As one story ends another begins. This is what brings us to Crossbell. A city state sandwiched between two political superpowers seemingly hanging on by a thread to stay afloat of outside influences. However not everything is what it seems on the surface. Crossbell is corrupt and is very limited on what it can do to fix its own issues. And only the SSS can change Crossbell's wrongdoings from within.
I love the SSS man. Every member is so fun to see and their interactions are priceless. The squad is so diverse in personality and yet they mesh so well. Even their battle styles are different. Seeing the SSS slowly get the recognition they deserve is such a payoff. They aren't just a copy of the bracer guild and made their own identity.
I find the setting of Crossbell to be very engaging especially since the state is small enough to where you are able to get to know every character including the npcs and really connect with the characters when shit hits the fan. It also isn't small to the point where you get tired of the same locations. This can also be implied due to how well this game uses its map. Like it just makes sense that you have to go all over Crossbell to retrieve an overdue book or partake in a fishing contest at the sandbar.
As always Trails and of course Falcom delivers on its soundtrack. Like every time this track played I was on the edge of my seat because I knew I had to lock in. Another great soundtrack that the music is all it takes to change your mood in an instant.
Can't talk about Zero without a certain character's journey that has spanned over 3 games now. Definetly one of the best character journeys I have seen in a video game. Every time they are on screen I always get emotional. There is just something about how its handled that it's truly special.
From what this game concludes off of, I really wonder how Azure will start off because Zero had a pretty conclusive ending but definetly has questions that needs to be answered. Just like us as the player, the SSS still doesn't know all of the answers on the why of how Crossbell functions but if we just get over the barrier only then we can seek the truth and justice be served.
"But what we need right now is the experience of overcoming these kinds of obstacles. Think about it, clear the small barriers one by one… If we do that, then someday, we’ll have the power to get over the taller barriers, too. "
I love the SSS man. Every member is so fun to see and their interactions are priceless. The squad is so diverse in personality and yet they mesh so well. Even their battle styles are different. Seeing the SSS slowly get the recognition they deserve is such a payoff. They aren't just a copy of the bracer guild and made their own identity.
I find the setting of Crossbell to be very engaging especially since the state is small enough to where you are able to get to know every character including the npcs and really connect with the characters when shit hits the fan. It also isn't small to the point where you get tired of the same locations. This can also be implied due to how well this game uses its map. Like it just makes sense that you have to go all over Crossbell to retrieve an overdue book or partake in a fishing contest at the sandbar.
As always Trails and of course Falcom delivers on its soundtrack. Like every time this track played I was on the edge of my seat because I knew I had to lock in. Another great soundtrack that the music is all it takes to change your mood in an instant.
Can't talk about Zero without a certain character's journey that has spanned over 3 games now. Definetly one of the best character journeys I have seen in a video game. Every time they are on screen I always get emotional. There is just something about how its handled that it's truly special.
From what this game concludes off of, I really wonder how Azure will start off because Zero had a pretty conclusive ending but definetly has questions that needs to be answered. Just like us as the player, the SSS still doesn't know all of the answers on the why of how Crossbell functions but if we just get over the barrier only then we can seek the truth and justice be served.
"But what we need right now is the experience of overcoming these kinds of obstacles. Think about it, clear the small barriers one by one… If we do that, then someday, we’ll have the power to get over the taller barriers, too. "
Edit: NEVERMIND I HAD A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP THIS IS THE BEST SETUP GAME BESIDES UTAWARERUMONO 2, HOLY SHIT SOME OF THE MOMENTS IN THIS WERE EMOTIONAL AND HIT HARD, AND WE EVEN HAVE BETTER DOROTHY
I had no complaints with Zero until the last chapter, which was a bit of an underwhelming payoff, but until that point it was basically a perfect "setup game" with no dull moments. None of my issues from Sky FC are in this.
Aside from the mildly underwhelming finale, the "BRO WE'RE A CINEMATIC UNIVERSE BROOOOO" issue that I've been fearing with this series rears its head. In some aspects, it's really cool, what with the payoff for a character's arc in SC and 3rd (I started crying from it, it was so emotional). In others, you have the corny MCU thing of "heh, looks like I got here just in time!" and "wow [Crossbell character], you remind me of [Sky character]!" happening multiple times. I expect it to get both better with the payoffs, and worse with the corniness. But you take the good with the bad, I guess.
Otherwise, this is definitely one of the best JRPGs and videogames I've played. The combat system, characters, music, improved visuals from Sky, the Crossbell atmosphere, all of these contributed to a very fun experience. Can't wait for what Azure has in store.
I had no complaints with Zero until the last chapter, which was a bit of an underwhelming payoff, but until that point it was basically a perfect "setup game" with no dull moments. None of my issues from Sky FC are in this.
Aside from the mildly underwhelming finale, the "BRO WE'RE A CINEMATIC UNIVERSE BROOOOO" issue that I've been fearing with this series rears its head. In some aspects, it's really cool, what with the payoff for a character's arc in SC and 3rd (I started crying from it, it was so emotional). In others, you have the corny MCU thing of "heh, looks like I got here just in time!" and "wow [Crossbell character], you remind me of [Sky character]!" happening multiple times. I expect it to get both better with the payoffs, and worse with the corniness. But you take the good with the bad, I guess.
Otherwise, this is definitely one of the best JRPGs and videogames I've played. The combat system, characters, music, improved visuals from Sky, the Crossbell atmosphere, all of these contributed to a very fun experience. Can't wait for what Azure has in store.
The “zero” in this game’s name is symbolic of the score it gets out of ten
I can't stay away from this shit for more than a few months. I get Trails withdrawals, I start shaking, I get headaches, I try other JRPGs and I go to another village across the map in the middle of a story beat and I expect random NPC #84 to have new dialogue for me. They don't. Why would they? It's an insane thing to do, and yet it's just the standard in Trails. I don't know what kinda psychopath keeps making this. It's like fucking crack. Oh you didn't pay attention to the dilemma of an elderly NPC in the tavern actually overlapping with a solution given by the gardener in a different city that only exists for one single story step? You missed it? That's a sidequest gone. Idiot. You're an idiot for not doing it. I love that. I'm not being ironic. That's peak RPG.
Barely over a week ago I wrote a review for Persona 5 that said that gaming (implicitly referring to the japanese roleplaying kind, might I add) "has yet to find a good way to hide elemental weaknesses and then show them later". Then I play this shit and they immediately solve it. That's fucked up, man. You're fucking with me at this point. I'm pissed off they've done that.
I sit down to play a game. I ask what the story's about. You tell me it's a bunch of misfits in the found family trope. You slap me across the face. I start crying. You say it's framed in a buddy cop universe. You punch me straight between the eyes. I pass out from the pain. And yet all I feel is happiness. At one point a gruff elder police officer who's been "getting too old for this shit" says "I might just have to admit you're a half decent cop" and I got up in my apartment so fast it scared my roomba and started pacing around the entire living room while clapping so hard I lost all feelings in my hands. You might as well have told me these streets aren't what they used to be. I might have had a seizure.
The biggest (arguably only) weakness this has is that it's basically a sidestory and can't really decide how much it wants to commit to that. Bringing back familiar characters in a slightly awkward way. Not awfully so, but in a way where it definitely feels slightly inorganic. Don't get me wrong, I am the fan getting serviced, and I love my little beloved sprites I already played as for 100+ hours, but the game on its own might honestly stand better without it.
Barely over a week ago I wrote a review for Persona 5 that said that gaming (implicitly referring to the japanese roleplaying kind, might I add) "has yet to find a good way to hide elemental weaknesses and then show them later". Then I play this shit and they immediately solve it. That's fucked up, man. You're fucking with me at this point. I'm pissed off they've done that.
I sit down to play a game. I ask what the story's about. You tell me it's a bunch of misfits in the found family trope. You slap me across the face. I start crying. You say it's framed in a buddy cop universe. You punch me straight between the eyes. I pass out from the pain. And yet all I feel is happiness. At one point a gruff elder police officer who's been "getting too old for this shit" says "I might just have to admit you're a half decent cop" and I got up in my apartment so fast it scared my roomba and started pacing around the entire living room while clapping so hard I lost all feelings in my hands. You might as well have told me these streets aren't what they used to be. I might have had a seizure.
The biggest (arguably only) weakness this has is that it's basically a sidestory and can't really decide how much it wants to commit to that. Bringing back familiar characters in a slightly awkward way. Not awfully so, but in a way where it definitely feels slightly inorganic. Don't get me wrong, I am the fan getting serviced, and I love my little beloved sprites I already played as for 100+ hours, but the game on its own might honestly stand better without it.
kitty
This review contains spoilers
I can pretend I'm a semi-objective game critic but I can't hide from the fact that Sky the 3rd emotionally destroyed me to the point where finally seeing Renne find happiness for once in her life choked me up unlike any piece of fiction has before.
[ASMR] Lloyd Bannings helps motivate you to overcome your life's barriers
It's not as good as Sky 3rd but I like the SSS a lot. By far my favorite cast of main characters. There's some filler and slow moments but it wasn't enough to make me loathe it like FC.
Trails burnout kicking in and it's definitely because of the fact these games are so fucking long. The writing's good and all but after Sky trilogy, I don't think this series has anything left that's going to really impress me.
Yeah, Zero's great. Sky 3rd is phenomenal, but I feel like I'm playing the series not because I really want to but because it's a ride that I've hopped on and it'd be weird to jump off it right in the middle.
Trails burnout kicking in and it's definitely because of the fact these games are so fucking long. The writing's good and all but after Sky trilogy, I don't think this series has anything left that's going to really impress me.
Yeah, Zero's great. Sky 3rd is phenomenal, but I feel like I'm playing the series not because I really want to but because it's a ride that I've hopped on and it'd be weird to jump off it right in the middle.
This review contains spoilers
Trails from Zero is everything I knew the Trails series was capable of based on its premise, but that it didn’t quite achieve in the Sky trilogy. In previous reviews I had complained about how I felt the story in each individual Sky game was somewhat lacking. Sky the 3rd had begun to present some interesting ideas with its plot, but due to the dungeon crawling-structure of that game, those story moments were so spread out that they lost some of their impact. Not so in Trails from Zero. Zero manages to simultaneously be darker and more grounded than any of the Sky games were, making the plot overall much more compelling. Now being able to compare the political conflicts of First Chapter and Zero with the more typical fantasy JRPG conflicts of Second Chapter and Sky the 3rd, I can confidently say that the Trails series works better with smaller scale conflicts. The way the conflict between the two opposing mafia groups ties into the internal politics of Crossbell’s diet and the overall struggle for power between Erebonia and Calvard is not only impressive worldbuilding, but also creates stakes that feel immediately more pressing towards not only the main party but the people of Crossbell as a whole. In a world that feels as fleshed out and alive as Zemuria (but especially Crossbell) I’ll take that sort of conflict over a clash with some secret society every time.
