As far as JRPGs go, it’s hard to top the charming visual style of Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler. So of course the series is a natural choice to join Dark Horse’s ever-growing lineup of video game-themed art books.
The Art of Octopath Traveler is adapted from the Japanese art book Octopath 2016-2020. This English translation features a mix of behind-the-scenes creator commentary and hundreds of gorgeous illustrations and pieces of concept art.
IGN can exclusively debut the unfinalized cover of The Art of Octopath Traveler below:
The Art of Octopath Traveler covers the original game and its prequel mobile game, Octopath Traveler: Campions of the Continent. Here’s Dark Horse’s official description of the book:
Discover what lies beyond the horizon! Join the travelers in their journey through Orsterra and discover each of their unique origins. Delve into a fantasy landscape full of amazing creatures and scenery. Ponder the inspired design and artistic passion through hundreds of pieces of incredible art from the creation of the critically acclaimed Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent.
The Art of Octopath Traveler is a 224-page hardcover priced at $49.99. The book is scheduled for release in bookstores on Tuesday, December 12 and in comic shops on Wednesday, December 13.
Octopath Traveler 2 was one of IGN’s 44 games to keep an eye on in 2023. IGN’s Seth Macy recently gave the sequel a 7, writing, “Once again, I am smitten by Octopath Traveler and its style – but five years after the original, it doesn’t hit quite as hard. So little has changed about its battles, and this sequel sticks a little too closely to the original systems without expanding on them too much. Especially now that the 2D/3D art style is an established look, the still lovely visuals just don’t stand out as much anymore. That said, the combat system is still quite fun, and figuring out the best course of action to exploit weak points, knock an enemy unconscious, and then unload on them with as much power as you can remains satisfying.”
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
