Editorial: Trails Beyond the Horizon Is the Massive, Messy Beginning of the End

The Bottom Line: The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon is a 100-hour behemoth that successfully kicks off the series' final act while simultaneously buckling under the weight of its own 20-year history. While the move to space exploration and the Switch 2 performance boost are massive wins, the experience is bogged down by repetitive side-content and narrative bloat that even veteran "Trails" fans might find exhausting.

We’ve been following the Zemurian saga for over two decades, and at this point, Nihon Falcom has created what is arguably the most complex narrative web in gaming history. Trails Beyond the Horizon doesn't just ask you to remember characters from 2004’s Trails in the Sky; it expects you to care about their new outfits and their feelings on intergalactic travel. It’s a lot to ask, but for those of us who have stayed the course, the payoff is starting to arrive.

The Combat Evolution: Speed vs. Substance

Our analysis of the gameplay shows a series in the middle of an identity crisis. Falcom is clearly trying to court a faster-paced audience by expanding the "Active" combat system first introduced in the Daybreak arc. You can now clear entire mobs using Arts and "Awakening" powers without ever entering a turn-based menu.

The Trade-off: While this makes dungeon crawling a breeze, it creates a weird meta where the core turn-based system—the very thing we loved about the series—starts to feel like a chore. When you finally hit a boss and the game forces you back into the timeline grid, the shift feels jarring rather than tactical.

Where the Game Gets in Its Own Way

We need to talk about the "Grim Garten." Much like the Märchen Garten from previous entries, this is a separate battle dimension designed for grinding and gear optimization. Our verdict? It’s a pacing killer. It rips you out of a compelling narrative about space exploration to make you run through procedurally generated hallways for better boots. Falcom should have integrated these rewards into the main story instead of forcing this repetitive loop on us.

Then there’s the narrative "fluff." We’re veteran JRPG fans—we expect some tropes—but the new "evil YouTuber" character is a swing and a miss. It feels like an ill-advised attempt to modernize a series that works best when it leans into its high-fantasy-meets-industrial-revolution roots. Our immersion didn't need a social media influencer villain.

Switch 2 Performance: The Handheld Hero

Playing this on the Switch 2 is a revelation for handheld enthusiasts. While the textures and assets aren't a massive leap over the previous games, the performance stability is the real story here. We noticed significantly faster load times and zero frame-rate chugging in the more populated towns. For a game that takes 100+ hours to beat, being able to play it reliably in handheld mode without the hardware screaming for help is a huge plus.

Key Pillars of the Experience:

• The World-Building: Still best-in-class. The towns feel alive, and the new efficiency tools for completionists (like shop icons for new items) are a godsend.
• The Narrative Dumps: Be prepared to read. A lot. The English voice acting is hit-or-miss, and the "lore dumps" are heavier than ever as the series prepares for its finale.
• Character Roster: It’s massive. If you haven't played the previous arcs, you're going to be lost. If you have, the "last-minute saves" and cameos provide the dopamine hits we’ve been waiting for.

Final Thoughts: A Rewarding Slog

We’ve seen the series grow from a small-scale political drama in Liberl to a cosmic-scale conflict. Trails Beyond the Horizon isn't the best entry point for newcomers—it’s a reward for the faithful. It’s messy, it’s far too long, and it’s obsessed with its own history. But despite the "Grim Garten" grind and the convoluted plot twists, the emotional core remains. We’re finally seeing the "Horizon," and while the path is bumpy, the view is worth the effort.