The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II brings back fun minigames and has a demo coming next week

For as much as I enjoyed The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak, I really did miss some of the minigames from the Trails of Cold Steel series like Snowboarding, Fishing, and even the card game Vantage Masters.

If you’re a minigame aficionado like myself, it looks like The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II will have a lot for you to enjoy. Last week developer Nihon Falcom and Publisher NIS America showed me a glimpse of the fun to be had when the sequel releases next month.

Like any good JRPG, the story is a big part of the appeal, so not much was shared in that regard other than the sequel takes place three months after the events from the original Trailts Through Daybreak, and a Crimson-colored Grendel, the special armored form of the main character Van, has been terrorizing the capital city of Edith. I was also assured that the full roster of characters from the original would be returning in the sequel as well as some new faces.

Next, my day was made, with the reveal that minigames would be returning in Trails Through Daybreak II, including fishing in its most refined form yet. Look, Fishing wasn’t the best in its various forms throughout Cold Steel, but it was still a welcome minigame to dive into, and I’m happy to see it return.

Various other minigames will make an appearance throughout the RPG including Hacking, where you guide an avatar through a maze with a time limit while avoiding various obstacles, a 1-on-1 simple shooting and defending basketball minigame, and Seven Hearts, a new Card Game making its debut in Trails Through Daybreak II.

While not necessarily a minigame, the Nihon also showcased a new optional area in Trails Through Daybreak II called the Marchen Garten. In a nutshell, the Marchen Garten is a virtual world that exists outside of the main game world and allows players to obtain equipment, level up, and earn other bonuses that can be used in the main game. Players can build their own dream party from over 15 characters before ascending a randomized multi-floor dungeon. The Marchen Garten is also tied to Trails Through Daybreak II’s post-game content with post-game-specific floors, story content, and two characters that are not playable in the main game.

As I said, the story is the driving factor for me when it comes to any Trails game, but it sounds like Nihon is adding a lot of varied gameplay to the RPG.

For players interested in trying out Trails Through Daybreak II, two demos are scheduled to be released exclusively on PS5 and PS4 on January 24, 2025. The first is a Story Demo, taking place at the start of the game and running through the beginning of Chapter 1. Save data from this demo will carry over to the main game. The second is a Gameplay Demo that allows players to fight through two floors of the Marchen Garten with pre-selected parties.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II is set to release on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2025, on PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.