Octopath Traveler II - Day and Night Cycle Guide

Day and Night Cycle Guide for Octopath Traveler 2

Octopath Traveler 2 features a dynamic day and night cycle that largely affects gameplay throughout the main story. As you explore various towns and dungeons, the time of day will constant shift between day and night time which changes certain elements during exploration and combat.

Among the gameplay changes that are affected by the day and night cycle is the lighting as cast by the presence or absence of the sun. The music that plays in various locations before and after dark is also different.

How long is a day/night in the game?

Day or night time typically lasts for only a few minutes. Because of this, it is recommended to take advantage of the current time of day to help you progress smoothly through the main story.

Advancing the Time of Day Manually

Note that it is also possible to advance the in-game day and night cycle by pressing the ZR button (Nintendo Switch) or R2 button (Playstation 4 and Playstation 5). This can only be done outside of combat or important events in the game.

Octopath Traveler 2: How to Change the Time of Day

Day and Night Cycle Effects (Major Changes)

Character Path Actions

Each of the 8 Travelers (playable characters) has two types of special Path Actions that they can perform during exploration. These unique non-combat abilities are based on the character’s class and have a variety of uses ranging from allowing you to craft consumable items using materials or captured monsters to even bribing non-player characters (NPCs) for information or mugging them.

Character	Path Actions
Hikaru Ku	Challenge (Day), Bribe (Night)
Agnea Bristarni	Allure (Day), Entreat (Night)
Partitio Yellowil	Purchase (Day), Hire (Night)
Osvald V. Vanstein	Scrutinize (Day), Mug (Night)
Temenos Mistral	Guide (Day), Coerce (Night)
Throne Anguis	Steal (Day), Ambush (Night)
Ochette	Provoke (Day), Befriend (Night)
Castii Florenz	Inquire (Day), Soothe (Night)

Since you will only be able to perform one of two character Path Actions at a time, you should be mindful of the current time of day it is in the game. For example, Partitio’s Purchase Path Action which allows him to buy items from people can only be used during the day. Night time, meanwhile, allows Partitio to use his Hire Path Action to temporary enlist the services of non-player characters (NPCs) in battle.

NPC Schedules

Many NPCs in the game follow a fixed day and night schedule where you are only able to talk to them during the day or night. Children, for instance, often go home at night and will be absent from the usual spots that you can find them before dark.

Events and Quests Tied to NPCs

Being able to talk to NPCs at specific times of the day also means that you cannot access or progress through any of their related events or quests if you cannot interact with them. Certain quests may even require you to use a character’s daytime or nighttime Path Action, making the the current time of day crucial to clearing them.

Nocturnal Enemies

Almost all enemies encountered at night are considerably stronger than their daytime counterparts. Since you will usually earn more experience (EXP), money, and loot from nocturnal monsters defeated, it is recommended to farm enemies at night.

Do quests and events have a deadline?

It is expected that there will not be any quests or events that become permanently missable if a certain number of day and night cycles pass. This means that you can freely advance the time as often as you like without any consequences during your playthrough. More information on this will be added when it is confirmed in the game.