Octopath Traveler II Character Ratings (2023)

Octopath Traveler IIis a great JRPG that should be experienced by gamers of all types. I ask you to readour reviewto get a full understanding of what makes this game so great. This article will closely reflect my opinion as to whereOctopath Traveler IIcharacter ranks and with a wide variety of personalities and location styles, I'm pretty sure my picks will surprise you a lot if you're familiar with the game. As previously mentioned there will beheavy spoilers, so if you haven't played yet, read carefully and don't be upset if my article ruined something for you by not following my advice. Also note that support skills can technically be equipped by anyone, but will be rated as role specific to that character. That said, let's get to the point.

****This article CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS FROM THE FINAL STORY. Readers' discretion is HIGHLY recommended.

1. Castti, the Apothecary

History:Rescued adrift at sea in a stowaway boat and awakened with no memory of who she is, although she has retained all her effective practices as an apothecary, Castti embarks on her journey in hopes of solving the mystery of the events that led to her memory loss. Along the way, she heals a city's water supply, helps prolong a fatal injury just long enough for someone to grant their dying wish, and helps a commander fight an ant lion causing life-threatening sinkholes. It is eventually revealed that a former member of Eir's Apothecaries, Trousseau, once a caring healer, was corrupted into believing that life was endless suffering and created a rain of poison in an attempt to kill everyone as his way of bringing them to salvation. Castti's amnesia was a result of surviving but succumbing to the poison's long-term effects, which wiped out everyone else. With the memories of her deceased friend and her latest remedies, she finds the ultimate cure. It's an excellent, depressing tale, with a delightfully demented twist that most people wouldn't expect this to be attached to the healer's story.A+

Paper:Castti's role is that of the apothecary. She wields an ax and serves as the primary healer in combat and is, in my opinion, an irreplaceable member of the party. She can pick up abilities and heal at will without much consequence as she has a support ability that allows her to replenish SP by breaking an enemy. Plus, with an AOE ax attack, you'll see your bar go back to full quickly. But what really makes Castti strong is her Concoct ability, where she mixes at least two ingredients together to give buffs to a party member or debuff enemies (the boost increases the number of items). Certain items cause the effect to spread, making it a single person now for the entire party, and as long as you've saved your blades, this is a no-nonsense, cost-effective tactic that can do one-turn setups that would otherwise require other roles. Take more. Her latent power allows her to do whatever she wants at no cost as long as she has at least one of the items she wants to use. This is a great method to try to eliminate any wind/light/dark weaknesses in an instant, or a drastic upgrade to an entire party. Special shout out to her move EX Remedy which causes her to deal out a ton of random status effects to random party members. Get away from Heisenberg, there's a new drug dealer in town.S

Stihandlinger:Castti's daytime action, Inquire, allows her to obtain information on certain townspeople, provided she is of a high enough level. This can be used to find hidden items or get discounts at the inn etc, and is the least demanding way to get information compared to Osvald and Temenos, making Castti the recommended character to do it.A+

Your night path action, Soothe, is a more polite version of Throne's ambush, where you use medicinal herbs to put people to sleep and open what was once a blocked path or treasure chest. Since my starting character was Throné, she always had a high enough level to knock out the NPC, so I only used Soothe for necessary side quests and conserved my inventory.C+

final boss:Based on the plot, it's no surprise that the final boss is Trousseau in his crappy Plague Doctor outfit. The combat excels in creativity by having the area covered in a rain of poison that slowly depletes the maximum HP of each party member, making it very challenging for low level groups. The boss has attacks that cause status effects and multi-hit abilities that can really mess up your game plan. Trousseau's Plague Doctor mask is a nice touch to the design, but otherwise it's pretty standard for a boss design. It looks more menacing when you drop it to half health as its mask breaks and it stares at you in its final moment of menacing despair.IN-

theme music:Castti's theme reminds me of a coastal mix ofFinal Fantasy VIIIis cheerful andFinal Fantasy VIEarth theme. If you listen closely, you can actually feel a sense of weariness in the melody as it unfolds. It perfectly embodies his sleepless journey to "lend a helping hand to those in need" and finally get his much-deserved rest at last.IN

