The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak Review - 120 Hours Later, This is a Great JRPG

[@pencilcheck]

Did he mention that they remove the need for analyze and battle scope? Such an important change

[@boltinabottle6307]

I never really go for the platinum trophies, but I think that's a nice change.

[@The_Bloody_Nine01]

Thats an amazing change, holy shit

[@Samuel-96]

​@@The_Bloody_Nine01It really is, I suffered so much getting all the monster info in Trails to Azure..

[@tommyking626]

they also include buying beverage and snacks

[@thegreatleaderjimpickens7919]

It removes one layer of mechanic/consideration, bad change.

[@natoriousthehopeful2786]

Trails Through Daybreak has been my most anticipated game of the year: I am also pleased that Daybreak seems to be departing from some of the genre's usual tropes

[@LemonMori]

I’ve just started Trails of Cold Steel III only 3 games left Edit: almost at the end of Cold Steel IV act 1 Edit 2: I’ve made it to Cold Steel IV act 2 Edit 3: finished Reverie and oh my god three 100 hour games in a row is insane

[@vorpal22]

I just finished Cold Steel IV a few hours ago. You have a LOT of game ahead of you. 😉 CS4 took so long that at some points, I felt like the game was holding me hostage and I had a case of Stockholm Syndrome.

[@joyjoyjoy6612]

yayy 300 hours to go

[@LemonMori]

@@joyjoyjoy6612 haha…

[@xeagaort]

@@LemonMoriCS4 stinks something fierce but CS3 is genuinely one of my favorite games I’ve ever played. I’m jealous, I wish I could play it for the first time again.

[@ltb1345]

I'm still on CS 1, lol.

[@Evanz111]

Was absolutely looking out for your review on this game over every other reviewer. It’s been great following your coverage of all the Trails games, and I very rarely disagreed with your opinions on them!

[@moominsean]

Playing the demo on the Switch, the only complant I have so far is that all of the menu text is way too small. I can't so anything in the menus in portable mode. But at least I can read the conversation text. Aside from that, it feels very much like a Trails game with the combat kind of being a cross between Cold Steel and Tokyo Xanadu, and also the Sky series where positioning plays a bigger role.

[@jesserivera2043]

I absolutely adored this game! My only main issues fall under the same umbrella of the mechanics not being as transparent or properly communicated as other Trails games. Examples include shard skills, the achievement system, and connect events with supporting characters. On the other hand, I love how some mechanics were stripped down to reflect the first two Sky games, like the lack of required mini games, skills requiring certain elements, side quests making sense for the main party, simplified cooking system, showing weaknesses without using an item or craft, scaled back battle themes, and inner party dynamics independent of the main protagonist. And I love how this setting in particular is more diverse in terms of racial minorities, sexual orientations, and gender identity. Between this and Van's already established dynamics with other characters give the impression that he is by far the least judgmental and most worldly of all the protagonists.

[@Cottentail]

Love the look of Falcom's new engine

[@drowningin]

Sky and Crossbell still look better

[@GilgaMax305]

​@@drowningin Lol, okay.

[@drowningin]

@@GilgaMax305 is that your way of saying “FACTS!”

[@ironman-fg3jh]

@@drowningin delusional

[@GilgaMax305]

@@drowningin Nope. But you're more than welcome to draw your own conclusions.

[@neoandroid8586]

So looking forward to this game!! I played some Trails and enjoyed them, but i am going to start again here it reminds me alot of Tales of Xillia

[@YoureNotAlexander]

I would sacrifice one of the five boroughs of New York to get that ported to Steam.

[@lcdsoundfan8012]

Nihon Falcom is worthy of our love

[@luitjanSlooten]

Just finished the game, loved it. Van is the first protagonist who doesn't go fishing, and I didn't miss it. They also simplified the cooking system, I preferred the old system but that's a minor nitpick.

[@nestorreyes126]

Maybe not fishing but some minigames o features including Van's hobbies will be good, like traveling in the truck or something like that, in CS you can ride the motorcycle or play card games

[@sterlingkart9562]

I CANT WAIT TO PLAY THIS!!!

