cross-posted from: https://atomicpoet.org/objects/3d9c9c3e-14e9-446f-9d5c-83af4227bbfc

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, a JRPG, just got released on Steam—and this is a big deal because this game is to PC what Final Fantasy VII was to PlayStation.

You play as Estelle Bright, a stubborn but big-hearted teen, and her adopted brother Joshua, calm and secretive, as they work as junior agents of the Bracer Guild—mercenaries who handle everything from lost pets to bandit raids.

What begins as simple small-town jobs in the idyllic kingdom of Liberl slowly peels back into a slow-burn political thriller about coups, ancient technology, and rival nations circling like sharks. The genius of Trails in the Sky is how it ties everyday people and personal stories into that larger web of conspiracies, making the upheaval feel like it’s your neighbours and your home on the line.

Some history is in order. The two most influential JRPG developers are Square Enix and Nihon Falcom. Square Enix gave us Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. Nihon Falcom gave us Dragon Slayer and Ys. Square pushed the turn-based JRPG. Falcom’s big innovation was the action JRPG.

Dragon Slayer in particular was groundbreaking—without it, there’s no Zelda, no Hydlide, no Neutopia. It was the template for action RPGs to follow, and it was so successful it spawned spin-offs. One of them was The Legend of Heroes. That series was so successful it spun off again into Trails in the Sky. And yes—Trails itself kept spinning into more games, until it became a saga of its own.

So why haven’t you heard of it? Because Falcom wasn’t console-first like Square. Their heyday was the PC-88 and PC-98—computers that never came west. When Japan switched to Windows, so did Falcom. Trails in the Sky first arrived on Windows in 2004—but only in Japan. A PSP port followed in 2006. Still Japan only. North America finally got it in 2011… on PSP. By then, nobody here was playing PSP anymore.

It wasn’t until 2014 that the Windows version—better than the PSP one—was localized and released on Steam and GOG. It took more than a decade for Westerners to notice. But once they did, they realised this wasn’t just another RPG—this was a landmark.

The comparison to Final Fantasy VII is apt. Trails in the Sky is Falcom’s premiere JRPG. It cemented their reputation for long-form storytelling and kicked off a serialized epic that continues today. And if you think there are a lot of Final Fantasy games, Trails makes it look modest.

The difference is in the type impact each had. Final Fantasy VII was an atomic bomb. Trails in the Sky was a hurricane—starting as a whisper, then building into a storm. Westerners know the sequels like Trails of Cold Steel and Trails from Zero, but how many ever went back to the original?

Now they can. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a re-imagining of that first game. And “re-imagining” is exactly the right word. Same story, not a simple remake.

What’s new? A lot. The original was purely turn-based. This version lets you switch on the fly between the classic grid system and a new real-time action mode. Combat feels fluid and layered, and Falcom themselves estimate about 80 hours to clear—double the original’s runtime—thanks to extra quests and expanded exploration.

The graphics are completely redone. The old game was 2.5D isometric sprites—think Diablo with anime characters. The new one is full 3D, third-person, HDR-enabled, yet still faithful. Rolent, the first town, looks like you remember, just rebuilt in polygons.

Sound has levelled up. Fully animated cutscenes. Professional actors in both Japanese and English. Steam even lists French, German, and Spanish text, though only English and Japanese get full voice tracks. Most importantly, Falcom’s iconic music is intact—because unlike too many remakes, they didn’t dare mess with perfection.

Controls are flexible. The devs push gamepads, but keyboard and mouse works beautifully. Xbox and PlayStation controllers are supported natively, and thanks to Steam Input, just about anything—Logitech, 8BitDo, you name it—will work.

Steam officially says Windows-only and lists Deck support as “unknown.” But previews already note it runs smooth on Deck, looks gorgeous on OLED screens, and will almost certainly get the “Verified” badge. I tested it myself on Linux—it’s flawless.

Specs are reasonable: Ryzen 5 1600, 8GB RAM, GTX 1050, and 33GB storage will net you 60fps at 1080p.

