The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

This is a good jrpg to play on the Steam Deck on the go and docked to TV. It took me a year to complete playing it off and on. The combat is good but I'll get burn out over time so I gave the game a rest. It was easy to pick up and play where I left off in spite not playing it for a few months. The cliffhanger ending making me to look forward continue with the second story.

A very Dialogue heavy JRPG told from the perspective of a Gal, who like the player themselves, has no fucking clue whats going on unless its commit immediate violence. In other words, peak JRPG.

Story's a bit back loaded into the last chapter or so, But this game isn't just setting itself up. Its the foundation point of both a trilogy, and a larger, still ongoing series. Something had to start it off, right? Here's that something.

Also the magic system is hilariously fucked (in a good way) because it turns out that making people equip items to obtain spells means that everyone has access to the same broken spells. Hmm yes, do I spam White Gehenna now or next turn?

The game itself is fine, but having sidequests expiring with no notification sucks.
I dont want to follow a game fact while I play to makes sure I complete everything in order and not miss anything without restarting the damn thing, it could used backtracking, as you cant explore previous areas once you finish the main quest,

It is the start of the first arc of a great series of games its mechanics and story are both great if you like Turn based JRPGS this game and series is for you

I'm not the biggest fan of turn based games, but I played it because the whole franchise caught my interest. Trails in the Sky FC is the first Legend of Heroes game for me.

Initially I bought it because of the good reviews and the promising story and oh boy the game delivered. First released in 2004, I felt in some story aspects this game was a bit ahead of its time which I really liked.

The story itself is easy to follow, but because of the many characters being introduced you get confused from time to time when characters are being mentioned by name (I finished this game within a week, maybe that's why). Also you will miss some quests if you don't pay attention, some quests just pop up without you noticing by visiting some places or just talking to the right NPC so frequently check the available quests.

The characters are well written and each have their own personality. The protagonists feel alive but a bit stereotypical (Estelle as the sassy lively girl, Joshua as the calm and collected partner) but that doesn't matter personally.

If you're new to this series, you may be overwhelmed with the quartz/orbment system which grants you stats/buffs/abilities and I also haven't figured it out fully yet to use it at its full potential, but for a casual (normal) walkthrough this suffices. The difficulty levels are normal, hard and nightmare which you can select at the start of the game but cannot change later except you start from the beginning in another walkthrough.

Despite me finishing this game within a week, some chapters felt dragged out, I personally didn't enjoy chapter 3 as much as I enjoyed the previous ones and in the final chapter I felt there were too many "final" bosses. While casually talking to friends on Discord, it took me more than one hour of the last final boss fight to finish (maybe my tactic was shit, I was shit or I just wasted too much time while being distracted on Discord. Since I'm not experienced in turn-based rpgs, long final boss fights may be normal.

The ending sets the stage for Trails in the Sky SC and after all Estelle and Joshua went through together, you really want to follow the rest of their journey.

I bought this game for 8€ during the Steam Autumn Sale and it was definitely worth it. Looking forward to Trails in the Sky SC.

It starts really slow, but picks up around the 10th hour. Great characters, great story, great lore, outstanding OST, average gameplay. Grind isn't really an issue here, if that is your concern. I grinded for about 2 hours for a final boss and that's it. Just engage enemies when you see them and you're gonna be fine.
For this price this is an amazing game, it's worth it. 8/10.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky was one of the good J-RPG from the 2000s. The gameplay is interesting, with turn base core with some tactical elements embedded. As someone who play turn based RPG in the late 90s and early 2000s, I think this game is fantastic.

Pros:
- The Story
- The details and good long play time

Cons:
- One chars is kinda annoying but of course in line with the story
- The UI elements are kinda confusing...

Final Score:
3.5/5

SPOILER WARNING
After several hours playing I found the characters are annoying...
I deduct 0.5 points in final score coz of that...
Well one of the character is almost in the same annoying level as Tidus FFX or Vaan FFXII...
And another one is just like a cliche manga/anime protagonist that seems out of the place lol

I came into this game without knowing much about it and I had heard about it somewhere. And I'm glad I did get it. It was one of the kinds of games I enjoy. Long games, and world building and good dialogue - not to mention that turn based RPG games are my style.

