The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

found this game on a whim. Reminds me of Honkai: Starbucks battle mechanics. story has been amazing so far (Estelle is Bestelle). i am excited to jump into the later games once i play this game into the ground.

Story, plot points, combat, Olivier. 5 stars

This was a game that people had recommended me for years now, and I eventually decided to give it a shot. That was one of the best decisions I've ever made, in terms of gaming.

This game immediately hooked me, with it's fun writing, world building, and characters. By the end of chapter 1, the story really started to pick up and I could not put the controller down. The story starts off fairly simple, and it takes its time to set up the world and characters before it starts expanding and getting bigger and bigger, up until the ending that will have you craving the sequel.

I cannot understate how fun and good the characters are, I love how they are written and I love every single character, even down to the NPCs which seldom feel like robots, and feel like actual people existing in this world. Speaking of, the world building in Trails is excellent, and I love how fleshed out it is (and it only gets better with every game).

The gameplay is actually really neat, and I love customizing my orbments and seeing the different combinations I could make for the characters in my party. The gameplay holds up excellently and my only real critique is the lack of dungeon maps, making me confused in areas like...sewers..ugh...lol. Also, I love to see older jrpgs with no random encounters, so that's a huge W.

Trails in the Sky is a great beginning to the Trails series, and one of the best video games I have had the pleasure of losing myself in. While not quite as grand as later titles, like it's sequel and onward, it plants all the seeds for future games and it is an excellent adventure.

Didn't think I would like the series so much but 500 hours later and every game in the series beaten this is now my favorite gaming series ever. Seriously give it a go.

Wanted to play a smaller and cozy JRPG while I wait for Expedition 33.
Little did I know I signed up for a whole series playthrough after that ending.

Simply the start to one of the greatest JRPG series of all time, it doesn't get much better than this. If you made it to the end, you are likely buying the second chapter.

It's been a while since I played this, but I recall enjoying what I played of it. Mostly the character interactions and the combat. I literally never played any other Trails games, but it left a solid enough impression that I'm leaving a positive review years later to clear it from my backlog, so take that as you will.

Great characters but I wasn't so into the story. Ending was certainly something (in a great way)

I played this game on a whim when covid hit 5 years ago. Why come back for a review?

I'm 11 games into this franchise 5 years later, over 700 hours. The worldbuilding and character development is bar none. This game is an investment to glory. There are few franchises that have an ongoing narrative between titles past 3 games, and this is one of maybe 5 I can think of, and this one is in the top echelon of that niche group.

Play Trails.

Trails in the Sky is a game I’d been wanting to play for a while after I saw a YouTube video about the Trails series. The world and characters intrigued me, and I was excited to dive in. But to be honest, the start of the game was a real struggle for me. I ended up quitting twice because it felt like it was moving way too slow, and I just couldn't stay engaged. On my third try, though, I told myself, “This time, I'm finishing it,” and I’m so glad I pushed through.

The beginning really is slow, but looking back, I realize that’s kind of the point. The slow start builds up the story and characters in such a way that when things finally pick up, the payoff feels huge. By the time I hit the later parts of the game, I was fully invested in Estelle and Joshua’s journey, and now I can’t wait to see what happens next.

The game does a great job of making the world of Liberl feel alive. Each town and area has its own little stories, side quests, and characters that make you feel like you're really a part of the world. The combat is turn-based, but it’s got a surprising amount of depth, and once you start unlocking new abilities, it’s actually pretty satisfying.

That said, the game does have its drawbacks. The pacing can feel really slow at times, and if you’re someone who needs things to move faster, that might be a dealbreaker. Also, the music, while nice at first, starts to feel a bit repetitive after a while.

Despite these issues, though, I had an amazing time in the Kingdom of Liberl. The story, characters, and world-building are what really kept me hooked, and I’m already looking forward to the next game in the series. If you’re someone who loves great storytelling and doesn’t mind a slow burn, Trails in the Sky is definitely worth your time.

Seems like an interesting story with likable characters but the combat is too tedious to occupy as much space as it does.

Even after finding the turbo button battles every encounter feels like a chore and there are tons of encounters.

