The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak was the quintessential definition of a mixed bag. It boasted one of the best protagonists in the series in Van Arkride, the best side quests that we’ve seen in a Trails game to date, and allowed us to explore Calvard in-depth for the very first time. Unfortunately, it also had a hit-and-miss cast of characters, a fairly lacking story, and a new action-based combat system that felt like the beginning of a great idea.
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The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak Review – Like A Spriggan
Falcom proves it’s still got it where it counts with a long-awaited tour of the Calvard Republic and a breakout new protagonist.
One constant thought I had while playing Trails Through Daybreak was that I’d love to see what a sequel would build on, and Falcom provided me with just that, with a hands-off look at Trails Through Daybreak 2. Despite only seeing around twenty minutes of the game in action, it was extremely clear that a lot of thought had been put into building on and expanding existing systems, and the story already sounds far more complex.
A Little Reverie In Your Daybreak
Just like the first game, Daybreak 2 follows Van Arkride as he sets out on a quest with Elaine to uncover a mystery surrounding a Grendel that looks like his own terrorizing locations in Calvard, that also just so happen to feature prominently in Van’s past. On top of that, Swin and Nadia from Trails into Reverie will be major characters, as they seek Van’s help to find a lost companion. It already sounds more enticing than the first’s “evil mafia is evil” plot.
Daybreak 2 is also shaking up the story structure a lot, as you’ll be able to go down different routes that focus on other characters – a very similar structure to Reverie. Dead Ends make things a lot more interesting this time around though, as you’ll experience scenarios in which your party either fails or is killed while going down certain routes. Using the power of a Genesis, you’ll travel back through time to go down different paths, slightly altering the events of the story to get new outcomes.
That sounds a lot more complex than your average Trails story, but it was stressed during the preview that this is very much a “story feature” rather than a gameplay one. You’ll naturally run into Dead Ends as you progress through each route, with each trip back in time baked into the linearity of the story. This isn’t a system in which you’re expected to find Dead Ends by yourself, but one that adds a little bit of spice and complexity.
You don’t need to worry about your dungeon progress or experience being reset when you travel back in time either. All the chests you open and the experience you gain will carry over, as Falcom didn’t want players repeating large chunks of the game.
Daybreak: Combat Evolved
Falcom’s commitment to building on the first game’s existing systems doesn’t end there either. One of the most interesting parts of the first Daybreak is its mixture of action and turn-based combat, as you could whittle down the health of enemies in action-focused Field Battles, and then jump into a more traditional, turn-based Command Battle. It was a solid idea, and helped battles flow quite nicely, but the Field Battles felt a little lackluster and repetitive.
Thankfully, Daybreak 2 is building on Field Battles a lot, giving them more depth and inviting you to think about strategy. For example, you’ll now be able to cast Arts while in Field Battles, which already opens up way more attacking opportunities than before. Each character you control can have an allocated ‘Quick Art’ which can be used in Field Battles, so kitting out your party with different Arts to switch between is even more pivotal than it was before.
There’s also a new Cross Charge attack that can be performed by perfecting your dodges, adding even more attacking options to your arsenal. Throw in improvements to Command Battles on top of that, including new tools like Dual Arts – which combine different elements into one spell – and Daybreak 2’s combat already promises to be a lot more fun to experiment with than its predecessor’s.
Daybreak 2’s Command Battle UI also appears to have been radically altered to be a lot easier to understand, which NIS America tells us came about after listening to fan feedback.
A lot of changes have also been made to improve Daybreak 2’s balance. It’s very easy to make yourself overpowered in Trails games, especially in the first Daybreak, as S-Craft spamming made almost every single fight a walk in the park. Daybreak 2 has attempted to stop you from doing that this time around by introducing a ‘Recast’ timer that stops characters from using S-Crafts back to back. Characters can still use more than one in a single battle, but there will be a bit of a wait this time to stop fights from becoming a joke.
Old And Improved
Apart from that, pretty much everything from the first Daybreak is being brought over to the sequel. You’ll pick up 4SPGs from bulletin boards, you have your alignment chart and connection events that reward you with stat boosts and items, and you’ll travel to various locations across Calvard and its capital city Edith, with some new locations thrown in. Van still loves his truck, saunas, and sweets, and the first game’s fun little Gourmet System makes a return as well.
It’s more or less the exact same game as the first Daybreak, but improvements look to have been made in almost every element that needed them. Trails usually spends a bit of time slowly setting things up with new arcs and ideas before knocking it out of the park with a sequel, and Daybreak 2 looks like it will be no exception. If it can follow up with a better story and a more lovable main cast, which is arguably the chief draw of the Trails series at this point in the saga, then it looks like this upwards trajectory the series is on will continue.
No longer threatened by the mafia organization Almata, the people of Calvard have returned to their peaceful lives. But one day, a shocking series of murders involving a mysterious crimson beast sets the wheels of fate in motion once again. Various factions spring into action – both those who abide by the law to uncover the truth and those looking to capitalize on any new developments wherever possible, no matter how sinister.
With chaos once again looming on the horizon, the spriggan Van Arkride receives an unexpected visitor, prompting his own investigation. Who is behind the murders, and what is their goal? The sands of time bring old and new faces together for this thrilling second installment in the Trails through Daybreak saga.
STORY
Year 1209 of the Septian Calendar.
The threat posed by Almata has passed. Peace has finally returned to Calvard. And, for a time, that peace goes uninterrupted—until a CID special forces unit is slaughtered by an unknown assailant.
With authorities working to contain the situation, criminal forces take the chance to make their own moves.
Meanwhile, a spriggan by the name of Van Arkride begins his own investigation—after prompting from an unexpected visitor.
Who could be responsible for this massacre? What was their objective? And how does it all relate to Agnès’ search for the eighth Genesis?
A crimson beast’s roar. A chance meeting with a boy and girl, both embroiled in a mysterious search. These are the circumstances that lure Arkride Solutions down the trail of an inescapable fate.