It's a little older, yes, but it still works well because the dialogue is good. It's followed by several games in the same franchise (I think 10+ games and counting). Its two immediate successors are worth playing, I think.

Recommended if you like turn based JRPGs.

Replaying it after finishing all the other games in the Trails series. And is still as good as the other ones!

This game has that classic JRPG feel with an engaging story and interesting set of characters. It's a bit of a slow burn at first, but once the story gets going, man it moves quickly. I'm almost 40 hours in and still not completely finished. But I've had a blast playing this game and look forward to every playing session.

I think it's quite good game when I enjoyed it in Chinese version in 2014 and in English version in 2019. A few days ago I saw the re-make news of Trails in the Sky and now wanna play again before it. But when I changed my system to windows 11, I cannot run the game. If I could get any help there, I would appreciate it .

If you love story-rich games, this is an awesome series to get into. Memorable characters, emotional/engaging stories, and loads of action :)

What can I say about the wonderful Trails in the Sky FC, the 1st part of arguably the best JRPG trilogy to ever grace the world of gaming? A series that arrived on Steam slowly and with great trouble, looking incredibly niche, but then kept winning more and more fans, so much that today you might just prefer for them to shut up for a sec and lay it off with the thick praise?

Some argue the first entry is more of a humble beginning; a good but not great introduction that’s worth sticking to for the sake of what comes later. But I beg to differ: this is already peak. Each of the three Sky games is top-tier; they just excel at different things.

In FC’s case, the focus is on the relaxing slice of life, yet it is among the richest, most fulfilling slices of life I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing. You travel around an idyllic country to the tunes of a genius OST (JRPG music doesn’t get any better than this) while having conversations with the locals, and the writing goes at it one NPC at a time until it achieves incredible levels of immersion.

Playing this game is the equivalent of sitting under a tree on a nice sunny day while getting caressed by a warm summer breeze, except the breeze also whispers stories to you. They are mostly simple, unassuming tales, but put together they form a painstakingly developed world. The characters infect you with their positive, hard-working, decidedly Japanese outlook, yet it never feels saccharine or shallow, because troubles are always there too; nobody just allows them to ruin the mood.

However, even if you’re not particularly psyched about hours upon hours of sunny worldbuilding, FC is indeed worth sticking to, not just for the 2nd game but also for its own final stretch. The last chapter raises the stakes and pacing considerably, offering a long, satisfying conclusion to the immediate plot threads through a rich mixture of political conspiracies and personal dramas. And just when it looks like it’s already over, you’re rewarded with the best scene of them all; an absolute masterclass in direction and storytelling that flips the entire narrative on its head, adding a new, much darker layer to the portrayed events.

Of course, this is not a visual novel (even though the humongous script makes it feel like one at times), so on top of all the text you also get combat, and it’s a damn good turn-based combat, having a steady sense of progression, a versatile magic system and a memorable tactical angle that lets you manipulate the turn order for your own benefit. The attack animations, too, are very clean and well-done, despite looking simple by modern standards. Personally, I didn’t even need the much-praised "turbo mode" that speeds them up: some encounters may get repetitive or long, sure, but there’s a certain flow to them, and this flow is synced perfectly to the game’s overall pace.

I’d also like to praise the localization efforts. Japanese translations frequently come in two extremes: faithful yet stiff and competent yet overly liberal, having qualified people who are unable to resist "enhancing" the text using puns, flowery words or their subjective writing sensibilities. Sky’s localizers may be guilty of the latter at times, but this is nothing compared to how smooth their prose feels and how easy it is to read, with each sentence flowing naturally into the next one (which is hugely important for a game that relies on long conversations so much).

It’s common to find praise for Trails as a whole, highlighting its unparalleled length and scope among the games tied by a continuous narrative. Some might say not only FC but the entire Sky trilogy is just the tip of the iceberg. At the same time, a lot has been said about the series’ more recent drop in quality: how the characters and set pieces keep getting recycled, how the writing seems to lose depth and go for the safest tropes, or how the overarching story becomes increasingly meandering. Arguably, the developers also acknowledge this slump, what with their recent report of suddenly being 90% done or the announcement of Sky remakes (which may yet end up feeling completely different from the originals).

