The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

 PC
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 311 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 259 out of 311
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 311
  3. Negative: 26 out of 311

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  1. minneyar
    Jul 30, 2014
    10
    If you're looking for an oldschool, turn-based JRPG with a strong story, great writing, and wonderful music, you will love Trails in the Sky.

    The game was first release for the PC in Japan in 2004; it later received a port to the PSP in 2006 that added some extra features, and the PSP version was released in North American in 2011. This is a release of the original PC version, but    If you're looking for an oldschool, turn-based JRPG with a strong story, great writing, and wonderful music, you will love Trails in the Sky.

    The game was first release for the PC in Japan in 2004; it later received a port to the PSP in 2006 that added some extra features, and the PSP version was released in North American in 2011. This is a release of the original PC version, but XSEED has added all of the new features in the PSP version back into it, so this is the definitive version of the game in North America.

    The story is set in the kingdom of Liberl and follows the adventures of Estelle and Joshua, two novice adventurers who want to become Bracers; essentially mercenaries who also serve as police and protect the people of the kingdom. The story starts off slowly and takes its time to establish the setting and develop characters, but over time it picks up the pace and they become involved in intricate political plots involving mysterious assassins and powerful ancient artifacts. The game ends with a shocking twist that will leave you pining for the sequel, which is scheduled to be out in English at the end of 2014. Don't let the existence of a sequel stop you from getting the game now, though; it's an entirely self-contained story in its own right. The Trails games are famous for the size of their scripts; the word count dwarfs any of their story-heavy contemporaries such as the "Final Fantasy" or "Tales of..." games. Almost every NPC in the game has their own unique dialog that changes after almost everything you do.

    While the story is the star of the show, the game shines in other areas, too. The combat system is a turn-based system that borrows a lot from JRPGs that were typical of the era, but it adds in a tactical, grid-based positioning system, and each character's abilities are fairly diverse and customizeable. The game also has multiple difficulty settings, and if a particular fight is too hard for you, there's a handy option to retry fights that also temporarily lowers the difficulty level. The game's soundtrack is also great; it's exactly what you'd expect from the same developer who created the critically acclaimed Ys series.

    Really the only complaint I could make is that the graphics are a bit dated by modern standards, but hey, it's a ten-year-old Japanese PC game. They still do their job as intended, and you're going to enjoy the game enough that you won't care.    … Expand
  2. Killerattacks
    Jul 30, 2014
    10
    If you're wondering why the game has such a bad user score: The main reason is that the game had some graphical and game crashing bugs the day it got released, which almost all got fixed within a day.

    This is an awesome JRPG and Xseed, the publisher, does an amazing job at support and they are going to implement even more features like a monster compendium and higher quality art assets    If you're wondering why the game has such a bad user score: The main reason is that the game had some graphical and game crashing bugs the day it got released, which almost all got fixed within a day.

    This is an awesome JRPG and Xseed, the publisher, does an amazing job at support and they are going to implement even more features like a monster compendium and higher quality art assets of the PS3 version of the game in the future.

    So my recommendation: Do yourself a favor and buy this fantastic JRPG!    … Expand
  3. Kiseki
    Nov 22, 2015
    10
    10 years later trails in the sky FC is still my favourite RPG. Im currently playing Trails in the Sky FC Evolution and still cant helped but be impressed. no one ever came close make a game like this.

    All the negative and mix reviews are pretty much idiots, using words to bash the game without actually understanding and describing what the game is like and why they did not like it.    10 years later trails in the sky FC is still my favourite RPG. Im currently playing Trails in the Sky FC Evolution and still cant helped but be impressed. no one ever came close make a game like this.

    All the negative and mix reviews are pretty much idiots, using words to bash the game without actually understanding and describing what the game is like and why they did not like it.

    The bright points for this game are:

    1. Detailed and consistent game world that is very charming and soothing. There are many different things to discover, some hidden.
    2. Good progression and story telling structure. time slowly progresses as main quest is completed. the game world changes as time progresses. NPCs stand in different locations and have different dialogues. Some have their own tiny stories that progresses with time.
    3. Really good soothing and also exciting music that fits in well with the scenes.
    4. combat system is very very unique. It has 3 aspects -

    a. a action order that can be manipulated and occasionally has random boons attached. (its really amazingly one of the mixed reviews didnt even understand what it is

    b. skill that require use of CP points. CP points are collected through dealing and receiving damage or as attached bonus in action order slot.

    c. magic (magic in this world is called "orbment" which relies on a device utilising power of crystal shards of different elements) there are 7 elements including time, sky (air), illusion. You dont learn the magic skills available, you obtain them by combining different "processed" shards from the workshop.

    The combat also has good animations.
    5. very good storyline that is well planned and thought out.

    the bad spots: (rant against haters)

    I have absolutely no idea...for this game, i just simply cant think of one. i dont think there is any other game that I can say the same. the people that dont like it are the ones that dont have a clue about this game, all their comments are completely stupid. they are probably into different genres like action games. anything turn based even action order based sucks to them.

    there's some guy is like he expected it to have depth like secret of mana. Im like pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff. that is depth? the depth of this story is hell lot more amazing, the graphics is hell lot better, the game play, game world, combat system is worlds apart.

    another guy is like: combat is useless repetition over and over. that sounds pretty much like action games and pretty much every other game lol. and especially action games like diablo 3 that has a total of 4 skills you spam over and over and over in that hours and hours you do in the same map to the extent that your fingers hurt from all the clicking. and i bet he like that game alot more.

    the part about dodging enemies is pretty bs too, to have your whole party on the adventure map is quite refreshing, it make you feel more like you are travelling in a party. its still pretty easy to dodge, but you may not be able to cant dodge every single enemy on the map. and at least you can dodge. all other rpg is just random landmine and the combat just starts and you have to fight hell lot more. its not any harder to dodge than you average arpg. this complaint is completely bull. just looking for reason to trash.

    and its funny how those people only reviewed this one single game....    … Expand
  4. xcvx
    Jun 7, 2015
    10
    Playing this game, first thing I notice is that background musics and story is beautiful and graphics is one of my favorite type. Also, I like this game`s 'arts' system. Player can makes his own 'arts' circuit and the circuit line has each characters` characteristic trait. I think it is great unique diffrence compared to other games. 'Arts' allow you can set your character freely in thePlaying this game, first thing I notice is that background musics and story is beautiful and graphics is one of my favorite type. Also, I like this game`s 'arts' system. Player can makes his own 'arts' circuit and the circuit line has each characters` characteristic trait. I think it is great unique diffrence compared to other games. 'Arts' allow you can set your character freely in the boundary of their character.

    Combat system is similar poke-mon`s system, but more complicate. You will fight 2D field with turn that is decided by each`s SPD and your 'craft,' used in heal and crit-turn in my playing. Field monster is quit easy, but bosses is difficult to me. It taking more thinking and time to win, and even sometimes I need lots of lucks.

    I suggest you play not only main story, but also side story. I am certain game producers take more their passions to sub-story, Sub-storys have each character`s personality and their world. During communicating with a street NPC, I can take informations of main story and their chats about their world. Whenever I click many other NPCs, I am moved, and I don`t know what makes these feelings.

    Finishing The Legend of Heroes: Trails of the Sky, I start to playing SC, TC and more The Legends of Heroes. I am sure that if you playing this game, you are chase me in the same way with fallin to amazing bgms, story and game systems.

