The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak
The spriggan known as Van Arkride, an underground professional, accepts any job, acting as detective, negotiator, or bounty hunter. Dive into the Trails series' latest chapter with intense combat, beautiful visuals, and a new alignment system in Calvard!
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is a action, rpg and adventure game
developed by Nihon Falcom and PH3 GmbH
and published by NIS America and Inc..
Released on March 01st 2023 is available only on Windows
in 2 languages: Japanese and English.
It has received 722 reviews of which 667 were positive and 55 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.7 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 47.99€ on Steam and has a 20% discount.
The Steam community has classified The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
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Requirements
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Windows
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10/11
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1600
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 17 GB available space
- Additional Notes: Settings: 1080p, 30 FPS, Performance Graphics Profile
Reviews
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
It's really a good game, they tone down the Naruto talk no jutsu (there is a lot in Cold Steel series and lots of friendship power) The game is more realistic, people die, the stakes are higher unlike Reverie where they destroy a entire naval base and no one died because they were doing military drills outside the base (WTF, do they even know how military works ?) The only bad thing that i can think about is the lack o quartz variation compared to Reverie or Cold Steel Ps: sorry about the bad english, it's not my native language
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A New Trails Begins Before I go ahead and sing this game's praises, I would just like to say that The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is indeed a valid starting point for newcomers interested in the series. Yes there will be references to previous games that you will miss, guest character appearances that will go over your head, etc.. But even without all that knowledge and experience, you will still be getting a fantastic JRPG with a very-likable cast of characters, engaging battle system, varied customization options, and the series' signature deep world-building. Story This game's greatest strength is most certainly the story and its main protagonist, Van Arkride. Van works as a Spriggan, which is essentially the series' version of a private detective, and he essentially takes odd jobs from anyone both good and bad as long as they can pay. This allows the story to explore more grey areas that even the previous games would usually only bring up every once in a while. The story also places a large emphasis of developing Van as a character with how he deals with requests, his interactions with the other characters (his employees especially), and the unfolding truths of his sensitive past that all help build up to an emotional yet epic finale. The game's main setting this time is the long teased Republic of Calvard. Throughout the campaign you will be going through the central city of Edith as well as the surrounding cities completing odd jobs while dealing with the mafia along the way. Each city offers its unique feel from the cozy village of Creil, the technological institute of Basel, to the eastern landscapes of Long-Lai that all help paint the picture of Calvard being a traditionally diverse country. The odd jobs that you will be doing in those cities will also add points onto your alignment chart consisting of law, chaos, and gray. Leveling up an alignment will yield certain rewards such as equipment or Holo-cores for Van. Some jobs will even give the choice to choose certain actions from different alignments that will give bonus alignment points by the end of it. In short, it took a while for us to finally be able to explore Calvard but thankfully the wait was well worth it with how expertly realized it all is. Gameplay and Combat Feel Other than the story, Falcom have also taken great strides in reworking the series' battle system. You have two options available to you those being Field Battles and Command Battles. In Field Battles you are able to fight enemies directly on the map similar to an action-RPG but much more simplified since you only have a basic attack that can turn into a combo string with repeated presses, a charge attack, and a dodge. From my experience, the field battles basically serve two functions: to be able to mow through weaker enemies quickly without having to switch battle modes, and to get more formidable enemies to a stunned state so you can switch into Command battles with a Battle Advantage at the start. As its own thing the Field Battles aren't really anything special but since they are supposed to be complementary to the Command battles I'd say they are a good addition. The Command Battles are where the gameplay adjustments are truly felt. In battle you are able to move your characters freely within a certain space and once you choose an action (attack, guard, arts, crafts, items) your turn ends and moves on to the next character. It isn't just the standard turn based affair however. Several additions have been made to help improve the engagement of these encounters. For example some skills have a positioning bonus based on if your hitting an enemy from the sides or the back. Then there is the SCLM system where if two party members are positioned close with each other they can then assist with following up basic attacks or even power up the other's crafts or arts. In addition there's the reworked Orbment system which can also help with the build variety that you can have. There is a lot more to cover concerning the Command Battles but all in all it is very solid. Sountrack Quality The soundtrack is something that has to be mentioned with all Falcom games and Daybreak's ost overall.. is just okay. There are still standout tracks sprinkled in here and there, especially during the finale, but according to the standard set by earlier titles in the series the selection on offer as whole could have been better. The main city theme is cozy, the standard battle theme is catchy, and some of the emotional cut scene music is beautiful, but I always had a feeling while playing that a lot of the songs are still missing something to make them stand out more. Thankfully this isn't going to be a deal breaker for anyone who is playing but still I feel this is worth mentioning especially for those who are passionate about these games' soundtracks. All in all.. There is so much more that I REALLY want to talk about with this game but I already feel as though this review's already long enough and that I already got across the main points that I adore about this game. The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is a standout JRPG in a sea of already amazing JRPGs. The story, characters, and world-building of the series are some of the best here, in addition with the snappy feeling gameplay and combat it really makes this game hard to put down. To reiterate, if your someone who wants to start the series and don't know where to start, go ahead and try this one . This series is genuinely something you need to experience for yourself.