[@samshils4812]

It took me a full chapter and half to figure out all the new changes and get comfortable with it. Loved it but the companion characters tbh. Why were all the interesting and cool characters not in the party? I only really liked Aaron, roaring lion, the maid looking one. All the other ones were mid. I’m hoping Elaine and Kincaid play a bigger role. Love those two.

[@TaiketsuG]

Cant wait to play the game myself in the near future

[@jclosed2516]

It would be nice if you showed some combat and game play WITHOUT the turbo function activated. The combat goes so fast that nothing is really visible in a good way. It feels like everyone is walking and fighting like in a 1920 Charlie Chaplin movie. I will see it for myself of course around July 5 (I already pre-ordered it on GOG, and Falcom is one of the very, very rare company's I trust enough to do this). But I like to point out that the game is perfectly playable for anyone without ADHD or a speed addiction...😉Other than that - A great review! I can't wait to dive in. It has been a long time, and there is more coming up with the new Ys later this year and maybe a glimps of the upcoming Tokyo Xanadu 2? I hope so...

[@calvinmatthews1527]

I wonder I should dive into the series now or wait for the Sky Trilogy remasters. Either way, another solid entry for Falcom's flagship. Also, excellent localization & optimization for a debuting game on current gen? Take notes Bandai Namco with all your vastly larger resources!

[@VibeUp88]

I've played all the Legend of Heroes games, from FC, SC, 3rd, Zero, Ao, TOCS 1, 2, 3, to 4. I recommend that you can start with this game because the story isn't directly connected, and the main characters are all new. After finishing this game, you can go back and play the older titles to understand the backgrounds and relationships of some characters.

[@xeagaort]

I think you should start with the cold steel games personally.

[@dominic4987]

I don’t think I’ll mind the lack of difficulty this game, since I am still working on through Act 3 of Reverie on Abyss. I hope I will finish it before next week.

[@danielalexandru5415]

I think this is the one title where i won't be surpassing 100+ hours and it's because of the game's difficulty...yeah yeah i know it's about the story, characters, the world building, yada yada yada... But this is the first time ever in a Kiseki game where i feel i don't need to maintain buffs/debuffs, my quartz combos and available arts can be whatever, gear can be whatever, i completely forgot s-breaks are a thing cause that's how unnecessary they are... And all of these conclusions based off of Nightmare... Were they so desperate for new fans to pick it up that they had to dumb it down to this degree ?

[@timdasliiim9744]

I really hope in the next game there's no romance option for Agnés or Feri. I wanna play as Van Arkride not Drake. I'd rather stick to this brother sister type of bond

[@JacaboBlanco]

Im so gosh darn excited!!!! A top 5 series for me.

[@positiveproductions6699]

Is this game friendly to a new player like me or do I need to know the other games to play this one? Thanks

[@carolinekifa145]

Can you explore the map while controlling other characters in the party or can you only control the main guy?

[@jmporkbob]

you can control anyone in the party

[@redkenpachi4748]

It will take me a decade to catch up with entire series

[@pencilcheck]

Just try the demo for kuro, if you like it play 50% then go back and play earlier series

[@GilgaMax305]

No, it won't. I caught up in a year and a half. Just requires some dedication and, of course, your full attention. Long as you're willing to play trails for a while with a few breaks in between, you'll be alright. :)

[@pencilcheck]

@@GilgaMax305 if you have breaks in between, probably 2 years

[@wuapo3462]

I started on trails in the sky March 2022 and a couple days ago I finished Cold steel IV. Took me over 2 years to catch up lol but that’s from me taking breaks too

[@MrDiomedes1977]

One of the best series ever , yet relatively few know about it 🤔

[@TheKensei777]

"TaAake the GRENDEL" If you know, you know😁

[@Itachiflameamaterasu]

Having to play 10 games just to understand the whole story is a bit toooooo much, i'll start with this one since i've been trying to play these games before but the amount of games you need to play is ridiculous so maybe I'll play some of other older ones like Sky when it gets the remake.

