Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, the follow-up to last year’s excellent Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, is more of everything that made the first remake great. Less of a sequel and more of a continuation, it picks up right after the cliffhanger ending of the 1st Chapter. Estelle and Joshua, our two main protagonists, have been separated. Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is some of the best in the series, with its heart built around the cast. It’s heartbreaking yet hopeful, with a strong narrative and more of the same tight combat, elevated by a few new systems that make it feel more fluid than before.
Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is an excellent JRPG that ties together all the pieces set up in 1st Chapter.
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Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Is An Exciting Adventure Across Liberl
Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter mostly follows Estelle, the spunky whirlwind we followed last time around. She’s a burgeoning Bracer, essentially a mix between a social worker and mercenary, working to do good in her communities. 1st Chapter follows Estelle and her adoptive brother, Joshua, on an adventure to become bracers before they get caught up in a whirlwind of conspiracy and machinations from greater evil forces. It ends with secrets and histories revealed, causing Joshua to leave Estelle behind. 2nd Chapter picks up moments after this separation, with Estelle now dead set on finding Joshua and stopping the plans of the menacing Ouroboros, a shadow organization with its own goals.
Along the way, Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter revisits places and people she met on her first journey. 2nd Chapter works so well because it acts like a series of reunions between the party and those they helped, as Estelle sees actual change after her previous actions. An orphanage that was attacked is rebuilt, a town previously wrecked by corruption is in the midst of a new election – 2nd Chapter may retrace some of Estelle’s previous footsteps, but they’re meaningfully recontextualized. It doesn’t need to spend time setting things up; the foundation is already built, and 2nd Chapter can live in that space.
Built On What Came Before
The main reason 2nd Chapter is such a strong follow-up is its strong cast. Estelle is as bright and confident as always, even if her early hours are spent genuinely rocked by Joshua’s decision to leave. With his departure, 2nd Chapter spends more time with characters like Scherazard, Kloe, and Olivier, all fantastic in their own right. The character writing is so strong, with the early chapters balanced by entertaining scenarios and fantastic moments of connection. By this point, you know who these characters are, so watching them have deeper, more meaningful conversations from the jump doesn’t feel forced. Olivier remains a standout, with his bombastic energy and spontaneous songs hilarious every time.
The narrative in Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter works so well because the player immediately buys into Estelle’s mission. Joshua’s absence is felt immediately, both narratively and in gameplay, where the player wants to find them as much as Estelle. You’ve already spent hours with him; you feel the same pull to reunite them because you already care about them. None of it is artificial; your buy-in and investment in their conclusion come from having already lived through their opening moments alongside them. It takes some seriously dark swings and plays with heavy topics because it can; these threads are already laid and now actually being spun.
Combat Feels Even Better
Combat feels like putting on your favourite shirt for the first time in a while, immediately comfortable and recognizable. Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter continues to blend real-time action combat with turn-based battles, creating a unique experience in the genre. You can fight enemies in the overworld using a mix of attacks, combo hits, and dodges to take out mobs quickly.
Use special attacks to stun enemies, then switch to turn-based battles to gain a bonus attack on the way in. Turn-based battles mix normal attacks, elemental magic called Arts, and special attacks called Crafts. The lack of Arts in action combat still shows, especially since other titles in the series do use them. Otherwise, it feels as good and engaging as ever, with both sides of the combat being a blast, even if the turn-based battles are still the highlights.
Anyone who’s played 1st Chapter will feel right at home, because the combat systems are largely the same, though a few new systems make it feel even better. One of them is Brave Rush, which lets you use Brave Gauge points in action battles to unleash stronger combo attacks with another party member. It lets you hit harder and makes the party feel more useful and integrated. Seeing Estelle and Scherazard launch into a coordinated move, with Schera’s whip starting the assault, finished by Estelle and her staff, always feels awesome. Your crew also gets access to new abilities and crafts, plus an expanded Quartz system that lets you hold more Quartz than before. The changes aren’t massive, but they’re enough, and Brave Rush is especially awesome.
It’s not just the heroes that got buffs; the enemies did too. Enemy animations, particularly bosses, look incredible, with more unique animations and attacks that add a ton of bombast and spectacle to every fight. Enforcers even gain a new ability called Enforcer Boost, where the battlefield can change, their animations go into overdrive, and they deal more damage. It makes the turn-based battles feel bigger and more brutal than before, while also pushing players to build their team properly. Overall presentation is even better than last time, with new animations and tweaks to both hero and enemy attacks that make them more fluid and exciting to watch.
Verdict
Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is a fantastic conclusion to Estelle and Joshua’s chapters in the Sky series. The story is smart, with exciting reunions and dark moments that really stay with the player. You get to revisit and actually see the consequences of your past actions, where even smaller side characters are fun to see again. The core cast is as strong as ever, a joy to hang out with. Combat stays fun and engaging, with small tweaks that make it even better than before. Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is a must-play for those who played its predecessor, and if you haven’t, let this month’s launch serve as a reminder to play 1st Chapter so you can experience 2nd Chapter properly.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
