A JRPG That Is Very Challenging But Also Very Rewarding
You have to come to Trails in the Sky: The Legend of Heroes FC (FC standing for "FIrst Chapter") bearing in mind that this game will test you and trip you up, even if you are an experienced player of JRPGs.
It's very challenging, with grinding pretty much minimal, normal battles can be tough and can wipe you out if you're not careful or prepared and many of the bosses can and will downright destroy you, the Quartz system can take a while to get your head round and it's VERY easy to miss out on sidequests and the last dungeon is pretty much a test of patience.
Not to mention the game does feel archaic. The graphics have a lovely charm (think of an a PlayStation 1 JRPG upscaled) but menus are a bit cumbersome to operate and lag, and sometimes the viewpoint istoo zoomed in.
It's also quite short, though this is a blessing as it doesn't overstay it's welcome (and there is a legit reason; Trails in the Sky was so huge they had to release it in two parts.)
So what's the damn appeal with seemingly so much negativity? Well while the challenge maybe offputting, it's also refreshing for those who feel JRPGs are too easy. And the story is fantastic. It was boasted as having tons of dialogue but it rarely feels wasted. Even NPC's are fun to talk to instead of just being "there" and the game does a good job with presentation and showing (as well as telling.)
As a result, characters have an impact and aren't just introduced merely to advance the plot and then be forgotten about, but have a lasting purpose and developing more depth than you'd expect. It's also rare to hate a character as even almost all the villains have some empathy towards them (and if you do, it's very warranted)
Yes this JRPG is NIntendo Hard in many places and yeah it's old school in looks and gameplay (a valid point even when it was released a long time ago) but it's also still a damn fine RPG and worth playing.
Rating 8/10
You have to come to Trails in the Sky: The Legend of Heroes FC (FC standing for "FIrst Chapter") bearing in mind that this game will test you and trip you up, even if you are an experienced player of JRPGs.
It's very challenging, with grinding pretty much minimal, normal battles can be tough and can wipe you out if you're not careful or prepared and many of the bosses can and will downright destroy you, the Quartz system can take a while to get your head round and it's VERY easy to miss out on sidequests and the last dungeon is pretty much a test of patience.
Not to mention the game does feel archaic. The graphics have a lovely charm (think of an a PlayStation 1 JRPG upscaled) but menus are a bit cumbersome to operate and lag, and sometimes the viewpoint istoo zoomed in.
It's also quite short, though this is a blessing as it doesn't overstay it's welcome (and there is a legit reason; Trails in the Sky was so huge they had to release it in two parts.)
So what's the damn appeal with seemingly so much negativity? Well while the challenge maybe offputting, it's also refreshing for those who feel JRPGs are too easy. And the story is fantastic. It was boasted as having tons of dialogue but it rarely feels wasted. Even NPC's are fun to talk to instead of just being "there" and the game does a good job with presentation and showing (as well as telling.)
As a result, characters have an impact and aren't just introduced merely to advance the plot and then be forgotten about, but have a lasting purpose and developing more depth than you'd expect. It's also rare to hate a character as even almost all the villains have some empathy towards them (and if you do, it's very warranted)
Yes this JRPG is NIntendo Hard in many places and yeah it's old school in looks and gameplay (a valid point even when it was released a long time ago) but it's also still a damn fine RPG and worth playing.
Rating 8/10