{"id":53373,"date":"2025-10-28T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=53373"},"modified":"2025-10-28T15:37:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T06:37:23","slug":"octopath-travelers-core-value-is-a-high-degree-of-freedom-the-upcoming-prequel-takes-it-to-the-next-level-with-extensive-town-building","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/octopath-travelers-core-value-is-a-high-degree-of-freedom-the-upcoming-prequel-takes-it-to-the-next-level-with-extensive-town-building\/","title":{"rendered":"Octopath Traveler&#8217;s core value is a &#8220;high degree of freedom.&#8221; The upcoming prequel takes it to the next level with extensive Town Building\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Octopath Traveler 0<\/strong> (Zero) is the latest mainline entry in Square Enix\u2019s turn-based JRPG series, set to launch on December 5 this year. The <a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/what-kind-of-game-is-octopath-traveler-0-we-ask-the-developers-behind-the-100-hour-prequel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">100-hour prequel to the franchise<\/a> inherits much of what the previous games are known for \u2013 with a focus on storytelling and challenging battles. But according to game director Yasuhiro Kidera and producer Hiroto Suzuki, the main draw of Octopath Traveler is its high degree of freedom, and this is something they sought to develop even further in Zero.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"OCTOPATH TRAVELER 0 | Announce Trailer\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PSRFT5OVqKs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Talking to AUTOMATON, Suzuki explains that, \u201cTrue to the name Traveler, I think the defining appeal of Octopath Traveler lies in its sense of journey. Travel means freedom, but also requires you to move forward on your own feet. That\u2019s why we value stories that feel down-to-earth, where you can understand and empathize with the protagonist\u2019s emotions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This sense of travel is also what shapes the freedom-first approach to gameplay, with features like field commands which \u201callow the player act freely and open the doors for many new possibilities.\u201d \u00a0As an example, Suzuki brings up stealing in the first Octopath Traveler. \u201cYou can steal from townsfolk, but you can also complete the entire game without stealing anything even once. Our main writer, Futsuzawa, actually finished the game as Tressa by buying every item instead of stealing them (laughs). I think the series\u2019 charm lies in such differing playstyles being possible.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/octo0-20251021-362297-001.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-53376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/octo0-20251021-362297-001.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/octo0-20251021-362297-001-380x214.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/octo0-20251021-362297-001-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/octo0-20251021-362297-001-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What about Octopath Traveler 0, then? The prequel\u2019s biggest addition is its Town Building system, which, according to Suzuki, ties into the franchise\u2019s DNA both thematically and gameplay-wise. \u201cWe wanted to emphasize the place you come home to after a journey, your hometown. Through the Town Building feature, players can customize their own hometown, placing buildings wherever they like, and even assigning their favorite characters to live in them. By placing two characters in the same house, you can depict their relationship. You can imagine they both love flowers, and plant some around them. I believe Octopath Traveler 0 expands the ways a player can pour their feelings into the game.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Players who liked past entries\u2019 fleshed-out NPC will also have something new to look forward to in Zero. \u201cIn most standard RPGs,\u201d Kidera explains, \u201cinteractions with NPCs are usually limited to conversations and side quests. However, in the Octopath Traveler series, each NPC has their own backstory and possesses unique items. I believe these are the strengths of Octopath Traveler that distinguish it from other RPGs.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/octo0-20251021-362297-004.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-53377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/octo0-20251021-362297-004.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/octo0-20251021-362297-004-380x214.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/octo0-20251021-362297-004-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/octo0-20251021-362297-004-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor Octopath Traveler 0, we spent a lot of time thinking about how to connect the field command systems to the new Town Building feature. For example, now you can invite residents to your town, and many characters scattered throughout the world are tied to what you\u2019ll need for developing it. This makes your own town feel linked to the wider world, which was a key design philosophy for the game.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, true to the overarching theme of freedom, Octopath Traveler 0 won\u2019t force you to invest hours in Town Building if it\u2019s not your thing. The developers say they put extra care into designing a system that will reward those who painstakingly develop their bases do, but won\u2019t punish those who don\u2019t.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.square-enix-games.com\/en_EU\/games\/octopath-traveler-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Octopath Traveler 0<\/a> releases on December 5 for PC (<a href=\"https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/3014320\/OCTOPATH_TRAVELER_0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Steam<\/a>\/Windows), PS5\/PS4, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and Xbox Series X\u2758S.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Octopath Traveler 0 director Yasuhiro Kidera and producer Hiroto Suzuki talk about the series&#8217; dedication to offering a high degree of freedom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":53375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,3],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-53373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews","category-news","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Octopath Traveler&#039;s core value is a &quot;high degree of freedom.&quot; The upcoming prequel takes it to the next level with extensive Town Building\u00a0 - AUTOMATON WEST<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Octopath Traveler 0 director Yasuhiro Kidera and producer Hiroto Suzuki talk about the series&#039; dedication to offering a high degree of freedom.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/octopath-travelers-core-value-is-a-high-degree-of-freedom-the-upcoming-prequel-takes-it-to-the-next-level-with-extensive-town-building\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Octopath Traveler&#039;s core value is a &quot;high degree of freedom.&quot; The upcoming prequel takes it to the next level with extensive Town Building\u00a0 - AUTOMATON WEST\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Octopath Traveler 0 director Yasuhiro Kidera and producer Hiroto Suzuki talk about the series&#039; 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