The enemies in ordinary encounters have large hp pools,hit very hard early on, and many don't seem to have exploitable weaknesses to target making most fights last several rounds.

It's also very easy to enter combat at a disadvantage if a monster spawns behind you are a companion making exploration very slow and frustrating.

The skill system is not intuitive and you'll probably need some kind of guide to get the most out of it.

The side quests so far are uninteresting.

It's a shame that this promising story got paired with this exasperating combat system. I'll probably finish this eventually (?) but after 8 hours nothing has clicked. If you're very patient you might enjoy this game more than I have so far.

Good game. Most fun I had with a classic 2D JRPG in a long time since Final Fantasy games. I did not like the romance in the story towards the end but the magic system is unique and interesting. I maxed out my orbments for this game.

A fantastic jrpg with masterful world-building and a heavy emphasis on finding hope in the darkest of times.

I will probably write a more detailed review when I complete the Trails in the Sky trilogy, but I thought this to be an incredibly enjoyable game when viewed in isolation.

The slower parts of the game lend themselves to characterizing the two protagonists really well and I personally did not find fault in the pacing of the game.

Finished the game. Great story telling, a bit slice of life actually. Didn't find it challenging at all, apart from the final boss which required some thinking on how to deal with him. This is part 1 of a 3 part story and you will definitely want to play the other 2 games.
Played about 90% of it on the SteamDeck it works absolutely fine.
Final recommendation, chapter 2 is really really boring with some school shenanigans... skipped most of that dialogue and I recommend you do the same, you will lose nothing.

Fantastic classic RPG, looking forward to the remake later this year! IMO, still the best way to start the Legend of Heroes series!

I’ve had this game on my to-do list for a few years. 40 hours later, I’m glad I set aside the time to finish it. It’s a fun story with some excellent worldbuilding and character writing, though the slow pace of this first chapter is a bit of a drag at parts. Overall I would recommend for those interested in a story-driven JRPG. Looking forward to checking out SC next.

Coming from Cold Steel to play the very first entry of the series is quite a fun experience, it is lengthy but the pacing picks up as the story approach the climax towards the end, leaving you excited to jump into the next entry.

Amazing story, SC here I come.

The start of one of my most favourite series of games, with a rich story and fun turn based fighting system. For anyone who wants to sink in plenty of hours in a captivating world with a great story and fun characters, give this a go. it is really worth it.

Just a heads up, if you like this, you'll have another 11 games to go.

A must play, one of the best j-rpg I've ever played so far. Everything is polished and the story is deep and intense. The music is also really good. I played it with the voice mod, since for some reasons they cut them out the PC edition. The Japanese VA casting is superb and the game really feels empty without them.

If you are looking for a good JRPG you can really sink your teeth into, look no further. I went in with zero expectations outside of “I wanted to play a JRPG title I haven’t yet,” and was utterly blown away.

The world of The Legend of Heroes really IS the One Piece of JRPGs. *Every* NPC is impacted/has new things to say when you progress the story forward, and that’s something I’ll be doing a lot more of on my next playthrough.

The soundtrack is killer, the characters are A++, the combat and equipment systems are simple but deep, you’ll laugh, you’ll ugly cry, you WILL get invested in these characters. There are twists and turns in ways I promise you will not see coming, some of them dozens of hours in the making, on top of many of the tropes you’ve come to know and love. Couple all this with a heavily-90’s anime inspired art and you are in for one hell of an airship ride.

Do yourself a favor and at least play this one. If you make it to the final dungeon, buy the 2nd. Because once you finish this one, you’ll be begging for more with its ending.

This is a game for story lovers and character lovers, I know some people will not be interested just because of the graphics. But you don’t need goo graphics when you have good art direction and fantastic story.
9/10

I discovered this game and franchise nearly 4 years ago in the Summer of 2021. I have just recently completed the most recent, 13th game, in the series (Kai no Kiseki) via machine translation. That's just how badly I wanted to continue my journey in this absolutely peak and fantastic world. If that doesn't get you interested, I don't know what will!

