akairaiju
176 Reviews liked by akairaiju
It's definitely flawed, I can definitely see where the complaints come from, but honestly, it's been a blast for me, and a major step up from CS1 and CS2. Definitely one of the better first parts of Trails arcs, not just graphically and with gameplay, but in terms of raw enjoyment and pacing. I might be in the minority with some of these, though.
A lot of first parts in Trails arcs are about exploration and character interaction, and I think the mentor/student dynamic in a school setting really helps with that. The more militaristic and sci-fi-ish setting really works for me. The field trips have some of the most fun episodic Trails content for me, and some of the cast being from Crossbell really brings an interesting dynamic to a cast that is for the most part from Erebonia. I also really like Rean in this one.
That ending really hit for me, as well. No idea how people waited an entire year for CS4 to come out like this. I immediately opened up CS4 and played the prologue, which blew me away, as well. The hundreds of hours invested into the series are definitely paying off. I will have high expectations for it and Reverie now. Let's hope that I end up being one of the people for whom CS4 really works, since I see extreme opinions on it more than anyone calling it mediocre or just okay.
A lot of first parts in Trails arcs are about exploration and character interaction, and I think the mentor/student dynamic in a school setting really helps with that. The more militaristic and sci-fi-ish setting really works for me. The field trips have some of the most fun episodic Trails content for me, and some of the cast being from Crossbell really brings an interesting dynamic to a cast that is for the most part from Erebonia. I also really like Rean in this one.
That ending really hit for me, as well. No idea how people waited an entire year for CS4 to come out like this. I immediately opened up CS4 and played the prologue, which blew me away, as well. The hundreds of hours invested into the series are definitely paying off. I will have high expectations for it and Reverie now. Let's hope that I end up being one of the people for whom CS4 really works, since I see extreme opinions on it more than anyone calling it mediocre or just okay.
Cold Steel I is a game that almost doesn't feel like Trails. It's 3D now, the MC is more anime than all the others (the entire female cast wants him + Persona dating social links), a vast majority of the plot is episodic city exploration that bloats the narrative more than the previous games ever did. But the high points, especially the last part, redeem it.
The music is great (an obvious statement about a Trails game, but noteworthy nonetheless), the combat system is a step up from Crossbell's, and it just feels fun to play, with even its duller moments being pretty comfy. It doesn't have Sky's comfortable and homely vibe, it doesn't have Sky 3rd's level of themes and character writing, it doesn't have Crossbell's consistency and high points overall writing wise, but it does have one thing that it crushes the previous games in — the rule of cool.
Rean (as of this game) is no Kevin, but his struggles are quite compelling, and more importantly, he has a katana, which is the coolest weapon a Trails MC has had yet. He is a cool swordsman. And Cold Steel is very cool when it wants to be. The last act some real hype moments that rarely work for me in videogames, and they were done creatively. I immediately booted up the beginning of CS2 because I just couldn't wait.
Despite at times looking like an obvious lower budget JRPG (why replace 2D character portraits with 3D models..? it took some time to get used to), and having a worse (IMO) art style than Crossbell, CS1 definitely has a nice visual style. Despite being the first 3D Trails game, once you get used to how it looks, it's really nice seeing environments that would have been previously seen from a 2.5D, top-down view in their full glory.
Overall, it's a heavily flawed, inconsistent, almost messy (you could even say it sucks sometimes) game, but when it hits, it's very exciting, and leaves you wanting more. I can't wait to see more of this journey.
The music is great (an obvious statement about a Trails game, but noteworthy nonetheless), the combat system is a step up from Crossbell's, and it just feels fun to play, with even its duller moments being pretty comfy. It doesn't have Sky's comfortable and homely vibe, it doesn't have Sky 3rd's level of themes and character writing, it doesn't have Crossbell's consistency and high points overall writing wise, but it does have one thing that it crushes the previous games in — the rule of cool.
Rean (as of this game) is no Kevin, but his struggles are quite compelling, and more importantly, he has a katana, which is the coolest weapon a Trails MC has had yet. He is a cool swordsman. And Cold Steel is very cool when it wants to be. The last act some real hype moments that rarely work for me in videogames, and they were done creatively. I immediately booted up the beginning of CS2 because I just couldn't wait.
