The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

 PSP
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 120 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 101 out of 120
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 120
  3. Negative: 14 out of 120
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  1. frantisek
    Mar 29, 2011
    10
    I played the Japanese version years ago, and this is by far one of the best story-driven jrpgs ever created. Its pacing may seem a bit slow at first, but its setting and characters need to be introduced in such a way since this game is only the first chapter in a massive series encompassing many titles (the first three have already been announced by xseed)..

    The world (aka the Liberl    I played the Japanese version years ago, and this is by far one of the best story-driven jrpgs ever created. Its pacing may seem a bit slow at first, but its setting and characters need to be introduced in such a way since this game is only the first chapter in a massive series encompassing many titles (the first three have already been announced by xseed)..

    The world (aka the Liberl kingdom) is explored directly and is really vast (the cities are especially great because of their details), the setting is so full of lore it rivals some of the best fantasy novels and computer rpgs (you can find informations on practically anything you are interested into, and there are many books to read and newspapers that details the kingdom of Liberl's events), the battle system is a unique and extremely enjoyable mix of turn based combat and strategical depth and the characters can have many possible setups thanks to the quartz, somewhat like final fantasy 7's materia. Somewhat like computer rpgs series like Dragon Age and Mass Effect, Trails allows you to use the final save data in the next game, retaining your levels and slightly altering its events depending on the quests you have done.

    Every fan of jrpgs with a powerful and deep story, a great battle system and a believable world would do well to buy it and its even more awesome sequel, Trails Second Chapter, when it's released.    … Expand
  2. coldkgon
    Mar 29, 2011
    10
    Trails in the Sky is a 2004 PC RPG ported into PSP in 2006. It the first story in a sequential set of three games, with a new game set in the same world released 2010 and another one for release late 2011. For 6 years this gem remained hidden due to the language barrier, but thanks to the monumental efforts by Localization company extraordinaire XSEED, English-speakers now have the chanceTrails in the Sky is a 2004 PC RPG ported into PSP in 2006. It the first story in a sequential set of three games, with a new game set in the same world released 2010 and another one for release late 2011. For 6 years this gem remained hidden due to the language barrier, but thanks to the monumental efforts by Localization company extraordinaire XSEED, English-speakers now have the chance to experience this game, created by a niche company and marketed by word of mouth only to become one of the staples of RPG genre in Japan. Animation â… Expand
  3. Raniki
    Mar 31, 2011
    10
    Fans overseas probably know Falcom best for their Ys series, thanks largely to XSEED's efforts in bringing over some of their newest PSP titles. What they might not know (yet) is that Falcom has a second flagship series that is even more popular in Japan and Asia generally, this being Legend of Heroes. The series began as an offshoot of Dragon Slayer, a massive franchise that includesFans overseas probably know Falcom best for their Ys series, thanks largely to XSEED's efforts in bringing over some of their newest PSP titles. What they might not know (yet) is that Falcom has a second flagship series that is even more popular in Japan and Asia generally, this being Legend of Heroes. The series began as an offshoot of Dragon Slayer, a massive franchise that includes Xanadu, Drasle Family and the original Sorcerian, all of which had English releases in one form or another. Legend of Heroes began as the sixth Dragon Slayer game but has since become a franchise of its own. The third through fifth games were ported to the PSP and localized by Bandai, though anyone who has played those games should NOT assume that they're representative of what a LoH game should be. The poor localization ruined the best part of those games: the characters and story. Fortunately for us all, XSEED has done right by this franchise and given the first game in the Kiseki/Trails franchise the localization it deserves.

    Oh yes, make no mistake that this is a franchise within a franchise. The four (soon to be five) games in this saga are among Falcom's most popular, so much so that the most recent game sold out on preorders before its release date and Falcom announced an early stock price increase based on that success. The fifth game is expected to do just as well and in the meanwhile Interwise is going to the effort of producing a high-definition PC version of the fourth game for Chinese gamers.