[@twilightverdict]

Decent entry, but it is a bit too long and padded in places. For those new to Trails, those games are built differently, it's an acquired taste. The new cast was okay, but the old Class VII was way better than the Arkride Solutions gang. Van, Aaron, and Quatre were fun, but I really dislike Agnes. She is like Emma 2.0, but without a cat (and personality). #unpopularopinion

[@nigelw7626]

I know not ideal but can I play this as my first trails game?

[@neoandroid8586]

Yep, the devs themselves have said so too. Also if this game looks like something you would like just try it anyway ^^

[@acebreaker7]

kinda? not really

[@acebreaker7]

@@neoandroid8586 thats just standard PR talk, please buy new game

[@Kimikazilad]

Absolutely. Frankly Any first game of an arc is an acceptable way to get into the series. You will miss some references and character moments when not playing in order but the game is focused on telling its own story that will still satisfy even without any prior experience.

[@nigelw7626]

@@Kimikazilad Thanks so much will jump in.

[@joebarrett29]

Going to be my first in the series. I’m so damn excited

[@BlueGrovyle]

I'm excited for you too! Can't wait to talk to all the new Trails fans this year.

[@JJG1666]

Enjoy. Hope you'll like it enough to play the past games.

[@pasta1169]

Got the platinum on this a few days ago, very good game

[@Darksider087]

Anyone that has Cold Steel 3 and 4 for Switch can confirm if they have Swimsuits? Cant find any info about this and they arent listed on the eshop.

[@f.carreira]

Great question that I want to know too.

[@Darksider087]

@@f.carreira Did a bit of digging and can confirm all dlc is included by default. Heres the review I found, just copy/paste "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III (Switch) Review gamepitt" should be the first one.

[@Darksider087]

​@@f.carreiraEnded up getting them both and can confirm they're all in the game dlc tab. Literally nothing about this on they're website I have nonidea why they wouldn't mention free dlc..

[@Farreach]

i wish it wasn't so expensive to get the other games .. it seems to be hard to come by

[@May2Cute]

So, they removed the "unbalancing" mechanic from cold steel ( i only played the demo)? But that was why I replayed the game a few times because targeting weakness and critical hit meant something.

[@guccidonbuzzflightyear4440]

So hyped for this game the demo was so amazing

[@Himmerseus]

In wait for Daybreak 2.

[@connergaskell1909]

July 5th can not come any faster

[@Flame-hl3ov]

Agreed

[@TheKensei777]

I just finished last week on the English patch for Steam at 116 hours. It's one of the best games I've ever played and I will definitely do a 2nd run in the proper translation. You will love it. 🤙🤙

[@kevinphelps5807]

if the Nintendo Switch is the only platform option, which game is the best starting point for this series?

[@kira516]

If Nintendo Switch is your only option, daybreak is the only way

[@ram5683]

Trails from Zero/Azure.

[@FelixS.]

@@kira516 Bs, Zero/Azure, then all 4 Cold Steele titles and reverie is also on Switch. What are you even talking about?

[@liquidneo1014]

Daybreak only, cuz you can start in cold Steel with only the first 2 games but the issue here are that the first 2, arent on switch, and zero have some great story parts that came from the sky trilogy so i cant recomend it as your starting point. But at the end if thats not that important to you, start with the one you can its an Amazing ride

[@ayanchatterjee9601]

do i need to play the previous games to enjoy this i dont have that much time

[@BeetleTricks411]

Really wish Daybreak 2 was good in terms of story but it was rushed due to YX X already being delayed so CH 3 was really bad due to juggling random things just to add more, also had less bonding events than Daybreak 1

[@Senumunu]

i cant get into these games. they are to system heavy for me. but i liked the design of "Aurelia le Guin" (just a side character) from the last game so much i stuck around for quite a while. She has that Beatrix from FF9 kind of design direction.

[@Realag666]

Is it worth checking out if I fell off of the series, because I didn't like the Cold Steel Games at all, after loving the TiTs Games and the Crossbell games ? To me the writing and especially the characters took a nosedive in the previous 4 games.

[@KnightCrown]

Not really... There will always be good moments but overall disappointing for the amount of time invested.

[@LZephirox]

was this game out already for pc? July release date is for ps5?