Despite at times looking like an obvious lower budget JRPG (why replace 2D character portraits with 3D models..? it took some time to get used to), and having a worse (IMO) art style than Crossbell, CS1 definitely has a nice visual style. Despite being the first 3D Trails game, once you get used to how it looks, it's really nice seeing environments that would have been previously seen from a 2.5D, top-down view in their full glory.
Overall, it's a heavily flawed, inconsistent, almost messy (you could even say it sucks sometimes) game, but when it hits, it's very exciting, and leaves you wanting more. I can't wait to see more of this journey.
This game is FUCKING CRAZY. I was skeptical over whether they'd top Sky the 3rd yet they somehow did.
I don't know how they did it, they somehow made three back-to-back 5-star, 10/10 games. This has NEVER happened to me in another series, even my favourites.
It's extremely emotional, the artstyle is awesome, it's fun to play (the small gameplay additions compared to Zero are appreciated), the characters are all awesome, they throw so many twists at you, the likes of which I haven't been this affected by since finishing my top 10 favourites across all media, that you can't help but binge. The backtracking is some of the least tedious in the entire genre from what I've seen. This is one of the closest things I've seen to perfection, from concept to execution, in my life. My only actual complaint is that the difficulty curve is kind of unreasonable in the last few fights of the game, but who cares, it was really hype.
And oh my GOD, the music... Trails already secured its place as #1 in terms of OST, beating Umineko, but this is on a whole other level. You have so many bangers, like the Azure Arbitrator or Mystic Core, but they're far from the only ones.
In terms of favourites, I'd place it around Utawarerumono 3. It's just that good.
I will be slowing down with my Trails binging and going through Cold Steel at a more leisurely pace so that I don't burn out but... wow, I'm definitely a fan.
I don't know how they did it, they somehow made three back-to-back 5-star, 10/10 games. This has NEVER happened to me in another series, even my favourites.
It's extremely emotional, the artstyle is awesome, it's fun to play (the small gameplay additions compared to Zero are appreciated), the characters are all awesome, they throw so many twists at you, the likes of which I haven't been this affected by since finishing my top 10 favourites across all media, that you can't help but binge. The backtracking is some of the least tedious in the entire genre from what I've seen. This is one of the closest things I've seen to perfection, from concept to execution, in my life. My only actual complaint is that the difficulty curve is kind of unreasonable in the last few fights of the game, but who cares, it was really hype.
And oh my GOD, the music... Trails already secured its place as #1 in terms of OST, beating Umineko, but this is on a whole other level. You have so many bangers, like the Azure Arbitrator or Mystic Core, but they're far from the only ones.
In terms of favourites, I'd place it around Utawarerumono 3. It's just that good.
I will be slowing down with my Trails binging and going through Cold Steel at a more leisurely pace so that I don't burn out but... wow, I'm definitely a fan.
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.
Man this game just did everything right.
it managed to bring amazing closure to the Crossbell and Cold Steel arcs while simultaneously having its own amazing story that manages to make its 3 already amazing protagonists and a ton of members of its cast so much better.
The 3 routes are all amazing (even if C and Rean have slower starts than Lloyd) but its just an amazing experience from the magnificent prologue all the way up to the Finale which just surpasses everything else the series did before it
Only real issue i have with the game is the postgame TRC but it lead to the amazing true final boss and gave episodes which were absolutely brilliant so its fully fine
Genuine love letter to Trails as a whole
it managed to bring amazing closure to the Crossbell and Cold Steel arcs while simultaneously having its own amazing story that manages to make its 3 already amazing protagonists and a ton of members of its cast so much better.
The 3 routes are all amazing (even if C and Rean have slower starts than Lloyd) but its just an amazing experience from the magnificent prologue all the way up to the Finale which just surpasses everything else the series did before it
Only real issue i have with the game is the postgame TRC but it lead to the amazing true final boss and gave episodes which were absolutely brilliant so its fully fine
Genuine love letter to Trails as a whole
peak
if you've played all the trails games before this one to date, the amount of payoff and satisfying moments you get throughout the game is absolutely intoxicating, i fucking love the character cast in this series, even the more minor characters that don't get a ton of screen time grew on me so easily, but most of all seeing the liberl cast AND the crossbell cast AND the old class VII AND the new class VII is a fucking treat and the game even manages to handle it in a way that doesn't make it overwhelming for the player.