As for this game itself, it feels like an early 2000's JRPG. Very nostalgic graphics, a simple yet fulfilling battle system with a fun "customization"/build system, and an amazing localization/script. The story is... a slow burn. I enjoyed my time with it, but I think knowing that the series was so long running kept me invested. Knowing that at "some point", it was going to take off. It absolutely does - trust the process. If you can play this game to completion and enjoy your time, I think you'll love the series. Now, on to the divisive part:

This is the uncontested best starting point for new players in the series. I'm not saying that to gatekeep, or because I'm a boomer who grew up through this era of gaming and isn't bothered by older graphics. I say it because, genuinely, the emotional impact of so many characters gets diminished simply by knowing who is still around/alive in later games (not to mention their allegiance). I would highly avoid looking at cover art for future games or starting anywhere but here. Intro videos and title cards alone can reveal more than you think!

If the idea of a 13+ game long, story centric series where each entry can be 100ish hours long (if you're a completionist) is a deterrent enough that you may be tempted to start at later entries, this may not be the series for you. It's absolutely worth the investment and I cannot stress that enough. You get into this franchise what you put into it, so don't rob yourself even the tiniest bit of emotional payoff - I promise you won't regret it.

This is a great and fun game. I started with the Trails of Cold Steel first and now I love the series. Now just need to play from the beginning.

my very first trails of games and I was impresed! if you like in depth stories in your game that one is for you.very text heavy but if you dont mind the long reading part you are in for a gem.battle is very interesting mix of turn based and tactical.cant wait to play the next chapter

I believe Trails is a series every JRPG fan should play or at the very least, experience. The world building and character development in this series in unmatched by any game I've ever played and is absolutely worth the 200+ hours it takes to play through all of the games.

Estelle Bright is easily one of the best and most charming protagonists I've ever had the joy of playing as. Also for the first time ever in a JRPG all of the NPC's are a joy to talk to. 90% of them have names instead of just "Wandering Person #792" and as such, have a tangible place in this world. The NPC's in this game don't feel like they're just here to spout exposition at you. Some do that, of course, but they make it feel like an actual world that people live in. Heck some NPC's have arcs that carry into other games.

If there's ever been a series that I feel deserves to be experienced, its this one. If you're into games with fantastic Worldbuilding, Story, Combat, or Characters, even if you're not a JRPG fan, you have to at least try this series. I promise you it will surprise you.

I kept hearing about how Trails in the Sky is one of the greatest JRPG ever. The fanbase can get very loud with their love for this series. And after playing it I have to admit, they have all the right to be this enthusiastic. For being 20 years old JRPG it aged like a fine wine, with some very loveable characters and immaculate world building. Military drama and politics are hard to write but Trails in the Sky manages to create a rather simple, but very entertaining conflict spanning its fictional setting. It gets you invested into it by making you follow adventures of Estelle and Joshua on their shonen-esque journey following their father's steps to become the strongest bracers possible. Their relationship and character growth is slow, but steady and visible and engaging. The world feels alive and breathing, with NPCs always reacting to current events and changing their dialogue as you progress the story. You feel the influence of the Evil Guys on the world and how it changes things, nothing ever feels static.

It's such a lovely and simple game, but it tells its story with a lot of heart. In a genre where your journey starts by saving a cat and fighting a god to save the entire universe, playing something more simple and down to earth is very refreshing. The only downside is that now I need to play throughout the entire franchise to see more stories from the Erebonian empire.

Incredibly charming & wholesome JRPG goodness with a fascinating ability progression system. As a newcomer to the series, the gameplay & tone remind me of Grandia & I’m loving every bit of it, also the soundtrack is SO groovy.

I'm having fun with this jrpg! Likeable characters, the world seems intriguing... a good game!

An amazing JRPG game and incredible series. Everything from world building to characters make it shine and lovable.

Replaying this game after 10 years in anticipation for the upcoming remake and I must say, the game STILL GOES SO HARD. Soundtrack is amazing, combat system has depth, quests add worldbuilding, and characters are interesting and dynamic. Playing this game on the Steam Deck with the EVO voice lines is a childhood dream come true.

It's a bit tricky to give a review to this game, because it has so many small things that I just straight up dislike. But at the same time it has strong positives that can't be brushed off.

