In Octopath Traveler, jobs define more than just gameplay mechanics

Enlarge / Human villains and rivals ground Octopath Traveler in a set of societal rules to follow or break.

Octopath Traveler isn't structured like most other Japanese RPGs. Part of this is apparent on the face of it: the game splits its narrative into eight stories following just as many protagonists. Each has its own tale to tell, and they don't criss-cross very often.

But the differences from usual JRPG fare run deeper than that. Octopath Traveler rarely sports the classic good-versus-evil tropes of its genre peers. The laws and rules of its world aren't cleanly established by some magic order, world-ending demons, or fantastical religions. instead, those details are built slowly and organically in the player's mind through characters' actions and motivations.

Each playable character has a role to play, tied to a "job" system like the ones found in certain Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games. Therion, a thief, can steal items from enemies during combat, for example. Primrose, a dancer, uses her movements to inspire her allies with different improvements.

These jobs don't just determine the game's mechanics, though. They also play an equally important role in defining the story of each character and how they perceive, and are perceived by, the world around them. At its best, Octopath Traveler uses these professions to force its cast to learn important lessons about that world, which would otherwise be left up to the player to guess at.

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