the fact you don't get rean until like, 15 hours into the game was a bit disappointing at first, but admittedly makes for a great payoff in that climactic moment of the game. and even so, the beginning portion of the game was still fun and had some really heartwarming and emotional scenes. seeing altina break down crying after waking up and remembering what happened to millium honestly kind of broke me, im not gonna lie
as for the middle sections of the game, which sometimes tend to be the weak point of trails games, i think this game does a good job of keeping you interested throughout with clever foreshadowing, giving you a trip down memory lane with memorable setpieces from CS3 (similar to what CS2 does but with CS1's locations), as well as drip feeding you incredible reunions (for the player) with characters from the past arcs of the trails series. furthermore, i love trails gameplay, especially in CS3/4, so there was a lot of fun to be had along the way in that regard too, with trial chests, cryptids, boss fights, etc... vantage masters and pom party provide a good distraction for your completionist itch as well
and then the endgame... man, the endgame. i will say this: gameplay wise, it can feel a bit repetitive and formulaic, in regards to the salt pales and empyreal fortress. but as far as the salt pales go, they are very short and don't overstay their welcome at all. so to me, it was just cool to play as the different sets of characters through the salt pales that you either didn't have access to at all or rarely did throughout the course of this game. it served as a really fun little build up to the main event. the empyreal fortress, on the other hand, did get a bit too repetitive for my liking, i honestly would have enjoyed the "split your big party into 3 teams so you have to strategize party management" mechanic employed earlier in this very game to make an appearance here. would have spiced these sections up and added some challenge as well. that being said, when it comes to the plot, this shit went HARD as fuck. call it corny, predictable, melodramatic, whatever you want, i fucking LOVE this shit. the confrontation with rufus especially was just immaculate. but in general, i just love class VII's group dynamic, and it really shone through during this part of the game. and then at the very end, that bait ending... brought me to fucking tears, and i'm not ashamed to admit it. honestly, i won't lie, that would have been a fucking baller ending, and i would still be giving this 5 stars if it ended like that, despite being a broken man in the process. but, knowing trails, i had a feeling there might be something post credits, and thank fucking aidios there was, because the true ending was so damn wholesome and satisfying. i know trails has a habit of not letting anyone die, which was VERY apparent in this game, but they usually explain it away well enough that i can excuse it, but there is no denying the heavy plot armor that exists in this series. do i care though? nah, rean crow and millium lived fuck yeah
since i've done nothing but gush about how amazing this game is i feel i should finish this review off with naming the problems i had with the game, which were very few but worth mentioning nonetheless. first of all, i'm not a huge fan of the whole "curse of erebonia" thing, just the concept of having a curse that makes people do stupid/irrational things to create conflict feels like a huge cop out to me, as well as unneeded. i think that it would have been completely fine to just have it be the fact that, tragedies like hamel happen because humans are innately flawed and are prone to making inhumane and awful decisions, and leave it at that. it's a fact of life, there are shitty humans out there, and decent humans that make horrible choices. but instead, everything is explained away as "the curse of erebonia" so that at the end of the day everyone can be seen as a moral saint that just got done dirty by the curse. i know the curse factors heavy into major plot points of the story regarding the great twilight, ishmelga, etc. so maybe it was moreso implemented for those plot writing purposes but it really just felt silly to me at times. this is the major gripe i have with the plot. another gripe i have that, i suppose is also plot related, is the whole persona 5 esque romance whoever you want mechanic, which unfortunately completely blockades the writers from writing in canon romances for the erebonia characters because all the girls have to be head over heels for rean. the one exception being millium, who was not included as a romance option for rean in this game and seems to have something blossoming with jusis, which is a very cute dynamic and one i like a lot! would have been really cool, IMO, to see more like this!!! (i guess technically there's like gaius/linde too??? idk wtf was going on there) but really seeing the relationships of like, estelle/joshua, agate/tita, olivier/schera in this game, made me really wish that we saw stuff like that with the cold steel characters, but you pretty much don't see it at all. to be fair, this isn't a cold steel specific problem, as we also didn't really see canon romances in the crossbell series either for fairly similar reasons. i won't lie, at first, when playing CS1 and 2, i really enjoyed the free time system and liked the idea of getting to take my pick of who i liked the most, coming off a persona 5 playthrough where i really enjoyed that mechanic. but the fact is, rean isn't joker, he is NOT a self insert, he is very much his own character, and it ends up feeling weird to be the one in control of who he is going to fall in love with. not to mention, EVERYONE wanting a piece of the action, including ones that don't seem to make a lot of sense, such as (in my opinion) sara, juna, and altina, isn't always the greatest. but to be honest, the romance plays a rather small part in the game and doesn't impact much of the writing at all, just a few special scenes and an odd dialogue option here and there. so it really isn't THAT big of a deal, and i enjoy the plot a fuck ton nonetheless, i just would have liked to see canon romances written into the story. even a boring one like rean/alisa! tbh IMO, rean/laura would have made the most sense, and laura isn't even my best girl by any means. i digress