    So, what do gamers in Japan and China know that gamers overseas don't yet? Simply that these are without hyperbole some of the best RPGs you'll ever play and take place in what might be the most intricately detailed world to ever appear in a video game. This title takes place entirely in Liberl kingdom but don't let that put you off. Most RPG kingdoms have a city, maybe a town or two and no particular reason for existing aside to give mapmakers something to fill in the blanks. Every city in Liberl exists for a reason and every person has a reason for living there. This is quite simply a dream game for anyone who wants to really get sucked into a world.

    One reason this game has resisted translation for so long is the sheer size of the script: Over 1.5 million characters in Japanese. Your typical Final Fantasy game doesn't even have half that. With a script that size, this game is very dialogue-heavy. While a lot of text goes into the main story, there are also a huge number of variant lines for NPCs, giving the player the sense of existing in a real and evolving world. The prologue alone has about ten different sets of dialogue for its NPCs and I encourage everyone to go and see all those variants. Not only will you learn more about the world and its inhabitants but you never know when someone will have a quest or an item, most of which are extremely time-limited.

    As you might gather from the above, this game focuses very heavily on the story but that doesn't mean the gameplay is neglected. Battles are fought on a grid, all eight characters have a unique mix of Crafts and the Orbment system allows you a measure of customization. One feature of particular note is the S-Break. When you have 100 CP or more, you gain access to powerfu S-Crafts (not all of which are offensive but all of which are useful) and you can trigger them at any time, even during an enemy turn. Doing so allows you to interrupt the turn order and provides many potential advantages. Later games in the series add even more features so if you like the system here you'll love the later games.

    As anyone who's played the Ys games knows, Falcom does good music. Really really good music. This game is absolutely no exception. When multiple fan contests on both sides of the Pacific decide that a song from this game should occupy the #1 slot, that should tell you something. As good as Silver Will is, the rest of the soundtrack more than manages to keep up.

    Being a Legend of Heroes game, the plot and characters are the heart of the game and XSEED's translation delivers both with all the emotion they should be presented with. Rather than sing their praises I encourage everyone to check it out for themselves. The beginning is a little slow but once you get to Chapter 2 you'll be hooked. These are not cookie-cutter characters (and if you try to mentally place them in a box, they'll probably jump out and stomp the box) and the plot has some amazing developments, especially at the end. When the credits roll, you'll find yourself hoping for the second game to be released yesterday. It will be a massive undertaking and I wish XSEED all the best. When you get to the end I'm sure you will too. In closing, I have three words to say about Trails in the Sky: Believe the hype.    … Expand
  4. rally100
    Apr 1, 2011
    10
    I'm not a big fan of dialogue-heavy games, and even if I enjoyed many action rpgs like kingdom hearts, tales or ys I usually tried to avoid anything too verbose since usually videogames fail pretty hard when they try to be interactive novels. This was before one of my friends practically begged me to try trails in the sky, saying that it was the next big thing in eastern rpgs.

    Normally    I'm not a big fan of dialogue-heavy games, and even if I enjoyed many action rpgs like kingdom hearts, tales or ys I usually tried to avoid anything too verbose since usually videogames fail pretty hard when they try to be interactive novels. This was before one of my friends practically begged me to try trails in the sky, saying that it was the next big thing in eastern rpgs.

    Normally I wouldn't have caved in, but atm I have loads of free time and since I liked other games from falcom (ys seven and felghana, chronicles wasn't my thing so I skipped it, too archaic) I decided to give it a try buying the game on PSN.

    This was three days ago, and now I'm almost twenty hours into the game.

    What can I say? At the beginning I wasn't particularly impressed: tons of texts, anime characters, little quests, some well-known tropes... after some time, however, I was simply overcome by the feeling I usually experience when reading a good fantasy novel. The quality of the writing (I imagine the translator is quite good), the attention paid to small details like being able to read books, having cities full of npcs with actual personalities, feeling that the main cast is only a fraction of a world able to stand on its own.. all of this was conveyed in a way I never experienced in a Japanese game (I remember having those kind of impressions while playing baldur's gate 2 ages ago), not to mention that battles are really fun to play out, with some degree of strategy that reminded me of games like arc the lad twilight of spirits or jagged alliance. The best part is that the game is actually able to attract the player inside its world without taking itself too seriously: the general atmosphere is always lighthearted and estelle and joshua duo take care to make even tense situations amusing.

