The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak PS5 Review
"For those of who have been keeping up with Nihon Falcom's legendary and multi-title spanning Trails saga know that the Calvard Republic comes up in just about every single game so far, but not once have we been able to see what all the fuss is about......until now!"
"Set in the capital of Calvard, Edith, our tale begins directly after the events that occur in Crossbell during Trails Into Reverie, we begin with a new protagonist who goes by the name Van Arkride, who happens to run his own agency called Arkride Solutions. Working independently of the Bracer Guild & the local law enforcement, Van refers to his job title as a "spriggan", a term he dubs as "a person who solves problems for those with the money to pay who may not want to go to the police or guild due to certain circumstances. Van is willing to hear anyone out and will pick and choose his jobs, but he is not your ordinary Trail's protagonist. While in other Trails' games, the protagonist of the story often can best be described as "goody two shoes" or a character who can do no wrong, Van is an interesting change of course for the series as he is willing to work for even shady individuals who are deemed criminals as long as the pay is good. He does have his own personal standards and sense of a moral code, but this factor alone is really what sets Daybreak apart from characters such as Rean & Lloyd Bannings."
"The combat is roughly the same as before, which is active time battle, with monsters on the field or in dungeons being bumped into to activate. Only difference this time is, along with the ability to do battle that way, you can opt for a more action oriented way of eliminating foes akin to how the Y's series handles its combat. At any time, players can push square to "activate shards" and with the power of the new combat orbment known as the "Xipha" which is the newest and most advanced battle orbment still in the prototype stage. Van is a Kunlun trained martial artist helping to test it's abilities and is among a very select few who have the latest generation of combat orbment. This makes strategy a key in deciding how to go about eliminating some foes but ultimately its a small feature in a game that really shines on it's introduction to a great and unique cast of characters who all have unique backgrounds and are drawn to each other through fate or circumstance to stop the evil deeds being commited by a mafia-type syndicate group of assassins who go by the name Almata or A."
"The game will see you travel and pick up various new employees, and they all stand out as interesting and unique. The first one outside of Van that we get introduced to is the sweet and innocent Agnes Claudel, an Aramis Academy Student who is at the center of the plot, a mission she brings to an unenthusiastic Van concerning the retrieval of her great grandfather's artifacts known only as Geneses. It isn't long before the roster fills out more with characters such as the fearless but cute little jaeger with the Warriors of Kruga, Feri Al-Fayed, the enigmatic bad boy Aaron Wei, and many others, who all are interesting additions to the cast and who all have unique backgrounds and reasons for wanting to aid in the search for the 8 artifacts. It soon becomes clear that there is more to these Geneses and that a certain group of baddies are also either in pursuit of them or already in possession of them."
"The locations in the Calvard Republic are all vastly different from one another, Edith, being akin to Erebonia's Heimdallr. There are plenty of nods to the series past and all the events that have occurred in other countries such as Liberl, Crossbell & Erebonia being referenced and given justice here. At this point in the long running saga, Calvard is experiencing a economic "boom" due to the war reparations having to be paid by Erebonia for it's role in starting the Jormungandr War. You can read about this in the newspapers in game, and you may also be surprised to see a few familiar faces. Another new feature in Daybreak is the option to partake in a movie at the theater, which is seeing a huge rise in popularity in Calvard. You may also learn to cook foods and recipes which will have battle stat buffing qualities should you possess the necessary materials to cook them, all of which can be gained via combat"
"Even so, the best new feature of Daybreak may be something you may not expect. Don't get me wrong, the story and characters are great and there is always plenty of NPC's to chat up to give you the rundown of events taking place around the Republic. Van, himself is the feature. Not only is a cool, suave character who may not show it immediately, but possesses a very big heart who deeply cares those who come under his wing and employ. He isn't Rean or Lloyd or Estelle though. While some may look at Van as a problem, you will soon see that Van just does what most do in the real world, lives life to the fullest, and helps those who may otherwise fall through the cracks of society, problems which may be sensitive or on a need-to-know basis. Van is a professional who keeps all matters confidential and he is an interesting dynamic to a series obsessed with protagonists who are out to be a hero in the name of justice. Van is just a guy who want his money or mira but at the same time takes his job very seriously and also he has more in common with these sought after artifacts than he has yet to discover. Another amazing story filled with memorable moments!!"