The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

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

No RPG does a better job of crafting a world the way Falcom does for The Legend of Heroes. This is the first game that starts it all.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This game has been sitting in my backlog for quite sometime now and I regret not playing this the moment I bought it. With an interesting cast of characters and a well-written story, I am sure any JRPG fan would enjoy this gem. Zero feature bloat, story-focused, simplistic turn-based combat with a bit of depth, dynamic roles and party splitting (the kind that I have not seen since FFVI). Do note that this is the FIRST of THREE games of Trails in the Sky. I am looking forward to playing the second game. Great game to play on Steam Deck btw.

The end bothered me greater than any game I have ever played and I started back on Pong and pc in the 1980s. I would leave a neutral review if I could. I loved Estelle and the story and the combat was so much fun. It is a must play game for any gamer imho.

This is the start of the Trails series. It's really awesome to see that Falcom has kept this going for 13+ games and counting and it's very rewarding slowly going through the in-game universe and seeing how things relate.

If you have any interest in world-building and continuity in video games, this is highly recommended.

Ah, the start of the Trails series... of which this is my third game because of Coldsteel I and II.

Unfortunately, because I played two later games than I was supposed to (because I didn't realize that you needed to play the Sky trilogy and Zero/Azure for Coldsteel III and IV), this game doesn't really hold much of a candle because of the gameplay being dated and unbalanced compared to those games. And those games weren't that balanced either! It mostly comes down to old game jank and the further you get along the series, the more this game arguably becomes weaker due to the better gameplay, story and character writing that comes later in. As a result, it's really difficult to recommend the first Sky to anyone because of the old feel. Mind you, I say difficult and not impossible.

The gameplay itself is functional. I've played this on Hard mode because the Normal and Nightmare difficulties range from being too easy to ridiculously hard, based on what a friend of mine stated (with their own review on here). Notably, the early game is quite brutal which isn't exactly what you'd want from a starting experience, even on Hard Mode. However, I definitely found the game more enjoyable the further you go along with new options being opened up to you and when you don't just have two party members in for 70% of the game. The customisation is really fun to mess with for the Quartz and gives you different options to give variety to what Arts your party can cast. Whilst some characters are more built to be around a certain type of element, it still gives quite the flexibility!

If there's one thing I really don't like in the SERIES is the missables, be it a quest or the books you have to collect. This won't be mentioned in the reviews for the other games, but the fact that some of these missables are extremely easy to miss due to the small windows is ridiculous, and unfortunately makes you utilise a guide so you do not end up losing them which is a real shame. I do like the BP system of doing better in a quest than expected, though some of them are not quite obvious in the slightest.

Now, the stuff I stated were more mixed or even negative. So why am I recommending this game to begin with?

For starters, this game in itself is just one whole big prologue. Whilst you can be forgiven for beating Coldsteel I and up until the epilogue portion of Coldsteel II (regardless about a certain character), if you want to understand the story and characters much clearly, you NEED to play through the first Sky, otherwise certain plot threads will be spoiled up and make not much sense to yourself if you played a later game. This sounds quite the tedious grind because of the mixed to negative aspects I mentioned above.

However, the best aspects of this game has to be because of the writing, worldbuilding and characters of this game.

The studio that did the absolutely torturous job of translating this game deserve to take 10 years of a holiday without getting taxed because they did an absolutely tremendous job of bringing life to the characters in the way they speak, the way they interact, even the way the random NPCs and the main characters interact just by speaking with them makes the world feel like each nobody feels like... a little like a somebody that may or may not show up later in the series. Whilst it doesn't mean you need to speak to everybody because that would be tedious, it just goes to show how much love was put into the civilians.

If I can definitely say one thing about the worldbuilding, it's just tremendous. There's so many lore details within the game that a guy like myself really does appreciate. Whilst I really do not like collecting the missable books, the books themselves are really well written in itself and felt like actual novels you'd read on a daily basis. I'm vividly impressed by how much details of the town and cities were elaborated upon. Each of them feel distinct from one another based on their own geographical locations, from just a simple village, to the royal city to Ruan which I declare is the best location because the vibes of the seaside are immaculate.

Now, the characters themselves can be a mixed bag of introductions, generally because for the most part, they get way better fleshed out in SC. After all, this game, as stated before, is the prologue of the series. A couple of them won't be exactly likeable at first and it really depends on you own character preferences in the end. The antagonists in this game are good and serviceable, but not precisely standout quality. For me, I personally really enjoyed the characters in this one, even if I do have a few mixed feelings on some of them.

