The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II Review — New Features Shine Amid Slow Storytelling on Nintendo Switch

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II, developed by renowned Japanese studio Nihon Falcom, marks the latest installment in the long-running Trails series and continues its journey on the Nintendo Switch.

Released in Japan in 2022 and now available for Western audiences on Nintendo’s hybrid console, the game builds upon its legacy of story-driven RPGs with new mechanics and significant system upgrades, while facing challenges with narrative momentum that may divide longtime fans. Returning to the Calvard Republic, Trails Through Daybreak II picks up shortly after the events of its predecessor.

The game brings back principal characters Van Arkride and Elaine Auclair, who investigate a series of grisly murders perpetrated by an enigmatic assailant capable of transforming into a monstrous beast — a trait that echoes Van’s own hidden abilities from the first title.

Operating from Arkride Solutions, Van’s team delves into a web of mysteries that blur the line between law and the criminal underworld, joined by fan-favorite duo Swin and Nadia, whose mission soon intertwines with the central narrative. Unlike previous entries in the franchise — such as Trails of Cold Steel III, which launched for Switch in 2020 — Trails Through Daybreak II opts for a more leisurely opening, reintroducing players to its complex cast rather than launching straight into high-stakes action.

While this approach offers fans additional character development, it makes the first dozen hours feel less urgent, with progress often marked by smaller, slice-of-life moments rather than pivotal events. A major addition in this sequel is the Märchen Garten, a new gameplay feature reminiscent of the True Reverie Corridor from Trails Into Reverie.

Accessible from almost any town and even before major boss battles, Märchen Garten offers randomly generated dungeons teeming with unique monsters and visual themes.

This area enables players to rapidly level up party members, acquire valuable items, and experiment with team combinations, all without the repetitive feeling typical of JRPG grinding.

As characters become available in Märchen Garten, players can unlock mini-games such as fishing, basketball, and hacking.

While these diversions vary in quality — with some, like fishing, delivering enjoyable breaks and others marred by frustrating controls — they introduce welcome variety to exploration. Daybreak II also expands on its real-time physical combat introduced in the previous game, incorporating arts-based attacks and character swapping for more dynamic dungeon encounters.

Notably, the game includes an innovative time-altering mechanic: certain pivotal battles may end in defeat, only for a mysterious power to rewind events and give characters a second chance to choose a different outcome.

While this narrative device ensures forward momentum, it can disrupt pacing by requiring repeated dungeon runs.

Conveniently, previously opened chests and cleared bosses remain resolved, and new shortcuts expedite subsequent attempts. Visually, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II impresses with detailed landscapes and fluid combat animations, though occasional performance drops and rare glitches have been observed on the Nintendo Switch.

Fortunately, robust auto-save features help mitigate these interruptions.

The title continues to refine its core RPG systems, offering ample customization through an evolving orbment system, enhanced combat positioning, and strategic skill usage.

Boss fights maintain the series’ tradition of complex, dialogue-rich encounters that appeal to players who appreciate deep party management — or, for those less inclined, an adjustable difficulty eases the challenge. Despite its engaging new gameplay mechanics and refinements, the game’s narrative struggles to maintain cohesion and urgency, sometimes relying on surprise character appearances rather than cohesive storytelling to drive interest.

While these choices may slow the series’ usual momentum, they are balanced by robust combat, dungeon exploration, and significant quality-of-life improvements for dedicated fans. In summary, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II for Nintendo Switch stands as a solid, if slower-paced, entry in Nihon Falcom’s celebrated RPG franchise.

Its innovative features and polished systems are sure to please returning fans, even as its narrative focus wavers compared to previous installments.

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