by Game of Review Team · published 2026-09-27 · updated 2026-09-27
Estelle's story continues, properly this time
Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter picks up right where the first remake left off. Estelle Bright sets out across Liberl to find out what happened to Joshua and take on the shadowy Ouroboros organization. If you played the 1st Chapter remake, your save data carries over and nets you some bonus items, which is a nice touch for anyone who stuck around.
It launched on Steam on September 16, 2026, from developer Nihon Falcom, with GungHo Online Entertainment America and Clouded Leopard Entertainment publishing. It's a turn-based, party-based JRPG with the usual trimmings: crafts, S-Crafts, and a new Brave Rush mechanic layered on top of the classic combat.
What's actually new
- Overhauled combat with new Crafts, S-Crafts, and the Brave Rush system
- Expanded side content, including fishing, poker, and cooking
- Visual and quality-of-life upgrades over the original release
- 49 Steam achievements, Steam Cloud, HDR support, and full English and Japanese voice audio among 8 supported languages
The critics are on board
Game Informer gave it a 9.5, praising Estelle's character arc and calling it "an RPG powerhouse that can stand alongside the genre's greats." The main knock in that review was some old-school dungeon crawling overstaying its welcome, but that's about the only complaint making the rounds. On Steam itself, user reviews are sitting at "Very Positive," which lines up with what the press is saying.
Who it's for
This one's for JRPG fans who like their stories dense and their casts huge, especially anyone who already cleared the 1st Chapter remake and wants to keep going. If you bounce off long dialogue-heavy RPGs or dated dungeon design, it's less of a slam dunk, but the consensus says Falcom nailed the landing here.
Our take
It's easy to be cynical about yet another JRPG remake, but this one earns its keep by actually building on the original instead of just reskinning it. The fact that Falcom kept the save-carryover system and leaned into side content rather than padding it out with microtransactions says a lot about who this is made for. If you're on the fence because the first remake didn't grab you, the reviews suggest this second chapter is where the story really picks up steam.
Games mentioned
Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter
$59.99 · 96% Steam