The price is steep—C$77.99. Steam also launched it with a pile of optional DLC: costumes, boosters, items. Normally I’d balk at paying that much. But this is Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter—rebuilt so a new generation can see why it’s legendary. And if that’s still too much, the 2014 version is cheap: C$21.99 on Steam, or just C$11.00 on GOG.

Reception so far is glowing. Steam already shows a 96% positive rating across 233 reviews. Players love the balance of modern upgrades with old-school heart.

Either way—whether you buy today’s re-imagining or grab the older version—you owe it to yourself to play Trails in the Sky. Because if you care about JRPGs, even a little, this is the one you don’t skip.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3375780/Trails_in_the_Sky_1st_Chapter/

@videogames@piefed.social

  • Matriks404@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    Isn’t one of the more modern Dragon Quest games on PC as well? These series are top-notch and have nice graphics as well.

  • otp@sh.itjust.works
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    7 hours ago

    Some history is in order. The two most influential JRPG developers are Square Enix and Nihon Falcom. Square Enix gave us Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.

    Uhh… credibility lost. They’re saying history is in order and they immediately begin by rewriting history.

    Squaresoft and Enix were two different companies for decades, particularly when they were giving us Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.

    • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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      4 hours ago

      Notice I wrote in present tense, not past tense. Square Enix are one company now.

      • otp@sh.itjust.works
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        2 hours ago

        Notice I wrote in present tense

        Immediately after saying “some history is in order”.

        Square Enix didn’t give us the original Final Fantasy nor the original Dragon Quest. They give us those games now. But writing as if they were always one company feels like rewriting history.

        • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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          5 minutes ago

          I think there might be a small misunderstanding. I wasn’t saying they’re one company—just noting the influence they both still carry today. However you look at it, Square Enix are the caretakers of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, much like how Bandai Namco continue to carry Pac-Man forward.

          Instead of focusing on the negatives, why not celebrate what these games have meant to so many of us? Their impact is still worth appreciating.

  • zybir@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    I’ve been looking for a turn based RPG to play so I’ll bite. Purchased and downloading it now.

  • Katana314@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    Even though the gushing about Trails in the Sky may be seen as overblown, it’s interesting to read about the console history of these games and what they influenced. I remember when I played a Neptunia game and they stated “You know how every RPG has you fighting slimes first?” I thought “What…? No. I literally can’t think of any.” I realized those creators had very much grown up off of the “Dragon Quest” side of the RPG world. It seems to make sense to say Legend of Zelda in some ways followed some cues from the Ys games.

    I played the original FC in 2019. I think while it makes sense to be called a slow burn, there were also elements of the writing that kept me playing even early on; unlike a lot of game worlds it actually feels like a livable place where people trade, travel, have social lives, beyond just “The Soulstealer you’re going to fight has done wonders for our town! The sacrifices are necessary!” And, having the world and characters built up, even if it’s a bit slow, does lead to some excellent moments of payoff. I’m glad FF7 was mentioned, because I remembered that same anticipation for the FMV-style sequences of some epic cutscene battle or chase after a long sequence of investigating. Admittedly, part of what kept me going was the creative localization work. Little things like the “empty chest messages” felt like a very fun developer touch showing how much they enjoy the game.

    I think that there’s definitely a “Devoted Falcom crowd” much like many other fanbases now, and I’d expect their opinions to be a bit skewed. When I was looking for opinions on this game, most of them seemed to come from people that had played most of their series. I’m a bit of an outlier - After Sky 1+2, I attempted to play the next three games in the series, through to Trails from Azure, at which point I decided “Eh…I’m done. The magic is lost.” But there’s a good reason that crowd exists, and I think I get how they can really absorb you in for the long haul. I just happened to differently enjoy a single pair of their games. At the very least, I wouldn’t consider the current 96% rating on Steam to be wholly objective; the game hasn’t been out long, so most reviewers will be people who played the game already and have a strong stake.

    I played the demo for this one, and was surprised to find myself challenged by the JRPG combat even on normal. It’s possible to solve that issue with grinding, but it also got me to appreciate all the systems they have for outfitting yourself well, and reacting to particular circumstances in combat (I’m thinking of making a guide on Steam to showcase some of these). While I think of these games for their story (and of course their music) it’s interesting to see they have a large following for max difficulty playthroughs.

