Thank you NIS America for sending us the Ultimate Edition of this game to review!

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II is the second entry into the Calvard arc of the Legend of Heroes: Trails series. There are currently four arcs, which are Sky, Crossbell, Cold Steel, and now Daybreak. Being a direct sequel, it's important to play the first Daybreak before this, though really you should probably start at the beginning and play through the whole series, as this is the twelfth game in a long-running, interconnected series. Like in previous entries, there are returning characters from nearly every character arc that plays a prominent role in the story. Several Sky characters are mentioned or present; a major plot point of Crossbell is addressed in detail (and would be spoiled); there are references to Cold Steel characters, and some returning from Reverie play a major part. All of that to say, if you already love this series, I would say there is enough here to continue to love it. While I wouldn't say it's my favorite Trails game to date, I would say it's good enough to keep long-time fans engaged.

From here there may be minor spoilers for Trails through Daybreak.

Trails through Daybreak II takes place about three months after the events at the conclusion of Trails through Daybreak. While Daybreak led to Van and his part-time assistants collecting seven of the eight Geneses and of course Van's Grendel power, at the start of II there are suddenly mysterious murders in Edith. It's quickly discovered that there's a Crimson Grendel that seems to be at the center of all of that. Some of Van's longtime friends come out of the woodwork to make sure that Van is not the guilty party, and to support him.

Thankfully, Van is indeed proven not to be at fault, but this leads to a series of events that ends up not only bringing old and new friends together, but also leads them to discover more about the Geneses, the past, and each other.

The structure of Trials through Daybreak II is a bit of a departure from the previous title, and borrows aspects from other games, especially Trails into Reverie.

The Prologue starts with a single narrative that ends on a major plot twist, and then during Act 1 there are sub-acts (not unlike Reverie) where you can choose to start with either one, as the order doesn't matter. Each Act is structured somewhat differently, keeping the player on their toes.

I like how each of the acts expands on the already existing world of Calvard that Daybreak introduced us to. Whether it's new districts in existing places or entirely new locales, there is usually both familiar and new in each chapter.

Some of the acts are really good, and highlights of the series, like the Fragments chapter. Others are extremely long, leading to their controversy in the community, like Act 3. I understand what they were trying to accomplish, but it was an extremely long chapter, with a lot of repetition.

Speaking of repetition, another returning aspect from Reverie is a new virtual reality of sorts called the Marchen Garten, which is remarkably similar to the Reverie Corridor from Trails into Reverie. It's not exactly the same, but they share a lot in common. I don't want to spoil it too much, but there are new quasi-generated areas to explore and lots to unlock if you want to. These include Skill Stones that you can find that allow you to unlock upgrades to your existing crafts for each character, making you notably more powerful as you find more and more.

There are also various currencies that you can spend in the Garten that helps you both there and back in Calvard. The most important one is Shard Tokens, which you can easily earn lots of if you explore and complete each level of the Garten as you go. There is also an augmented reality (AR) feature of sorts where you can explore the streets of Calvard, press the new Shard Search button, and pick up Shard Tokens all around town. To spend them, you ask Mare to use them to fill the Mystic Cube. When full, it spits out random rewards. It definitely has a 'gacha' feel to it, with semi-random rewards. They are quite generously given out, and I often found myself with Shard Tokens to spare. Only near the end of the game, when I was looking for more Skill Stones (and a few other late-game items) did I really want more.

Outside of the Marchen Garten, there are other new minigames as well to fill your time. You can play card games, one-on-one basketball, and fishing makes a triumphant return (after being missing in Daybreak, which was surprising considering its otherwise near-constant presence in the series). There is also a new hacking mini-game, used in several places throughout.

Other aspects of Daybreak II are more similar to its predecessor. Combat is largely similar to Daybreak, with the seamless field and turn-based combat switching making a return. It's a great system, and I'm glad to see it's back. It's also significantly enhanced. Now you can use Arts (magic) on the field, as each orbment has a field use spell that takes some time to charge up, but is quite powerful. Field combat also adds the Cross Charge, where if you time a Perfect Dodge correctly, you can press 'Y' to switch characters and hit the opponents with a powerful attack. Turn-based battles are largely similar to Daybreak, with the new addition of EX Chains that allow you to get extra hits in if one of the targeted enemies are stunned. This can lead to near S-Craft level of damage if done right.

The major aspects that made Daybreak unique in the Trails universe are all still present. Calvard, especially Edith, is a major metropolitan area with lots of the latest technology along with a seedy underbelly with gambling, prostitution, and more. Culture in the form of movies has really taken off, though regrettably one of the movies available to watch in this game promotes the idea of homosexual relationships (and the game's cast supports them).

Van is still a 'Spriggan', a job he defines as someone willing to do whatever it takes to solve his clients' needs, even if it means bending or going around the law. While he certainly does have his own moral code, it's more flexible than many. This means that he usually takes on jobs for clients who can't be better served by the Calvard Police or the Bracer Guild, both groups who follow strict rules. Van and his team of Spriggans still look to complete 4SPGs wherever they go, and some characters are given a lot more autonomy than in the past.

At times, this flexibility turns out to have some unexpected benefits, as he's able to work with almost any group as long as their goals are aligned. At certain points he brings people together who would usually in other circumstances be fighting against each other, but because of Van's way of doing things, they work together anyway.

In this entry we see a lot more of a few particular characters, especially Elaine, who has a long history with Van. While she wasn't always the warmest when dealing with him in the first Daybreak, their relationship, as well as that of many others, softens considerably in Daybreak II.