    It's like reading the first book of a david eddings novel series, where you can feel that the story is building up but the narrative tries to avoid jumping too fast in order to flesh out everything, and the novel parallel is quite appropriate since (as I learned only after buying the game) trails is only the first part of a trilogy.

    i don't think I will start pursuing this kind of games, but trails so far managed to change my taste, and if the game is able to stay this good to the end I will surely buy the other episodes of the trilogy when they are out.    … Expand
  5. Hamilton
    Apr 12, 2011
    9
    Back in the '90s Japanese rpgs were one of the more popular genres in gaming, but since then they have mostly fallen from grace, with people transitioning to other kind of games or simply ignoring new releases. Some claim this is because of the genre's crisis, others think that it's simply a problem of budget, with many interesting titles being released on handheld and with poor graphicsBack in the '90s Japanese rpgs were one of the more popular genres in gaming, but since then they have mostly fallen from grace, with people transitioning to other kind of games or simply ignoring new releases. Some claim this is because of the genre's crisis, others think that it's simply a problem of budget, with many interesting titles being released on handheld and with poor graphics ending up overlooked by those who clamor for the glorious jrpgs of old.

    Trails in the Sky is the perfect example of this trend: it will probably be ignored by most gamers for a variety of reasons (being released on Psp, a console almost dead in the USA, being a game with unimpressive graphics, its lack of marketing), but it actually has everything that made jrpgs a great and loved genre back in the days. Its climate reminded me of series such as Lunar, Grandia and Suikoden, its characters were funny and believable young heroes in the best tradition of heroic fantasy and the world they lived in is so wonderfully filled with backstories and dialogues you will never feel to be stranded in some cardboard kingdom made only as a backdrop for a small-scale adventure. Battles were really funny too, and the quartz system made me spend much time adapting the heroes' skills.

    I was a bit skeptical regarding Trails in the Sky's value since I knew Falcom mostly for action games like the Ys series or for its unsuccessful Gagharv games, but after some 48 hours when I saw the ending I was reminded of why I loved jrpgs and was converted to this series' fandom.    … Expand
  6. rossb
    Sep 21, 2011
    10
    One of the finest JRPG'S to appear on a handheld console. The supurb writing makes the dailogue shine. When combined with an interesting plot and a fantastic combat system make this a game not to be missed. P.S check every treasure chest twice.
  7. Karibito
    Aug 11, 2013
    10
    "This review covers not only the localised First Chapter but the, so far, unreleased in the west, Second Chapter as well."

    This is not just a great Jrpg. This is a tremendous achievement in storytelling, and a crowning achievement of a small company that creates games with all its heart and soul. It deserves the highest praise for the godly music, the deep gameplay, the breathing    "This review covers not only the localised First Chapter but the, so far, unreleased in the west, Second Chapter as well."

    This is not just a great Jrpg. This is a tremendous achievement in storytelling, and a crowning achievement of a small company that creates games with all its heart and soul.