  • taiyang@lemmy.world
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    16 hours ago

    Hyperbole, much? What a bananas way to say you like a fun remake of a relatively solid JRPG.

    • Zanathos@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      I’m still confused on the sentence “re-imagining is exactly the right term”, because to me imagination is fluid and ever changing, but they said this term means the story has not changed.

      I would expect remaster to be the proper term here, but I’ve not played the original or seen this iteration so I’m not sure what to think.

      • Poopfeast420@lemmy.zip
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        12 hours ago

        Your only arguments for your statement in this thread are, that there are a lot of Trails games, and that the games are all connected. Comparing this to FF7 seems like a real stretch.

        If these games are so important, how about some examples of how they influenced gaming and their impact, either to devs or gamers.

        BTW I think the Trails series is garbage and has only one good game in it.

        • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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          11 hours ago

          You’re missing why Trails matters.

          This isn’t about “a lot of games.” It’s about building something no other JRPG studio has ever pulled off—a single, continuous saga that’s been unfolding since Trails in the Sky in 2004.

          No resets, no reboots, no discarded lore. Every event, faction, and character connects across a dozen titles. That kind of long-form narrative discipline doesn’t exist anywhere else in the genre.

          And don’t minimize how hard that is. Most JRPG studios can barely keep one trilogy coherent. Falcom has been weaving one uninterrupted storyline for over twenty years—through console generations and shifting hardware.

          Holding a narrative together across decades isn’t just impressive, it’s almost impossible. Doing this wasn’t just because of luck. It’s taken discipline, patience, and vision on a scale no other studio has matched.

          Influence is easy to trace. XSEED’s Trails in the Sky localization raised the bar for how seriously Western publishers approach text-heavy JRPGs. At the time, bringing over a game with hundreds of thousands of lines of dialogue was considered unworkable. They did it, and it set a precedent for the kind of effort fans now expect from localizations.

          Falcom also helped legitimize PC as a JRPG platform in the West—back when most people dismissed the genre as “console only.”

          And if you look at modern RPGs built around serialized storytelling and grounded politics—Disco Elysium, Baldur’s Gate 3, even the way Persona 5 structures its arcs—you can see Falcom’s fingerprints everywhere.

          Critics agree. RPG Site flat out said this about the remake of Trails in the Sky FC:

          If you’re here strictly for the magical number, here it is: Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter remake is a 10/10. What’s more, it’s the easiest 10/10 I’ve ever given.”

          https://rpgsite.net/review/18452-trails-in-the-sky-1st-chapter-review

          And the numbers back it up. Trails in the Sky sits at Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam with a 93% approval rating from thousands of reviews. Recent reviews are even better—96% positive.

          https://store.steampowered.com/app/251150/The/_Legend/_of/_Heroes/_Trails/_in/_the/_Sky/

          Rather than burning energy on outrage, put that time into actually playing more games. You’ll get more out of them—and you’re better than just dismissing something this significant.

          • Poopfeast420@lemmy.zip
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            10 hours ago

            I believe you’re vastly overstating the importance of this game and franchise. As I said, I think it’s a terrible series of games (and I’ve played them up to CS3), so there’s absolutely some bias here.

            Also, what does other people’s review have anything to do with how impactful or important something is to the medium? Does this mean that the Hentai game Mirror with ~96% positive, 85k+ reviews on Steam is even more significant than Trails?

            And if you look at modern RPGs built around serialized storytelling and grounded politics—Disco Elysium, Baldur’s Gate 3, even the way Persona 5 structures its arcs—you can see Falcom’s fingerprints everywhere.

            Please show me where those fingerprints are, because I don’t see them.

          • ratten@lemmings.world
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            10 hours ago

            Ok well, then that’s definitely not like Final Fantasy 7.

            Final Fantasy games are in their own contained universe.

            Clearly the potboilers on your team don’t know what they’re talking about and are just saying bullshit to drum up hype so they can make money.