However, whilst I have a good positive feeling about the characters in general, ALL OF THEM ARE OVERSHADOWED BY THE SHEER BRILLIANCE OF THE BEST RPG PROTAGONIST I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED. Estelle is definitely the biggest highlight of the whole game alongside Joshua. Whilst I had a hard time dealing with just these two gameplay wise, I had a blast with the optimistic, energetic and snarky attitude of this Shonen Protagonist having a blooming relationship with the calm, rational and deadpan Lancer. This game in itself is worth playing just for experiencing these two explore the entire region to become full-fledged bracers. Whenever Estelle appears in a future game, regardless if she is a D-Tier party member, she will ALWAYS be part of the main team because she makes me giddy. I am the number one supporter of the Estelle nation! (Self-proclaimed by the guy who hasn't finished Azure yet at the time of this review.)

Overall, this game will be a hit or miss depending on how you take this. I'm really forgiving of this game for being the first of the Trails series, though it's you will definitely find that whilst there are amazing elements such as Estelle, the game is really dated by certain aspects not just by the gameplay, but by certain tropes you'd find in anime that you wouldn't really find acceptable. I think you'll find some great elements for later games if you managed to push through to the end of this game, which led me to experience the greatness of SC.

Overall Score: 6.5/10, mixed to positive for me, but Estelle is the best protagonist to ever exist ever.

Not only was this my first Trails game, but it is also the first time playing a game with out voice lines. And i loved it, the story is great and seems to set up a solid foundation for the rest of the arc. I look forward to seeing how the rest turns out. With that said I do have a few complaints, the enemy encounters got extremely repetitive, especially towards the end. And I found that at times the game did not do a good job at all, explaining where to go and what to complete to progress a quest. Also the dungeons and buildings did not come with a map, so i found myself looking up maps and referencing guides through out my playthrough.
All in all I very much enjoyed the game and I am planning on playing through the rest of the series.

It's a fun story on rails. The dialogue, story, and storytelling is tip-top...but that's the only RPG element this game excels at. The rest is basic AF. There's no reward for exploration (except for healing items), no sense of finding things for your own. The sidequests are shoehorned into the rails; you can't just talk to an NPC and complete a miniquest; you are told what your sidequests are and are graded on them. It's a glorified visual novel with interactive battles between story scenes. Again, the story, storytelling, and dialogue are top-tier in this regard...but it feels like a very watery rpg as a result.

I'm only not recommending it as a response to the mystifying "overwhelmingly positive" it currently has. It should be positive (if it was reviewed negatively, I'd give it a positive review) albeit the most appropriate review should be a resounding "meh". I hope the latter games allows the rest of the dev team to contribute as much as the writing team did on this one.

I've played Personas 3, 4, and 5. I've played Metaphor. I've played Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy VI & VII, Xenogears. I've played Vagrant Story. This series opened my eyes and showed me just how good JRPGs can be. If you have any interest in the genre, you must play these games.

Gameplay isn't bad but the story is terrible. The writers basically full on support rape which was rather surprising. Basically the girls in your group almost get kidnapped and raped and in they are like No big deal people raping people is perfectly fine lets go have tea. I am sitting there going...So bracers normally allow girls to be kidnapped and raped in this world and they think that is fine? There is a ton of other terrible parts in the story that just don't make any sense. Pretty much the armies and leadership are all corrupt and the relationships are a goofy mess. I wouldn't bother following the story as it's terrible but again the gameplay itself isn't bad just has horrible illogically written characters and actions. Some emergency happens and characters have a few seconds to react and can easily solve the situtation. Lets have them have a super long conversation about how dangerouse the situtation is and have them stand there doing nothing. The bad guys escape like seven hundred times because the characters just sat there talking about the most pointless things. It really kills the game as just picture a guy trying to stab you and slit your throat and after you knock him backwords would you turn around and talk to your friend for twenty minutes? No but for some reason they do that in this game constently. It gets far worse as it starts pushing the trans sexual crap as well. Tired of this garbage.

20 hours in , I'm still in Chapter 1, gameplay was very interactibe, and hard mode provides a challenging gameplay too, i can tell the writting is building up to a huge plot twist, and i quite enjoying the writting of random npc and the main storyline uptill now

If you want to tried trails first chapter, then you should also tried trails second chapter. without both of them you can't really enjoyed both of the stories. I do really recommends Trails FC its really gives me different JRPG experience from others JRPG. Exp how you do see the characther development from estelle and joshua from FC to SC, grow to a better person, grow to a really a good chemistry between them, etc.