    It deserves the highest praise for the godly music, the deep gameplay, the breathing world, and this greatest cast of characters ever to grace a video game. This game and its sequels are reasons enough for anyone to learn japanese. Do it and you won't be disappointed.    … Expand
  8. Cookiesleague
    Mar 17, 2014
    9
    Everything about it is great! the graphics, the story, the characters, the classic turn base battle system! also the world is so large and detailed! I recommend this to everyone who love RPG :)
  9. Alderan77
    Apr 10, 2011
    10
    trails in the sky is the first chapter in a great japanese rpg series (still ongoing in japan), and it's a really an awesome rpg if you value a powerful story, lovable characters, great music and a lot of things to do aside from the main quest... this is the first rpg in years that has been able to really move me, I can't wait for the sequel's translation
  10. OrlaisKnight
    Apr 3, 2011
    10
    Being a lover of PC RPGs I am mostly used to the Western Black Isle - Bioware - Obsidian school of gaming, with CdProjekt being the "Eastern" developer I'm mostly interested. I have played some Japanese RPGs of course, but since they are almost all on console I tended to ignore them till this generation, when I was convinced to explore that field too. There was a big exception, however:Being a lover of PC RPGs I am mostly used to the Western Black Isle - Bioware - Obsidian school of gaming, with CdProjekt being the "Eastern" developer I'm mostly interested. I have played some Japanese RPGs of course, but since they are almost all on console I tended to ignore them till this generation, when I was convinced to explore that field too. There was a big exception, however: Falcom, the only Japanese software house that really tried to make great RPGs on PC despite that country's absurd console focus. I knew this company through hardcoregaming's articles, and if the Ys games and Xanadu Next were failrly intriguing, it was the Sora no Kiseki series that had me drooling, since it was some bizarre mix of Western open-endedness and Japanese focus on anime-style narrative with a great steampunk-meets-fantasy setting mixed in. Sadly, that series was completely out of the question for anyone who didn't have a fairly decent background of Japanese studies, so it remained a wet dream for many years and I finally forgot about its existence. Imagine my surprise when I learned that the PSP ports of the Sora no Kiseki series (now renamed Trails in the Sky) were finally coming to the USA some seven years after their initial release! At first I was a bit pissed that there was no plan to translate the PC editions, but as time passed I was convinced to buy a PSP simply because of this game, especially when Dragon Age 2 (a decent game, but a far cry from the first one) left me without any kind of interest to replay it after the ending, even if I had waited it for months.
    So I finally picked up Sora no Kiseki and was thrown right from the prologue into the same addiction only great RPGs like Ultima 7, Arcanum, Baldur's Gate 2, KotOR or DAO have been able to provide me. The game takes its sweet time to introduce everything, but I wasn't annoyed by this choice since the characters and the kingdom they live in are so detailed they almost feel alive (game has LOTS of texts). The ruleset is also really enjoyable, with a good deal of tinkering and some remarkable fights that shows the PC roots of the game because of the importance of movement in combat. The world is also really big and full of things to do, with even the first town, Rolent, easily capable to surpass many RPG cities of other games (and don't get me started on Zeiss...). Graphically it isn't incredible, but the environments are well presented and the characters'sprites are really good, with many animations for minute actions. I would suggest any RPG addict out there to try this game, it's really worth the trouble.    … Expand
  11. vahn
    Jan 26, 2014
    6
    First things first, the game is good and deserves some attention...however it's got a lot of flaws that ruins the game for me.

    The good thing probably is the story, which is very very good and interesting because it could lead anywhere and has no real specific goal (except looking for you father...I'll talk about him later): that's really enjoyable and I like a good "travel story" game:    First things first, the game is good and deserves some attention...however it's got a lot of flaws that ruins the game for me.

    The good thing probably is the story, which is very very good and interesting because it could lead anywhere and has no real specific goal (except looking for you father...I'll talk about him later): that's really enjoyable and I like a good "travel story" game: anything can come and it can be done good easily.
    Oh and the music is not bad either.

    That's it really, because I haven't found anything else being remarkably good and I'll explain why.

    For starters, the combat is not bad and it's basically a tactical combat system (basically turn based while moving on a battlefield each turn) however for one it's extremely slow because you cannot do autobattles, resulting in pressing the first command and wait until the enemies are dead and, with the exception of bosses and some hard battles, you really can just press one button and shrug it off. Second, the battles themselves are almost useless because levelling is nearly impossible due to a sort of "programmed" levelling in which the higher the level, the less exp you'll get, making combat completely useless, unless you have to grind money and sepith (basically the only way to upgrade your magic power and obtain magic spells, using a system similar to FF7 "materias"); luckily enough you can do quest in order to get money and everything you need (especially considering the items are WAY overpriced that even farming monster would be extremely long), and quests are also another good thing of the game and with exception of some quests being very obscure and telling you nowhere to go, it's still good of a feature. And third, the graphics are great...but the characters look terrible considering the enviroment it's VERY detailed and also huge.

