In terms of jrpgs, atlus has one of the largest and oldest franchises in catalogues. I have yet to scratch the surface of everything they have to offer but I have played a handful of them. Within the handful I’ve played I’d consider some of them my favorite games of all time. Soul Hackers, Digital Devil Saga 1, Persona 3 Fes, and Shin Megami Tensei II are the megaten titles to instantly come to mind for me. I didn’t get to experience nearly as much time with fes as I wished I had, I was a Nintendo baby. Most of the ps2 library for me has been experience somewhat recently. When I played fes tho, I was absolutely blown away in terms of the standard for a jrpg and the potential atlus had. Persona 3 fes felt like the borderline between the modern take of the spin-off series and the mainline put together. Extremely dark themes, challenging gameplay, and most importantly; an environment with themes that feels so immersive you have an understanding for the insanely written characters that are more humanize than real people you come across. Everything down to the gameplay, story, themes and characters felt true to the narrative.. it was pieces to a puzzle that you’d slowly put together as the calendar went further in. When you watch the movies you get a better understanding of what the character makoto was supposed to portray. To me he felt way more than a self insert even though he was a “players choice silent protag.” It’s hard to describe but, i myself, could easily tell the type of vibe they were going for, for him. Reload is an interesting remake, in terms of the time it was released and how they went about it. I’m gonna be honest, when I seen the initial first leak of it I prayed it wasn’t real. Mainline SMT, megami tensei, and so many others(including the first and second[duology] of persona) deserved and needed a remake far more than legit one of the most accessible games in Atlus’s catalog. We just had an anniversary port of all 3 of the “modern” games(portable which was handled the worst way possible was the version that was ported to represent p3.. imo it’s the worst way imaginable to experience one of the greatest megaten games made.. but to each their own). Despite that, I love persona 3.. everything about my first initial playthrough of fes was magical. I’m also an atlus paypig, whatever they release I will buy and play; I’m just being honest. Reload is insanely faithful to the original game but with a p5 coat. Many, including myself, were kinda tilted with this “atlus can’t make anything but p5” mindset. But honestly after playing it imo aesthetically it only shares some comparisons with p5. Yeah weapon fusion was swapped with level up items within personas.. yeah makoto can only use one weapon.. fatigue is gone.. tactics are dogshit.. those are my main complaints. Everything aside from those are just peak. Shift(in p5 it’s referred to as baton pass) is not overly broken due to no way of boosting it aside from using a slot for a passive skill. You’re limited to really one bonus for the hangouts which are there to offer more time with characters while also awarding you with some ability similar to how you gained a bunch of them doing party s links in p5. You can upgrade it once but it’s just a stronger version of the initial thing you unlocked. Link episodes are introduced for party members that didn’t have their own s links before (aside from in p3p) s which are, imo, are waaaay better for writing and deepening the narrative than they’ve ever done for s links. Without spoiling, persona 3 in general is a very story focused game. Some complain the pacing takes way too long to take off. I disagree entirely but I understand where they’re coming from. If you didn’t enjoy the other versions of p3, chances are reload isn’t going to drastically change ur mind unless your gripe was solely gameplay oriented (not including Tartarus). I’m gonna be honest, most of the “issues” people claim to have with p3 are clearly not something they focused on. Yeah Tartarus is a lot more diverse in terms of things that can happen, floor bonus’s that can often occur, and design feels a lot more fluid. Overall tho it’s still a randomly generated dungeon that has around 200+ floors. Even with the variety, if you hated Tartarus before, chances are you’re not gonna feel like a huge upgrade has happened if you played the original into reload. I never had a problem with Tartarus, but I did feel it was lackluster in terms of its aesethic and ‘gimmicks.’ If ur only problem was the option of no official party control with a 3D environment, having cutscenes, and needed some more qol then yeah you’ll love reload. Overall this remake absolutely went above my expectations but I still find myself disappointed with some of the exclusions and oversights that lessened its identity. I would still put reload very high for Atlus’s catalog but I don’t think it’s a full on replacement for FES, I’ll probably still be going back there.

