A few thoughts on the Project Octopath Traveler Switch demo now that I've finally played through it

There's something hilarious--to me, at least--about the fact that I went against my original plan of waiting until 2018 to buy a Switch and instead picked up one in late September mainly so I could check out the just-released Project Octopath Traveler demo.

What's so funny about that, you ask? Well, although the first thing I did after turning on and updating my Switch was download the aforementioned demo, all it's done since then is sit on my home screen and look pretty.

I finally booted it up a couple of days ago, and now I can't put it down. Honestly, I'm completely mesmerized by this bite-sized preview of Square Enix's upcoming "HD-2D" role-playing game for Switch at the moment. Here's why:



I really appreciate how its story at least attempts to be more "adult"--Most of the RPGs Square Enix has made for Nintendo systems (handhelds, in particular) in recent years have featured stories that are more childish than mature. Based on this demo, it seems Project Octopath Traveler may buck that trend. To be sure, I don't know that I'd even describe the text encountered here as being R-rated, but it's certainly closer to that than the PG-leaning narratives usually found in the company's Nintendo releases, and for that I'm grateful.



Its visuals are the perfect blend of old and new--On the one hand, Project Octopath Traveler doesn't look too different from the kinds of games Square put out during the 16-bit era (see: Final Fantasy VI, Romancing SaGa 3, and Seiken Densetsu 3). On the other, it also looks surprisingly modern, thanks to its three-dimensional--yet still pixelated--backdrops and heavy use of bloom and other special effects. Put those two together and you've got a game that makes me want to cry due to its gorgeousness. Yes, the vignetting can be a bit much at times, but even then I love Octopath's aesthetic and hope producer Tomoya Asano and his team don't touch it between now and whenever the full game is released.



Yasunori Nishiki's soundtrack is a revelation--OK, so obviously I'm only talking about the music that's featured in the demo or that's been teased on line. Still, that small handful of tunes is more than enough for me to feel confident the full Project Octopath Traveler soundtrack will be a stunner. Which is a bit of a surprise, as composer Yasunori Nishiki is far from a household name at this point. I'm not at all sure he's going to give Project Octopath Traveler players something that approaches the ear-popping brilliance of Bravely Default's "Baby Bird" with the work he does here, but maybe that's for the best.



No joke, I think I prefer Project Octopath Traveler's battle system to Bravely Default's--And this is coming from someone who loved Bravely Default's battle system to death. Why? Project Octopath Traveler's is a lot snappier, for starters. Also, it's also more visceral, if that makes any sense. I feel a real jolt whenever one of my party members unleashes four strikes in a row against a foe while playing this demo. The battles in Project Octopath Traveler seem to be more dynamic than those in Bravely Default, too, due to subtle camera movements and some of the aforementioned graphical effects. Again, fingers and toes crossed that Asano and his crew don't mess with this aspect of the game before the final product sees the light of day.



I'm kind of surprised enemies remain static while fighting, but I also can't say it bothers me--I've seen a number of people complain about this on line, and although I can't fault their critiques, I also can't agree with it. Or at least I can't say the lack of enemy animations is keeping me from enjoying Project Octopath Traveler's battle scenes. Who knows, though, maybe the full game will surprise in this regard by adding a hint of movement to boss encounters or something like that.

So, that's how I feel about the Project Octopath Traveler demo after putting more than three hours into it. If you've played through it, too, share your thoughts, opinions, and impressions in the comments section of this post.

A few thoughts on VA-11 HALL-A (Vita) now that I've put nearly five hours into it

Besides Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, most of the games I've played in recent weeks and months try their best to sound, look, and even feel like ones that were released in the 1980s and 1990s.

Golf Story and even the Project Octopath Traveler demo for the Switch are two examples. The Vita port of Undertale, which I finally started a couple of weekends ago, is another. And then, of course, there are the just-hit-the-PlayStation-Store pair of 2064: Read Only Memories and Papers, Please. (OK, so I've yet to start those last two titles, but I'm planning to do so in short order.)

As successful as those games are at replicating their "retro" forebearers, VA-11 HALL-A outdoes all of them. How so? Find out by reading my impressions of this saucy, cyberpunk-y visual novel.



I adore the game's PC-98-esque graphics--I've loved the PC-98 "look" ever since I first traipsed across it many moons ago. (If you've never heard of the PC-98 before now, it's a lineup of Japanese 16-bit and 32-bit personal computers that dominated the domestic market in the 1980s and 1990s.) To see what I mean, check out this old NeoGAF thread, which is crammed full of luscious PC-98 game screenshots. Anyway, VA-11 HALL-A does magnificent job of looking like it was made during that era, and I couldn't be happier about it.



It has a glorious soundtrack--If I had to single out one aspect of VA-11 HALL-A as being head and shoulders above the rest, its soundtrack would be it. It's filled with the kind of music you want to listen to even when you're not playing the game. I don't know if it should be described as synthwave, synth-pop, ambient, or something else entirely, but it doesn't really matter. Calling it "blissful" is as spot-on as any other label you could slap on it. (The complete VA-11 HALL-A soundtrack is available on line, if you're curious.)

The story is surprisingly captivating--I honestly didn't expect to enjoy VA-11 HALL-A's story as much as I'm currently enjoying it. I expected it to be weird, and kind of wacky, too, but I didn't think it would be as interesting and even poignant as it is. As things stand, I never seem to tire of this game's nearly endless stream of text. I've rarely, if ever, said that about a visual novel before I tackled this one, which to me suggests VA-11 HALL-A is a pretty special example of the genre.



