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

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is the start of the fourth major story arc, and the eleventh game in the Legend of Heroes: Trails universe. There are currently four arcs, which are Sky, Crossbell, Cold Steel, and now Daybreak. Each takes place in a different region, and are all direct sequels of each other. While the start of each arc is a theoretical starting point for new players, Daybreak has quite a few callbacks and even outright spoilers for previous arcs, including returning characters from each of them, and endings for other games are discussed. So while you can play this game independently, I don't recommend it. Start with Trails in the Sky if you can; the journey through the land of Zemuria is truly something special, and if you have the time to dedicate to it, is a very memorable adventure worth having. If you've decided to make the investment, then you are rewarded with many great games, and Daybreak is one of the best.

Trails through Daybreak takes place in the Republic of Calvard, Zemuria's largest nation and the government takes the form of a modern democratic republic. Liberl and Erebonia, where the Sky and Cold Steel arcs take place, are monarchies. Crossbell is a small city-state stuck between Erebonia and Calvard, the two largest and most powerful nations in Zemuria. While Liberl and Erebonia are both ruled by benevolent monarchs where a majority of citizens live in relative comfort, Calvard's more capitalistic nature leads to a much greater variation in opportunity and a flourishing underworld. This takes many forms, including a thriving mafia with lots of political power, and a seedy underworld including gambling and prostitution. On the flipside, because of what happened during the Cold Steel arc, Erebonia is paying reparations to Calvard, so their economy is booming.

In previous arcs, the main heroes were always on the right side of the law, either being law enforcement themselves, or students learning about the world trying to do the right thing. The main character of Trails through Daybreak is Van Arkride, the sole proprietor of Arkride Solutions. He calls himself 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.

Right as the game starts, Van, who usually works solo, is visited by a 16-year old Aramis Academy student, Agnès Claudel, who requests his services. Initially taken aback by why such a prim and proper young lady would want to talk to a spriggan, he double checks and makes absolutely sure that she is at the right place. It turns out that Agnès has found her great-grandfather's journals, and is searching for missing antique heirlooms that she has been searching for. She has one of eight and has a lead on a second, which is why she contacts Van. Since her lead is based on pictures she found on the Orbal network, it leads to an investigation that leads her and Van to working together. She eventually insists on becoming Van's new part-time assistant, making Arkride Solutions a group affair. This sets up the narrative of Trails through Daybreak.

Van puts on a seemingly care-free face, claiming to only care about getting paid, but Agnès quickly becomes his perfect foil. It doesn't take long to show the player how much of a softie Van really is. They end up helping people through all kinds of difficult situations, and soon enough Van is surrounded by people who genuinely care about him. This growth and character development is one of the bright highlights of Trails through Daybreak.

Like many Trails games before it, it's split into chapters, and each chapter has you exploring different parts of Calvard as the story and world building is woven together. World building has traditionally been one of the series' strengths, and this is no exception. Van's office is located in Old Town in Edith, Calvard's capital. Throughout Edith, there are various bulletin boards, and local residents know to request his services through a special note called a '4SPG'. Van's crew is hired for various tasks, from contacts old and new. Van has gained a bit of a reputation throughout Calvard, and 4SPGs are often found wherever he goes. Trails games certainly do love their sidequests, and the plenty of 4SPGs here makes sure that not only do you always have something to do, but that you get to really know each area that Van, Agnès, and the rest of Arkride Solutions finds themselves.

During certain parts of the story, there are optional connection events that allow you to give gifts and spend time with your team members and other associates. 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.

Another interesting aspect of this game is the Law/Gray/Chaos mechanic. 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; for example doing nothing and letting them die by their own foolishness, rather than saving them. Each of the L/G/C alignments does make an impact later in the game, opening up certain routes or options. Maxing them out is impossible in one playthrough.

The combat and orbment (magic) system has had a major overhaul since Trails into Reverie, the game just before this one. Even small things like the menus look totally different. Each major arc has had some changes, but this takes the cake for the most dramatic.

Combat itself has two modes. First is real-time combat right on the map. This means that for weaker enemies, you can button mash and dodge your way and defeat them outright, even gaining experience and item rewards, right from there. This is awesome because it really speeds up the pace of gameplay whenever combat is involved. You can also stun them, which can be used to gain a preemptive attack when activating shards.

