I thought about the new Octopath but I thought if I was really going to invest time in an RPG why not go full final fantasy / chrono tiger / etc. It feels like the different characters is a bit of a gimmick, at least in the first one.
I haven’t played the first one, but the second one is excellent and is my favorite game of the year so far, and probably last year too. And as already mentioned, it plays great on the Steam Deck.
I highly recommend it.