First above all else, if you are playing this for the story, do not play this before Cold Steel 1. This game is part of the ongoing Trails series, and the second game in the Cold Steel games. (This game is actually the 7th one chronologically.) That said, I think technically, all you would need to play is Cold Steel 1 for this game.

Anyway, this game picks up immediately where the first left off. The stakes have been raised, and the situation is pretty dark. I think personally, this plot is the more interesting half of the first two Cold Steel games. There is a fair amount of dramatic moments, and the higher stakes feel much more exciting than the school in the first game.

That said, if you played the first game and really liked the school simulator aspects, this game is not about that. There are still bonding events, but this game is structured a little more like your normal Trails game. The main difference being that this gives you much more freedom of exploration than any previous game.

On the flip-side, if you didn't care much for the school (like me), this game will definitely keep the interesting stuff in the fore-front. I have heard some say that this game does still have a fairly repetitive structure (much like the rest of the Trails series), but personally I loved this game.

As per the Trails formula, you are returning to areas from the previous game. That said, rather than being locked in regions, you are gradually opening up the world as you play. Meaning that there is significantly less missable content for completionists (though there is still plenty.)

Also if you are a fan of the abandoned schoolhouse in Cold Steel 1, there are plenty of smaller dungeons sprinkled around the areas that you can choose to tackle early for points and little story bits. The combat also got a very nice addition in the form of the overdrive meter. (Basically an adaptation of Burst from the second Crossbell game.) You can use it to get some immediate turns featuring instant spell-casting. It's a great way to save yourself from a corner.

In general, as someone who played every single Trails game fairly back-to-back, it really felt like CS2 was a massive breath of fresh air. But I also know it has plenty of detractors. You also have plenty of guest characters, and I think in general this game offers a lot of freedom in terms of both exploration, and party building. Especially by the end of the game. This has lots of content, and personally I don't think the game wastes your time any more than you choose to put in. I think it is a very fun game, I personally like it much more than Cold Steel 1. Probably the Trails game I'd like to replay the most.

Speaking of which, there is some content exclusive to new game+, which is important to Cold Steel 3. It is explained enough there, but it might be worth knowing about. Worst case scenario, just look it up.

First above all else, if you are playing this for the story, do not play this before Cold Steel 1. This game is part of the ongoing Trails series, and the second game in the Cold Steel games. (This game is actually the 7th one chronologically.) That said, I think technically, all you would need to play is Cold Steel 1 for this game. Anyway, this game picks up immediately where the first left off. The stakes have been raised, and the situation is pretty dark. I think personally, this plot is the more interesting half of the first two Cold Steel games. There is a fair amount of dramatic moments, and the higher stakes feel much more exciting than the school in the first game. That said, if you played the first game and really liked the school simulator aspects, this game is not about that. There are still bonding events, but this game is structured a little more like your normal Trails game. The main difference being that this gives you much more freedom of exploration than any previous game. On the flip-side, if you didn't care much for the school (like me), this game will definitely keep the interesting stuff in the fore-front. I have heard some say that this game does still have a fairly repetitive structure (much like the rest of the Trails series), but personally I loved this game. As per the Trails formula, you are returning to areas from the previous game. That said, rather than being locked in regions, you are gradually opening up the world as you play. Meaning that there is significantly less missable content for completionists (though there is still plenty.) Also if you are a fan of the abandoned schoolhouse in Cold Steel 1, there are plenty of smaller dungeons sprinkled around the areas that you can choose to tackle early for points and little story bits. The combat also got a very nice addition in the form of the overdrive meter. (Basically an adaptation of Burst from the second Crossbell game.) You can use it to get some immediate turns featuring instant spell-casting. It's a great way to save yourself from a corner. In general, as someone who played every single Trails game fairly back-to-back, it really felt like CS2 was a massive breath of fresh air. But I also know it has plenty of detractors. You also have plenty of guest characters, and I think in general this game offers a lot of freedom in terms of both exploration, and party building. Especially by the end of the game. This has lots of content, and personally I don't think the game wastes your time any more than you choose to put in. I think it is a very fun game, I personally like it much more than Cold Steel 1. Probably the Trails game I'd like to replay the most. Speaking of which, there is some content exclusive to new game+, which is important to Cold Steel 3. It is explained enough there, but it might be worth knowing about. Worst case scenario, just look it up.