Octopath Traveler's Switch 2 upgrade is the worst way to handle a Switch 2 upgrade

Square Enix's decision feels bone-headed, to say the least. The Switch 2 editions will cost $59.99 individually or $74.99 in a bundle. On paper, the bundle might be considered a good deal — but only for newcomers to the series. Yet one of the biggest markets for these upgraded versions is the dedicated fanbase that has already played and fallen in love with the Octopath Traveler games. With more than 7 million copies of the series sold, that is a lot of fans who now have almost no reason to invest in the costly Switch 2 releases.

If you are curious as to which advantages the Switch 2 versions of Octopath Traveler 1 and 2 have over their Switch counterparts, the list is short. According to Square Enix's announcement, the only improvements are a sharper resolution and a higher frame rate. And while there are players who care deeply about both of those things, they seem like meager offerings for Octopath Traveler. The series utilizes Square Enix's HD-2D engine, which melds nostalgic pixel art with 3D game worlds. Because the HD-2D aesthetic relies on pixel art layered over 3D environments, these games are already pretty damn good-looking.

Without beefier offerings unique to the Switch 2 editions, the only real incentive for purchasing both games again is for the ability to play them on the Switch 2. Unfortunately, that is also not much of a selling point, since the Switch 2 is backward-compatible and offers a handheld boost mode, making existing Switch copies run and look better on the new hardware without having to buy old games all over again. Even worse, Switch 2 editions aren't compatible with old save data. The Octopath Traveler games are rich RPGs with hours of adventures to go on. Starting from scratch isn't the most enticing idea.

With so little in the way of offerings for Octopath Traveler fans, it makes one wonder how the folks at Square Enix expect these Switch 2 versions to perform. Do they just think fans of the series will pay whatever price is asked for despite offering so little in return? It sure seems that way. What is even more confounding is how easy this could have been. Nintendo itself has already laid out a good precedent for handling Switch 2 upgrades. The company offers both free and paid upgrades for a long list of its games, including Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Paid upgrades are typically reserved for games that introduce more features. The price range for paid upgrades is determined per game but most cost $5 to $10, with a high end of $19.99. Still, those are much easier prices to swallow for the chance to play a slightly improved version of a game you already own on a new platform.

By failing to offer a reasonable upgrade path to those who own the Switch versions of the games, Square Enix is alienating players who are most likely to be interested. Rather than get $10 or even $20 per game upgrade from fans eager to find a reason to dive back into these lush RPGs, Square Enix is more likely to get almost nothing from them. Seemingly anti-consumer decisions from companies are facing more and more scrutiny from gamers in recent months. Just look at the reaction Sony is still receiving after the announcement that it plans to end physical disc production in 2028. Players want to feel ownership of their games and avoid feeling exploited by companies.

Review

Octopath Traveler 2 is eight good stories in search of a great one

Compelling mechanics and a gorgeous world can’t carry all of the weight