Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter released last year to near-universal acclaim from critics and fans. It was a lovingly crafted, ground-up remake of the first game in the Legend of Heroes franchise, originally released in 2004. The remake brought full 3D visuals, nuanced combat and a range of quality-of-life additions that made it far more approachable for newcomers.

With Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, Nihon Falcom has followed this crowd-pleasing rebirth with a sequel that’s every bit the success of its predecessor, with the added edge of a stronger narrative and slightly darker tone.

Taking place directly after the events of the first game, our hero siblings Joshua and Estelle Bright have defeated Colonel Richard and squashed his coup. Harmony returns to the Kingdom of Liberl, and the siblings are finally promoted to senior Bracers. Estelle gets at least one good night's sleep in, before waking to find her brother missing and revelations about his past promptly revealed by her father. She resolves to find Joshua, honing her skills as a Bracer (sanctioned peacekeepers of the land) and travelling to the capital to investigate her brother's disappearance. Estelle’s journey is one of rediscovery, visiting familiar locations, and reuniting with old companions as she’s lauded as a hero by the public. Along the way, she sees the impact of her victory against Richard’s coup and the effect her group had on Liberl.

It's an engrossing narrative, anchored by a compelling mystery as the gang hunts down Ouroboros, the shadowy puppet masters behind the first chapter's events. Estelle herself is still a bright and wholesome protagonist, while her brother eventually returns with a bit more of an edge than last time we saw him. Old party members return too, like the delightfully foppish Olivier, a bardic romantic who remains my favourite of them all.

There's a good selection of new companions, bringing a variety of combat utility and story content. Swordsmith Anelace is particularly interesting as a rival and peer to Estelle. Events kick off at a good pace as well. There's no need for exhaustive onboarding, and the quest sends you out into the world much quicker than last time.

The stronger story of 2nd Chapter is bolstered by a more refined battle system and a returning glut of quality-of-life features that smooth over the grind inherent in such an expansive RPG. These are 50-hour adventures even if you stick to the absolute bare minimum of the main story, double that if you tackle all the side content, and triple it if you spend all your time fishing. Anything that shaves precious moments off repeating content is a gift that should be recognised.

The core combat loop is carried over from 1st Chapter. You can choose between real-time "quick" combat and a deep, turn-based queue system. There are just so many ways to make things dead in these games. Counters and chained follow-ups are supported by Brave Attacks and devastating Overdrive specials. Orbments (materia-like gems) can be equipped to each party member, unlocking offensive and defensive spells and giving you the freedom to build your party as you see fit.

New for this chapter is the Brave Rush, a quick battle option that consumes Brave gauge points for a powerful team-up ability. The Enforcer Boost is a new and more powerful version of Rage, which only certain party members can wield.

Much like the previous game, the fights are heaps of fun, and there's enough variety in the rotations that turn-based or quick battle seldom feels like a slog. The quality-of-life features that made the previous game such a breeze help here too. High speed mode and the ability to skip through combat animations are features that should always be present in RPGs of this size. There is grind, but it’s effortless and enjoyable thanks to these systems.

Alongside the return of a joyful combat system is the gorgeous visual update of Liberl and its inhabitants. The FDK engine doesn't push any boundaries of modern visual fidelity, but as a complete overhaul of the original games, it's a triumph. Estelle and her companions move fluidly in and out of combat, and the world they inhabit is brimming with personality. The exploration of the previous games' events adds an extra dimension to interactions, which largely mitigates the feeling that you've travelled these paths before.

Performance and general visual identity are basically identical to Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter, though the performance and quality mode toggle is available from launch here (it was patched in later for the first game). Both modes target 60fps. Quality mode offers sharper models but less reliable stability, with occasional wobbles in the open world and some interiors. Performance mode softens the edges and delivers stable frames, making it the easy choice in the long run. There are no significant dips in handheld mode, though that aforementioned softness is a bit more prominent when undocked.

Once again there's a sweeping orchestral score filled with memorable compositions and battle themes. Voice acting is strong throughout, though incidental dialogue in battle and the open world is often too chatty. Japanese audio tracks are available alongside English, though I'd recommend the former, as the latter carries some shrill and occasionally annoying performances.