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 that are in this latest entry and the new combat system, which blends together real-time action with turn-based attacks in a way that is incredibly ambitious, even from the short look I got this weekend.

The system works like this: players walk around the map and encounter monsters as per usual in RPGs of any kind. Once combat begins, you fight in real time, performing attacks to take down enemies and dodging to avoid incoming attacks. It is very similar to Final Fantasy VII Remake’s system, which immediately made Trails beyond the Horizon feel very modern.

Honestly, I probably would have been disappointed with the new combat system if that had been all of it. Thankfully, there is a wrinkle that immediately caught my attention; a shift to turn-based combat as certain conditions are met. Filling a gauge and unleashing certain attacks leads to a break in the action, and the combat shifts to the familiar turn-based system that fans of the Trails series will have encountered before.

In fact, this sub-system is very reminiscent of the system used in Trails of Cold Steel, where positioning characters beside each other leads to team-up attacks from allies. And it makes sense that it felt so similar to the Trails of Cold Steel system, since several characters from that sub-series showed up near the end of the demo. I didn’t get to play with this too much during the PAX West demo, but it was clear that this was an attempt to bridge the gap between two different combat systems that both have their pros and cons.

Admittedly, I didn’t get a perfect grasp of what caused the switch between the two combat systems, but it was so smooth that I almost didn’t notice it happening until it did. It is something that will probably take a little getting used to, but, considering these games routinely last 100+ hours, even I should be able to master the combat system by the time credits roll.

Is this unusual hybrid combat system going to convince turn-based fans to give action RPGs a try? I don’t want to say no just yet but nothing is impossible. The two systems, which do feel very distinct, need to work in harmony and both feel like they are adding to the game rather than fighting against each other. The series is one of my favorites and has tweaked and improved the gameplay with pretty much every entry, so I do not doubt that I will sink plenty of hours into this game no matter what. Whether it works perfectly or not, the turn-based/action combat system in Trails beyond the Horizon looks different, and that makes me excited.

Trails beyond the Horizon is due out in the US on January 15, 2026.

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