The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon is the 13th game in the long-running RPG series developed by Nihon Falcom. Van Arkride returns as one of the main protagonists in Horizon, but the story offers three different routes that you must play through to finish the game. This is not the only change Trails Beyond the Horizon brings, as it introduces new systems to use and more characters to manage.
With a considerable number of new features, Horizon might even leave veteran players feeling a bit lost. In order to assist both experienced players and new ones who may have become curious about the brand-new Trails game after falling in love with the remake of the first entry, we have put together a list of six tips to be the best spriggan in Trails Beyond the Horizon.
No, you shouldn’t play Trails Beyond the Horizon before the other games
If you’re truly new to the series — having just dipped your toes in the Trails series by playing Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Remake last year — I understand that you’re eager for more Trails and wondering whether you can enjoy the newest entry without having played the, hm, other 11 games in the series. The short answer is no, you can’t. I mean, technically you can, but hear me out.
While other titles in the series, such as Trails from Zero, Trails of Cold Steel, and Trails Through Daybreak are good starting points even without some prior knowledge about the series, Trails Beyond the Horizon is not.
The game’s narrative is structured around events and characters from previous Trails games, and it will openly address key moments from all the other arcs, which could spoil your experience if you plan on checking them out. Even if you don’t mind spoilers, very little of the campaign will make sense, as the game assumes you have played the others. It 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.
Arkride Solutions is the best gang
We know that Rean Schwarzer from the Trail of Cold Steel games, and Kevin Graham, from the Trails in the Sky games, are part of the roster in Trails Beyond the Horizon, each responsible for a different route. One is a Divine Blade and the other is a member of the Church, which means they are incredibly strong — and you can play with them. However, don’t let these two handsome guys fool you: Arkride Solutions members are still the most important characters in the game.
Although each route offers unique challenges for its respective group, the Arkride Solutions gang is bound to face the toughest ones. Because of that, you should always prioritize them when allocating resources. Whether it’s new equipment, powerful Quartz, or an upgraded Holo, Van’s group should always come first. Even when you can mix Van’s, Rean’s, and Kevin’s groups to form the uber team, you should make sure to keep most of the Arkride Solutions members with you so they are always receiving experience and leveling up.
Do not ignore Grim Garten
It’s been a while since Nihon Falcom began adding side content in the form of a dungeon-crawling mode, where characters can jump in and out either because of magic or technology. In Trails Beyond the Horizon, this takes the form of Grim Garten, a twisted version of the Märchen Garten from Trails Through Daybreak 2, a virtual reality dungeon.
Because it is an optional side quest and the game only forces you to play the first levels of the Garten, you might be tempted to never go back and focus only on the campaign. However, you should always find time to clear all the available floors in the Grim Garten.
Despite how tedious clearing the floors might be, Grim Garten is still the best place to level up your characters. It’s pretty rare to explore locations where you find monsters to fight in Trails Beyond the Horizon. Most of the time, you’ll be talking to people in a bar, or enjoying a nice slice of cake. Because of that, the more passive leveling sessions rarely happen.
Thankfully, you can access the Grim Garten whenever you want through one of the terminals placed in each major city. As you progress in the campaign, new floors unlock, offering balance challenges tailored to your current level. At the same time, by exploring the floors, you will obtain special items and even outfits for your characters, making every session a win.
Art Drivers are quite rare now
Art Drivers were introduced in the Daybreak arc and have since become key elements when it comes to building characters. An Art Driver usually comes with a preset of offensive and defensive arts, along with a fixed number of free slots for additional arts. Depending on the role a character would have in the party (for example, a caster, a healer, or a tank), you would choose the Art Driver that best fits them. The idea remains the same in Trails Beyond the Horizon, but obtaining new Art Drivers is actually the challenge.
Unlike in Trails Through Daybreak 1 and 2, where you could buy Art Drivers from regular shops using mira, this is no longer an option in Horizon. In this new game, you need to obtain them through other means, such as completing challenges or hacking chests. The rarity of Art Drivers makes each character more valuable to the party, but it also forces you to rethink each character’s role, and how you will build them.
One of Trails Beyond the Horizon’s new additions is the Z.O.C. system. In field battles, by pressing the right stick, you can activate it, slowing enemies and buffing all your attacks for a limited time. Z.O.C doesn’t require Boost Charges, EP, or any kind of resources to use. Once activated, Z.O.C. will go on cooldown, so you only need to wait for the bar to refill automatically to use it again. Your attacks will speed up this process, encouraging a more aggressive approach.
Although there are other fun and powerful additions coming with Trails Beyond the Horizon, like having the ability to transform Van into Grendel and unleashing his demonic powers — a mechanic called “Awakening” —, Z.O.C. remains the best tool in field battle and should be cast as soon as it’s off cooldown. Z.O.C. reduces the damage you take by slowing enemies down and making it easier to avoid their attacks. It’s also a great offensive ability as it helps you stun enemies faster, creating the perfect window to release the shards and switch to the turn-based combat mode. On top of that, all characters can use Z.O.C. (while only a few can use Awakening) and best of all, it is free!
Learn when to use Shard Commands during boss fights
Similar to the Trails of Cold Steel games’ Brave Orders, Shard Commands are passive abilities that you activate by spending a certain number of Boost Charges. They don’t end your turn, and once activated, a Shard Command buffs your characters by raising their attack, defense, speed, or other attributes. Shard Commands are crucial for keeping your party protected or maximizing the damage of multiple S-Crafts. There’s, however, a catch: enemies can use Shard Commands too.
In most boss fights, enemies will also activate Shard Commands, usually increasing the damage your party takes or reducing your character’s damage and speed. They can be quite deadly, so you want to prevent enemies from having a Shard Command up whenever possible. To do this, you must overlap their command, as two Shard Commands can’t be active at the same time. If the enemy activates theirs while you have a Shard Command up, yours will be overlapped — and the same works the other way around. Because of this, you need to manage your Boost Charges carefully to always have enough to overlap an enemy’s command. Your Shard Commands cost more to activate and overlap the enemy’s, but it’s worth the price.