It seems I may be playing it incorrectly--Or at least too rigidly. Sadly, I didn't realize that until just the other day--which means I've been playing the game this way for more than four hours. Oh, well, I may as well continue along this current path until I reach VA-11 HALL-A's end credits. I'll do my best to approach my digital bartending duties as designer Christopher Ortiz seemingly intended during any subsequent playthroughs. Which means I won't be so robotic about always serving patrons what they say they want. (I thought that was the point, but it sounds like you're supposed to be creative in how you respond to customers' drink requests.)

Have you played some version of VA-11 HALL-A since it first released (for PC) back in 2016? If so, what are your impressions of it?

See also: a few thoughts on Golf Story, Super Mario Odyssey, and Yomawari: Night Alone

Raise your hand (and leave a comment) if you want a copy of 2064: Read Only Memories for Vita

I recently interviewed MidBoss' Matt Conn about the just-released Vita version--as well as the upcoming Switch version--of 2064: Read Only Memories. (Keep an eye out for this one-on-one, by the way; I hope to publish it before the year wraps up.)

Shortly after he kindly answered my questions, Conn sent me four codes for 2064: Read Only Memories' Vita release.

Well, it's the time of year to give things to the people you love, so I'm giving these 2064: Read Only Memories codes to the folks who read (and especially comment on) this blog and push me to keep updating it.



All you have to do to win one of these codes is leave a comment (on this post) about why you're itching to play this version of the game. Oh, and leave that comment between now and midnight on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas day, I'll toss all of your names into a hat (really!) and the first four I pull out will get a 2064: Read Only Memories Vita code.

I'll announce the recipients here as well as on Facebook and Twitter that same day, so check out at least one of them on Dec. 25 to see if you're among the lucky winners!

Happy 6th anniversary, PS Vita!

I've got to admit I was a bit surprised to read, shortly after I woke up this morning, that today marks the sixth anniversary of the Vita's Japanese release.

It just doesn't seem like Sony's second handheld made its debut all the way back on Dec. 17, 2011, does it?

Granted, it's possible my perspective on the matter is a bit skewed because I took my sweet time in buying the company's PSP follow-up. In fact, I waited until early 2015 to get one--the beautiful "light pink and white" Vita only sold in Japan.

Although I can't quite say I prefer the Vita to its predecessor, nor can I say I prefer the Vita's library of games to the PSP's, I can say I'm a huge fan of the more recent portable and its extensive catalog all the same.

Hell, all you need to do is look at my lengthy "now playing" list--discussed in my last blog post--for proof.

Note: I stole this lovely photo from the official Japanese PlayStation Twitter account

For even more proof, consider that both Undertale and VA-11 HALL-A will be included in my upcoming "favorite games of 2017" write-up. Romancing SaGa 2 may sneak in under the wire, too, though I need a bit more time with it before I make a decision one way or the other.

And then there's the fact that a couple of weeks ago I bought boxed copies of two Japan-only Vita releases I've had my eye on for ages--SaGa: Scarlet Grace and Yuusha Shisu (aka Hero Must Die).

Given all of the above, I doubt I'll toss my Vita aside anytime soon. On the contrary, I expect to play it nearly as much as I play my Switch (and even my many 3DSes) in 2018 thanks not only to all the great titles that were published for the system this year but all the ones I picked up--and have yet to play--previously, too.

Are any of you still showing your Vita some love? If so, which games are you playing on it these days? And do you think you'll continue to use the system next year and beyond?

I'm pretty sure I've never attempted to juggle as many games as I am right now

There's no question 2017 has been a good year for people who enjoy playing video games.

I wish I could say the same for my wallet--or the storage on my current go-to systems, the Switch and Vita, for that matter.

Speaking of which, look at all the new-ish games I'm attempting to play on my Switch at the moment: Elliot Quest, Floor Kids, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, Puyo Puyo Tetris, Slime-san, Super Bomberman R and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Admittedly, I'm more likely to play some of those Switch titles than others. For example, I doubt I'll devote too much more time to Elliot Quest from here on out, and the same probably could be said about Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime and Slime-san.

Still, the point stands that I'm juggling a lot of Switch games right now--and things are only going to get worse in that regard in just over a week, which is when I'm pretty sure I'll be getting Skyrim as a Christmas gift.

Over on my Vita, I'm struggling to spend time with a bunch of titles that were recently released for it, too.

Among them are four "hot off the presses" ports--2064: Read Only Memories, Papers, Please, Undertale, and VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action--although I'm also doing my best to wrap up my on-again-off-again playthrough of a game that came out ages ago, Yomawari: Night Alone. And this list will grow even longer on Friday once Romancing SaGa 2 finally hits the North American PlayStation Store.

Finally, I'm playing a couple of games on my laptop at the moment as well: Doki Doki Literature Club and Strange Flesh. And a copy of the curious 3DS RPG, Miitopia, just landed on my doorstep, so I'll be digging into that this weekend, assuming my schedule and attention span allow it.

Honestly, I can't remember the last time I was swimming in so many recently released games.

How about all of you? Are you feeling similarly overwhelmed--in a good way, mostly--by all of the great titles that have come out this year?