Octopath Traveler 2 was created as a standalone sequel to its predecessor, Octopath Traveler. Yet, Square Enix just couldn't help but incorporate some subtle and not-so-subtle nods to the first game. You may have already been scouring the sequel for easter eggs to the first or relentlessly looking for any way to connect the two games together.
After a lot of searching, at this point, some are more than certain that the sequel is less of a sequel and more of a prequel. However, you're bound to miss out on most of these references if you're not paying attention or if you aren't a devoted fan of the first game.
7 Mikk And Makk Are Bakk
When going through Castti's Winterbloom chapter 2, if you played the first game, one thing you might have noticed was the rebirth of Mikk and Makk. The two henchmen of Pukk share a name with their predecessors, Mikk and Makk, from Tressa's chapter one boss fight. The two pairs even share similar professions, with Oseterra's duo being pirates and Solistia's being thieves.
However, Osterra's Mikk and Makk are probably not the same as Solistia's Mikk and Makk. If anything, many have compared them to the reoccurring duo in the Final Fantasy series, Biggs and Wedge. While we might see more of this duo in the future of the Octopath Traveler series, it's unlikely they'll be the same characters as before.
6 From The Far Reaches Of Hell
One of the most obvious references to the first game, if not a prequel to it. From the Far Reaches of Hell can be found starting with the side quest, Procuring Peculiar Tomes. After finishing the quest, you have access to From the Far Reaches of Hell, which you snag from Al in the same area. From the Far Reaches of Hell is a book that Cyrus was obsessed with finding while on his "sabbatical" in the first game.
After finding out how to translate this mysterious tome and traveling to the ??? Isle, you will unlock an intense optional fight. Here you fight Galdera, the final, true-ending boss of the first game. The biggest difference between the two is that Solistia's Galdera seems definitively stronger than Osterra's. After finally beating Solistia's Galdera, if you even can, Al will reveal himself as Alfred Hornburg, the young and not-yet-king of Hornburg, liege to Olberic.
5 Finding Skystones
Although this might be a harder detail for you to find, you can find Skystones in Octopath Traveler 2. They can be located in a chest on the ??? Isle after you get a boat. These Skystones have little use besides being pretty and being sold for a high price. Dropping by any item shop to sell it can net you a profit of 5,000 Leaves.
Hopefully, you remember Tressa's chapter two, where she tries to sell Skystones. She is shortly undercut by a merchant rival, Ali, before both of them are shut down by the final boss. These expensive little rocks don't make much of an appearance throughout the rest of both games. But, their brief appearance and high sell price are a nice nod to Tressa's story.
4 Remastered Music Tracks
Whether or not the remastered music tracks exist as a nod to the first game or simply act as a way to give both the same feeling, it's anyone's guess. However, you may have taken notice of the similarities and remasters. Their main themes, although with slight differences, are incredibly similar. It's a delightful nod to their recognition as the same series, even though both are stand-alone games.
This occurs again when listening to the first game's song, Determination, and then the second's Unshakable Resolve. Even their names work are similar, with Unshakable Resolve being a clear reference to Determination if the sound wasn't enough. Both games have amazing soundtracks, but it's lovely to hear the impact and presence of Octopath Traveler on its sequel.
3 Smaller Pantheon
If you were dedicated to finding everything in Octopath Traveler, you might notice a small difference between the two continent's pantheons. While both continents share gods, Solistia is missing a handful of pantheon members. The main eight, related directly to the eight travelers, remain the same, but Solistia's pantheon lacks any extended members.
Missing from Solistia's pantheon is Balogar, the Runeblade; Dreisang, the Archmagus; Steorra, the Starseer; and Winnehild, the Warbringer. In fact, Solistia's pantheon introduces a previously non-existent god in replacement of Galdera, Vide the Wicked. Solistia's pantheon is smaller, true, but the eight main travelers generally hold a stronger connection to that pantheon.
2 Maps Of Osterra
This detail might be a harder one for you to realize, especially if you aren't paying attention to the background of every area. You can actually find a map of Osterra adorning the walls of various locations in Octopath Traveler 2. The first map of Osterra can be found in the Conning Creek Guard Post, from Osvald's chapter 3, in a side room. Another map can be found in Timberain, and two more can be spotted on Roque Island, accessed in Partitio's chapter 4.
Although it is generally implied that Octopath Traveler 2 takes place before the first game, these little references to Osterra could hint at expansion. For the Conning Creek Guard Post and Timberain, it could mean military or political expansion. For Roque Island, it could very well mean that Roque was planning to branch out economically. He would bring the whole world under the thumb of the Roque Company with the steam engine had Partitio not intervened.
1 Original Eight Portrait
One of the last Easter eggs you can find in the game is a portrait of all eight travelers. You can find this portrait of all eight travelers just south of the Merry Hills entrance. At the bottom of the map, you'll find a stall with a red and white striped overhang. Just behind this stall is a pixilated portrait of the original eight.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the first game, it will be difficult to pick out who is who, but if you are familiar, it's a breeze. Despite the low resolution, this pixilated portrait clearly displays all of the original eight. If you're having trouble seeing it during the day, switch the game to night, and it will be crystal clear.