Octopath Traveler 2 was a nice surprise, as richly detailed diorama of a game that seeped soul. Each of the micro-stories worked in building out the tone of the world. The BP system is super fun, and breaking the battle systems was a great way to defeat some of the tougher bosses. The flow of combat is great, and the way the game forces you into making risky calls by letting you see an impending barrage from a tough enemy that will wipe your team makes those risky moves feel great when they pay off.

The character writing varies from story to story, but overall I loved the characters. In particular, Partitio, Throne, and Osvald were highlights. The day / night cycle and it's corresponding character skills is a really unique system, and I absolutely loved the soundtrack and sprite art.

Octopath Traveler 2 nails what it is going for, and feels like a perfect pastiche of SNES jrpgs. I really hope they keep the momentum going with a third entry.