Trails of Cold Steel II is a marvelous addition to the series. It carries the tone of the original perfectly, continuing a saga that sees its third installment hit later this year, while at the same time delivering an exciting story all of its own.

Trails of Cold Steel II is an incredible experience. Despite its unfortunate performance issues, this sequel is better than its predecessor in almost every way. Just like with its predecessor, it’s hard to think of a reason to not pick up this version of the game if you can’t play it on PC. Now that both games are available on a PS4, there hasn’t been a better time to play them if you ever had even a passing interest in them. And just like I said in my review of the PS4 version of Trails of Cold Steel: the Trails series is well worth your time.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II on PS4 is a near perfect remaster of a fantastic game that arrives just in time for Trails of Cold Steel III.

Trails of Cold Steel II is everything that you could want from a sequel to the first game. Although experience with its predecessor is nothing short of a necessity, this unapologetic approach to sequel storytelling is what makes Cold Steel II so compelling. It's remarkable how such a huge cast of characters can come together to deliver such a memorable narrative, and it's all thanks to the in-depth world building that Falcom has seeded over the course of two games. As far as turn based Japanese RPGs go on PS4, Trails of Cold Steel I and II are genre essentials.

Overall, if you've played and enjoyed the first game in the series, getting Trails of Cold Steel II is a no-brainer. You're going to love it. If you've never played the series, however, this sequel might not be the right place to start. It's pretty easy to say that the PS4 port is the definitive version with enhanced graphics, sounds, and all DLC included with it.

For those who played the first, Trails of Cold Steel II is unlikely to disappoint. It takes no prisoners with its game systems or its story, but those who like a thoughtful, classic JRPG will find something to enjoy here. At times it may feel a little slow, but with a world this compelling it's easy to forgive.

There's little you can get from The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II that you couldn't get from other titles that likewise do it better. The narrative is winding and confusing, the characters are off-putting, and the visuals are a sore sight for the eyes. While the music and gameplay show some glimmers of promise, they ultimately end up feeling lifeless and overcomplicated, respectively. At the end of the day, Trails of Cold Steel II ends up feeling like a middle-of-the-road shonen anime that's a little too scatter-brained, and you have to slog through the off-screen battles.