    However these issues aren't what made me give this score because they're not game breaking. The real issue was the "main protagonist": Estelle. The story is revolved for a huge part on looking for his father but you'll go around the world doing other things for your training, which is fine, however she's basically the worst kind of character you could ever get: a Mary Sue, but in this case she's a character that will constantly get the attention on every scene possible. Why? Lots of reasons and one of those is literally shadowing other characters, including the second main protagonist Joshua, which until now (I'm 40 hours in and soon to the last chapter) we know NOTHING about, as well as the other characters that will join because they barely had any screen time or important backstory to tell. Or the game was focusing on Estelle complaining. Seriously, I literally don't know the characters that came and went, because the game would constantly focus the story on this whiny and annoying girl that has nothing interesting at all, leaving the potentially good characters hid in the dark until the game starts calling them out (Joshua is one example, since he's extremely skilled, smart, very calm and mysterious). Not only that she's always in the attention of the game the plot will constantly remind us that her father is like the best of the best, every-single-time, and that because of him they expect her to be as good so she gets help, even though most of the times she knows nothing (It's almost like Harry Potter, except he wasn't "that" annoying). I'm truely sorry if I'm being this harsh on one character but I really could not stand how the game just favours her in every scene but completely forgets characters around her, killing potential good characters and actual character development; in addition she's also pretty weak in battle (her stats are decent but she's best used as a support character/healer than damage dealer, while Joshua is a damage beast despite the low defense) and the game will constantly remind us she's the main character in almost every scene possible available: the gender-swapped theatrical play for no reason, the "obviously-useless" fishing scene in the hotel, the constant immature acting but excused because she's the daughter of "that guy", the obvious fanservice scene in the SPA, the nonsensical scene where she's considered more like a boy than a girl (seriously, with her ginarmous pigtails, which are also not very practical for fighting, even a boy could look girly enough). The scenes are so many that it's pointless to track down, but yes she literally destroys the plot. For me.

    Infact the game is still pretty solid and I'd warmly suggest to give this game a try, especially since good RPGs on PSP are rare and the game is still pretty fluid and interesting: in addition Estelle might be likeable for others, so all of this could be pointless for you, but since she can be a distraction I thought to mention"how" she can be annoying, plus I'm sure she'll be better later in the trilogy.

    Hopefully not after 40-50 hours in...    … Expand
  12. Acidosis
    Jun 19, 2011
    8
    This game requires lots of individual patience. The game has lots of dialogues which are actually important. Spamming and not reading dialogues could get you lost and buried, seriously. Even with heavy reading you might still find yourself running around looking for an NPC which are sometimes not mention and not listed in the map. However, despite getting lost sometimes and ignoring questsThis game requires lots of individual patience. The game has lots of dialogues which are actually important. Spamming and not reading dialogues could get you lost and buried, seriously. Even with heavy reading you might still find yourself running around looking for an NPC which are sometimes not mention and not listed in the map. However, despite getting lost sometimes and ignoring quests which involves looking for a particular NPC before you can initiate your quest , the game's story is top notch. The game-play or rather the battle system is yet another patience battle, the battle evolves characters to move in a systematic box movement which isn't the bad part but because when you deal any physical attacks on your enemies, they will flinch and get push backwards. This will sometimes cause enemies to move further back thus not able to reach them and have to end your turn. Many would say this isn't a flaw as you have to plan your movement, but you would want to plan your movement against petty foes like a monster rabbit every single time and every random battle? Patience is a requirement for this game, you have been warned. Again, putting the flaws aside, the battle system is unique and rather rewarding when you defeat a boss. This game is a great game to play when you have to time, this game isn't playable if you want rush through it. 8/10 for me.… Expand
  13. thekylekurtz
    Dec 21, 2015
    9
    A game many may have missed, but by far one of the best RPGs I have come across. While the visuals may be very dated, it is the story and characters that truly shine in this game. My play through was just one 90 hours, with a bit of time spent grinding and lollygagging around the game's world. It is worth mentioning that the game's mechanics are nothing amazing either, it is simply theA game many may have missed, but by far one of the best RPGs I have come across. While the visuals may be very dated, it is the story and characters that truly shine in this game. My play through was just one 90 hours, with a bit of time spent grinding and lollygagging around the game's world. It is worth mentioning that the game's mechanics are nothing amazing either, it is simply the world and characters that draw you in and make you want to play. By the end the game plays with your expectations multiple times, and might leave you surprised.… Expand
  14. Gwyndolin
    Nov 11, 2015
    10
    My previous review sounded like a crazy fanboy spitting out nothing but unconditional love, so I'm going to change it a bit.

