The Trails series has a long, long history that dates back to the early ’90s; it currently sits at close to 20 titles. The next one coming West will be The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak. It first launched in Japan back in 2021; it’s been so long since then that its sequel has already been released there too. The game is considered the first (of two) in one arc, and as the halfway point of Trails as a whole. It’s also the first to be set in the Calvard Republic. The Western version will features English and Japanese audio options, with English text. We now have a rough release date window for the game, as it is set to launch on PC and consoles in 2024.
The Calvard Republic is enjoying unprecedented economic prosperity in the aftermath of a brief war. However, the number of immigrants is increasing and a questionable political reform is running rampant, causing public uncertainty. The game follows the spriggan Van Arkride as he tries to fulfill a request that proves to be more than he bargained for. Will the nation plunge into total chaos?
The spriggan’s life is one of many professions in the Calvard Republic. Van Arkride takes on work that other (read: legitimate) sources can’t touch. He wears many hats, including detective, negotiator, and bounty hunter. He’ll consider pretty much any job, whether it is best kept from the public or rooted in the underworld. One day, a prim young lady dressed in the uniform of an esteemed academy visits Van Arkride at his office in the Old Town district of Edith. And thus begins a new tale…
Players will explore the reaches of the Calvard Republic while immersing themselves in a rich story filled with action and intrigue. Seamlessly transition between action field battles and turn-based combat with a revamped Action Time Battle system. Expand your arsenal with new Shard Skills. But always remember: your choices affect how the story unfolds thanks to the Alignment system. Whether you lean towards Law, Chaos, or somewhere in between can influence your status in the city, who is willing to work with you, and even what jobs are open to the taking.
A physical Collector’s Edition is already available to pre-order via the NIS America Store. For US$99.99, you get a copy of the game, a mini art book, a digital soundtrack, a hardcover art book, a one-disc digipak soundtrack, a business card sleeve, a movie poster art card set, a Steelbook case, and a collector’s box with an “Oct-Genesis” outer sleeve.. There’s also a much more expensive version that includes two plushies.
Developed and Nihon Falcom and published in the West by NIS America, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak will be released for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch in “summer” 2024, so approximately Q3 2024.