The Legend of Heroes series has spanned multiple story arcs over the years. And by years, I mean literal decades starting with the Trails in the Sky arc and currently taking place in Calvard with Trails Through Daybreak. As someone who only recently discovered the series, I struggled with finding a spot in the series to jump into. I played most of the previous story arc, Trails of Cold Steel consisting of I, II, and III but didn’t play IV. Wouldn’t you know it, Nihon Falcom announced the newest (and alleged last) arc in the series, Trails Through Daybreak, consisting of a whole new cast and taking place in the setting of Calvard which was referenced in past games but never explored. Sure, the stories and events are linked and there’s some fun cameos from past characters here and there, but this is fantastic modern entry point those looking to explore the series should jump in on. It’s worth mentioning Nihon Falom is remaking the very first game in the entire Trails series, Trails in the Sky which is set to release some time in 2025.
With all that said, I definitely recommend you play the first Trails Through Daybreak before jumping into the second both because you can find the first game cheaper and because the second game takes place almost directly after the first. This sequel takes the story telling in a completely different direction than other games in the series by introducing quite a bit of time travel. Because of this, you may find a lot of reviews and outlets being very divided by this entry. Sure, you do retread some gameplay segments here and there, but it’s nothing egregious in my humble opinion and I often liked seeing how other branching decisions would play out in the alternative timeline. It’s worth noting these choices don’t branch out and change the overall story in a plethora of ways, they’re all part of a single linear narrative and you’re living them all out as the developers intended.
I love the characters and the story of the Trails series, and this arc specifically. With that said, I don’t have hundreds upon hundreds of hours to devote to one game with having a family and to keep up with the brisk pace of game releases….especially being a lover of RPGs. This brings me to some of my favorite features of this series, which is the QoL options offered. For example, you’re offered to retry boss battles again and lower the difficulty without penalty which is something I’d like if Clair Obscur Expedition 33 had. I found myself also blowing through the standard mob fodder thanks to the run plus game speed combo. I simply didn’t want to waste my time and wanted to see the story through to the end. Would some readers here say that’s blasphemy? Sure. Do I care? Not at all. I’m sure other readers are in the same boat as me and, rest assured, both Daybreak games allow you to fly through if you really want. It’s the same kind of addition I love in some of the recent Atlus games and Metaphor: ReFantazio and the Persona games.
All in all Trails Through Daybreak II builds upon the excellent foundation of the original. Sure, the time travel mechanic has been divisive among series fans, but I appreciated the shakeup from the (very) formulaic sidequest/4SPG setup the series is known for. As with the Trails series, I also loved diving deeper into each character’s background to really grasp their motivations. There’s quite a bit of character development here for the main and even some of the sub cast. I, for one, can’t wait to see how this trilogy ends. Forunately we wont’ have to wait long as the third Daybreak game, titled Trails Beyond The Horizon, is set to launch this year in Fall 2025 for Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC.
