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The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II capitalizes on the gameplay of the first game. It also enhances the animations and the effects of the predecessor.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II Game Cover
82%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, optimization
89% User Score Based on 442 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 36 reviews

Platforms

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The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II Game Cover

About

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II is a single player role playing game with fantasy, drama and science fiction themes. It was developed by PH3 GmbH and was released on February 14, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

In a Calvard reborn from mafia threats, a brutal series of murders connected to a mysterious crimson beast plunges the region into chaos. Lawful factions and sinister opportunists clash as spriggan Van Arkride embarks on a personal investigation to uncover the truth. This sequel blends old and new heroes in a gripping tale of mystery and turmoil.

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The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II screenshot
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II screenshot
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II screenshot
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II screenshot
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II screenshot
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II screenshot
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II screenshot
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II screenshot
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II screenshot
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II screenshot
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II screenshot
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89%
Audience ScoreBased on 442 reviews
story84 positive mentions
grinding11 negative mentions
  • The combat system has been improved with new mechanics like Quick Arts and EX Chains, making battles more engaging and fluid.
  • Character development is strong, with many returning characters receiving more depth and meaningful interactions.
  • The game features a variety of mini-games and side quests that add fun and variety to the gameplay experience.
  • The story feels disjointed and lacks significant progression, often relying on repetitive time travel mechanics that can diminish tension.
  • Act 3 is criticized for its pacing and excessive length, making it feel tedious and drawn out.
  • The game suffers from a lack of impactful villains and a convoluted plot that can leave players feeling unsatisfied.
  • story
    433 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Daybreak II" has received mixed reviews, with many players feeling it lacks the depth and progression of its predecessor, often labeling it as filler or a side story. While some appreciate the character development and engaging moments, others criticize the convoluted plot, reliance on time travel mechanics, and a weak main antagonist, leading to a narrative that feels disjointed and less impactful within the broader series. Overall, the game is seen as enjoyable for its characters and gameplay, but the story's execution leaves much to be desired.

    • “The story picks up after Daybreak, and while some folks label this one a 'filler,' I don’t really see it that way.”
    • “While the main story of Trails may not progress much, I do appreciate the story side-factions/characters get; some of these were rather lacking in Daybreak 1, so I'm curious to see where they'll go with the groundwork here.”
    • “The story has been intriguing, and the combat system is amazing as always.”
    • “The story is painfully convoluted and also plays like a soap opera.”
    • “The story in the a-side acts doesn't feel like they progress the story or the world much, and the main villain for the game is probably the flimsiest one out of the whole series.”
    • “The story is so full of plot holes and contradictions that if it were a coat, you could wear only two sleeves and a button.”
  • gameplay
    121 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in this title has received mixed reviews, with many praising its smooth mechanics and improvements over the previous installment, particularly the introduction of new features like ex-chain attacks and mini-games. However, some players criticized the time travel mechanic for undermining narrative tension and character development, while others found the overall gameplay experience to be too similar to its predecessor. Despite these criticisms, many agree that the combat remains engaging and enjoyable, making it a solid entry in the series.

    • “The gameplay and combat is a great improvement over the first Daybreak and expands the field combat.”
    • “There are many new gameplay additions that will make it feel fresh and new while still retaining everything that made the previous game so good.”
    • “The gameplay is really good now.”
    • “The bad, however, far outweighs the good. I'm talking about a certain rewinding game mechanic which is complete garbage and the dreaded chapter 3, which is easily one of the worst abominations I've ever played. This makes every single character look dumb and useless just to highlight the new mechanic. Garbage game design, to be honest, and to top it all off, the overall plot development of the entire game is negligible at best.”
    • “Gameplay stays virtually similar to the original Daybreak; however, quick arts are the 'big new feature' introduced, but really they aren't useful at all because very few enemies benefit from using quick arts on them.”
    • “The gameplay balance feels kind of rough, mostly because numbers matter way more than a single character's power, but it felt great nonetheless.”
  • music
    70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising the punchy and aggressive battle themes while others feel it represents a significant downgrade from previous entries in the series. Highlights include customizable background music and a few standout tracks, but many reviewers noted a sense of disappointment due to recycled content and a lack of memorable moments compared to earlier games. Overall, while some tracks are enjoyable, the consensus leans towards the soundtrack being less impressive than its predecessors.