TL;DR: Press Left-Alt for Turbo. Completionists beware.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is a beloved series by many, myself included. So often throughout the story I found myself chuckling at the character interactions, even laughing out loud at some of the anime-like interactions that always felt very... human. Very relatable. On this ground alone, I can see why this game has various sequels, and a remaster coming in 2025.
The gameplay has a turn-based field system where positioning of your characters can be as important as what 'magic' you use. Which btw, the 'magic' system (known as 'Arts') is quite an interesting system by it's own right. Using 'Quartz', one can change a character's Arts as you play through the game, changing that character's role by changing what Arts they can use.

Now, this part is just for completionists, and I consider myself to be one. If you want to REALLY explore everything this game has to offer... you're gonna need a guide. That's non-optional. Many times, this game makes you complete quests within a small window of timeframe, and simply expects that you'll know to do so, and how to do them. Multiple times I had to backtrack to get a specific item from an npc for 100% completion (i.e. the collectable novels), and I'm just supposed to KNOW which npc and what part of the game I can get the item from. Sure, this game has save slots whereby you can reload and obtain this item... if you remember. It's a part of 2000's game saving that I will NOT miss.
Even so... this game in particular has plenty of guides, so a spoiler-free run is more than possible, and I'll mention the steam guides I used below.

So, did I overall enjoy the game? Absolutely. The game runs at a very slow pace though, and at one point of my gameplay I forgot what button it was to speed up gameplay was (hint: It's Left Alt), which left me waiting through turn-based battles and major backtracking for items and quests for about 3 hours: those 3 hours was the worst experience I had with this game, and I am SO thankful this game has a speed-up-button.
Will I play the sequel? Mmmm... maybe. As much as I enjoyed this game (and as cheap as it was), I might just wait for a remaster. Or watch someone else play it.

It's hard for me to recommend this game, because a sequel is supposed to be coming out the year I'm writing this review. Even if you don't want to buy the game, or even buy it when it's on sale... I would still recommend you immerse yourself in the series. Xseed games is the same creator of my beloved Rune Factory 4, so I look forward to the sequel of this game, and any other rpgs they put out!

Shoutout to ErickaUnlimited and Shuuzu's 100% achievement guides. They were a BIG help in me getting a spoiler-free, 100% first-time-run without much headache.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2863854416
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1089109429

local she/her himbo estelle bright, having recently turned 16 and thus met the age requirement, cheerfully joins the bracer guild (civilians' Local Hero union)! together with her foster brother and clear haver of backstory most tragique joshua, resolves to travel around the country to get the letters of recommendation from every guild branch that will allow her to graduate from rookie status. along the way she will meet funny friends, do So Many Sidequests, have many a romcom hijink with joshua, and also trip over what is definitely not a 10-car pileup of weird cult conspiracies Do Not Worry About It Im Sure Its Fine.

THE THING EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW BEFORE PURCHASING TRAILS IN THE SKY IS: this game is the first 50something hours of a 150-hour game that got split into two separate games because there was just an absurd amount of game in that game. in order to get the most fulfilling experience, you will need to also purchase the immediate sequel, TRAILS IN THE SKY SC. additionally make sure that you keep your save data between games because SC can use that data to give you extra dialogue based on the sidequests you've completed here.

selling points for trails in the sky include its charming low-poly environs, a system that allows you some freedom to custom-spec your party members, and the fact that npc behavior updates every time the main story progresses, including a bunch of mini narratives about families and couples and so forth that continue throughout this game and the next one.

unfortunately while trails in the sky is generally a pretty enjoyable time, there are a handful of This Game Was Written In 2004 moments that have a sharp dip in quality compared to the rest of the story, and if they make you wince you'll have a lot of wincing to do. (agate i am looking directly at you lol.) SC does not have these issues with the character writing though so if you can manage to survive the choppy water momence here you will have smoother sailing in the sequel.

if you have the time and budget for the package deal, trails in the sky is a fun time that will scratch your Big Chonky JRPG itch. and, if you choose to pursue the For Maniac Completionists achievements, remember to ALWAYS double-tap treasure chests. there are lots of guides on the community hub to help you ok good luck

A Classic RPG, while a little old has got great detail in its story and character writting. and with the remake of it coming its a good chance to be able to see the differences between the two and see how much has evolved over the 10+ games in the series

Following a guide, got 100% in 45 hours (though the last hour or so was finding the single chest I forgot to talk to) - I didn't really understand orbaments in this game but playing on normal it wasn't really an issue that I wasn't min/maxed on those. I honestly enjoyed the graphics - they picked a style and stuck with it and having the varied backgrounds and dungeons made it feel like a really large and carefully designed game. I liked how the game started with low stakes quests and gradually built up to more and more in depth quests as your characters grew.

