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Trails on the Horizon has the beautifully blended combat system JRPG fans have been waiting for

Fans of both turn-based and action RPGs will find themselves with plenty to do with the latest entry in the Trails series.

Trails Beyond The Horizon Rean — Image credit: NIS

Features by Trent Cannon, Senior Contributing writer

Published on Sun Aug 31 2025

If there is one thing that video game fans like to do, it is talk about change. What change is good? What change is bad? What change is inevitable? JRPG fans are seeing this more than most since the Final Fantasy series, arguably the biggest and best-known series in the genre, made the shift toward action RPGs several years ago and shows no signs of going back to turn-based. While other series, like Persona, have firmly embraced the turn-based combat we know and love, the upcoming Trails beyond the Horizon game is doing something different: it is doing a bit of both.

This was my biggest impression when I dove into the hands-on demo for Trails beyond the Horizon at PAX West 2025. The short demo, which lasted around 10 minutes, was meant to highlight two things: the breadth of characters from across the Trails series

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About PAX West 2025

PAX West is a celebration of gaming and gaming culture featuring thought-provoking panels, a massive expo hall filled with the best publishers and studios, new game demos, musical performances, tournaments, and a community experience unlike any other.