    Now, you hesitate enjoying this game, erase your hesitation and just start to play! And follow me!    … Expand
  5. Rindokisuto
    Oct 31, 2014
    10
    Easily the best RPG I have played in a long time. The combat is great fun on its own, but the plot and characters will keep you playing this game attentively right until the end. Buy this game, play it, love it, and pray the second chapter english localization comes out soon.
  6. anggadaz
    Oct 27, 2015
    8
    This is adventure and role playing game. The game is little mainstream in story and role of game, but its not bad. The graphic game is good. If you try the game you will know.
  7. GreenMenace
    Sep 28, 2022
    10
    Before I gush about this game, let’s get one thing straight. This game is old. If you’re thinking about looking into the Trails series, you might be better off looking into later entry that’s more visually appealing. At the very least, do your homework looking into this game if you really want to check it out because you need to figure out whether this game is your type of game. Odd as itBefore I gush about this game, let’s get one thing straight. This game is old. If you’re thinking about looking into the Trails series, you might be better off looking into later entry that’s more visually appealing. At the very least, do your homework looking into this game if you really want to check it out because you need to figure out whether this game is your type of game. Odd as it sounds, I’d compare these games to Marvel—if you like people (superheroes) banding together to do the right thing like a Jedi order, then Bracers are the answer.

    I bought this game on a whim at college and started playing it because I liked Estelle. To my surprise, there was a solid plot to the game. This game tells a great story. It was popular enough to where there was a movie of it on Netflix. The series as a whole seems to be gaining traction in the west as more and more trails games are getting translated to English. The good news about that? If you like this game--there's more where that came from :)

    Its combat is simplistic (so I wouldn’t recommend the highest difficulty), but it adds a little bit of strategy into the game between story moments. I loved each of the characters introduced into the story, and I was really sad when the game ended because I didn’t want it to.

    The Trails in the Sky series contains my favorite video game story with some of my favorite video game characters. Its side quests were likeable enough to where they took several of those characters and put them in Cold Steel.

    It’s old, but I enjoy the art, and I enjoy the peaceful music, the colorful scenery, and the rural world portrayed by Trails in the Sky. This game tugged on my heart strings because the characters were so relatable and likeable. I’ve tried many JRPGs since Trails in the Sky, but none of them have affected me the same way. It’s a special series in my book.    … Expand
  8. kirisakichan
    May 24, 2022
    10
    Trails series is one of the best JRPG that I've played. It might be old school but the story is really the important part of the series.

    Gameplay 9/10 as a fan of turn-based games, it's really fun and innovative. The gameplay is so good that I'm motivated to farm my characters and grind real hard as I look forward to the skills I can unlock. Overall, the gameplay is really satisfying.    Trails series is one of the best JRPG that I've played. It might be old school but the story is really the important part of the series.

    Gameplay 9/10
    as a fan of turn-based games, it's really fun and innovative. The gameplay is so good that I'm motivated to farm my characters and grind real hard as I look forward to the skills I can unlock. Overall, the gameplay is really satisfying.

    Music 10/10
    I really love the ost of this game. Whenever I hear the silver will, it makes me sad. The feels they put into this game is really great.

    Story 10/10
    Trails in the Sky FC follows the journey of Estelle and Joshua Bright, as they train to become bracers in the Liberl Kingdom. Spurred by the disappearance of their father, they travel through the five regions of Rolent, Bose, Ruan, Zeiss, and finally Grancel. From the small-scale theft of an expensive crystal to a country-wide conspiracy with a mysterious black orbment at its center, their journey through the regions has them encountering challenges they must solve as they encounter all facets of the Liberl country in their pursuit of the rank of a senior bracer.

    The story of this is really the star of the show. The story might be its best part but if you love playing games such as lunar and breath of fire, It will feel nostalgic.

    Overall this is one of the best JRPG game I've played.    … Expand
  9. AndrewLB
    Aug 10, 2014
    10
    This is a GREAT game. While the graphics are clearly dated, the story, character development, and the lore involved with this game are absolutely incredible. I cannot think of a single modern RPG that comes remotely close to Trails in the Sky in terms of story and characters. Mass Effect series came close until they F**ked up the 3rd game. Games these days focus way too much on graphicsThis is a GREAT game. While the graphics are clearly dated, the story, character development, and the lore involved with this game are absolutely incredible. I cannot think of a single modern RPG that comes remotely close to Trails in the Sky in terms of story and characters. Mass Effect series came close until they F**ked up the 3rd game. Games these days focus way too much on graphics and lack the depth of games like this.

    Many people don't seem to understand why the Graphics are as old school as they are and are giving it bad reviews. The only reason why this game made it to the English speaking world is because of a small company named Xseed Games. They're not some big powerhouse company, and I bet their staff consists than less than 20 people. The amount of text in a game like this needs to be translated from Japanese to English, a feat not possible with Google translate. Every single character translated into English has to be painstakingly interpreted and re-worded because the two languages are so incredibly different. It is my understanding that the localization of this game took a small team of 2-3 people about 4 years to complete.    … Expand
  10. dkurjery
    Aug 24, 2014
    10
    This review serves to give some insights to people who wonder why this game is described as one of the best JRPGs by users here.

    The Legend of Heroes series is a famous JRPG title, with sky trail series being the most well known ones. It is so famous that even the sequel of sky trail still have some relationship with it. Here are some areas which can distinct this game from some    This review serves to give some insights to people who wonder why this game is described as one of the best JRPGs by users here.

    The Legend of Heroes series is a famous JRPG title, with sky trail series being the most well known ones. It is so famous that even the sequel of sky trail still have some relationship with it.

    Here are some areas which can distinct this game from some traditional RPGs.

    First, the dialogues and position of NPCs in this game change whenever there is a major story event happens. They are not the ones once you have talked with, there are no incentive to even talk with them again. They have their own concerns, life issues and relationship with other NPCs. If you read their dialogues and remember their names, you will soon find them again or people related with them in another location as you progresses. The world in this game is rich because NPCs have their life as well.

    Second, it has a deep character development. The story events give a good description of characters for sure. However, in addition to that, chatting with NPCs, exploring the world, and doing side-quests all serve as a mechanism for player to understand more about the world setting, background and personality of characters. Some NPCs even change dialogues when you have new characters in your party.

    Third, side-quests are interesting. They are not those stupid fetch quests or loot collection quests. They generally have a good background story, and allow players to understand more about the world or the characters, and earn good rewards. Some upcoming side quests or even major story events are well hinted beforehand, if players are attentive to details in the game world.

    Another worth-noting area is the battle mechanics of the game. Player can set up different magic by different combinations of orbments, arranging position of parties in battle field, and with different power moves available for each character. What magic available depends on character themselves and orbments owned, so there are variations in character builds. Depending on what enemies facing, different tacticis and equipment loadout have to be adjusted for best efficiency.

    Also, leveling up doesn't involve too much grinding. If you know where to level up efficiently in each chapter, generally you only take 30 minutes to 1 hour per chapter for leveling up your characters to adequate levels, and making the orbments you need. The rest then depends on your tactics against boss.

    Finally, the game has a very good story and world-setting, and they are well hinted, and have many followups in sequels. There are 4 games afterwards following the story line of this game. You can imagine how great the plot and world setting is for this series.

    I see some users here complain about the forced encounter with enemy rushed towards the back of players. In fact, this issue can be solved easily when you get 1 orbment. But how fast you get it depends on how well and many the missions are completed.

    At last, some players may wonder about the game hour of this game. Well, it varies according to player style. On average, it should be around 40 hours. However, if you attempts to find out all secrets, exploring the hidden area and trigger hidden events, and read all NPC dialogues whenever the game world changes, then expect the game will be as long as 70 hours or even more. Why not clock in more hours with it? It is a game with lots of attention to details, which is one of the standard of high quality RPG.

