The rumors are true: the game doesn’t push the main plot forward all that much. However, it does significantly expand on its cast, which is where it really shines.

Gameplay-wise, not much has changed from Daybreak I, and that’s perfectly fine. They did attempt to introduce a time-travel, plot-driven mechanic, but it mostly ends up feeling like a “forced-to-watch-bad-endings” feature. In some cases, it even flirts with inconsistent characterizations because of how it’s implemented.

I get that the game is meant to reuse a lot of content from the first one, since it takes place in the same location and setting, but some scenarios feel too recycled. For example, the Gardenmaster’s Dungeon is basically the same as the previous game’s final dungeon. It gives the whole thing a slightly cheapened feel.

The music, as always, is top-tier.

Story-wise, most of the game works really well. I’m deeply in love with this cast, so getting more development for each character was genuinely beautiful. Some of them really needed that extra spotlight. Act III, though, has a bit of an identity crisis, which isn’t helped by some muddled storylines—Cao’s route in particular didn’t fully land for me. On the flip side, others were excellent and absolutely necessary, like Renne’s and of course Quatre’s.

The final boss was a bit of a letdown, but it does set up the next entries in the series pretty strongly.

Overall, it’s a good game if you approach it as an expansion to Daybreak I rather than a full sequel.

And I can't believe that I am caught up with the localized releases! That is insane. I started playing Trails in the Sky in 2020 during COVID pandemic, never thought I would be here twelve games later.