The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II does what every good JRPG sequel should do: make it a friend fest, filling your adventure party with all the characters you know and love for one big journey. Set mere months after the first Daybreak game hit the west, lovable ruffian Van Arkride and co. are introduced to new threats and must work together to unravel the mystery. 

Daybreak II sees Van, his ‘spriggan’ investigation company Arkride Solutions and greater allies investigating a mysterious new trench coat figure. This figure bears similarities to Van, both having the ability to transform into an ethereal powerful being known as a Grendel. Of course, this stranger is using this power for bad, striving to take over the world instead of our hero using it to fight crime. 

This hunt for the figure takes wild twists and turns in classic epic JRPG fashion, introducing many elements of intrigue and new characters, including a mysterious pair of twins with dyed hair in Hot Topic-esque gothic hoods and even time travel. Van Arkride and his friends once again have to save the day through their strength as a group. It’s like that recurring line in Kingdom Hearts that goes way too hard says: My friends are my power.

This follow-up to the wonderful original Daybreak features a seriously stacked cast with upwards of fifteen playable characters throughout the gigantic RPG, not discounting all the friends and familiar faces you’ll revisit. Because having that many characters on screen at one time would frankly be insane (though the game does get close in many cutscenes), developer Nihon Falcom decided to break the game up into two playable parties. Though the entire party DNA mixes up depending on the given story beat or chapter, Party ‘A’ for ‘Route A’ of a given chapter will often consist of Van and a few of his familiar peers while Party B largely consists of other returning characters along with Reverie characters Swin and Nadia. Daybreak II is not clearing the franchise’s reputation of having so many characters to keep track of that you won’t be blamed if you struggle to remember everyone’s names and their place in the world.

Before long, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II becomes a long and sprawling spider web of mystery and intrigue that you’ll be gradually trying your hardest to untangle. Just one of these knots you’re untying is the sudden ability to time travel, granted by one of the magical Geneses devices the party has in possession. In scripted narrative moments, the clock will rewind when you’ve reached a dead end in an investigation or story thread. This is what motivates the parties to approach a situation differently to then break through and make progress. The first time this happens in the prologue it’s exciting. Then it’s used ad nauseam and it becomes a chore.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II is a little weaker story than the prior. The game has got all these characters together as if it is staging this epic story where the world is so close to utter chaos and destruction but in fact, a little less happens and it’s less of an event. Nihon Falcom has gathered its actors for this great play to be presented in front of its fans, only they showed up to the wrong one. This results in the first half of the game and all its setup being stronger than the latter, with all the teases being exciting but never quite reaching their potential. Still, it’s always good to see so many characters I’ve come to love grace my screens once more. Your real-life main family may be four or five. Daybreak II’s is almost two dozen strong. Even a weaker Legend of Heroes game still eats so many other JRPGs lunch any day of the week.

Where the game does take good advantage of its stacked cast is in the combat opportunities and potential. The best chance players get to explore this breadth is in the side offerings, particularly the newly added Marchen Garten dungeon where players can grind out through sixteen floors (some of these are postgame content). Here they engage in mowing down foes and bosses, gathering experience and what feels like an endless supply of items. As there are many arts characters can specialise, in prior Legend of Heroes games it feels like you only scratch the surface of what you can do in combat. There are never enough characters or enough time unless you truly go all in on postgame and New Game +. Daybreak II containing upwards of fifteen playable characters means you can just about try anything and everything in one playthrough.

As is staple for the franchise, gems known as Quartz are slotted into each character’s ‘Orbments’. These add passive buffs such as extra health or damage but also determine the orbal arts (spells) the characters can cast depending on the combination of Quartz utilised. In prior games, I mostly made do with randomly slotting in Quartz but I paid attention to everything this time round, learning of the majesty of powerful arts I never attempted prior. My eyes are open to the beauty that is Jabberwock Arm, instilling fear and weakening an enemy’s defence. Daybreak II didn’t directly encourage me to do this, but it speaks to the excitement and experimentation that can come with a stacked playable cast.

Combat is a lot smoother, which is saying a lot given how fluid its predecessor was. Battling in the overworld before engaging in turn-based combat is so much tidier and less stiff with the animation being less unpredictable and sluggish. There are still all those delightful anime-esque over-the-top jumps to quick attack cutscenes as you dole out a powerful ability. Getting to see these examples in the new party members, including those I was previously on the other side and facing the brunt of, is just more animation goodness the game has to offer. The new ‘EX Chains’ is just a further addition to that feeling of tactile combat, having you deal out devastating damage once you meet certain conditions damaging stunned enemies. In short, Daybreak II is the best combat that the Legend of Heroes name has ever seen.

The side activities have never really been the series’ strong suit but thankfully this is another area that Nihon Falcom seem to have directly addressed. My favourite choice is that the side mission count is lesser this time, with the fat cut and all the good remaining. These often have heart and once again show Van as a man of the people, helping everyday folk out no matter what. Every so often you’ll have to engage in tailing missions or use a new pinging system to track items of interest. Though not the most exciting activities, a boost to the authentic depiction of working as an investigator-for-hire company that’s for the people. Minigames are a lot more plentiful this time too. Like the dishes you eat around the town of Edith and the feats you complete, these also net you growth items. This will no doubt please the players who strive for 100% completion with the game’s many, many clearance lists and completion metrics.

Hacking minigames are prevalent when coming across chests dotted around the maps that see you entering a cyber matrix labyrinth where you must engage in quick button prompts and evade enemies to unlock the goodies within. A card game, 1-on-1 basketball, an in-game gacha (no real-life currency is used) to get costume tidbits and upgrade resources, dates with friends… there’s plenty to see and do to balloon out your time. I’m not going to lie to you and pretend every activity is a winner or on the calibre of the Like a Dragon series, but it’s a step in the right direction of adding meaningful side distractions that fuel your main ventures.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II will be a slightly divisive title for the series, if only for its somewhat flawed story. It feels like every component of this is on its A-game except for the most crucial part of delivering an intriguing JRPG story. I promise it’s still a great time and never truly miserable. Legend of Heroes fans know what they’re in for and will never turn up their noses to experience more screen time with some of the best and most underrated RPG parties to date.