i wasn't expecting to type this much but, yeah, this game and this arc and this series as a whole has really made a huge impact on me and i've loved every second of it. it's pretty impossible for me to not rank this as my favorite game in the series to date, it just really fires on all cylinders and is the complete package in every way. seeing "Trails of Cold Steel has reached its conclusion." hit me like a fucking dumpster truck, i am so god damn sad that this arc is over. i first played trails of cold steel, four god damn years ago in 2020 (because i did the jank play order where you start with CS1-2 before playing sky) and i just didn't want it to end man. from what i know about reverie though, it seems like it isn't over quite yet. i fucking love trails and am so glad that there are more games, this series is just simply fucking peak probably my favorite series of all time at this point. GG
if you've played all the trails games before this one to date, the amount of payoff and satisfying moments you get throughout the game is absolutely intoxicating, i fucking love the character cast in this series, even the more minor characters that don't get a ton of screen time grew on me so easily, but most of all seeing the liberl cast AND the crossbell cast AND the old class VII AND the new class VII is a fucking treat and the game even manages to handle it in a way that doesn't make it overwhelming for the player.
the fact you don't get rean until like, 15 hours into the game was a bit disappointing at first, but admittedly makes for a great payoff in that climactic moment of the game. and even so, the beginning portion of the game was still fun and had some really heartwarming and emotional scenes. seeing altina break down crying after waking up and remembering what happened to millium honestly kind of broke me, im not gonna lie
as for the middle sections of the game, which sometimes tend to be the weak point of trails games, i think this game does a good job of keeping you interested throughout with clever foreshadowing, giving you a trip down memory lane with memorable setpieces from CS3 (similar to what CS2 does but with CS1's locations), as well as drip feeding you incredible reunions (for the player) with characters from the past arcs of the trails series. furthermore, i love trails gameplay, especially in CS3/4, so there was a lot of fun to be had along the way in that regard too, with trial chests, cryptids, boss fights, etc... vantage masters and pom party provide a good distraction for your completionist itch as well
and then the endgame... man, the endgame. i will say this: gameplay wise, it can feel a bit repetitive and formulaic, in regards to the salt pales and empyreal fortress. but as far as the salt pales go, they are very short and don't overstay their welcome at all. so to me, it was just cool to play as the different sets of characters through the salt pales that you either didn't have access to at all or rarely did throughout the course of this game. it served as a really fun little build up to the main event. the empyreal fortress, on the other hand, did get a bit too repetitive for my liking, i honestly would have enjoyed the "split your big party into 3 teams so you have to strategize party management" mechanic employed earlier in this very game to make an appearance here. would have spiced these sections up and added some challenge as well. that being said, when it comes to the plot, this shit went HARD as fuck. call it corny, predictable, melodramatic, whatever you want, i fucking LOVE this shit. the confrontation with rufus especially was just immaculate. but in general, i just love class VII's group dynamic, and it really shone through during this part of the game. and then at the very end, that bait ending... brought me to fucking tears, and i'm not ashamed to admit it. honestly, i won't lie, that would have been a fucking baller ending, and i would still be giving this 5 stars if it ended like that, despite being a broken man in the process. but, knowing trails, i had a feeling there might be something post credits, and thank fucking aidios there was, because the true ending was so damn wholesome and satisfying. i know trails has a habit of not letting anyone die, which was VERY apparent in this game, but they usually explain it away well enough that i can excuse it, but there is no denying the heavy plot armor that exists in this series. do i care though? nah, rean crow and millium lived fuck yeah