Even when the stakes are inevitably raised for the third act and we get our secret society/“greater evil” equivalent in the form of the D∴G cult, they still make for more interesting villains than Ouroboros for not one, not two, but three reasons. Firstly, the cult’s inner workings are deeply interwoven with Crossbell’s internal politics, to a degree far greater than Ouroboros’ trickle-down manipulation tactics in Liberl; secondly, the cult’s backstory directly ties back into arguably the most interesting part of Sky the 3rd’s narrative; and thirdly, they aren’t some vague fantasy secret society, they’re a cult that kidnaps and drugs people, tying back into my point about the plot of Zero being darker and more grounded than the Sky games. I think that Zero’s overall change in tone is thanks in large part due to Lloyd’s position as a detective. Trails from Zero isn’t quite a mystery game—like in Persona 4, the game does most of the detective footwork for you—but Lloyd’s being a detective adds a sort of crime drama flavor to the story, which I very much appreciate (even if I think it’s a bit lazy that from a gameplay perspective the SSS is almost identical to the Bracers Guild). For all those reasons, in spite of what I said in the previous paragraph, I would say that the first half of the game is good, but that it really takes off at the end of the third chapter when the cult’s handiwork starts coming into play.
All that to say that Trails from Zero has an excellent story, but now moving onto the characters, I’ll admit, it took a little while for our main quartet to grow on me because none of them have the kind of over-the-top anime energy most of the Sky cast has. Don’t let that fool you into thinking these characters are less entertaining though, I think the lack of silly quirks simply ties back into the idea of this game being at least somewhat more grounded tonally. Once I had some time to become familiar with them, I ended up enjoying this cast a lot. A special shoutout is in order for Randy, one of the very few anime characters of his particular archetype (“ladies’ man”) to not be totally infuriating, thanks in large part to the fact that they didn’t just make him the personification of that trope and remembered to give him a personality. The SSS have such a strong group dynamic too, one that becomes even stronger when KeA (stupid spelling) is introduced and all four of them instantly switch into parent mode.
I’ll wrap there because I don’t have anything to add in regards to the combat, but suffice it to say, free from the confines of Liberl, the Trails series is finally meeting my expectations. I have no reason to suspect that Azure will be any different, so I’m very much excited to see where things go next.
Even when the stakes are inevitably raised for the third act and we get our secret society/“greater evil” equivalent in the form of the D∴G cult, they still make for more interesting villains than Ouroboros for not one, not two, but three reasons. Firstly, the cult’s inner workings are deeply interwoven with Crossbell’s internal politics, to a degree far greater than Ouroboros’ trickle-down manipulation tactics in Liberl; secondly, the cult’s backstory directly ties back into arguably the most interesting part of Sky the 3rd’s narrative; and thirdly, they aren’t some vague fantasy secret society, they’re a cult that kidnaps and drugs people, tying back into my point about the plot of Zero being darker and more grounded than the Sky games. I think that Zero’s overall change in tone is thanks in large part due to Lloyd’s position as a detective. Trails from Zero isn’t quite a mystery game—like in Persona 4, the game does most of the detective footwork for you—but Lloyd’s being a detective adds a sort of crime drama flavor to the story, which I very much appreciate (even if I think it’s a bit lazy that from a gameplay perspective the SSS is almost identical to the Bracers Guild). For all those reasons, in spite of what I said in the previous paragraph, I would say that the first half of the game is good, but that it really takes off at the end of the third chapter when the cult’s handiwork starts coming into play.
All that to say that Trails from Zero has an excellent story, but now moving onto the characters, I’ll admit, it took a little while for our main quartet to grow on me because none of them have the kind of over-the-top anime energy most of the Sky cast has. Don’t let that fool you into thinking these characters are less entertaining though, I think the lack of silly quirks simply ties back into the idea of this game being at least somewhat more grounded tonally. Once I had some time to become familiar with them, I ended up enjoying this cast a lot. A special shoutout is in order for Randy, one of the very few anime characters of his particular archetype (“ladies’ man”) to not be totally infuriating, thanks in large part to the fact that they didn’t just make him the personification of that trope and remembered to give him a personality. The SSS have such a strong group dynamic too, one that becomes even stronger when KeA (stupid spelling) is introduced and all four of them instantly switch into parent mode.
I’ll wrap there because I don’t have anything to add in regards to the combat, but suffice it to say, free from the confines of Liberl, the Trails series is finally meeting my expectations. I have no reason to suspect that Azure will be any different, so I’m very much excited to see where things go next.
Two games of build up... absolutely incredible
The rest of the game was great too. The SSS are a fun bunch. The gameplay was nicer too. I did almost all the side quests which I normally never do so goes to show how much I enjoyed it.
Overall: PEAK.
The rest of the game was great too. The SSS are a fun bunch. The gameplay was nicer too. I did almost all the side quests which I normally never do so goes to show how much I enjoyed it.
Overall: PEAK.
I don't thinks words alone can do justice to how amazing this game is. The main characters are well written and endearing and the story is genuinely insane. Highly recommend this game if you're in the mood for a story focused game.
A solid game.
The trails game I've played so far with the least amount of "bullshit". The port felt really smooth, the dialogue was consistent and I liked all the characters. I think this was one of the lighter stories in the series in terms of the tragedies that the trail games love to play on but it's fine. Genuinely enjoyed it.
Not much to say about the OST, they keep it consistent across all the games albiet minor differences, quite enjoyed it.
Gameplay is not clunky, Fast Mode works smoothly unlike some of the other games. It's also compatible with the steamdeck, and as I would say Bed Gaming is W Gaming, because we are so back.
Falcolm can do it right, just gotta get Llyod to ask them to overcome the barriers.
The trails game I've played so far with the least amount of "bullshit". The port felt really smooth, the dialogue was consistent and I liked all the characters. I think this was one of the lighter stories in the series in terms of the tragedies that the trail games love to play on but it's fine. Genuinely enjoyed it.
Not much to say about the OST, they keep it consistent across all the games albiet minor differences, quite enjoyed it.
Gameplay is not clunky, Fast Mode works smoothly unlike some of the other games. It's also compatible with the steamdeck, and as I would say Bed Gaming is W Gaming, because we are so back.
Falcolm can do it right, just gotta get Llyod to ask them to overcome the barriers.
I loved the cast so much, I got very attached to them quickly and I really really liked how they showed their relationships together and built up the new arc. A great ending to a great game and I can’t wait to see the conclusion of the arc
I played this in my own time. While the gameplay isn't as good as the Cold Steel games I played before this, the story really drew me in with an amazing main cast of characters and the actual plot feeling very well done as well. The soundtrack might be one of the best out there as well. It also makes me excited for the sequel as well.
LLOYDO BANNINGS DA! WE GOTTA BREAK THROUGH THE BARRIER!!!! FUCK IT WE BURNING HEART!
Its Sky FC again but with a new cast with new twists and backgrounds, as well as being in a new part of the continent. So it makes sense you need some background information but its a bit more boring this time due to already having gone through the info dumping stuff in FC aha.
Its Sky FC again but with a new cast with new twists and backgrounds, as well as being in a new part of the continent. So it makes sense you need some background information but its a bit more boring this time due to already having gone through the info dumping stuff in FC aha.
Earnest and empowering, in short. Trails from Zero is an incredibly powerful game that feels like a battle shonen in video game form, mixed with the long term storytelling, ambitious world building, and the mind bogglingly deep lore of Kiseki that results in a video game that combines the best of both and works perfectly, primarily because of how every element from the two spectrums I mentioned are glued together seamlessly through Lloyd bannings. On the surface, Lloyd seems like a perfectly normal main character with a clear cut moral code, but what makes Lloyd so compelling are the small neat bits of characterization that hint at a deeper, darker side to him that he grapples with without even realising it. It kind of fits with Crossbell’s setting too, because in a way, much like Lloyd, Crossbell looks like a perfectly stable peaceful state, but is actually run by the absolute worst, corrupt politicians. In the same way, Lloyd puts on an unbreakable facade and tries to be an invincible hero with an unflinchingly optimistic attitude, but on the inside, he’s the same kid that lost his brother, hasn’t moved on, and is stuck chasing after his shadow even after he died.
This is something that I absolutely adore when it comes to world building, where it feels like the city is a breathing, living character who’s tied to the main characters leading it, and that applies to Crossbell where it’s all about exploring your own truth and finding meaning to it on your own terms, because in Lloyd’s journey of uncovering his truth, he began uncovering Crossbell’s identity as well, and that acted as a genius backdrop for Crossbell’s theme of truth. Going back to Lloyd for a bit, as I mentioned, the parts of him that make him stand out to me are the small bits of characterization that people who call him boring often times miss, the small bits that show how caught up he is in his own brother’s shadow, how they seep into his mundane day to day life events, and how self damaging that can be.
When it comes to trauma, we often times unintentionally bottle it up for our self preservation since they’re unexpected, yet in spite of that, they seep into our mundane day to day life no matter how much we sugarcoat it and spreads its disease into our social interaction, which is my favorite form of portrayal of trauma and is why I adore Lloyd so much. He tries to put on Guy’s persona of an unstoppable hero that everyone can rely on even when it comes at his own expense, yet the person he forgets to save is himself, and it’s never explicitly told that this is what he struggles with until the near end of Zero because up until that point, Lloyd’s struggles are portrayed through his behaviour and it’s up to the player to infer what he goes through in comparison to the cast. In this sense, we’re put into Lloyd’s comrades’ shoes, have our intelligence tested by trying to infer what he himself goes through despite his seemingly normal demeanour, and that’s what makes the eventual exploration of Lloyd’s issues and his admittance to his insecurities hit so hard, because we as the player already could infer what he goes through yet ignores and are simply waiting for him to recognize that part of him. It’s an incredibly effective yet unique way of telling a main character’s arc through perspective, and that goes well with Crossbell’s themes about perception and truth, because even if Lloyd seems normal when we first perceive him, he is the exact opposite of that and that plays well into what Crossbell is trying to tell about the concept of truth.
