When determining the difference between an RPG and a JRPG, many people will tell you that a JRPG-aside from being generally developed in Japan-is usually more character or story focused, as opposed to being more player focused. As you'd expect, these types of games are quite popular in the East, but there are of course some series that have made the jump across the Pacific and became popularized in the West as well. Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Persona are all well known by most gaming fans, and everyone who knows what video games are is aware of Pokemon in some capacity. Below this pantheon of mainstream titles, though, are the slightly more niche titles-not obscure by any stretch of the imagination, but games that you'd have to have a stronger interest in RPGs to be aware of. A few potential examples would be the Tales series, the Mana games, and, of course, the Trails games. Beginning life on old school Japanese computers, The Legend of Heroes would see 6 releases between the late 80s and 90s before it adapted the name it's more commonly known as today. And the game to begin that trend (and, indeed, the game many recommend for players wanting to get into the series) was 2004's Trails in the Sky.

Now, anyone looking to get into the Trails series has likely encountered a word of warning about its rather relaxed pace; these games are characterized as text heavy adventures with a narrative that prefers to take its time. For Sky, at least, that's a blessing and a curse. Let's start with the positives; this is, by all accounts, a delightfully charming game, especially on first impression. Its mixture of simple, cute graphics and its small town, laid-back beginning are the perfect start for what would seemingly become a cozy adventure. Character's generally are enjoyable, and while you'll have to suffer through some typical mid-2000s anime-esque dialogue every so often, it's generally enjoyable and you easily get a grip on the main characters. The music is good, controls and UI are simple, and it has a nostalgic quality to it that will enthrall even first time players. Throughout the first chapter or two, Sky is in a perfect position to deliver a great game.

The issue, as you've probably guessed, is that the narrative moves at a snail's pace; dragging on far too long than the game has content to justify. The episodic nature of the game doesn't help in this regard. Each chapter functions more or less as a reset, of not just the character roster, but the narrative stakes as well. You'll end up gaining new partners each chapter, and while these side characters do add a lot of unique interactions, they hardly have time for development, and those that aren't outright comical end up feeling a bit generic. But the game experiences a far bigger robbery of its agency because of how the story transitions between chapters; generally, the chapter will end with a boss fight, where, after being defeated, your enemies will miraculously escape. When this happens several times in a row, it can feel like you've played hours and hours of game, only to end up back at square one. It's a trope that, when used poorly, only serves to make games feel longer and more drawn out; a task that Sky does not need help achieving.

Normally with an RPG, a comment on the gameplay (which usually means the combat) would have made an appearance sooner, but it's appropriate for this game that it's almost an afterthought. You spend a relatively low amount of time in combat, which makes sense with its rather limited applications. Still, for a somewhat simple system, its implication is quite good. The lack of grinding in this game is appreciated, and the turbo feature (Aidios bless it) makes short work of any standard combat encounter. In fact, the turbo feature can be thanked for keeping this game interesting as it is for so long; the main gameplay of this game is walking around and talking to people, and you'll likely be using it liberally as you galavant across Liberl.

Trials in the Sky is a 3 part story, and many who've played the trilogy describe the first entry as a bit of a prologue-indeed, it and its sequel were originally planned to be one game, but concerns over total length ended up splitting them in half. Most will comment on its increasing agency towards the end, and its set up for its sequels. Trials games in general are also often praised for their sense of worldbuilding and interconnectedness. Sky SC is, in particular, acclaimed by many as one of the best Trails games. Perhaps it is. But it's sequel's supposed strengths don't cover for the fact that this game is its own product, and should be able to be enjoyed as such. As it is, Trails in the Sky shows you a charming game with a lot to love, which grinds you down with its poor pacing and weak narrative structure, only ever really compelling at the end. Even if its sequel's payoff is exceptional, the Sky saga's first chapter stumbles a bit coming out of the gate.