Overview
Octopath Traveler II is a JRPG developed by Square Enix and Acquire, released in 2023. Like the first entry, it uses the HD-2D style: pixel-art characters placed in 3D environments, with modern lighting effects. You follow eight new travelers, each with their own story, on the continent of Solistia.
Story and world
The principle does not change: you pick a first character, then recruit the other seven along the way and advance their chapters in whatever order you like. The difference is that the stories finally intertwine a little, notably through chapters that bring two travelers together around a shared plot. It is still limited, but already better than in the first one.
Gameplay
It is a sequel that fixes almost everything. The day/night cycle, which you can switch at any moment, changes the enemies you run into and gives each character a second field action depending on the time of day. Latent powers, unique to each traveler, charge up during fights and add a layer of strategy to the Boost and weakness system inherited from the first entry.
Above all, the pacing and the balancing are far better than in Octopath Traveler.
Verdict
One of the best recent JRPGs, without hesitation.