Time and time again, from start to finish, Lloyd’s insecurities are shown through his actions even from the get go, where he was prepared to throw his life away to save the SSS from the geofront monster before Arios came in to save the day, and that’s not just because of the goodness of his heart but because that’s what his image of Guy would do in a situation like this. In this sense, you can say that when Guy died, Lloyd’s sense of self split into two, the part of him that admires Guy and the part of him that feels worthless in comparison to him and chases a far fetched shadow of his, forever stuck in an endless whirlpool of insecurities and living on auto-pilot mode. To illustrate further, whenever Lloyd accomplishes something, or is praised for having a good trait, he always denies that praise and credits it to Guy, which might seem like its Lloyd being humble, but in reality, it’s much more complicated and sadder. The reason for this is that Lloyd doesn’t take credit for those accomplishments or traits of his because he views them as Guy’s, or rather, the traits/accomplishments of his image of Guy that he only inhabits because of his desire to be like Guy. As such, when he does a good deed, or embodies a good trait, it’s to chase after that image of Guy first and foremost, and since those traits and actions are motivated by his desire to catch up to Guy, not just his own good will, it feels wrong to take credit for that because it doesn’t truly feel like his. He disassociates from those good deeds because they were coloured by his unhealthy admiration towards Guy and while motivated by his good will, that good will is only a secondary reason. It’s why in chapter 2 after Lloyd gives Ellie a corny friendship speech and Ellie asks him how he can be so optimistic, Lloyd doesn’t take credit for that and instead thanks Guy for it. While that’s definitely because Lloyd loves Guy, it’s also because he doesn’t believe in himself to be great enough to be that capable and strong on his own. Lloyd’s arc is all about finding balance between his image of Guy and who Guy really was, it’s about repairing his sense of self after it was shattered by how much he revered Guy and attached his individuality to him, and that’s makes Lloyd such a sympathetic main character to me, because in his attempt to find meaning in Guy’s death, he forgot to find meaning in his self, and that’s what enabled him to connect with the SSS members on such a spiritual level. At their core, Randy, Lloyd, Tio, and Ellie, are all incredibly lonely individuals with no place to call home, and that’s what enabled Lloyd to guide them and be their leader.
All of what I said about Lloyd up until now has been purely analytical, but on a personal note, there are small bits and pieces of dialogue that Lloyd said that truly connected with me, the biggest of them being when he told Randy that as strange as it is, he can finally accept that he can be his own man, reach his ultimate potential, and be satisfied, as opposed to a few months ago. This sentiment rung true to me personally, because I have an older brother that I admire and feel the need to chase after as well, yet despite being told countless times that I just need to keep being me, it all felt like hollow garbage to me that meant nothing, until lately after years of practising self love and self care, where I’ve come to identify and appreciate my own worth beyond my brother’s. It made me feel seen, because with Lloyd, the truth of his being and his surroundings and their meaning started and ended with him. This sentiment is reflected in the concept I mentioned above with Crossbell being like a living, breathing character on its own, where by overcoming his own barriers and finding his truth, Lloyd was able to understand the ins and outs of what Crossbell’s conflicts pertain, break the status quo, and change Crossbell for the better, like the hero he had hoped to become after initially running away from the city he treasured. In the end, it was all about perspective.
Truth be told, I didn’t really plan on writing such a long form piece on Crossbell mainly cause I wanted to do that once I was done with Azure, but I couldn’t really stop myself once I started expressing my passion for this game and what it made me feel. I guess that’s what happens when you let your own words flow and come together to form a pattern of thoughts instead of limiting yourself, and maybe that’s what Trails has become to me. Something that allows me to be ‘’free’’, and that’s why I’ve come to adore it and adore talking about it so much. In a word, though, Lloyd’s earnest nature is what made Crossbell’s cast (and me) love him, and through that love, he was able to find meaning to himself and have several white women wanting to fuck him.
This is something that I absolutely adore when it comes to world building, where it feels like the city is a breathing, living character who’s tied to the main characters leading it, and that applies to Crossbell where it’s all about exploring your own truth and finding meaning to it on your own terms, because in Lloyd’s journey of uncovering his truth, he began uncovering Crossbell’s identity as well, and that acted as a genius backdrop for Crossbell’s theme of truth. Going back to Lloyd for a bit, as I mentioned, the parts of him that make him stand out to me are the small bits of characterization that people who call him boring often times miss, the small bits that show how caught up he is in his own brother’s shadow, how they seep into his mundane day to day life events, and how self damaging that can be.
When it comes to trauma, we often times unintentionally bottle it up for our self preservation since they’re unexpected, yet in spite of that, they seep into our mundane day to day life no matter how much we sugarcoat it and spreads its disease into our social interaction, which is my favorite form of portrayal of trauma and is why I adore Lloyd so much. He tries to put on Guy’s persona of an unstoppable hero that everyone can rely on even when it comes at his own expense, yet the person he forgets to save is himself, and it’s never explicitly told that this is what he struggles with until the near end of Zero because up until that point, Lloyd’s struggles are portrayed through his behaviour and it’s up to the player to infer what he goes through in comparison to the cast. In this sense, we’re put into Lloyd’s comrades’ shoes, have our intelligence tested by trying to infer what he himself goes through despite his seemingly normal demeanour, and that’s what makes the eventual exploration of Lloyd’s issues and his admittance to his insecurities hit so hard, because we as the player already could infer what he goes through yet ignores and are simply waiting for him to recognize that part of him. It’s an incredibly effective yet unique way of telling a main character’s arc through perspective, and that goes well with Crossbell’s themes about perception and truth, because even if Lloyd seems normal when we first perceive him, he is the exact opposite of that and that plays well into what Crossbell is trying to tell about the concept of truth.
Time and time again, from start to finish, Lloyd’s insecurities are shown through his actions even from the get go, where he was prepared to throw his life away to save the SSS from the geofront monster before Arios came in to save the day, and that’s not just because of the goodness of his heart but because that’s what his image of Guy would do in a situation like this. In this sense, you can say that when Guy died, Lloyd’s sense of self split into two, the part of him that admires Guy and the part of him that feels worthless in comparison to him and chases a far fetched shadow of his, forever stuck in an endless whirlpool of insecurities and living on auto-pilot mode. To illustrate further, whenever Lloyd accomplishes something, or is praised for having a good trait, he always denies that praise and credits it to Guy, which might seem like its Lloyd being humble, but in reality, it’s much more complicated and sadder. The reason for this is that Lloyd doesn’t take credit for those accomplishments or traits of his because he views them as Guy’s, or rather, the traits/accomplishments of his image of Guy that he only inhabits because of his desire to be like Guy. As such, when he does a good deed, or embodies a good trait, it’s to chase after that image of Guy first and foremost, and since those traits and actions are motivated by his desire to catch up to Guy, not just his own good will, it feels wrong to take credit for that because it doesn’t truly feel like his. He disassociates from those good deeds because they were coloured by his unhealthy admiration towards Guy and while motivated by his good will, that good will is only a secondary reason. It’s why in chapter 2 after Lloyd gives Ellie a corny friendship speech and Ellie asks him how he can be so optimistic, Lloyd doesn’t take credit for that and instead thanks Guy for it. While that’s definitely because Lloyd loves Guy, it’s also because he doesn’t believe in himself to be great enough to be that capable and strong on his own. Lloyd’s arc is all about finding balance between his image of Guy and who Guy really was, it’s about repairing his sense of self after it was shattered by how much he revered Guy and attached his individuality to him, and that’s makes Lloyd such a sympathetic main character to me, because in his attempt to find meaning in Guy’s death, he forgot to find meaning in his self, and that’s what enabled him to connect with the SSS members on such a spiritual level. At their core, Randy, Lloyd, Tio, and Ellie, are all incredibly lonely individuals with no place to call home, and that’s what enabled Lloyd to guide them and be their leader.
All of what I said about Lloyd up until now has been purely analytical, but on a personal note, there are small bits and pieces of dialogue that Lloyd said that truly connected with me, the biggest of them being when he told Randy that as strange as it is, he can finally accept that he can be his own man, reach his ultimate potential, and be satisfied, as opposed to a few months ago. This sentiment rung true to me personally, because I have an older brother that I admire and feel the need to chase after as well, yet despite being told countless times that I just need to keep being me, it all felt like hollow garbage to me that meant nothing, until lately after years of practising self love and self care, where I’ve come to identify and appreciate my own worth beyond my brother’s. It made me feel seen, because with Lloyd, the truth of his being and his surroundings and their meaning started and ended with him. This sentiment is reflected in the concept I mentioned above with Crossbell being like a living, breathing character on its own, where by overcoming his own barriers and finding his truth, Lloyd was able to understand the ins and outs of what Crossbell’s conflicts pertain, break the status quo, and change Crossbell for the better, like the hero he had hoped to become after initially running away from the city he treasured. In the end, it was all about perspective.
Truth be told, I didn’t really plan on writing such a long form piece on Crossbell mainly cause I wanted to do that once I was done with Azure, but I couldn’t really stop myself once I started expressing my passion for this game and what it made me feel. I guess that’s what happens when you let your own words flow and come together to form a pattern of thoughts instead of limiting yourself, and maybe that’s what Trails has become to me. Something that allows me to be ‘’free’’, and that’s why I’ve come to adore it and adore talking about it so much. In a word, though, Lloyd’s earnest nature is what made Crossbell’s cast (and me) love him, and through that love, he was able to find meaning to himself and have several white women wanting to fuck him.
Honestly, I understand why people say Crossbell is peak because this duology probably has the best two games overall in the series.
I just love everything about Crossbell. I initially played this game wih the horrid translation, but still enjoyed my time with it. It wasn't until last year where I actually got to play it with a real translation in my Trails marathon, and my opinions on it definitely changed for the better.
Honestly, I think I prefer Crossbell as a setting much more to Liberl, not to say that Liberl is bad per se. Crossbell is just that good. I just love talking to each NPC in each Crossbell District after every story interaction and seeing how their dialogue changes. I also love walking along the highways (or taking the bus) and visiting the more remote locations of Crossbell like Mainz and Armorica. Crossbell is just the perfect setting for this game, especially when they explore the dark sides of Crossbell, like the Mafia. I just found it interesting how after Liberl, we were sent not to Erebonia, but to Crossbell of all places. A highly contested autonomous state between two major superpowers in Erebonia and Calvard. Crossbell is definitely my favourite country worldbuilding wise because of how much it has to even further paint the world of Zemuria. If you couldn't tell already I think Trails is the only game series ever to actually get me interested in its political structure and world.
Now let's actually start this review. From a story standpoint alone, I think this is the best game that the series has to offer (so far). I say that because, yeah, the game does start extremely slow, but I think that's valid because the Special Support Section are a new section of the Crossbell Police Department, and haven't earned the trust of locals, like the Bracer Guild has. The group has only been functioning for a little while and they're already trying to deal with Mafioso's and threat letters to celebrities. The Arc en Ciel part of Chapter 2 got me hooked into the story, exposing Mayor MacDowell's secretary and apprehending him. Chapter 3 was probably the most hype I've ever been. You got the anniversary festival with high highs with Estelle, Joshua, Wald, Wazy, and Randy. You also got the auction where you get more interested in Wazy, Mariebelle, and Lechter as characters. This chapter introduces you to KeA, who's just the ray of sunshine that the SSS needed to feel complete. The boss for Chapter 3 after stealing one of their prized posessions from the auction is probably the highlight for me. It's just so badass. I love the little intermission that gives us a little glimpse into the life of the SSS with KeA being added to their numbers. Also, storming a mafia base is just badass, and mkaes me love Chapter 4 as well.