Going back to review all the trails games after I completed the series (up to Daybreak 1 as of me writing this). Here are some things I would tell my past self to sell him or give general advice.

For Sky 1 specifically:
- This is the first game in the whole series, if you wanna get into trails start here, they're not like other RPG series where each entry is barely related to the last, play em all in order. Sky 1-3 -> Zero and Azure -> Cold Steel 1-4 -> Reverie -> Daybreak
- There is a fanmade patch to add the JP voices from the console releases of the 3 sky games, absolutely get it it's basically fully voice-acted.
- There is a remake coming up at the end of 2025, IMO play this anyway cause it's very charming to see the series grow over time and it'd be quite jarring to start with the most modern version then go back to the oldest to continue. Also the graphics haven't aged poorly at all, I adore how the early trails games look and am very happy that I chose to play em
- If you're enjoying Sky 1 get Sky 2 as well before whatever sale you're on is over, they're two halves of the same story

Trails as a whole:
- Amazing series of turn-based JRPGs that's fully available on steam, all ports are good, no weird BS you need to do to enjoy em
- Trails games are very much story RPGs, some of them can get very restrictive with not letting you to choose your party members for story reasons and so on. Still the orbment system (basically how you build your characters) adds a high level of customization so it still feels like it gives the player a good bit of freedom at all times, and I'd say the gameplay is amazing all the way through
- Some peeps say you gotta play a bunch of boring games first to get to the good trails. I agree that the newer trails are easier to sell people on cause they're much flashier and got hype factor but the old ones are by no means bad. Sky trilogy was very fun to play through and my fav trails game is only the 4th release out of the 11 I played

So yeah, TLDR I recommend this series if you want to get into a huge turn-based RPG world where all the stories are related to each other. Great if you want to sink a lot of time without thinking about other stuff

96 hours spread out over nearly 10 years... all to feel absolutely silly for taking so long to complete this. This game is absolutely not for someone that is put off by somewhat "dated" graphics, almost zero voice work, tons of dialogue, and classic turn-based RPG combat. If none of that bothers you, what you will find is an incredible first chapter in an excellent story. While this series - The Legend of Heroes - has gotten a greater following thanks to Trails of Cold Steel, this game makes it very easy to see where it came from. If you haven't invested in this part of the story, do yourself that favor.

I'm like 4 games deep into this franchise now, so I'd say that this game definitely did an amazing job of successfully sucking me into its' world.

An absolutely wonderful start to a an adventure series with great story/ lore.

Great game! My first game in the Trails series that I completed. Played a little bit of Cold Steel a few years ago, but never finished it. Always wanted to get back to it, but decided it would be better to start from the beginning, and I'm really glad that I did! This game was amazing! It is definitely a slow burn that takes time. Even though the story is slow the world, characters, and gameplay will keep you entertained.

This game is for people who want to commit to a game series and not just a single game. If you like long epic stories of adventure and fantasy, enjoy turn based gameplay with some strategy involved, then I think you will greatly enjoy this game!

I got into the "Legend of Heroes" series through the "Cold Steel 1 & 2" games. Then I found out about the other arcs in the series and have begun the process of playing these as well! It's a niche JRPG series with great storytelling and universe building. The turn-based combat is easy to understand, but takes real thought to master. This game starts out a little slow-paced, but really kicks into high gear towards the end. I kinda love it!

One of my favourite JRPGs and its from a series i almost didnt want to play.

give this game a chance it will surprise you in many ways

Лучшая игра в моей жизни. Без преувелечений. Ни одна Final Fantasy или Tales of не давали мне столько эмоций. Великолепная игра, 10/10, вы обязаны ее пройти.

the world of the characters, their relationships and interactions is simply a masterpiece of such a well-developed big world, such revealed personalities are rarely found anywhere, and it's also worth remembering how old this game is exactly in the name of the decade

Played it once as a kid. I never got to finish it, but I spoiled myself with the ending-- and even with no context, it made me cry!

