How do you follow up on one of the best RPG remakes I’ve ever played? Well, apparently, you just make another one.
Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter doesn’t attempt to do anything vastly different from its predecessor — it basically plays like the second half of one giant adventure.
For many properties that might be a problem, but for Trails, this approach often allows developer Falcom to produce its best work. Its sequels take existing storylines, settings, and characters, and then crank the drama up to 11.
2nd Chapter is basically the ultimate example of this. 1st Chapter does such an incredible job in setting the stage that its successor is just allowed to run with the narrative, providing a heart-wrenching plot that’s utterly packed with excellent character developments and revelations.
The only issue is that it takes a long time to get going.
After the events of 1st Chapter, the happy-go-lucky Estelle is left in some state. Torn from the side of her freshly realised love interest, she’s caught in a downward spiral until her employer, the Bracer Guild, picks her up off the ground.
Months pass during the prologue, in which she embarks on a brutal training program in the hopes of growing strong enough to track down and confront her beloved Joshua.
What follows is several chapters of slow-burn story teasing and character reintroductions, as Estelle and her ever-growing entourage hop from one city to the next in search of leads.
Of course, if you’ve played 1st Chapter — and you absolutely should have — then you’ve visited all of these places before. There is an abundance of new side quests to complete, but the pacing can start to sag when you’re treading old ground, and there’s no real sense of discovery.
Fortunately, Falcom’s character writing carries these opening episodes. Getting the gang back together feels great because of how well crafted the cast is at this point, and because the game doesn’t have to spend hours upon hours establishing a setting, everyone’s got so much more room to express themselves.
2nd Chapter also introduces Ouroboros, the not-so-secret society that becomes a permanent fixture throughout the rest of the franchise. Here, the organisation is still very much cloaked in mystery, and its members make for a fantastic gathering of bad guys.
As Ouroboros’ machinations take shape, the plot really starts to pick up, and this is where the title takes off in spectacular fashion. Its latter half is a total barnstormer, bringing a game-and-a-half’s worth of narrative tension to a gripping crescendo.
The character-driven drama is right up there with the best that Falcom has ever delivered. The storytelling was already great in the original Trails in the Sky SC, but the remake, equipped with its amazingly animated cutscenes and highly expressive character models, elevates the tale to an entirely new level.
So 2nd Chapter nails the narrative side of things, but what about the gameplay? Well, truth be told, there’s not a whole lot to tell — and I mean that in a good way.
Both exploration and combat are 95% the same as they were in 1st Chapter. There’s an expanded fishing minigame — always an addictive distraction — but that’s about it as far as new additions go.
Battles are more in-depth and tactical from the off, however. Party members start out at a much higher level here, the suggestion being that everyone’s beefed up after their struggles in the first game.
As such, you’re immediately handed a wide range of character-specific abilities and perks, allowing the combat system as a whole to feel more expressive.
Likewise, a greater variety of quartz is up for grabs — especially later on — which lets you create some seriously strong character builds that simply weren’t feasible previously.
Apart from that though, this is the same satisfyingly snappy system from 1st Chapter. The turn-based combat remains slick and intuitive, with both reworked and brand new attack animations wowing at every opportunity.
There are also some brilliant boss fights on display, many of which punctuate the title’s incredible second half.
Conclusion
Direct sequels simply don’t get much better than Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter. With its already excellent predecessor setting the stage, this brilliantly heartfelt RPG is free to tell an outstanding character-driven story.
