This review contains spoilers
Part review, part ramblings/thoughts. Spoilers to follow.
Trails of Cold Steel 2. What a game. Once again, it's managed to subvert my expectations from what should be standard JRPG fare.
Gameplay: MECHA. ROBOT SWORD FIGHTS. THIS IS EVERYTHING I NEEDED.
Anyways, I've gotten that out of my system, the mech battles always put a grin on my face. They're not as in depth as regular combat, however I'd agree with what I read somebody else mention: they are one hell of a spectacle.
Otherwise, the game has improved upon the formula of the first game, with many new gimmicks for extra variety and tactical usage. Overdrive is a godsend. Lost arts are also suitably busted rewards for how much EP they use.
Also, Laura and Fie are insanely busted if you build them right.
Story: Where the first game follows a very rigid structure, the second game... Actually also follows the exact same gameplay loop structure, however it's very cleverly disguised by having each chapter take place in a different location, in a tour across eastern Erebonia.
The premise of this game makes for a far more enjoyable experience, where we get to see our characters acting independently from one another for a good portion of the game, and actually giving Rean more of a reluctant hero character.
My one gripe is that despite all the characters harping on about "being a third faction" in the civil war, they always end up benefitting the imperial army, with the game pretty much demonstrating them as, without a doubt, the good guys.
That's pretty annoying until the finale though. Once again, Trails of Cold Steel has managed to subvert my expectations. Where the first game surprised me by dropping the dawn of civil war onto us, the second game "ends" with Rean essentially being manipulated into being a dog for the Imperial Army (well, more specifically, a dog for Gilliath Osborne, in the image of the ironbloods). That was beautiful, not only because it gave Rean a reality check- you can't essentially support a faction throughout the entire game without suddenly having expectations and responsibilities come with it. But it also mirrors Crow perfectly. Crow, like Rean, only cooperated with the Noble Faction so that he could achieve his goal, and like Crow, Rean was burnt by his decision to cooperate with them.
Also Captain Claire and Sharon are great and I wish they stayed around for longer. It's pretty interesting to see Claire and Rean almost like some weird melodramatic couple at the end lmao.
Anyways, a very minor feature which honestly felt like an afterthought in the first game has a bit more relevance here- the romance element. There's a few more scenes with your partner in this game, and it does do enough to sell that.
The epilogue was. Weird, I have to admit. The final final final dungeon just felt like it was for funsies. Admittedly it was a genuinely fun randomly generated dungeon thanks to the ability to summon certain characters that shouldn't be playable lol. The final boss is a cake walk.
Trails of Cold Steel 2. What a game. Once again, it's managed to subvert my expectations from what should be standard JRPG fare.
Gameplay: MECHA. ROBOT SWORD FIGHTS. THIS IS EVERYTHING I NEEDED.
Anyways, I've gotten that out of my system, the mech battles always put a grin on my face. They're not as in depth as regular combat, however I'd agree with what I read somebody else mention: they are one hell of a spectacle.
Otherwise, the game has improved upon the formula of the first game, with many new gimmicks for extra variety and tactical usage. Overdrive is a godsend. Lost arts are also suitably busted rewards for how much EP they use.
Also, Laura and Fie are insanely busted if you build them right.
Story: Where the first game follows a very rigid structure, the second game... Actually also follows the exact same gameplay loop structure, however it's very cleverly disguised by having each chapter take place in a different location, in a tour across eastern Erebonia.
The premise of this game makes for a far more enjoyable experience, where we get to see our characters acting independently from one another for a good portion of the game, and actually giving Rean more of a reluctant hero character.
My one gripe is that despite all the characters harping on about "being a third faction" in the civil war, they always end up benefitting the imperial army, with the game pretty much demonstrating them as, without a doubt, the good guys.
That's pretty annoying until the finale though. Once again, Trails of Cold Steel has managed to subvert my expectations. Where the first game surprised me by dropping the dawn of civil war onto us, the second game "ends" with Rean essentially being manipulated into being a dog for the Imperial Army (well, more specifically, a dog for Gilliath Osborne, in the image of the ironbloods). That was beautiful, not only because it gave Rean a reality check- you can't essentially support a faction throughout the entire game without suddenly having expectations and responsibilities come with it. But it also mirrors Crow perfectly. Crow, like Rean, only cooperated with the Noble Faction so that he could achieve his goal, and like Crow, Rean was burnt by his decision to cooperate with them.
Also Captain Claire and Sharon are great and I wish they stayed around for longer. It's pretty interesting to see Claire and Rean almost like some weird melodramatic couple at the end lmao.
Anyways, a very minor feature which honestly felt like an afterthought in the first game has a bit more relevance here- the romance element. There's a few more scenes with your partner in this game, and it does do enough to sell that.
The epilogue was. Weird, I have to admit. The final final final dungeon just felt like it was for funsies. Admittedly it was a genuinely fun randomly generated dungeon thanks to the ability to summon certain characters that shouldn't be playable lol. The final boss is a cake walk.