since i've done nothing but gush about how amazing this game is i feel i should finish this review off with naming the problems i had with the game, which were very few but worth mentioning nonetheless. first of all, i'm not a huge fan of the whole "curse of erebonia" thing, just the concept of having a curse that makes people do stupid/irrational things to create conflict feels like a huge cop out to me, as well as unneeded. i think that it would have been completely fine to just have it be the fact that, tragedies like hamel happen because humans are innately flawed and are prone to making inhumane and awful decisions, and leave it at that. it's a fact of life, there are shitty humans out there, and decent humans that make horrible choices. but instead, everything is explained away as "the curse of erebonia" so that at the end of the day everyone can be seen as a moral saint that just got done dirty by the curse. i know the curse factors heavy into major plot points of the story regarding the great twilight, ishmelga, etc. so maybe it was moreso implemented for those plot writing purposes but it really just felt silly to me at times. this is the major gripe i have with the plot. another gripe i have that, i suppose is also plot related, is the whole persona 5 esque romance whoever you want mechanic, which unfortunately completely blockades the writers from writing in canon romances for the erebonia characters because all the girls have to be head over heels for rean. the one exception being millium, who was not included as a romance option for rean in this game and seems to have something blossoming with jusis, which is a very cute dynamic and one i like a lot! would have been really cool, IMO, to see more like this!!! (i guess technically there's like gaius/linde too??? idk wtf was going on there) but really seeing the relationships of like, estelle/joshua, agate/tita, olivier/schera in this game, made me really wish that we saw stuff like that with the cold steel characters, but you pretty much don't see it at all. to be fair, this isn't a cold steel specific problem, as we also didn't really see canon romances in the crossbell series either for fairly similar reasons. i won't lie, at first, when playing CS1 and 2, i really enjoyed the free time system and liked the idea of getting to take my pick of who i liked the most, coming off a persona 5 playthrough where i really enjoyed that mechanic. but the fact is, rean isn't joker, he is NOT a self insert, he is very much his own character, and it ends up feeling weird to be the one in control of who he is going to fall in love with. not to mention, EVERYONE wanting a piece of the action, including ones that don't seem to make a lot of sense, such as (in my opinion) sara, juna, and altina, isn't always the greatest. but to be honest, the romance plays a rather small part in the game and doesn't impact much of the writing at all, just a few special scenes and an odd dialogue option here and there. so it really isn't THAT big of a deal, and i enjoy the plot a fuck ton nonetheless, i just would have liked to see canon romances written into the story. even a boring one like rean/alisa! tbh IMO, rean/laura would have made the most sense, and laura isn't even my best girl by any means. i digress
i wasn't expecting to type this much but, yeah, this game and this arc and this series as a whole has really made a huge impact on me and i've loved every second of it. it's pretty impossible for me to not rank this as my favorite game in the series to date, it just really fires on all cylinders and is the complete package in every way. seeing "Trails of Cold Steel has reached its conclusion." hit me like a fucking dumpster truck, i am so god damn sad that this arc is over. i first played trails of cold steel, four god damn years ago in 2020 (because i did the jank play order where you start with CS1-2 before playing sky) and i just didn't want it to end man. from what i know about reverie though, it seems like it isn't over quite yet. i fucking love trails and am so glad that there are more games, this series is just simply fucking peak probably my favorite series of all time at this point. GG
Persona 3 Reload
2024
Full Moon Full Life
94 hours lead to this moment of re-experiencing that final 1 hour of me just non-stop crying especially in the last 15 minutes of the game. This game specifically means a lot to me and it getting this beautiful remake made with love means a lot to my heart.
Replaying this reminded me of this of how much of its characters and themes resonate with me and I still think about it to this day even though it's been years since I've played the original. It almost felt like a whole different experience, knowing what was going to happen, being older now playing this with a different mindset in my current life and still it has me thinking about it to this day especially playing this remake. I knew what was going to be happening towards the end of the game, but I still broke down in tears.
Even after finishing this game 2 hours ago, writing this while my mind is still fresh off it is just insane, it's so difficult to describe how much I love this specific game in the series so much. Even being older now experiencing this, there’s a lot going in my head on what I’m thinking about on persona 3, that makes me feel like I’m playing it for the first time again, going through all these emotions and the journey of this game all over again. Even after finishing writing this review that helps me spread out my thoughts, I will still be thinking about this game because of how much it has affected me and because of how much I love it. There is just so much to talk about from the beginning months to the end game months, the social links you do every time and how it corresponds with the story overtime and the characters joining SEES, etc. Aigis arc throughout this whole game and experiencing it again, this whole story arc in general. Getting to talk about Aigis and think about her even more would distract me for hours on end because of how much I love her. Aigis is one of my favorite characters ever and is my whole heart. Being able to have so much self-growth, to grow beyond her own insecurities and failures, to be able to start living life.