    First, let's be real, if you aren't into Traditional Turn Based Japanese RPG, then you won't like it no matter what you read here. The game looks and plays much like classics such as Final Fantasy 6, Chrono Trigger, Lunar...but with about 10x more emphasis on    My previous review sounded like a crazy fanboy spitting out nothing but unconditional love, so I'm going to change it a bit.

    First, let's be real, if you aren't into Traditional Turn Based Japanese RPG, then you won't like it no matter what you read here.

    The game looks and plays much like classics such as Final Fantasy 6, Chrono Trigger, Lunar...but with about 10x more emphasis on the story elements, and at times the amount of reading makes me feel like I'm playing a traditional Western RPG instead (Planescape: Torment comes to mind).

    If that much reading doesn't sound too intimidating for you, keep reading.

    By the way, this is the first game in a long series. As of this moment, 7 games have been released and according to the writers that is about halfway through the story. It's not as ridiculous as it sounds, because they are broken up in self contained story arcs within the continuous overarching plot. For example, this game is the 1st game of the first arc.

    As such, the story may appear to pick up slow for some players, not in a boring way, just means the 'plot' won't be revealed until pretty much halfway through the game. The first 10 or so hours is focused on introducing you to the world, its history, and its lovable cast.
    The writing is so expansive and detailed (and well localized), with the purpose of crafting a living world, to the point where after every major story event, the town NPCs would advance within their own story arc. This is perhaps the biggest difference between the Trails series and other JRPGs.

    As for the game play, I strongly recommend new players to play on Normal difficulty, this is not a game for you to prove that you got mad skillz...in other words, unless you enjoy retrying the same battle over and over while thinking "it's not fair!", stay with Normal. It will still challenge you from time to time.
    The combat plays much like Grandia II, and the Orbment system reminded me of FF7's Materia system, sort of. Style of encounter is modern (meaning not "random battles" like FF6 or 7 but more like Lunar and modern JRPGs), the game does not encourage level grinding as the exp is scaled, basically it's very hard to be underleveled or overleveled.
    In short, while the combat in Trails in the Sky is not the main draw, it does not hinder the pacing of the game and can offer you some challenges. It has its place.

    Music is the other huge difference I see(hear) compared to other RPGs. As much as I love the music in this series, I can't speak for everybody. Go to youtube and listen to some Falcom JDK OSTs if you are curious.

    In conclusion, this game series restored my hope in traditional JRPGs, and it is the first of its kind in terms of its scale. I hope you will enjoy the game, and eagerly anticipate every released like I did...not unlike how Harry Potter fans anticipated every book in the past.

    (So, I probably ended up sounding like a crazy fanboy again, but at least I think I made some sense this time around. )    … Expand
  15. AceOfCakez
    May 24, 2013
    10
    It's fairly hard to add any innovation to the JRPG nowadays, but Trails in the Sky does just that. It is very story driven and the characters themselves are charming. If you're an old school fan of turn based combat, you will love this. There's enough depth to it to be awesome.
  16. Kovaelin
    Sep 6, 2013
    9
    I'm writing this on the day Second Chapter (SC) was announced. Trails in the Sky was released on the PSP in North America by XSEED, and is the first chapter (FC) of this amazing saga. It is a demonstration of a good story-driven, semi-tactical RPG.

    It starts off at a slower pace to introduce the characters and the world, but you quickly start to like the charming story... a story that    I'm writing this on the day Second Chapter (SC) was announced. Trails in the Sky was released on the PSP in North America by XSEED, and is the first chapter (FC) of this amazing saga. It is a demonstration of a good story-driven, semi-tactical RPG.