And really, that's one of the biggest draws of this game: lots of character growth. Perhaps less so for the main duo, Van and Agnes, but that's certainly the case for almost everyone else. This is especially true for some of the connection events; there are several that I really wish weren't optional, since they reveal so much. Like in previous games, you cannot see all events in one playthrough, but you should be able to if you play again, via New Game Plus. You can carry over almost everything, so twice is enough to max every relationship out. I would say that in this game, you should probably save and reload to see them all if you don't plan on playing through it more than once, because some of them are really quite incredible.

The Law/Gray/Chaos mechanic returns, though it seems to have much less impact than in the first Daybreak. Each quest grants you a certain number of points, and quest choices can grant you additional points for whichever alignment that choice represents. For example, if you give a criminal to the police or bracers, you might gain Law points. If you give them to Heiyue (the mafia), that is likely to increase your Gray points, because they are more of a gray area between the law and the lawless, enforcing a form of law. Chaos choices are often when you choose to use violence to solve a problem, or by letting someone get what they deserve rather than turning them over the the police or doing things your own way rather than letting the police handle it. Each of the L/G/C alignments does make an impact later in the game, but it's extremely minor here compared to the first Daybreak. Maxing them out is impossible in one playthrough.

The combat and orbment (magic) system is largely similar to Daybreak with no major changes. The main differences are some additional Quartz, Arts Drivers, and things like that. With these additions, I found I was able to make an Arts user that could have all spells cost nothing, and with the right loadout, made that character unstoppable. Each round was basically an S-Craft level of damage. It's glorious. Considering how powerful physical attacks have remained since Cold Steel made Crafts significantly stronger than Arts most of the time, it was nice to see Daybreak II give Arts a much better place.

While Daybreak was mostly plot with little fluff, this one has a lot more filler and less meat. All taken together, I still got a similar amount of game time to the last, with me getting to around one hundred and thirty hours. I am the type to want to see every dialogue change and complete every side quest, and also clear every Marchen Garten level three times to get all of the bonuses. If you are happy completing each just once and not seeing every bit of text the game offers, then I'm sure your playtime will be substantially less.

With that said, you are rewarded with some character plots that continue from not only within this game through chapters, but continue from the first one. It was neat to see how some of the residents of Old Town have all grown, and how relationships have blossomed. Seeing Eddy mature and make friends, see Nate and his girlfriend's relationship grow, and even how the two running buddies have grown closer has been a fun ride. As is common in Trails games, these games have a lot of heart, and Van and his crew exude this in ways that is perhaps even better than in previous arcs.

As hinted at before, there are plenty of moral issues to consider. Of course Van and crew's ability to deal with issues on both sides of the law, or using means not available to the law-abiding is a major concern, especially when you can threaten people to get your way.

And that's not all of the moral issues players will run into. Gritty language is present, with words like 'd*mn', 'a*s', 'h*ll', 'b*tch', and 'sh*t' used. Fantasy violence is quite common, and blood is present in some scenes as well. Enemies range from fantasy creatures to undead, demons, and humans. Human-demon hybrids are present as well. Artifacts exist that can bring about unnatural things, and the newfound powers of the Octo-Geneses plays a major part, allowing things not otherwise possible. The goddess Adios is once again a major part of the world, and the church largely resembles the Catholic Church in architecture and stylistically. Some characters call her by another name Arusha, which seems to be a regional difference. Speaking of which, there are racist factions to contend with in the game as well, though they play a much lesser part than in Daybreak.

Drugs, alcohol and tobacco are present, though less than in Daybreak. The main character and several others are adults, and they drink on occasion. Another playable character drinks whenever responsibilities allow. When it comes to sexual content, there is a fair bit. Strip clubs exist, and there are a few scenes where the game takes you inside. Some women dress provocatively throughout the game, but there is a district the game calls the Blacklight district, and in there, some women walk around in lingerie, leaving very little to the imagination. It's pretty obvious what services are on offer, with even some voice lines reflecting that. I already mentioned that one of the movies features a homosexual plot, and the player characters support them when discussing the movie afterwards.

From a technical and graphical point of view, the PC version is fantastic with an inimitable PH3 producing a port being beyond reproach. The game scales down quite well, and is perfectly playable on Steam Deck, and also scales up to look great on high-end rigs as well. The frame rate goes up to 360Hz, covering most high-end monitors with ease. The customization options are fantastic and the PC version is highly recommended. Right when I was about to complete the game, PH3 added DLSS and TAA options to the anti-aliasing menu, making this game perform or look even better on many systems. I played about half of the game in my Linux install; it works perfectly and then some via Steam's Proton compatibility layer. Even DLSS works in Linux!

Graphically, I would say that Trails through Daybreak II is by no means cutting edge, but it has a very appealing anime-style aesthetic that I personally find very agreeable. It looks largely similar to Trails through Daybreak. Character animations are fluid with full-body movements, with them even dancing in the streets. Music is also excellent, and the English voice acting is absolutely top notch. The actor who played Van continued to do a stellar job, though he is not alone in offering an excellent performance. Nadia's voice actor was amazing, and cracked me up on several occasions. Now that I think about it, perhaps she did an even better job than Van's excellent voice. Regardless, they continue to put in excellent performances. The only voice I wasn't thrilled with was during the Daybreak I recap video, as the voiceover there sounded a bit robotic; outside of that, they all did great.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II is a good follow-up to a fantastic game. While Daybreak was a truly excellent start to a new arc, Daybreak II is just really good. While it may not keep to the heights of the best Trails games, I still enjoyed it a lot. The significant filler content is a shame, though. If you are new to Trails, please don't start here. But if you aren't, and were wondering if it was worth continuing the series with Daybreak II, then in my opinion it's still a really good game and worth playing.