            Rather than burning energy on outrage, put that time into actually playing more games. You’ll get more out of them

            Fuck off with that nonsense. You’re here to sell a product and take people’s hard-earned money. They shouldn’t lower their standards to satisfy your ego and make you more money.

            You should work harder because I guarantee your team didn’t put as much effort into this as went into FF7.

            • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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              7 hours ago

              Some people are just fans of video games, dude. And get this, sometimes you’ll disagree because it’s all subjective.

              Real weird, gatekeep-y argument here.

      • ratten@lemmings.world
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        10 hours ago

        It’s not like FF7 and you should get your heads out of your collective asses.

        • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          7 hours ago

          Is it not like FF7 because you don’t think the series is good enough to be mentioned alongside it? Or because it’s not about eco-terrorists and fascist corporations destroying the planet?

  • missingno@fedia.io
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    18 hours ago

    This comparison really feels strained. FF7 was the PS1’s biggest game, and by far. It was a revolution that shook the entire industry.

    Trails is a cult classic that’s beloved by a niche fanbase, and I’m happy to see this kind of game get a shot at wider recognition here, but its impact was in no way even remotely comparable to FF7.

    • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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      18 hours ago

      Okay, but I’m not talking about commercial appeal. I’m talking about artistic achievement.

      What Nihon Falcom accomplished with this game is unmatched. Trails in the Sky is, without question, the most expansive and intricate saga in JRPG history.

      Because unlike other series that reset with each new title, Falcom committed to one continuous world. Every town, every political faction, every character connects across dozens of games.

      And this game was the beginning of it all.

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        7 hours ago

        What Nihon Falcom accomplished with this game is unmatched. Trails in the Sky is, without question, the most expansive and intricate saga in JRPG history.

        Alright, I don’t think this is true lol… Just an FYI, I’m generally defending you against the person here who apparantly really likes FF7 and really hates Trails games, but… Yeah I don’t think that’s “without question” at all. In fact, I myself am questioning it right now.

        • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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          4 hours ago

          Again, what other series is comparable? 12 games, multiple but interlocking arcs, developed over decades.

          If there’s one that I don’t know about, tell me.

          • cosmo@lemmy.world
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            4 hours ago

            For all the good things about Trails there’s a lot of flaws as well. There’s a lot of weak plot lines, reused assets (lack of npc variety being one) and there’s quite a few logical leaps happening as the series has progressed. The games are ambitious for sure, but let’s not pretend that hasn’t had its own shortcomings.

            For me Trails as a series is very much a case of being better than the sum of its individual parts, and that great, but you’re vastly overselling the importance of this series. I enjoy both Trails and Final Fantasy, but it’s wild to put them on the same field like this. Square Enix has more than 5000 employees. Falcom has about 80, I think. The scale is so wastly different.

        • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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          17 hours ago

          The big thing about FFVII when it came out was the huge—for the time—fully realized world.

          It felt like stepping into a movie. There was nuance. And there were story curveballs.

          Same deal with Trails in the Sky. Fully realized world—immense. And the narrative ambition is not just huge, Nihon Falcom actually pulled it off.

          • missingno@fedia.io
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            17 hours ago

            The big thing about FF7 was that it came out during a critical transition period for the industry, and Squaresoft put the highest budget of any video game to date into making sure FF’s jump to 3D graphics was as explosive as possible. The game was heavily marketed on its technical merits, boasting about how everything this game does could only be possible on PS1. It’s full of setpiece moments that are literally just Squaresoft trying to show off their VFX budget (this is why summon cutscenes are so absurdly long). And it blew audiences away because no one had never seen anything like it before. FF7 was a revolution.

            Trails certainly has good reason to be beloved by its niche fanbase, but by 2004, it really wasn’t doing anything super unique compared to its contemporaries from the same time period. It’s a polished game, but I can’t describe it as anything more than an evolution.

            • ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works
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              16 hours ago

              Not to mention it was amid a crashout with Nintendo where Square struck a deal with Sony making the Playstation a sudden major contender.

            • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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              16 hours ago

              But we’re not talking about technical merits but artistic.

