At its E3 presentation today, Square Enix showed off its upcoming game exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, Octopath Traveler. The game was initially announced last year, but it is slated for release on July 13, 2018.
Octopath Traveler follows the story of eight completely different characters - warrior, apothecary, cleric, merchant, dancer, thief, and hunter - in the same world, and each character has their own story and plays differently both in and out if battle. In battle, the characters may have different moves and attacks, such as the apothecary mixing ingredients in battle to form explosive attacks.
Throughout the world, each character can perform specific actions that change how the game plays out. The thief, for example, can take items from other characters, while the merchant can use the more respectable method of acquiring them. The actions taken also influence your reputation with characters throughout the game.
Square Enix opted for a mix of retro-inspired elements and 3D graphics, which the company referred to as "HD-2D" in one of its initial presentation videos, and it looks quite unique.
The battle system revolves around players discovering enemy weaknesses and attacking their sweet spots, which exposes them to more damage. There"s also a "boost points" system in which the player may choose to use boost points to power up attacks or store them up with each turn to use even stronger attacks afterward.
The game also has a demo available on the Nintendo Switch eShop, and it lets players try out both the warrior and the dancer characters. You can check out the official page for the game here.