    Hope this help some users wondering why this game has so much praise.    … Expand
  11. Traumator
    Jul 31, 2014
    10
    It's sad to see such a good game getting a bad score cause of trolls. Here's my 10 for a GREAT jrpg, we need more of these released on PC. (most of the bugs are already fixed btw)
  12. DinkyChompy
    Aug 2, 2014
    10
    Great game. First played it on my psp and now on PC. HD everything makes it looks pretty neat compared to the psp and I'm having a blast again since 2011. The battle system and quartz is probably my favorite thing about this game. Looking forward to SC so try it out it's a great JRPG.
  13. Nabae
    Aug 5, 2014
    10
    The JRPG series known and loved for its meticulous and extensive world-building lives up to its expectations. Estelle in particular is arguably one of the best female MCs to ever come from a video game. With the back-porting all of the PSP exclusive features, clearer text boxes, empty treasure chests with personality, among other things, XSEED really went above and beyond what wasThe JRPG series known and loved for its meticulous and extensive world-building lives up to its expectations. Estelle in particular is arguably one of the best female MCs to ever come from a video game. With the back-porting all of the PSP exclusive features, clearer text boxes, empty treasure chests with personality, among other things, XSEED really went above and beyond what was required for this localization to offer the best experience possible.… Expand
  14. alex_dragon
    Sep 21, 2014
    10
    One of the best JRPG out there available in English,. There are already sequels to this but they are not available in English yet so i hope they will be putting it on steam in the future.

    it includes alot of new systems some very unique animation as well as good story plot. very good game for those who wants to look for a good JRPG. brings back alot of good memories of other old rpgs    One of the best JRPG out there available in English,. There are already sequels to this but they are not available in English yet so i hope they will be putting it on steam in the future.

    it includes alot of new systems some very unique animation as well as good story plot.

    very good game for those who wants to look for a good JRPG. brings back alot of good memories of other old rpgs for me ;) all JPRG involves grinding, it is what the game is about , you fight, you earn exp then you level up. But its like a mmorpg in a single player game. this game is worth it and has around 50-80 hours of gameplay.

    i am glad it made into Western market so more people will know about JRPG    … Expand
  15. Bigmantyrone
    Jul 31, 2014
    10
    10/10 Best JRPG NA

    Too bad casuals who only play CAWADOOTY are trying to give it a bad score. Great soundtrack, great battle system, great storyline.
  16. demomana
    Jul 31, 2014
    10
    Great old-school RPG. Its story is very refreshing compared to JRPG you see nowadays and has a very interesting battle system as well. One could say it's kind of slightly comparable to Grandia to some extend yet has its own customization while still not becoming overcomplicated, it found the right middle to avoid headaches.
    The PC version has been enhanced to make it playable on new    Great old-school RPG. Its story is very refreshing compared to JRPG you see nowadays and has a very interesting battle system as well. One could say it's kind of slightly comparable to Grandia to some extend yet has its own customization while still not becoming overcomplicated, it found the right middle to avoid headaches.
    The PC version has been enhanced to make it playable on new systems and has been updated to be able to support most high resolutions both in full screen and windowed screen. The game itself is the first part of a very popular trilogy in Japan that have a lot of continuation. The story is definitely a huge factor in this game, you will feel immersed in it and it is very well written as well. The story itself also go along with several more stories as well, that's how deep it truly is. You don't see those kind of stories in JRPG nowadays.
    The game's musics and song are also of the highest quality, just like most works that have been created by Falcom. From the battle theme to everything else, I must admit I really enjoyed all the musics featured in Trails in the Sky FC.
    All in all, the PC version of Trails in the Sky FC is a must have and has been updated to include everything that was originally included in the PSP version, including things such as the monster book, new game+ and unlockable difficulties. XSEED did a really good work at backporting all those features to the PC version to make it indeniably THE version of the game that is the best all around.    … Expand
  17. ozgur_akgul
    Aug 8, 2014
    10
    This is a J-PRG with less boobs but deep story.
    There's no fancy cut scenes but great conversations.
    As a gamer who can't stand any game without voice acting anymore,this game is different.There's something special in this game just oozes me.
    P.S : I don't like Final Fantasy and the only J-RPG i have ever liked is Persona 4 (apart from The Legend Of Heroes, of course)
  18. Nican
    Oct 17, 2014
    10
    If you like JRPG's, you will not want to miss this title.

    The graphics on this game are a little dated, since the original game was release a while ago. The grid based combat and the arts and equipment systems are simple, but enjoyable. What truly makes this game a little gem are the storyline and the characters. The storyline is both entertaining and humorous. It is also very    If you like JRPG's, you will not want to miss this title.

    The graphics on this game are a little dated, since the original game was release a while ago.
    The grid based combat and the arts and equipment systems are simple, but enjoyable.

    What truly makes this game a little gem are the storyline and the characters.

    The storyline is both entertaining and humorous. It is also very detailed, even the side quests are incorporated in the story.
    The characters are fun and endearing.
    This game is worlds away from games like Final Fantasy XIII which combine awesome graphics with cheesy and shallow characters and a soporific story.
    Here is to hoping we see more games like this in the future.    … Expand
  19. Jeek
    Dec 23, 2014
    10
    Simply amazing and beautiful game. Even better than the best Final Fantasies. Simple turn based JRPG with amazing story and amazing characters. Can't wait for second chapter sequel.
  20. MissArya
    Jul 29, 2014
    10
    Great Old-School RPG
    Love it !

    Story: The characters are individual and have much Humor. The story comes slowly but in the end u will be very surprised.

    Graphic: Like a óld-school RPG. old-school but in HD. U can read everything really clear

    Sound: Awesome OST, every song is really unique but there are only a few characters who speak in a fight
  21. willlerner
    Jul 31, 2014
    10
    Old-school RPG mixed with Final Fantasy tactics and an amazing story. I was very pleasantly surprised for the game.

    The version at launch had some crashes, but thankfully an update has been released, so I'm updating my score.
  22. Tubey
    Oct 15, 2014
    9
    I'd like to thank Metacritic for bringing me awareness of this game! As of right now, it's the highest user score current PC game, and being an RPG nut and reading into the game more I just had to give it a pop.

    This game is breathtaking. The labour of love behind it I haven't seen since the halcyon days of the 1990s in the RPG genre. Character development is top grade here, you    I'd like to thank Metacritic for bringing me awareness of this game! As of right now, it's the highest user score current PC game, and being an RPG nut and reading into the game more I just had to give it a pop.

    This game is breathtaking. The labour of love behind it I haven't seen since the halcyon days of the 1990s in the RPG genre. Character development is top grade here, you identify with each and every single person you come from. The musical score is fantastic barring a few misses here and there, but the battle soundtrack and character jingles are catchy and perfectly in place.

    Combat is slick and manages to do the unthinkable and avoid the repetitive nature of a JRPG by and large. Don't get me wrong, it still remains the same sort of fight over and over again, but enemy diversity and the gradual incline in difficulty and variety of attack help to overcome this issue.

    But by far and away the biggest asset this game has is the pure heart and soul it has. Graphically, it's beautiful - not in a 1080p, 60fps kind of way, but in a perfectly crafted setting with crisp design and gorgeous vistas. It's a "warm" game that will rope you in if you let it and not let you go for hours on end.

