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| The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon brings multiple story arcs together as the series moves closer to its endgame. |
By Jon Scarr
Trails Beyond the Horizon doesn’t waste time easing you back into Falcom’s long-running RPG series. From the opening stretch, it’s clear this entry assumes you’ve been following along and are ready to keep moving forward. This isn’t a reset, a recap, or a friendly jumping-in point. It’s a continuation that builds directly on what came before and expects you to bring that context with you.
That choice defines the entire experience. If you’ve spent time with the Daybreak games and earlier arcs, Beyond the Horizon feels like a moment where long-running threads start inching closer together. Characters, ideas, and conflicts that have been developing over multiple games begin to overlap in ways that feel intentional. You can tell the series is focused on lining things up right now instead of piling on new ideas, and that makes this entry feel different from what came before.
At the same time, that commitment comes with tradeoffs. The game is comfortable in its identity and structure, and it rarely pauses to explain itself. Familiar patterns return quickly, from how the story unfolds to how exploration and progression are paced. For returning players, that familiarity can be reassuring. For anyone hoping for a major shift in how Trails presents itself, it becomes clear early on that this isn’t that kind of entry.
Still, Beyond the Horizon establishes its priorities clearly. It’s focused on pushing the story forward, keeping character relationships front and centre, and refining systems rather than reworking them. Whether that approach works for you will depend heavily on how invested you already are, but there’s no mistaking what this game sets out to do from the start.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon Details
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, PC
Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch 2
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: NIS America
Genre: RPG (JRPG)
Available game modes: Single-player
When Three Paths Start to Cross
Trails Beyond the Horizon tells its story by splitting time between three playable leads, each approaching the same growing situation from a different angle. Van Arkride remains the most grounded presence, spending much of his time dealing with how Calvard’s space program affects people on a day-to-day level. His sections focus on public reaction, missing persons, and the quieter consequences of larger decisions, which gives his part of the story a slower, more personal feel early on.
Rean Schwarzer’s chapters pull the camera back. His perspective spends more time with institutions, authority figures, and the political forces shaping events behind the scenes. There’s a steadiness to his role that reflects everything he’s already lived through in earlier arcs. Kevin Graham’s storyline goes in another direction entirely, following a more secretive thread that keeps its purpose hidden for longer before gradually revealing how it connects to the bigger picture.
This rotating structure gives the narrative a lot of range, but it also affects pacing in noticeable ways. Some sections move quickly and deliver meaningful developments, while others take their time circling ideas before pushing ahead. When the three paths begin to overlap, those shared moments carry extra weight, especially for players who recognize how much history sits behind these characters.
The story works best when it sticks to the characters instead of constantly trying to ramp things up. A lot of it comes down to conversations, small moments, and long-running relationships carrying scenes, especially when the bigger mystery takes a breather. At the same time, the game is very comfortable doing things the way Trails always has. It assumes you’re patient and already invested, and while that pays off once things start landing, getting there can sometimes feel longer than it needs to.
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| Story scenes often blend character moments with large-scale combat encounters tied directly to the main plot. |
Combat That Keeps Things Moving
Trails Beyond the Horizon sticks with the hybrid combat system introduced in the Daybreak games, blending real-time action with traditional turn-based battles. Most encounters start directly in the field, letting you move freely, attack enemies, and build momentum before deciding whether it’s worth shifting into turn-based mode. That setup helps smaller fights wrap up quickly instead of dragging things out.
The action side is simple, but it does its job. Dodging, positioning, and timing attacks matter enough to stay engaging, especially when dealing with groups of weaker enemies. Mechanics like ZOC and character awakenings give you more control over how encounters play out, letting you slow things down or push through tougher opponents without constantly stopping to switch systems. These additions don’t change how combat fundamentally works, but they make it feel smoother over longer stretches.
Turn-based battles are still where the deeper decisions live. Turn order, movement, and ability timing all come into play, and the freedom to swap between combat styles at any point adds flexibility. ZOC carries over here as well, allowing characters to act back-to-back when timing lines up. Used well, it can shift the flow of a fight without feeling overpowering.