General:Everyone's beloved mother figure is my favorite character fromOctopath Traveler II, is one of my top four and has never left my party. She is sweet, caring and compassionate towards people in need and confident in getting the job done. I think Castti is one of themOctopath Traveler IIwhich it would be reckless of anyone not to.S

2. Agnea the dancer

History:Agnea's story is simple, safe, to the point and one of the rare unimportant stories inOctopath Traveler II. With dreams of following in her late mother's footsteps and becoming a world-famous artist, Agnea fulfills her reluctant father's demands to earn enough money to embark on her journey (he suspects that the overworked Agnea has the same fatal disease that hit his mother). . Spreading positivity and joy along her path, she befriends a traveling troupe, mentors a cool but inspiring dancer, and discovers that her idol, Dolcinea, was taught by Agnea's mother in the same rural town she eventually tries to run away from. in the present world. Everything about Agnea blew me away and her story is no different. On paper it is extremely safe and unlike most others, but the climax and execution of its safety is done with grace and respect and gives us some of the most rewarding, ear-pleasing images.IN-

Paper:Being the dancer of the group and only carrying a dagger, Agnea's weakness in damage output is offset by her excellent ability to buff a party member for physical or elemental attacks. If you're lucky, she has the Bewildering Grace ability, which literally causes any random action to occur, negative or positive. It's definitely a gamble, and there's a safer and more efficient way to power level near the end, but it doesn't hurt to have a little fun and give it a shot every now and then. Its latent power allows a single targeting move to hit all of its intended targets, whether attacking an enemy or buffing your entire party in one move. Sealtigce's Seduction is a fully boosted move she gives to a teammate that allows them to use their own moves and target all enemies instead of just one (unless already allowed). Initially, I struggled to get much use out of Agnea at the start, but towards the end I was more reliant on the dancer role, making sure my party was polished without wasting too many turns and items, as well as letting my teammates go. clearing mobs of enemies and superbosses with multiple legs (some of the toughest JRPG fights you'll encounter in days). Many other people will disregard her because of her cheerful demeanor, but I advise you not to sleep on Agnea's abilities.IN

Stihandlinger:Agnea's daypath action is called Allure, which is her version of acquiring her own NPC to summon to battle. This trail action is the perfect example of high risk, high reward. Each NPC has a certain percentage chance that Agnea will succeed in seducing them. If you fail too many times, your city's reputation will be compromised and you will have to pay a fee before you can take action, just like Steal do Throné. You might question whether it's worth trying to get a low percentage of NPC, and I'm here to tell you for sure. Each NPC has a number of times they can be summoned before retreating from where they came from, and with Agnea it's no different, but with hers there's something extra that stands out above the rest. The dance effect is a buff that the NPC will place on Agnea if she performs any of her dance-based skills, at no cost to the summon amount. End-game NPCs can grant Agnea incredible benefits, including the ability to dodge attacks with a 100% success rate; so if you save the scum that you would steal, then you have the perfect reason to keep Agnea in your company.S

Agnea's Night Path action is called Entreat and plays cleanup for Throné's Steal. Since certain NPCs change position day and night, I'm pretty sure there are those that only exist at night. I'm probably wrong, but I found an area that I thought I had cleared with Throné, only to have Agnea's Entreat as an option. Basically, Agnea walks up to an NPC, throws them a pair of puppy dog ​​eyes, squeezes their index fingers together, and basically asks them to give the loot. The success rate is always 100% as long as you are at a certain level, so early investment is highly recommended. It's fun to hear the NPCs say their lines since they're basically the ones who inexplicably sympathize with Agnea while giving her top-notch weapons. "Hehe, I'll probably take good care of it." If you haven't already stolen all the items with Throné, don't miss the opportunity to innocently beg for them.IN-

