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"Trails into Reverie" is a beautiful return to what makes the Legend of Heroes series so fantastic.
NOTE: If you are new to the series, don't start here. Start with either Cold Steel I or Zero (or Sky FC if you're willing to go that far back).
My partner and I have been a fine of the Trails series close to a decade at this point, through it's ups and downs. Our first loves were Estelle and Joshua, enjoying their journey through Liberl. Then we went to Cold Steel and got to know Class VII, but took a break after the first two games to go back and play through Zero/Azure. There we met Lloyd and the SSS, then going back to Cold Steel we closed the Great Twilight saga.
Just like the vast majority of JRPGs, Trails finds its magic in the characters, with the story being good if not particularly amazing. And there are dozens of amazing characters; some are a bit too tropey but the vast majority are lovable in their own way. The gameplay is passable, but nothing amazing.
The reason I felt the strong need to write this review is because I know many, like myself, were quite lukewarm on Cold Steel. While the characters and story overall were still well above average, the game was bogged down with poor pacing and dreadful bonding/harem mechanics. The Cold Steel games really should've been 3 instead of 4, canon relationships suffered because basically all the main female cast had to be available for the player, and it sucks having character backstories locked behind multiple playthroughs (sure, bonding scenes were mostly fluff, but still).
However, Reverie almost entirely escapes all of those problems. It felt much more like Sky or Crossbell in that bonding systems were kept to a minimum so that the characters could have more autonomy and agency. And that, in my opinion, is the biggest reason this game was such a good follow-up to the previous entries. The pacing was much more excellent as well; we clocked in about 30 hours before seeing the final credits, and that felt much better than the 65-80 hours each we spent on Cold Steel II-IV. The new protagonist "C" especially ended up being a huge hit for my partner and I.
There wasn't as much to explore, which I'm sure is a downside to some, but for me while I like catching up with NPCs, I did not enjoy wasting excessive time doing sidequests. This game was a pleasantly-linear experience.
While not perfect, especially considering the fact that you have to play anywhere between 4 and 9 other JRPGs to really enjoy this one, I'm confident this one will be a favorable entry for all Trails fans and the larger JRPG community.