Absolute banger game regardless. It only gets better from here >:D

One of the greatest RPGs and RPG franchises out there, in my personal opinion.

20 years later, Trails in the Sky may feel a bit old-fashioned, but it's still great despite that. Its gameplay is solid (I really liked the turn-based battle system mechanics), the story is great, and overall I feel like the game was made with a lot of passion and heart. The soundtrack is also very great overall. And despite Trails in the Sky not having cutting-edge graphics for 2004 (for example, Metal Gear Solid 3), it has a nice art style and that's perhaps more important than the most top-of-the-line CGI.

My rating: 5/5
Trails in the Sky is a Japanese RPG game that really feels personal and very full of soul and heart. And I recommend it to any fans of these categories of games.

FF7 really messed everything up by being popular because if not for it we would have gotten games like Xenogears, DW7, and this. JRPGs that were exclusively 2D sprites on 3D backgrounds. Fuck 3D models on 2D backgrounds. This is real gaming. Ending is also good too i guess

I honestly recommend playing this before the remake since either you'd wait for SC and 3rd's remakes or have to transition back to this style of gameplay. Whatever version you choose, this is THE starting point in the long Trails series. I love this series with all my heart and it's a joy seeing everyone is getting into it in whatever shape or form. (By the time of writing this the game is on sale, you should give it a try ;})

The Good
- Music
- Art style/visuals
- Writing

The Bad
- Difficulty
> The normal difficulty is too high, imo. I've played a lot of JRPGs and I have never died so much in the starting section/prologue before. There are barely any rest points (one dungeon in particular didn't have ANY). No fast travel. Enemies always respawn, but grinding isn't really feasible because either you get like 3 exp per battle or there's no place to rest in order to get a grind loop going. I don't even want to think about what the late game is like if the early game is this frustrating.
> The battle system is poorly explained and the tutorial isn't helpful.
> The whole orb/quartz system is also poorly explained and not intuitive.

- Tech Issues
> This game is plagued with tech issues. Crashing, inputs being read incorrectly to the point of the game being unusable (at one point the game thought I was holding down Right and would not stop spinning; I had to quit out and lose my unsaved progress). If I was actually having fun with this game, I would put up with it, but the game isn't worth the hassle.

Trails in the Sky FC is a charming JRPG that admittedly starts slow, but builds into something special. While not quite a masterpiece, its cozy atmosphere and excellent world-building create a perfect foundation for the series.

The game shines with its top-tier soundtrack and straightforward but effective combat system. Turbo mode is an absolute blessing - frankly essential for modern playthroughs. Though it may not reach the heights of SC, it's absolutely worth your time as the starting point of an incredible journey.

I've played Trails FC a few times at this point, but now that I finally knocked off the Steam playthrough I'm going to put an official recommendation on it. I think Trails FC is extremely well crafted and very detailed from story and worldbuilding perspectives, to a degree that not many other JRPGs do. It goes out of its way to reward exploration and many small opportunities to interact with the world itself, much moreso than other games of its kind.

Nothing feels wasted or out of place in the storyline and again, I think exceptionally few JRPGs know how to keep everything in the story meaningful and contiguous to the central point while still setting up enough mystery and intrigue. The gameplay is a little rough and traditional since we've made so much progress since 2004-ish, but it's still pretty good and challenging. The orbment system is cool and there's a lot of space to experiment in and a reason to do it since the active cast is pretty dynamic, changing over time.

The game gets pretty brutal with side quests since you're really encouraged to explore every nook and cranny of the world that you can (even in spots where you think you can't). I recommend playing without a guide and then playing another playthrough with a guide because you will not believe all the stuff that you can possibly miss out on.

Trails FC is easily one of my favorite games and it's earned a spot in my "list of games anyone should experience" like DOOM, Age of Empires, etc. I don't want to say anything more about the game because I think it's important to go into the game as blindly as possible.

The story is very well written and addictive once you get started!!

Heard good things. Cannot force myself to play this just to have foresight into sequels that supposedly are truly great games. Boring. Very very boring. Gave it 15 hours of my life I cannot get back.

A fine RPG and a direct competitor to Final Fantasy 7. Deep story and lore and great characters.

Suffers from long-winded exposition and Deux Ex Machina that can be frustrating: beating bosses often means they still get away in ridiculous fashion, much like lots of traditional Anime shows.

Worth a buy at full price, expect the story to take at least 50 plus hours to complete.