Trails into Reverie is the 11th entry in the ongoing series. It is crucial to play them in order to maximize the narrative. Crossbell (Trails from Zero/Trails to Azure) and Erebonia (Trails of Cold Steel I to IV) arcs are more or less epilogue chapters for Trails into Reverie. Six months have passed since the end of The Great Twilight. Now that the autonomous state of Crossbell has been freed by Erebonia, it is finally going to announce its independence. While continuing to have high-quality storytelling and character development that longtime fans expect, Reverie weaves a more streamlined experience compared to the rest of the series.
Rather than showing one main character, three different branches focus on a specific character. During Reverie, you get back into the shoes of former protagonists Lloyd Bannings and Rean Schwarzer, along with a masked individual known as “C.” Their paths cross again, and each of them overcomes personal burdens they’ve struggled with for years. Each character’s story reaches a satisfying conclusion, and I look forward to their return. While significant events occur to both Rean and C, Reverie feels more like Lloyd’s, with Crossbell the focus of the narrative. I was able to explore Crossbell in full 3D late in this nearly 60-hour entry. The characters in Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure were presented in a Chibi model style, so it was great to see everything I explored in those games in a new light.
Even though the series is known for having a level of free exploration, Reverie is a much more straightforward experience, similar to Trails in the Sky the 3rd. Since I enjoyed learning more about the world, I am disappointed that there are no traditional side quests. However, The Legend of Heroes masterfully makes the locations you return to across games feel evolved. Although there isn’t much to do at a location you haven’t encountered in several games, it’s still rewarding to explore and chat up familiar faces.
Although the Legend of Heroes series has been great overall, combat has remained mostly the same. It has been simplified over time, which is upsetting, but the core elements have remained. A new mechanic in this entry is called “United Front,” which allows you to deal massive damage to enemies or heal your entire party at once. While it didn’t fundamentally change how I approached fights compared to previous entries, it definitely saved me a lot of headaches. Besides the story, True Reverie Corridor is the main gameplay location. As well as serving as the cast’s home base, this is where most of the series’ side content lives, including fishing (a staple), and Vantage Masters card games. The game also offers fun minigames, such as a rail shooter, and trivia about the franchise as well as engaging trials with specific characters to gain unique upgrades.
Reverie Corridor’s main purpose is to level your party as a dungeon crawler. Each floor provided me with treasures and formidable enemies, which could unlock new characters, minigames, and “daydreams.” Reverie Corridor is my favorite unlock, since it tells the story of different cast members between Cold Steel IV and Trails into Reverie in fascinating slices of life. The Legend of Heroes has an impressive number of well-written and detailed characters. However, the main story focuses on just a few, so this is a great way to get a last hurrah. Toward the end of the game, I had over 40 characters to choose from. Each of whom I knew their intimate background from one or more of the previous 10 entries. This entry feels like a celebration of these characters and the incredible storytelling throughout the series.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie isn’t your average game. Nearly decades of world-building, character arcs, and detailed lore have culminated. It’s not perfect, but it’s the only franchise of its kind. Its monolithic status should be recognized alongside Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, and Persona. The details of the continent of Zemuria are unlike anything else in gaming. The cast now also has several of my favorite characters in the medium. With Reverie, almost twenty years of characters and stories have come to an end. This chapter’s narrative falls short of previous entries, but it is still more enjoyable than most others.