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9/10 Bought this again after finished with china version with english fan-translation it's my favorite on Trails/Kiseki franchise right now. In terms of content, it got a lot more than the previous arc around 1,5x or almost 2x, TLDR at the bottom. Story and Characters: A much needed breath of fresh air to the series, not only new casts and new Calvard region. It's how the story unfolds which isn't afraid to touch on some topics that previous arc were afraid to touch upon like death, the underworld and the adult industry, these make daybreak’s story darker than Trails to Azure, so the flow is unlike J-RPG I play so far. If you at least play one trails game you should know Falcom standards are pretty high. Unlike crossbell and cold steel games that forgive villains like naughty boy/girl like your usual J-RPG games there are consequences for the villains on daybreak, falcom finally do them justice like killing them or turning them into underworld organization, ended without cliffhanger too. Side quests got more weight to them too, Van doing it as a job and not acting as an errand boy like Rean but he always investigates more of what actually happened, that is when most quest turns around giving plot twists. Side activities like watching film are fun and connect events with NPCs that not only romance interest makes it more interesting, gourmet system on food items which each level raising some stats so there’s an encouragement to collect them. Being in the first title of Calvard arc it starts like previous arcs which are exploring the region but with a lot more places and cities to visit, solving problems in a particular place, and finding actual plot-related stuff for the whole arc, it is still really fun nonetheless and the formula still works for the veteran and newcomers. 8 Main Casts of trails through daybreak are amazing from Van to Bergard with their own unique personality. Van is a really complex but at the same time easy liked protagonist, he is mature before the game even started, unlike other protagonists, he is on gray side and not acting like goody two shoes, unconditionally funny and instant-liked based on how he act, he like sweets too but I think that Falcom way of ‘moe gap’ that he is actually serious, not naïve and mature. He is on par or maybe even better than Estelle on some parts. Agnes while seeming naïve and sheltered girl becomes more adapted to how spriggan (3rd party fixer) works as the game goes so she is not only acting as the main heroine and eye candy, unlike *cough* Alisa from cold steel. Aaron with adult jokes which made me burst laughing and complementary of Van since their age are almost the same. Feri is an innocent little kid with jaeger (hunter) experience. Risette looks cold and unexpressive but is actually very social and drops some unexpected jokes. Quatre is diligent and looks girlish but actually boy (it’s a trap!). Judith looks mature and sexy but easily flustered and panicked. Bergard is the wise old man at the party. Elaine while she isn't in the main party she has great older sister personality and good characters design, she and Van are like ‘frenemies’, since they work on the almost same field as the time goes the interaction gets funnier it hilarious. NPCs got their own story to tell, correlated to each other and some closure like a girl who always studying on school days then complaining she doesn’t have any friend. In the final chapter, suddenly a cat comes up and accompanies her. While daybreak marketed as soft reboot and Falcom claimed made it from scratch in an interview that happen end of 2020, those aren't what happened in the game. So many casual mentions and some parts of the story still correlated to the previous arc, I collected around 100+ screenshots for something like this. They are not straightly mentioned by name or event and usually use words like “certain people i know” or “that event x years ago” only veteran fans understand. Beyond I made an easy comparison for each arc, remember I only compare based on the first game : Which better and story weight: Trails through daybreak > Trails from zero > Trails in the sky > Trails of cold steel Newcomers to enter the series: Trails of cold steel > Trails in the sky > Trails through daybreak > Trails from zero Main characters of each arc: Estelle = Van > Lloyd > Rean Gameplay: To be honest, Falcom can do same and no innovation to battle system every release, they entitled to do so because their budget is really limited and actually an indie studio, i am sure the fan will keep buying it. And yet they experiment, overhauled, and did high-risk high-reward moves by changing their whole battle system with hybrid of action and turn-based, they did great, and feels great to play. The difficulty feels more balanced and harder on nightmare than previous arcs. Some equipment in the previous arc that obtained mid-game, on Daybreak it can be obtained early in the game, and it still feels balanced. Surprisingly for the first game of the Calvard arc, there are not many strategies that can be exploited. I also appreciate what Falcom did on some things, this is only noticeable if you play previous arc that the special attack (crafts) and spells (arts) feel less repeatable sequence and faster, with arts actually not feeling like a video playing but happen on combat field too, everything becomes much more seamless. Lots