final boss:As mentioned earlier, it turns out that the world famous Dolcinea, the only person Agnea looked up to, ended up using her fame to overtake the rural town she actually grew up in. big stage in the Merry Hills to crown a champion. It's a nice twist on the final boss showdown concept, since in battle you whine normally, but story-wise it's a harmless, unimportant spin. Dolcinea's boss art design is always graceful and her attacks are beautiful with flair, but what fueled my love for this fight is the original fight theme, by far the best in the game outside of that nightmare of a superboss.S

theme music:Agnea's theme song is exactly what you'd expect it to be, a light-hearted, upbeat Irish jig that makes people want to dance without care. It embodies her and her role as a dancer perfectly, something Ochette's hunter theme lacked.IN

General:It's strangely fitting how they made Agnea voteOctopath Traveler II, as discovered late in the game because in my opinion she is by far the underdog favorite and highly underrated. I'll admit that when I saw the game preview I preemptively succumbed to the unfortunate feeling that she might be Tressa fromOctopath Traveler II. Rest assured, this is reserved for a yet-to-be-named character. Agnea, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. She started out very confident and ended up being one of my most loved characters, every aspect of her works so well in her own way and I don't think most people give her much of a chance. Opinions are sacred.A+

3. Throne thief

History:As a member of the Blacksnakes, the most notorious group of thieves and murderers, we first see Throné and his colleagues on a mission to steal the treasure of Diamantés, a job that goes wrong and leaves an assassin dead. After being sold, whipped by her mother, and potentially appointed to take control of the Blacksnakes, Throné decides enough is enough and wants her free from the "smell of blood". Her quest includes finding the whereabouts of her mother and father, who hold the keys to her necklace, symbol of her enslavement to the organization. In the event that she has to kill them both, she eventually discovers the identity of her true parents and how she came to be who she is. Although the story itself is quite straightforward, it is presented with a lot of emotion and tense moments, and the final twist is something I did not expect.B+

Paper:Holding the role of a thief and equipping the knife and sword, Throne's main goals include mitigating enemies, increasing his team's speed, and dealing damage based on his speed stat. She has an amazing self-healing technique that hits two dagger break points, which is a must if you know your enemies' weaknesses. She can technically steal, but the skill quickly becomes almost irrelevant when money becomes plentiful. His dark-based abilities aren't much to pin down unless you equip specific gear. Her latent abilities allow her to take two completely different turns, allowing you to queue up for the next character, fully prepared for a devastating attack or a full blast from a boss. Whichever way you decide, just as effective. As a bonus, if you enter a fight at night, Throné grants all buffs from your side right at the start, without using any turns.B+

Stihandlinger:Throne's day path action is a steal and is by far the best path action in the game and the only reason I absolutely recommend making her your starting character and investing in her. The action is simply walking up to difficult NPCs and getting an insight into the items you can steal and the percentage chance you have of taking them away. If you fail a certain number of times, your city's reputation will be compromised and you will have to pay a fine to restore it, but you can always save your game before you have a low percentage chance and can challenge the system for endgame weapons. and armor earlier than expected. The reason I recommend starting and investing in her is that the higher the Throné level, the better your chances. A heavily buffed Throne can and will result in rare items with 100% steal. Don't miss this trail action for a second and literally steal everything from everyone.S

Throne's action on the night path is Ambush, which causes her to KO someone to reach a blocked path, house, or treasure chest. It's the exact same effect as Cast's Soothe, but it's the recommended action since it doesn't require any materials and only depends on her level. Did I mention that you should absolutely invest in it?IN

final boss:When we get to the final boss, we notice that he looks eerily like a recently deceased member of the Blacksnakes. It is then revealed that he has impregnated several women with the intention of making any offspring he produces future members of the organization in hopes of keeping it alive forever. The man standing before her is Throné's real father and the father of his closest colleagues, everyone's father, if you will. The fight itself isn't particularly special, nor was it particularly difficult, but it does get a nod because both the boss sprite and his battle gear are disturbingly reminiscent of Sephiroth fromFinal Fantasy VII, and the fact that this man has impregnated many women just to maintain an organization gives the player that extra urge to cut this bastard to pieces.B-

theme music:Admittedly, I kind of forgot what Throne's music sounded like until I heard it again. It is good to personify your struggles to break free from your slave's treacherous wrath. Although it's a beautifully composed string ensemble with a sad, somber melody, it's not exactly the first theme song I've heard outside of the group.B