12 years ago I experienced what I’d consider one of the highest points of gaming for me. I opened my Christmas present under the tree and it was Cave Story 3D. My auntie has been more like an older sister to me. The gifts she’s given to me felt like some of the most major events in my life. That may seem like a stretch, but one of the many gifts before and after this was the gameboy advance SP, which was the first system I, myself, owned that was truly mine and mine alone. It’s been so long that I don’t even know if I asked for it, I have no idea how she knew but she knew to find the game I never knew would be one of the greatest immersive experiences for me. The disconnect between generations is a huge gap within a lot of variables so it’s hard to truly understand what the other is feeling. I never really felt this with her because no matter what, she understood. Gaming and music has been a huge part of my identity. This is a gaming site, so obviously I’m not here to talk about music. Playing Donkey Kong jr on a strange controller that was essentially a compact emulator with 200+ games is the second most vivid memory I have as a child, so nobody can tell me different on what the first game I truly played was. I was young, but I remember it like it was yesterday. My first playthrough of cave story will never be erased from my mind. I was so engrossed with it I felt true passion for the first time. I’m not into too many things, the typical “nerd” shit that people used to consider a couple years ago. Gaming, anime, manga, comics, reading, listening to any and every genre, etc. Thats who I am, and that’s who I’ll always be. Cave story hit a deep spot for me. The music, the aesthetic, the story, the characters, the art style, the gameplay.. everything was what I ever could’ve asked for and then some. Undeniably it’s one of, if not the biggest, milestones for indie games. It set a precedent for everything that followed it. A solo dev that did pretty much everything on its own. Nowadays Toby fox, the creator of undertale, is what the general public of gaming know that as.. but no pixel did it first and he will always be a legend to me and many others that cave story has reached. I’m not here to talk about the game or the story or the characters. I usually do that but I have no intentions or desires to. If you read up until this point I want you to experience it for yourself. It may not hit you nearly as hard as it hit me but I hope you at least enjoy it. To me it’s fun, immersive, and completely sets itself apart from any other game. Not because it really did anything creatively first in a breakthrough type of way.. but because it clearly has its own identity. It’s something to me, that you’ll never forget, and it sets itself apart from any other game ever made. Something that is meant to be played blind multiple times. You will discover things you never seen before if you do things differently, and if you play the newest version of it? You’ll be greeted with so many bells and whistles compared to the original freeware release. I can go on and on and on about the history of this game, but maybe you already know that. What you don’t know is that me and a bunch of other people have felt what I’d like to think is the vision pixel wanted players to see. I hope you give this game a chance and have fun with it, I’ll keep playing forever until I’m 6 feet under, and I hope I can get more to enjoy it even a fraction as much as I have.

Come morning: I study the blade.. to become one with steel is the goal
By day: I tend to my cactus, a gift from my wife. First I water, then I encourage growth by chants.
Afternoon approaches: if I’m not feeling up to levitating bear plushies.. I take a nap, I need the stamina to study the blade
Night falls: I confide in Sakura as we sit by the balcony lit by the moonlight
…It’s peak

After doing all of the major possible endings you can get, every achievement, and countless hours in rumble mode I think I can finally put this one down for a few until another inevitable replay happens in the very close future.
Fading Afternoon somehow managed to capture both Friends of Ringo Ishikawa, and Arrest of a Stone Buddha’s best quality’s, build upon them, and create a completely different structure while still sharing aspects of both’s atmosphere. It’s hard to say what the best part about this game is honestly. The plethora of varied and incredibly detailed backgrounds sprawled across a vast explorable area by Artem Belov made it next to impossible to get sick of the scenery no matter how many replays I did. The insanely vast and unique character sprites & animation made by Ueda M brought the area even more to life. I love every single battle, idle, weather, and interactive animation you can do or see in this game. There is so many it wouldn’t surprise me if there’s a couple players might never see in their playthroughs. Don’t think I’ve ever played a game that had such polished replay 4 of them isn’t anywhere close to being able to find all the secrets and possibilities naturally. There’s been a hefty amount of updates between bug fixes, content, and qol since launch and I’m very thankful for how involved yeo is in the community despite working on this game for 3 years. Incredible experience and if you enjoy beat ‘em ups, insanely immersive gameplay, deep and engaging mechanics, relaxing and atmospheric music, and incredible art you gotta at least give fading afternoon a chance, because if it clicks you’re in for a hell of an experience.

