The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II [Review]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II is a fantastic sequel that builds upon the strengths of its predecessor while introducing notable improvements. The gameplay is even more refined, representing the best in the entire series. The Marchen Garten is a welcome addition, reminiscent of the Corridor of Reverie from Trails into Reverie, offering a change of pace and an opportunity to easily grind resources. The story, with much better pacing than the first game and a plethora of dramatic twists and turns that kept me engaged from beginning to end. The characters and dialogue remain a high point, its like watching an anime but not with the slimy “gameplay” from a visual novel.
The game's combat feels incredibly slick and streamlined due to new additions like field arts and ex-chains. I’d also like to note that the final boss fight is not only the best in the series but also stands out as one of the best JRPG boss fights iv done since Dragon Quest 11. Minigames also make a welcome return, featuring activities like fishing and hacking, which have particularly enjoyable mechanics. While the basketball minigame is simple, it's still fun, but, the new card game feels shallow and random. The Nintendo Switch version of the game is best played in handheld mode, as the graphics are significantly better and there are fewer frame drops and blurry visuals. The docked mode on the Switch however is not recommended. This review was conducted on the Nintendo Switch and then continued on the PlayStation 5. The game dose has some drawbacks, such as repetitive boss battles, which is a common issue in the Trails series.
Additionally, the localization, while adequate, is not exceptional. However, the presence of voice acting mitigates the impact of any subpar grammar or localization in the subtitles. The game being voice acted makes the accuracy of subtitles and localization unimportant to me. I prefer to listen to the dub and won't read subtitles on any game unless I have to. Overall, Trails into Daybreak 2 is an excellent game and a worthy successor in the Calvard arc. If you enjoyed Daybreak 1, this is a must-play. Also fans of Re-Zero should take a look at this game.