General:She has a dark and rebellious attitude and is always making funny jokes with the group members about "knife play" or "theft", so she brings a lot to the table. Throné was my main character when I startedOctopath Traveler II, and up until the breaking point where I was given the freedom to have any party member I wanted, I took full advantage and completely raided every single NPC in the game. But when the time came and I had complete freedom, Throné was one of my top four that I traded more regularly to give the others a chance.IN

4. Partition, the merchant

History:Like the Agnea, the Partitio has the second non-consistent story in theOctopath Traveler II, although its effects technically have the greatest impact overall. Raised in Oresrush and raised to be a merchant, Partitio, his father and his business partner Roque help strengthen the town's economy by mining and selling silver. After Roque chases bigger dreams and fails to recruit Partitio, a breach of contract between Partitio's father and the landowners quickly leaves the town worse than ever. A series of events sets Partitio on a quest for merchants to find a financial solution to help eradicate poverty, a solution in the form of buying the rights to the newly invented and even more recently seized steam engine from none other than the old Partitio business . Roque partner. Partitio has to come up with a ridiculous sum of 80 billion sheets (the game's currency), and befriends the country's richest man and helps his city's economy by establishing a department store, and as a result receives a promised note (check) in the desired amount. Although there was no "real life" threat present in its plot, Partitio's plot does a good job with its narrative in explaining the significance of the steam engine and the effects it will have on the entire world; create new opportunities and jobs and thereby strengthen the economy and ultimately reduce poverty.B+

Paper:Partitio is responsible for the merchant role and is equipped with a staff and bow (that makes sense). Have you ever played a game and encountered a boss fight that got you into more trouble than you care to admit? Well, Partitio is here to make all your worries go away. With the Donate BP skill, Partitio can set the appropriate party member to fully increase an enemy's maximum damage. Sidestep gives him a dodge from a physical attack (the synergy with the Arcanist role can render your entire team untouchable), and Hired Help offsets a list of powerful summons to unleash a high-damage attack, giving the game real meaning. term "pay to win". When used correctly, the Partitio merchant role is broken, which can make tough boss fights trivial.A+

Stihandlinger:The partitio day trail action is the purchase and that's all. Is your Throné or Agnea not at a level to steal or flirt with an item in your possession? Well, Partitio allows you to simply buy from them as long as you have the money. In my opinion, this can be expensive, and unless you have the right NPC to give you discounts, I recommend saving your money to hire help and leave the loot to the lovely ladies.C

Partitio's night path action is Hire, again very self-explanatory. In another method of getting an NPC to help you in battle, Partitio pays a random stranger to "get started" and gains access to their help for a certain amount of summons. Like Agnea, there is a catch with Partitio NPCs. Each interactive NPC has a passive ability that affects how much money you save by buying items in the shop, how much extra money you earn by selling items, or how much money you can save by using hired help. I never really use Summons in battle unless it's Agnea, but it's imperative that you take advantage of these passives when you arrive in a new town, as the new range of gear in the shop has proven to be quite expensive .B+

final boss:When Roque breaks his contractual agreement to sell the rights to the steam locomotive to Partitio, he goes on the defensive, only to reappear aboard his "new" creation, a steam-powered train. This revelation was treated as a wonderful spectacle, which is quite ironic considering that trains are now commonplace in today's world. The match itself was pretty decent, but not nearly as hard as the others considering I was well prepared at the time. The game also didn't give my characters any opportunity to lower the train, and seeing how square it is, I'm forced to deduct points. I'm sorry, but rules are rules.B-

theme music:There is absolutely no doubt about that. Nothing comes close. This is by far the best character theme song inOctopath Traveler IIand easily among the best in the game. Nothing else needs to be said but bask in all its wondrous glory.S

