Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Review Summary

An emotionally resonant masterpiece and GOTY contender with great story, characters, and a beautiful updated soundtrack, but weak voice acting and missing DLC and preorder bonuses.

Outstanding story and characters: The narrative is emotionally impactful, with well-written characters like Estelle and Joshua. The story rewards players for investing in the world of Liberl and delivers a satisfying conclusion.

Emotionally resonant journey: The game delivers a compelling and emotional journey that resonates with players, often bringing them to tears. The story and characters leave a lasting impact.

Masterpiece and GOTY contender: Reviewers frequently describe the game as a masterpiece and their personal game of the year. It is considered one of the best JRPGs ever made.

Beautiful updated soundtrack: The music is praised for being faithful to the original while adding fullness and new arrangements. The option to switch between rearranged and original soundtracks is a welcome feature.

Excellent JRPG and Trails entry: The game is highly regarded among JRPGs and is often cited as the best in the Trails series. It builds upon the strengths of previous entries and delivers a top-tier experience.

Poor voice acting quality: Voice acting is widely criticized as terrible, with specific actors sounding flat, unprepared, or too young. Some performances ruined characters and emotional scenes.

Music and BGM decline: The remake's music is not as good as the original, with questionable compositions and worse BGM in key scenes like the bridge argument with Olivier. Big scene animations and music decline as the game progresses.

No regional pricing for SEA: The lack of regional pricing for Southeast Asia is heavily criticized, with abhorrent pricing damaging the game's reputation and reducing interest among long-time fans. Some consider piracy as a result.

Pre-order and purchase issues: Pre-orders were not open, and the PC version release was not on time, causing delays and wasted time. Unable to buy at release time.

PC missing DLC and pre-order bonuses: The PC/Steam version lacks cosmetic pre-order bonuses and DLC that console versions receive, including the FC HD remaster original game. No explanation was given by the publisher.

Remake of original title: The game is a remake of an original title, with reviewers noting it retains the growth story of Estelle from the original. Some mention it uses the same map and unchanged gameplay.

Direct sequel continuity: The two games in the series are designed as a continuous narrative, with the story picking up immediately after the first game. It is a direct sequel set in the same region, revisiting routes and towns.

Trails series combat integration: Combat uses the latest Trails series system, combining original combat with modern Trails mechanics. This includes changes like the field combat system from another Trails title.

JRPG genre classification: Many reviewers classify the game as a JRPG with classic turn-based combat and magic customization. Clusters highlight its genre identity and traditional structure.

Story-driven experience: Reviewers emphasize the game's story-driven nature, following Estelle Bright's quest to reunite with Joshua. The narrative is structured in chapters with a prologue.

Good overall optimization praised: Multiple reviewers report smooth performance on both old and new hardware, with very good optimization and excellent scaling. The game runs well on a variety of systems.

DLSS and FSR support: The game includes support for both DLSS and FSR upscaling technologies. This allows for better performance and image quality on compatible hardware.

Perfect optimization on Steam Deck: The game is optimized perfectly for handhelds like the Steam Deck. This ensures a good portable experience.

Uncapped frame rates above 120fps: The game supports uncapped frame rates, easily exceeding 120fps. This benefits players with high-refresh-rate monitors.

Native ultrawide aspect ratio support: The game natively supports 16:10 and 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratios. This is a welcome feature for users with non-standard displays.

Recommended for first game fans: Multiple reviewers recommend this game specifically for players who have already played and enjoyed the first part of the series. The consensus is that if you liked the first game, you will almost certainly like this one too.

Play First Chapter first: Numerous reviewers strongly advise playing the first game before starting this sequel, calling it mandatory for full enjoyment. New players are encouraged to begin with the 1st Chapter, though some note that newcomers can jump in blindly.

Great entry point for newcomers: Several reviewers highlight that this game is an excellent way for new players to enter the Trails series. It is recommended for those who have never played the series before and want to see how a remake should be done.

High praises for JRPG fans: Many reviewers highly recommend the game for fans of classic JRPGs and those patient with a text-heavy opening. It is described as one of the best games of the year and a GOTY pick.

Recommended for Trails fans: Reviewers recommend the game for Trails fans who have played the original versions, as well as for those who never played the Sky Trilogy because they dislike old-school visuals. It appeals to both veteran and visually sensitive fans.

Game completion: 200.0h.

Story completion: 100.0h.

Session length: 3.0h.

Reports are mixed: one player reports boredom and early friction from prologue deja vu and repetitive dungeons, while a longtime series fan remains highly positive. No clear point at which the game becomes fun is described.

Friction: environmental deja vu during the prologue; repetitive, overly long labyrinthine dungeons; bad, overplayed joke; boredom while playing.

Nostalgic Trails Veteran: Revisits and replays the series through remakes, focusing on story nostalgia and collection/series loyalty. Motivation: Reliving the original story and supporting a long-running series they grew up with. Stance: buy.

Sequential Story Chaser: Plays in chronological order, often binge-playing chapters, with a heavy focus on story and world investment. Motivation: Continuing the ongoing story and experiencing the narrative payoff after the first game. Stance: buy.

Fresh-Eyed Newcomer: Starts from the first chapter and progresses sequentially, focusing on characters and story discovery. Motivation: Discovering the Trails world and characters for the first time without nostalgia. Stance: buy.

Across the Windows VRAM cohorts, performance reports are overwhelmingly positive, with smooth framerates, strong scaling, and no notable stability complaints.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: positive. Players report uncapped frame rates above 120fps, good ultrawide support, and smooth scaling across desktops and handhelds.

Windows 16GB+ VRAM: positive. The available report describes fully 3D 4K play with no stated performance or stability issues.

Windows <8GB VRAM: positive. A player reports that even their older computer runs the game very smoothly.

Trails in the Sky SC remake: The game is a remake of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC, part of Falcom's Trails series. It is a sequel to the first chapter remake and continues the story.

DLC outfits and season pass: The game has DLC outfits, including a cheerleader outfit and wig sets, and swimsuits as DLC or in-game items. Costumes are released in segmented updates, and the game is sold with a season pass system. The Steam version is missing DLC that consoles get.

Demo available with carryover: A free demo is available, offering over 10 hours of playtime and up to 20 hours according to some reviewers. Demo save data can be carried over to the full game.

Regional pricing concerns: The game lacks regional pricing for Southeast Asia, and previous Trails games on Steam are also considered expensive for SEA standards. GungHo chose CLE as co-publisher despite its history of ignoring regional pricing recommendations.

Missing FC bonus on PC: The PC release does not include the original FC game that console versions received as a pre-order bonus. This is understood to be due to copyright restrictions.