Hey guys, I wrote a lengthy review of the game, making an in-depth analysis of its narrative - as I try to do with all the games that I review. I've seen a lot of people complaining about Octopath's story, and while I can see where their complaints come from, I found the game's narrative excellent in many ways.
Of course, there are some minor spoilers - I describe some scenes from Primrose's chapter one and one scene from her second chapter, I use direct quotes and discuss about each character's narrative arc - but I don't reveal any plot twist or spoil anything in that sense.
I hope you guys enjoy the reading!
ps. I'm Brazilian and so English is my second language. So feel free to warn me about any mistake that bothers you so I can make the necessary corrections.
The review:
If Octopath Traveler were a book, it wouldn’t be an epic fantasy novel, but a collection of good short stories. The game is not ambitious in any way, shape, or form, but very modest in scope, telling stories that never intertwine in a big narrative, while presenting a simplified version of Bravely Default’s combat and job system. Nonetheless, the game excels in what it sets out to do, presenting a beautiful world and discussing important themes in a modest, but efficient way.
The game has eight main characters and each one has their own story, which is divided in four chapters. Let’s start with the best one to get a grasp of what the narrative is like in Octopath Traveler.
One of the characters in the game is a dancer named Primrose. When she was a young girl, Primrose had to watch three men murder her father in cold blood, and swore vengeance against them, dedicating her entire life to this goal. When her first chapter starts, she’s a dancer working for a cruel man in the desert city of Sunshade.
At the entrance of the city, there is an old man who boasts about its fame: “This is Sunshade, city of a thousand pleasures.” However, if he intended to praise the place, his sentence actually sounds ominous to someone like Primrose – and the reason for that lies in the heart of her story: after all, for men the city certainly is a wondrous town, where they go to receive pleasure, but for women, such as Primrose, Sunshade is a dark place where they must deliver that pleasure.
Her relationship with her boss, Helgenish, for example, is clearly an abusive one. Helgenish often tells Primrose that he cares for her, and that she is dear to him, but after his soft words always come
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My Flixchatter review of The Art of Self Defense with comparison to my experience in a martial arts cult. https://flixchatter.net/2019/08/02/guest-review-the-art-of-self-defense-bears-a-striking-resemblance-to-a-real-life-martial-arts-cult/
The website La Garde de Nuit is francophone hub for ASOIAF and Game of Thrones fans. The link to their review of the GoT touring exhibition, in French, is here:
https://www.lagardedenuit.com/la-garde-de-nuit-a-teste-game-of-thrones-the-touring-exhibition/
It's well worth a look because the reviewer, Thistle, posted a lot of photographs from the exhibition of costumes and props from the show, each one worth 1000 words in any language. Fans of Michele Clapton's designs should definitely check it out. Don't miss the glorious details in the photograph of Jaime's armor!
What is Thistle's verdict on the exhibition?
> L’expo est ludique et on en prend plein les yeux. Le soin et le sens du détail apportés aux objets exposés sont vraiment bluffants. Que ce soit pour embellir une robe ou pour vieillir des pièces d’armures, le travail de l’armée d’artisans en charge des costumes et accessoires donne l’impression que les pièces ont vécu, qu’elles ont une histoire. Gloire à Michele Clapton et ses équipes !
> The exhibition is eye-popping fun. The care and attention to detail of the exhibits are truly stunning. From embellishing a dress or to aging pieces of armor, the work of the army of craftsmen in charge of costumes and accessories gives the impression that the pieces have lived, that they have a history. Glory to Michele Clapton and her teams!
Thistle got some good quotations from exhibition guests at the press conference:
> Lors de la conférence de presse, j’ai pu interroger Michele CLAPTON au sujet de la prise en considération du confort des acteurs lors du design des costumes, parce que j’imagine que porter une armure en été en Croatie ça pique un tantinet. Sa réponse : « ils sont assez payés pour supporter » \o/
> During the press conference, I asked Michele CLAPTON about the consideration of the comfort of the actors in the design of the costumes, because I imagine that wearing armor in summer in Croatia was a bit bothersome. Her answer: "they are paid enough to do it" \o/
And
> Ian BEATTIE a précisé que, malgré le fait que son armure s’alourdissait de saison en saison jusqu’à atteindre 28 kilos sur la saison 5, il serait prêt à tuer pour la revêtir à nouveau.
> Ian BEATTIE [Ser Meryn Trant] said that, despite how his armor grew more ponderous from season to season, reaching 28 kilograms by season 5, he would kill for the chance to wear it again.
^(Translations are my own; corrections and quibbles are welcome.)
Have a
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75202 - Defense of Crait. Review in Pictures. https://imgur.com/gallery/kmgPe
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DOI/PMID/ISBN: https://doi.org/10.1162/jcws.2006.8.2.141
Jennifer Light, From Warfare to Welfare: Defense Intellectuals and Urban Problems in Cold War America | by Nils Gilman
Journal of Cold War Studies
Volume 8 | Issue 2 | Spring 2006 | p.141-144
