The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak 2 Review - The Final Verdict

I've stuck with The Legend of Heroes: Trails series since Trails in the Sky: FC. My enthusiasm may have waned at some points, especially when Cold Steel 4 was done and dusted, but it's always enthralled me with its characterization, larger narrative, combat, and world-building.
Many of those tenets still apply in The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak. Van Arkride and his "assistants" are still as endearing as ever. The Republic of Calvard still offers numerous secrets and a distinguished atmosphere compared to other locations. Even the combat system has seen some much-needed additions and improvements.
However, Falcom has seemingly missed the boat on the larger narrative. A new storytelling mechanic proves completely hands-off and overdone to the point of absurdity; the LGC Alignment system feels irrelevant; and it feels like the characters deserve better. I wouldn't completely skip this entry because there's a lot of good stuff but it's easily the weakest entry yet.

[@jamalmcinnis2482]

It was not a year later but 2 months

[@calvinmatthews1527]

Well, no franchise is immune to constant release fatigue, especially game ones.

[@Ivan_Ho]

Alert: my comment may contain a little spoiler of the game. I played this game (Asian Version) 2 years ago. Daybreak II consists of three main story chapters and three antagonists. If it were sold as three DLCs for Daybreak 1, with a reasonable price, it would easily receive a rating of 9 out of 10. However, by combining the three chapters and adding some mediocre or/and rough filler contents, then releasing it as a full price game, it is not good enough. It can only earns a 6.5 or 7 out of 10. Although the main storyline of the game is hindered by these factors , Daybreak II still manages to score above average, demonstrating that it has many outstanding qualities, such as the excellent Connection Event stories, the continuously improving hybrid battle system. (Speaking of which, Kai no Kiseki features an even MUCH better system; it is a masterpiece of hybrid battle systems. I hope it will be released worldwide soon.)

[@SuperSupersoda]

To anyone complaining about the ending of Cold Steel IV, you didn't understand the ending of Cold Steel IV, that's the problem. In Reverie, Lloyd takes your hand and walks you through the ending of Cold Steel IV and why it happened that way. The cover art for Reverie is an explanation of the ending of Cold Steel IV. Trails will not spoon-feed you the answers to every single plot question, the writers take it for granted that the player is smart enough to piece together these things on their own. Please stop repeating the falsehoods about the ending of Cold Steel IV, it just makes you look ignorant.

[@buttertoast1146]

No pretty sure it’s straightforward

[@SuperSupersoda]

@@buttertoast1146 It really is, I didn't have any problem figuring it out immediately, but apparently, some youtubers just can't do that.

[@colealmonte]

I definitely thought you said "Courtney Cox as Judith" and I was really surprised, ha ha.

[@scottjelinek1916]

Thats a shame, was an addict up to trails 4.. but the series is starting to slog, and nobody ever dies for real, takes away the suspense.

[@Ratorss]

The hell is Trails 4? Zero?

[@scottjelinek1916]

@Ratorss trails of cold steel 4

[@adrianoedmu]

​@@Ratorsswhat you think was trails 4?

[@RainingFlow19]

I been playing trails from sky all the way to daybreak 1 and let me tell you something new fan that somehow read it got a good world building and story.... it dont. The only series that have great story is the sky trilogy. The rest is borderline between good to kinda bad. I personally play it due to it is a feel good series like tales series.

[@emoronez]

graphics looks dated

[@buttertoast1146]

Nah

[@TylerEdlin84]

Nope