General:Partitio is sure to be a fan favorite among other people. For me he is right in the middle. Always with a positive and helpful attitude, just like a male version of Agnea, there's no real reason not to like him that much. Depending on whether you like southern accents or not, his voice acting will either be your favorite or your most hated, but it definitely stands out above the rest. The merchant role is broken and can make certain battles trivial, but that's what JRPGs are all about.IN-

5. Ochette the hunter

History:When we are introduced to Ochette, our fox is on the hunt for a giant monster to prepare enough dried meat for his tribesmen in the town of Toto'haha. After we received her backstory and chose our preferred companion, Ochette was tasked with summoning the great beasts from around the world, as explained in her chapters, to help Toto'haha overcome an inevitable "Calamity" at the climax. . While there was a lot to take in at the start, the length of Ochette's story lost some meat compared to others. Just finding and capturing said monsters felt pretty safe, and unfortunately relied more on visuals than depth.B

Paper:Everyone's favorite fur is the hunter of the group and has a spear and a bow. His role-specific ability is the most exciting in the entire game. In what can easily be described as a more captivating version ofPokémon, Ochette can capture a certain number of almost any monster it encounters and then use them for its specific abilities in battles. She can even capture super bosses as long as you defeat them in the first encounter. The only downside to this is that you can deal massive early game damage, tougher bosses are tougher, and the monster's skill damage can't be increased above 9999 with some support skill, so it's downgraded from damage for shield breaking, given that role is still effective , but it can leave a sour taste in your mouth if you invest time in it hoping for other plans. That's okay though, because Ochette has Leghold Trap, which can be used to change the turn order and send the boss to the end of the line, giving more time for your whole party to break them and render them useless. Ochette's latent power unlocks her animal instincts, allowing her to unleash some devastating high-damage attacks that must be combined with critical accuracy and full momentum.IN

Stihandlinger:Ochette's daytime lane action is Taunt, a fairly useless lane action in terms of logic. Why would you engage in a battle with someone who uses their monsters just to clear the way when you can just ambush them and finish it off with the throne? I understand that Ambush is level based and Provoke isn't, but the level requirements for Ambush aren't strict, and more importantly, we're already using your monsters in battle and don't have to waste time doing repetitive things.C-

Ochette's night path action is Befriend, which essentially gains a summonable NPC by giving them a certain type of meat that can be found, stolen, or cooked from captured monsters you don't want in your party. It's an interesting Guide/Hire/Allure approach, but the best summons require some rare meats that you should use in your party. Speaking of which, you have an army of wild monsters that you've captured to use at will, Ochette's final focus is summoning a boring human NPC.C

final boss:If you couldn't tell in chapter one who the final boss in Ochette's history would be, shame on you for being ignorant of everything. The final showdown was more predictable than the morning sunrise, but the setting was more ambient, and the companion you didn't choose was too menacing (I should have befriended the owl because the Fox boss is awesome), so I'm not going to completely give the conclusion is to blame for falling a little flat. Not to mention it was probably the hardest character based final boss as it gave me my first and more spillovers.B

theme music:While the music initially feels too passive for someone supposed to be a hunter, the tribal vibe kicks in and the tempo picks up, and the flute is a nice touch of adventure. I have mixed feelings about the music as a whole. Funnily enough, I think it matches her country Toto'haha pretty well, but this is meant specifically for her as a hunter, and I feel like it's a bit detached from who she is and the role she plays. It's still a good listen, if a little detached from her character.B

