With the cross-platform boom becoming more and more intense, the distance between mobile and consoles and PCs is getting closer than ever in recent years, and the trend of integration of players on different platforms is becoming more and more obvious. As a result, not only can we see that some players buy PS5 just to play "Genshin Impact", but some stand-alone IPs on consoles and PCs are also launching mobile game versions to reach new groups - "P5X", which has recently become quite popular in China, is a typical example.
However, in my opinion, the mobile game version launched by some stand-alone IPs often just fills in the skin of a popular mobile game framework, and attracts mobile game users to pay for the IP with more adaptable gameplay rules.
This is certainly considering the characteristics of the mobile terminal, and the gameplay should be moderately lightweight, so that the overall rhythm is more portable, but it also means that the game is quite detached from the design core of the original game. Therefore, stand-alone IP mobile games are always easy to fall behind, and stand-alone players say "It's better to go back and play the original work", and mobile game players say "I didn't get the fame at all, why is it so big" and the two ends are not flattering.
However, represented by NetEase, "Octopath Traveler: Overlord of the Mainland" (hereinafter referred to as Octopath Traveler Mobile Game), which will land on the national server on May 16, has rarely brought the original gameplay to mobile phones. After actually experiencing the recent "Overlord test", I am both relieved and a little puzzled - is the original stand-alone experience a pseudo demand on mobile?
A complete framework that is exactly the same as the original
As a die-hard JRPG fan of Octopath Traveler 2, I've always been "a little interested in Octopath Traveler 2" mobile games, but I'm too lazy to touch them. Even though the overseas version of the game has been successfully operated for many years, and even though I know that its plot is closely related to the stand-alone work, I always unconsciously have the stereotype that this mobile game must be "selling dog meat on the head of a sheep".
However, after actually participating in the closed beta this time, I realized that Octopath Traveler Mobile is a very powerful product - it does bring out the selling points of the original game only a little more.
With exquisite HD-2D graphics, a moving plot, interesting NPC interactions, and challenging battles...... Octopath Traveler mobile game is the product of the cooperation between the Asano Group of SE's 2nd Development Division and the 4th Development Division, and almost recreates the charm of IP on mobile with the original framework.
Let's look at the picture first, HD-2D, SE's representative picture technology, is very compatible with the mobile terminal. The beauty of 2D pixel characters and 3D lighting and special effects is perfect for playing on mobile phones. Even today, when the art level is soaring, the retro and innovative look and feel of Octopath Traveler is easy to grab players' attention in the first place.
The constant mist under the snow, the sparkling surface of the lake bathed in the sun...... The vivid and quaint, gorgeous and elegant graphics make people have a great desire for adventure, coupled with the filling of a large number of characters, it can be said that even if the mobile game "Octopath Traveler" has been launched overseas for several years, it still has enough differentiated audio-visual competitiveness.
The second is the plot. As a prequel to the single-player work, Octopath Traveler Mobile is also a narrative-focused game. The game uses the three main plots of wealth, authority, and fame to outline the cruelty and redemption of human desires. Nearly 60 hours of the main story, plus side stories scattered around the world, as well as traveler's stories involving each traveler, together outline an extraordinarily rich and profound grand plot framework.
At the same time, the narrative tone of the game is also very series of Daigo. Beneath the surface of the cute pixel figures, there are many depictions of the dark side of human nature. But it is precisely because of the cruel fate that the choices and persistence of many characters are so moving.
Just like the plot line of Wilnott and Lin You, which I like very much, it is obviously not a conventional love scene, but two tenacious souls supporting each other. There are large world portrayals, as well as the emotional turmoil of the characters, and the appeal of the JRPG narrative is definitely a big selling point of the Octopath Traveler mobile game.
The plot of Wilnott and Lin You is very moving
What surprised me the most was that Octopath Traveler mobile game did not refer to the conventional framework of current RPG mobile games.
