Octopath Traveler hands-on — the march of endless beginnings

I’ve played about eight hours of Octopath Traveler, and I have mixed feelings about Square Enix’s first role-playing game for the Nintendo Switch. It looks beautiful. The combat is creative and satisfying. And its story structure is unique yet … offputting.

Octopath Traveler comes out on July 13. It features eight characters, each with their own stories and abilities. You start by picking any one of them. After you play the first chapter of your starter hero’s story, you then begin to explore the world. Your first mission is to find the other seven characters.