The Legend of Heroes: Trails Past the Horizon is the thirteenth recreation within the long-running RPG sequence developed by Nihon Falcom. Van Arkride returns as one of many fundamental protagonists in Horizon, however the story gives three completely different routes that it’s essential to play by means of to complete the sport. This isn’t the one change Trails Past the Horizon brings, because it introduces new methods to make use of and extra characters to handle.
With a substantial variety of new options, Horizon may even go away veteran gamers feeling a bit misplaced. So as to help each skilled gamers and new ones who might have change into curious concerning the brand-new Trails recreation after falling in love with the remake of the primary entry, we have now put collectively an inventory of six tricks to be one of the best spriggan in Trails Past the Horizon.
No, you should not play Trails Past the Horizon earlier than the opposite video games
When you’re actually new to the sequence — having simply dipped your toes within the Trails sequence by taking part in Trails within the Sky 1st Chapter Remake final yr — I perceive that you just’re looking forward to extra Trails and questioning whether or not you possibly can benefit from the latest entry with out having performed the, hm, different 11 video games within the sequence. The quick reply is not any, you possibly can’t. I imply, technically you possibly can, however hear me out.
Whereas different titles within the sequence, akin to Trails from Zero, Trails of Chilly Metal, and Trails Via Dawn are good beginning factors even with out some prior data concerning the sequence, Trails Past the Horizon isn’t.
The sport’s narrative is structured round occasions and characters from earlier Trails video games, and it’ll brazenly handle key moments from all the opposite arcs, which might spoil your expertise if you happen to plan on checking them out. Even if you happen to do not thoughts spoilers, little or no of the marketing campaign will make sense, as the sport assumes you’ve performed the others. It will not clarify beats like who Almata is, why Van can flip right into a demon-like creature, or why Quatre makes use of the sauna by themselves.
Arkride Options is one of the best gang
We all know that Rean Schwarzer from the Path of Chilly Metal video games, and Kevin Graham, from the Trails within the Sky video games, are a part of the roster in Trails Past the Horizon, every accountable for a special route. One is a Divine Blade and the opposite is a member of the Church, which implies they’re extremely robust — and you may play with them. Nonetheless, do not let these two good-looking guys idiot you: Arkride Options members are nonetheless a very powerful characters within the recreation.
Though every route gives distinctive challenges for its respective group, the Arkride Options gang is certain to face the hardest ones. Due to that, you must at all times prioritize them when allocating sources. Whether or not it is new tools, highly effective Quartz, or an upgraded Holo, Van’s group ought to at all times come first. Even when you possibly can combine Van’s, Rean’s, and Kevin’s teams to type the uber staff, you must make certain to maintain many of the Arkride Options members with you so they’re at all times receiving expertise and leveling up.
Don’t ignore Grim Garten
It has been some time since Nihon Falcom started including facet content material within the type of a dungeon-crawling mode, the place characters can bounce out and in both due to magic or know-how. In Trails Past the Horizon, this takes the type of Grim Garten, a twisted model of the Märchen Garten from Trails Via Dawn 2, a digital actuality dungeon.
As a result of it’s an optionally available facet quest and the sport solely forces you to play the primary ranges of the Garten, you may be tempted to by no means return and focus solely on the marketing campaign. Nonetheless, you must at all times discover time to clear all of the out there flooring within the Grim Garten.
Picture: NIS America/Nihon Falcom by way of Polygon
Regardless of how tedious clearing the flooring may be, Grim Garten continues to be one of the best place to stage up your characters. It is fairly uncommon to discover places the place you discover monsters to combat in Trails Past the Horizon. More often than not, you will be speaking to individuals in a bar, or having fun with a pleasant slice of cake. Due to that, the extra passive leveling periods not often occur.
Fortunately, you possibly can entry the Grim Garten everytime you need by means of one of many terminals positioned in every main metropolis. As you progress within the marketing campaign, new flooring unlock, providing stability challenges tailor-made to your present stage. On the similar time, by exploring the flooring, you’ll receive particular gadgets and even outfits on your characters, making each session a win.
Artwork Drivers are fairly uncommon now
Artwork Drivers have been launched within the Dawn arc and have since change into key components relating to constructing characters. An Artwork Driver often comes with a preset of offensive and defensive arts, together with a hard and fast variety of free slots for extra arts. Relying on the function a personality would have within the social gathering (for instance, a caster, a healer, or a tank), you’d select the Artwork Driver that most closely fits them. The thought stays the identical in Trails Past the Horizon, however acquiring new Artwork Drivers is definitely the problem.
Not like in Trails Via Dawn 1 and a couple of, the place you could possibly purchase Artwork Drivers from common outlets utilizing mira, that is now not an possibility in Horizon. On this new recreation, it’s essential receive them by means of different means, akin to finishing challenges or hacking chests. The rarity of Artwork Drivers makes every character extra useful to the social gathering, however it additionally forces you to rethink every character’s function, and the way you’ll construct them.
Considered one of Trails Past the Horizon’s new additions is the Z.O.C. system. In discipline battles, by urgent the proper stick, you possibly can activate it, slowing enemies and buffing all of your assaults for a restricted time. Z.O.C does not require Enhance Expenses, EP, or any sort of sources to make use of. As soon as activated, Z.O.C. will go on cooldown, so that you solely want to attend for the bar to refill mechanically to make use of it once more. Your assaults will pace up this course of, encouraging a extra aggressive method.
Though there are different enjoyable and highly effective additions coming with Trails Past the Horizon, like being able to remodel Van into Grendel and unleashing his demonic powers — a mechanic referred to as “Awakening” —, Z.O.C. stays one of the best instrument in discipline battle and ought to be solid as quickly because it’s off cooldown. Z.O.C. reduces the injury you’re taking by slowing enemies down and making it simpler to keep away from their assaults. It is also an ideal offensive skill because it helps you stun enemies quicker, creating the proper window to launch the shards and swap to the turn-based fight mode. On high of that, all characters can use Z.O.C. (whereas just a few can use Awakening) and better of all, it’s free!
Picture: NIS America/Nihon Falcom by way of Polygon
Study when to make use of Shard Instructions throughout boss fights
Much like the Trails of Chilly Metal video games’ Courageous Orders, Shard Instructions are passive talents that you just activate by spending a sure variety of Enhance Expenses. They do not finish your flip, and as soon as activated, a Shard Command buffs your characters by elevating their assault, protection, pace, or different attributes. Shard Instructions are essential for maintaining your social gathering protected or maximizing the injury of a number of S-Crafts. There’s, nevertheless, a catch: enemies can use Shard Instructions too.
In most boss fights, enemies can even activate Shard Instructions, often growing the injury your social gathering takes or decreasing your character’s injury and pace. They are often fairly lethal, so that you need to stop enemies from having a Shard Command up each time doable. To do that, it’s essential to overlap their command, as two Shard Instructions cannot be lively on the similar time. If the enemy prompts theirs whilst you have a Shard Command up, yours will probably be overlapped — and the identical works the opposite means round. Due to this, it’s essential handle your Enhance Expenses fastidiously to at all times have sufficient to overlap an enemy’s command. Your Shard Instructions value extra to activate and overlap the enemy’s, however it’s definitely worth the worth.
