Octopath Traveler 0 is, at its core, a traditional turn-based JRPG. It is the prequel to the original game that reused its main story beats from the mobile game years ago. With that being said, it’s a massive change in direction from both games, while retaining some elements from Octopath Traveler 2. But one of the newest features in the game, and one that is very present throughout the game, is its city builder mechanic.
Wishvale, your hometown to build and use as a hub while progressing through the main story, is a brand-new idea that is currently exclusive to Octopath Traveler 0. But while I was resistant at first, I actually hope this idea is expanded upon in the next major entry in the series, and here is why.
Starting from Nothing
I will not spoil the story events of the game, but after the opening in Octopath Traveler 0, you return to Wishvale on a mission to rebuild it into the peaceful hometown you experienced at the beginning of the game. There are many steps to rebuilding it throughout your journey. You will have to undergo many quests, find tons of materials littered throughout the land, and recruit residents to live in the homes you build.
But that is not all for this system. With it being your main character’s hometown, there is the “town” aspect of it, and there are many things that are both beneficial and, at times, crucial that you can only find in Wishvale.
The Perks of Wishvale in Octopath Traveler 0
From the get-go, you will start building out things like a Tavern, then a farm, and a ranch. The farm and the ranch let you collect cooking ingredients to cook stuff at the tavern. All the while, you can use the tavern to rest your party for free. Then, you start getting the ability to build a salon to change your character’s appearance, and my personal favorite, the shop.
The shop is, of course, a shop, but it’s so unique in how it functions. It has a random assortment of goodies that rotate in that you can sometimes lock to buy later if you do not have enough money, and the ability to expand the normal offerings by talking to merchants throughout different villages, from Theatropolis to Cragspear. You can put a lot of time into ensuring you have a one-stop shop.
But the best part is the gameplay-focused improvements you can gain from Wishvale. Such as…
Passive Background Leveling and Ultimate Unlocks
Nearing the end of Wishvale’s storyline in Octopath Traveler 0, you will eventually be required to build the most essential building in the game, the Training Ground. The training ground has a few very important functions. As you play through the game, you will collect a lot of different party members. So much so that you will have to keep some on standby. But the training ground allows those party members on standby to earn XP and JP while keeping the party you want to use.
Not only that, but it also holds the key to unlocking ultimate abilities for every party member. Sure, the cost is hefty, but these ultimates allow for so many powerful synergies, making the investment worth it. This is in addition to “mastering” skills, which will enable you to spend excess JP into equippable passives and abilities. Allowing you to carve out new playstyles for every party member.
Square Enix, Please Expand This Beyond Octopath Traveler 0
Wishvale has taken me by surprise in Octopath Traveler 0. I was at first resistent on the idea of a city builder mechanic in a turn-based JRPG. But seeing the perks that lie in Wishvale turned my opinion around on it. A place to cook food for combat buffs, a free place to sleep, on top of being able to make my own one-stop shop, passively level up standby party members, and even unlock some of the best abilities in the game? That was something I wish I had known before diving into this mechanic fully. You can even unlock the ability to talk to animals, open secret chests, and fast travel to dungeons. It is such an essential part of the experience that I ended up loving!
All of this being said, this mechanic is something I want to see in Octopath Traveler games moving forward. A nice little hub world with so many systems to take advantage of while I progress through the story. It doesn’t have to be essential to the story, but it should be essential to unlocking so many cool perks and abilities. I know if this were present in a potential third, fourth, and even fifth installment, the novelty would wear off. But it would be a crying shame to have this locked to just the prequel of the series.