of new crafts and arts not all copying from the previous arc. They made mechanics which move characters not using turns, because of this they can add new area of effect (AoE) on some craft and arts also make character's positioning actually matters. No loading screen when battling, changing from action to turn-based, and entering the building unlike previous arcs, for veteran fan like me this is actually a mindblown experience. If you optimize orbment so it fills shard skills requirements, the game becomes deeper and adds complexity such as counter attack, counter spell if enemy spell misses, additional attack when the enemy is stunned, auto status buff, auto arts buff, replenish mana and hp, resurrection one time when got killed, and many more. Though for the first game, it's hard to fill the requirements due orbment limitation the game gives and most obtained in-game achievement prize, I need a lot of hours tinkering with it. Because it’s highly customized you can make each character become DPS, tanker, healer, caster, etc. Graphic and OSTs: The graphics got noticeable improvements from the character's model are better and not too white like Genshin impact (I like what falcom did with this one!), the field area looks good and beautiful, and shadows not only on the characters but on buildings and trees, new assets, new crafts and arts are done nicely and different, beautiful city design like chinA town and science city with vertical design because it’s on the plateau, more NPCs for immersion so the city does not feel deserted, interaction like falling down when party or enemy got hit pretty hard. So the overall graphics fidelity are better. The UI while personally looks and feels nicer still needs some time to get accustomed to. OSTs are the trails through daybreak biggest criticism. It is either good or not leaving much impression, I like it because they tried to change and bring something new, and they deserve handicap since one of their veteran composer out, the new composer instead copying he bring his own style while still maintain falcom OSTs soul and trademarks. TLDR: It’s trails I know and love while getting more better, it scratch so many itches you can think of on J-RPG such as grand scale lore and world-building, previous event mentioned, van is really good and unique protagonist, returning characters that got older, overhauled combat making it more fun, improvements to graphics fidelity, and many more.
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_ ENTRY POINT? - First off, can you start here? Yes, you certainly can. It's a new arc—a soft reboot, a new main cast, in a region that effectually hasn't been visited yet. The game will explain everything you need to know, and you won't be confused or lost in the story. That said, the optimal experience will always be to play the game in the original intended order (Sky arc → Crossbell arc → Cold Steel arc/Reverie → Daybreak). This is the order the world and lore is established in, and the very strongest aspect of this series is its worldbuilding, lore, and characters. If you don't play in that intended order, you will miss out on knowing who the returning characters are and how you're supposed to feel about them. When certain names are dropped showing this character is connected with that one, or when the lore builds off previously established lore, you won't know it's supposed to be an eye-opening moment. Secondarily, there are several previously undiscussed factions and countries that come into play here, in addition to all the prior established ones. It might be a bit much to keep straight if you are new, but it shouldn't be overly detrimental. At the end of the day, you can play here as long as you are cognizant that there is more to the series than you'll be able to be aware of, and that's fine. An entry point is an entry point; just know it would be beneficial to understand the context for the rest of the series before you progress to Daybreak 2 and certainly Kai (English name pending), where the previous arcs will start intertwining and the overarching story of the entire Trails series begins heading toward its conclusion. _ GENERAL/VISUALS/TONE - With that out of the way, the game itself is very good. To me personally, it's the best opener game to an arc in the series. The new engine looks quite nice. The models and lighting for the most part are striking. You'll see the seams of it being a low budget game here and there, but overall a promising start for this engine. There's also a very much needed tonal shift from the previous arc. Things are a bit darker, the main character is more of an adult. His interests and experience reflect this, and I can't overstate how refreshing this is, not just to the series but JRPGS as a whole. _ COMBAT - The battle system is also very promising, and one of the main selling points on display. I do think it is a genuine innovation in the JRPG space. It doesn't eschew its turn-based roots, while also giving an action-based option, to both give you the discretion to to use that if you prefer and/or speed up fights against weaker mobs. Furthermore you can seamlessly swap between these at will. You're never forced to do action, but you are also ABLE to use only action on every fight except forced encounters and bosses. I wouldn't say the action combat is particularly deep or complex compared to Falcom's many other action game outings, but it does