The game does not have the setting of "card stamina", and the process progression is completely centered on the plot tasks and combat development, and the rhythm is controlled by the players themselves. With a complete single-player experience and predictable long-term story additions, Octopath Traveler is a very suitable product for gamers who prefer narrative RPGs.
In addition, some of the subsystems in the original work, the "Octopath Traveler" mobile game is not wasted.
For example, map commands that can be used for rich interaction with NPCs and enemies are linked to the influence values of Octopath Traveler mobile game and the above three plot lines, allowing players to negotiate battles, trades, probabilities, etc. according to the difference in influence, so as to scavenge items from NPCs or temporarily add them to the team. Those passers-by who are all over the place instantly have a deep intersection with us, not the wooden people who can only speak fixed lines.
Overall, although Octopath Traveler is a long-term mobile game, it gives me the same feeling as a stand-alone game.
Of course, it needs to draw cards, but there is no situation where it is difficult to advance without drawing rare characters with kryptonite, and the combination of a large number of available characters also ensures the fun of the experience; It's not a product that can be fully understood with gacha mobile game logic, but more like an improved orthodox JRPG work.
An obsession with playability
What is playability? Different players may give completely different answers. Some people think that raising characters and licking card faces is playability, while others think that there is no complex and esoteric system and difficult challenges, let alone mention this word.
But it has to be said that even though mobile products have evolved dramatically in terms of operability and expressiveness in recent years, most players still have some "tolerance psychology" in the way they play with their opponents - it's almost fine, and it's easy to "chase away customers" if it's too complicated.
Especially in today's increasingly fierce "user time war", many products will moderately simplify the gameplay, and want to be accepted by players as a "side game" to get a piece of the pie, and dare not make the gameplay too deep.
In contrast, Octopath Traveler mobile game has a deep obsession with playability.
For the development of characters, collocation and the strategy of the combat system, the mobile game "Octopath Traveler" has been greatly expanded on the basis of stand-alone works, which is challenging, thoughtful and fulfilling. It is not completely simplified because of logging in to the mobile terminal, but on the basis of optimizing the user experience, the essence of IP is retained to the greatest extent.
For example, it is a very distinctive combat system.
Octopath Traveler has a system of storing action points and releasing multiple actions or high-powered skills in one go, which is very addictive. Coupled with the setting of playing weak points and breaking shields, turn-based battles have a sense of rhythm and frustration, which largely resolves the problem of slow pace and strong repetition of conventional turn-based products.
On the basis of this system, which has been proven by the market, the setting of "8 people present at the same time" in the mobile game "Octopath Traveler" further amplifies its exhilaration, strategy and strategy.
You must know that in the single-player work, we can only play 4 characters, but there are many points to consider. The mobile game "Octopath Traveler" can be set up to switch between the two teams at any time, and instantly doubles the thinking of each time node such as breaking the shield with weaknesses, adding buffs, and hitting burst output.
In the stage of testing the enemy's weaknesses, which team should be used first? When the enemy is knocked down, should I switch to the team with more action points to fight the explosion? Especially when all 8 characters are full, we have to carefully observe the timeline and simulate the sequence in my head, for fear of wasting the number of actions of a certain teammate and not being able to hit a large number.
Under such solid rules, not to mention the bosses in the plot, many strong enemies in the field in the early stage can enjoy a good game fun if you go across levels to fight. For players who like this, the quality and quantity of combat challenges are definitely the core attraction.
Corresponding to the battle, there is also a cultivation system that is rich to the point of being a little "scary".
Since you need to play 8 characters, and you have to consider the balance of covering the enemy's weaknesses and output, support, and healing, you have to consume a lot of brain cells in the formation stage.
Not to mention that as a single character grows, players also need to make trade-offs among many skills, collect better weapons and equipment to enhance their character's performance, and even the traveler's ability associated with the three plot lines can also provide players with various bonuses.
