Falcom and publisher GungHo are back to the adventures in Zemuria with Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter. Remaking the second adventure of the lengthy RPG franchise, the experience is an impressive showcase of the company’s current abilities in a continuation that shines on all fronts.
Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is a full remake of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC, an RPG originally conceived for PC and released in Japan in 2006. Back in the day, it would take about 9 years for the project to receive an English release from publisher XSEED on both Steam and the PSP, and it would only be earlier in 2026 that the west would be up-to-date with the franchise with the release of The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon.
The game is a direct sequel to Estelle’s adventure in 1st Chapter (or Trails in the Sky FC alternatively), continuing from right after the cliffhanger ending of the first game. Due to the bombastic revelations of the final act, the young bracer sees herself in a much harsher situation, looking for clues on a mysterious organization known as Ouroboros and the whereabouts of a loved one.
It’s possible to say that the first game served as an introduction to Liberl, the bracer activities and the many players involved in the political turmoil in the continent of Zemuria as a whole. Meanwhile, 2nd Chapter digs deeper into the plots of Ouroboros amidst the aftermath of the unrest caused by the first game’s events.
Estelle now has to grow stronger and more mature while dealing with a variety of threatening situations along with her friends, mostly those hailing from the first game. As a result of this, she faces many challenges that can put her in emotional distress, which is further emphasized by the game’s new direction.
One of the major strengths of the remake is the new visuals, but that goes much further than just being a “3D vs 2D” comparison. There’s a strong effort to make characters’ expressions pop and to use camera movement and animation techniques to enrich events as much as possible. The stylish direction is a direct reflection of what they’re able to do now and helps make the whole journey feel drastically more detailed while sticking close to the original material.
Compared to some other remake efforts, Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter feels like a praiseworthy effort. The developers truly understand the source and what can be done to make its core narrative values shine brightly. As a result, the game feels like a perfect return for its characters, story and general experience instead of an alien experience masquerading as a classic like some remakes may end up feeling.
As an RPG, a big part of the experience in Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is all about exploration and combat. This incarnation of Liberl feels expansive due to the large 3D areas to explore, with the game featuring destroying objects, collecting a lot of materials and in-game achievements like more recent Trails games.
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