[@gamepeon8038]

Technically the Asian version of the game has had an English Fan patch for about 1.5 years now, but the official English release is the the same July 5th date as PS5 the Sequel also already has an English patch as well. It'll be interesting to see if the 3rd game releasing in JP this September is going to take the same 30 months as this game and reverie to get localized meaning English players would have to wait till 2027 for the 3rd game.

[@PantsaBear]

@@gamepeon8038 Hopefully it can be localized by 2026 at the latest. Seems like the 2nd game in the arc is coming next year so 1 main game a year wouldnt be so bad (plus whenever the Sky remakes are ready)

[@statesminds]

If only NISA would ship my Limited Edition

[@zey8595]

is this still a game I can't play if I haven't played a single Trails game at all? :(

[@amurter19]

It's the start of a new arc, if you want to jump in, then jump in. They have glossary and summaries, but I'd say if you enjoy this then consider going back and playing those.

[@Steamedhams578]

Yea go ahead but be ready to go "What the heck is that" or "who the heck is that" alot. If that doesn't sound fun then start with an earlier Arc. This is the 4th saga of the series.

[@PandaPartyGaming-hi1ni]

Jumping in at trail of cold steel 1 is a good place too! But I’ve started the demo on this and you won’t feel too in the dark!

[@zey8595]

@@amurter19 Thanks! and thanks for the rest that gave their inputs. I always wanted to try Trails but am always discouraged to try due to not being able to play the series before (only the first one with Estelle and Joshua)

[@GilgaMax305]

You can start here if you want, as long as you don't mind not knowing characters from previous games and plot points.

[@bearbeard6604]

What is up with the microtransaction sets for this game? It looks interesting, but having a 40 dollar consumable set straight out the gate seems a bit much.

[@carlstevenwilletts]

The DLC is safe to ignore. Most of the time, the DLC for Falcom's games is almost always just a collection of cosmetic additions. The base game is all you need. Even the soundtrack they are offering is worthless as it only has 8 tracks. The full OST has many more tracks.

[@veghesther3204]

THE ONLY good DLC are the Zeram Power/Capsule set Shining poms items and those items that heal HP/EP/revive party members by either 50% HP or all of it at once its just that if you were to pay for those DLC 1 ITEM at all time the total cost would be like $40 ANYWAYS so I'd rather have the item DLC all as ONE set.

[@Jason-gy2ux]

I thought Nightmare a slight pain on the final boss

[@xeagaort]

Can you please pronounce the main characters name correctly in the review? I don’t understand how you could’ve played the game for 120 hours and still don’t know Van isn’t pronounced like Vahn but Vaen like the vehicle. And please bro it’s spriGGan not sprijjan.

[@pencilcheck]

Is it better looking on PC?

[@alumlovescake]

Yes

[@pencilcheck]

Pc or ps5?

[@1wayroad935]

Does this one also have horribly obscured quests that you can miss out on if you don't read the right thing or talk to the right person in a time limit?

[@gamepeon8038]

Yes there are quests you can miss but it's not as hardcore as Trails in the Sky where you can easily miss stuff.

[@DippoMagoo]

Yes and no. Yes, in that you need to finish sidequests before advancing the story, because they're designed to be done at the exact moment they unlock. But no, they're not really obscure, because they'll always have a green exclamation point marking them, and I don't think this game has any hidden quests like past Trails games, if I remember right.

[@elmaton04]

Yes and you should do all them as this will unlock a final sidequest and affects one of the main story chapters.

[@BlueGrovyle]

I don't know if it's true, as I've only played from Sky FC through Cold Steel 2, but I've heard that hidden quests are gone since Cold Steel 3. Someone can fact check me.

[@DippoMagoo]

@@BlueGrovyle They're gone in the since that everything is marked by a green exclamation, yeah. Some still require you to switch from screen to screen actually tracking the green marks down, though.