This game just speaks to you on everything, the relationships you make through life, the hardships you go through, the mental thought process on the complexity of life and much more represented through its themes and characters. Death is always present in our life that happens and can be without warning and not just that but our own personal commitment to our own life. We all deal with it but it's different in how we all respond to it and how it affects our lives. Being able to look forward and to keep going despite hardships and whatever we are going through in life with all our different situations.
The ending scene they remade in reload was much more intimate, affectionate and very emotional. I loved every second of it and cried my heart out. I fucking love this game man.
"Not everything needs to be for some greater purpose. Just caring about someone can be enough. That's all we need to give our lives meaning..."
Memories Of You
94 hours lead to this moment of re-experiencing that final 1 hour of me just non-stop crying especially in the last 15 minutes of the game. This game specifically means a lot to me and it getting this beautiful remake made with love means a lot to my heart.
Replaying this reminded me of this of how much of its characters and themes resonate with me and I still think about it to this day even though it's been years since I've played the original. It almost felt like a whole different experience, knowing what was going to happen, being older now playing this with a different mindset in my current life and still it has me thinking about it to this day especially playing this remake. I knew what was going to be happening towards the end of the game, but I still broke down in tears.
Even after finishing this game 2 hours ago, writing this while my mind is still fresh off it is just insane, it's so difficult to describe how much I love this specific game in the series so much. Even being older now experiencing this, there’s a lot going in my head on what I’m thinking about on persona 3, that makes me feel like I’m playing it for the first time again, going through all these emotions and the journey of this game all over again. Even after finishing writing this review that helps me spread out my thoughts, I will still be thinking about this game because of how much it has affected me and because of how much I love it. There is just so much to talk about from the beginning months to the end game months, the social links you do every time and how it corresponds with the story overtime and the characters joining SEES, etc. Aigis arc throughout this whole game and experiencing it again, this whole story arc in general. Getting to talk about Aigis and think about her even more would distract me for hours on end because of how much I love her. Aigis is one of my favorite characters ever and is my whole heart. Being able to have so much self-growth, to grow beyond her own insecurities and failures, to be able to start living life.
This game just speaks to you on everything, the relationships you make through life, the hardships you go through, the mental thought process on the complexity of life and much more represented through its themes and characters. Death is always present in our life that happens and can be without warning and not just that but our own personal commitment to our own life. We all deal with it but it's different in how we all respond to it and how it affects our lives. Being able to look forward and to keep going despite hardships and whatever we are going through in life with all our different situations.
The ending scene they remade in reload was much more intimate, affectionate and very emotional. I loved every second of it and cried my heart out. I fucking love this game man.
"Not everything needs to be for some greater purpose. Just caring about someone can be enough. That's all we need to give our lives meaning..."
Memories Of You
god damn dude. i loved the main game, don't get me wrong. but this dlc had quite literally everything i wanted out of it that was missing.
i don't think it was strictly better or worse, and the sentiment that this should have been the real xenoblade 3 instead of what we got is kinda dumb. legitimate perfect ending to the series.
i don't think it was strictly better or worse, and the sentiment that this should have been the real xenoblade 3 instead of what we got is kinda dumb. legitimate perfect ending to the series.
One of the best conclusions to one of the greatest trilogies of all time to end off a series. Not explaining any story stuff in this review because you should play it for yourself but one of the greatest ever cooked. This being a love letter and a goodbye letter to this series as whole, being a celebration of the journey Takahashi has taken us through. This DLC content is so damn good to add onto the base game as a whole as you can treat it alongside to base game as a dessert after the well-cooked meal.
This DLC helps show that in the series as it goes through a bunch of the themes it has gone through its three games, the culmination of this beautiful DLC. Matthew being one of the main characters alongside Noah to help push along the core themes of Xenoblade 3 along with what base games does and its cast of characters, Matthew approaches the future, takes the good parts of the past and accepts the bad, and keeps moving forward. Rex and Shulk are also there as well with their themes from Xenoblade 1 & 2 to show that all these come together such as the future may be unknown but we should always keep matching forward no matter what happens and how our past hurts but we shouldn’t let it drag us behind, we can learn from our pasts, get back up on our feet and get stronger to be able to keep moving forward. This speaks to the Xenoblade Series as whole, to be able to reflect on our past, don’t let it drag us down but to let it help us move forward in life. To face our trauma and to be our true selves rather than to run away from ourselves.