With this in mind, perhaps the tip was the juiciest part after all… which is a bummer, considering that Sky is great at hyping you up for the future events as well. But it’s also yet another reason to savor this timeless classic, no matter what year it is on the calendar.

Soundtrack highlight: the one and only.

One of the best JRPGs I've ever played, you can feel the care and love it was poured into the game, with an ever changing world that advances with you, side npcs advancing their story along yours, amazing characters, good music and a great story.

Man, this game takes for ever to finally started.
However long it is, I really like this game a lot.
I loved it's cast and other NPC, however I hate these FUCKING NAMES.
The gameplay is well done like the diffucult for a exam.
It's not very hard or very easily.
It is so balance and greatly executed.
I do believe that the story could be told little bit more faster and long conversation being more shorten.
This game still hold up and i don't think it really needs remake, however i am happy that it's getting one.
Now people who were afraid of getting into this series can now enjoy this wonderful story for the first time and it will be on console so everyone can play it.
i still think this is the best game in the series.

This game helps you learn more about the characters and the world like you yourself are learning the ropes of bracer work and living in Liberl. And for a 'Prologue' to the Sky Trilogy and the Kiseki series as a whole it makes the work to get to the rich story educational and even fun, there is such great dialogue that I barely felt bored. Everyone in Liberl even NPCs have such charm that adds to the experience.
Such a great game and a fun 100%

it's so peak. if youre debating whether or not you should wait for the remake, i say don't hesitate to jump in now; the gameplay still holds up just fine and the ending is going to leave you wanting to start playing the sequel immediately after the credits finish rolling. additionally, if youre wanting to get into trails and wondering if you really should start all the way back here instead of a newer arc like daybreak, the answer is yes, you should! its so worth it!!! the characters, world building, and lore are all so incredible crafted with an insane amount of attention to detail, and this game already sows so many plot seeds for future games, so you're really gonna appreciate it in the long run if you start here!

I never reviewed this before but as it stands. The Legend of Heroes as a series deserves to be praised to the heavens and back.

It has an amazing story and puts its' own swing on magics and skills. This is a JRPG that stands out amongst all other JRPGs made within its era. This is certainly a generational game that spans across 3 or 4 different series but rest assured throughout the iterations that the heroes live on and may come to save the day more than once.

It has one of the best soundtracks that I have possibly ever heard and can easily be replayed due to its memorability. You may play other JRPGs throughout time but this game will remain as a positive memory that may be called upon across many years.

It’s very dialogue heavy and there comes some positives and drawbacks with that.

Feels like it's written by a English/U.S. writer, rather than a Japanese one with plenty of lines like ‘don’t be such a ninny’ or ‘in the clinker’.

Despite the writing being quite good, there were times that I skipped through it (like the theatre section) because it felt very beside the point and uninteresting to me.

I was up to the final chapter of this game when I just kind of capitulated and stopped caring enough to want to keep wading through it. That much constant reading, even with decent dialogue is just oppressively tiresome to me. ..and the gameplay and RPG systems, while quite fine are nothing particularly addictive or special.

I can tell this is a special JRPG series for the right sort of gamer, but it's a little bit much for my tastes.

It was truly a joy to experience the story and all the characters. It started off kinda slow and I wasn't getting into it completely until around the third chapter. Definitely recommend it.

For me, the question in regards to RPGs isn't if it's worth buying, but if it's worth playing. After all, an RPG usually require a huge time investment to see it to its completion. With how dirt cheap this game is on the sales it often goes on, the question should thus really be; it worth to sink the 40-50 hours into it that it takes to finish it?

Yes. I do think so. However... I didn't feel that way when I started to play it at first.

Prior to this the only Legend of Heroes game I'd ever played was The Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermillion and I remember loving it and being super invested in the story. (Please make a PC port!) I was literally glued to my PSP back then. I think I probably expected to be pulled in right away in much the same fashion, when I started this game, but it did not happen.

But after starting this game twice, and quitting twice during the prologue because I didn't have the patience to get through the slogfest of its turn based battles and the poor pacing of the start of the game. It also didn't help that I was generally busy with other things in life to be able to set aside ample time for RPGs anymore unless they were really compelling from the start.

