Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter Review (PC) — The Series' Defining Entry
Nihon Falcom and GungHo Online Entertainment launched the remake of Trails in the Sky SC worldwide on September 17, 2026, on PC via Steam, as well as onPS5, Switch 2, and Switch. After the strong first chapter released last year, expectations were high, and the second chapter not only met them but exceeded them.
Picking Up the Thread (spoilers for 1st Chapter)
It is a direct continuation in the most literal way possible—starting exactly where the first chapter ended. After having recovered the buried memories of having served Ouroboros, Joshua reveals them to Estelle and then leaves her life, leaving her in a state of shock as she realizes what feelings she had for him. In response, her father sends her to a Bracer training centre, where she starts her training properly as a Senior Bracer, complete with her new outfit, and begins the search for Joshua in order to find out what Ouroboros really wants.
The similarity in structure is intentional since the original Sky SC started one day after the first game and the remake follows the same pattern. You go back to the same areas, towns, and dungeons, encountering the same enemies and using the same Arts and Crafts at the beginning; but the story moves on significantly from these starting points. Just as the first chapter introduced Liberl, the Bracers, and the political divisions in Zemuria, the second chapter looks at the conspiracy behind the scenes. And Estelle's coming-of-age storyline shines brighter and stronger than ever in this game — even after 80 hours in. Which is wild.
People who are new to it won’t be too turned off from the game since Falcom provides a detailed recap video of the first chapter at startup, but to be honest it doesn't have anywhere near the impact of actually playing it. Seriously, go play the first game, now!
Combat and Quality of Life
For this game, Falcom adopted an "if it ain't broke" attitude; the Orbment system, along with Arts, Crafts and S-Crafts, has been updated only slightly, which makes progression seem like a simple extension rather than a restart. In Brave Rush you can link together character attacks when in Quick Battles. Fast travel is the most notable new feature, eliminating the need to backtrack and thus making completionist playthroughs much less of a chore in a game of this size. The fishing minigame, which was a drawback in the original version, has been improved in a meaningful way, and poker and cooking complete the range of optional activities.
PC Performance
The Steam version is in good condition since it's the only one that supports both mouse and keyboard, and it can exceed the 120fps cap the PS5 reaches. There are a lot of graphics options available, and the Steam launcher allows you to go straight to your most recent save or to reset the settings. I tried this game on a RTX 4060 laptop and it maintained frame rate above 60 at higher more exhausting settings when played at 1440p, with Linux working properly through GE-Proton. Cloud saves sync, but per-device configurations remain separate, so there is no conflict between machines. Additionally, the game includes FSR from the outset, bringing the Steam Deck up to a solid 60 using a mixture of medium and low settings. However, the port lacks DLSS and FSR 3 or 4, which is the only real missing feature for this game.
Final Thoughts!
A few dungeons are a bit too long, a carryover from the RPG design of the 2006 era that could have been corrected with a bit of bloat reducing.
Apart from that, it's difficult to find anything wrong with this game. Honestly. I was shocked at how much fun this game has been to play through and the scary thing is that it feels like I was only scratching the surface of Trails 2nd Chapter. This remake answers the "why remake it?" question no worse than any other in recent times, and on PC it is the version you should have. I highly recommend this title for JRPGs fanatics and your average gamer alike. One of the best JRPGs of 2026.
Score: 8.7/10
