Nintendo Switch Gets RPG From Bravely Default Team
By Brad Jones 16 January 2017
The team behind Bravely Default and its sequel confirm that they are working on a brand new RPG for the Nintendo Switch, which is codenamed Project Octopath Traveler.
While launch window titles may have taken precedent at the Nintendo Switch event last week, we also learned about a few interesting games that are still in the early stages of development. Among that number was Project Octopath Traveler, a new RPG from Square-Enix.
Project Octopath Traveler has an impressive pedigree that will no doubt raise its stock among fans of Japanese RPGs. The game is being developed by the same team that was responsible for Bravely Default and its follow-up, Bravely Second.
The game was announced during the Switch event, but now an official Facebook page has been created, offering up some new details about what to expect. Comments from Square-Enix producer Tomoya Asano has already been posted to the page, according to a report from VG247.
“While we can’t reveal any specific details quite yet (keep an eye out for promotional media in the near future), we’d like to share with you a behind-the-scenes look at the development process in the meantime,” writes Asano. “A long road lies ahead of us, but we hope that you’ll come along for the journey!”
Asano and his team would seem to be an ideal pick to develop a new game for the Switch. Bravely Default was obviously designed with the portable experience in mind, but also had the depth you might expect from a console RPG — given that the Switch straddles this same divide, Octopath Traveler seems poised to play to the system’s strengths.
It’s difficult to tell just how far into the development process Octopath Traveler is, based on what we’ve seen so far. Its Facebook page seems to suggest that there’s a long way to go until release, but the trailer that aired at the Switch reveal seemed to demonstrate that plenty of groundwork has already been laid.
We saw the game’s unusual mix of 2D spritework laid over 3D environments, and saw some of its throwback battle system. The early part of the trailer also showcased what looked to be a fairly definitive world map.
There’s sure to be plenty of excitement about the prospect of a fully fledged RPG from a development team with a strong track record, regardless of when Octopath Traveler is released. However, given the gaps in the Switch release schedule as it stands right now, the game could be a major hit if its ready sooner rather than later.
Project Octopath Traveler is in development for the Nintendo Switch.