General:Ochette was another character I kept in my group for a long time until the multijob aspect opened up because Leghold Trap was so fundamental to any fight. As the game progressed, I noticed that Ochette's effectiveness changed in a way that I didn't expect, as mentioned earlier. The battle between her and Hikari was finally decided with Hikari having many more options to his advantage as the main source of damage. Ochette's design and complementary rallying cries are a treat for a very special demographic, and her constant need for food is more of a relatable vibe than I care to admit. I was very surprised how my overall perception of her changed towards the end of the game, not necessarily negative, just surpassed by other characters with more satisfying end game development.B+

6. The warrior Hikari

History:Hikari's story is immediately launched mid-fight as we discover that he is a kind-hearted prince who is skilled with a sword. Being constantly at war tires his character and he longs for the thought of his city being at peace. His older brother, General Mugen, a brash and aggressive person, betrays the kingdom, murders the king and usurps the throne with plans to turn the Kingdom of Ku into a land of endless war and suffering. It is up to Hikari and his former friends and battle partners to defeat Mugen and reclaim the throne in hopes of freeing Ku from his treacherous clutches. For a character with such an important role, the story attached to her leaves something to be desired in terms of originality. While it's not bad by any means, it's definitely been said and done many times and doesn't do Hikari any favors in terms of the element of surprise.C+

Paper:Hikari's role is that of the warrior and wields the sword and spear. In short, his role focuses on brute force, multi-hit attacks and tank attacks aimed at other party members. His latent power unleashes an inner demon spirit within him and unleashes devastating sword-based attacks for massive damage. He has the ability to copy the attacks of those he defeats in battle through his compelling road action. Some of the best skills in the game can make you a shield breaker or a mob cleaner at the same time. While most (if not all) party members play an important role in combat, raw power is the most effective and satisfying, and Hikari is a must-use.S

Stihandlinger:Hikari's day path action is the challenge, which is simply that Hikari goes face to face with a random person and if he defeats them in battle, he gets the right to their specific abilities. This path action results in some of the absolute best skills in terms of making quick work of bosses, but the person you need to get it from is likely to have a boatload of HP and strong hits, so getting them takes time, patience, and preparation . It's not safe and it can be overwhelming, but my goodness is the reward worth it.IN

Hikari's nightpath action is Bribe, unfortunately another expendable path action that should never be used as long as you've done the right thing and brought everyone else straight up (trust me, do it). Why on earth would I pay anyone to tell me information when I could use Castti to have them tell me. Even using Temenos to break your shield in a one-on-one fight is a better way because it saves you money. leaves inOctopath Traveler IIIt doesn't come easy, and endgame gear is insanely expensive, so don't waste your coin on this irrelevant lane action.D

final boss:As expected, the final boss of Hikari's story is up against his brother Mugen in a final showdown and battle for Ku's throne. The boss fight is actually split into three separate fights; against his former best friend turned traitor, Mugen himself, and finally against a demonic spirit that dominates Mugen's soul. This gives the player an added sense of challenge, which if you don't pick up the right person or manage your resources wisely, could end up requiring extra moves or attempts. Demonic Mugen's final boss sprite is visually stunning and hits like a truck if you don't level properly. So just for difficulty, this one is great.B+

theme music:Hikari's theme song feels like it's straight out of this summer's next big blockbuster. Although slow and melodic, this emotion-driven epic of triumph hits hard across the board. As kind as Hikari's character is, it was wise for his theme song to embody what he goes through rather than who he is.IN

General:Hikari in my opinion is the white bread of itOctopath Traveler II. He pairs well with all party combos, his job type is coveted by many playstyles, and he rarely disappoints. But like white bread, there is no diverse substance in its character. He is who he is and I wish there were more risks with his character and story as it felt very original and predictable.. B

7. Temenos, the Priest

History:Look, let me start by saying that I don't have a single drop of religious blood in me, so the whole story of Temenos was me trying my best not to get disconnected from the plot. Unfortunately, it was an unfortunate match at eye level. Playing the role of the religious detective who begins to question the gods, Temenos and his rebellious lamb Crick set out to uncover the mysteries that unlock the dark secret hidden within the faithful. Not my cup of tea, but a tragic death in the middle of the story sees a change in Temenos' behavior that somehow saves him from obscurity.C-

