Octopath Traveler 0 had every excuse to be half-assed. It could have been smaller, leaner, and less compelling than its predecessors, just by virtue of where it came from. It is a minor miracle that it’s none of those things.

The latest throwback-style turn-based RPG from Square Enix, in case you don’t know, is a $50 console and PC adaptation of a free-to-play mobile game from 2020. The developers took a bunch of existing characters, enemies, storylines, mechanics, and music, and reconstituted them into an entirely different and wholly welcome new format. Given that mobile games are inherently fleeting, as they rely on storefronts, servers, and payment processes that will cease to exist someday, I think this is kind of incredible.

It also helps that the end result is just a real, real go

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