              There is no RPG series as big and immense as Trails.

              This is Nihon Falcon’s crowning achievement. In terms of sheer craftsmanship, only one other JRPG compares.

              • JigglySackles@lemmy.world
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                3 hours ago

                Just because something is big and difficult, doesn’t mean it’s good or fun. I still need to play it to see if I like it, but the reasoning used here is flawed.

              • missingno@fedia.io
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                15 hours ago

                The technical merits were why FF7 was so impactful as a cultural landmark of video game history.

                Is Trails a good game? Sure.

                Is FF7 the right comparison to invoke? Not even close.

                • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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                  15 hours ago

                  The technical merits mattered when it launched. Do they matter now? Not at all. Otherwise FFVII would’ve gone the way of Battle Arena Toshinden—big splash at the time, forgotten in the long run.

                  What gives FFVII its staying power is the art. That’s why we play games. Not for specs. For creativity.

                  And this is where FFVII and Trails meet: at the rarefied height of JRPG artistry. The pinnacle. God-tier.

      • ratten@lemmings.world
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        9 hours ago

        Trails in the Sky is, without question, the most expansive and intricate saga in JRPG history.

        You have Derek Smart levels of ignorance and hubris.

  • Gonzako@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    Ya’ll think it’s worth it? I’m currently on chapter 2 of the original game and I thought the remake didn’t re-do all the chapters

    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      7 hours ago

      I’ve played Trails of Cold Steel I, II and part of III. I also tried starting the original Trails in the Sky two or three times, but it never stuck.

      I picked up the remake yesterday, and only played for an hour or so, but it is gorgeous. There is a demo, I think. Might be worth trying out.

    • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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      20 hours ago

      Totally is. FFVII was a watershed moment for JRPGs on PSX. Same is true for Trails on PC.

      It’s just that recognition in the West for FFVII was instant. Meanwhile, due to localization, it took more than a decade for Trails to get recognition.

      Maybe this is a better comparison: if FFVII is The Beatles, then Trails is the Velvet Underground. Beatles sold massive copies immediately. VU took awhile, but now everyone knows they’re just as impactful as the Beatles.

      • ramble81@lemmy.zip
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        17 hours ago

        That’s a bad analogy. I just asked 4 of my friends (25-65) if they knew who the Beatles were. Everyone said yes. Then I asked if they knew VU, everyone (including myself) had no clue who that was.

        This isn’t going to be as big as you think it is.

        • kuribo@aussie.zone
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          11 hours ago

          It’s a really good analogy imo. In that neither VU nor TitS are anywhere as impactful or important to the zeitgeist as the Beatles or FFVII, respectively.

          I’d go as far as to say that their analogy actually contradicts and corrects their original claim that FFVII and TitS are in any way equivalent.

        • ByteOnBikes@discuss.online
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          13 hours ago

          Oh boy I’m glad you said that because I didn’t want to sound like an idiot. I’m 40yo and I have no idea who the VU are, nor does comparing them to the Beatles make me excited to look them up.

        • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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          15 hours ago

          Auto-correct changed “glam” to “glamour”, and now lemmy.world won’t let me make the edit.

          Anyway, here’s my further opportunity to say that The Beatles changed the world by being everywhere. The Velvet Underground changed the world by changing the people who mattered next.

          And if this motivates you to go listen to the Velvet Underground, then I’m jealous—because I wish I could hear the VU for the first time all over again.

        • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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          16 hours ago

          And you just made my point for me. 🙂

          The Velvet Underground are the most important band you’ve never heard about. In many ways, bigger than the Beatles.

          Because the Velvet Underground were the precursors to glamour, prog, punk, new wave, noise, alternative, and grunge.

          Without the VU, there’d be no David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Ramones, Sex Pistols, or Nirvana.

          And the VU were making that kind of music in the ‘60s. Commercial flop, but almost everyone who heard of them started a band.

          If you haven’t heard of the VU, you should watch that Apple Music documentary about them. Of course, after you play Trails in the Sky.

