Released 2025 September, Trails in the Sky the First was hailed as a genuinely solid remake. By taking the universally loved elements of the original narrative and combat system, and fusing them with the quality-of-life features and snappy combat pace of the series' latest entries, it carved out an ideal entry point for newcomers diving into a nearly two-decade-long journey.

Slated to launch on September 17, Trails in the Sky the Second (hereafter Trails in the Sky Second) arrives just a year later. Picking up right where its predecessor's ending left off, the original version was even better received than the first game, kicking off the franchise's runaway popularity in earnest. Naturally, I had to dive in and see for myself whether Trails in the Sky Second manages to live up to that storied legacy.

Trails in the Sky Second essentially balances itself on two narrative pillars. The first follows the protagonist Estelle as she tracks down Joshua, while the second involves thwarting the shadowy schemes of the Ouroboros society. The real charm of Trails in the Sky Second lies in how smoothly these dual threads intertwine to drive the plot forward.

Because of this, the structure of each chapter feels somewhat uniform at first glance. Arriving in a new town, you are invariably greeted by some bizarre incident presumably orchestrated by Ouroboros. Investigating leads you straight to an Enforcer or Anguis suspected of pulling the strings. Once you trade blows with them, you either secure a clue regarding Joshua's whereabouts or trigger a similar crisis in the next settlement.

Naturally, this journey peels back layers of betrayal and plot twists. Granted, seasoned fans of the Trails series will already know the true identities of these Enforcers and Anguis, but for everyone else, the unfolding drama holds genuine appeal. What strikes me, especially coming from other titles in the franchise, is just how many Enforcers were introduced right from Trails in the Sky First and Second. It offers a fascinating peek into Nihon Falcom's long-term world-building, utilizing these figures heavily rather than treating them as disposable throwaways.

You might worry that this episodic structure risks becoming repetitive, but Trails in the Sky Second shakes things up via an array of side quests. True to the ethos of a bracer—essentially a high-end mercenary outfit—tasks range from standard monster extermination to decidedly mundane errands like tracking down lost felines or misplaced wedding rings. Along the way, Falcom injects its trademark brand of cheeky humour.

One aspect of Trails in the Sky Second that truly deserves applause is its presentation, hand-in-hand with the writing. From Estelle's initial heartbreak over parting with Joshua, the character expressions and vocal performances represent a massive leap forward compared to past iterations. Starting with Ys X: Nordics and rolling straight into The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki and the Trails in the Sky remakes, you can physically see Falcom's technical prowess and directorial confidence levelling up.

Chapter 4's main storyline, in particular, demonstrates precisely what it means to remake a classic. As Estelle glimpses into the past, sequences depicting a younger Estelle, heartfelt exchanges with family, and the grueling process of overcoming trauma echo the original Trails in the Sky SC while translating it into a modern visual language that packs an emotional punch.

Side quests also benefit heavily from this heightened presentation. Certain missions reward you with extra dialogue and better loot if you hunt down hidden secondary objectives, lending a welcome dose of realism to the concept of taking on 'contracts.' Even the most trivial side activities show clear effort in injecting immersion through dialogue. Characters sport unguarded facial expressions, casual everyday outfits, and charming character moments, alongside various costumes designed to give the fandom plenty to obsess over.

That said, translating some of these elements into a 3D environment introduces a few awkward friction points. Prime examples include the Phantom Thief B's repetitive treasure hunt quests and Renne's one-off game of hide-and-seek. Both are fun the first time or two, but because the hidden spots are often invisible to the naked eye, you end up awkwardly shuffling around until an interaction prompt finally appears.

The combat encounters have received a noticeable spike in difficulty compared to the previous game. In Trails in the Sky First, you rarely had to break a sweat during standard scraps. While certain bosses and Enforcers naturally packed a punch, their high difficulty made narrative sense and they could generally be managed without pulling your hair out.

In Trails in the Sky Second, however, enemies flex serious combat muscle right out of the gate. For starters, even the tutorial dungeon boasts a sprawling scale. Regular mobs feature beefy physical defense stats that render standard physical strikes practically useless, and in worst-case scenarios, they even pack 'reflect' crafts. Bosses—led by the formidable Enforcers—go without saying, demanding absolute mastery over special gimmicks and punishing status ailments.

While the main story bosses show at least a shred of mercy, certain side quest bosses exist purely to humble you. The 'Divine Pingu' stands out as an absolute nightmare; even if you wipe out its underlings first, it casually recasts 'Samba de Pingu' to summon backup, throwing your entire party into confusion while dragging everyone into the centre for a wicked follow-up pattern. On occasion, it spungs Samba de Pingu back-to-back, followed immediately by an S-Break that leaves even Kloe's S-Craft struggling to keep the team alive. I'll admit it—I swallowed my pride and dropped the difficulty to Easy just to put down the Divine Pingu.

Fortunately, this steep difficulty curve flattens out as you progress, especially once you lean harder into Arts rather than relying solely on Crafts. Trails in the Sky Second grants access to a wonderfully diverse pool of offensive Arts; even with Estelle alone, quartz customization lets you tap into high-tier elemental magic by the mid-game. Strategies like stealing Zero Arts bonuses or carefully plotting magic AoEs over enemy coordinates become mandatory. While other entries in the Trails series let you lean heavily on Crafts due to Arts casting delays, Trails in the Sky Second forces you to distribute and utilize Arts properly.

Cooking and fishing step up as newly emphasized side features in Trails in the Sky Second. While cooking existed in the previous game, its importance has clearly scaled up. Because overall difficulty has risen, situations where you need to instantly bail out the party using Kloe's or Kevin's S-Crafts pop up frequently, driving up the value of CP-recovery dishes. Furthermore, 'party dishes' that apply temporary buffs to the entire roster make gathering diverse culinary ingredients genuinely worthwhile.

Failed cooking attempts lean into a delightfully comedic style. Most yield attacks hurled at enemies or erratic fire-breathing animations, and 'peculiar dishes' generally offer effects slightly worse than the originals rather than outright offensive utility. Still, a few peculiar dishes carry unique values—for instance, 'The Skeletal,' a botched version of 'The Substantial,' trades away stat boosts and health restoration for an extra 5 CP recovery, making it a situational favourite over the base recipe.

Fishing similarly breaks up the relentless loop of hunting monsters and grinding quests. As you push through the campaign, you acquire multiple fishing rods, each compatible with specific baits that hook different varieties of fish. Bait acquisition feels somewhat limited since you rely on slaying monsters or clearing quests, but in a neat twist, you can actually reuse caught fish as bait, creating a delightfully endless loop.

To wrap things up, Trails in the Sky Second delivers a sophomore remake that comfortably outshines mere nostalgia. Estelle's crusade to shatter the society's conspiracies and track down Joshua is rendered in a style fitting for 2026, capturing the raw emotional weight of the original material. Meanwhile, the combat has been tuned sharper and tenser specifically to challenge returning veterans. Given the hefty spoilers tucked into the early hours, I wholeheartedly recommend experiencing the predecessor or the original title first.