But at last, about a decade after getting it, I finally played it in full and it was actually so worth it. And now I am eager to play the next one. I also found if you hold down the sprint button it speeds up everything, which is really good when you deal with the battles. I only found this out 24 hours into the game sadly. (I played with PS4 controller, it was the R2 button for anyone wondering, idk about on keyboard.)

I still say the game is slow to take off, though and I am not actually in favor of it. While, in hindsight after knowing the full plot, I get that it is to set everything up I still say it could have been done a lot better. I think a game should pull you in from the start and in terms of pacing it's just not well done. For sure, it does get so much better and totally pulled me in and kept me invested eventually which made it worth it, but I contest that no game should make you sit through hours of what feels like slog before it starts to feel good. This is a game, we play it for fun, after all.

In terms of cast, 10/10. I genuinely like all the characters, as well, which for me is usually one of the biggest important factors in an RPG. The music as Falcom is known for imo, is amazing, too. This is, barring the slow start, a great JRPG and despite its flaws, I recommend it to anyone who likes the genre. Just be aware that the start is imo pretty boring and poorly paced and the turn based combat is a snorefest even when sped up.

Also, the sidequests expire and the game isn't really clear about when this happens and I absolutely dislike it. There's a ton of achievements you can miss out on due to missing cues such as buying newspaper issues, doing all sidequests etc. Personally I don't really care about achievements but be aware of this when you do. personally I simply did wanna do all sidequests for flavor and lore and it just feels like sh*t to check the board and see quests have expired that you actually wanted to do. So if you care for them, check them in between every main quest/event or use a guide.

After attempting to play through Dragon Age Veilguard, this has been an awesome palette cleanser. I've been debating on taking the dive into the Trails series for a good bit, and this has been a huge breath of fresh air, the characters are fun and entertaining. The writers seem to have a concrete plan going forward, and the Orbment/Battle systems are very fun to mess around with and I'm excited for the rest of this game and the rest of the series.

i cried at the end 100/10

Awesome game! Even though I've never played it makes me very nostalgic for the PSONE era. It has some silly outdated japanese humor but the battle system is very engaging and the characters are worth learning more about as the story progresses. Just a fun game. Looking forward to playing all the sequels.

Thoroughly enjoyed this game. It was nice to play a JRPG where for the majority of the game, you were just 2 kids going around solving local issues that slowly escalated in scope. The strength of the game is definitely the laid back atmosphere, world building, and the characters. The music is also amazing, the default battle theme is so good, you'll be upset when anything else plays. The story does a great job in creating opportunities for the 2 protagonists to grow and learn about world alongside the player. I also really enjoyed reading the in-game books and journals.

Combat is good but I think there's a lot of ways to improve it (which they hopefully did later in the trilogy). It's turn based but the characters can also move around on a flat grid similar to an SRPG. The positional aspect only really comes into play with AOE moves when things are grouped together or in a line but you don't often get to use those moves to the degree you might expect. It woulda been nice to also get bonuses to attack enemies from certain angles similar to SRPGS. The orbment system does its job but "maxing" it out feels a little rushed and the way the bonuses work to give you different elemental skills feels a little over-designed; another element I hope they polished in the sequels. Worst part about the game is there's way too many missable stuff. Hidden items or npc dialogue that leads to an extra quest etc. I ended up playing through using a spoiler-free walkthrough which was a pain and made it take way longer to finish the game.

I'd recommend the game still though for fans of JRPGs. The story wraps up nicely but also sets up the sequel in the last moments with a cliffhanger. Will definitely be checking that out.

Oh and ran flawlessly on the Deck, finished my entire playthrough on it.

the game only seems slow because of the amount of unique dialog you get from talking to villagers after every little story beat

Really compelling slow-burn story. The game takes its time introducing the world to you, and it's a great payoff once the big events start to ramp up. I love how alive the world feels just from talking to NPCs; they're not one- or two-line information dispensers. Looking forward to the next entry.

The world building of Trails game is phenomenal this game has a great story and characters I would suggest anyone wanting to get into trails series to start from this one don't make the same mistake as me of playing Cold Steel series first if you aren't fan of the old style gameplay the remake to this game is coming out next year but play in the right order i.e. Sky trilogy , Zero and Azure then the Cold steel this journey would be a long one but it would be worth it till the end

One of the best jrpg series out there

"The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky" is like sinking into an epic novel that just happens to be a game. The story kicks off with Estelle and Joshua, two kids stepping into the world as junior bracers (kind of like travelling heroes-for-hire), but it quickly turns into something so much more. This isn't your typical 'save the world' adventure—it's about family, friendship, and the kind of character growth that you don’t see coming but feels totally natural.

One thing I love is how alive the world feels. Every NPC has something to say, and what’s cool is that they change as you progress. It’s like being in a place where the people have their own lives and problems, not just standing around waiting for you to talk to them. And the towns and landscapes? They’re bursting with little details that make you want to slow down and take it all in.

The combat is a nice balance of strategy and fun. It uses a turn-based system with a twist: you can customize your abilities with this "orbment" system, letting you mix and match skills to fit your playstyle. It’s easy enough to pick up but deep enough to keep battles from getting stale.

But really, what makes this game unforgettable are the characters. Estelle is not your typical RPG heroine—she’s strong-willed, a bit clumsy, and totally endearing. Joshua is her quieter, more mysterious counterpart, and together they make a duo you can't help but root for. The story takes its time, so by the end, you feel like you've truly gone on a journey with them.

If you’re into JRPGs with a soul—something that’s more than just fighting and leveling up—give Trails in the Sky a shot. It’s a slow burn, but it stays with you long after, like a favorite book you keep coming back to. Highly recommend!"

It sure is a psp jrpg. The combat can be a bit clunky, especially in the end game but the story is really good.

Proper JRPG epic. Feels right at home with the Final Fantasy's, Dragon Quests, Grandia's and other JRPG greats.

Fantastic cast of characters, beautiful art, best in class world building and fun systems. Adored it.

The first chapter in a long and great jrpg series.

Its story is great and builds up towards its next chapter, and the series is consistent in its world building and scale. Its only downside is the somewhat basic/dated mechanics of its combat system, and every chapter after polishes and improves upon that ^^

I honestly can't recommend it enough.

Story starts slow, but boy it picks up. Combat is quite simple, but its pretty fun, a mix of tactical and turn based combat. Very charming world and characters. Can't wait to start SC!

I finally finished this game and I want to say one thing: a complex story and incredibly charismatic characters.
The realization that this is only the beginning of the Liberl Kingdom arc and it takes up less than half of the entire plot breaks my brain
The number of interesting characters is very large (Estelle alone is worth something), and the realization that each character in the story is doing their own thing somewhere in the country makes the game lively
And in general, this is one of the few games where I talk to passers-by or residents of cities and villages, because I want to learn more about the world, learn small stories of important or secondary characters
And the Legend of Heroes series is the best game in this regard at the moment, I definitely recommend playing it.

The beginning is just way way too much of a slog. I'm two hours in and all the events are incredibly inane, combat is uninteresting an time consuming, and the mine cart I need to do like four times just to open a door was the final straw.

You can talk to the empty chests in this game for God's sake. What more could you possibly want?!

I just beat this game, and all I can say is: it's great. The story, the characters, world building are all really well done. The battle mechanics are also pretty great as well. Honestly can't wait to get my hands on the second chapter.

Quick little story about my experience with this game. I had heard the internet rumor buzz about this being a great series, so I decided to check it out. And I fully bounced off the game. The game felt way too bloated and way too dialog heavy. So if that's something you're not into I would suggest maybe not this game.

However, clearly I've come to love this game. I'm on a current streak of playing through some longer games and decided to come back to this series. Man am I glad I did that. This has been an absolute ride. I loved it. Estelle is probably one of my favorite characters in a game.

Fun game, pretty standard game play, appreciate the depth of game play cooking attributes. Dislike the high prices of equipment

I love abusing chaos brand.

Anyway the game is game is great, with great characters and great worldbuilding. If I were to point out some cons, they'd probably be how confusing the orb system can be and how long and slow the prologue is.
Once you get past chapter 1 the game picks up the pace and pulls you in with a really interesting plotline that kept me interested throughout the whole game and wanting for more.
I WILL be playing the other games.

8.5/10

Needs more Agate screentime.

this game is an excellent jrpg. i highly recommend it to those with limited/older computers, and to anyone looking for a fun jrpg experience.

Its hard to describe just how this game made me feel. This game is special. Perhaps a PSP release and a late journey to North America cost this series exposure to the English Speaking world, but frankly this is a special game. Its cozy, the music is comfortable and despite there being a lot at stake i just love roaming around hoping Josh and Estelle smooch. I can see where the fanfare comes from, this is THAT game. If you like ff9 especially, this is that game. the steam punk setting is awesome, the rotating party members keeping josh and estelle company keep the story interesting. I loved the orb system, and the grid turn based combat was enough of a variance to keep combat interesting. the only people i would tell not to play this game are those who don't want to invest in a multi-game story arc, but do that at your own loss, this is a game and franchise that deserves all of the applause.

Great JRPG! Right there with the best, actually. Cheerful characters, fantastic story, Excellent gameplay with Guild missions and lot of optional side quests. This is the first chapter in this long and successful Trails saga. Only thing I found lacking is the amount of achievements. 27 would be decent for some game that lasts for a couple of hours, but as we are speaking about tens of hours at the bare minimum here, it's too few. I'm 6 hours into the game and haven't get a single achievement yet. It's really not rewarding. In this kind of game, there should be at least 270 of them, if not even more.

Please for the love of god play this game (and its two sequels). Literally one of the most refreshing JRPG experiences I've played in a very long time, in large part due to an absolutely fantastic localization. I was incredibly impressed by how good the pacing was across all three games. They never seem to rush the story, but also they generally do not actually waste your time with pointless drudgery. It feels that both the faster-paced parts as well as the slower-paced parts are used very effectively to drive at least one character's characterization forward. Throughout all three games, I really have come to love the country of Liberl and its people. There is a strong sense of place and permanence, both in the locations you visit, but also the characters that you meet.

I will say: even if you find yourself to be the impatient type, consider allowing yourself to become immersed in this story. I think it's absolutely worth your time.

i am glad that i gave this OLD RPG a try. This game is made by DEVS that truly love RPG. A great way to introduce the start of the series. The combat needs a little get used to especially on how to setup to get good spells but is easy once you get the hang of it.

The game slowly introduces to important characters as you journey with the main protaganists and you can see how they grow from newbies to full flleage bracers. The story can be slow as the world is quite detail.
However,, the last fight is insane which i thought that i might not be able to beat.

All in all. I had fun and thanks for such memorable experience.

Nostalgia free opinion- genuinely one of the best in the genre. Yeah combat is a bit of a bore at times, but great characters and the solid story elevate it to way up there.
Two bits of advice:
1) Take your time, do the side quests and chat with the NPCs. Lots of good stuff in there.
2)Get Haze and pop it on one of your characters as soon as you can. You can then pick and choose your random encounters and keep the grind to the minimum

Besides a few minor things I've noticed, this game is so far (30 hours in) extremely good. It actually makes me kind of annoyed because the story, world-building and characters have so much care put into them it makes most RPG games that have come out recently look absolutely awful.

The game features a large amount of combat. It expects you to interact with this side of it very often.
And yet, the combat system is primitive - and ignores basic principles. There is almost nothing that would affect enemy behavior - they (and you, too) can freely move around, ignoring their opponents' presence.
On your turn, you can just walk over to a desired target and hit them.
In addition, the entire game is operated with a mouse. There are no hotkeys to speed up combat - to make an attack, you have to move cursor to the attack button, then back to the enemy. Every single time. And there are a lot of times you have to attack something.
So far - 8 (!) hours into the game - the story isn't particularly good either, and every now and again it goes into extremely juvenile humor. Have you ever wanted to see pixelated boobs zoom into you just because you decided to use a powerful attack? Then, this is a game for you.

story is excellent. Graphics feel a bit dated, but the character portraits are made with so much feeling and detail that it more than makes up for the rest. Combat is a bit simple, but still fun. A good entry to the series. I've heard it only gets better after this one, and I can't wait to find out!

The vibe of this game reminds me of old favourites like Grandia and Star Ocean: the Second Story. The 2 main characters have great personalities! Combat has lots of options, and as an FFX fan-granny I love the column that shows when we and the enemy get turns. I've only just started, but already this is a fun game!