+ Great main story.
+ Tons of side quests that is satisfying to finish.
+ Fun combat system.
+ Mostly decent writings with likeable and memorable characters.
+ Has an in-depth character building and might be really fun for some type of players.

- Rough scaling towards endgame. Everything become a chore as normal enemies becoming too tanky and you'd feel like that you are trapped in a perpetual underpowered state.
- The in-depth character building can become too much and too complicated for its own good.
- The game constantly change your teams, which makes the point above very painful process to go over and over again.
- The game seems to be built with the idea of multiple playthroughs, but the outdated game design might impact the replayablitiy value for some players.

Considering this game is practically a 2004 game, moreover since this game is also the first in the series with a very interesting story to it that gave birth to one of the most popular game series, it's hard to not recommend this game. Try to bear with the downside of the game. Worth the time investments to enjoy the following sequels.

Very fun game with a simple but deep magic system and an excellent grid based action system. Slow start but I finally got around to finishing the game beginning to end, definitely worth going through once, it does everything right and sets up the stage for subsequent games while being a solid stand alone title.

Compelling story, and fun to play. A simple JRPG that you can chill and enjoy about.

was not expecting to like this game as I saw it in my suggestions for awhile and choose to ignore based on the art style but I was wrong and it was in fact a great game which I have since played every ported steam entry and only 3 of them so far have been bad not terrible but bad. This game has fun characters and good music and the art style will grow on you in game sprites are cute.

This game is a grate experience from story to mechanicss

I Decided to play the game after hearing about how amazing the series is from so many people. After playing for a couple hours i can confidently say......IT'S TRUE! After only a couple hours i didn't want to stop playing, so i'm not! Literally just took a break to write this and tell ya'll how PEAK this series truly is. Now if you'll excuse me I'M HOPPING BACK IN!

This game is amazing. I really wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was. Admittedly it took me a while to get into the combat system. I'd recommend spending some time on forums to get your head round it before proceeding too far into the game, but it's brilliant when it clicks.

The story has a lot of anime tropes, but overall has immense depth and has a 'nice' and local feel about it. There's a feel that you're a small story within a massive world with deep politics and intrigue.

Highly recommended if you enjoy JRPGs at all. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that now I have to play all the rest of them! - See you in fifty years.

A very slow start to an amazing overarching plot line full of meaningful characters, poignant and emotional set pieces, an interwoven narrative that compels you to talk to literally everyone after every story beat, and an addictive and fun combat system that is ahead of it's time for a game made in 2004. While the graphics are nothing special, the beautiful portrait work and lively sprites more than makeup for it's lack of graphic prowess. It took me over 4 times to get through the first game, so if you are struggling and consider yourself a story or character driven gamer, don't give up! This game is truly exceptional when taken as a trilogy, but as a single entry it falls short. The first game is meant to build up the narrative and characters for the emotional payoff, and as a gamer of > 35 years having played almost every mainline RPG that has released, and many of the lesser known titles, it pays off in spades. Persevere and you will be rewarded. I was hooked following the epic last arc of the first game and you will be too.

loved it. was a great set up and world builder, I'm excited to see where it all goes

One of my favorite old JRPGs and an excellent example for the idea that a story that hits all the standard plot beats for its genre can still be outstanding if it's executed well enough.
Trails in the Sky FC is a fun, cozy adventure with incredibly in-depth world-building, a fantastic localisation brimming with wit and character, and an emotional gut-punch of an ending that will leave you desperate to jump into the sequel right away. Consider getting them both if you're buying this on a sale.

Let me preface this by saying this is my first experience with both Trails and The Legend of Heroes franchise as a whole. I went in not really knowing what to expect, but with high hopes due to the very positive reviews.

...And I was blown away. From the story, characters and setting to the gameplay, graphics and soundtrack.

The game has plenty of content to keep you busy and an enticing enough story to keep you immersed and engaged. Every character you talk to has their own story and development, from the protagonists to everyday citizens around town. The combat is very customizable and once you get the hang of it, will get you hooked. Masterful world building and storytelling will leave you wanting more and I'll be buying the next game immediately.

Definitely recommended, to any fans of RPGs or just a good story. Give it a try and enjoy!

My first review on Steam ever.