Takahashi up there with the greats on being able to make beautiful art and personal stories throughout video-games.
"Nevertheless, our intentions will live on, and one day coalesce again. Be it tomorrow... or in a thousand years... Surely, the time will eventually come. I can see it, clear as day."
Future Awaits
This DLC helps show that in the series as it goes through a bunch of the themes it has gone through its three games, the culmination of this beautiful DLC. Matthew being one of the main characters alongside Noah to help push along the core themes of Xenoblade 3 along with what base games does and its cast of characters, Matthew approaches the future, takes the good parts of the past and accepts the bad, and keeps moving forward. Rex and Shulk are also there as well with their themes from Xenoblade 1 & 2 to show that all these come together such as the future may be unknown but we should always keep matching forward no matter what happens and how our past hurts but we shouldn’t let it drag us behind, we can learn from our pasts, get back up on our feet and get stronger to be able to keep moving forward. This speaks to the Xenoblade Series as whole, to be able to reflect on our past, don’t let it drag us down but to let it help us move forward in life. To face our trauma and to be our true selves rather than to run away from ourselves.
Takahashi up there with the greats on being able to make beautiful art and personal stories throughout video-games.
"Nevertheless, our intentions will live on, and one day coalesce again. Be it tomorrow... or in a thousand years... Surely, the time will eventually come. I can see it, clear as day."
Future Awaits
This review contains spoilers
Hey, remember when I said that Xenoblade 3 is like Xenosaga?
Turns out I was right
Turns out I was right
Tsukihime
2000
I had more fun when leaving the title screen on in the background than reading it
Well, Trails has finally truly impressed me. This is definitely my kinda series after all.
3rd has decent pacing of things happening the entire time, though that is partially helped by its shorter length. The dungeon structure is preferable to FC's and SC's for me, and there is way less backtracking. It has a complex main character and a personal character-driven story. The combat system is mostly similar to FC and SC, but the way it ties into the story here more often is cool. Most of the 3rd music is the best in the series so far for me, especially the final boss theme and the OP.
Every problem I had with FC and SC have been fixed. Nobody is annoying anymore; a lot of the story is a love letter to the Sky games in general. Hell, some characters are better in this game than the previous ones. I even care more about Joshua and Estelle in 3rd than I did in FC and SC.
It's also got the majority of the emotional and dark moments (especially that one door) of Trails in the Sky. I genuinely cried to a few of them, which hasn't happened with Trails so far.
I will be continuing onto Crossbell with high expectations.
3rd has decent pacing of things happening the entire time, though that is partially helped by its shorter length. The dungeon structure is preferable to FC's and SC's for me, and there is way less backtracking. It has a complex main character and a personal character-driven story. The combat system is mostly similar to FC and SC, but the way it ties into the story here more often is cool. Most of the 3rd music is the best in the series so far for me, especially the final boss theme and the OP.
Every problem I had with FC and SC have been fixed. Nobody is annoying anymore; a lot of the story is a love letter to the Sky games in general. Hell, some characters are better in this game than the previous ones. I even care more about Joshua and Estelle in 3rd than I did in FC and SC.
It's also got the majority of the emotional and dark moments (especially that one door) of Trails in the Sky. I genuinely cried to a few of them, which hasn't happened with Trails so far.
I will be continuing onto Crossbell with high expectations.
"I see you smiling there so peacefully
And cheerfully talking at me
These happy days must carry on
So once again, let's go back to the start
This goodbye is not the end
I know until we meet again
Our feelings will remain the same
Together as one, ’til we find ourselves again."
This game just grips you from the start and never let's go at all, there is never a part that drags you and you have to force yourself to keep playing, the pacing is amazing, and the traversal is amazing and very atmospheric as always from Xenoblade games. The music was one of my favorites of all time from every track, just absolute beautiful with the way they use the flute motif. The exploration with the environments and the combat is absolutely perfect with no flaws at all in my opinion. Takahashi masterclass from being able to plan this game and execute it to end this trilogy perfectly. This core cast is one of my favorites and I love how character focused it is throughout the whole game. I love Noah and Mio so much, they have my whole heart and their whole story. The stretch of second half Chapter 5 to Beginning of Chapter 6 is one of the best I've experienced and especially the second half of the game as a whole is one of the best in media.