    Simply put, this is the best JRPG I've played since Final Fantasy 9, and arguably surpasses that title. Let's put it this way, if the game was called Final Fantasy 15 or whatever, it'd sell millions and be heralded as one of the greatest JRPGs of all time; just because it isn't a Squaresoft game doesn't mean it shouldn't be afforded the same respect for everything this game gets right.

    So again, thank you Metacritic for putting me on to this game, and I simply can't wait for the sequel!    … Expand
  23. jelikey
    Aug 24, 2018
    9
    he JRPG series known and loved for its meticulous and extensive world-building lives up to its expectations. Estelle in particular is arguably one of the best female MCs to ever come from a video game. With the back-porting all of the PSP exclusive features, clearer text boxes, empty treasure chests with personality, among other things, XSEED really went above and beyond what was
  24. NexusTsunami
    Dec 7, 2016
    9
    1. Vorwort: Nachdem ich sowohl Trails of Cold Steel 1+2 gespielt und lieben gelernt habe, musste ich einfach weiter in die Welt von The Legend of Heroes bzw. die "Trails" Saga eintauchen. Somit kam ich um **** nicht vorbei (geiles Wortspiel ;-)). Zur Info: Alle Serien im "Trails" Universum sind lose miteinander verbunden. So sind die Spiele in unterschiedlichen Ländern auf dem gleichen1. Vorwort: Nachdem ich sowohl Trails of Cold Steel 1+2 gespielt und lieben gelernt habe, musste ich einfach weiter in die Welt von The Legend of Heroes bzw. die "Trails" Saga eintauchen. Somit kam ich um **** nicht vorbei (geiles Wortspiel ;-)). Zur Info: Alle Serien im "Trails" Universum sind lose miteinander verbunden. So sind die Spiele in unterschiedlichen Ländern auf dem gleichen Kontinent angesiedelt (ToCS = Erebonia / **** = Liberl usw.). Auch der Zeitraum in dem die Serien spielen, sind eng beisammen (ToCS 1 beginnt ca. zwei Jahre nach **** First Chapter). Somit werden in ToCS Anspielungen auf Ereignisse in der **** Serie gemacht. Nett!

    2. Spielmechaniken: Dadurch, dass ich mit ToCS in das "Trails" Universum eingestiegen bin, sind die Spielmechaniken dieser Serie mein Maßstab. **** bietet im Grunde ein ähnliches Kampfsystem wie seine Nachfolger. Die Kämpfe laufen rundenbasierend ab und haben Ansätze eines SRPG (welche allerdings nicht zu ausgeprägt sind). Crafts und Arts sind in drei Effektbereiche eingeteilt: Singletarget, Line und Area. Allerdings liegt der Schwerpunkt hauptsächlich auf den Einsatz von Arts. Anders als in ToCS 1+2 lohnt sich hier der Einsatz von Crafts LEIDER nur bedingt, da diese in diesem Spiel, bis auf wenige Ausnahmen, meines Erachtens nach weniger Nutzen haben (bedingt durch fehlende Statuseffekte, Equipment, fehlendem Master Quartz System und einem anderen Regenarationsverfahren der CP). Ansonsten wird ein für mich vertrautes und spannendes Kampfsystem geboten (welches (logischerweise) zu keiner Zeit die Tiefe eines ToCS 1+2 erreicht)).

    Auch das Orbmentsystem ist vertraut und es macht Spass sich den Kopf über etwaige Konstellationen seiner Party zu zerbrechen (leider gab es hier noch kein Master Quartz System :-().

    In der PC Version ist die Bedienung über ein Gamepad übrigens möglich, was ich persönlich auch empfehle.

    3. Charaktere: Ein spaßiger Haufen der mich allerdings nicht so gebunden hat wie Class VII. Dennoch ist klar, dass eine der größten Stärken von Nihon Falcom, in der Charaktergestaltung liegt. Jedes Partymitglied hat seine eigene Geschichte bzw. Beweggründe und sie sind allesamt gut ausgearbeitet. Außerdem verbirgt sich oftmals viel mehr in einem Char als es am Anfang den Anschein hat. Der Schwerpunkt in diesem Spiel, ohne zu viel zu verraten, ganz klar auf Estelle und Joshua. Mir persönlich fehlt allerdings die Möglichkeit des Bondings wie in ToCS ....Fie du fehlst mir :*-(.......;-).

    4. Story: Fängt serientypisch langsam an und steigert sich zum Ende zu einem fesselndem Erlebnis... mehr Verrat ich nicht.

    5. Spielewelt: Dieses Spiel findet seinen Schauplatz im Königreich Liberl. Die Schauplätze die man besucht sind abwechslungsreich und schön anzusehen. Nach "Trails" Manier fühlt man sich einfach wohl!

    6. Grafik: Dieses Spiel hat nach seinem ursprünglichem Release 12 Jahre auf dem Buckel. Allerdings ist das Spielsdesign meines Erachtens nach Zeitlos gehalten und somit wirkt die Grafik selbst heute noch stimmig.

    7. Sound: Kurzum: Passend. Nachdem ich den OST von ToCS 1+2 kenne, welcher einfach überragend ist, bin ich allerdings etwas ernüchtert was den Soundtrack von **** angeht. Ich habe etwas mehr erwartet...

    8. Schlusswort: **** ist in allen Belangen ein wunderbares Spiel welches für mich persönlich nicht an seine Nachfolger der Trails of Cold Steel Reihe herankommt. Dennoch ist die Reise nach Liberl ein Erlebnis...    … Expand
  25. StarofLim
    Nov 3, 2017
    9
    I have to say this game is quite possibly the best JRPG I've ever played.

    The basic plot and design of this game is top-notch. The game world feels detailed and alive. You will be amazed by the gorgeous graphics, rich gameplay, soundtrack and the insanely addictive quality of this game. Every character has their own stories, history, ambitions and social connections. And so, Every    I have to say this game is quite possibly the best JRPG I've ever played.

    The basic plot and design of this game is top-notch. The game world feels detailed and alive. You will be amazed by the gorgeous graphics, rich gameplay, soundtrack and the insanely addictive quality of this game.

    Every character has their own stories, history, ambitions and social connections. And so, Every NPCs has their own name and day to day dilemmas. Every single NPCs you ever spoke to, or those big event in this game you solved may changed some of NPCs says. And this will make you felt on the spot in person.

    I will say the plot is slow at start before the chapter 2, but after that got a lot of action plot in this game. In this game, over 1.5 million Japanese character been used and it might make you feel dialogue can be too wordy and annoying. So expect to read HUGE amount of dialogue. This is both PROS and CONS depending on player's attention span and perspective if you're the type who likes to read and is interested in the lore. This game will very suitable for you to play.

    Definitely a must-buy game.    … Expand
  26. Ilovestory
    Dec 18, 2018
    8
    This was my first Nihon Falcom game. I played this with low expectations, thinking it was like another generic old school JRPGs.

    How wrong I was when I finished it, It blew me away with the world building, and amazing story telling that you don't see often in most JRPGs in present time. The art may seem not great, however for it's time it was acceptable. The bgms and osts were top    This was my first Nihon Falcom game. I played this with low expectations, thinking it was like another generic old school JRPGs.

    How wrong I was when I finished it, It blew me away with the world building, and amazing story telling that you don't see often in most JRPGs in present time.

    The art may seem not great, however for it's time it was acceptable. The bgms and osts were top notch and were a treat to listen to. The only flaw I found was the story is kind of slow paced and doesn't end in FC. You'll have to play the SC to reach the conclusion of trails in the sky, at the very least.