Shards is the newest combat orbment that Trails through Daybreak introduced, and it's a pretty massive change. It's actually an entirely new technology that impacts several things throughout the story, but in battle, you can activate shards when fighting anyone which turns combat into a more traditional turn-based affair. Most boss battles and several other battles require you to use shards, so the real-time hack and slash isn't always available. But having both playstyles really keeps the game exciting and interesting, as there are times where both really come in handy. As a somewhat experienced Action RPG player, early on I found real-time combat easier, but as my characters (and the enemies) got more powerful, eventually shard battles were more effective. It was fun seeing that change near the end of the game.

Another aspect that I really like a lot of that a bunch of tedious collectibles are no longer a part of the series. The Cold Steel quadrilogy + Reverie had you collecting character notes, books, battle notes, recipes, and more. Books were never much of a bother, and in Daybreak those do return, along with a new thing, movie brochures. Recipes also returned. Character notes were somewhat tedious, but battle notes were a complete slog. You still have to collect them now, but instead of being forced to analyze each and every enemy through a spell, item, or craft, you can just defeat them - you gain their notes automatically. It's a very welcome streamlining of a formerly tedious game mechanic.

Really, Daybreak is a streamlined experience in a lot of ways. And yet, they somehow still manage to make this a massively long game, taking me well over one hundred hours. Some of that is through a bit of unfortunate padding; the last chapter in particular is guilty of that. But even still, I never felt like the game did too bad of a job overstaying its welcome. And if you are a completionist like me, and want to see every last drop of that NPC dialogue, this is the first Trails game to make that easier than ever. For the first time, if you have unread NPC dialogue, their dot on the radar will be a different color, and their name indicator over their heads will be a different color. As someone who always reads every last word of NPC dialogue, this is a massive time saver!

As is a Trails staple, NPCs are still unique, have their own names, and all have something different to say after every story event. You get to follow that woman who didn't want to travel but now loves to travel across the country, that disobedient kid who's mom didn't understand her, or Nate's poor girlfriend. You even get to see friendships form and blossom throughout. NPCs have been a highlight of Trails games since the very beginning, and this is certainly still the case here. I will say that there are more 'empty bodies' than in previous games, but it's somewhat understandable since there are so many big cities in Calvard, and you have to make them feel lived in. (Atelier games handle this in a similar way.) Trails games didn't tend to do that before this, but there are still plenty of NPCs to interact with, so it's not so bad.

I will say that with the development of modern technology including the Orbal network, people's problems have become more modern, too. One particular quest comes to mind where he was scammed out of money because he went to places he shouldn't have on the Orbal network, and asks for Van's help. In another case, there is a closet homosexual who wants to keep that a secret. These kinds of problems are certainly exceptions rather than the rule, but are things players will deal with in Trails through Daybreak.

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, including extending life. 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.

Drugs play a major part in the plot, and alcohol and tobacco is also used, though much more of the former than the latter. The main character is an adult, and drinks on occasion. Another playable character drinks whenever responsibilities allow. When it comes to sexual content, there is quite a bit. There is a hot springs scene where 'girl talk' about breast sizes occurs. Strip clubs exist and while you mostly see them from the outside, there are a few scenes where the game does take 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. There is one scene where a major character is accidentally seen without clothes, though the player is spared the details required to keep the game's 'Teen' rating.

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. I actually played probably 80% of the game in my Linux install; it works perfectly and then some via Steam's Proton compatibility layer.

Graphically, I would say that Trails through Daybreak is by no means cutting edge, but it has a very appealing anime-style aesthetic that I personally find very agreeable. It's the best looking Trails game by far, and it was a significant improvement over even Trails into Reverie. Character animations are also greatly improved, with NPCs making much more fluid and 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 really did a stellar job, though he is not alone in offering an excellent performance.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is a fantastic follow-up after the already excellent Trails into Reverie. I was skeptical that this new arc could somehow be even better than the last, and it's probably to early to call it as such. But Daybreak is a truly excellent start to the new arc, and one of my favorite Trails games to date. I sincerely hope that Falcom keeps this up, because this game is truly excellent. 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, then all I can say is absolutely, yes, it's worth it!