I’ve had a lot going on the past two weeks. I won’t get into details, but along with the site having some long-overdue maintenance, I’ve had some things to take care of. In my downtime, though, I’ve done what I love doing: sitting down with a good RPG.

Once my time with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was done, I realized I had a nice little sequel tucked away in my inbox for review purposes. Trails Through Daybreak II continues Van Arkride’s story, though this time there are new mysteries, spriggan jobs, and a murderer on the loose. How does this intersect with Agnes’ quest for the final Genesis? Well, that’s for you to find out.

Trails Through Daybreak II does everything that a good Trails sequel should. It carries on the stories of the characters that we grew so attached to in the original Trails Through Daybreak, while also pulling in some new characters, or characters we didn’t get to focus on much last time. This time, there is a new mechanic that is central to Daybreak II that should be familiar if you’ve played Trails Into Reverie.

The story of Daybreak II involves a multi-perspective narrative. So, each chapter (or Act as the game refers to it) is split up into two or three segments that run concurrently to one another. You’ll play through Van’s perspective for his part of the chapter, then switch to a different character, and so on until the chapter is complete.

Unlike Trails Into Reverie, however, you cannot switch between perspectives at will. Once you start a perspective, it has to be finished. There is also a new mechanic involved that may seem familiar if you’ve played Death End Re;Quest (from Idea Factory), or have read my review.

Trails Through Daybreak II has a sort of time-loop function. The whole story itself doesn’t loop, though; it’s simply that you can find yourself in dead ends, where one or more main characters die, and thus you are sent back to choose a different path. The ones I have found so far have been scripted and thus unavoidable. However, due to the multi-faceted and layered narratives of the Trails franchise, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some hidden endings or progression-related dead ends tossed in.

As far as the gameplay is concerned, most of what you had in Trails Through Daybreak is still here. You have the hybrid real-time and turn-based options for combat, though that has been spiced up with new abilities such as the Cross Charge, which is triggered through dodging attacks perfectly. As for the Turn-based portion, it is still the buttery smooth and strategic combat that it always has been, though it is more similar to Trails Through Daybreak than Trails of Cold Steel, as you would expect.

Another new element, which is familiar yet evolved from the Cold Steel franchise, involves an optional layered dungeon that opens up as you pass through the story. Known as the Marchen Garten, this is ultimately a long-form side quest that gives you the opportunity to level up and get items and gear. As you collect shards via the Garten and various other means, you can turn those data shards into items and can trade for things like extra costumes, etc.

Don’t brush this off as just a simple side-quest, though. If you are playing on a higher difficulty or you want to maximize your leveling potential, this is very important. It will also make your story progress a bit easier if you focus on leveling up enough. This is how Trails Through Daybreak II excels. It offers refinement on the new ideas from the previous game, while also showing more of what the Trails franchise does best.

There are even videos provided as you play, explaining certain elements from previous games in case you just started at Trials Through Daybreak, instead of playing Trails in the Sky or Trails of Cold Steel previously. It helps you immerse yourself in the world’s lore and gives you a sense of immersion.

Trails Through Daybreak II’s story is also just as good as the previous game, if not better. It offers intense stakes, a mature narrative, and deep emotional bonds that really feel like the franchise is elevating itself to a new level. It is hard not to fall in love with the cast and characters, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you haven’t played the previous game.

The previous entry was a great starting point for newcomers to the franchise, but I can’t say the same here, which makes sense because it is a direct sequel. It also sets up events that will be touched on when Trails Beyond the Horizon launches later this year. If you’re a fan of the franchise and want to see where things progress after Trails Through Daybreak, this is a perfect way to sate your hunger for more Trails content.

A PC Review copy of Trails Through Daybreak II was provided by NIS America for the purposes of this review.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II

$59.99

9.5

Score

9.5/10

Pros

• Great, Mature story
• Improved Features from the previous game
• Strategic and Engaging Combat
• Great Cast
• Easy to understand lore

Cons

• Not a good entry point

Buy Nier: Automata on PS4 via our Amazon Affiliate, and support Phenixx Gaming at the same time!