[@mcbill7352]

Man i wish i could get into trails but these games are never on sale when I remember to look

[@zinky240]

They are on sale right now on steam and switch

[@jclosed2516]

@@zinky240 Trails In The Sky series is on sale on GOG too, if you rather have stand-alone installers without the need of a client. Maybe it is a slightly bit more expensive at GOG, but having the installers sitting in a safe place (a external hard drive in my case) and no need of a internet connection and client to install and play them is a big plus for me. The first Trails In The Sky is only €8, so no reason to wait any longer...🙂

[@timidalchemist8475]

They're on sale right now

[@steel7468]

They are always on sale on if you buy the games thru keys 😂

[@jclosed2516]

They are on sale on a certain Polish storefront, that I cannot name, because my post will be removed otherwise. I have no Idea why it happens, but every time I name Good Old Games in initials my post disappears. Let's hope it will stay up now. Anyway - If you want DRM-Free and client free off-line installers, that is the place.

[@armoredking151]

Its a 7 out 10 for me i like the characters new look but there no mini games or endgame 😢

[@kaikiske7436]

120 hours? Way too long for me. Thanks for the review

[@veghesther3204]

NONE of the games took me MORE then 250 to 30 HOURS to begin with so for Daybreak 1 Very easy/Easy mode High speed mode turned on CUTSCENE SKIP EVERYTHING and even the ENTIRE Prologue + Chapter 1 DEMO of this game won't even last you for like 1 HOUR my end of Demo ENGLISH PS4 save is like only 1 hour 20 MINUTES going into Chapter 2 of the FULL game.

[@omensoffate]

@@veghesther3204schizo post

[@Gibbo81]

Great video

[@jrpgaddict7726]

Ty

[@screeningplankton2827]

Can I play this game without playing the other games?

[@syke2b]

It is a point en entry for new players so yes, nothing in the main plot needs you to play older games to understand, you will not get some references or characters coming from older games but if it makes you curious enough to go play the other games please be my guest. I'd rather have people play this one first and go back than try to start with sky and drop it because it is "old"

[@gnuwaves743]

I'm mixed on an alignment system. I'd rather a game give you no dialog options than bombard you with fake ones that don't matter. It's my biggest gripe against persona 5.

[@linkisgod711]

Ngl I'm not sure why it takes people so long to beat Trails games. It only took me 60 hours to beat Daybreak I think. That's despite doing all the sidequests and fighting almost every enemy along the way. I.... did have 2x Speed on the entire game though so maybe that's why?

[@mystic865]

Great game with terrible action combat element and downgraded UI in comparison to CS or Reverie.

[@fatman1498]

Sure wish falcom would be more subtle about the main ship…LET ME CHOOSE MFSSSS😭prolly a great game. I’m still in Erebonia

[@Grimjaw-rw1sz]

lets go

[@MrYoungHegelian]

24 is too old now for JRPG fans damn. I didn't know JRPG fans are also Dr. Disrespect fans😂😂😂

[@maltsutty]

LOL 24 “too old” seriously ?!?? Ya we don’t all like playing as children 😂

[@matteste]

While it is nice that the series is still going, I honestly stopped after Cold Steel 3. The series just feels stale as it just recycles the same structure and plot points over and over and over again. As for the soundtracks, you can blame Mitsuo Singa for that. Falcom basically made him the lead composer for both Trails and Ys right around the time you mentioned and he is far worse than any of their other composers. This simply cause he is a cheap contract worker rather than part of their in house sound team.

[@ram5683]

Oh, how I understand you. I can’t beat CS 4 myself, I’m tired of looking at the same bosses and plot twists for the fourth game.

[@Grimjaw-rw1sz]

someone tell him 😅

[@snowb6302]

I've been playing the Legend of Heroes games since FC, SC, 3rd, Zero, Ao, TOCS 1, 2, 3, and 4. I agree that there are some boring parts in TOCS 3-4. I also felt the same way with Trails Through Daybreak, but it wasn't as boring as TOCS 3-4. This game is just setting up the story for the next installment, which is Kuro no Kiseki 2. The fun really starts in the second part. The storyline is good and quite realistic, not as exaggerated as in the previous games where a small group of people could solve national-level problems. This group will face many obstacles, and any mistake could end their journey.

[@gnuwaves743]

And here I am having only played half of CS2. Now about to drop $80 on this game so I can simp for Shizuna. I have no idea when she even shows up.

[@ninototo1]

​@@snowb6302Ive heard from many fans that Kuro 2 is just filler much like CS 2

[@ram5683]

I think 120 hours is an exaggeration. Well, or I don’t know what you were doing there.