Character building remains a big part of the experience. Equipment choices, orbment setups, and skill selection shape how each party member functions, and the game encourages experimenting as more characters join the roster. With so many options available, it’s easy to adjust roles without constantly rebuilding everything from scratch.
Nothing here reinvents Trails combat, but it doesn’t need to. The mix of action and turn-based systems keeps things moving, and the added mechanics give you more ways to stay in control without turning every encounter into a checklist of systems to manage.
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| Combat blends real-time movement with turn-based tactics, letting you shift approaches mid-fight using systems like ZOC. |
A Familiar Look That Doesn’t Get in the Way
Trails Beyond the Horizon sticks closely to the visual direction Falcom has been using in recent entries, and that consistency works in its favour. Character models, environments, and effects are all easy to read whether you’re exploring towns, moving through dungeons, or jumping between combat styles. Nothing feels cluttered or confusing, which helps the game stay comfortable to play without constantly pulling your attention away.
Cutscenes are handled cleanly and do what they need to do. Scenes are easy to follow, and character animation carries a lot of the weight during conversations. Facial expressions and small movements help sell interactions, while combat animations give attacks enough presence to feel solid without overwhelming the screen. It’s not trying to impress with spectacle, but it gets across what’s happening without feeling stiff or awkward.
World design also feels practical. Towns are laid out in a way that makes getting around feel natural, and dungeons are structured clearly enough that you’re rarely fighting the environment itself. Some locations will feel familiar if you’ve already spent time in Calvard, but NPC activity and environmental details help keep areas from feeling empty or static.
Audio does its job without drawing too much attention to itself. Music fits investigative sections and story scenes comfortably, then shifts when things pick up. Voice performances help keep such a large cast feeling distinct, especially with so many returning characters. Not every line is voiced, but it works given how much dialogue the game throws at you, and familiar characters sound settled in their roles.
Overall, Beyond the Horizon looks and sounds like a Trails game that knows what it’s aiming for. It doesn’t chase big visual moments, but nothing feels distracting or out of place while you’re playing.
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| Combat animations and environmental detail carry much of the game’s visual presentation during both battles and exploration. |
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon Moves the Story Forward Without Shaking the Formula
Trails Beyond the Horizon feels like a game that’s meant for players who have already committed to the series. It doesn’t try to explain itself or reshape what Trails is at this point. Instead, it focuses on bringing familiar characters together and moving the larger story closer to where it’s clearly been heading for a while now.
That approach pays off in a few important ways. Seeing Van, Rean, and Kevin together gives the story a sense of payoff, and their different perspectives help keep things interesting even when the plot takes its time. Combat stays flexible enough to support the game’s length, and once you settle into how everything flows, it rarely feels like it’s wasting your time.
At the same time, it’s hard to ignore how comfortable the structure has become. The pacing can feel overly safe, and some stretches take longer than they need to before delivering meaningful movement. It never fully drags the experience down, but it does stand out in a series that’s been running for so long. There’s a growing sense that refinement alone might not be enough forever.
Still, Beyond the Horizon succeeds at what it sets out to do. It rewards familiarity and patience, and it brings several ongoing threads closer together without losing sight of its characters. It doesn’t reinvent Trails, and it doesn’t pretend to. Instead, it feels like a solid step forward on a very long road, one that longtime fans will appreciate even as they start wondering what comes next once the series finally reaches the destination it’s been moving toward.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon Review Summary
Liked
- Three-lead structure gives the story variety and payoff for long-time fans.
- Hybrid combat stays quick in the field and tactical when you want it to be.
- ZOC and awakenings add more control without overcomplicating the basics.
- Party building remains flexible with plenty of room to experiment.
- Clean visuals and strong audio support the character-heavy focus.
Didn't Like
- Pacing can feel overly safe, especially early on.
- Structure will feel very familiar if you’ve played the recent entries.
- Not a good starting point if you’re new to Trails.
Overall Assessment of The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon
Gameplay: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.0 / 5)
Presentation: ⭐⭐⭐½☆ (3.5 / 5)
Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.0 / 5)
Story: ⭐⭐⭐½☆ (3.5 / 5)
Fun Factor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.0 / 5)
Overall Value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (3.8 / 5)
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