I think the finale deserves it's own little section. Everything just hits the roof. The army and mafia have been drugged with Gnosis, and we find out one of the doctors at the hospital is the leader of a cult. The raid on the SSS and the IBC was great, but I hate how side characters like Grace and Cao were just commenting on us fighting hordes of enemies, like bro, help us? Anyways, I love the badass driving scene with Sergei and Noel, and we get to use Joshua and Estelle in the final dungeon. The final dungeon was creepy, stupid D:G cult. Honestly, the final dungeon felt rather underwhelming till the Garcia boss, and then the final boss, Joachim. Dude just downed a bunch of pills and became a demon. If not for Renne, it would of been curtains for everyone. The final boss dies, and the Brights finally adopt Renne which made me shed a tear not going to lie, it's been a three game journey for them. Overall, a very epic story, and personally one of my favourites.
Character wise, there's a bunch that stick out to me: Randy, Tio, Wazy, Fran, Jona, etc. Randy is interesting because on the surface he's all silly, but he's actually very serious. I just love and adore Tio and Fran. Jona just makes me laugh with his silly shenanigans, and Wazy is probably my favourite because he's just so mysterious and intrigues me and makes me want to know more. I actually thought Lloyd improved over time, and is a great protagonist. I know people don't really like Lloyd, but I just like how he's supportive of the entire group, and you can really tell that he cares for the entirety of the SSS, even in the little time that they spent together. Elie, I'm a bit iffy on, because I don't know what exactly she brings to the story, but maybe that's just me. Overall, this game has really good characters.
Battling, there's not much that's different from Sky, besides new Arts. At least they kept the orbment system, which I adore. I also enjoyed the addition of Evasion. Evasion Builds are just so fun in any game. Yeah, not much to say with battling, it is mostly the same.
The music. slaps. so. hard. The crossbell main theme, the highway themes, the Mainz theme, the Revache theme, the Stargazer Tower theme, the Ancient Battlefield theme, it's all just such a bop. I actually think I might prefer the Zero battle theme to Sophisticated Fight from Sky, idk it just hits differently. But yeah, the music slaps.
Some extremely minor gripes. I hate how the translators treat Lloyd like a playboy and oblivious, idk it just grates me for some reason. Also, I do not understand Wald as a character at all, he actually might be my least favourite in the series so far. That's about it for the gripes.
Overall, the game is extremely enjoyable, and I would honestly love to redo it all and experience it all again. It was that enjoyable.
I just love everything about Crossbell. I initially played this game wih the horrid translation, but still enjoyed my time with it. It wasn't until last year where I actually got to play it with a real translation in my Trails marathon, and my opinions on it definitely changed for the better.
Honestly, I think I prefer Crossbell as a setting much more to Liberl, not to say that Liberl is bad per se. Crossbell is just that good. I just love talking to each NPC in each Crossbell District after every story interaction and seeing how their dialogue changes. I also love walking along the highways (or taking the bus) and visiting the more remote locations of Crossbell like Mainz and Armorica. Crossbell is just the perfect setting for this game, especially when they explore the dark sides of Crossbell, like the Mafia. I just found it interesting how after Liberl, we were sent not to Erebonia, but to Crossbell of all places. A highly contested autonomous state between two major superpowers in Erebonia and Calvard. Crossbell is definitely my favourite country worldbuilding wise because of how much it has to even further paint the world of Zemuria. If you couldn't tell already I think Trails is the only game series ever to actually get me interested in its political structure and world.
Now let's actually start this review. From a story standpoint alone, I think this is the best game that the series has to offer (so far). I say that because, yeah, the game does start extremely slow, but I think that's valid because the Special Support Section are a new section of the Crossbell Police Department, and haven't earned the trust of locals, like the Bracer Guild has. The group has only been functioning for a little while and they're already trying to deal with Mafioso's and threat letters to celebrities. The Arc en Ciel part of Chapter 2 got me hooked into the story, exposing Mayor MacDowell's secretary and apprehending him. Chapter 3 was probably the most hype I've ever been. You got the anniversary festival with high highs with Estelle, Joshua, Wald, Wazy, and Randy. You also got the auction where you get more interested in Wazy, Mariebelle, and Lechter as characters. This chapter introduces you to KeA, who's just the ray of sunshine that the SSS needed to feel complete. The boss for Chapter 3 after stealing one of their prized posessions from the auction is probably the highlight for me. It's just so badass. I love the little intermission that gives us a little glimpse into the life of the SSS with KeA being added to their numbers. Also, storming a mafia base is just badass, and mkaes me love Chapter 4 as well.
I think the finale deserves it's own little section. Everything just hits the roof. The army and mafia have been drugged with Gnosis, and we find out one of the doctors at the hospital is the leader of a cult. The raid on the SSS and the IBC was great, but I hate how side characters like Grace and Cao were just commenting on us fighting hordes of enemies, like bro, help us? Anyways, I love the badass driving scene with Sergei and Noel, and we get to use Joshua and Estelle in the final dungeon. The final dungeon was creepy, stupid D:G cult. Honestly, the final dungeon felt rather underwhelming till the Garcia boss, and then the final boss, Joachim. Dude just downed a bunch of pills and became a demon. If not for Renne, it would of been curtains for everyone. The final boss dies, and the Brights finally adopt Renne which made me shed a tear not going to lie, it's been a three game journey for them. Overall, a very epic story, and personally one of my favourites.
Character wise, there's a bunch that stick out to me: Randy, Tio, Wazy, Fran, Jona, etc. Randy is interesting because on the surface he's all silly, but he's actually very serious. I just love and adore Tio and Fran. Jona just makes me laugh with his silly shenanigans, and Wazy is probably my favourite because he's just so mysterious and intrigues me and makes me want to know more. I actually thought Lloyd improved over time, and is a great protagonist. I know people don't really like Lloyd, but I just like how he's supportive of the entire group, and you can really tell that he cares for the entirety of the SSS, even in the little time that they spent together. Elie, I'm a bit iffy on, because I don't know what exactly she brings to the story, but maybe that's just me. Overall, this game has really good characters.
Battling, there's not much that's different from Sky, besides new Arts. At least they kept the orbment system, which I adore. I also enjoyed the addition of Evasion. Evasion Builds are just so fun in any game. Yeah, not much to say with battling, it is mostly the same.
The music. slaps. so. hard. The crossbell main theme, the highway themes, the Mainz theme, the Revache theme, the Stargazer Tower theme, the Ancient Battlefield theme, it's all just such a bop. I actually think I might prefer the Zero battle theme to Sophisticated Fight from Sky, idk it just hits differently. But yeah, the music slaps.
Some extremely minor gripes. I hate how the translators treat Lloyd like a playboy and oblivious, idk it just grates me for some reason. Also, I do not understand Wald as a character at all, he actually might be my least favourite in the series so far. That's about it for the gripes.
Overall, the game is extremely enjoyable, and I would honestly love to redo it all and experience it all again. It was that enjoyable.
The start of the crossbell arc starts you off with a sudden whiplash in the change of location with liberl to crossbell as it shows an urban city to start you off in a new part of the series. On paper it feels like the game would be less interesting due to basically already seen 90% of crossbell by the time you finish ch1 but it actually works on its favor by worldbuilding on Crossbell's unique situation and with it's smaller cast you get to a stronger more focused narrative with the main cast of zero. I almost finished the game in a week because of how absorbed I was with this game. This game also builds on a previous plot point from the liberl arc as you will see some familiar faces as one of the arcs from liberl get a happy ending. Gameplay as is about the same as 3rd but improved upon some new mechanics and more focus on one team. The main story of zero is great despite it setting up the city state of crossbell the majority of the time you still get to see great developments with the SSS as they face Crossbells dire situation. Falcom does not miss with making a great story with a great cast of characters as Zero is a solid entry to the trails series
me coloque numa sala com 20 pessoas que dão “dicas de escrita” e só eu sairei vivo, causando explosões e derretimentos só com a força negativa que mentalizarei cada vez que alguém falar que “mostre, não conte!” é uma regra indiscutível. com meu martelo de Depende em mãos eu destruirei todos os guias sem asteriscos.
trails from zero não deixa de contar para mostrar, mas acredito que pela limitação estética que os spritezinhos charmosos tem, ele acaba se sentindo na obrigação de mostrar que está sendo contado. as aspirações literárias da série não são segredo pra ninguém — levante uma pedra e quatro fãs de trails vão te falar que o SC tem não sei quantas mil palavras a mais que senhor dos anéis, descasque uma cebola e nove vão enxugar os olhos antes de te dizer alguma frase com a palavra “worldbuilding”, e chacoalhe uma árvore se encontrar alguma — mas por estarmos em uma tela (e não em uma folha), a sentença “’Você está preso!’ Lloyd disse, exalando coragem” não cabe numa caixa de diálogo, que, portanto, é substituída por “Você está preso!”, seguida pela observação “como o Lloyd parece corajoso enquanto diz isso!” de outro personagem. pelo menos um quarto dos diálogos do jogo envolve um outro personagem apontando que o personagem que acabou de dizer X está no estado Y, ou te explicando como aquilo se relaciona com outro evento que rolou dez horas atrás. não dá pra só se referir pelo nome (afinal, não dá pra voltar as páginas!), então toda informação nova precisa ser cheia de apêndices diegéticos pra não deixar ninguém pra trás. de certa forma, dá pra ver isso como consideração (e eu não pretendo nunca prezar pelo que "respeita minha inteligência", também), mas é também uma reação de vítima.
não é a pior coisa do mundo, mas a mitologia de que a Falcom sempre pensa nos jogos dessa série como um só e acaba dividindo em dois no meio da produção (Sky FC e SC, Zero e Azure, CS1 e 2, CS3 e 4) porque ficou maior do que o que foi projetado deve ser em partes por causa disso. eu não me importo muito com esse problema isolado (e acho que isso é uma das coisas que os fãs mais gostam), mas sinto que os desenvolvedores queriam se ver livres dessas amarras – até porque nos cold steel essa parte do texto já melhora consideravelmente (sendo que eu pessoalmente acho que os modelos 3D de CS1 e 2 são bem menos expressivos que os bonequinhos desses jogos que vieram antes) e a história toda continua funcionando de um jeito ótimo.
fico pensando se as coisas que desgostei não foram exacerbadas porque a base do lançamento oficial foi a tradução prévia feita por fãs e não por pessoas que tem alguma intimidade profissional com escrita artística, e por isso os personagens todos tem uma voz tão parecida e as descrições são daquele jeito.