[@eireiemiya4136]

I wouldn't say exaggeration though, it personally took me around 115 hours to clear Kuro/Daybreak (japanese version) with almost all side quests done (just missed one), a lot of exploring (getting all chests, etc...) and a bit of grinding. But yeah i think you can still pull around less 60 hours if you don't aim for a perfect playthrough.

[@veghesther3204]

I did ALL of that on VERY easy/EASY mode AND DIDNT even SPEND 25 HOURS DOING so.

[@eireiemiya4136]

@@veghesther3204 Sure you did. Just like you literally are Rean Schwarzer fr fr huh? i won't waste my time on people with weird obsession and i know what kind of fan you are now, so kindly piss off?

[@pencilcheck]

Yayyy😊

[@elmaton04]

How hell did you spent 120 hours? I did everything in under 100 hours.

[@ram5683]

Yeah. Reviewers often say this to increase the weight of the review.

[@veghesther3204]

Same here even the IMPORT version didn't even take me MORE THEN 20 hours on VERY easy/EASY MODE with ALL optional quests done as well.

[@rudidellama3718]

He did say that he talked with every NPC, with my knowloged of doing the same with prior games, seems pretty plausible

[@jclosed2516]

@@rudidellama3718 Agree - The Trails games are only short if you rush through the game and not pay any attention to anything but the main story. Sure - You can finish fast that way, but what's the fun in that? I like to search every nook and cranny to find stuff and a LOT of hidden side quests. People that claimed to do all the side quest and finished under 80 hours have probably missed all those hidden stuff, because they where focused on the main plot and only noticed the side quests that where marked (yes - not all side quest are marked).

[@EndlessIX]

I have a 108 hrs in this game without talking to npcs since most weren't translated in the fan translation.

[@Invizable99]

I want full voice acting, even if it has to be AI. It breaks the immersion for me.

[@valacan]

With all those proper nouns you're throwing off I think this really only sounds applicable to a Trails fan. Either that or you need to dumb down your review significantly 😀

[@lipsontajgordongrunk4328]

This is like the 10th game in a series that has a continuous story lol.

[@Thuxo]

@valacan Nah

[@skeletorgames8641]

@@lipsontajgordongrunk432811 th, I think.

[@GilgaMax305]

*Sigh*

[@SogonD.Zunatsu]

Maybe you need to smart up ! 😂

[@ninototo1]

dunno if im gonna play this, Cold Steel arc felt like a huge waste

[@gnuwaves743]

Any censorship?

[@derekosgood3230]

Are you looking for censorship? Lol

[@trollingisasport]

Will definately be trying out for the gameplay and music. Will be skipping all the garbage story.

[@mystic865]

Finally next decent Kiseki game. Reverie was boring filler.

[@maltsutty]

From the outside looking in, I thought reverie looked decent. Would you say it’s good filler or should a newcomer skip it entirely ?

[@mystic865]

@@maltsutty you should play all games in order no exception but for me Sky 3rd and reverie are kinda fillers. Not great as a sky 1 or 2 or entire cold steel saga but important to learn many things about story and characters.

[@maltsutty]

@@mystic865appreciate the reply, plan on playing these games eventually !

[@cloverflover6452]

Looks and plays just like the previous games in the series - indie crap created in a hurry by a couple of students using the Unity engine, lol.

[@sumanaiii4552]

Are you blind?

[@cloverflover6452]

@@sumanaiii4552 Nope. This soulless game, created in a hurry to milk money from fans, looks and plays like some cheap indie crap, like "Death end re;Quest".

[@GilgaMax305]

​@@sumanaiii4552 Yes. Yes, he is.

[@FelixS.]

@@cloverflover6452 Ok. Go and play some Ubisoft and God of Bore, non-gamer. 🤡

[@busetgadapet]

holy fuck that kind of graphic in 2024, even the map look so worse than cheap f2p chinese game lmao

[@ram5683]

So go and play chinese f2p.

[@GilgaMax305]

Being a graphic whore must be fun. Can't imagine how many good games you've missed out on, lmao

[@FelixS.]

Ok, clown.