Octopath Traveler 0 Allows Players to Break the Fourth Wall, Canonically

The gaming community agrees that Octopath Traveler 0 represents a massive transformation of the mobile gacha game, Champions of the Continent. Remarkably, the game has evolved into what appears to be a complete, premium-priced console experience. As its December 4 launch approaches, the developers must grapple with addressing its story. Given that this prequel fits into the established timeline of the series, how exactly does Square Enix plan to reconcile this new story with the beloved original?

A Tressa-ury Hunt

In the familiar realm of Orsterra, players find themselves on the same continent as the first Octopath Traveler, a setting it borrows directly from its mobile predecessor. If they were expecting this prequel to follow a set path leading to the first game’s events, they’re sadly mistaken. Shockingly, the development team offered a surprising amount of freedom regarding narrative consistency to keep things fresh.

Producer Hiroto Suzuki clarified this unique approach during a recent interview, explaining that players can choose whether or not to recruit characters from outside Octopath Traveler 0‘s main narrative. As an example to illustrate his point, Suzuki uses Tressa Colzione, one of the eight original travelers, who, according to the established canon, shouldn’t have begun her journey during this earlier period. For those who recruit her, the game allows them to create a fun divergence from the official timeline. In contrast, choosing not to recruit her keeps the original continuity perfectly intact.

Octopath Traveler 0 Asks What’s a Canon, Anyway?