The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II is the seventh installment in the main Trails series, serving as a direct sequel to the events of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel. The game follows Rean Schwarzer to his hometown of Ymir with the assistance of bracer Toval Randonneur, but quickly finds himself and his loved ones caught in the crossfire of the war.

Game progression is no longer tied to the school schedule structure of the original, with the game now centered around traveling the world rather than attending classes. If the player has a completed game save file from the prior game, it has an effect in Cold Steel II, with certain events and dialogues playing out differently based on choices and relationships built in the first game.