The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II

Basically a filler game to shorten the wait for Beyond the Horizon, but there is some very important snippets from past games in here that you don't want to miss! TL;DR Pros Cons ✔️ The battle system is really innovative, thanks to the live-action and turn-based switching mechanic. It is fleshed out even more in Daybreak II. ❌ It's filler stuff that doesn't really drive Calvard's main plot forward. Particularly after Crossbell Arc and Trails in the Sky's third chapter, there are some crucial plot points though. ✔️ Numerous nice enhancements to the engine. Cutscenes and visuals look and feel better overall, and Durante's work has improved QoL in numerous ways. ❌ Märchen Garten is simply uninteresting. Ten stages of the same corridors with changing foes and loot (16 if you want the real ending!) followed by a boss fight. It's just so mind-numbingly boring. ✔️ Whether you play in English or Japanese, the voice acting, narrative, and subtle environmental details significantly improve the entire gaming experience. Since NISA did not translate the spoken announcements in cities and retail malls, I would advise playing in English.. Additional Info: Content & Value It took me 64.7 hours to complete Daybreak and earn 79% of all the achievements with the true ending unlocked (complete Märchen Garten after the main story ending). For those interested in achievements: You have to play through this game twice in order to unlock 100% Is it worth buying? Yes In-Depth Background, Story, Gameplay, Mini-Games & Downside By now, most people should be well aware of how the Trails series works. But for those who are not yet familiar with it, this series tells a single, ongoing story that spans multiple story arcs, each focusing on a different part of the Zemurian continent and introducing a new playable group. So, if you want to get into the series, do not start here, but instead with the Trails in the Sky Remake: Several months after the events of Trails through Daybreak, Van continues to work as the head of the Arkride Solutions Office as we move into the year 1209. In February, childhood friend Elaine Auclair asks him for help investigating a mysterious red Grendel that was caught on video massacring a unit of the Calvardian special forces unit Hercules. !SPOILER AHEAD BE AWARE! As befits a direct sequel, Van and his companions face new puzzles and threats. But unlike in previous Trails games, this time there are situations that are simply too much for them to handle – and that is precisely the core idea behind Daybreak II. Throughout the story, various events and crises repeatedly lead to (often gruesome) deaths within the group or among innocent civilians. In such cases, the Genesis devices frm the first Daybreak trigger a new phenomenon: time is rewinded, with those involved retaining vague memories of the impending disaster in order to prevent it the next time around. Although these trips through time prevent many potential deaths, Daybreak II remains extremely dark in tone. The pacing is also significantly faster than in most previous instalments, so it sometimes feels as if Van and his friends hardly have time to catch their breath. Apart from that, I have a few criticisms of the plot. First, some of the "game over" scenarios averted by time travel seem a little forced or contrived. In one case, the game relies on the characters suddenly acting less competently or with less foresight than would be expected of professionals like Van. Furthermore, while the rewind mechanics make sense narratively, they are rather superficial in terms of gameplay. Only in a few cases do you actually have the opportunity to avoid disaster altogether by making proactive decisions, but that is something I hate in every single game that uses "time rewind" mechanics. Other than that: you get exactly what you expect from a Trails game: great character writing, a captivating story full of twists and turns, and emotional moments that tug at your heartstrings. And even if the Calvard arc (and Zemuria as a whole) hardly provides any definitive answers here – that's probably reserved for Kai no Kiseki – Daybreak II is an absolute must, especially for the further development of established characters and lore, particularly with regard to Renne. In terms of gameplay, Daybreak II builds on the combat system of its direct predecessor. Battles continue to take place either in real time or turn-based, but with a few new features. The first art in each Arts Driver can now be cast directly on the field as a Quick Art, offering new area and distance options. Quick Arts are also used to activate some dungeon mechanics, although this feature is not particularly prominent. Perfectly timed evasive manoeuvres allow you to switch directly to another character, who can then immediately perform a charged attack. These innovations don't necessarily add more depth to the real-time combat system, but they are a lot of fun, and so I spent a lot of time in some dungeons on the field with real-time combat, but turn-based combat remains the heart of Daybreak II, of course. There are improvements in usability and balance, for example, casters benefit from Dual Arts, which combine two elements and thus offer more flexibility. Away from the battles, exploring and completing quests proceeds as usual. We also have story stealth missions in which you discreetly follow people – unfortunately just as cumbersome and boring as you would expect. Hacking mini-games, which are surprisingly quite fun and are used for doors and locked chests, and "Detective Mode", called Shard Search here, which you use to uncover clues, find shards that can then be used for costumes and items, or find fishing spots. Another major new feature is the "Märchen Garten", a procedurally generated dungeon similar to the True Reverie Corridor from Reverie. Here you can train your characters, collect resources and even improve their crafts directly. On the floors of the garden itself, there are always changing smaller tasks and a boss at the end, but unfortunately the corridors themselves are relatively bland and offer little variety overall. However, it's great for letting off steam with crazy combos of group members and is always fun especially if you want to check out the true ending of floor 16. Visually and technically, Daybreak II remains on par with its predecessor, with solid performance and excellent voice acting. Unfortunately, as in the first part, there are strange transitions from voiced dialogue to text boxes, which I find annoying. Despite some criticisms, Trails through Daybreak II is an absolute must for fans of the series and a strong second chapter in the Calvard arc surrounding Van Arkride. Conclusion Trails Through Daybreak II picks up exactly where its predecessor left off, but somewhat neglects the overarching narrative, focusing instead on the characters and their fates as well as past relations from previous games and characters. The overarching narrative stagnates and the focus shifts to the characters and their fates. However, new mechanics and improved features make this middle section, which leads up to the grand finale, an absolute must for fans. There is definitely no shortage of content, although I would have liked to see the main story develop a little more than just one Genesis suddenly split into three parts. Final Verdict: 7/10 - Expect little progress for the main plot since this is a worthy filler into the new Calvard Arc.