    Even after your done with both FC and SC, you'll have Zero, Azure, and Cold Steel arc to reach the final conclusion of the Trails trilogy.

    Overall I give it a 8/10!
    Highly recommended for all JRPG fans!    … Expand
  27. lord_pent
    Jan 14, 2019
    10
    An amazing RPG, heavily underrated. Even has a fast forward feature, which you can map in config.exe
    (Alt by default)
  28. calderra
    Apr 27, 2016
    0
    I quit. For reference, my favorite RPG of all time is Chrono Trigger, I love oldschool RPGs. This one is just awful. The game opens up with Anime Tomboy Girl waiting for Generic Father Figure to come home. Father tells Tomboy she is a Tomboy. Tomboy agrees she's a Tomboy. Generic Anime Hero Boy is introduced as having a Mysterious Background, and immediately gets physically assaulted byI quit. For reference, my favorite RPG of all time is Chrono Trigger, I love oldschool RPGs. This one is just awful. The game opens up with Anime Tomboy Girl waiting for Generic Father Figure to come home. Father tells Tomboy she is a Tomboy. Tomboy agrees she's a Tomboy. Generic Anime Hero Boy is introduced as having a Mysterious Background, and immediately gets physically assaulted by Tomboy, as one might expect if one has ever seen any anime in history. Boy is told to tell us his name, which is apparently a very long and completely uninteresting introductory cinematic which gives us absolutely no context for anything onscreen so it might as well just be random images off an internet search. Several images which are shown, most of which are static drawnings like one would see in a "visual novel" story game. The movie pauses for a good while on what I assume is supposed to be some noble crest, but which looks like you asked an 8-year-old to draw something to go on a Knight's shield and you chose a very boring 8-year-old.

    I alt-tabbed out to check the Metacritic score, were people really recommended this awful game? Why yes. So I went back in, and was immediately assaulted by what could have easily turned into an hour's worth of dialog boxes, one short walking segment, many more dialog boxes, then a selection of more dialog boxes that could assault me, I was asked to pick dialog boxes off a board, and then there were more dialog boxes.

    I don't care. The art looks like any second-rate visual novel. The dialog seems like it was written by a socially awkward 14-year-old anime fangirl (maybe it's just a terrible translation). I haven't even gotten to the first combat sequence and I'm already having to hold down a button to skip dialog. And even having read none of the dialog, I can still figure out the few actions I'm expected to perform going on nothing but broad genre tropes.

    Do you regularly get accused of watching awful anime? Then you'll like this game. Everyone else, stay away.    … Expand
  29. TheNikus
    Dec 14, 2014
    4
    This game is a great disappointment. I expected something deep like old-style JRPGS I've played (Lufia, Secret of Mana, Terranigma), but this is just cutsie nonesense. The game does nothing to draw you in at all. Combat is lackluster as can be. It may start to become good once you've played 20 hours or so (who knows), but this one is definitely not one of the entertaining variety. KeepThis game is a great disappointment. I expected something deep like old-style JRPGS I've played (Lufia, Secret of Mana, Terranigma), but this is just cutsie nonesense. The game does nothing to draw you in at all. Combat is lackluster as can be. It may start to become good once you've played 20 hours or so (who knows), but this one is definitely not one of the entertaining variety. Keep away if you don't like it shallow.… Expand
  30. megabear
    Dec 23, 2017
    0
    I've been a big fan of JRPG's since the 90's and played much of them. So I thought to give this game a try. Big mistake. Why in the world is this game considered good, I will never know. The game takes you through pointless A to B, then B to A, only to ask you to go from A to B again. Story is juvenile teen romance mixed up with shallow story that was disappointing to no end. I keptI've been a big fan of JRPG's since the 90's and played much of them. So I thought to give this game a try. Big mistake. Why in the world is this game considered good, I will never know. The game takes you through pointless A to B, then B to A, only to ask you to go from A to B again. Story is juvenile teen romance mixed up with shallow story that was disappointing to no end. I kept thinking ok, maybe in the end it will make me change my mind. Maybe I just haven't reached the climax of the story yet. Nope. Shallow throughout. Think the movie/book series "Twilight". Many are a fan of the series. I sure as hell am not a fan of "Twilight" or "The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky".… Expand
  31. Tenshino
    Aug 6, 2014
    6
    While the game has some charm and character, the majority of the game consist of lackluster combat against foes that exist purely to elongate the length of the game.

    The overall story is fairly interesting and the characters are a welcome break from the standard JRPG characters we usually get but fail to redeem the poor combat system and other poor qualities of the game, the interface    While the game has some charm and character, the majority of the game consist of lackluster combat against foes that exist purely to elongate the length of the game.

    The overall story is fairly interesting and the characters are a welcome break from the standard JRPG characters we usually get but fail to redeem the poor combat system and other poor qualities of the game, the interface is clunky and extremely unpleasant to look at the enemies often have abilities that heal themselves that seems to exist only to make a impossibly easy fight last that while longer to drag out the length of the game.

    There is CONSTANT back-tracking in the game, require you and your party to run back and forth attempting to dodge the enemies that you were capable of beating 5 hours earlier, dodging the enemies is made so much harder by the fact that your party follows you around and if ANY part of them comes into contact with the enemy the battle immediately begins, which feels like yet another chalked in way to extend the length of the game.

    My overall recommendation is to wait until the game is on sale.    … Expand
  32. tollos
    Sep 27, 2014
    5
    This game could have been great ... but the repetition and the cutscenes kills it.
    The first 3 hours are pretty good but after that you realise that the story is boring with dialogs that last for hours.
    The combats are an endless repetition of exactly the same actions. Only when you first met a new type of monster and during boss fight you get some excitement. Too bad because the    This game could have been great ... but the repetition and the cutscenes kills it.
    The first 3 hours are pretty good but after that you realise that the story is boring with dialogs that last for hours.
    The combats are an endless repetition of exactly the same actions. Only when you first met a new type of monster and during boss fight you get some excitement.

    Too bad because the graphics are nice, the idea of tactical fights is nice also, just too repetitive to be interesting.

    Don't pay attention to the guys giving 10/10 because they played it 10 mins and now are the biggest fan ever of the game.    … Expand
  33. Yosa
    Jun 24, 2017
    0
    Overlong intro scenes, game play need to happen before the book; first major mistake.

    Ui is bad, no key mapping, logical user keys devoid, yeah, that nets negative points.

    So I get to the gameplay after 20 minutes of reading, and realize its so linear that I almost dont care, I explore a bit, and am greated with more dialog.
  34. Underpants158
    Feb 5, 2016
    6
    I played the game for 20 hours (meaning I did not complete!). Thought the story was pretty boring and the characters trite. Gentlemanly quiet boy in Joshua, tomboy naive girl in Estelle, and girl crazy dude in Olivier. For example when I think of Bravely default these are the exact same characters as Tiz, Edea, and Ringabel. Scheherazade is a unique character, I'll give them that-with herI played the game for 20 hours (meaning I did not complete!). Thought the story was pretty boring and the characters trite. Gentlemanly quiet boy in Joshua, tomboy naive girl in Estelle, and girl crazy dude in Olivier. For example when I think of Bravely default these are the exact same characters as Tiz, Edea, and Ringabel. Scheherazade is a unique character, I'll give them that-with her heavy drinking and persian sexyness.

    The story sees you going around to the major cities to earn recommendations from the various city fighter's guilds (called Bracers, which is a lot cooler name than fighter's guild). Each city has a self contained story that has some connecting factors to the major plotline but really I know about the same amount 20 hours in as I did 5 hours in. So to me it felt like I was barely ever progressing and seeing a new city is really not that thrilling. Meeting new characters was good though.