If doing the right thing was easy, it wouldn’t be heroic. If heroes were common, they wouldn’t write legends about them.

Skeptical and overwhelmed are the two words that easily popped in my head when I learned just how big of a beast the trails series is. I have no problems playing a series in release order and it’s perfectly fine if the option isn’t there for me to jump into a newer entry, no, that wasn’t the issue. I value world building a lot and that’s why I absolutely love and adore Xenogears and xenosaga, but loath the standalone safe play takahashi has taken with the newer xenoblade entry’s(with the last title, 3, being the biggest offender). So I was a bit skeptical on if this (overwhelming) amount of games would actually have some sort of payoff worthy, without playing it offensively safe to accommodate for newcomers of the series to easily jump into whatever latest released entry. One of my biggest problems in modern gaming(imo almost as offensive as the hideous micro transactions shamelessly being piled into whatever AAA game big company’s think are appropriate) is how scared devs are to making direct sequels or even a larger interconnecting series that would force you to invest deeply otherwise you would be severely punished from spoilers or just not being able to keep up with it after reading a brief lore dump summary. Whenever there’s a number in front of a series the most common question that is asked is “can I play this without playing any of the previous games.” Honestly at this point there’s hardly anything out there where the answer is straight up no. If you’ve had any discussion surrounding trails it undoubtedly has followed with some sort of order you’re expected to follow or what someone would suggest is “safe” for you to play. I’m not gonna really dig deep into that discussion, but if you really wanna make the most out of these games and understand why this series is so special, do yourself a favor and start with the sky trilogy. I wouldn’t recommend for anyone to start anywhere else because that arc is legitimately goated and trails SC is one of the best jrpgs/games (imo) ever made. I think it’s safe to say despite nobody else really having the balls to do it, falcom absolutely has one of the most standout series in the jrpg bubble. Azure has built upon everything the previous games have done before and continues to offer unforgettable moments and absolutely amazing standout characters that I can’t see myself not getting a wave of excitement whenever (hopefully) even the smallest name drop is mentioned in entry’s that follow it.

Trails to azure surprised me, not because I didn’t think it would be a great follow up to zero. I knew zero was cooking something up from the way the SSS was gaining its connections and continued to form deeper bonds. I could just tell these cast of characters were destined for something much bigger than their ambitious had led on after learning and coming attached to them through their backstories (some vague insinuating much more was to come later). Azure more so surprised me because I was in a panic after finishing sky second chapter. “Can the series really go up from here despite there being at least 9 translated games at the moment for me to play.” Yeah it absolutely can, and sky 3rd and zero were honestly great. I wouldn’t put them at second chapter level but it was extremely enjoyable, nonetheless and introduced a lot of wonderful characters. Azure, is as good, if not slightly better than SC to me.

