The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon Review

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Reviewing the Legend of Heroes: Trails of… series is unique. I’ve now reviewed four of these games for RPG Site, and this ninth overall, starting with the updated PS4 version of the first Cold Steel. With each new release, it feels like reviews don’t matter much, especially for games in the middle of a larger story arc, like Trails Beyond the Horizon. I wouldn’t suggest starting with a mid-arc title, and if you’ve been following the series for a while, my opinion likely won’t change yours – and I include myself in that group. Beyond the Horizon is my favorite of Arkride Solution’s adventures so far, featuring a particularly shocking ending, comparable to Cold Steel 3. After 13 games and a complex, interconnected story, even if this were the weakest entry, I’d still eagerly spend 50-100 hours exploring Zemuria to see how the story unfolds.

Before I dive into a detailed review, I wanted to let you know I’m handling this one a bit differently than my past Trails reviews. I’ll start with a quick overview of key information – hopefully helpful for fans – before sharing my more in-depth thoughts, all without revealing any spoilers.

  • Gameplay feels nearly identical to the previous Daybreak titles, from combat to menus, and how side quests work. All of it. There are some new toys to play with, such as Van being able to transform into the Grendel more often during Command battles and even in some field areas, alongside the new “Shard Commands” that act similarly to Cold Steel’s Brave Orders (less overpowered but still powerful) that buff your stats.
  • Beyond adopts a similar route system to Trails Into Reverie did, where you will be following three different protagonists – Rean Schwarzer, Kevin Graham, and Van – seeing what each group is up to over the course of the three days in which the story takes place. 
  • You will get the most out of Beyond if you have previously played and remember the events of the Cold Steel + Reverie games and Trails in the Sky 3rd.
  • Crafts can now level up and get stronger the more you use them.
  • Quartz like EP Cut no longer reduces cost by a set percentage, but instead multiplies the cost by a set fraction (example: Glodia no longer reduces cost by 40% and now multiplies it by 0.6), meaning you can no longer cast things for free. 
  • You can no longer steal turn bonuses like Zero Arts cost or Guaranteed Critical Hit by calling in an S-Craft to shift turns around. Those bonuses are now set and tied to the character they appear on, regardless of when their turn happens.

The majority of Beyond the Horizon unfolds over three days, following President Roy Cramheart – Agnes’ father – as he prepares to fulfill his promise of launching a human into space. As you’d expect, things don’t go smoothly, and the game features some surprising twists and revelations. These changes even reframed how I view characters from earlier games! I’m eager to discuss these details, but I’ll hold off until the game is more widely available in Western regions.

The way the story unfolds through the three different paths is generally well done, a definite improvement over the repetitive structure of Daybreak 2. However, like in Reverie, some paths are stronger than others – I found Rean and Kevin’s stories more engaging and satisfying. What really stood out was how separate each path felt. Aside from the beginning and the lengthy Grim Garten dungeon – where the characters connect through virtual reality – the three groups rarely interact. This holds true even at the game’s ending. I anticipated the paths would converge, as they have in previous titles, but that never happened.

Van’s story felt predictable for most of the game – like I’d experienced it all before. However, it had a surprising turn in the final chapter, which is typical for the Trails series. Kevin’s route was the most captivating and mysterious of the three. Rean’s felt the most emotionally connected to his own story. Kevin’s route involved a compelling mystery with constant reveals that genuinely shocked me, and it took a while to process everything after the story concluded. Playing through Kevin’s route makes me hopeful that the team remaking the Trails in the Sky games will also remake Trails in the Sky 3rd, as that game is central to Kevin’s story and many references to it appear throughout his route.

Having started with Trails of Cold Steel, I was thrilled to play as Rean again. I’m a big fan of Class VII and the Thors members, so it was great to see them older and with updated designs. Rean’s story felt like a satisfying payoff to many long-standing mysteries – we finally met characters previously only talked about with great respect, and got the rematch that Cold Steel fans have wanted since the bonus content in Reverie. While I don’t think Rean’s story will have as far-reaching consequences as Van or Kevin’s, it provided me with the most sense of completion, which is strange considering none of the stories really offer a definitive ending. Some questions were answered, but many more were raised, and I’m still trying to make sense of everything.

The game focuses more on bringing back familiar characters than introducing many new ones. Of the new additions, the two Enforcers stand out, though one – the Influencer – might really split players. If you dislike current internet slang, excessive use of trendy terms like “rage-baiting” or “vibemaxxing,” and abbreviations like “IYKYK,” be warned! The voice actress does a fantastic job portraying the over-the-top, hyped-up streamer persona, for better or worse. The other new Enforcer is much quieter and leans into the classic “powerful and mysterious” archetype seen in other Trails characters. He offers just enough hints to keep me interested, and thankfully, his dialogue won’t make you want to cover your ears, unlike the Influencer.

Aside from Risette, my feelings about the Arkride Solutions characters haven’t changed much since the first Daybreak game. I still find Feri and Agnes a bit dull – Agnes more so than Feri – but I really like Van, Judith, Shizuna, and Aaron. Aaron continues to have some of the best lines, often voicing what the player is thinking, even if it’s confused or nonsensical. His conversations with the other characters, especially Judith, still make me laugh.

I didn’t find Risette very compelling in the previous two games; she felt too focused on being a stoic, powerful assistant. However, her story and background are explored much more in this game, and now I’m really invested in learning more about her in the next installment. She’s become one of the characters I’m most eager to follow.

Since finishing Beyond the Horizon, I’ve been struck by how much of an impact its events will have on the entire world of Zemuria. Previous story arcs focused on individual countries, but this one feels different – its consequences will be felt everywhere. We’re over halfway through the planned series, and it’s clear this game is building towards a huge finale, which is both thrilling and nerve-wracking. The more I think about everything introduced in Beyond, the more complex it becomes – one idea leads to so many others! It genuinely recontextualizes events from earlier games in surprising ways. Fun fact: microwaves aren’t common in Zemuria yet, which is a detail you can discover during the game. I went in hoping for clear answers, but instead, I’m left with a head full of questions, like a chaotic conspiracy board. It’s fantastic for sparking theories with friends, but without any news about future installments, I’m stuck constantly wondering what could happen next.

A few months ago, I never would have predicted that Western audiences would be enjoying games as quickly as Japan. It’s still incredible to me that English speakers are now able to play games so promptly, and I’m really hoping Falcom and NIS America continue to release games worldwide at the same time. Hopefully, those days of waiting months for English versions are over.

While it’s unclear what’s next for the characters in Zemuria or when the next installment will arrive, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon has been incredibly enjoyable, especially considering its setting in Calvard. The gameplay remains largely consistent with Daybreak 1 and 2, which is typical for games within the same story arc – similar to the changes between Cold Steel 2 and 3. The game ends with a major cliffhanger, making the wait for the next chapter feel even longer, but I’m already so invested in the series that I’m determined to see it through to the end. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long for the continuation.

8

Versions tested: PlayStation 5

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2026-01-08 17:00