o bom é que apesar disso esse jogo tem ótimas dungeons e eu adoro como o urbanismo pop de crossbell (todo mundo com carinha de soyjak deslumbrado com internet e energia elétrica, se sentindo foda porque não é república e nem império, etc) influencia e é influenciado igualmente nos aspectos sobrenaturais. a falcom é ótima em alimentar tanto a galera “intrigas políticas!” quanto a galera “aura de dragon ball na hora de lutar e robô gigante” que estão em constante contenda porque não percebem que a graça da série é justamente ter os dois. também achei super legal como o conceito de gnose aqui é mais próximo ao do nosso catolicismo (“certo tipo de conhecimento é perigoso e pode acabar com sua individualidade”), diferente de grande parte dos JRPGs em que ela é indubitavelmente boa e necessária moralmente para as pessoas descobrirem por si mesmas a raiz do bem e do mal. ela não é vista como herege e os apócrifos não são escondidos, mas se desenvolve como resultado de certo cientificismo que se demonstra laico mas não é. uma dinâmica bem original e facilmente refutada dependendo do rumo da história, também, então torna todo o caminho bem colorido.
cada vez que eu começo um jogo desses e lembro que ainda faltam outrosseis cinco quatro pra eu chegar onde quero chegar na história me dá certo desânimo, mas aí chega o final e me motivo de novo, vendo as coisas lentamente se formando e ficando mais esotéricas, como todas as grandes obras. o descobrir das partes mais ocultas do mundo se dando tão lentamente acaba refletindo a vida real de um jeito inesperado, e aí vale a pena mesmo ver o sol nascer.
trails from zero não deixa de contar para mostrar, mas acredito que pela limitação estética que os spritezinhos charmosos tem, ele acaba se sentindo na obrigação de mostrar que está sendo contado. as aspirações literárias da série não são segredo pra ninguém — levante uma pedra e quatro fãs de trails vão te falar que o SC tem não sei quantas mil palavras a mais que senhor dos anéis, descasque uma cebola e nove vão enxugar os olhos antes de te dizer alguma frase com a palavra “worldbuilding”, e chacoalhe uma árvore se encontrar alguma — mas por estarmos em uma tela (e não em uma folha), a sentença “’Você está preso!’ Lloyd disse, exalando coragem” não cabe numa caixa de diálogo, que, portanto, é substituída por “Você está preso!”, seguida pela observação “como o Lloyd parece corajoso enquanto diz isso!” de outro personagem. pelo menos um quarto dos diálogos do jogo envolve um outro personagem apontando que o personagem que acabou de dizer X está no estado Y, ou te explicando como aquilo se relaciona com outro evento que rolou dez horas atrás. não dá pra só se referir pelo nome (afinal, não dá pra voltar as páginas!), então toda informação nova precisa ser cheia de apêndices diegéticos pra não deixar ninguém pra trás. de certa forma, dá pra ver isso como consideração (e eu não pretendo nunca prezar pelo que "respeita minha inteligência", também), mas é também uma reação de vítima.
não é a pior coisa do mundo, mas a mitologia de que a Falcom sempre pensa nos jogos dessa série como um só e acaba dividindo em dois no meio da produção (Sky FC e SC, Zero e Azure, CS1 e 2, CS3 e 4) porque ficou maior do que o que foi projetado deve ser em partes por causa disso. eu não me importo muito com esse problema isolado (e acho que isso é uma das coisas que os fãs mais gostam), mas sinto que os desenvolvedores queriam se ver livres dessas amarras – até porque nos cold steel essa parte do texto já melhora consideravelmente (sendo que eu pessoalmente acho que os modelos 3D de CS1 e 2 são bem menos expressivos que os bonequinhos desses jogos que vieram antes) e a história toda continua funcionando de um jeito ótimo.
fico pensando se as coisas que desgostei não foram exacerbadas porque a base do lançamento oficial foi a tradução prévia feita por fãs e não por pessoas que tem alguma intimidade profissional com escrita artística, e por isso os personagens todos tem uma voz tão parecida e as descrições são daquele jeito.
o bom é que apesar disso esse jogo tem ótimas dungeons e eu adoro como o urbanismo pop de crossbell (todo mundo com carinha de soyjak deslumbrado com internet e energia elétrica, se sentindo foda porque não é república e nem império, etc) influencia e é influenciado igualmente nos aspectos sobrenaturais. a falcom é ótima em alimentar tanto a galera “intrigas políticas!” quanto a galera “aura de dragon ball na hora de lutar e robô gigante” que estão em constante contenda porque não percebem que a graça da série é justamente ter os dois. também achei super legal como o conceito de gnose aqui é mais próximo ao do nosso catolicismo (“certo tipo de conhecimento é perigoso e pode acabar com sua individualidade”), diferente de grande parte dos JRPGs em que ela é indubitavelmente boa e necessária moralmente para as pessoas descobrirem por si mesmas a raiz do bem e do mal. ela não é vista como herege e os apócrifos não são escondidos, mas se desenvolve como resultado de certo cientificismo que se demonstra laico mas não é. uma dinâmica bem original e facilmente refutada dependendo do rumo da história, também, então torna todo o caminho bem colorido.
cada vez que eu começo um jogo desses e lembro que ainda faltam outros
Everything here is a major step up from the previous games.
The Plot actually being well-paced despite this being a setup game came as a surprise to me.
It can be cheesy sometimes but it's damn entertaining to go on with it and I think the primary reason for that is the SSS. They have got one of the best cast dynamics in any JRPG. The way they grow on you as each chapter goes on and then you realize just how much you have started caring about them, it's just impressive they finally managed to do this. Lloyd might not be complex or too well-written, but he has an interesting personality and is flowing with charm, Barrierman for a reason.
The gameplay is a significant improvement as well. The Support party members were a much-needed system in the game since bringing some members and missing others' dialogues was frustrating. The Combo crafts are much better here as well, though I didn't like how the other party members' Combo crafts were locked behind side quests. A missed opportunity that would have made for some nice character arcs rather than "Oh this ancient book has similar styles to you two, guess we learned a Combo together".
The Music is soooo Good, it has never been better up until now in this franchise, I could go on listening to these tracks forever.
Lastly, the Setting is the best here. While Liberl was a kingdom with a comfy and homely vibe, Crossbell is a big City filled with Politics and Corruption. And it works with its character struggles and its themes. I can't wait to see how much Azure focuses on those.
However I have some problems with this game, those being the antagonists being very bland and boring, with the final antagonist being very laughable and disappointing. I have heard while being somewhat better they don't really improve much in Azure either, so that's concerning.
Other than this a minor nitpick is not being able to do bonding events for all characters, it isn't even Persona where I'm dating a character, they feel necessary character arcs are only being able to one was such a missed opportunity.
This Game is what I wanted Sky FC to be. Everything from the Plot to its characters is so much entertaining and well done. I cant wait to play Azure and get on another journey with SSS.
The Plot actually being well-paced despite this being a setup game came as a surprise to me.
It can be cheesy sometimes but it's damn entertaining to go on with it and I think the primary reason for that is the SSS. They have got one of the best cast dynamics in any JRPG. The way they grow on you as each chapter goes on and then you realize just how much you have started caring about them, it's just impressive they finally managed to do this. Lloyd might not be complex or too well-written, but he has an interesting personality and is flowing with charm, Barrierman for a reason.
The gameplay is a significant improvement as well. The Support party members were a much-needed system in the game since bringing some members and missing others' dialogues was frustrating. The Combo crafts are much better here as well, though I didn't like how the other party members' Combo crafts were locked behind side quests. A missed opportunity that would have made for some nice character arcs rather than "Oh this ancient book has similar styles to you two, guess we learned a Combo together".
The Music is soooo Good, it has never been better up until now in this franchise, I could go on listening to these tracks forever.
Lastly, the Setting is the best here. While Liberl was a kingdom with a comfy and homely vibe, Crossbell is a big City filled with Politics and Corruption. And it works with its character struggles and its themes. I can't wait to see how much Azure focuses on those.
However I have some problems with this game, those being the antagonists being very bland and boring, with the final antagonist being very laughable and disappointing. I have heard while being somewhat better they don't really improve much in Azure either, so that's concerning.
Other than this a minor nitpick is not being able to do bonding events for all characters, it isn't even Persona where I'm dating a character, they feel necessary character arcs are only being able to one was such a missed opportunity.
This Game is what I wanted Sky FC to be. Everything from the Plot to its characters is so much entertaining and well done. I cant wait to play Azure and get on another journey with SSS.
Randy’s really that guy, Tio-tot’s adorable, Lloyd bout tht action, Elie elegant af, the seeker sisters are queens, and the geofront theme goes hard
Trails from Zero has possibly the best pacing of any introductory arc in the Kiseki series.
Even though I'm more fond of the parties from the Liberl arc and the Erebonia arc, I still had a good time with the SSS. However, the city of Crossbell and its geopolitical entanglements are a lot more interesting to me than Liberl as a setting. I didn't think that she, Estelle and Joshua would have such a big story relevance. So Trails from Zero also acts as an epilogue to the Lieberl arc and Renne's character arc. Which was handled pretty sweet.
Even though I'm more fond of the parties from the Liberl arc and the Erebonia arc, I still had a good time with the SSS. However, the city of Crossbell and its geopolitical entanglements are a lot more interesting to me than Liberl as a setting. I didn't think that she, Estelle and Joshua would have such a big story relevance. So Trails from Zero also acts as an epilogue to the Lieberl arc and Renne's character arc. Which was handled pretty sweet.
Before getting into Trails from Zero properly, I think it’s necessary to dive into its history in the West a little. The game was originally released in Japan in 2010 on PSP and due to how long localisation was taking with the Sky games, it was skipped over in favour of bringing over the Cold Steel games first. However due to Reverie acting as a finale to both the Crossbell and Cold Steel games, Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure were both quickly localised before the Western release of Reverie to allow fans to catch up. The localisation uses the extremely well done fan translation from Geofront as a base for its work and unfortunately skipped out being dubbed into English which is a shame having played the Sky games which had the battle dialogue dubbed. Knowing the reasoning behind this though does make it a lot easier to swallow so it’s not something I’m too hung up about and the Japanese cast are fantastic, it’s just a shame we miss out on the battle dialogue.