    Gameplay wise I love that you see the enemies on screen and that you can sneak up on them to get an extra turn of hits in. However I would barely call this a tactical jrpg. Sure you can move around the battlefield but that takes up your whole turn meaning you can't attack. Then there's the fact that aoe damage is rarely ever worth two turns of setting up. As far as customization goes you have what is pretty much the equivalent to the materia system of ff7 so that is cool.

    Minor quibble: the music a lot of times wasn't dynamic enough to fit the mood. For instance somebody a character cares deeply about may or may not be hurt and we are running along to find them and the same jaunty adventuring music is playing. Or a guy would yell the equivalent of "KHAAAANN" with the accompaniment of some calming quiet village music.

    I heard lots of great things about this game but it fell very far short for me.    … Expand
  35. KaienShiba
    Apr 4, 2015
    7
    Great game, if you use a game pad, almost unplayable with keyboard and mouse. The only flaw is the lack of camera angle except in combat, most console game do not transfer well to pc
  36. BasilZero
    Jan 28, 2020
    9
    Game: The Legend of Heroes Trails in the Sky First Chapter
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: Falcom Publisher: XSEED Games/Marvelous Inc System: Steam (PC) Year of Release: 2014 Length of Playthrough: 58 Hours Total Score: 91/100 Value Score: 9.1/10 • Story: 9/10 • Characters: 9/10 • GamePlay: 9/10 • Graphics: 9/10 • Sound: 8/10 • Music: 8/10 • Length: 10/10 • Replay Value: 9/10 •    Game: The Legend of Heroes Trails in the Sky First Chapter
    Genre: RPG
    Developer: Falcom
    Publisher: XSEED Games/Marvelous Inc
    System: Steam (PC)
    Year of Release: 2014
    Length of Playthrough: 58 Hours

    Total Score: 91/100
    Value Score: 9.1/10

    • Story: 9/10
    • Characters: 9/10
    • GamePlay: 9/10
    • Graphics: 9/10
    • Sound: 8/10
    • Music: 8/10
    • Length: 10/10
    • Replay Value: 9/10
    • Player Value: 10/10

    Pros
    +Great story and fantastic localization/translation of the character interactions
    +More than 50 hours worth of content through main story and sidequests
    +Game where you do not need to grind and does not encourage grinding
    +New Game+
    +Speed up mechanic which allows you to speed up the game in all places (battle, outside of battles and cutscenes)
    +Great visual design/level design
    +Ability to transfer save data to next game for a few bonuses

    Cons
    -Gameplay especially in battles can be really slow paced
    -A lot of fetch quests and walking back and forth
    -Timed quests so you have to do them immediately available or risk losing from progression of story    … Expand
  37. TheHambro
    Oct 11, 2022
    8
    The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is my introduction into this series, and it’s your run of the mill JRPG. It doesn’t do anything special, characters are your typical stereotypes, and I’m sure you’ve seen this story told a thousand times before. And yet, Nihon Falcom always excels at taking simplicity and making it work towards the game’s favor. Is there anything truly uniqueThe Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is my introduction into this series, and it’s your run of the mill JRPG. It doesn’t do anything special, characters are your typical stereotypes, and I’m sure you’ve seen this story told a thousand times before. And yet, Nihon Falcom always excels at taking simplicity and making it work towards the game’s favor. Is there anything truly unique about this game? There isn’t, but what is there is just a good, fun experience. Give this a shot, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.… Expand
  38. Neatqt
    Feb 28, 2020
    9
    Cast: 9/10
    Story: 10/10
    Fun: 8/10
    Gameplay: 8/10

    MUST PLAY
    ---------------------- 45 Hours Played
  39. Zenter
    Mar 4, 2019
    10
    One of the best RPGs I have ever played. The story and writing is so well-constructed and well-thought. The characters felt very real and well-developed. It is such a rarity to find a game with a writing like Trails. A must-try for every JRPG fan
  40. LoLerScholar
    Jan 19, 2020
    9
    Just finished playing this game about a week ago and I have to say I was surprised by how fantastic it was. It was highly recommended to me by a friend so I checked it out. I'm so grateful that this series was localized relatively recently because this game should be as exalted as a lot of other JPRG classics.

    All the reviews of this game say it's a slow burn and they're 100% right.    Just finished playing this game about a week ago and I have to say I was surprised by how fantastic it was. It was highly recommended to me by a friend so I checked it out. I'm so grateful that this series was localized relatively recently because this game should be as exalted as a lot of other JPRG classics.

    All the reviews of this game say it's a slow burn and they're 100% right. The story takes a while to get going and the tasks you're given to start off with are relatively mundane and seemingly important at the start. The prologue takes hours to complete but you feel pretty confident in attacking the rest of the game once you finish.

    The strength of this game is in the story-telling and development of characters for sure. These aspects are pulled off masterfully. You're given just enough bits and pieces as you go along to be motivated to continue. This game uses foreshadowing so well; there are always pieces of dialogue that are dropped that don't make a huge impact at the present time, but you know something big is going to come of it later on. The personalities of the main characters (Joshua and Estelle) come through really well; Joshua is more level-headed, calm, and wise beyond his years while Estelle is a lot more impulsive and youthfully exuberant. The game is a 'bildungsroman' or coming of age story for sure and it's interesting to see how these kids become aware of and adjust to aspects in society such as politics (which play a pretty big role). As you may have read, the game contains a huge plot twist at the end, which blew my mind and made the game even better in my eyes.

    The music is this game is also a solid 9 out of 10. The main theme (called 'Whereabouts of Light') is very memorable has several different in-game renditions, all of which are great. The battle theme is awesome and there are a number of boss themes that get the blood pumping. I think the game could have used a few more tracks to convey the mood in different situations as there isn't that much variety to the tracks, but all the tracks are very good, so no worries.

    The combat in the game is turned-based and probably one of the weaker aspects of the game. The game technically came out in 2004, so I guess you can't expect too much. Don't get me wrong; I found the combat to be quite satisfying and fun, but it's a slight bit dated mechanically. The combat feels like a combination between Final Fantasy Tactics and Breath of Fire. The game isn't too difficult overall (which I definitely appreciate), but man one sequence of fights towards the end of the game was brutal!

    So all in all, this game is definitely for those RPG fans who want a very in-depth story, world-building, and character development. I can see new-age gamers being pretty bored with this game to be honest, because there isn't a lot of instant gratification. However, if you're like me and view RPGs as literature, I think you'll love Trails in the Sky FC. I aim to play SC within the next year and am really really looking forward to it.    … Expand
  41. Coconutnut
    Sep 7, 2019
    9
    This game is full of charm. While slow-paced for some, it's a real journey for JRPG fans. Characters, story, world-building, music. It's all there and it's really good. If you can bear with the outdated graphics by today's standards and the slow pacing, it's worth it. Because trust me, it gets better and better.
  42. Pokegame
    Jun 16, 2021
    10
    The perfect start to a perfect series


    All though this game is rather slow in its passing it's still an amazing start to the legendary trails/kiskei series. If you like JRPG or have a love for games with amazing story, world building and characters give this series a try, and the first game is the perfect starting point.
  43. OldManLav
    Jun 17, 2023
    10
    This game (and series) is a shining example of writing, storytelling, and character development in video games. Needs to be released on modern platforms in the West- I had to dust off my Vita to play through the trilogy.

