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 principal protagonists in Horizon, however the story affords three completely different routes that it’s essential to play via to complete the sport. This isn’t the one change Trails Past the Horizon brings, because it introduces new techniques to make use of and extra characters to handle.
With a substantial variety of new options, Horizon may even depart veteran gamers feeling a bit misplaced. With a purpose to help each skilled gamers and new ones who might have grow to be curious in regards to the brand-new Trails recreation after falling in love with the remake of the primary entry, we have now put collectively a listing of six tricks to be the very best spriggan in Trails Past the Horizon.
No, you should not play Trails Past the Horizon earlier than the opposite video games
In case you’re really new to the sequence — having simply dipped your toes within the Trails sequence by enjoying Trails within the Sky 1st Chapter Remake final 12 months — I perceive that you simply’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, reminiscent of Trails from Zero, Trails of Chilly Metal, and Trails By Dawn are good beginning factors even with out some prior data in regards to the sequence, Trails Past the Horizon shouldn’t be.
The sport’s narrative is structured round occasions and characters from earlier Trails video games, and it’ll overtly deal with key moments from all the opposite arcs, which might spoil your expertise for those who plan on checking them out. Even for those who 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 the very 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 suggests they’re extremely sturdy — and you’ll 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 affords distinctive challenges for its respective group, the Arkride Options gang is certain to face the hardest ones. Due to that, you need to all the time prioritize them when allocating assets. Whether or not it is new tools, highly effective Quartz, or an upgraded Holo, Van’s group ought to all the time come first. Even when you possibly can combine Van’s, Rean’s, and Kevin’s teams to type the uber staff, you need to be certain to maintain a lot of the Arkride Options members with you so they’re all the time receiving expertise and leveling up.
Don’t ignore Grim Garten
It has been some time since Nihon Falcom started including aspect content material within the type of a dungeon-crawling mode, the place characters can leap 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 By Dawn 2, a digital actuality dungeon.
As a result of it’s an optionally available aspect quest and the sport solely forces you to play the primary ranges of the Garten, you is likely to be tempted to by no means return and focus solely on the marketing campaign. Nonetheless, you need to all the time discover time to clear all of the obtainable flooring within the Grim Garten.
Regardless of how tedious clearing the flooring is likely to be, Grim Garten remains to be the very best place to degree 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 may be speaking to folks in a bar, or having fun with a pleasant slice of cake. Due to that, the extra passive leveling periods hardly ever occur.
Fortunately, you possibly can entry the Grim Garten everytime you need via 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 degree. On the identical time, by exploring the flooring, you’ll get hold of particular objects and even outfits on your characters, making each session a win.
Artwork Drivers are fairly uncommon now
Artwork Drivers had been launched within the Dawn arc and have since grow to be key parts on the subject of constructing characters. An Artwork Driver often comes with a preset of offensive and defensive arts, together with a set variety of free slots for added arts. Relying on the function a personality would have within the occasion (for instance, a caster, a healer, or a tank), you’d select the Artwork Driver that most closely fits them. The concept stays the identical in Trails Past the Horizon, however acquiring new Artwork Drivers is definitely the problem.
Not like in Trails By Dawn 1 and 2, the place you possibly can purchase Artwork Drivers from common retailers utilizing mira, that is now not an possibility in Horizon. On this new recreation, it’s good to get hold of them via different means, reminiscent of finishing challenges or hacking chests. The rarity of Artwork Drivers makes every character extra worthwhile to the occasion, however it additionally forces you to rethink every character’s function, and the way you’ll construct them.
Certainly one of Trails Past the Horizon’s new additions is the Z.O.C. system. In area battles, by urgent the appropriate 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 Costs, EP, or any form of assets 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 velocity up this course of, encouraging a extra aggressive strategy.
Though there are different enjoyable and highly effective additions coming with Trails Past the Horizon, like being able to rework Van into Grendel and unleashing his demonic powers — a mechanic known as “Awakening” —, Z.O.C. stays the very best device in area battle and ought to be forged 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 amazing offensive means because it helps you stun enemies quicker, creating the right window to launch the shards and change 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!
Study when to make use of Shard Instructions throughout boss fights
Just like the Trails of Chilly Metal video games’ Courageous Orders, Shard Instructions are passive skills that you simply activate by spending a sure variety of Enhance Costs. They do not finish your flip, and as soon as activated, a Shard Command buffs your characters by elevating their assault, protection, velocity, or different attributes. Shard Instructions are essential for conserving your occasion protected or maximizing the injury of a number of S-Crafts. There’s, nonetheless, a catch: enemies can use Shard Instructions too.
In most boss fights, enemies will even activate Shard Instructions, often growing the injury your occasion takes or lowering your character’s injury and velocity. They are often fairly lethal, so that you wish to forestall enemies from having a Shard Command up every time potential. To do that, it’s essential to overlap their command, as two Shard Instructions cannot be energetic on the identical time. If the enemy prompts theirs when you have a Shard Command up, yours shall be overlapped — and the identical works the opposite method round. Due to this, it’s good to handle your Enhance Costs rigorously to all the time have sufficient to overlap an enemy’s command. Your Shard Instructions price extra to activate and overlap the enemy’s, however it’s definitely worth the value.