Paper:As the cleric of the party and proper wielder of a staff, Temenos serves as the other support outside of Castti. He starts already loaded with an AOE healing effect and can learn the ability to shield a player for 50% damage reduction and provide physical and elemental defensive buffs. He can also use Light magic (Holy) and near the end of the game gets an ultra powerful Light attack at the cost of his entire SP pool. A very overlooked ability he has is a double staff attack that regenerates a percentage of SP that has proven to be extremely crucial for him. His latent ability, a guaranteed shield break regardless of the attack, absolutely sucks as a cleric, but synergizes well with other secondary jobs that have more attacks and those with AOE. Healers are essential to your party, but it's not necessary to have two, and the cast reigns supreme over this obnoxiously cheeky Inquisitor.B

Stihandlinger:Temenos' daypath action is Guide, the most basic but insignificant way to acquire an NPC as a summon. Granted you are at a certain level, all you have to do is perform the action and they are his wayward lambs (I hate how many times he says that). You don't have to worry about ruining your town's reputation since the guide option isn't even available if you have a very low level. This is a great lane action because it's free, but they only give an extra attack when summoned. It's nothing special like Agnea's battle fans or Partitio's money-saving techniques, but being low-risk is a huge advantage.B+

Temenos' night path action is Coerce, which is a lower version of gathering information from an NPC. To succeed, you will be thrown into battle with said NPC and your task is to break their shield. Now, while there isn't a level requirement to try and once the shield is broken your job is done, an NPC that isn't weak to light or staff attacks might show up and you'll have to waste random soul stones on the hope of landing a hit, wasting his latent skills, or waiting until you give him another job and remember to come back. Look, all I'm saying is that Castti is way better than Temenos in every possible way, and the Intel Gathering lane actions are no different.C+

final boss:The head captain of the Holy Guard, Kaldena, was behind the mysterious murders all along. Seeking revenge for the genocide of her people, she decides to use the Shadow powered by the Book of Night to destroy those who have wronged her and corrupted her men in her favor. Scrutinized by Temenos at the end, she is overwhelmed by the power of the shadow and transforms into a mysterious, dark creature and is ultimately reduced to ash. Since I saved Temenos for the end, this boss fight was very easy for me, and the first half wasn't hard, regardless of the level. The transformation was a nice twist, it looked scary and provided some challenge, but my overly prepared party was overwhelming and compromised my full enjoyment.C+

theme music:Despite being on edge almost throughout, the only good thing about Temenos is its theme song. He exudes Pink Panther energy and truly encapsulates both his role as an inquisitive detective and his sassy, ​​relentlessly sarcastic persona.A+

General:Temenos failed to impress me due to my own personal preferences and beliefs, but that's not the only reason I didn't favor him. For most of the game, he is also unapologetically rude and rude to everyone in the game, including travelers. It's an inappropriate personality for a traveling hero, and it got old very quickly. Only one character yet to be mentioned has a worse personality than him. I really don't like going out of my way to dislike a character I have to use, but I felt very disconnected from Temenos and had no desire to keep him in my group until his story came out and I became forced to do so.C+

8. Osvald, O Erudito

History:Accused of murdering his wife and daughter in a magically caused house fire, we are introduced to Osvald in the midst of serving his life sentence and trying to escape prison in hopes of getting revenge on the man who framed him, Harvey, a man jealous of Osvald's prowess in the field of magic and determined to take everything from him. After escaping from prison, Osvald discovers that his wife and daughter were not in the fire, but that his wife has turned into a beast that he must kill himself. And on top of that, your daughter can't remember who her father is. I have a lot of issues with Osvald as a whole to say the least, but when you compare the stories to others in the game this is the biggest flaw. The game makes the mistake of warning that playing through Osvald's story will force you to play through the first two chapters non-stop before you can switch back to your original character. This gives the player an initial sense of excitement as it feels like the game really wants you to focus on a potentially significant story. No, instead it is a longer prison break that foreshadows the lack of substance in Osvald's overall story. The other problem I have with the story is how we already know from the beginning who the final boss will be. There is no point in figuring things out or sudden changes in plot development leading to events. It's basically "Harvey, you're going to pay," from the moment we're introduced. So instead of what it could have been like to find out "who it was", we were disappointed to go through several chapters of "where they could be". This story may strike the right notes with those who enjoy a little revenge story, but without substance or a sense of real discovery, this was a significant step in the wrong direction.D

