
I first got into Falcom games through Tokyo Xanadu, which if you haven’t played that game I’ll wait. No seriously, it sort of has a Persona 5 like vibe of being in a living breathing city but sets itself apart. That being said, The Legend of Heroes games have their own lore to go off of in that regard. Set in an almost European city, Daybreak is a new chapter in the series and that’s a good thing for any newcomers out there.
The Legend of Heroes games tell fantastic story arcs, but usually it helps to know what in the world is going on. Let say the Trails of Cold Steel series. It isn’t the best to just dive in on the third release of that arc. However Trails through Daybreak is a fresh beginning and it feels like you’re being eased into a new story.
We begin with a sort of investigator named Van Arkride who is helping a girl find a lost family heirloom. Which seems all straight forward until you throw in the fact that he’s not the most law abiding citizen. Quickly you’ll meet other questionable characters and law enforcement as well. All of this is in a massive block of story before you even set foot into the first dungeon.
You’d think with all of the modern-esque setting that this would be a more down to earth story. But no, you’ll quickly face off against monsters in the subway maintenance tunnels under the city. That isn’t to say that’s a bad thing. Let alone there’s technology and and bunch of quirks throughout.
Combat is a bit different with two options. You can drop a shard to jump into turn based combat, or literally run through dungeons waving your weapon around and bashing foes as you come across them. This has almost a Final Fantasy 12 vibe where you pull them into interaction when you get near enough. Otherwise if you dip into turn based combat you get all your goodies, magic, skills, of course in the form of Trials branded terms instead. The cool thing is, you can mix it up. Dash in, start attacking, and find out your foes aren’t just falling? Boop into turn based mode. Gotta run through a dungeon? Then just action combat everyone and even use dodge to get out of the way of their attacks. Not to mention a speed up option to zip around when you just want to pick up the pace.
I feel like I’ve said this a lot lately with NIS titles, but the main bulk of this is just enjoying the world. Daybreak feels even a bit more heavy in that sense, which is more so traditional for Falcom games. You’ll wander around, talk to folks, and in general almost have a Yakuza like feel to just being in the world. Not to mention all the dialogue between characters jumping in and out of voice acted segments to regular RPG text only chatter. Connection events further add more to the story by letting you get to know the various characters more and is essentially a bonding system to get bonuses..
There’s a ton to do here as the game progresses really making it into a traditional JRPG. Which again, you’re going to be making a home here instead of just blowing through a storyline. There’s side quests and just a lot to relax and explore as the game goes on.
Really the highlight of any Trails game, with this one being no exception, is the characters. Sure, that wraps up into the story as well, but the main point is the heavy dialogue and such is actually enjoyable. It never really feels too focused on tropes or making the characters two dimensional. Which leans into having the game be more like Final Fantasy and the like, rather than a run of the mill anime RPG experience.
The main thing here is if you miss traditional quality JRPGs and want that old school Final Fantasy 7-8 kind of vibe, Daybreak is a good jumping on point and it has a darker edge to it. I’d say give it a go. There’s enough depth to the systems and story that make for a solid RPG to just sit on the couch for a few days and really tackle. Not to mention difficulty settings if you do just want to breeze through and enjoy the story.