Square Enix had previously committed to a multiplatform strategy following the relative lack of success of some of its more recent titles and the company is seemingly moving forward starting with the Octopath Traveler franchise.
The Final Fantasy creator has sparked discussions after ratings on the Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee suggest that both games will become available on new platforms soon.
This comes as the first title, Octopath Traveler, was a Nintendo Switch exclusive when it was released in 2018 and later migrated to PC the next year and to Xbox in 2021.
Square Enix's Multiplatform Strategy
(Photo : Square Enix / Screenshot taken from Steam)
On the other hand, Octopath Traveler II was released for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 simultaneously. This means that PlayStation users were not able to get the first game while Xbox users could not try out the sequel.
The recent developments saw Octopath Traveler being rated for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. On the other hand, Octopath Traveler II has been rated for Xbox Series X/S, according to GamesRadar.
Previously, Square Enix confirmed an Xbox Series port for Octopath Traveler II and there were reports that the sequel could debut on Game Pass. This is something that could happen as early as this month and if that is the case, news about it could be shared during the Xbox Games Showcase on June 9, 2024.
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Fans of the franchise are excited about the news as a rating board approving a game is more often than not a strong indicator that its release is coming and is likely going to be soon.
The franchise was inspired by classic Japanese role-playing games and gives players similar turn-based combat mechanics but with its trademark HD-2D style.
This is a graphics style that sees 2D characters moving through high-quality, stylized backgrounds. As the title of the series suggests, players will be able to take on the roles of eight different characters as they go on each individual's journey that will later cross paths so they could team up, said IGN.
The Octopath Traveler Franchise
The possibility that the Octopath Traveler franchise could be coming to other platforms soon is probably a good idea as the first game in the series surpassed 2.5 million sales as of early 2021 and proved to be a popular title among JRPG fans.
The somewhat chaotic platform release of the Octopath Traveler franchise could be attributed to the fact that it is an anthology series, not unlike Final Fantasy.
Because there is very little connection between the two games, Square Enix may have felt that not releasing them in order on PlayStation consoles would not have too much of a negative impact on sales.
This is the first sign that Square Enix is moving forward with its strategy shift following the video game studio's recently declining profits. The Octopath Traveler franchise has five accolades and eight award nominations to its name.
It could spearhead Square Enix's multiplatform strategy and other titles could join soon and players can only wait to see what other games will get the same treatment, according to GameRant.
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