The Trails series has long been a wonder of the JRPG world. While other franchises reinvent themselves with every entry, Nihon Falcom has spent over two decades meticulously weaving a single, continuous narrative across the continent of Zemuria. The series is a monumental achievement in digital world-building, boasting some of the finest writing and most tactical combat the genre has ever seen, but that greatness comes at a heavy price. To fully understand what’s actually happening requires a deep knowledge of series lore, but unfortunately, recent games haven’t done a particularly good job of bringing new players up to date.
With the release of The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon on the Nintendo Switch 2, we have finally reached what feels like the beginning of the end; does it do enough to explain its world to those unwilling to play over a dozen other games in advance, or will its iron-clad gate of entry leave newcomers feeling entirely adrift?
Combat Refined to Near Perfection
If there is one area where Beyond the Horizon stands head and shoulders above its predecessors, it is in the combat. Falcom has finally sharpened the hybrid system introduced in the Daybreak arc to a fine point, allowing players to take on enemies either in real time or in its usual turn-based mode. On the Switch 2, the transition between the real-time “Field Battles” and tactical “Turn-Based Battles” is instantaneous and seamless, taking full advantage of the new hardware’s increased memory and processing power. I enjoy this flexibility and the fact that the game trusts you to choose your preferred method of combat and switch between them as you desire.
The depth is staggering. The new Shard Commands, a refinement of the Brave Order system from the Cold Steel games, allow you to manipulate the flow of battle with passive buffs that can be countered by bosses, creating a high-stakes “tug-of-war” for momentum. Furthermore, the Z.O.C. (Zone of Control) mechanic adds a layer of precision timing; slowing down enemies to unleash a flurry of attacks feels immensely rewarding. When you are deep in a boss fight, managing your S-Boost gauges while positioning your party to maximise “Link” attacks, the game becomes a beautiful, complex dance of strategy.
It is arguably one of the most polished turn-based systems on the market today, weaving together immediate abilities, timed attacks, proximity mechanics and elemental weaknesses together as one. You take the best of a classic JRPG and a classic SRPG, you forge them together, and this is what you get: a unique mix which rewards creativity and resilience whilst still being approachable.
A Three-Route Narrative with Emotional Weight
Writing has always been the biggest selling point of the Trails series, though, and Beyond the Horizon features some of the most poignant character work in Falcom’s history. By splitting the narrative into three distinct routes following Van Arkride, Rean Schwarzer, and the long-awaited return of Kevin Graham, the game manages to offer three unique perspectives on a continent-wide crisis.
The dialogue remains sharp, avoiding many of the “friendship speech” clichés that occasionally bogged down the Cold Steel era. Instead, we see a more mature, contemplative cast grappling with the consequences of their past actions. The political intrigue involving the Republic of Calvard’s space program and the shadowy machinations of Ouroboros are handled with a sophistication that few RPGs can match. When the story hits its stride in the middle acts, the emotional payoffs for long-term fans are nothing short of breathtaking; yet for those of us without a PhD in Zemurian history, these are somewhat less poignant.
Pacing Issues and A High Barrier to Entry
Despite its brilliance, Beyond the Horizon is not without its flaws. The most glaring issue is the pacing of the first act. In typical Falcom fashion, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon takes a considerable amount of time to get moving. You can expect the first 10 to 15 hours to be dominated by world-building chores, repetitive “fetch-style” side quests and long stretches of exposition that move the needle very little. While the Switch 2s improved loading times make the traversal more bearable, they can’t fix a script that insists on a slow burn when the stakes are supposedly world-ending.
More concerning is The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon unwelcoming nature to outsiders. Beyond the Horizon is the 13th mainline entry in a continuous story, and it makes almost no effort to hide that fact. While there is a “Backstory” menu, it is a dry, text-heavy archive that fails to capture the emotional weight of past events. The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon assumes you already have a deep emotional connection to dozens of returning characters. Terms like “Sept-Terrion,” “The Great Twilight,” and “Etoile” are thrown around with minimal context, and key plot points rely on players remembering specific scenes from games released over a decade ago.
For returning players, it’s worth revisiting our The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak 2 PC Review to refresh how the arc evolved leading into this finale.
For a player jumping in for the first time on their shiny new Switch 2, the experience will likely be impenetrable. It’s a shame, as the core story is excellent, but the lack of a comprehensive “The Story So Far” video or a more organic tutorial for the worlds history makes this a difficult recommendation for anyone who hasn’t done their homework.
Switch 2 Performance and Technical Improvements
On the technical side, the Switch 2 finally gives the Trails series the room it needs to breathe. Gone are the jagged edges and frame-rate dips that plagued the original Switch ports of the Daybreak games. Here, the Republic of Calvard is rendered in crisp 4K when docked, with character animations particularly during S-Craftslooking more fluid than ever. The environmental textures in the technological city of Basel are a particular highlight showcasing the leap in fidelity.
If you’re curious about what the new hardware brings to the table overall, check out our breakdown of the Nintendo Switch 2: The Next Generation of Hybrid Gaming.
Final Verdict
The The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon is a triumphant, 100-hour epic that rewards series faithful and those willing to wade through its lore. It features a combat system that could be considered the pinnacle of the genre and writing that proves why Falcom is still a heavyweight in the JRPG space. However, its sluggish opening and refusal to accommodate new players keep it from being a universal masterpiece. The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon is a brilliant game, but one that demands you respect its history before it shows you its heart.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon Trailer
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The game was provided to us for the express purpose of reviewing.
The review was written by me and edited by my partner.
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