Trails to azure offers an even easier way to quickly transport to further away places. One of the major charms of these games are how interactive and responsive the npcs are due to whatever is currently happening or has happened in the past. You will get a plethora of new dialogue depending on if you’ve helped said npc(including previous entry’s of said arc, in this case,
side quests done in zero). While zero introduced an awesome bus system you could utilize very early which did admittedly save a considerable amount of time and further encouraged you to check up on more npcs you’ve grown to know and make connections with. Since you’re given an even easier option( it’s a minor spoiler on what it is but I’d rather keep it a secret for you to experience yourself) it makes the even deeper and abundant additions of interaction all the more welcome. Some of the best parts of the game are hidden from going and talking to characters that aren’t quite as huge that they would get a huge finger pointed at the story but someone you’d check up on before some shit is about to go down. I found myself chuckling and smiling at all the friends of the SSS’s convos they’d indulge in while on duty catering to support quests. Even if you’re not huge on sidequesting or even freely exploring the world, I urge you to spend more time instead of rushing through to experience the story. You’ll get way more out of the game and see how much love and dedication was really put into the making.

Despite having a considerably larger cast than a typical rpg, trails has always been able to at least flesh characters out enough for you to care about them and understand why they’re apart of the narrative. Not only that but whenever you see a character, including an npc that might not be seen as significant in the past, you appreciate the moment you’ve given with them. The world feels as alive like you’re actual apart of it. Azure manages to step it up entirely with the more fleshed out bond system. So not only are you still getting extremely rewarding interactions through the side quests, but you’re given a more personal look into more “plot important characters” through bonding across various random scenes and events throughout each chapter. Bonding was a wonderful idea implemented in zero, the previous entry, but serves as something even more in depth in azure that allows you to get some very interesting backstory and exclusive moments that are tucked away from the main story.

As mentioned prior the minor npcs are some of the biggest highlights of these games. TiTS had some very rememberable npcs in its own right and I was really delighted to see that the Crossbell duology continued that tradition. I loved starting my day before diving into support quests talking to Mimi, the little girl outside the SSS building who couldn’t quite get our squads name right at first, but despite that served as one of the first people to cheer on the team. Or even Momo, the sweet girl on west street who slowly made friends with Ryu and Anri a pair who very much reminded me of our friends in Liberal Luke and Pat. Getting updates on Oscar and his rivalry with Bennette at the morges bakery was always a treat. As well as checking up on old man Mors, uncle miles, and of course Shizuku whenever I went to Ursula. At first up until now all of this seemed like extra care put into it, but as the story of azure unravels more and more it’s easier to understand it’s much more than that. Crossbells fate hinges on its residents and even in the darkest of times unity is what’s important. As things progress it gets a bit dramatic, to say the least. And even in the most gloom of times, it’s nice to see some familiar faces doing their best to hold it down and look out for each other.

The core gameplay that’s been built from the previous entry’s is pretty much the same with some neat additions. If you’ve played the sky trilogy and zero you’ll be pretty comfortable without any tutorials. Aside from master quartz, master arts, and the way combo attacks were changed in zero the most drastic difference is how the boss fights play out. You’re thrown at some fights that seem almost impossible to beat and some.. kinda are on the first playthrough. But if you do manage to pull through them you get extra DP and an alternate scene, with some being extremely rewarding. Another noteworthy change would be the master quartz being the biggest new toy to play with here. Trails has a tendancy to heavily complement its gameplay elements without being shy to smoothly intergrade it into the story. Each chapter has a “climax” which in itself is very exciting but they stepped it up even more by adding a fresh new element to accommodate it. You’re given a meter that can be built from similar to how you gain CP, but if you don’t use it the meter will decrease from the last bar forcing you to raise it up again. I think it’s a really cool thing to add and I look forward to seeing how it evolves in future entry’s, my only gripe is the “growth” of them. I’m not sure how the exp calculates but it takes way too long to max each quartz out and each element has the same master art which is both good and bad equally. There’s really not much else to talk about battle system wise but I found myself enjoying it the most thus far. Something else I’d like to mention, it’s not really a huge add but to me I was really happy it was included. In the settings you can toggle on titles of tracks when the music switches when going to different areas or just changes from cutscenes. Not a huge feature for many but to me this was probably one of my favorite things zero and azure added. It’s really annoying trying to avoid spoilers when you wanna re listen to a track you heard in the game you’re playing because you don’t know the title so I really appreciated this feature.