    It starts off at a slower pace to introduce the characters and the world, but you quickly start to like the charming story... a story that leaves you wanting more.

    The gameplay is not especially incredible, but it's polished enough to be accessible and fun. There are lots of opportunities to explore and find out more about lore of the world and the people around. There's also a NG+ option, which allows you to replay the game while keeping your current character, and allows you to experience different events depending on previous choices you've made.

    The game looks extremely good on the PSP, and functions very smoothly. I'm not certain if XSEED will bring their improvements back over to their digital Steam release, but I consider this to be THE best looking game in my PSP library. The only thing lacking that I would change is the minimal voice acting.

    This is also one of my favourite games of all time, and I would recommend it to anyone that wants a good story with interesting characters, taking place in a rich setting. Just be wary that this is only the first of an extremely long three-part arc. You may never want to let go until you've reached the end!    … Expand
  17. Sephiroth_X
    Oct 28, 2014
    9
    Maybe this game deserves an 8, but im putting it a 9 for several reasons, specially that it came in a moment i was craving for a good oldschool turnbased RPG. Is nothing ultra epic but what it does, does it very well.
    A very cute romantic story that takes its time to develop, nice characters, some laughs along the way, and a twist near the end that will make you wanna play the sequel.    Maybe this game deserves an 8, but im putting it a 9 for several reasons, specially that it came in a moment i was craving for a good oldschool turnbased RPG. Is nothing ultra epic but what it does, does it very well.
    A very cute romantic story that takes its time to develop, nice characters, some laughs along the way, and a twist near the end that will make you wanna play the sequel.
    This reminded me of the time when you just enjoyed a good game, like secret of mana or chronotrigger no matter the graphics that much. Having said that the game visually is beautiful with good attention to detail.

    Many will miss this and is a shame cause is a truly good game, im still waiting for the sequel!    … Expand
  18. ashketchum
    Nov 24, 2017
    9
    Trails in the Sky is a JRPG with a lot of characters and content. It is great at realizing every single area of it's world, from a small farm to Grancel. Every character, from Olivier to Estelle is memorable, and though they take inspirations from anime, their development through the course of the entire game allow each of them to be greatly memorable. It is a great JRPG, and an evenTrails in the Sky is a JRPG with a lot of characters and content. It is great at realizing every single area of it's world, from a small farm to Grancel. Every character, from Olivier to Estelle is memorable, and though they take inspirations from anime, their development through the course of the entire game allow each of them to be greatly memorable. It is a great JRPG, and an even greater RPG game, that is worth the time put into it.… Expand
  19. 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, character development , 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    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, character development , 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 Crossbell and Erebonia arc to reach the final conclusion of the Trails trilogy.

    Overall I give it a 8/10!
    Highly recommended for all JRPG fans!    … Expand
  20. 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'!
  21. mpop
    Jun 26, 2023
    9
    The Legend of Heroes games as a full series is a great set of games, and this is a good start in to the Trails games. If you like great stories, good turn based combat, do yourself a favor and play this series. Trails in the Sky FC is a great place to start, it is the start of this game series. But be prepaired to have your heat strings pulled at, there are emotional parts of this game,The Legend of Heroes games as a full series is a great set of games, and this is a good start in to the Trails games. If you like great stories, good turn based combat, do yourself a favor and play this series. Trails in the Sky FC is a great place to start, it is the start of this game series. But be prepaired to have your heat strings pulled at, there are emotional parts of this game, also the music is top notch… Expand

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best PSP Game of 2011
6
#6 Most Discussed PSP Game of 2011
4
#4 Most Shared PSP Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Play UK
    Jan 25, 2012
    75
    A pleasant last hoorah for your PSP. [Feb 2012, p.83]
  2. games(TM)
    Jan 9, 2012
    70
    Here's hoping the rest of the trilogy also heads west. [Issue#117, p.122]
  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Jan 8, 2012
    80
    It's also nicely balanced in gameplay terms. [Jan 2012, p.101]
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