Still letting it sink in as I'm writing this, this is a very personal and emotional story that deals with a lot mature themes such as how we deal with time and how we ever march towards the end of our fleeting lives slowly, how we make use of this time, dealing with tragedy and how we respond to it after it happens and to not lose ourselves when we are in state of pain. To not be afraid of change and to keep moving forward, don't let the past drag you behind and if you keep failing you just keep on going no matter what, making mistakes is part of being human but staying in one place is not the ideal because we have to keep going forward. Overcoming our own past and the courage to face the future. A very personal story of life. Returning to the title screen after finishing this game was just beautiful. This title screen music of Xenoblade 3 is what represents this story. How life goes on and we go through all ranges of emotions through the events we go through in our life as a journey. How we grow as a person and self discovery, how we grow and overcome events in our life that trouble us and how they shape, and how we enjoy our memories with friends and family with a mix of sad times and happy times. How we have to keep going in life no matter what happens. Those final scenes in the finale chapter really got to me, as this sinks in more and more I get more emotionally and personally attached to this game and those specific moments. Where We Belong is one of the greatest songs ever made especially for one of the final scenes in the game ever.
As a person that has gone through a lot of personal events in my life, I find this story very personal and even as I'm writing this, this game is still sinking in after I have finished it. I'm really glad I was able to get into this franchise.
"Just who decided that this was how it should be?"
“You see? This is our path to the future!"
“This the truth of our world. Memories melt in the morning light, and then a new day begins"
“Roads stretch out before us. So many paths. Which do you choose? That's up to you. Sometimes you might run astray. You’ll stop, maybe cry in frustration. But you know, that's alright. For the roads… they go on without end. So look up, face forward, toward your chosen horizon… And just… walk on.”
Thank You Tetsuya Takahashi for this trilogy.
And cheerfully talking at me
These happy days must carry on
So once again, let's go back to the start
This goodbye is not the end
I know until we meet again
Our feelings will remain the same
Together as one, ’til we find ourselves again."
This game just grips you from the start and never let's go at all, there is never a part that drags you and you have to force yourself to keep playing, the pacing is amazing, and the traversal is amazing and very atmospheric as always from Xenoblade games. The music was one of my favorites of all time from every track, just absolute beautiful with the way they use the flute motif. The exploration with the environments and the combat is absolutely perfect with no flaws at all in my opinion. Takahashi masterclass from being able to plan this game and execute it to end this trilogy perfectly. This core cast is one of my favorites and I love how character focused it is throughout the whole game. I love Noah and Mio so much, they have my whole heart and their whole story. The stretch of second half Chapter 5 to Beginning of Chapter 6 is one of the best I've experienced and especially the second half of the game as a whole is one of the best in media.
Still letting it sink in as I'm writing this, this is a very personal and emotional story that deals with a lot mature themes such as how we deal with time and how we ever march towards the end of our fleeting lives slowly, how we make use of this time, dealing with tragedy and how we respond to it after it happens and to not lose ourselves when we are in state of pain. To not be afraid of change and to keep moving forward, don't let the past drag you behind and if you keep failing you just keep on going no matter what, making mistakes is part of being human but staying in one place is not the ideal because we have to keep going forward. Overcoming our own past and the courage to face the future. A very personal story of life. Returning to the title screen after finishing this game was just beautiful. This title screen music of Xenoblade 3 is what represents this story. How life goes on and we go through all ranges of emotions through the events we go through in our life as a journey. How we grow as a person and self discovery, how we grow and overcome events in our life that trouble us and how they shape, and how we enjoy our memories with friends and family with a mix of sad times and happy times. How we have to keep going in life no matter what happens. Those final scenes in the finale chapter really got to me, as this sinks in more and more I get more emotionally and personally attached to this game and those specific moments. Where We Belong is one of the greatest songs ever made especially for one of the final scenes in the game ever.
As a person that has gone through a lot of personal events in my life, I find this story very personal and even as I'm writing this, this game is still sinking in after I have finished it. I'm really glad I was able to get into this franchise.
"Just who decided that this was how it should be?"
“You see? This is our path to the future!"
“This the truth of our world. Memories melt in the morning light, and then a new day begins"
“Roads stretch out before us. So many paths. Which do you choose? That's up to you. Sometimes you might run astray. You’ll stop, maybe cry in frustration. But you know, that's alright. For the roads… they go on without end. So look up, face forward, toward your chosen horizon… And just… walk on.”
Thank You Tetsuya Takahashi for this trilogy.
IT'S PEAK
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.