All the way back in 2018, I played and loved Trails in the Sky and was anxious to play the sequel.

It took me longer than I expected.

I don’t quite know how to explain why I waited this many years to finally get around to a game I was so eager to play. Different games just kept taking up my time, I suppose.

But my interest in the Trails series surged enough that I finally made it a priority this year.

Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter picks up immediately where the first game left off. The story has a faster pace this time around; while it still has some slow sections, there are a lot more exciting moments throughout.

The combat system is the same grid-style turn-based combat system as in its predecessor, and more powerful orbment setups allow for greater customization of the magic you can use. And while the first game has a revolving party, where characters come and go in each new chapter, the party here is much more flexible, with more permanent party members you can choose from for your active team.

Best of all, it is still the game for NPC dialogue. Having learned my lesson about missable side quests and their tiny windows of availability last time, I made a concerted effort to backtrack after every plot point in this game. NPC dialogue updates every single time, and it’s so much fun to see these minor background characters go through their own miniature stories. For example, one town included a married couple having trouble with their relationship, and I found myself strangely invested in their outcome as I checked back each time. This sort of thing really makes the world feel alive and real, and I love it.

It also seems to have a lot more sections where dialogue changes depending on your active party – at one point I had an all-female team and the characters referenced it in a conversation, and that’s just a minor example.

Now, Trails in the Sky is the first arc in a lengthy series, and it was especially interesting to see how that came into play here. Although SC tells a more conclusive story than the first game, it does so while dropping hints and details for things that are to come later. I was actually surprised to see how much it quietly sets up a larger series despite being such an early entry. It left me even more excited to move forward and see the rest.

Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter is an excellent game, and I had a lot of fun playing it. Since it took me over 90 hours, however, I’m going to take a break before diving into the next game – but this time, it won’t be a break that lasts for years.