#Octopath Hammy

[blazlngblade]

Rosa's CotC Chibi Project - November

I've been hard at work trying to get my chibi project going consistently for anniversaries rather than just Year 2 after Year 1, it keeps the progress a little more varied! I've enjoyed working on it this way.

So that aside, here's the progress of the Travelers announced in November 2020-2023!

4 Years: H'aanit, Heathcote, Narr, Therese, and Durand 3 Years: W'ludai, Haze, and Titi 2 Years: Hammy and Lemaire 1 Year: Kilns, Gloria, and Ringabel

Previous (Initial 64) | Next (December)

[gascon-en-exil]

A Very Belated Octopath Traveler II Ranking

I had an anon asking me about Octopath Traveler II story rankings a few weeks ago. I'd been wanting to do one of those for a long time now, but between all my other projects I haven't really had the time. I can however throw together a quick summation. If there's any interest in longer versions I might be persuaded to explore that...but when I say "long" I really do mean it. Most of my notes at the moment go on for paragraphs for almost every traveler.

#8 Ochette

Knockoff Pokémon. Kind of shapeless thanks to the nonlinearity. Brings up heavy themes but can't really explore them in part because the beastlings are just handled weirdly. The villain only existing offscreen sucks.

#7 Hikari

Literally the standard Fire Emblem plot, only it doesn't work in the Octopath format because of geographic isolation and the travelers being handled oddly as a group like always. Has some pacing issues especially in Chapter 4 with its massive cutscene dump. Was pretty much exactly what I expected from start to finish.

#6 Throné

Fantastic opening and even better midgame, then dives off a cliff at the end because it has to escalate to the Final Story. Overall story can't accommodate such a bittersweet ending so it just kind of...doesn't. Still earns points for how it handles familial abuse and the perpetuation of the cycle of violence.

#5 Partitio

Man's dads get divorced, so he starts an industrial revolution to get them back together. Is as awesomely ridiculous as that sounds, and is enhanced by various unique stylistic flourishes. Succeeds as long as you don't try to bring any serious economic or political themes into it. Also extremely gay homosocial all around, soured only by the token female character...and not remotely in the way you'd expect based on how I'm describing it.

#4 Agnea

A low-stakes, feel-good romp that's exactly what you think it's going to be, and is wonderful at it. Begins leaning on the fourth wall in amusing ways by the end, and although it's also weirdly leashed to the Final Story it goes over better than it does with Throné's or Partitio's stories. Primrose was my favorite from the first game, and while the tone of this one is completely different I'm surprisingly okay with that.

#3 Temenos

A bit lazy doing another story with a Sherlock Holmes-esque approach to mystery when the first game already did one, but the stakes are higher from the start and Temenos is also doing most of the heavy lifting building to the Final Story. Crick provides some much-needed emotional stakes, even including his ultimate fate. Gets a bit lost in its own plot twists at one point, but that's mostly a minor nitpick.

#2 Osvald

Opening is constraining and atmospheric in just the right way. Appropriately dramatic at all the right points with a delightfully hammy villain, and pivots from revenge to the Power of Love adequately enough so as not to feel too cheesy. Spaces out its multiple flashback sequences much better than Hikari's story. It and #1 are actually helped by being narrative cul-de-sacs relative to the Final Story.

#1 Castti

Does pretty much everything the other stories do right. Deftly handles an amnesia plot with clever presentation and a strong supporting cast. Healeaks is devastating, the villain is hammy but also sympathetic (his turn being offscreen is the weakest note of the whole thing), and Castti is a solid presence throughout even if she never really stands out much to me as a character. Ending is satisfying but still allowed to feel melancholy, and it doesn't lead to mood whiplash like Throné's does.

[blazlngblade]

TRAVELERS 153 - 160

153 - Tatrocha | 154 - Bargello | 155 - Sonia | 156 - Hammy 157 - Lemaire | 158 - EX Millard | 159 - EX Lyummis | 160 - Erika

153 - 160's ARTISTS

153 - Curvanelli (Instagram) 154 - magic_on_a_whim (Instagram) 155 - maraspachinko (Twitter) 156 - Yoshi_Crawfishy (TwitterO 157 - anzennaowl (Twitter) 158 - @unparalleledfocus 159 - vyntuse (Twitter) 160 - SpaceCinna (Twitter)

Full Credit List:

If you are the artists of these Travelers (153-160), you are now welcome to upload them independently!

Feel free to tag me (@blazlngblade) so I can update the Full List with your posted drawings for additional credit!