exactly what it's meant to. The combat gameplay loop has a very good flow once you get used to it, if you play both the action and command side of things as is intended. You attack them, slowly building your gauge and dealing a slight bit of health and stun damage. If you perfectly time your dodge to the enemy's attack, your gauge gets a big boost. When the gauge is full you can do a strong attack which deals a lot of health and massive stun damage. Once the enemy's stun is maxed, if you then initiate turn-based mode you'll do extra damage, delay the enemy, and get other bonuses. From what Metaphor Refantazio has shown, its combat seems like a more watered down version of a similar premise. Daybreak's is just a satisfying loop that most importantly rewards you for playing well, and I look forward to how Falcom improves it in the future. And I didn't even mention how the new orbment system brings back aspects of the Sky/Crossbell/Cold Steel ability systems in various ways that ultimately make for a perfect melding of old ideas that were once abandoned, and familiar things that are more recent but still different, with something that is entirely new. Rather than me breaking it down, I think a vet to the series should just experience it and see how much it feels like a culmination of everything in the series to this point. _ MUSIC - Okay, so there are people out there who say the music in this series continually has gotten worse. I honestly can't understand what planet they are from. I will admit that the Cold Steel arc's music didn't quite resonate with me as much as the prior arcs, but it still had dozens of amazingly written songs. Daybreak's soundtrack has a strong jazz throughline that, in a way, feels like a homecoming to Sky while also being something completely different. I could go through listing dozens of tracks I love from this game. I love the soundtrack so much, and it's my favorite since at least the Crossbell days. I'll just never understand people who say this is the worst one. _ CHARACTERS - I also just don't understand how after all this time Falcom still manages to make characters that are just so good and still feel distinct from older ones, even if they may share some aspects or fit into the same archetype. The majority of the main cast are likeable very quickly, and while it wasn't something like a Tokyo Xanadu where I love everyone, there wasn't anyone I disliked which is a big difference from the first Cold Steel game. _ STORY - The story on a first impression I thought was pretty good. Getting to know the new characters and locations is great, questions for the future are set up, and there are some excellent villains here. My biggest issue with the game is the villains and their motivation kinda fell apart toward the end. I don't know if experiencing it with the full localization might change that. But at the same time I know Trails, and I don't expect to fully understand what the villains were up to until a game or two from now. In hindsight it will probably make more sense. _ WORLDBUILDING - Lastly, I have to say that the most impressive thing to me is that somehow, in a series where worldbuilding has always been its greatest aspect, the worldbuilding in this game may actually be the best yet. Calvard, the great melting pot of the continent we have heard about for ages now, is finally on display. We finally get to see new cultures we haven't experienced before. We finally get to learn about new countries from the East that weren't mentioned directly. The cities feel more alive than EVER. Sidequests are, on the whole, a bit more interesting than in the past. We get to see the consequences of past games, and how the world doesn't just forget about the previous events, but they provide new goals and stepping stones to further build off. I could keep gushing, but I think at this point I've said enough. _ CONCLUSION - Trails through Daybreak is a wonderful game with a lot of great, fresh ideas. It's the best setup game in the series to date in my personal opinion. I'm excited to replay with the dub, despite having only finished the game several months ago. I'd rank it in the upper echelon of the series; my fourth favorite overall, still in the S tier, and of course best opener game. Happy Trails, everyone!
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10/10 Pros: + Best Trails MC in the whole series, Van Arkride is the G.O.AT (sorry Estelle, Lloyd, Rean) + Darkest Trails game with Adult Theme by far, people actually die in this game, lost of blood and murder scene, profanity, sex & violence you named it + No "I'm the chosen one" bs , No "I'm the good guy, I cannot let you die/kill you" bs, we actually kill the evil people in this game and Van is a cool morally grey character + Best OST in the series by far since the Sky Arc + Loved the L.G.C system, its like morality option for how you want to end a quest or decide people's fate Cons: - You have to wait a couple years for the next game T_T
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Last Updates
| Steam data | 29 November 2024 01:05 |
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| SteamSpy data | 19 December 2024 21:01 |
| Steam price | 23 December 2024 20:48 |
| Steam reviews | 23 December 2024 12:02 |
Online players
191
Developer
Nihon Falcom,
PH3 GmbH
Publisher
NIS America, Inc.
Release
01 Mar 2023
Platforms
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