The first two Octopath Traveler games have one major thing in common: there is no singular primary protagonist. There are eight stories for eight party members. While the heroes would interact with one another here and there, their stories were mostly self-contained.
**Octopath Traveler 0** is going in a noticeably different direction. While Square Enix’s latest RPG still features parties of eight characters, there actually is one main protagonist this time around—and that hero is you.
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### Early Look: The Prologue of Octopath Traveler 0
I had a chance to take an early look at the Octopath Traveler 0 prologue for a peek at how the game’s early minutes will play out. As noted in Shacknews’ PAX West preview, Octopath Traveler 0 takes place on the continent of Orsterra for a story set before the events of the original game.
Before anything else, players are introduced to a new feature for the Octopath Traveler series: a character creator. This system allows players to customize their character’s name, gender, hairstyle, eye color, victory pose, and voice. At least at the start of the game, the voice is only used during battles.
The protagonist is a silent one, though the ensemble of supporting characters encountered throughout the story will do plenty of talking.
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### Introducing Wishvale and Supporting Characters
The prologue establishes the main character’s home village of Wishvale. This humble village is about to celebrate an annual festival, so the opening minutes focus mainly on establishing key supporting cast members.
Players will meet:
– **Stia**, the main character’s childhood friend and daughter of one of the village’s architects
– **Phenn**, a young member of the village Watch and a budding hunter
– **Laurana**, a priestess raised in the nearby church
In the prologue, these characters serve primarily as supporting cast members for the main protagonist.
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### A Dark Turn: Villains and Tragedy
The story soon takes a dark and gripping turn. At PAX West, I was introduced to the game’s villains, and the prologue is where you’ll meet them personally.
– **Hermania**: A wicked aristocrat whose hunger for riches is endless.
– **Tytos**: A fallen hero-turned-dictator who cuts down anyone he sees as beneath him.
– **Auguste**: The world’s most famous playwright, who gains inspiration for his works by feeding off—and sometimes personally creating—the tragedy of his helpless victims.
Together, they burn Wishvale to ash, ruthlessly murdering all but a few lone survivors.
From this point on, *Octopath Traveler 0* plays out like a revenge tale.
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### Two Pillars of the Story: Revenge and Rebuilding
The story revolves around two main pillars:
1. **Individual quest lines** that ultimately lead to each of the three main villains.
2. **Rebuilding Wishvale**, which involves multiple steps.
As an Architect, Stia plays a key role in getting the game’s town-building component in motion. Players can help build workshops, houses, shops, and other important buildings. These structures not only bring Wishvale back to prominence but also supply players with extra items for their journey ahead.
Building structures requires different supplies, like lumber and cloth, which can be found scattered along various paths between villages.
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### Combat and Party Dynamics
In terms of combat, *Octopath Traveler 0* starts out feeling familiar to fans of its predecessors. Players engage in turn-based battles where they can build up Boost Points (note: they were mistakenly called Brave Points in the PAX West preview, which are actually from another Square Enix RPG series) to strike multiple times.
Enemies have Shield Points that can be reduced to zero by hitting their physical or elemental weaknesses, causing a **Break**. When broken, enemies skip their turn and become vulnerable to greater damage.
During the early portion of the game, the party consists of only a few characters. However, as the story progresses, players will be able to recruit additional travelers, eventually forming active parties of up to eight.
Unlike previous Octopath Traveler games, all eight characters will fight at once. The PAX West preview offers more details on how this system works.
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### Looking Ahead
A question posed in the early September preview was whether the many available party members—there will be more than 30—will have their own satisfying narratives. The prologue doesn’t answer this question, but it’s one worth keeping in mind as the game approaches its full release.
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*Octopath Traveler 0* showcases a fresh take on the beloved series, blending familiar turn-based combat with deeper storytelling and town-building elements. Fans of the franchise and newcomers alike should keep a close eye on this exciting upcoming RPG.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146772/octopath-traveler-0-final-preview
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