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The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak
Released On: Jul 5, 2024
83
7.9
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 27 Critic Reviews
83
96% Positive
26 Reviews
26 Reviews
4% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 27 Critic Reviews
83
96% Positive
26 Reviews
26 Reviews
4% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Though I will always have a soft spot for the Cold Steel games, Trails Through Daybreak arrives as the new best game of the series. Between giving a more mature protagonist and redefining the combat, the Calvard arc starts with its best foot forward. The fact that things have already become this hectic with the very first game means we're looking at probably the craziest arc to date. Sadly, these take a bit of time to localize, and we'll be two behind in September, but I will be right there when the next one hits.
Nihon Falcom needn't have gone about overhauling things as radically as they have. But with a newfound energy and purpose to its real-time/turn-based hybrid of a premise, as well as a bountiful amount of new and returning mechanics to experiment with, Trails Through Daybreak is nothing less than another fantastic reinvention for what was already some of if not the best turn-based combat in any JRPG series. Aided on top by that familiar dedication to player customization, intriguing world-building and that ongoing desire to spend a bit longer in getting the most out of the systems on show. Countless entries later, Trails continues to prove itself as one of the most satisfying and engaging role-playing experiences available. It wasn't exactly begging for such reinvention, but with The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak, Nihon Falcom's opener to the Calvard arc is as close to perfect a new chapter, as you can possibly get.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 58 User Ratings
7.9
72% Positive
42 Ratings
42 Ratings
10% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
17% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 58 User Ratings
7.9
72% Positive
42 Ratings
42 Ratings
10% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
17% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
Best start on trails series, much better than sky 1, zero, cold steel 1
Mature main character is the best for the series, and I was tired of pure of heart heroes
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PlayStation 5
Trails through Daybreak does everything I want in a good Falcom RPG/Legend of Heroes game. A great cast of characters, solid combat, excellent world-building, a good story, and both friendly enough to new players, and rewarding to returning players. It does also do something different, by allowing you to fight enemies outside of battles, and to get the initiative on them. If you're at all skeptical about this game (given the false negative reviews that have popped up on here), I'd recommend either playing a demo, or waiting for a sale. Otherwise, you're missing out on a game of the year contender in a year of stacked JRPG's.
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PlayStation 5
With Trails Through Daybreak, The Legend of Heroes name is the best it’s ever been. With an incredible and sweeping story that pays off by the end, a vibrant cast of characters that will steal your heart, some of the best of turn-based combat, and streamlined mechanics, this is quite simply just a damn good and comfortable RPG well worth your time. It may ask a lot of you with its long runtime, breadth of content, and layered lore to wrap your head around but stick with it and you’re in for one of the best from the genre this year. Job well done.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is a great start to a brand new arc with its elements ranging from expected to impressively fresh and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what happens next.
A little more polish could have gone a long way, but the Calvard Republic is an enjoyable place to explore, the protagonist is appreciably mature, and the story ends with that same deliciously Trails philosophy: always leave ‘em wondering how the heck they’ll ever wrap this up.
I was really excited about Trails Through Daybreak, and I’m not sure that I got everything out of it that I was hoping for—especially when you pile on some of NISA’s head-scratching localization choices. But it’s still a Trails game at the end of the day, and Nihon Falcom always delivers when it comes to this series. The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak may tread old ground in certain areas, but it’s ultimately an excellent JRPG experience with a phenomenal, character-driven narrative that’s absolutely worth your time.
I came away from Trails Through Daybreak with many unanswered questions and mysterious hints dropped in the game's last moments. Despite my issues with some of the characters, Almata, and the underlying Xipha system, I still enjoyed my time at Calvard, seeing old friends and meeting new ones, and I am eager to return. The Trails series is one of my favorite long-form fictional works, and I look forward to the months and years' worth of discussions and seeing how all the new teases and hints end up paying off in Daybreak II, Kai no Kiseki, and beyond.
Awesome game with tremendous worldbuilding - just can't recommend it enough!
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PlayStation 5
The biggest merit of this game is ''It's not Cold Steel'' and it doesn't have Crossbell. After Reverie aka Cold Steel 5 it is very relaxing to breathe new air. Van is a much more interesting and humanized protagonist than Rean. Agnes is a de facto deutaragonist rather than just a generic c*ckslave **** character like Alisa. Party members act as friends rather than orbiting the protagonist. The villains, despite being generic, are really bad guys doing bad things instead of the clowns from Ouroboros or the curse. But unfortunately being much better than Cold Steel doesn't change the fact that this game is mediocre. The soundtrack is weak. The gameplay is poorly planned. The same assets from the dark days of Cold Steel are everywhere. The narrative is slow and drags unnecessarily at times. Some horrible tropes from Cold Steel return to ruin this game like Curse, AIs, Characters coming back from death and the classic ''there's no need for that'' with character appearing out of nowhere to ruin the climax of the moment. Fie is unnecessary. I think the game deserves a 6 but I'm going to give it a 5 because the localization of NISA is bad and changes the original script to force what they think is ''appropriate'' (in more direct terms: wokes ruining the original product because they think they are superiors). In the end Falcom is guilty of choosing a bad translation team, especially the Geofront traitors.
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PlayStation 5
The dialogue in this game is terrible. They are long, poorly written, silly and don't say much relevant to the (non-existent) story. Maybe they mean something to people who think it's normal to ask about which pronoun to use in everyday life.
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PlayStation 5
The curious case of the Japanese RPG that tried to be turn-based and action-based at the same time and failed at both. The graphics are outdated but nothing of value has been lost considering the superficial story and the one-dimensional characters who have too much screen time to be boring and childish. My first and last contact with The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak saga .
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PlayStation 5
Daybreak doesn't innovate jrpgs. It looks the same as all the rest. The tiresome tropes of modern jrpgs are very present with a particular niche' i just don't like. The garish strobelight battles with lightning and lasers shooting out of their asses and swords. The formuleic and cringy character aesthetics can be compared to a box of crayons. An absolute eyesore for original artists. The blue hair, pink hair, purple hair etc. We've seen it a million times.. digital art looks cheap. The positive aspects of Daybreak is that the colors have been 'a little bit' more muted, from similar modern jrpg's and the combat isn't nearly as shocking for the eyes. (Shin megami, Tales, mana, granblue fantasy relink, valkyrie profile etc. The music is also very bland without a single memorable track. If you like one-dimensional characters that talk terrible oneliners with an ensemble you could find on a cosplay event.
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PlayStation 5
Summary The sprawling Republic of Calvard is experiencing an unprecedented economic boom brought on by post-war reparations. At the same time, feelings of uncertainty stemming from a massive influx of immigrants and bold political reform by the new president are rife. Deep within its capital city, a young Spriggan man named Van receives a str...
Rated T
for Teen
Platforms:
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- PC
- Nintendo Switch
Initial Release Date: Jul 5, 2024
Developer:
- Falcom
Publisher: NIS America
Genres: