kisui is Reviewing Trails in the Sky (1st Chapter)
Heya, Happy (much belated) New Year!
So 1st review of the year (fortunately not a rant), I will be reviewing Trails in the Sky (1st Chapter), which is a remake of the original game from 2004. https://store.steampowered.com/app/3375780/Trails_in_the_Sky_1st_Chapter/
Before I begin, I would like to note that I only played the original version for 4 hours and decided it was nice with a grindy old school charm. But then they released the remake on a discount, which at the time, was said to contain a lot of QoL updates especially for working 9 to 6 gamers. So I bought it as year end bonus for myself.
While the name is 1st chapter, it is actually a full game (unlike pay per chapter game) with around 20-80 hours gameplay, depending on how you would play it. The name is just 1st part of a trilogy which I heard wrapped up really nicely on 3rd game. The game does offer a finish and a closure of an arc. But it does work as an important warning that you won't get full closure until 3rd game.
For the short review, this is a JRPG Game a quarter action and three quarters turn based. Unlike some game that claims to be turn based but have intense QTE (the thing where you need to push specific button on specific timing), the action part is easy and totally skippable, which is really nice for me. The story is nothing evolutionary but it was well executed classic Shounen style (main protagonist is female, actually a duo but slightly more spotlight on the female) JRPG (very-)lightly political game.
Compared to some other JRPG classic, the story and world building is a bit basic, but I must say that it is nice nostalgic storyline. And don't worry for modern gamer, it is also well executed with flairs. The worldbuilding and the storyline execution is the strongest part of the game. Characters (even NPCs) are the strongest part. That said this might not appeal to veterans since the tone is very much leaning to teenage action semi-romcom anime.
Gameplay wise there are some part that I love but some other parts that was less interesting for old school gamer because fun complexity (compared to original game) was sacrificed for QoL. The lack of minigame and puzzles are a bit downside but overall I would still give it a positive gameplay review.
For the Art and Setting Design, The world was beautiful which were used to be bird eye 3D becomes a fully 360 3D. Each region of the game was decorated and doesn't feel empty or bland. Even plain NPCs are well designed. Unfortunately as the game got it latter stage, you do realizes a lot of models are reused and recolored which is a bit disappointing but I would still say it's not detrimental since the world is alive by the setting direction.
Also what I love the most is how the game is really well optimized, a fully rendered 3D with animation. It took only a fifth of a space than other game of same type. There are barely any loading time between areas. And random encounters have no noticeable loading! (FYI I was using less than USD800 middle spec gaming laptop)
All in all, the game is nice. The game is averagely priced, about the same as other game of the same level. A well made remake of the 1st game. An appeal to the franchise veteran or even new fans like me. I would recommend to buy it on 30% discount but worth the full price if you are heavy JRPGs lovers.
Heavier Gameplay and Story Spoiler Below
For in depth review, let's start with the basic premise first. You play as a 16 years old girl and her adopted 16 years old brother that starts to work as newly appointed Bracers (upstanding adventurers guild that solves problem for citizens). They traveled all around the a small nation, learning each region culture, solving problems and meeting new people. The tone of the game of light coming of age action comedy adventure.
For the gameplay, the Original gameplay was mix of turn based strategy with tactical grid strategy. You encounter enemies, then the field turn into tactic like. There are spell range, weapon range, movement speed which very much offer tactical benefit if for example you count your grid and expect enemy to be out of range to attack you. Expect to spend 2-3 rounds to kill enemy party and with calculation and strategy it could take 2-5 minutes. Something that a majority of gamer like but also a major downside for gamer that like things more action-like.
The remake however offer more intense action gameplay, it has quick battle mode where you spam attack and dodge button on world map, just like Dark Soul, Monster Hunter kind of thing to stun enemies (or kill weaker enemies) then you can press a button to switch to more turn based version. You can even skip the action part and goes directly for turn based mode (and bosses can only be fought on turn based mode). The transition between the two is very smooth with no loading at all, you can kill a dozen squads enemy in a large maps switching the two in a very dynamic transitionless style, making the gameplay become fun and fast paced.
Unfortunately, I can also see that the turn based is very watered down, while things like range, area and positioning still existed, it's complexity was toned down almost barely noticeable. Since they want turns to be faster, they make the tactic part more dynamic and don't need precision strategy. The grid based combat are replaced with modern "time stopped" free movement where you can move anywhere you want and attack whichever enemy you want (with caveats). This increased turn speed with becomes much more faster than the original 1 full rounds can only take 15 to 30 seconds. But at the same time, to pace the game, the enemies becomes more... spongy. In return, strategies like moving out of range, buffing self before one big attack, pinning enemies down are less important than spamming your strongest attacks and heals. I would say the gameplay appeals to younger generation audience than hardcore turn based veteran. That said the gameplay was a nice QoL for older audience that has less time grinding. There are still fun JRPG part like mix and matching your equipment to optimizes builds. Which also an unfortunate things that you need to endgame grind to optimize your sets. That said to finish the game, you don't need to grind at all as long as you are properly equipped (even with chest lootable equipments).
Other gameplay is either classic and nothing major than your usual JRPG style game. There is a slight innovation in orbment mix and match slotting system which is fun but nothing that is major enough to warrant full review. The lack of mini game and copious amount of fetch and hunt quest can be a bit detrimental but due to QoL, they are not tedious since in this new one you have fast travel and battles are dodgeable unlike original one that has plenty of backtrack and grind and transition time. There are missables but due to QoL improvement, it is not as tedious to track and complete them as the original games. Unfortunately, this might make the game easier and watered down compared to cult classic JRPG.
Now for the best part is the storyline, the worldbuilding is simple and the story is light. As I said previously, you are a teenager adventurer (a duo some might argue) exploring a small nation (5 medium sized city and several small villages). What I love about it is the delivery, you explore each city with their own culture without the capability to backtrack once you move on from the region, each has their own lives. You meet with new people have fun with them then move on with good memories, not knowing if you are able to meet them again which gives a nice sense of journey. While the main story is ongoing, you would meet non-important NPCs that have different dialog everytime the story shifts even a little bit. You would meet a couple of lovers that is looking for a place for a confession. 30 minutes later you would see the lovers confessing on a tower. 1 hour later the couple decided to travel the country. The next chapter you would meet the lovers browsing for souvenirs in a new city. This is unimportant to the main plot, doesn't give you anything but it is a really nice touch since the world are full of NPC like this (not all but plenty). Wanting to read each dialog for every NPC for each story beats is what I spent the time most on the game. What a 40 hours full gameplay becomes a 80 hours world exploring for me. With each time, you would feel you are part of the country and these are your people as if you lived in the country for a long time, knowing its history. Then when you would re-meet some of the NPC, you feel like meeting an old friend.
The main story are still light but well executed. It begins with story of journey. As conspiracy unfold, you would get deeper and deeper with the politics. Story of how three kingdoms in a fragile balance of potential war and how a single power shifts can go to full on war and how a war took it tolls on the country. That said, the game is very light, no one dies except in the background and in some special circumstances, making the story low stake and light. Plot goes from defeating sky pirates, going to a schoolplay, to rescuing a princess from kidnappers which is very young teenager storyline full of skits. That said, even though the main character are very young in the story, you could feel adults NPC play as much as important part without diminishing your contribution to the plot. For some people, this might came as slow paced, and watered down, which to certain extent I agree. But the delivery was pretty nice, it was like watching and playing sunday morning cartoon fun with various moment; happiness, sadness, and even anger as you relate with the characters. For the main cast, each of them is pretty basic and trope-ish due to the writing, but I do like Olivier, Kloe and Zin which has slightly more personality and unique style then the others.
For the Voice Acting and the music, it is well done, each music fits the scene and you have fun hearing it. The English voice acting is fun and the dialog while light hearted was well executed. Unfortunately I can't say the same as Japanese voice acting. I switch the VA to Japanese for 1 chapter and I feel the VA was not well executed as English one, as if the game was more optimized for English one. Maybe I'll try again with full Japanese VA from the start but for now, characters are more alive in English VA.
For the art and design, I would say the world is beautiful and well drawn, roads and locations are filled with decorations, night and day was beautifully rendered, climb a tower and you can see the whole region beautifully mapped and drawn. Unfortunately you can also clearly see the reuse of model and a lot of them as the game progress. Each region also only has a slight variation in the Architectural design (well, justified that it is a single small nation so culture and tech is basically the same). Monsters are also reused and animation while smooth doesn't have as much variation as you would expect. But I need to iterate that the game was very optimized making the experience very smooth which I believe trumps 200 gigabytes game with 30 second loading time each scene that has hair follicles you can count.
Also a big note for the end, the game main characters are Estelle and Joshua, unrelated by blood and are siblings by virtue of adoption, do act like siblings. Unfortunately there is a minor light romance subtext between the two of them which might deter some people (I believe in Japanese culture even 1st cousin marriage is okay), but for some people in other culture, even adopted sibling romance is not okay. Personally, I am neither fond or hate it. I like their dynamic as a duo that complements each other but neutral about the romance.
As a closure, I would recommend the game, it is light, well polished and has great production value even with its weakness.