The Trails franchise loves its cliffhangers. Plenty of games end with a painful "to be continued," leaving players to wait for the next chapter. While we're still waiting for the climax to Trails Through the Horizon's agonizing cliffhanger, Trails in the Sky: 2nd Chapter offers a reminder of another painful ending: the original Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter. Thankfully, unlike the original English release, the wait for 2nd Chapter was only about a year. More importantly, it satisfyingly resolves the first game's twist ending while delivering a fantastic RPG in its own right.

Trails in the Sky: 2nd Chapter opens mere moments after the first game. Estelle Bright has finally achieved her goal of becoming a senior Bracer and helped save her home country of Liberl from an attempted coup. Then her partner, Joshua, reveals that he has become involved in something dangerous, knocks her out, and vanishes. Estelle sets off on a new adventure to discover why Joshua abandoned her and how his disappearance connects to Ouroboros and its "Gospel Plan," which threatens not just Liberl but potentially all of Zemuria.

2nd Chapter is a highly satisfying second half to the story, paying off the slow burn established by the first game. The introduction is still somewhat slow, but familiarity with the characters and setting means the game can dive into its more complex plot without spending hours reintroducing Estelle and Joshua. Even during the slower sections, there's a greater sense that something is happening beneath the surface, and the story gradually builds toward a tremendously satisfying conclusion.

While there is a third Trails in the Sky game, it's more of a side story and setup for the next game, so 2nd Chapter doesn't feel like an incomplete middle chapter in a trilogy.

You should absolutely play 1st Chapter before 2nd Chapter. The sequel can technically stand alone, but it wastes little time reintroducing the first game's events or characters and assumes you're familiar with the cast. There's a useful tutorial to get you back into the mechanics, but this is very much the second half of a two-part story. Without the context of the first game, much of its emotional payoff would be lost.

I'm also thankful that 2nd Chapter's translation is a significant improvement. The developers clearly took the criticism of the previous localization to heart, revamping terminology and dialogue to better match later games in the franchise. Even pronunciations have been updated, making places like Liberl sound more accurate and considerably less goofy. These changes were later backported to the first game, but it's still nice that 2nd Chapter starts with the improved localization already in place.

The combat and core gameplay are largely unchanged from the first game. If you haven't played 1st Chapter, the easiest way to describe the system is a mix of real-time and turn-based combat. Characters move around the battlefield in real time and can attack freely, with regular attacks building a charge meter for powerful Craft attacks. Dodge attacks help build the meter faster, while the new Brave Rush lets both characters unleash their charge attacks simultaneously for heavy damage and stun. It's a useful addition when dealing with groups of enemies, but it doesn't fundamentally change the combat.

At any point, you can switch into turn-based combat, with stunned enemies giving you an advantage. Boss fights begin in this mode, which gives you access to a wider range of abilities, including magical Arts and powerful S-Crafts. As a result, characters are considerably stronger in turn-based combat.

Enemies are more dangerous this time around, with many gaining Rage Boosts that temporarily increase their stats and unlock new attacks. In story battles, these boosts can even let enemies survive otherwise lethal attacks, preventing you from simply bursting them down before their counterattacks. The biggest bosses get Enforcer Boosts, essentially longer and more powerful Rage Boosts that add another layer to the hardest fights without becoming overwhelming.

Overall, 2nd Chapter is tougher than 1st Chapter, largely because it assumes you understand the mechanics and doesn't spend as much time easing you into them. Your equipment and quartz are reset, so you don't start at the same level of power where you finished the previous game, but the difficulty ramps up quickly. After playing several Trails games, I appreciated that the sequel trusts the player to understand its systems rather than slowly introducing them all over again.

Outside of combat, the structure remains familiar. You travel between towns, solve problems, and take on side-quests, earning Bracer Points that affect your Bracer rank. Reaching certain ranks grants powerful rewards, while side-quests offer substantial prizes and frequently contain fun character moments or story developments. As in the previous remake, most side-quests and optional objectives are clearly marked on the map, making it much easier to maintain a perfect BP ranking without constantly consulting a guide.

Fishing, a minor feature in the first game, has also been expanded into a full-fledged side activity. Estelle can fish in most sufficiently large bodies of water, using different rods and bait to catch a variety of fish. Nearly every catch provides some kind of reward. Fishing has become a Trails staple, so it isn't particularly exciting, but it's still nice to cast a line again.

My biggest criticism of 2nd Chapter is also its most obvious feature: It's the second chapter. The appeal comes from its stronger pacing and more intense story, not from major changes to the gameplay. The core mechanics remain largely the same, albeit with a higher difficulty level. That gameplay loop is still enjoyable, but playing 2nd Chapter immediately after 1st Chapter can lead to some fatigue, even as the story becomes increasingly engaging.

The same applies to the graphics. Like 1st Chapter, 2nd Chapter is arguably the best-looking Trails game yet. The characters are charmingly cartoony and well animated, while the cut scenes put considerable effort into making their action feel dynamic. It's a visual step up from Horizon, but there's almost no discernible difference between the two Sky chapters, so you know exactly what you're getting. Voice acting has improved somewhat as well, partly because of the localization overhaul, with names and terminology now pronounced more accurately. It isn't a night-and-day difference, but it makes for a smoother presentation.

Trails in the Sky: 2nd Chapter is a darn fine RPG and exactly what its title promises: the second half of a two-part game. It doesn't try to reinvent the formula, and its modest combat additions don't substantially change the experience. Instead, its greatest strength is the story, which finally delivers the payoff to Estelle and Joshua's journey and builds toward an exciting conclusion. If you enjoyed 1st Chapter, 2nd Chapter is an easy recommendation. It may not dramatically change the gameplay, but its stronger story, satisfying character arcs, and excellent climax make it one of the standout entries in the Trails series.

Score: 8.5/10