Hitting 120 hours on an RPG is a rarity for me. I will always grind out the main quest. I’ll also scratch out most of the sidequests, and quit once I’m grinding out dozens of levels with characters I don’t even like. While I didn’t finish out the ultimate final boss, nor another optional boss, I did wring out 95% of this game. I found and attempted every quest, talked to every NPC, and spent about ten hours watching TV and just grinding characters up to level 70.

That said, the end game for Octopath is a two to three-hour marathon of old bosses. Then without a save point in-between, you need to battle the game’s final boss that can one-hit-kill your entire party. Your only option is to then spend another two-hour grind going back to that point. Or, like me, you can just admit you’re probably getting too old to waste your time like this and watch the closing cut scene on YouTube.

I don’t recommend going this far. In fact, that end game is antithetical to the spirit of the main game. Much of the charm Octopath has to offer is in the eight characters and their stories. There are some neat RPG systems at work here, but the game oozes charm. Its mix of sprite art and drawings evoke the best eras of Final Fantasy games. However, the setting and style are all its own.

In addition, the unique format of eight separate stories allows for the world to have more charm, and the stories to get more personal. From the scholar seeking a lost tome from his University library to the Merchant looking to make her first fortune, each character has a direct and understandable motivation. These stories are so charming I don’t want to ruin anything, but almost all of them avoid the chosen one tropes that plague many RPGs.

It’s what makes the endgame so confusing. I understand it’s the tradition to have tons of endgame to grind, but the execution here feels like a betrayal of the thing that made Octopath Traveler so much fun to keep playing. I do compliment them for weaving it as a side plot throughout the game, so at least it is not entirely fabricated for players seeking one last challenge.

The battle system is intriguing enough to at least make grinding less of a chore. Octopath takes some cues from Bravely Default, as the games share some production staff. Where Bravely Default had you sit out multiple turns in exchange for attacking numerous times in a row, Octopath uses BP that accrues each turn. Once you have several BP built up using them increases the power of your attacks, magic, skills, or even defense. So you don’t get to stack multiple attacks in a row, you’re also not gambling on those attacks taking out the enemy to avoid multiple turns of vulnerability.

Each of the enemies is weak to different kinds of weapons and attacks. They have a shield that wears down when you attack those weak points eventually letting you KO them. Once they are stunned, you can do more damage, and if you tie this to a maxed out BP attack you can do significant damage.

There’s also a job system; each character starts with a specific class. Then as you discover shrines throughout the world, you’re able to give them secondary jobs. Combining and customizing your party lets you think out weaknesses and defense in new ways. Searching for the shrines gives you a reason to explore the world map, which isn’t vast but has nooks and crannies to dig in.

It’s rare that you find RPGs that do a good job appeasing system geeks and story geeks. Octopath has an engaging set of stories that break the sameness that can plague the JRPG genre but also has a complex enough system that it will keep you engaged when you’re looking for those last few levels before a boss fight. It’s a good fit for the Switch, but there is a forthcoming PC version as well.