As a massive Trails fan, I went into The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak ready to dive back into the detailed lore, familiar combat mechanics, and complex character arcs that the series is known for. What I didn’t expect was how this game would blow all my expectations out of the water, especially with its intense and spoiler-heavy plot twists that left me reeling long after I finished. If you’re ready for a deep dive with some major spoilers, buckle up because Trails Through Daybreak doesn’t hold back.
At the heart of the story is Van Arkride, a character who is unlike any protagonist we’ve seen before in the Trails series. What makes Van immediately stand out is his darker, more pragmatic outlook on life. He’s not a wide-eyed hero on a journey of discovery like Rean or Lloyd; instead, he’s a spriggan—a sort of underground detective/mercenary who takes on morally gray jobs that the Bracer Guild avoids. From the get-go, you can tell that Van’s past is haunted by some shady experiments, and you start to see hints of this trauma in his interactions with others, especially during his quiet moments alone.
One of the early game’s biggest twists comes when Van transforms into Grendel, a terrifyingly powerful beast-like form that ties back to the experiments conducted on him in his youth. These transformations aren’t just for combat—they serve as a visual representation of the internal struggle Van faces throughout the game. The more you learn about Van’s past, the more you realize how far he’s willing to go to protect those he cares about, even if it means embracing the very thing that once made him a test subject.
The plot kicks off when a young girl named Agnès Claudel arrives at Van’s office, seeking help to recover a stolen heirloom that has been in her family for generations. At first, this feels like a standard Trails side story, but it quickly unravels into something far more significant. Agnès is much more than she appears to be, and her connection to the artifact, known as the Genesis, is the game’s central mystery. As it turns out, the Genesis artifacts hold immense power, capable of reshaping reality itself, and various factions are vying for control over them, including the enigmatic Almata organization.
Van’s team quickly grows as he meets various allies, each with their own stake in the overarching conflict. One of the most shocking moments comes later in the game when Renne Bright, a beloved character from the Sky and Crossbell arcs, reappears as a key player in the storyline. For longtime fans, seeing Renne not only involved but taking an active role in confronting her own past is emotionally satisfying. She has grown from the troubled, emotionally scarred girl we knew in previous games into a powerful, self-assured young woman who plays a crucial role in the events of Trails Through Daybreak.
The game also reintroduces Ouroboros, the sinister organization that has been manipulating events behind the scenes for most of the series. Ouroboros is, as always, shrouded in mystery, and the introduction of Melchior, an absolutely chilling enforcer, adds a new layer of danger to the story. Melchior is one of the more memorable villains, especially in how he toys with Van’s moral compass, pushing him to embrace the chaos that the Genesis artifacts could unleash. His smug demeanor makes him easy to hate, and the eventual confrontation with him is as satisfying as it is terrifying.
As the story unfolds, you discover that the Genesis artifacts are tied to a larger, world-threatening plot involving the Hollow Core network. Without giving too much away, the stakes rise to an apocalyptic level, with multiple factions, including the government, religious orders, and even rogue scientists, all fighting for control of this ancient technology. Van, who is often reluctant to get involved in world-shaking events, finds himself dragged deeper into the chaos, making decisions that will alter the course of the Republic of Calvard—and perhaps the entire continent.
One of the game’s most heart-wrenching plotlines revolves around Van’s relationship with a group called Arkride Solutions, his ragtag band of allies. Throughout the game, you build close bonds with characters like Feri Al-Fayed, a warrior who is torn between her duty and her growing attachment to Van’s cause, and Aaron Wei, a former street punk with a tragic past that slowly gets revealed as you progress. There’s a devastating moment in Chapter 5 when you’re forced to make a moral choice that determines the fate of one of your closest allies, depending on your alignment with the law, chaos, or gray morality system. It’s one of those moments that Trails fans will recognize as a signature of the series—a gut punch that leaves you questioning every decision you’ve made up to that point.
Another major reveal happens towards the climax of the game when it’s uncovered that Almata’s true goal isn’t just to harness the power of the Genesis but to rewrite the entire fabric of reality. The leader of Almata, who turns out to be someone with ties to Van’s childhood, has been pulling the strings from behind the scenes all along, manipulating Van’s actions and forcing him into a situation where he has to confront his past head-on. This leads to an epic final showdown that’s not just a battle of power but a deeply emotional reckoning for Van and his allies.
The ending leaves plenty of threads hanging, particularly with the fate of the Genesis artifacts and Van’s unresolved personal struggles. However, true to the Trails series’ nature, the final scenes tease future storylines, especially with the mention of new political conflicts brewing across Zemuria. The narrative scope of Trails Through Daybreak feels both complete and yet wide open for what’s to come, making it impossible not to be excited for the next installment.
In terms of gameplay, Trails Through Daybreak refines the series’ turn-based combat while introducing new mechanics that make every battle feel tactical and engaging. The SCLM system, which encourages strategic positioning of your characters to boost their abilities, adds a new layer of depth, while the S-Boosts let you power up your team for key moments in tough battles. The new combo mode, which lets you seamlessly switch between action RPG and turn-based combat, is a fun addition, though I often found myself sticking to the turn-based system because of its superior tactical depth.
Despite a few minor issues, like the occasional sluggish AI in the action combat mode, Trails Through Daybreak is a masterclass in how to balance deep, emotionally charged storytelling with challenging, rewarding gameplay. It’s the kind of game that makes you want to immediately start over and replay it, just to see how different choices could lead to new outcomes.
If you’re a fan of the Trails series, you absolutely need to experience Trails Through Daybreak. It takes everything you love about the series—compelling characters, intricate world-building, and tactical combat—and pushes it to new heights. And if you’re new to the series? Well, there’s no better time to dive in, especially with the promise of even bigger things on the horizon for Zemuria.