The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak 2 Review

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Among the numerous Role-Playing Games (RPGs) available today, I can’t help but enthusiastically recommend The Legend of Heroes: Trails series to everyone. This series has ascended to the highest echelons of my preferred franchises, sharing the limelight with titans such as Final Fantasy, Tales, and Kingdom Hearts. A mere seven months ago, fellow admirers of The Legend of Heroes were introduced to the Calvard region, along with Van and his Arkride Solutions team, marking the beginning of a new chapter in this expansive series. Now, the sequel, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak 2, is almost here, and it’s time for us to grab our Xiphas and get ready to dive back into the action.

In the sequel of Trails Through Daybreak, we find ourselves two months after the thrilling end of the first installment. The team from Arkride Solutions has dispersed, managing their individual affairs, leaving Van as the sole caretaker. However, peace doesn’t last for long, as chaos ensues and escalates rapidly, leading Van to cross paths with one of Daybreak 2’s major antagonists, the Crimson Grendel. Familiar characters reappear from both the original Daybreak and earlier Trails series, while new twists continue to unfold. As I progress through the game, I can’t help but recall few prologues in the Trails series as densely packed as this one – a quality that I truly enjoy, as it doesn’t shy away from throwing the player into the deep end right from the start.

In Daybreak 2, the main narrative revolves around Van and his team pursuing the last remaining Genesis device, which was crafted by Agnes’ great-grandfather, Professor Epstein. This final artifact appears to be linked to the Crimson Grendel – a creature reminiscent of Van’s own Grendel form – and its accompanying red fairy. The narrative unfolds with plenty of surprises, detours, and suspense, but at its heart, Daybreak 2 is about recovering the last Genesis and uncovering the secrets behind this other Grendel. As someone who wasn’t overly fond of the first Daybreak’s storyline (my main complaints being the antagonists, Almata), I found the sequel much more engaging in this aspect. However, I felt that it could have offered more diverse locations to traverse, as most of your time is spent revisiting locales from the original game.

As a dedicated gamer diving into the world of Trails, one aspect that truly shines is the captivating cast of characters. The sequel to Daybreak, remarkably, reprises almost every character from the original while also amplifying the screen time for secondary characters from the prior installment. Among them all, Aaron stands out as a favorite from the Calvard arc, delivering lines that border on self-aware winks at the fourth wall, thoughts that resonate deeply with fellow Trails enthusiasts worldwide. Spending more time with characters like Shizuna, the Silver Divine Blade, and the Dominions, Celis and Leon, was a delight. Shizuna, in particular, won me over with her laid-back, “why not?” approach to life, which sets her apart distinctly from other Divine Blades. I eagerly anticipate future games that will bring more interactions between characters like her and the more serious figures such as Rean or Cassius. Daybreak 2 has only deepened my affection for the characters I’d grown attached to, even improving my appreciation for characters like Agnes, who I found less impressive in the previous game.

For those who have played Trails into Reverie and enjoyed its gameplay and characters, parts of Daybreak 2 might seem familiar. A significant aspect of Daybreak 2 is the division of the story into multiple narratives, with you controlling one group of characters in a specific location while another group is elsewhere. Unlike Reverie, you won’t have the freedom to switch between groups at will. Instead, you’ll finish one story arc before moving on to the next, rather than having to switch back and forth. As someone who appreciates the smooth flow of Reverie (except for instances when the game forced a change in perspective), I find Daybreak 2’s approach more appealing. However, some players might be divided about how certain stories are presented in Daybreak 2.

In the third act of Daybreak 2, I found myself reminiscing about my first playthrough of Bravely Default on the 3DS. It was packed with thrilling moments, significant revelations, but also weighed down by repetition and a lingering feeling that it went on for too long. I admit, I often hurried through the dialogue, yearning for the next major battle.

Thankfully, there were numerous exciting boss battles to break up the monotony. However, this segment might feel like a narrative obstacle for some players. If only it had been trimmed down or utilized the game’s central plot device more creatively, it could have been even more extraordinary. As it stands, it was an enjoyable experience, but not without its flaws.

[SPOILERS BEGIN]


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An essential storyline presented here involves the Genesis devices’ capacity to rewind time upon death, offering a chance to select a different, safer course. While I find this concept intriguing, it brings up numerous questions. For instance, why wasn’t this ability utilized when Creil was destroyed by a nuclear blast? Instead, it seems to be employed to repeat an incident with slightly modified dialogue and one extra action that alters the outcome. The repetition lacks choices or problem-solving elements, which could have made the storyline more engaging. In essence, it reduces to “pick the new option, perform the task, revisit the scene where you failed, but this time, you succeed.

Picture yourself repeating this task five or six times, and you’ll understand why it feels monotonous, contributing significantly to the third act’s sense of repetition. If the game had offered genuine choices rather than just an appearance of them, this mechanic could have been intriguing, making your decisions feel impactful and meaningful. However, it seems more like a tired trope used to pad out the gameplay time, which is unfortunate.

[SPOILERS END]

When you feel like taking a pause from the narrative, Trails Through Daybreak 2 presents an engaging option for leveling up with the Marchen Garden. Much like the Reverie Corridor, it serves as a means to accumulate experience points, unique resources, Quartz, and a myriad of other items. Additionally, you can collect Shards in this garden, which can be exchanged for cosmetic features, music tracks from past games, and additional content. The Marchen Garden is an exceptional resource for grinding, and I find it quite enjoyable.

Refreshing new features such as Quick Arts, Cross Charge counters, and EX-Skills enrich the battle experience by adding layers of complexity. Specifically, the EX-Skills enable impressive team-up attacks that are incredibly gratifying. Furthermore, side activities like fishing, the card game Seven Hearts, and basketball offer enjoyable breaks, even though I found Seven Hearts less engaging compared to Vantage Masters.

After the launch of Trails Through Daybreak 2, Western fans are now just one game away from catching up with Japan – a milestone that seemed unattainable not long ago. Despite its flaws, Daybreak 2 has left me intrigued, speculating, and excited for the next installment in the Calvard saga. I’m deeply fond of this series and can hardly wait to follow where this journey takes me next.

  

8

Versions tested: PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 5

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2025-02-07 17:26