The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie review

Reverie has a demanding requisite, so if you haven’t invested hundreds of hours into the property, enjoyment will be constrained. But those acquainted with Cold Steel and Crossbell can expect a gratifying payoff as well as a preview of the things to come in Calvard.

As a work of fiction, Nihon Falcom’s The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie is burdened with interconnecting an unprecedented amount of fiction. Not only does the game offer an epilogue for the Cold Steel quadrilogy and the Crossbell games, but it also provides a preface to the upcoming (at least in the West) Kuro no Kiseki arc. Falcom’s ambitions easily outstrip the world-building of The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, or the Wizarding World, extending an expansive collection of characters as well as pulpy political intrigue.

As such, Reverie is also a work that mandates familiarity with its mythology. And that’s a big ask from players. Before tackling the game, venturing through the Cold Steel games is a necessity, knowledge of the Crossbell arc is indispensable, and even playing through the original Trails in the Sky trilogy will pay dividends in the game’s Daydreams, which function as indulging side-stories. Many of these episodes help to fill in the five-month gap that exists between where Cold Steel IV ended and Reverie picks up. But they also act as a refresher if you haven’t revisited Class VII over the last few years.

A Suikoden-sized Cast

Expectedly, gathering a cast of 50+ characters from several different sub-series is no easy feat. Reverie’s obvious conceit is found in the True Reverie Corridor, which functions as a game within a game. Once unlocked, players can take their party into this procedurally-generated dungeon, augmenting their characters by gathering special shards. But to unite members from Trails’ different arcs, it’s assumed that characters don’t remember events proceeding the journey or have any memory of it after their adventure.

But any benefits gained in the Corridor satisfyingly carry over to the main game. But that’s hardly the biggest payoff. Witnessing the interactions of characters from all across Zemuria can feel like top-tier fan fiction. At its best, Reverie juxtaposes different personalities, exploring similarities or differences between its substantial roster of personalities, which can be a lot of fun for Trails devotees. But again, enjoyment depends on your familiarity with the property, with character sentiments frequently shaped by events in the collection of sub-series.

C, Star of the Show

Reverie’s other technique is the ingeniously named Trails to Walk mechanic, which extends a trio of intersecting plotlines. Lloyd Bannings’ plotline is arguably the least adventurous of the three, reworking the fight for the city of Crossbell’s independence from Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure. But it also establishes a substantial foundation for the actions in the other two tales. Given Cold Steel IV’s tendency to meander and that it has probably been a few years since you’ve got to play as Rean Schwarzer, catching up with the Thors Branch Campus instructor is poised to fan the flames of nostalgia.

The title’s other storyline focuses on a masked protagonist referred to as “C”. Without giving too much away, the Trails games have often explored the effects that geopolitics have on different people. C is one of the repercussions of previous franchise events, having witnessed a pair of wars and the consequences of forced occupation. As such, it’s not surprising that this is the most stimulating sub-plot, providing the kind of shrewd insights that Falcom is so good at providing.

Pick Your Own Path

But what’s especially interesting is Trails to Walk’s implementation, effectively allowing players to instantly shift between the three storylines, seizing control of a different protagonist. Expectedly, the developers repeatedly harness the possibilities of concurrent plots, allowing for interactions between the leads as well as Rashomon-esque contrasts of perspective. That said, the system has limitations, so if you venture too far ahead in one plotline, you’ll be forced to switch protagonists and catch up before proceeding. But largely, this constraint has little effect on Reverie’s sense of narrative freedom.

A more noticeable impact is the restrained number of side quests across the main campaign. Beyond the elimination of peculiar enemies, most of the non-compulsory assignments are found in True Reverie Corridor. Given Reverie’s trio of protagonists, this was undoubtedly an intentional decision to push the main plot along. That said, if you do need a reprieve from the storyline, mini-games like the Puyo Puyo-inspired Pom! Pom! Party! or the return of Vantage Masters can provide an enjoyable respite.

My Kingdom for Some Quartz

Expectedly, Trails into Reverie is accompanied by the obligatory DLC, everything from cosmetics, the official soundtrack, an art book, to a novel. But mercifully, shirks the dreadful practice of making progress rather tedious before turning around and trying to sell players shortcuts to bypass the monotony.

Gratifyingly, Reverie provides players with an ample amount of quartz, which can be used to augment the game’s substantial cast of characters. Players who enjoy cultivating party members will undoubtedly appreciate this approach, which extends quite a bit of tactical flexibility for adventuring parties. Factor in the possibilities for enhancement from the True Reverie Corridor and Reverie’s 40-hour campaign could nearly double in length. But if you’d rather focus on the storyline, it’s also possible to create your dream team and not worry about spending hours scouring menu screens to glean stat improvements.

Uno-style Reverses

The sizable approach to parties also shows up in Reverie’s turn-based battles. While fights generally stick to the franchise’s turn-based traditions, there are enough developments to ensure you’ll remain engaged. When your adventuring party is larger than four members, you can call up characters on standby. Charging your Assault Guage provides access to tide-turning stratagems such as Valiant Arts Valiant Attack, or Valiant Heal with the dominance of the command determined by the size of your team. Expectedly, harnessing these abilities becomes essential during Reverie’s formidable boss battles.

Beyond elemental advantages, the game also offers time-based ones as well. One example: you might see a critical indicator on the timeline, signaling a dreadful imminent onslaught. By using certain Crafts, you might be able to upset the turn order, providing your team with a potent opportunity. There’s always a reward for your efforts, with Reverie Points functioning like Cold Steel‘s Academic Points or Crossbell‘s Detective Points, providing new upgrade possibilities.

Trails into Reverie continues to employ the PhyreEngine, but Sony’s two-decade-old middleware is beginning to show its age. Although the performance was fine on Steam Deck and even aging GPUs like the GTX 1060, you’ll continue to notice the occasional medium-resolution texturing throughout your journey. Falcom continues to push the engine to its limit, as demonstrated by decent draw distances and charming character animation during cutscenes. But it’s also evident why the developer decided to use a new engine for Kuro no Kiseki. Full voice acting would have probably been a disproportionate budgetary expense, so Reverie offers partially performed dialog. But what gets voiced feels inconsistent, potentially sullying the sense of immersion in some scenes.

Conclusion

Despite some dramatic moments across the game’s trio of story arcs, The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie often feels celebratory. Outside of One Piece, few properties expect their audience to invest hundreds of hours of recreation of time with their characters. But Reverie rarely squanders an opportunity to satisfy its fans. From recalling dramatic moments to chance meeting between far-flung cast members, Nihon Falcom has a shrewd understanding of what will delight. And Reverie consistently does, scene after scene.