    Story starts off pretty slowly, but do me a favor and stick with it. You won't be disappointed.
  44. Luigichief
    Jun 15, 2020
    10
    It establishes this state very well in a very dynamic way. Great characters. Cool gameplay. This world is alive.
  45. gamejediben
    Aug 3, 2020
    10
    Do you love Grandia? Then you will LOVE this game. They took the Grandia formula and made it even better. The characters are better written (more realistic and less annoying) the music is better (its Falcom, so of course it is) and the battle system is almost identical to Grandia's. Theres also less grinding required.

    My only real complaint is the magic system is kind of a poor man's    Do you love Grandia? Then you will LOVE this game. They took the Grandia formula and made it even better. The characters are better written (more realistic and less annoying) the music is better (its Falcom, so of course it is) and the battle system is almost identical to Grandia's. Theres also less grinding required.

    My only real complaint is the magic system is kind of a poor man's version of FF7's materia system. Its not bad but sometimes I couldn't figure out how to get what spell onto which character. This game has no voice acting and is very word heavy and there will be lots of reading required but in that way it reminds me of older RPGs from the 90s so I didn't mind. the graphics are kinda weak but you have to remember its a game from 2004 but we didn't get it until 10 years after its original release. So judged on that scale, I'd say the graphics are quite good. There's a very timeless feel to the visuals that I think really makes them hold up well.

    I think the strongest selling point on this game is the buckets of charm it brings. Its easy to get drawn in and not want to leave which I guess is a good thing since there are 2 direct sequels to play after you finish this one. I'll also write a review for those once I finish them. Overall, I gotta give this a 10. Its just too damn good to give it anything else. Its like a masterpiece from an older era of RPGs that I somehow missed but Im glad I went back to play. By far the best $15 I've spent on a steam sale!    … Expand
  46. LadyAkeno
    Sep 3, 2020
    9
    I can't be thankful enought for finding this game, because it made me fall in love with the jrpg genre again. All the feelings I remembered from my adolescence playing FF was reborned. After I finished this game I played all The Legend of Heroes saga in a row, and it has been one of my best experiences in gaming.
    Storytelling, characters, worldconstruction... Everything was perfect for    I can't be thankful enought for finding this game, because it made me fall in love with the jrpg genre again. All the feelings I remembered from my adolescence playing FF was reborned. After I finished this game I played all The Legend of Heroes saga in a row, and it has been one of my best experiences in gaming.
    Storytelling, characters, worldconstruction... Everything was perfect for me. The only reason behind this 9 is a improvable gameplay (which is improved in the next series) and the fact that for me there are better games in the series which deseve the 10 more.    … Expand
  47. SuperSuki
    Feb 17, 2021
    8
    A very good Jrpg filled with fun but challenging combat interesting and fun characters, what else is there to ask for?
  48. Lolerrev
    Apr 24, 2021
    9
    This game is the start of a saga, at first it may seem quite simple, but has a complexity up to some degree.

    The main characters are really nice. With regards to the story, it will surprise you at some point, and, if you finally enjoy the game, you currently have up to eight more games to play.
  49. Wondux
    May 23, 2023
    7
    It was a very enjoyable game. The story was engaging. Combat mechanics were very fun. The story presentation was good as well. The missions did not become boring even though sometimes they were repetitive. I really liked running around the cities and completing tasks given to me by the folk. I absolutely loved the characters and their interactions. I could actually feel the love or hateIt was a very enjoyable game. The story was engaging. Combat mechanics were very fun. The story presentation was good as well. The missions did not become boring even though sometimes they were repetitive. I really liked running around the cities and completing tasks given to me by the folk. I absolutely loved the characters and their interactions. I could actually feel the love or hate they felt for each other. The first games of arcs in "The Legend of Heroes" are usually very slow and introductive, but I actually liked this. I don't think that there are exciting stories until the second games, and it was the same here. However, I absolutely love the world-building of The Legend of Heroes and I loved being introduced to it slowly.… Expand
  50. Xitomz
    Nov 24, 2021
    10
    One of the best JRPG's I've played in my life. The game serves as a precuel to a huge series of games so it starts really slowly, focusing on building both the world and the characters. The story is rich and believeable, even though It's a fantasy themed one, and every character is unique and makes sense.

    The only downside I see is that it starts too slow for my taste. I think the game    One of the best JRPG's I've played in my life. The game serves as a precuel to a huge series of games so it starts really slowly, focusing on building both the world and the characters. The story is rich and believeable, even though It's a fantasy themed one, and every character is unique and makes sense.

    The only downside I see is that it starts too slow for my taste. I think the game would benefeit from starting at a faster pace. Not much happens until chapter 2 or 3, but from that point onwards it really is an absolute masterpiece.

    Beware, this game is more of a visual novel than an average RPG, take this into consideration before playing. There's tons and tons of text. If you don't like reading, you're better off playing other games of the genre.    … Expand
  51. MoofiaBossVal
    Dec 26, 2021
    7
    The combat is really rough. The sidequests are mediocre, just stick to the main plot. The aesthetics are okay. The characters look good but the environments are very bland and samey. The story later on is really good but the first 20 hours are a slog.
  52. GenTrailsFan
    Mar 1, 2022
    9
    Old school turn based JRPG at its finest. This game is the beginning of it all one of the most epic stories ever told! If you love long running shows or games that explore politics, war, and the very heart of humanity look no further! Also the soundtrack is bangin'!
  53. Ikrus
    Aug 23, 2023
    3
    This would have been a top tier game, if it wasn't for the continuous hints of homophobia (main protagonist compares gay men to pedophiles) and undertones of SA (older women hitting on young men without their consent). I've seen people call this Japanese humor and what not, but cultures and mindsets should always be challenged and made more accessible to all groups of people.
  54. NN010
    Jan 29, 2023
    8
    First off, the gameplay. The combat is a middle ground between traditional turn-based JRPGs & strategy RPGs like Fire Emblem. Like Fire Emblem, Trails in the Sky uses a grid system which controls where your characters can move. But like a traditional turn-based JRPG, you have an overworld and are teleported to a separate dimension for battles (at least that’s how it feels). I will sayFirst off, the gameplay. The combat is a middle ground between traditional turn-based JRPGs & strategy RPGs like Fire Emblem. Like Fire Emblem, Trails in the Sky uses a grid system which controls where your characters can move. But like a traditional turn-based JRPG, you have an overworld and are teleported to a separate dimension for battles (at least that’s how it feels). I will say that, as someone who hasn’t played many turn-based JRPGs & didn’t enjoy a more traditional one like Dragon Quest XI, I actually did enjoy this battle system at times. I say at times because random encounters with standard monsters got old after a while.

    The story on the other hand is pretty good & has plenty of charm. It starts out as a pretty low-stakes affair, with Estelle & Joshua travelling from one city to another, being contracted to deal with whatever local crisis the citizens are dealing with and getting the assistance of a colourful cast of characters along the way. But as they get closer & closer to their goal of becoming senior Bracers, the stakes get higher & higher, building towards a heart-breaking cliffhanger ending that will leave you eager to start Second Chapter (the game’s direct sequel) but nevertheless wraps up most of the game’s overarching plotlines.

    The amazing thing is that, even though this game & Second Chapter were supposed to be a single game, but got split into two games to make its targeted release date, it feels like this story was always meant to be a two-parter! Either that’s a testament to how good of an idea the two-parter angle was or Falcom did an excellent job making the split work. Either way, multi-game arcs are seemingly the standard going forward, so it’ll be interesting to see if I feel the same way about the Crossbell & Cold Steel arcs.
    It’s definitely a very JRPG trope-heavy plot, but that’s not a bad thing so long as the plot itself is engaging, which this one is.

