Amid all the praise for Square-Enix’s JRPG throwback, Octopath Traveler, there are still some common criticisms. Most focus on how the stories for each of the eight main characters only finally loosely overlap in an optional end-game dungeon, and are otherwise entirely separate with minimal inter-party interaction. However, others have taken up issue with Octopath Traveler’s level design. It’s easy to see why: compared to even some of the classic old-school JRPGs Octopath seems to evoke, its level design is basic. Dungeons are especially simplistic, and when judged against most modern RPGs, they’re downright dull.
However, after several dozen of hours with the game, I’m not convinced this an issue. In fact, I’d argue it’s one of the best decisions Octopath Traveler’s designers made when developing the game, and a key factor in its success as an instant JRPG classic.
Source: IGN.com Octopath Traveler's Simplistic Level Design Makes It a Better Game