There is no way to change the Octopath Traveler 2 difficulty settings, so you must rely on your strategy and skills to compete against the strongest enemies.
You will not find any option regarding the difficulty change at the start or during your journey. It means the difficulty will vary according to the situation as it was during the first game, but with the right approach, you can complete every objective while having a fun experience.
Octopath Traveler 2 difficulty spike explained
At the start of your game, you will not receive any option regarding the setting. You just get to choose your Octopath 2 starting character along with some graphical and sound settings.
The developers might change their minds in the future, but currently, there’s no way to lower or increase the difficulty level according to the situations in Octopath 2.
However, the Danger Levels of each area play the same role in explaining the game’s difficulty. Each chapter indicates the danger level, showing the powers of the enemies that await your arrival in the chapter.
You can click on any area after opening your map to find the recommended level of your characters for that particular place. You should understand that the higher recommended level indicates a spike in Octopath 2 difficulty.
The danger levels can be kept in mind while trying to perform any of the chapters. The recommended level for the first chapters is 5, increasing to 25 as you move to the second chapter.
You should always try to complete the first chapter for each character and then move on with the remaining ones. This ensures that you are at your strongest to face the formidable foes in Octopath 2.
Furthermore, the inclusion of new features, such as Latent Powers, makes the battles more manageable. You just have to use the right resources to explore the weaknesses of the bosses.
However, if you get stuck on certain enemies, try changing your party members, strategy, and secondary jobs to defeat your foes. These changes are vital as you cannot simply lower the Octopath Traveler 2 difficulty settings.