So, after the Sky trilogy Trails from Zero takes place in a new setting with a new cast of characters, acting as a brand new arc for the longer running narrative that the series has. There’s familiar faces and mentions of past events but otherwise the story here is very much focused on new protagonist Lloyd and the Special Support Squad he has become a part of in Crossbell City. The SSS act as a rookie branch of police who have come under fire from the public after not doing their jobs while the Bracer Guild have been gaining all the plaudits because they have actually been helping people. The SSS are basically the police version of the Guild, taking up requests to help people in need while also trying to solve crimes that the wider police force have been letting slip. While the core gameplay loop of solving requests and main story plot points is very similar to how the first two Sky games played, it’s also pretty cool seeing a rivalry form between the SSS and the Guild as well as the little differences in what both sides are allowed to do under their rules.
The SSS squad consists of four members: Lloyd, Elie, Randy, and Tio. Unlike Sky that had a constantly rotating cast outside of Estelle and Joshua for the most part, Zero starts you off with these four immediately and has a few rotating guest party members. It’s a nice approach as the main focus is on the four SSS members and their growth together as they try to take on bigger and bigger jobs to help unravel the corruption that Crossbell is drowning in. Zero has a more focused approach to its narrative dealing with a small party in a much smaller State and it works well with this. In true Trails fashion, the slow burn is real here. The game takes its time to slowly unravel more and more about each of its characters to ensure everyone gets their own moments to shine. Lloyd is the glue that keeps everyone together, often giving cheesy speeches to help lift the others up in their times of need. He’s optimistic and there’s a lovable charm about him as he overcomes the barriers he faces. Elie works hard and is serious about her job but also faces many doubts about the path she chose. Randy is our flirt of the group and is very fun loving, especially with gambling but as you start to uncover his past you grow to understand how hard his life has been. Tio is extremely reserved with her emotions but also incredibly smart with technology. She’s a character who has suffered much in her past so it hits hard when you see her growing more and more comfortable with the group. Together the SSS squad make a fantastic little family of characters and there’s a lot to love as you watch them grow closer throughout the game. However there is a minor nitpick with a new mechanic introduced in this game - bonding. Throughout the game there’s several events and ways for Lloyd to build up his bond with each member of the SSS, including three story events where you can choose a character to accompany him. Once you reach max bond with a character you’ll be able to view a special scene between them and Lloyd towards the end of the game, however you can only do this with one character per playthrough. These events include some important stuff for each character, including Lloyd, so it sucks that you have to be very particular with how you raise bond levels and maintain multiple saves if you want to see everything without replaying the game multiple times. Apart from that the character development is really good and it’s really easy to love each member of the SSS team, especially with how much time you’ll spend with them.
Crossbell State is an interesting setting. Instead of going round in a loop like you did in Liberl, your main hub area is smack bang in the centre known as Crossbell City with routes to the four compass directions leading to towns and other important locations. Because of this you spend a lot of time in Crossbell City and it’s easy to become attached to the place as you explore its various districts and meet its wonderful citizens. Whether it’s the nosy reporter Grace, or the eccentric gangs that grow to respect you, or the wonderful performers of the Arc de Ciel, Crossbell is a very homely place and one you’ll grow into wanting to protect. However Crossbell is also full of corruption and seedy dealings. It’s home to a unique political situation having been born from both the Empire of Erebonia and the Republic of Calvard. Due to this it’s political set up is balanced between those in support of the Empire or the Republic and they prevent any reforms from the Mayor coming through due to their need to not cede ground to the other. This is further emphasised by both sides having a mafia associated with them, Revache for the Empire and Heiyue for the Republic. Due to this, the government members are able to get corrupt dealings done while also having the power to put pressure on the justice system to look the other way. It leads to a wonderful dichotomy where there’s a lot of people who love Crossbell but there’s a house of cards ready to be blown over at any moment that could see the place crumble. It’s a state that is independent in name only as two forces struggle to gain control over it.
Crossbell is also a financially well off place, with Zemuria’s central bank being located here and technology being advanced enough for Orbal vehicles like cars available for the richest members of public and mobile communication being available through Orbments. It might be a small state but there’s a lot going on and it’s a fantastic setting for the game.
If you’ve played the Sky games then you will be aware of a few characters that had mentioned their intentions to go to Crossbell. Well a few familiar faces show up in this game and play a role in a secondary plot that runs alongside the main narrative. Without going too much into spoiler territory, Zero does an incredible job managing these two plot threads and superbly gets them to lead towards the same conclusion in a thrilling finale with a huge payoff for those who have been playing through all the games. I have seen people say you can start with Zero as it’s a new arc and features one of the more standalone stories in the series, which it does, it manages to wrap up with no huge cliffhanger and a few plot threads that the sequel can explore but at the same time, if you haven’t played the Sky games, you’re missing out on a lot of context for the secondary plot and losing out on a lot of impactful moments from seeing characters that you would’ve grown attached to or recognise from those games. I can understand the huge barrier a long running narrative can bring and wanting to find a starting point that doesn’t require a huge time sink but ideally you should probably play these games in release order for the best impact possible.
So Zero features another wonderful cast with a plot that slowly builds up into an epic finale and a supporting cast that are memorable in their own ways, leading to another fantastic experience. On the gameplay side of things this is a minor evolution on what came before it. You now have the ability to attack and stun enemies on the overworld allowing you to gain a better advantage in battle. New turn bonuses have been added, like the team attack where you get a Persona style all out attack sequence where everybody beats the crap out of the enemies on field. Some stuff from Sky the 3rd pops up in certain locations but otherwise it’s the same old Trails you know and love at its core with minor tweaks and adjustments. On the music side of things you’ve got another great soundtrack. I adore the hospital theme as it reminds me a little of the National Park theme in Pokemon Gen 2 and there’s an incredible track during the final day of Crossbell’s anniversary celebrations, so yeah the music side of things is excellent.
Zero is a wonderful start to a new arc, freshening up the cast and setting just as it was feeling a little needed. It manages to balance plot threads old and new and delivers another incredible experience carefully built up that explodes in a stunning finale. The focused approach on a smaller main cast and setting delivers a very cosy and heartwarming adventure where the found family and being accepted despite your past are the order of the day and it works so well. It doesn’t quite manage to hit the highs I had during Sky SC but it does deliver yet another brilliant RPG game to add to the library of Trails bangers.
So, after the Sky trilogy Trails from Zero takes place in a new setting with a new cast of characters, acting as a brand new arc for the longer running narrative that the series has. There’s familiar faces and mentions of past events but otherwise the story here is very much focused on new protagonist Lloyd and the Special Support Squad he has become a part of in Crossbell City. The SSS act as a rookie branch of police who have come under fire from the public after not doing their jobs while the Bracer Guild have been gaining all the plaudits because they have actually been helping people. The SSS are basically the police version of the Guild, taking up requests to help people in need while also trying to solve crimes that the wider police force have been letting slip. While the core gameplay loop of solving requests and main story plot points is very similar to how the first two Sky games played, it’s also pretty cool seeing a rivalry form between the SSS and the Guild as well as the little differences in what both sides are allowed to do under their rules.
The SSS squad consists of four members: Lloyd, Elie, Randy, and Tio. Unlike Sky that had a constantly rotating cast outside of Estelle and Joshua for the most part, Zero starts you off with these four immediately and has a few rotating guest party members. It’s a nice approach as the main focus is on the four SSS members and their growth together as they try to take on bigger and bigger jobs to help unravel the corruption that Crossbell is drowning in. Zero has a more focused approach to its narrative dealing with a small party in a much smaller State and it works well with this. In true Trails fashion, the slow burn is real here. The game takes its time to slowly unravel more and more about each of its characters to ensure everyone gets their own moments to shine. Lloyd is the glue that keeps everyone together, often giving cheesy speeches to help lift the others up in their times of need. He’s optimistic and there’s a lovable charm about him as he overcomes the barriers he faces. Elie works hard and is serious about her job but also faces many doubts about the path she chose. Randy is our flirt of the group and is very fun loving, especially with gambling but as you start to uncover his past you grow to understand how hard his life has been. Tio is extremely reserved with her emotions but also incredibly smart with technology. She’s a character who has suffered much in her past so it hits hard when you see her growing more and more comfortable with the group. Together the SSS squad make a fantastic little family of characters and there’s a lot to love as you watch them grow closer throughout the game. However there is a minor nitpick with a new mechanic introduced in this game - bonding. Throughout the game there’s several events and ways for Lloyd to build up his bond with each member of the SSS, including three story events where you can choose a character to accompany him. Once you reach max bond with a character you’ll be able to view a special scene between them and Lloyd towards the end of the game, however you can only do this with one character per playthrough. These events include some important stuff for each character, including Lloyd, so it sucks that you have to be very particular with how you raise bond levels and maintain multiple saves if you want to see everything without replaying the game multiple times. Apart from that the character development is really good and it’s really easy to love each member of the SSS team, especially with how much time you’ll spend with them.
Crossbell State is an interesting setting. Instead of going round in a loop like you did in Liberl, your main hub area is smack bang in the centre known as Crossbell City with routes to the four compass directions leading to towns and other important locations. Because of this you spend a lot of time in Crossbell City and it’s easy to become attached to the place as you explore its various districts and meet its wonderful citizens. Whether it’s the nosy reporter Grace, or the eccentric gangs that grow to respect you, or the wonderful performers of the Arc de Ciel, Crossbell is a very homely place and one you’ll grow into wanting to protect. However Crossbell is also full of corruption and seedy dealings. It’s home to a unique political situation having been born from both the Empire of Erebonia and the Republic of Calvard. Due to this it’s political set up is balanced between those in support of the Empire or the Republic and they prevent any reforms from the Mayor coming through due to their need to not cede ground to the other. This is further emphasised by both sides having a mafia associated with them, Revache for the Empire and Heiyue for the Republic. Due to this, the government members are able to get corrupt dealings done while also having the power to put pressure on the justice system to look the other way. It leads to a wonderful dichotomy where there’s a lot of people who love Crossbell but there’s a house of cards ready to be blown over at any moment that could see the place crumble. It’s a state that is independent in name only as two forces struggle to gain control over it.
Crossbell is also a financially well off place, with Zemuria’s central bank being located here and technology being advanced enough for Orbal vehicles like cars available for the richest members of public and mobile communication being available through Orbments. It might be a small state but there’s a lot going on and it’s a fantastic setting for the game.
If you’ve played the Sky games then you will be aware of a few characters that had mentioned their intentions to go to Crossbell. Well a few familiar faces show up in this game and play a role in a secondary plot that runs alongside the main narrative. Without going too much into spoiler territory, Zero does an incredible job managing these two plot threads and superbly gets them to lead towards the same conclusion in a thrilling finale with a huge payoff for those who have been playing through all the games. I have seen people say you can start with Zero as it’s a new arc and features one of the more standalone stories in the series, which it does, it manages to wrap up with no huge cliffhanger and a few plot threads that the sequel can explore but at the same time, if you haven’t played the Sky games, you’re missing out on a lot of context for the secondary plot and losing out on a lot of impactful moments from seeing characters that you would’ve grown attached to or recognise from those games. I can understand the huge barrier a long running narrative can bring and wanting to find a starting point that doesn’t require a huge time sink but ideally you should probably play these games in release order for the best impact possible.
