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Taking place mere months after the events of Trails through Daybreak, its sequel — simply titled Trails through Daybreak 2 here in the west — often feels like a character-driven epilogue rather than a full-blown follow-up.

The first Daybreak told a complete tale; the kind of storyline that Falcom usually splits across two games. Sure, Van and the gang's initial adventure left various questions unanswered, but structurally, it was robust. It had a clear beginning, middle, and end, to the point where it almost felt like a standalone thing, with the saga's broader storylines set to be addressed in later games.

Daybreak 2 is not one of those later games. Instead of taking the overarching narrative and running with it, it attempts to build upon plot points exclusive to its predecessor — plot points that, arguably, didn't need to be brought back into focus.

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The story will inevitably disappoint some fans. As alluded, Daybreak 2 leans on its large cast of characters, using their development to offset narrative beats that can seem either convoluted or repurposed. And to be fair, much of the character development is worthwhile and interesting.

To its benefit, the game splits its story between different groups of heroes — just like in Trails into Reverie. This allows the plot to be unfurled from separate perspectives, while also giving important characters more room to properly express themselves.

If you're okay with Daybreak 2's lack of significant, overall narrative progression, then there's actually a lot to like about its more personal threads. In that sense, the sequel ends up being a great companion piece to the original Daybreak — but again, your expectations need to be kept in check.

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And that also applies to the reuse of... well, just about everything from the first game. Both visually and mechanically, Daybreak 2 could quite easily be mistaken for its predecessor. Outside of some admittedly huge new environments, the sequel is more than happy to recycle as much stuff as it possibly can.

Falcom developed Daybreak 2 in a fairly short space of time — and it shows. To be clear, this isn't some cheap cash-in that could have been DLC, but the game does struggle to stand on its own merit at times — like its only real purpose is to bridge the gap between Daybreak and Kai no Kiseki.

Still, it's hard not to enjoy Falcom's typically engaging characters and the detailed world building that surrounds them. The title's padded storytelling may grate every now and then, but its more dramatic moments retain their impact because of the cast's overall appeal.

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Indeed, protagonist Van Arkride remains one of the developer's best-realised leads, and his closest companions act as fantastic foils. Plus, it helps that many of Daybreak's secondary characters are welcomed into the Arkride Solutions fold. Some become key party members for several chapters at a time, while others come and go — but all of them bring new and entertaining dynamics to the current group.

As you can probably tell, we're rather torn on Daybreak 2's storytelling, but there's one particular plot device that — 40 or 50 hours in — really started to test our patience. Without spoiling anything specific, there's a MacGuffin that wears out its welcome long before the credits roll.

At first, it offers something new to Trails — a unique twist on Falcom's usual narrative design. But over the course of the adventure, it devolves into being an incredibly predictable, incredibly convenient story staple that comes dangerously close to cheapening the experience.

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Thankfully, this specific plot device doesn't quite diminish what Daybreak 2 gets right — it's just something that can (and probably will) frustrate those who already want more from the series' overarching themes.

It may be down to the fact that the sequel doesn't have to spend tens of hours introducing a brand new cast, but we think Daybreak 2 strikes a better gameplay balance than the previous instalment. There are more dungeons and better boss battles, while side quests, generally speaking, offer a greater degree of player input and interaction.

There are a few minigames to try out as well, which were noticeably absent from the first Daybreak. Fishing returns (hurrah!), there's a hacking activity where you take control of a digital construct and move through maze-like levels in order to open special treasure chests, and there's even one-on-one basketball.

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None of these minigames are especially in-depth or, to be honest, all that rewarding — but they help break things up when you're between cutscenes and combat, and Trails just feels right when there are fun little distractions to be had here and there.

Speaking of combat, there's loads of it in Daybreak 2 — mostly because of the Marchen Garten, a digital dungeon that gradually expands as you progress through the main story. Another Reverie-inspired addition, the Garten lets you gather a party of your choosing and grind to your heart's content, unlocking randomised rewards and character cosmetics as you go.

Repetitive environments lessen the Garten's pull somewhat, but much like the aforementioned minigames, it makes for a decent distraction — especially if you enjoy Daybreak 2's combat, and playing around with character builds.

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The combat system itself remains the same: an initial, action-based escalation followed by turn-based battling. The action part is still pretty basic, but you can now swap between party members after a successful dodge, resulting in powerful counterattacks. There's just a bit more flair to it.

Meanwhile, the satisfyingly tactile, turn-based meat of combat has been tweaked and refined. Various character abilities have been rebalanced, abusable mechanics have been toned down, and effective additions like team attacks and dual-element magic arts bring new tactics to the table.

But as teased, it's the bigger, more important encounters that stand out. Daybreak 2's story might not hit as hard as it should, but Falcom pulls out all the stops with sequenced boss fights and spiralling stakes. Add some banging battle themes to the mix and this is often Trails combat at its most intense and engaging.

Conclusion

Trails through Daybreak 2 is a surprisingly experimental instalment in Falcom's long-running RPG series. Gameplay-wise, it improves upon its predecessor with tighter combat systems, and a greater degree of interactivity during side quests. However, its epilogue-like storytelling is very hit and miss. Some fantastic character development is contrasted by padded narrative beats and a plot device that grows tediously predictable as you progress. Still, with the right expectations, this is another enjoyable romp with Van and the gang.

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