NIS America has announced the release date forThe Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon, the 13th entry in the long-runningTrailsseries of RPGs with interconnected narratives. The new game will be available on PC (Steam,Epic Store,GOG), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on August 06, 2025.
One More for the Calvard Arc
Developed byNihon Falcom, The Legend of Heroes is a series of RPGs that started back in 2004 in Japan with the release of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, also known as Sora no Kiseki FC. The game would later span a larger franchise of games that take place within the Zemuria continent, with various arcs letting players explore different countries through the perspective of various main characters.
Review: The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II
Arkride Solutions is back in business in The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II.
Trails Beyond the Horizon is the 13th game in the series and the third entry that takes players to events in the Republic of Calvard, following up on Trails through Daybreak and Daybreak II. In the new game, protagonist Van Arkride shares the spotlight with two other main characters from previous games: Rean Schwarzer from the Cold Steel series and Kevin from Trails in the Sky the 3rd.
The new game takes place as these individuals and their friends are invited to cooperate with Marduk in a high-tech training exercise. In the meantime, an unprecedented event is taking place: the people of the continent of Zemuria are preparing for their first foray into space.
Part of the game revolves around them learning some major secrets about the continent of Zemuria, some of which promise to be shocking developments for the whole series. It’ll be possible to play separate stories with the three aforementioned protagonists and the narrative ultimately converges into these revelations.
Check out the release date reveal trailer:
A Mix of Turn-Based and Action Battles
Continuing on the trend from The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak, Beyond the Horizon mixes two different gameplay systems: turn-based RPG and action RPG. The traditional turn-based battles are available as Command Battles, allowing for strategic and calculated control of turn orders and the skills for each character. However, an action element called Field Battle is also part of the game.
During exploration, it’s possible to directly attack enemies and even defeat them without entering turn-based combat. However, by stunning an enemy and then turning on the Command Battle, players can cause extra damage and gain other benefits that make alternating between systems an important asset.
Continuing on the trend from The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak, Beyond the Horizon mixes two different gameplay systems: turn-based RPG and action RPG.
In the new game, additional mechanics improve on these systems and add variations to combat options. One such addition is Shard Commands, which are continuous effects that can be activated during battle akin to the Brave Orders of Cold Steel III, IV and Trails into Reverie.
Meanwhile, the Field Battle now has a feature called Awakening which can boost specific characters. Another addition is the Z.O.C. which allows players to make time flow slower for enemies. Using both of those systems promises to give players more strategic options to explore during battles.
Another highlight of the experience is the Grim Garten, a dungeon that players will be able to explore with a custom party of their choosing. This will allow the creation of teams that would be impossible during the story with characters that may not interact with each other normally.
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