So Zero features another wonderful cast with a plot that slowly builds up into an epic finale and a supporting cast that are memorable in their own ways, leading to another fantastic experience. On the gameplay side of things this is a minor evolution on what came before it. You now have the ability to attack and stun enemies on the overworld allowing you to gain a better advantage in battle. New turn bonuses have been added, like the team attack where you get a Persona style all out attack sequence where everybody beats the crap out of the enemies on field. Some stuff from Sky the 3rd pops up in certain locations but otherwise it’s the same old Trails you know and love at its core with minor tweaks and adjustments. On the music side of things you’ve got another great soundtrack. I adore the hospital theme as it reminds me a little of the National Park theme in Pokemon Gen 2 and there’s an incredible track during the final day of Crossbell’s anniversary celebrations, so yeah the music side of things is excellent.
Zero is a wonderful start to a new arc, freshening up the cast and setting just as it was feeling a little needed. It manages to balance plot threads old and new and delivers another incredible experience carefully built up that explodes in a stunning finale. The focused approach on a smaller main cast and setting delivers a very cosy and heartwarming adventure where the found family and being accepted despite your past are the order of the day and it works so well. It doesn’t quite manage to hit the highs I had during Sky SC but it does deliver yet another brilliant RPG game to add to the library of Trails bangers.
Holy shit, trails finally hooked me. This game is easily the best one in the series so far imo with its incredibly entertaining cast and tight pacing. Very emotional at points too with Renne's arc and Lloyd's desire to protect KeA being the highlights. I really loved Lloyd and Randy's dynamic a lot too. Really hyped for azure now.
The weak link of the game sadly are its villains which aren't that great with the main villain in particular being laughable at points.
It took a long ass while but trails has finally clicked for me, and it took the barrier man Lloyd Bannings to do it.
The weak link of the game sadly are its villains which aren't that great with the main villain in particular being laughable at points.
It took a long ass while but trails has finally clicked for me, and it took the barrier man Lloyd Bannings to do it.
If I were to express my thoughts on Wazy I would get banned
While it felt like a shorter adventure, it actually was a very good +40hrs rpg.
It took a while to get used to the new cast, but everyone was very likeable and seeing the final resolution to Renne arc was nice to see.
The gameplay wasn't a revolution but it was still very good (if a bit simpler now), but otherwise it is still a good game and good first half to this new arc.
It took a while to get used to the new cast, but everyone was very likeable and seeing the final resolution to Renne arc was nice to see.
The gameplay wasn't a revolution but it was still very good (if a bit simpler now), but otherwise it is still a good game and good first half to this new arc.
Forever my favorite arc. Gosh, I cry every time when the scenes with Renne or Tio start to hit. I remember how I first didn’t like Randy that much back then (I never disliked him, though), but chapter by chapter, I started to love this bro so much. This game even manages to make me like a dude like Dudley.
This game manages so well to present you the overarching story without letting you realize it from the start. Just near the ending, you realize how much of the overarching story happened right at the start. What seemed like subplots at first turns out to be one of the best happenings of a complex and mind fckn conspiracy.
First time on Nightmare this time. First Nightmare experience in Trails ever. That was an experience. Loved and enjoyed it so much!
If I could pick one game that I had to play forever, it would be Trails from Zero.
This game manages so well to present you the overarching story without letting you realize it from the start. Just near the ending, you realize how much of the overarching story happened right at the start. What seemed like subplots at first turns out to be one of the best happenings of a complex and mind fckn conspiracy.
First time on Nightmare this time. First Nightmare experience in Trails ever. That was an experience. Loved and enjoyed it so much!
If I could pick one game that I had to play forever, it would be Trails from Zero.
SSS is something special man
This review contains spoilers
three and a half corny speeches out of five
it's trails. a weird series whose style and philosophy of character and plot writing fundamentally disagrees with me, a series so frequently unbearably dorky that i find myself rolling my eyes playing it so often that some day i think i'll sprain an eye muscle and go blind. are eye muscles a thing? can you sprain them? that's no doubt one of the unsolved mysteries of the universe. no, no, stop googling it; i'm on a personal quest to find out!
because i also can't stop playing these frigging games. despite my seething but ice cold hatred for the cold steel sub-series, i've played 1-3 from beginning to end, and i've restarted 4 multiple times--that's like, a 400-hour-old baby's worth of gaming hours! a big, fat, ugly baby, who just can't decide what it wants. i've also played the first two sky games multiple times, despite finding the main duo pretty annoying (i have nothing bad to say about sky the 3rd--that boy good). they are such a unique beast in the world of japanese rpgs that i very well can't just ignore them, can't not play them, and if that means i'll have to occasionally rant about them and my issues with them online, to a no doubt thoroughly captivated audience...
whhops, doing it again. moving on!
i was excited to finally jump into the officially localized crossbell games, as i've played them before with the (very rough) fan translations and found myself having a genuinely really good time--they are, as far as i'm concerned, easily peak trails, both in the good ways and in the... no, actually, peak trails in just the good ways.
the central cast is nice, tight and balanced. lloyd is a bit of a dweeb, but he gets teased for it adequately, so i can't hate on him too much. the other three are great, with randy probably being the highlight for me--despite his thorougly tired and unfunny womanizing shtick, he gets the best moments in the game in my opinion. the supporting cast is varied and colorful too--there's a lot to love there. but everyone gets plenty of screentime and good scenes and lines and moments.
the plot is.. well, it's good. it's a really slow burn, and in all honesty, i did end up dropping the game for a while after the first couple chapters cause i was just so bored with it. but, in all fairness, i did come in with the wrong expectations--i was just thinking about azure and how exciting that game gets, that i forgot that the first half of the duology is there to lay a TON of groundwork. and it definitely gets more exciting later on! i was actually surprised how self-contained zero really was, i totally remembered there being at least one very end game plot twist to hook you, but it seems i was wrong.
ultimately more or less the only bits i did not care for were any when the sky characters popped up--i frankly do not give a single shit about estelle or joshua or renne. mercifully those were fairly minor in the end. neither was i a huge fan of tio's backstory and how it was handled in the present narrative, but relegating the actually dark (and in this case, very dark) bits of the human existence to the background and then either basically just sweeping that stuff under the rug or even resolving it in the most unsincere, saccharine (relatively) feeling way in the narrative is nothing new to trails and is, in fact, one of my biggest frustrations with the series. heavy flashes of this with randy too, actually. the dude murdering hundreds or thousands of people in the battlefield over the course of 15 years, starting when he was literally four years old (according to him), is handled like it was just a neat bit of added flavor to this character, he's just a cool guy with some secret depths, a bit of darkness to him, but hey, who amongst us isn't like this? you just talk it through and it's all good. very relatable.
the combat is really good, it's fun, it's snappy, it feels good to mess around with the timeline mechanic (i forgot how strong the speed buff and debuff were in this), it offers just the right amount of variety in combat and outside of it to feel like you have plenty of options at your disposal, but without feeling like any mechanic is superfluous or encumbering or just worthless. it's like the sky games but with interesting accessory and quartz itemization, or like the cold steel games without the ridiculous systems and cast bloat.
i have found the official localization to be a bit of a mixed bag, however, to my disappointment. it's fairly breezy and casual most of the time, but on the occasion it pulls out the absolutely clunkiest possible lines that sound like they were just straight up machine-translated, like nothing a real person would ever say, not even tio, the lil' robot girl herself. those really stick out. i hope azure is better on this front. though, in fairness to nisa, this has also seemed like a staple of the series to me, even under xseed, so maybe it's mostly due to the source text.
all in all, i had a really good time thoroughly steeping myself in the slow and meticulous worldbuilding and politics of crossbell, the big and the small side quests, the npcs and their daily lives, the interesting character progression and the engagingly simple but varied combat. i'm more than ready for the shit to hit the fan in azure.
it's trails. a weird series whose style and philosophy of character and plot writing fundamentally disagrees with me, a series so frequently unbearably dorky that i find myself rolling my eyes playing it so often that some day i think i'll sprain an eye muscle and go blind. are eye muscles a thing? can you sprain them? that's no doubt one of the unsolved mysteries of the universe. no, no, stop googling it; i'm on a personal quest to find out!
because i also can't stop playing these frigging games. despite my seething but ice cold hatred for the cold steel sub-series, i've played 1-3 from beginning to end, and i've restarted 4 multiple times--that's like, a 400-hour-old baby's worth of gaming hours! a big, fat, ugly baby, who just can't decide what it wants. i've also played the first two sky games multiple times, despite finding the main duo pretty annoying (i have nothing bad to say about sky the 3rd--that boy good). they are such a unique beast in the world of japanese rpgs that i very well can't just ignore them, can't not play them, and if that means i'll have to occasionally rant about them and my issues with them online, to a no doubt thoroughly captivated audience...
whhops, doing it again. moving on!
i was excited to finally jump into the officially localized crossbell games, as i've played them before with the (very rough) fan translations and found myself having a genuinely really good time--they are, as far as i'm concerned, easily peak trails, both in the good ways and in the... no, actually, peak trails in just the good ways.
the central cast is nice, tight and balanced. lloyd is a bit of a dweeb, but he gets teased for it adequately, so i can't hate on him too much. the other three are great, with randy probably being the highlight for me--despite his thorougly tired and unfunny womanizing shtick, he gets the best moments in the game in my opinion. the supporting cast is varied and colorful too--there's a lot to love there. but everyone gets plenty of screentime and good scenes and lines and moments.
the plot is.. well, it's good. it's a really slow burn, and in all honesty, i did end up dropping the game for a while after the first couple chapters cause i was just so bored with it. but, in all fairness, i did come in with the wrong expectations--i was just thinking about azure and how exciting that game gets, that i forgot that the first half of the duology is there to lay a TON of groundwork. and it definitely gets more exciting later on! i was actually surprised how self-contained zero really was, i totally remembered there being at least one very end game plot twist to hook you, but it seems i was wrong.
ultimately more or less the only bits i did not care for were any when the sky characters popped up--i frankly do not give a single shit about estelle or joshua or renne. mercifully those were fairly minor in the end. neither was i a huge fan of tio's backstory and how it was handled in the present narrative, but relegating the actually dark (and in this case, very dark) bits of the human existence to the background and then either basically just sweeping that stuff under the rug or even resolving it in the most unsincere, saccharine (relatively) feeling way in the narrative is nothing new to trails and is, in fact, one of my biggest frustrations with the series. heavy flashes of this with randy too, actually. the dude murdering hundreds or thousands of people in the battlefield over the course of 15 years, starting when he was literally four years old (according to him), is handled like it was just a neat bit of added flavor to this character, he's just a cool guy with some secret depths, a bit of darkness to him, but hey, who amongst us isn't like this? you just talk it through and it's all good. very relatable.
the combat is really good, it's fun, it's snappy, it feels good to mess around with the timeline mechanic (i forgot how strong the speed buff and debuff were in this), it offers just the right amount of variety in combat and outside of it to feel like you have plenty of options at your disposal, but without feeling like any mechanic is superfluous or encumbering or just worthless. it's like the sky games but with interesting accessory and quartz itemization, or like the cold steel games without the ridiculous systems and cast bloat.
i have found the official localization to be a bit of a mixed bag, however, to my disappointment. it's fairly breezy and casual most of the time, but on the occasion it pulls out the absolutely clunkiest possible lines that sound like they were just straight up machine-translated, like nothing a real person would ever say, not even tio, the lil' robot girl herself. those really stick out. i hope azure is better on this front. though, in fairness to nisa, this has also seemed like a staple of the series to me, even under xseed, so maybe it's mostly due to the source text.
all in all, i had a really good time thoroughly steeping myself in the slow and meticulous worldbuilding and politics of crossbell, the big and the small side quests, the npcs and their daily lives, the interesting character progression and the engagingly simple but varied combat. i'm more than ready for the shit to hit the fan in azure.