Paper:Osvald is the magical scholar of the group. Equipped with a staff, he is best used to scan the playing field and reveal his enemies' weaknesses. You can disrupt the late game with the "Analyze and Run" technique, where you completely drive the analysis out of the game and run, rinse and repeat. This is a low-risk, high-reward method of determining which heroes would be most effective in a given region, and can save you some time. His starting magic, while AOE and good for crowd control, is quite expensive when you start, so SP boosting skills and gear are a must if you plan on using him. Its latent power is great for boss fights as it focuses AOE attacks on a single target with more power. It also has the ability to gain random stat-boosting attributes and grant advanced magic to other players, but since few focus on this, it is not commonly used. Her One True Magic ability is a sight to behold and is great for farming Octopuff and Cait. If they gave it more elements to work with without having to rely on another job, it would have a very strong recommendation from me, but even as a standalone researcher, its vanilla JRPG is still solid.B+

Stihandlinger:Osvald's day path action is Scrutinize, the last way to gather vital information and relies on a percentage success rate with the risk of compromising your city's reputation, just like Throné's Steal and Agnea's Allure. However, Throné's Steal gives you some of the best equipment and items in the game, and Agnea's NPC in-battle buffs are unique to her, while Osvald gets the same information that Castti would, and given how you've probably gotten properly level up, hers it's free and without consequences.C

The plot of Osvald's Night Path is Mug and it basically throws you into battle with an NPC that you have to defeat to get all of his items. There are no level restrictions for this, so feel free to try it out. However, some NPCs can have a very high difficulty for your Osvalds level, and you'll eventually see if it's worth stealing/cheating/buying if you're too impatient to level up. It's a harmless path action that guarantees everything in victory, but having to use items in battle can be counterproductive.B-

final boss:As we find out within the first few minutes of his story, Oswald's protégé-turned-rival Harvey would end up being the final boss of his story, and boy oh boy did the bounty drop. In what was yet another final showcase for Osvald discovering the One True Magic, there was little originality in Harvey's final design or form, and it is seriously outclassed by all other bosses. On top of that, the reward isn't even fully reaped as, in one last attempt at originality, Osvald leaves his daughter in someone else's care while he leaves to continue his studies until she slowly retains her memories of him. For a story with no substance, it's not surprising that this conclusion leaves me completely unsatisfied.D

theme music:Now I have to admit that while Osvalds' music praises his unflattering persona, his dark, metallic and very tiresome playing hardly ever gets much attention. The dialogue and exploration of the city overcomes its suppressed and silent composition. It's a forgettable song that perfectly matches a forgettable character.C

General: Octopath Traveler IIfor me it's a near perfect game that deserves a 10/10 WTMG rating. But with every good game there is a speed bump, and Osvald is the prime example. He is Tressa (original game) fromOctopath Traveler II. Absolutely nothing about him had any sort of appeal to me beyond some skills during combat. Worse, Tressa at least had a bubbly personality, while Osvald's was the equivalent of trying to get every last drop of toothpaste out of the tube using a roller and making wet, mushy sounds as a result of its inevitable emptiness. Here's to hoping whenOctopath Traveler IIIsai, hopefully they can go eight times eight with good grades. I just hope it doesn't take eight tries to get it right or people might start to get restless.D+

Do you agree with our Octopath Traveler II character ranked list? Please let us know in the comments!

Octopath Traveler II it isAvailable nowno PC, PS4, PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

Check it out!