The race for the coveted Game of the Year award at TGS 2026 just got a new contender, with Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter launching to very strong reviews from critics across the board. Trails of the Sky 2nd Chapter released on September 17 and quickly earned a score of 92 on OpenCritic, making it one of the highest-rated games of the year. While much of the conversation was centered on Marvel’s Wolverine‘s middling review scores, Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter may have flown under the radar of RPG fans who got wrapped up in this month’s onslaught of new game releases.
Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is a remake of the 2006 Nihon Falcom JRPG The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC. As the name implies, this game is the direct sequel to Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, which was released almost exactly one year ago. This previous game also earned fantastic reviews, sitting at a 90 on OpenCritic, but the recent sequel has somehow surpassed the expectations set by its predecessor.
Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is Now One of 2026’s Highest-Rated Games
As Game Awards season starts heating up in the latter half of 2026, Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter sits as the second-highest-rated game of the year, according to OpenCritic. The only game with a higher critic score on OpenCritic in 2026 is the Steam match-3 game Mythmatch, with a score of 93. Other top-rated 2026 releases include:
- Mythmatch – 93 OpenCritic Score
- Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter – 92 OpenCritic Score
- Dave the Diver: In the Jungle – 91 OpenCritic Score
- Mina the Hollower – 91 OpenCritic Score
- Forza Horizon 6 – 91 OpenCritic Score
- Schrodinger’s Call – 90 OpenCritic Score
- Lost and Found Co. – 90 OpenCritic Score
- DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations – 89 OpenCritic Score
- Pokemon Pokopia – 89 OpenCritic Score
- Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave – 89 OpenCritic Score
- Resident Evil Requiem – 89 OpenCritic Score
- Valheim – 89 OpenCritic Score
Acting as a direct sequel to Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, 2nd Chapter continues the story of Estelle Bright, a new Bracer from the country of Liberl, and her journey to find the truth behind her brother Joshua’s abrupt disappearance. The game follows in its predecessor’s footsteps by blending real-time combat action with a turn-based battle system to give fans of both types of JRPG combat systems a slice of their preferred style.
Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter also currently sits at a 96% Very Positive user rating on Steam.
What critics have praised about the game are its gorgeous visuals and modern mechanics that make it an even more polished version of an already excellent game. The characters and narrative of Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter are also points of praise, with many reviewers noting the depth of detail within the game’s world and its balanced story pacing that help elevate the characters’ individual stories to heights beyond those of the first game.
While it might be too early to crown a GOTY for 2026, especially with heavy-hitters like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake and GTA 6 still to come, Trails of the Sky 2nd Chapter‘s glowing reviews suggest it could go toe-to-toe with these giants at TGA 2026. At the very least, it seems like Trails of the Sky 2nd Chapter has a strong case for the Best RPG award come TGA time in December.
- Released
-
September 17, 2026
- ESRB
-
Teen
- Developer(s)
-
Nihon Falcom
