGs where I don’t mind not using the fast travel feature. Overall, I’m really enjoying this game, and if you’re into unique HD-2D RPGs like this one, you should definitely give Octopath Traveler 0 a try.