    • “The highlights for me were the option to customize the background music using older tracks, and the addition of Mirabel as a new Marduk service concierge.”
    • “The soundtrack is, as usual, quite punchy and emotive where it needs to be, we have some tracks returning from the previous game, here and there, but also a lot of new stuff.”
    • “Most will agree that the music has taken a bit of a hit since Cold Steel 3, but the second 'Buster the Ghost of Garden' came on it felt like a spark of that greatness has come back.”
    • “I'd go as far as to say that this has the worst OST so far out of all the games in the series.”
    • “I’m disappointed in the music.”
    • “For me the music is a downgrade from the previous games.”
  • character development
    22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some characters, like Quatre and the Arkride Solutions cast, receive significant growth and backstory, others, such as Judith and Risette, feel underdeveloped. The game excels in character interactions and world-building through side quests, but overall, it lacks substantial advancements in the overarching plot. Players can expect a blend of enjoyable character moments and improved gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience despite its narrative shortcomings.

    • “However, the gameplay is tighter than ever, the character development is amazing, and the finale is peak as usual for the Trails series.”
    • “The storyline as a whole is great, some characters have fantastic character developments; we actually get to feel like Swin and Nadia are real characters with feelings and backstory now, as opposed to the little information we were given in Reverie.”
    • “The whole Arkride Solutions cast we knew from Daybreak I gets some amazingly good character growth in this game, some in the main story and their connect events, and some get the most of it from the events. In any case, you will get an insane amount of character development for them in Daybreak II, and it feels great to watch them grow so much, as well as our great protagonist, Van Arkride.”
    • “In terms of the main cast, apart from [spoiler] Quatre [/spoiler], just like my review of the first game, characters have very little character development and backstory reveal, which elevates the point that the whole of Daybreak II is a side story even more.”
    • “Judith and Risette didn’t get much, Aaron and Feri had their own tidbits but felt underwhelming as well. Feri's character development should be something that is slowly developed and not rushed; it felt like she didn't have much to show, and Act 3 just seems really cheap.”
    • “Character development is almost non-existent.”
  • graphics
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the graphics in the latest installment of the series have received significant praise for their improvements in quality, particularly in cutscenes and character interactions. Users noted the addition of DLSS as a major enhancement, resulting in smoother performance and more visually appealing graphics. While some mentioned that gameplay visuals remain similar to previous titles, the overall graphical fidelity and options have been positively received, marking a notable advancement for the series.

    • “The graphics have improved and are actually starting to look nice, no random hiccups and runs without issues.”
    • “The graphics and cutscenes have never looked more gorgeous.”
    • “Graphics and cinematics are great, much better than before.”
    • “Gameplay and graphics are almost the same, the animations are a bit better, and that's about it.”
    • “There are more graphical options to choose from and that's great, but the load times between areas are insanely long.”
    • “Daybreak II improves a bit the graphical fidelity seen in the previous game, for sure, so I cannot wait to see what extra improvements Falcom has made for the next one.”
  • grinding
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience. While the game offers a dedicated grinding area (Märchengarten) that is more generous with experience and resources compared to previous titles, many feel that the repetitive nature of battles, especially back-to-back boss encounters without healing opportunities, makes the grinding feel tedious and drawn out. Overall, while some appreciate the chance to upgrade abilities and engage with characters, the grinding can detract from the enjoyment of the gameplay.

    • “Battles: battles are tedious.”
    • “Marchen Garden's a worse Reverie Corridor; I did not enjoy this place at all. It's only good for grinding, and you really don't need to.”
    • “Personally, I have a problem with how long it takes to reach the end of the post-game without much else but grinding.”
  • emotional
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by a mix of impactful character development and touching interactions, particularly in the finale, which resonates deeply with long-time fans. While some players appreciate the warmth and wholesomeness of the ending, others feel that the time travel mechanic undermines the emotional stakes. Overall, the game elicits strong feelings, with moments that can evoke tears and nostalgia for dedicated players.