One of the biggest regrets I have since playing these games after getting so far is acknowledging I’ll have to eventually say a “farewell” to these characters. It’s not nearly as hard as I thought it’d be, because even if it’s a goodbye to them for being in a spotlight, I’m sure I’ll hear about them again. After finish sky and learning about the large cast I was introduced to and came to adore, I was reluctant to start a new act and meet a new group. The SSS managed to captivate me within the first half of zero and by the time I got to azure I was already regretting it. I’m not sure how they do it, but these characters feel more personal due to the way their stories have unfolded and it just felt comfy. I’m sure this won’t be the last but I’m thankful for the way everything was handled with these next set of characters that tie into the bigger picture. Lloyd almost served as a counterpart to Estelle. Estelle was as bright as the sun, but Lloyd was most definitely as encouraging as the very meaning of hope. Elie, while on the surface may make you think she’s rather “basic” is a perfect example of persistence. No matter what obstacles or throwbacks are thrown her way, she continues to walk forward hand and hand with her comrades. Randy, the perfect image of “he’s really him.” Proved that no matter what ghosts haunt your past, the future and “fate” are completely up to the actions you decide to pursue going forward. Tio-tot, the youngest, yet most head strong member of the SSS. Tio felt like a completely different take of Renne. She doesn’t have a cruel bone in her body despite what transpired in her past. She seeks something hardly anyone dares to have the courage to ask themselves.

It’s kinda hard to articulate into words my feelings towards the last stretch and watching the credits roll. A lot of ongoing conflicts that were first established in sky got resolved, but also a lot more questions were raised at the same time. With how much of an impactful and amazing time I had with azure, I honestly could’ve been satisfied if this was the final act. On the other hand there’s some things that I just have to find out going forward because this is far from a conclusion to the kiseki series. I had no idea how invested and addicted to this storyline and line of characters I’d end up when I first booted up sky, and I couldn’t be happier/more satisfied that I’ve finally started to scratch the surface of this long investment of a ride. Azure is without a doubt one of the greatest games I’ve had the chance of experiencing and I cannot wait to start another playthrough in the near future. I WILL be returning to the SSS, KeA, and all my other friends in crossbell without a doubt. If this series wasn’t such a hard sell I think it would be a no brainer for people to take the plunge, but honestly, if it didn’t have them it probably wouldn’t be nearly as great and grand as it is.

If you’re considering playing the remake over the original or the original over the remake don’t. Both versions are wonderful and have a unique charm in their own way. I have seen numerous complaints about the length which I understand considering it’s a tad pricey but if you enjoy the loop of atelier it’s worth it. It’s definitely pretty short but one of the biggest draws is how refreshing the replay value is. As long as you’re not scrambling to overachieve and do absolutely everything(which is doable but unnecessary) there will be plenty of secrets, endings, and events you very likely would not have seen the first run. The remake itself is very faithful but there’s some major changes that do make it more in line with the “modern” approach of how the series has been going forward. The original kinda just throws you into the game with a very vague and short optional tutorial board inside your atelier while the remake obviously offers a slightly more hand-holdy lengthy tutorial that’ll follow you throughout ur first playthrough. At first I was very confused and had no idea what the hell was going on in the original but once you get a feel and better grasp the loop it’s insanely satisfying and it offered a very magical feel of immersion. One of the drawbacks on the first playthrough of the remake is it kinda kills that feeling due to the constant pop ups but in the long run offers a way faster grasp on how things are different if you played the remake first. Ultimately since both versions are incredibly short I think you’ll appreciate both games if you played them back to back release order. You’ll probably get a completely different ending for the original and remake anyways and see tons of events you missed in the previous version as well. I’m not sure how unlimited mode is in the remake as I actually enjoy the tight schedule restrictions in this one, but if that is something that worries you the option is there but beware there’s event(s) that will not show up if you do pick this option. All in all a really great experience for both versions, Marlone is adorable :)