          • ratten@lemmings.world
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            9 hours ago

            All I can say is, if your taste in video games is anything like your taste in music, then I’m right to stay far away from anything you recommend.

  • Gutek8134@lemmy.world
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    15 hours ago

    Oh, I remember this game. Played through almost the whole original (watched the last dungeon on YT) pretty much without grinding. Didn’t like it.

    My opinion on the story: nothing happened for 50 hours, and something big finally did, I was already way past the point of disinterest. I’ve seen someone else write that it’s basically setting up the world for what happens later, and the third part almost makes you forgive the creators, but there’s no way I’m playing through another one.

  • neon_nova@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    20 hours ago

    The price is insane. No way I’m touching it until it’s about $50 cheaper. It doesn’t even have regional pricing for my country which makes it extra expensive by comparison.

    • dhhyfddehhfyy4673@fedia.io
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      16 hours ago

      The dlc listed has a higher combined cost than the game even as well lol. All this seems particularly egregious for a remake of a 20 year old game.

      • neon_nova@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        16 hours ago

        I don’t know why they thought they could get away with these prices. I’ve never even heard of this game before.

        If the total cost was $20 and the dlc was included, I’d consider it…maybe

  • BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    I saw this on Steam but the “1st Chapter” subtitle is a red flag. Is this a remake of a complete game or a partial release like the FFVII remakes?

    Edit: Although the above concern has been addressed, this $60 game now has $75 worth of DLC just a day after release. I think this may be a patient gamer situation.

    • missingno@fedia.io
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      18 hours ago

      The original was part of a trilogy, this is a remake of that same first game in the trilogy.

      • Katana314@lemmy.world
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        9 hours ago

        I’d say it’s more accurate that it’s part of a “duology”. Die-hard fans insist on playing the 3rd game to absorb Deep Lore, but it’s not a part of the satisfying bookended arc starting from the first game. You don’t even play as the same main character. Frankly, I’m not sure if they’re going to remaster it.

        Theories say the second game will release in a year, but game dev schedules tend to go wild. I wouldn’t blame anyone for waiting until then, since it is a big cliffhanger. It’s well written, doesn’t feel cheesy, and feels like an “ending”, but sucks to be left there wondering.

      • BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world
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        18 hours ago

        Thank you, that’s what I was trying to figure out. I’m guessing that the worst case scenario is that I can play the originals if they don’t remake the sequels. I think I’ll pick this up. I could use a good story-based single player game.

        • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          7 hours ago

          I think they’ve already announced that they’re remaking SC (Second Chapter). As the other commenter said, it’s more of a duology so I dunno if they’ll remake the third.

        • naticus@lemmy.world
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          17 hours ago

          Yeah the reason for the naming is that the original games were Trails in the Sky FC (First Chapter) and SC (Second Chapter) because it was supposed to be one game. And the scope of the story got so huge that it would never have been reasonable to release it as just a single game. FC was a 40-60 hour game while SC was 60-80 hours.

          The 20 hour gap on each is really how much a player dug in because nearly every single NPC has their own story going on in the sidelines and some people (myself included) actually end up following them all at every story transition. They reoccur throughout this game and later games too, so the attention to detail to keep an these things happening is fairly incredible.

          To further answer your original question though, FC really does need SC to get a satisfying end, but FC is a beloved entry anyhow from all the world building it provides.

          The series is currently 12 games and will be 13 soon. That’s 4 major story arcs that all connect, get referenced, have some reappearing characters and talk of those past events, etc. In comparison to more well known JRPG series, it’s not like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest because this is not an anthology series.

    • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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      19 hours ago

      Remake. But also, more like a reimagining because it plays differently.

      I explain all this in my review.

      • BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world
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        18 hours ago

        I was trying to figure out whether it was a complete experience on its own. @missingno@fedia.io clarified that it’s a remake of the first game in a trilogy. I was concerned it was being released episodically and I’ve been burned on incomplete episodic releases too many times.

        • Katana314@lemmy.world
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          9 hours ago

          Falcom seems to be doing okay, but if they suddenly go bankrupt, you could just play the original SC on Steam to finish the story.

        • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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          18 hours ago

          Not sure if my review comes off too text-heavy, but I aim to cover this game in detail.

          I dig into its history—because this isn’t just any JRPG. Its pedigree stretches back to 1984 on the PC-88.

          • naticus@lemmy.world
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            17 hours ago

            Sorta. It’s so loosely connected to the Dragon Slayer and contains almost no reference back to anyone before Trails actually started in 2004. Yes, I know, these are the origins, but saying “it’s not just any JRPG” makes it sound like the preceding series would be relevant to Trails too. I would say that the only games that you’ll ever see meaningful references to would be the Gagharv trilogy, but even then, not canon to Trails.

            I think the more impressive thing is that Falcom has been making RPGs since before “JRPG” was a used term. Before Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy ever took the stage.

            Either way, loving the remake, it’s truly one of the most faithful remakes of any games I’ve ever seen, regardless of genre. It’s insane that at a glance I recognize literally every area compared to the original.

            • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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              17 hours ago

              No, Trails is not canon with Dragon Slayer. More like that’s its lineage. Which is pretty damn cool.

        • emb@lemmy.world
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          17 hours ago

          The game it’s a remake of was a very full experience. The original and its sequel were know as FC (first chapter) and SC, I think mostly in retrospect.

          Vague spoilers for the story arc

          While the original Trails in the Sky was very complete experience, it does end on a cliffhanger that sets up directly for the sequel. I have no idea if the remake is the same, but I’d expect so.

    • cosmo@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      It’s 98% turn based. 100% if you don’t want to spend a few seconds building stagger.

    • atomicpoet@lemmy.worldOP
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      20 hours ago

      Play the original. Right now, It’s C$11.00 on GOG.

      And while FFVII was ported to PC—I own that port—FFVII was more impactful as a PSX game and was a major factor in Sony winning the Gen 5 console war.

      On the other hand Trails in the Sky started off as a PC game, and never really got a mainstream console release—but this was the genesis of the Trails series.

    • Feyd@programming.dev
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      19 hours ago

      If it’s like the last few trails game, it’s not really “you choose whether to play action or turn based” but “play action mode to build up a meter to get an advantage in turn based node when you switch” and you only spend 10 seconds or so in action mode, and also bosses don’t even have an action phase.

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    10 hours ago

    this game is to PC what Final Fantasy VII was to PlayStation

    Fuck off.

    • caseofthematts@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      You’ve been on lemmy for a day and have replied to this post bashing the OP like 5 times. Relax.

      • ratten@lemmings.world
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        9 hours ago

        You mean I scrolled through a thread and replied to comments I saw?

        Yeah, ignored.

        • caseofthematts@lemmy.world
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          9 hours ago

          Not that you’ll see this, but I mean that you’re being incredibly rude, argumentative and a bully towards them. You can disagree with someone without being a dick about it. This Lemmy instance is becoming more like the reddit game subreddit by the day, I swear.

        • Katana314@lemmy.world
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          9 hours ago

          /Games generally has a content problem; it’s okay for people to bring up other discussions.

          If you want to argue there are more interesting things to be on the front page than reviews gushing about a new game, even if using overblown wording, then please, post this other content and let the lesser stuff drift to the bottom! Entering the comment thread and telling people to fuck off isn’t a useful way to go about it though.

          • ratten@lemmings.world
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            5 hours ago

            Nah, I’m good.

            If you have a problem with what I’m doing, you can always ignore me.

            I personally don’t have any issue with what I’m doing so I see no reason to change.

            It doesn’t bother me if it bothers you.

            Everyone is critic, but not everyone is a good critic. Toxic positivity exists so people can get taken for a ride without fear of judgement.

            • Katana314@lemmy.world
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              4 hours ago

              “Toxic positivity” is not bannable. Toxic negativity is.

              So, consider this a word of caution. If you found the game stupid, say that, and use informed language to describe why it’s not worth people’s time. But the community rules don’t let you target that attitude to people and their threads, or to make no-effort dismissals of people. If you don’t care, prove it by taking your attention elsewhere.

              Hoping you get to keep posting here, and rethink your attitude!