    • “I thought the last fight was the coolest thing Falcom did to date, and the ending was extremely warm and wholesome.”
    • “Within this experience, however, the excellent cast of the Arkride Solutions office (and friends) get ample chance to be further developed, to have meaningful and touching interactions, to get a chance to shine and have their moment in a manner that wasn't present in Daybreak.”
    • “My favorite is Renne's bonding event in the finale - what an emotional payoff after so many entries since the Liberl trilogy.”
  • optimization
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received high praise, with users noting a significant improvement in performance compared to previous titles, particularly in the PC port. Reviewers highlight the meticulous attention to detail in settings and configuration options, allowing for smooth gameplay across various hardware setups, making it a standout example of technical optimization in the current gaming landscape.

    • “Before going on, let’s talk PC performance: much like Daybreak I (and previous games), we have yet another excellent port from PH3. Truly, not a single detail is missing here for settings, and there’s an incredibly high level of care put into making this game scale up (or down) quite well, depending on the hardware.”
    • “The performance feels somewhat like a step back.”
    • “In a time where PC ports of substandard quality are sadly far from uncommon, the devotion and hard work of the team at NIS has not only produced another excellent localized product, but achieves a standard of technical optimization that puts larger projects to shame.”
    • “Tweaking down the new color precision setting, and maybe dropping PCSS shadows to soft, helps quite a lot to gain a decent amount of performance on my GPU, and I can keep MSAA at x2, with sparse grid super sampling too, and it looks good enough.”
  • humor
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding the dialogue and banter genuinely hilarious and worth the price of admission, while others feel that certain elements are annoying or disconnected from the overall experience. While a few moments and characters provide comedic relief, the humor does not consistently resonate with all players, leading to a range of opinions on its effectiveness. Overall, the comedic aspects are appreciated by some, but they may not be enough to elevate the game's shortcomings for others.

    • “A few of them were honestly pretty comical (the ones in 3-b and one of the 3-d ones were pretty funny, in my opinion, and I predicted a couple, so that got a good laugh out of me).”
    • “There's some absolutely hilarious dialogue in this game, and the banter alone is worth the price of admission in my book.”
    • “Aside from repeating only one little fight once, act 3's timeline shenanigans at its worst were stupid and/or funny involving dialogue and no fights, and at its best still progressed the story into the next route to recollect the next genesis.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the immersive tone and engaging interactions with NPCs that enhance the experience, others find certain elements jarring and detrimental, ultimately detracting from the overall ambiance.

    • “I'm looking forward to trails beyond the atmosphere.”
    • “My favorite parts of the arc's first game were the region's general atmosphere and tone that you get by just walking around, interacting with NPCs, and sometimes through doing side quests.”
    • “It was so bad that it ruined the entire atmosphere.”
    • “It's very jarring, and the contents of these interactions become null when caring about the people and atmosphere of Edith.”
    • “My favorite parts of the arc's first game were the region's general atmosphere and tone that you get by just walking around interacting with NPCs and sometimes through doing side quests.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers highlight the game's strong replayability due to its diverse playable characters, engaging gameplay, and the inclusion of mini-games and optional dungeons, which encourage players to explore different strategies and experiences. Overall, the variety of content and challenges available enhances the game's longevity and enjoyment.

    • “There are a ton of great ideas present here, and I enjoyed the gameplay with the added mini-games, the final boss, and the optional dungeon content you can explore throughout the game.”
    • “There are more playable characters than in Daybreak 1, which adds to the replayability.”
    • “There are more playable characters than in Daybreak 1, but it still doesn't feel like there's enough variety to keep me coming back.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel tedious rather than engaging.”
    • “While the game offers some different paths, they don't significantly change the overall experience, leading to a lack of true replayability.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game demonstrates excellent stability, running smoothly on PC with high performance, achieving 120 fps at 1080p with high/ultra settings on powerful hardware. Overall, users report a solid and reliable experience.

    • “Solid RPG all around and runs great on PC as expected.”
    • “Runs great - 120 FPS at 1080p with 4x MSAA on high/ultra settings with 5700X and 4070S.”
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76%Critics’ scoreBased on 36 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II is a role playing game with fantasy, drama and science fiction themes.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II was released on February 14, 2025.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II was developed by PH3 GmbH.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II has received positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II is a single player game.

Similar games include The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 4, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 2, The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III and others.