    As for the technical aspects, the visuals hold up pretty well for an almost 20-year-old game (perhaps this is due to the 2D sprite art used for the characters just inherently aging better than 3D rendering), although the environments (which do seem to be rendered in 3D) haven’t aged as gracefully, but still fare better than most games from this time period that aimed for a more realistic art-style. And the music! Oh, boy is the music great! Created in-house by Falcom’s Sound Team jdk, the OST of Trails in the Sky is full of bangers & I’ve already added quite a few of them to my liked songs on Spotify!

    Conclusion
    Despite it’s age, Trails in the Sky is a pretty good RPG with a fun & captivating story that balances telling a self-contained story & kicking off the ongoing narrative that defines the Trails series to this day, paired with gameplay that, while far from perfect, estabilshes a decent foundation to build on in future games. I just hope that the rest of the saga can at least live up to the standard this opening chapter has set in my mind…

    Ratings
    Creative score (story, gameplay, voice acting, art direction): 8/10
    Technical score (graphics, audio, performance)): 7.5/10
    Business Practices score: 8/10 (Nothing egregiously bad, but Falcom’s hesitation regarding releasing the PC version in the West when it was clear that the PSP’s struggles here were a key contributor to the initial release failing commercially does knock off a few points, but I’ll save the details of that for when I finish & review Second Chapter)
    Overall score (my thoughts on a game’s overall quality, does not consider the business practices unless they are detrimental to the experience): 8.5/10    … Expand
  55. AdoMobA
    Mar 19, 2023
    8
    Pros
    - a fantastic start to the Trails series
    - great cast of characters with deep writing - mysteries on top of mysteries that promise intrigue for the rest of the series - one of the best cliffhangers in gaming - surprisingly deep character min maxing system Cons - the Prologue is the most boring this series ever gets - after that, the game is still a sloooooooooooooooow burn    Pros
    - a fantastic start to the Trails series
    - great cast of characters with deep writing
    - mysteries on top of mysteries that promise intrigue for the rest of the series
    - one of the best cliffhangers in gaming
    - surprisingly deep character min maxing system

    Cons
    - the Prologue is the most boring this series ever gets
    - after that, the game is still a sloooooooooooooooow burn that ends fantastically but I am not surprised with people dropping it

    As the first game in the long running Trails series, Trails in the Sky does a fantastic job of laying the foundation for what would become one of the most complex stories ever told. It is here where the initial tracks are laid for some of the best moments in the Trails series.

    The biggest issue for this game and for the entire greater series, is the prologue and the overall slow burn nature of this game. While most of the series is slow burn after slow burn, there is no other game in the series that is as slow as this game. It is like trying to convince someone to get into a show that gets good after the first 24 episode season.

    Now what that slow burn leads to is one of the best cliffhangers in gaming, and let me tell you, the moment you finish this game, you are going to curse yourself that you have not pre-downloaded the Second Chapter. It is genuinely that good.

    When it comes to gameplay, the game is turn based with turn order displayed in a corner of the screen. This allows you to use abilities to afflict enemies with delay effects, pushing their turns back and yours forward. It allows for fun amounts of strategy, as the turn order also displays turn bonuses, like getting Automatic Criticals and not using MP when you use spells.

    This results in a fun combat puzzle where you are trying to push enemies around in the turn order in order for you to get all the bonuses while they suffer the negatives. It is a lot of fun.

    The customization for characters when it comes to their loadout is also great. The so-called orbments allow you to slot various quartz that give you passive bonuses and active spells. Slotting different quartz alongside each other then unlocks even more abilities through synthesis of those two in the same orbment device. You can spend hours figuring out different quartz combos to best suit your playstyle.

    Trails in the Sky is a slow yet fantastic start to the greater Trails series. If you ever feel like you want to embark on a fun journey that will have you entertained for hours, Trails is the series for you.    … Expand
  56. hk300
    May 1, 2023
    8
    Older JRPG on steam that sets the foundation for a great series of games. May start a little slow but the pace picks up and by the end you want to pick up Sky SC to see where things go.
  57. JimmieRamone
    Jul 3, 2023
    10
    This is definitely a game that asks for a lot of patience at the beginning, but once things start moving along and you get to some of the tougher boss fights, the orbment battle system really starts to shine. One of my favorite RPGs of all time, I'd put the series as a whole up with the likes of Lunar and Grandia. If you like either of those games, I think it's a safe bet you'll love ****
  58. AnimeConnoisseu
    Jun 27, 2023
    0
    Incredibly boring combat, awful writing, and a weird romance between siblings.
  59. JRPG-Fan
    Aug 26, 2023
    9
    Intrigué par la très bonne réputation de cette série dont le nom me revenait souvent aux oreilles, j'ai fini par me lancer, et j'ai pris une belle petite claque comme peu de jeux y sont parvenus, surtout en tenant compte des moyens limités dont dispose Nihon Falcom. J'ai eu envie de venir mettre une belle note à ce jeu qui le mérite.

    D'abord les défauts, ça va être rapide : -    Intrigué par la très bonne réputation de cette série dont le nom me revenait souvent aux oreilles, j'ai fini par me lancer, et j'ai pris une belle petite claque comme peu de jeux y sont parvenus, surtout en tenant compte des moyens limités dont dispose Nihon Falcom. J'ai eu envie de venir mettre une belle note à ce jeu qui le mérite.

    D'abord les défauts, ça va être rapide :

    - Gameplay et équilibrage : combats répétitifs, sacs à PV et certains boss au pattern parfois un peu cheaté.

    Et... c'est à peu près tout. J'aurais pu aussi citer quelques longueurs, mais c'est quelque chose dont on s'attend plus ou moins étant donné la proposition du jeu, qui est un mix entre RPG et visual novel. La technique n'est pas incroyable même pour un jeu de 2004, mais la direction artistique est tellement soignée notamment dans les villes et les intérieurs, que ce serait un peu injuste à mon sens.

    Les points forts :

    - Une densité narrative hallucinante, avec un scénario sympa, dont l'ampleur se révèle au fur et à mesure.
    - Une multitude de personnages hyper attachants et très bien écrits.
    - L'humour omniprésent, avec certains passages vraiment très drôles.
    - Le chara-design très réussi, notamment durant les dialogues, qui retranscrivent parfaitement les émotions.
    - Très bonne direction artistique dans les villes et les bâtiments. Un peu moins en dehors.
    - L'aspect RPG, avec un système d'orbes, biren que basique, assez bien foutu pour cet épisode introductif.
    - Une bande-son qui m'a surpris par sa grande qualité. Mention spéciale pour le thème de fin.
    - La fin, tout simplement. L'une des plus réussies que j'ai eu à voir dans un J-RPG à ce jour.

    Je ne m'attendais pas sortir de ce jeu avec une aussi bonne impression. J'y ai passé 75h pour le 100%. Il est sur Steam et n'est pas cher. Si vous aimez les J-RPG et que vous comprenez un minimum l'anglais, foncez !    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. CD-Action
    Dec 13, 2014
    75
    It’s a good game, but you have to remember that it’s a port of a 10-year-old PSP title. [Dec 2014, p.72]
  2. RPG Fan
    Sep 6, 2014
    90
    A slow-paced but charismatic RPG with an incredibly well-crafted world and characters.
    Read full review
  3. RPGamer
    Sep 5, 2014
    80
    I didn't love this game with every fiber of my being, but I certainly had a good time throughout, which is more than I can say for some titles.
    Read full review
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