What to know before starting The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon

Polygon reports that The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon is the 13th game in Nihon Falcom’s long-running RPG series; Van Arkride returns as one of the main protagonists and the story contains three distinct routes you must play through to finish the game. The title also adds new systems and more characters to manage, changes that may leave even veteran players feeling a bit lost.

The game is not a good entry point for newcomers: its narrative is structured around events and characters from previous Trails entries and will openly address key moments from other arcs, which could spoil those earlier games. Even aside from spoilers, the campaign assumes prior knowledge and “won’t explain beats like who Almata is, why Van can turn into a demon-like creature, or why Quatre uses the sauna by themselves.” Several gameplay shifts bear noting.

Arkride Solutions members remain central to the story and should be prioritized for equipment, Quartz, Holos and experience because their route faces the toughest challenges. Grim Garten is an optional virtual-reality dungeon that’s the best place to level up, with terminals in each major city and new floors unlocking as you progress; it also yields special items and outfits.

Key Topics

Culture, Nihon Falcom, Van Arkride, Arkride Solutions, Grim Garten, Shard Commands