8/10.
Olha eu gostei muito desse aqui.
Antes de mais nada, não terminei o 3rd porém avancei bastante o ""suficiente"" a não ficar perdido em trails zero.
Tenho uma teoria que todo jogo início de arco/pais, é meio fraco.
Zero tem uma estrutura narrativa que achei bem bacana, mas muitas decisões eu particularmente não achei bem realizadas, em minha visão é sky fc só que bem melhor, mas ainda é cansativo.
Demorei umas 35 horas pra terminar esse camarada, utilizei um guia pra tenta fazer 100 por cento e acabei nem chegando em 75%, porém foi um experiência afável.
Em suma foi uma boa experiência, curti bastante a gameplay desse camarada, jogar trails no hard e nightmare realmente empolga, sinto uma certa similaridade a smt, do sky sc em diante e ênfase em dar exploit em fraqueza e buffs nessas dificuldades tornou o combate bem mais divertido.
Gostei bastante dos combos craft, gostei bastante de do hud apesar de não ter mudado muito, mas ficou bem melhor, a câmera tbm e etc.
Esse jogo eu definiria como filler até o ch 3, mas não dá pra dizer que ele é totalmente, pq tá sendo apresentado muitos elementos da cidade, da geografia e populacao de crossbell, somado ao fato que ser policial não ter uma mudança tão interessante em sistema de quests e etc, me desapontou, é re-skin de mecânica dos bracers.
Sério eu fiz acho que quase todas as sides, faltando só 2 que tava cansado na reta final, a versão de vita te mais conteúdo que a de PS4,Switch, PSP e PC, mas não é tão ruim assim.
Em suma gostei da ambientação, foi um build up bacana, porém senti que o sky fc fez um melhor no quesito de apresentação, ainda assim crossbell é viva.
Igual a sky fc, o plot só fica desencalha de vez nos dois últimos chs...
Então o pacing do sky é um slow burn lerdo pqp, jogar trails sem voz não tanko muito não, porém o pacing do zero é bem mais palatavel que o do sky, senti a progressão fluindo bem até.
(voice acting é absurdamente importante pra mim, talvez seja por isso demorei tanto pra termina o fc)
Antes de eu terminar, preciso falar sobre os personagens.... eu amei todos.
Diferente de sky onde eu demorei 2 jogos pra de fato me importar totalmente, zero me pegou de começo, talvez pela arte de katsumi enamo no char design ou os diálogos bem condensados apesar de ser heavy text, arquétipos bem realizados e bons contrapontos, uma ótima química, apesar de eu ter uns problemas quanto a porra do harém do llyod, coisa que reclamarei mais em azure, mas até aqui tá ok eu acho.
Randy maravilhoso
Tio bom personagem
Ellie bem padrão eu espero mais dela azure
KeA que coisinha fofa, dá vontade de proteger essa criatura.
Dudley achei interessante, espero mais dele no azure
Áries design foda e é um personagem que quebrou a primeira impressão de edgy que ele passou, gostei.
Rixia espero mais na sequel.
Wazy que personagem charmoso, anseio muito por ele no azure.
Garcia foi um boneco Interessante no fim.
Estelle e joshua estão bem feitos aqui, design do enami deixou a estelle linda e o joshua bonito pkrl e tais personagens demonstram a sua evolução desde da trilogia passada.
Gostei do desenvolvimento de todos na reta final, como infelizmente sou um incompetente n consegui nenhum final bounding event e vi no yt, me deu ânimo firme pra sequência.
As sides são bem fracas, tirando um certo punhado, mas são bem ok em geral, sky sc foi melhor.
Personagens recorrentes de jogos passado e que ainda vão ter mais destaque em cold steel (lechter eu sei que é você) me fazem apreciar mais o carinho que existe em como a falcomm interliga cada personagem em jogos sucessores sem forçar a barra e ser ou um fanservics bom ou um motivo sólido, dá uma sensação de algo muito grande está se moldando, lembrando one piece só que melhor.
Trilha sonora...
Olha eu gostei pkrl, way to life é minha intro fav de the legend of heroes destronando silver will de sc e isso não vai mudar eu acho....
Inevitable struggle é linda, formidable enemy é icônica, get over barreira roarimg version é apoteótica na reta final e a ost da dungeon final é fino señores.
Ainda assim tem poucas osts que de fato curti, sc e 3rd teve mais, espero que azure seja melhor.
Dito isso eu amei o que joguei.
Meus problemas é mais ele ser uma parte 1 de duologia de uma história e ser muito algo como utawaremono mask of deception ( jogaço, porém ele funciona demais pra engrandecer e mask of truth e apresentar o novo continente, esperava mais)
Tem outros problemas aqui a acolá que prefiro não citar aqui, mas em suma trails ja me pegou.
Olha eu gostei muito desse aqui.
Antes de mais nada, não terminei o 3rd porém avancei bastante o ""suficiente"" a não ficar perdido em trails zero.
Tenho uma teoria que todo jogo início de arco/pais, é meio fraco.
Zero tem uma estrutura narrativa que achei bem bacana, mas muitas decisões eu particularmente não achei bem realizadas, em minha visão é sky fc só que bem melhor, mas ainda é cansativo.
Demorei umas 35 horas pra terminar esse camarada, utilizei um guia pra tenta fazer 100 por cento e acabei nem chegando em 75%, porém foi um experiência afável.
Em suma foi uma boa experiência, curti bastante a gameplay desse camarada, jogar trails no hard e nightmare realmente empolga, sinto uma certa similaridade a smt, do sky sc em diante e ênfase em dar exploit em fraqueza e buffs nessas dificuldades tornou o combate bem mais divertido.
Gostei bastante dos combos craft, gostei bastante de do hud apesar de não ter mudado muito, mas ficou bem melhor, a câmera tbm e etc.
Esse jogo eu definiria como filler até o ch 3, mas não dá pra dizer que ele é totalmente, pq tá sendo apresentado muitos elementos da cidade, da geografia e populacao de crossbell, somado ao fato que ser policial não ter uma mudança tão interessante em sistema de quests e etc, me desapontou, é re-skin de mecânica dos bracers.
Sério eu fiz acho que quase todas as sides, faltando só 2 que tava cansado na reta final, a versão de vita te mais conteúdo que a de PS4,Switch, PSP e PC, mas não é tão ruim assim.
Em suma gostei da ambientação, foi um build up bacana, porém senti que o sky fc fez um melhor no quesito de apresentação, ainda assim crossbell é viva.
Igual a sky fc, o plot só fica desencalha de vez nos dois últimos chs...
Então o pacing do sky é um slow burn lerdo pqp, jogar trails sem voz não tanko muito não, porém o pacing do zero é bem mais palatavel que o do sky, senti a progressão fluindo bem até.
(voice acting é absurdamente importante pra mim, talvez seja por isso demorei tanto pra termina o fc)
Antes de eu terminar, preciso falar sobre os personagens.... eu amei todos.
Diferente de sky onde eu demorei 2 jogos pra de fato me importar totalmente, zero me pegou de começo, talvez pela arte de katsumi enamo no char design ou os diálogos bem condensados apesar de ser heavy text, arquétipos bem realizados e bons contrapontos, uma ótima química, apesar de eu ter uns problemas quanto a porra do harém do llyod, coisa que reclamarei mais em azure, mas até aqui tá ok eu acho.
Randy maravilhoso
Tio bom personagem
Ellie bem padrão eu espero mais dela azure
KeA que coisinha fofa, dá vontade de proteger essa criatura.
Dudley achei interessante, espero mais dele no azure
Áries design foda e é um personagem que quebrou a primeira impressão de edgy que ele passou, gostei.
Rixia espero mais na sequel.
Wazy que personagem charmoso, anseio muito por ele no azure.
Garcia foi um boneco Interessante no fim.
Estelle e joshua estão bem feitos aqui, design do enami deixou a estelle linda e o joshua bonito pkrl e tais personagens demonstram a sua evolução desde da trilogia passada.
Gostei do desenvolvimento de todos na reta final, como infelizmente sou um incompetente n consegui nenhum final bounding event e vi no yt, me deu ânimo firme pra sequência.
As sides são bem fracas, tirando um certo punhado, mas são bem ok em geral, sky sc foi melhor.
Personagens recorrentes de jogos passado e que ainda vão ter mais destaque em cold steel (lechter eu sei que é você) me fazem apreciar mais o carinho que existe em como a falcomm interliga cada personagem em jogos sucessores sem forçar a barra e ser ou um fanservics bom ou um motivo sólido, dá uma sensação de algo muito grande está se moldando, lembrando one piece só que melhor.
Trilha sonora...
Olha eu gostei pkrl, way to life é minha intro fav de the legend of heroes destronando silver will de sc e isso não vai mudar eu acho....
Inevitable struggle é linda, formidable enemy é icônica, get over barreira roarimg version é apoteótica na reta final e a ost da dungeon final é fino señores.
Ainda assim tem poucas osts que de fato curti, sc e 3rd teve mais, espero que azure seja melhor.
Dito isso eu amei o que joguei.
Meus problemas é mais ele ser uma parte 1 de duologia de uma história e ser muito algo como utawaremono mask of deception ( jogaço, porém ele funciona demais pra engrandecer e mask of truth e apresentar o novo continente, esperava mais)
Tem outros problemas aqui a acolá que prefiro não citar aqui, mas em suma trails ja me pegou.