Honestly, this game really brings me back to my childhood memories and was one of my favourite JRPG on the list. I first had it on my Sony PSP back in the days. And to see it available on steam i had to purchase it.

Definitely a game worth to buy and play and will continue to SC.

Amazing game, by far the best RPG I've ever played. It made playing other RPGs feel kind of bad in comparison

Combat system is fine, does the job, but the story, the characters and the world are where it shines, never saw something like this in a RPG. There is something about walking randomly in a city, talking to a random little girl, and she says thank you for saving her during [spoiler event], and mentions what you were doing that time. Not a scripted event, not a cutscene, just a random missable conversation in a random street. The world is amazingly alive and I can't wait to go back there

I have heard great things about this game and series, but have always been hesitant because sometimes its hard for me to get into older games if I don't have nostalgia for them. I gotta say though this game got me hooked really quick and I cannot wait to play the whole series. The slow world building and combat is what this game does so well!

Trails in the Sky is the game that started it all and I am absolutely here for it. Trails in the Sky demands your attention through its captivating writing and characters that charm their way into your heart.

Trails FC exudes personality from its cutesy art style to the memorable soundtrack, and lastly, the engaging gameplay loop. While the prologue can be a tad slow and the side quests leave a lot to be desired, I hope it does not dissuade others from trying out this phenomenal journey.

To anyone looking to start this trilogy, PLEASE play it with the EVO voice patch! The Japanese Vita version had voice acting that is not present in this release, and it's extremely high quality and absolutely fantastic. I find it criminal that so many people are playing without it, because it adds so much more emotion and character to the game. Do it for Olivier. His voice actor went hard.

(also the game is very good)

Where to begin? That's the same question a lot of people ask when wanting to play the Trails series. The easy answer is this game. Trails in the Sky is a great game with a very detailed world, fun interesting characters, and great music.

It starts off a bit slow but it picks up and sets up Sky SC really well.

The combat can sometimes be slow and repetitive but it gets better once you have access to more Arts and Crafts.

I think Trails in the Sky is the best place to start the series and it stands on its own. Is it the best in the series? No, I don't think so. I think that's Azure, but I've not played anything after yet.

The question of where to start does get a little more interesting once Sky 1st Chapter is out. Should you skip this game entirely? Will SC and 3rd also get remakes? Probably, but if not then the switch from 1st Chapter to Sky SC could be weird. Sky 1st Chapter looks to play more like Daybreak but I'm not sure since it's not out and I haven’t played Daybreak.

All that said though Sky FC is worth playing even in its current form. If you’re looking to play the Trails series I think it only makes sense to start at the beginning since good world building is one of the things the Trails series is best known for.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. It is a must play game especially if you love storytelling. The start of the trails series really sets the tone for the next games and the many similarities it will undoubtedly carry on. If I had to be critical about any one thing, it's that the story definitely has some annoying tropes for the characters at the start, but it pays off by the end. This game is a must play for story loving folk, a 40 hour adventure that you won't forget.

As a longtime RPG fan, I’ve played my fair share of classics, but Trails in the Sky FC is my first step into the Trails series. I had always heard about its worldbuilding and character depth, and after finally diving in, I can see why it's so beloved. The pacing is slow, with a strong "slice of life" feel, but it’s important to remember that this game carries the weight of setting the stage for over a dozen future entries.

The combat blends classic turn-based mechanics with a tactical grid system—something I found myself falling in love with instantly. While the early hours don’t throw many challenges at you, the later encounters demand more thought and planning.

I only wish someone had warned me beforehand—this game is the start of a deep rabbit hole. Once you finish, you'll want the next one. And the next one… and the next one… Get this only if you have enough money to at least buy SC and 3rd.

Trails in the Sky review:
Prologue:
set up the world, set up its characters, and had a little mystery
1st chapter:
some mystery, more world building, good side quests, and humor
2nd chapter:
more mystery, good side quests, interesting characters and events
3rd chapter:
kindof dull, not bad, but it happened
4th chapter:
first half:
so much talking about nothing
second half:
much better

Just finished the game, Kinda frustrating with the final boss took me at least 2 hrs to fight but nevertheless it was absolute cinema. I will immediately play SC after this