It is worth mentioning that each character has a huge skill tree from low to high level, covering a large number of attribute improvements and active and passive skills, which is the key to the formation of the team. Although the branch is not complicated, but because there are so many characters, it is still a little tiring to finish all the skills in one go, and I hope that friends who have not been exposed to similar products will not be bluffed.
The abundant development content stimulates the player's enthusiasm for battle
I'm sure Octopath Traveler has the same depth of gameplay as a single-player game, but it's still unclear whether mobile users will be able to accept the content. After all, the game not only retains the classic JRPG dark thunder encounter system, but also does not have automatic combat, which makes players need to spend a certain amount of time on top of the miscellaneous battles on the run, which I feel is somewhat challenging to the conventional habits of mobile users. The real experience of the majority of Chinese players will have to wait for the public beta to be observed.
Coming to the Chinese market: not adapting to the soil or shining?
Obviously, I didn't hide my preference for Octopath Traveler mobile games. After the open beta version is launched, I am willing to spend some time to deeply feel the quality of the main story. But this Japanese mobile game, which has accumulated certain achievements overseas and has only now come to the Chinese market, can it successfully lay a piece of its own?
My answer at this stage is: it is possible, but it will require the efforts of the operations team.
Referring to the overseas version, I don't think I need to worry too much about the quality and quantity of the long-term content of the "Octopath Traveler" mobile game, the key is how the domestic operation team will plan the iterative cycle of the product, so as to ensure the long-term immersion of players.
If the team's ambition is not only to serve JRPG fans and original IP fans, but also to take this opportunity to expand a wave of influence in the new user group, then better guidance is also essential. Especially in the face of the insistence on the mobile gameplay of Octopath Traveler, how to let players quickly pass the learning period and feel the core charm of the system will be a great test of the official planning at the level of publicity, activities, and benefits.
At present, it seems that NetEase is still very concerned about the national service.
For example, in order to make players have a more comfortable visual appearance, the national costume has made detailed adjustments to the overall picture texture, and the position of the lens has been slightly raised with reference to the original. And the official also emphasized that there are a lot of exclusive content in the national server, such as the exclusive characters of the national server that will be launched when the server is opened. As for the version update speed and card pool arrangement that players care about, the national server will also make corresponding adjustments.
Exclusive characters for the national server
It is true that orthodox JRPGs are still a category to be developed in the current domestic market. But it's not that Chinese players don't like it, but they need more excellent products and more appropriate times to enter the adventure world. I hope that the Octopath Traveler mobile game will allow more new friends to realize the exclusive charm of JRPGs and feel the excitement and throbbing when I first heard the theme song of Octopath Traveler composed by Yasutomo Nishiki.
Epilogue:
If you only look at NetEase's product planning this year, 2024 seems to have become another "martial arts year".
First, "Shooting the Condor" was launched in March, and then "Sixteen Voices of Yanyun" was set for July 26, and "Naraka: Infernal Mobile Game" is also ready to go. After "Egg Boy Party" completely gained a firm foothold, NetEase began to go all out in the self-development of martial arts, to build a new generation of moat in this advantageous field.
But in my opinion, NetEase's efforts in proxy IP and cooperative research and development cannot be ignored.
This year is not only the year that Blizzard's product matrix has returned to China, but also many projects incubated by NetEase and overseas companies are being promoted. For example, "Marvel Brawl" launched in cooperation with Marvel and "Visions of Mana" released by NetEase Sakura Studio and SE are all new attempts carried out by it with well-known IP. Even if the mobile game "Octopath Traveler" seems to be an old product before entering the national server, it can be regarded as part of the cooperation between NetEase and SE, which is somewhat a test for JRPGs in the Chinese market.
While ensuring the output of self-development, NetEase's cooperation with overseas manufacturers, as well as its new studio established by absorbing a number of Japanese producers, I think it will be the next product line worth paying attention to. Because these projects are obviously more experimental, they are likely to produce heterogeneous new products that can effectively test market reactions.
Adventures are always exciting, so let's start with Octopath Traveler mobile and keep a long-term view.