The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II Review

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II is being developed by Nihon Falcom, one of Japan's longest-running video game development firms, with a nearly four-decade history. Founded in 1981, Falcom is primarily known for its work within the role-playing game genre through The Legend of Heroes series. The Trails subseries, launched in 2004 with Trails in the Sky, has developed into one of the most extensive, longest-running narratives in gaming. 

Trails Through Daybreak II is a direct sequel to Trails Through Daybreak, the very first mainline game sporting the Calvard Republic as its core setting. But with its new protagonist, reworked fight system combining the best of both action and turn-based worlds, and a fresh sociocultural backdrop steeped in political intrigue, Daybreak marked quite the departure from formula. 

Daybreak 2 continues with some of its predecessor's game ideas and continues building up that thick web of personalities and conflicts characteristic of the series. As each new day unfolds, so too does the world. The developers have built the latest entry with a delicate balancing act between innovation and deep storytelling that an RPG lover could fancy.

Having uncovered dangerous mysteries in Trails Through Daybreak 1, Van and his allies find even more dangers in the form of time-bending abilities and villains from the past resurfacing. Trails Through Daybreak II is a game with a branching storyline and lots of perspectives, as one delves into conspiracies, betrayals, and fierce battles that shape the very fate of Calvard and its people; with the first game's success, the direct successor surely wasn't up for any disappointments.

Trails Through Daybreak II takes place after the events of the first game and follows Van Arkride. Van is a Spriggan, which means he is a detective who works in secret and takes on jobs that are not exactly above board. He becomes involved in the political schemes, magical threats, and corporate espionage of the Republic of Calvard. New groups are established, old threats reemerge, and things become more dangerous than they have ever been.

One of the most pivotal features in this sequel is a new ability called Time Leap. It's a sort of mysterious power attached to an old Genesis artifact that allows Van and his friends to travel backward in time and change events. Rather than simply allowing the player to take complete control, certain events force them into second tries that create branching story paths. This can sometimes heighten tension, but it has the potential to also become the source of annoying delays.

The game's story features multiple branches that frequently split the party off in order to pursue different goals. You will need to complete the other path after finishing one route in order to gain a clear understanding of how everything fits together in the plot. The reintroduction of several characters from earlier Trails games adds depth to this expanding plot. Trails Through Daybreak II is an exciting adventure that features politics, betrayal, and unexpected twists, all revolving around intriguing characters.

After Daybreak 1, Van Arkride, a Spriggan, is joined by familiar characters, including Swin Abel from Trails into Reverie. The writing is still good, and the story is interesting, adding new features that affect how things develop, unlike the previous game, which had a fast-paced story.

Daybreak 2 combines real-time combat with classic turn-based fights. You can start a fight by hitting enemies on the field, which will either lead to smooth action combat or switch to a turn-based strategy mode. The Cross Charge Attack method lets teammates strike back after avoiding an attack, making fights more interactive, and the game also added new mechanics called S-Break strikes, where you can unleash a powerful strike upon using it.

A key new feature in Trails through Daybreak II is the Time Leap system. It rewinds events when you reach dead ends, allowing them to explore different outcomes. This creates more drama but reduces player options when it matters. The Mare Garden is a new online area where you can choose to fight, improve your skills, and increase your abilities. X-Chain attacks let you perform strong moves with multiple characters against enemies that are stunned.

You have a variety of options for customizing your character's progression, including skill trees, gear upgrades, and methods for increasing your stats, all of which may be tailored to suit your desired play style. Combat is thrilling and fast-paced. However, the game's rhythm might be slowed down at times when you are forced to fight the same bosses over and over again due to Time Leap.

The mechanics of the problem are now quite simple to comprehend, as one of the primary modifications in Daybreak 2 is the Time Leap feature. This gives you the ability to go back in time if they reach a point where their team has lost, even if they have just won a boss battle. 

A Genesis artifact has the ability to restart time and create a new timeline, although you have limited control over this process. There are some events that demand you to try again multiple times without any change in the outcome. Boss fights can be fun at first, but they can get annoying with time, even if there are shortcuts available.

Field fights have returned from Daybreak 1, and they are much better than before. Trails Through Daybreak II allows your allies to retaliate after dodging an enemy attack, and using magic attacks first adds a strategic element to the game. The gameplay of traditional command fights has been modified to make it more challenging. 

The X-Chain system is a major element that allows stunned enemies to initiate multi-character attacks that produce spectacular visuals. The repeated boss encounters due to Time Leap can become tedious, and at times, the AI companions do not select the appropriate targets, resulting in additional attempts and increased irritation.

The battle system is strategic and quite well-developed in Trails Through Daybreak II. The turn-based strategy is interesting since it allows you to anticipate ahead and take advantage of elemental weaknesses, status effects, and their position. The game has become more strategic due to new features, such as the ability to use special powers to affect the outcome of fights. The battle visuals are quite well done, and for that reason alone, they make the fighting more enjoyable to watch.

The battles, however, can become quite repetitive as you progress throughout the game, particularly in the lengthier battles. You will notice that battles can often be slow when there are multiple enemies to fight, and some bosses and challenges are far more difficult, which might be off-putting as there seems to be no balance.

The character growth system in the game has been enhanced, and it now provides you with more options for customizing your characters. You have a number of ways to improve their squad, including leveling up, using the Mare Garden, and upgrading their equipment. The personalization options are just as impressive as those in Xenoblade Chronicles X, enabling you to create gaming experiences that are specifically designed to match your individual personalities.

Trails Through Daybreak II offers vibrant environments and fluid combat animations, with S-Break strikes being particularly visually appealing. The performance on the Nintendo Switch can be inconsistent. It performs well while it is docked, but when it is in handheld mode, it can sometimes have lesser frame rates and clarity, which can have an impact on the overall experience.

The soundtrack is still a strong aspect, combining symphonic and dynamic themes that work well with combat and emotional moments. The voice acting is done nicely, and the sound effects during fighting make the battles feel more intense, so every hit feels fulfilling.

Trails Through Daybreak II expands on the previous game with better mechanics, more in-depth character customization, and a larger story. On the other hand, the tempo is disrupted by the forced narrative framework and the recurrent boss fights. Although the Mare Garden and Time Leap mechanics introduce new features, they also bring with them the potential for some boredom. Nonetheless, the polished fighting and captivating plot make this a valuable addition for fans of JRPGs.