After playing Zero I came away with a bit of confusion. The characters of the Crossbell duology were usually praised online, the two games were heralded as the peak of the Trails series...so why did I feel so empty after seeing the end credits? It was a solid game and of course Zemuria remains the main appeal of the series with strong worldbuilding and a state that felt lived in and added many interesting political implications to the continent this series takes place in. But, while that is interesting in itself, Zero's characters left me cold. Not one of the characters really broke out of their mold and the emotional aspects therefore fell flat throughout. I was hoping this would change in Azure...but I was dead wrong.

Azure seems to think that Zero already did enough work to make you care about it's core cast and thus does not add much to the main characters beyond minor backstory reveals. Randy's "conflict" in this game is so simple and underwritten, it's laughable. This goes for every character, worst of all Rixia and the reaction to Rixia being an assassin by the SSS. There was no reaction. Just like with anything that happens to them, the SSS just kind of rolls with it and goes "Well, we like you, so it's ok."

That's the core motivation of the SSS in general. The game makes a big deal out of KeA being so immediately liked and treats it like it was out of character for the SSS to do so. But, it's not? The SSS like everyone immediately. They don't hate the villains because well, they like them, they're not so bad. They are just nice. To everyone. At all times. And maybe that works for other people but to me it falls emotionally flat. There's no spice. Everything can be solved with a short Lloyd speech because well he's just so likeable. And a great detective. Did you know? The cast will remind you a lot.

In lieu of interesting character writing the game then decides it is a geopolitical thriller for most of it's runtime... and it works. Really well even. The writers know that the continent of Zemuria and it's political movements are the star here and they REALLY lean into it in this game and I can't lie, I was fully engrossed in that aspect.

Which makes the resolution all the more heartbreaking. This game, much like the previous but to a much harsher degree, sets up so much geopolitical intrigue only to end it on...well, nothing. You think there will be a great clash of ideologies in the endgame but it never comes. Instead we are met with the worst main villain of any game in the series, which is saying a lot when Zero exists, AND the worst last dungeon with boring fights and boring bosses that builds up to the most predictable conclusion they could've made. All the political buildup was just in service of nothing, or rather in service of future games which will no doubt trick me again and I will end up with this disappointing feeling once more.

Hearing that this is the peak of the series makes me worry for the future. I really hope that Trails finds the balance between it's geopolitical worldbuilding and anime chuuni modes because they were totally off this time. And it's not like I don't like chuuni anime nonsense - I love it and I loved it in the Sky trilogy - but not as a rugpull in a game that pretends to be a political thriller.

Peak gaming experience! I can't describe how much I love this game in words. I love everything about this game. However, it's really unfortunate that some of the bonding moments of the characters contained their detailed backstories, which I think it was a bad decision. They should be put in the main story and as the result, a lot of players missed them. Such a wasted potential, don't you think?

And I really adore Lloyd Bannings with all of my heart. My love for him and the SSS is way much greater than people I know in real life.