One of the most rewarding ‘pretty good’ games I have ever played.
Original Score Before Backloggd Rounding: 7.5/10 (Good)
Whoever is reading this review is probably seeing it and going, “you loved the game but only gave it a 3.5?”. And while yes, I did thoroughly enjoy the game, and subjectively had a great time with it, from a more objective standpoint the game is far from perfect. That being said, if there was a spectrum, this is one of the highest 3.5 star reviews I’ve given, and is closer to a subjective 8 or even 9.
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is so unbelievably cute and charming on every level. The characters, the setting, the theming, all of it is so earnest, wholesome, and fun. Every time I booted up the game, it was always a delight to join Nayuta and Noi on their journey. The art direction is impeccable, and still holds up today, even all these years removed from the original PlayStation Portable release. The music is absolutely top notch, and features some of my favourite pieces out of any Falcom title in relatively recent memory. The story, while pretty standard for the majority of it's run time, goes off the wall at the end of Chapter 4 and for the rest of the game, possibly even rivalling the excellent final third of Trails to Azure. The game is just a delight to spend time with.
Most of why I think Boundless Trails in the end warrants this score is the gameplay. There’s no real overworld or dungeons to speak of, and the game is instead divided into levels or stages, like any traditional platformer. This means while they do some interesting things with stage conditions, and adding collectibles and replay value to each stage, it also has this disjointed nature to it which disconnects the world. This is especially noticeable when one of the things the Trails subseries is most renowned for is it's worldbuilding. The combat I believe could have also used some tweaking. Falcom’s other flagship series, Ys, also used to have a single playable character, but those games were much faster paced. The games lost a bit of that pace switching to a party formation, but The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is trapped in some weird in-between where it has the design of Ys: The Oath in Felghana and Ys Origin, but pacing more similar to Ys Seven. With a party system implemented, the levels would have had to be redesigned entirely to accommodate, so making the gameplay faster and smoother probably would have been the ideal fix here. It doesn’t always feel the most pleasant to play as is, and can slow down the experience, which is especially frustrating combined with some of the stage conditions required for 100%. Enemies can also hit you as you ascend on platforms, remaining out of sight, or through barriers that you can’t jump over, with you being unprepared to block or evade the attack. That being said, the combat and additional skills and abilities you can learn do keep the gameplay loop interesting, and there's some real fun ones and gems in there.
In conclusion, The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is one of the most pleasant gaming experiences I’ve had in a really long time. It never really attempts to do anything crazy (minus some of the late game revelations, which could very well be key to the future of the Trails/Kiseki franchise), but it does everything with a smile on its face, honest and earnest, and I loved every minute of it. Though I might not have given the game a 4 or 4.5 star score, I do absolutely believe it is worth playing and experiencing, and it is a game I will remember fondly in times to come. This game is absolutely a classic of the PlayStation Portable platform, a celebration of the platform as one of its final games from it's twilight years, a final gasp of greatness before receding into the annals of gaming history.
Original Score Before Backloggd Rounding: 7.5/10 (Good)
Whoever is reading this review is probably seeing it and going, “you loved the game but only gave it a 3.5?”. And while yes, I did thoroughly enjoy the game, and subjectively had a great time with it, from a more objective standpoint the game is far from perfect. That being said, if there was a spectrum, this is one of the highest 3.5 star reviews I’ve given, and is closer to a subjective 8 or even 9.
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is so unbelievably cute and charming on every level. The characters, the setting, the theming, all of it is so earnest, wholesome, and fun. Every time I booted up the game, it was always a delight to join Nayuta and Noi on their journey. The art direction is impeccable, and still holds up today, even all these years removed from the original PlayStation Portable release. The music is absolutely top notch, and features some of my favourite pieces out of any Falcom title in relatively recent memory. The story, while pretty standard for the majority of it's run time, goes off the wall at the end of Chapter 4 and for the rest of the game, possibly even rivalling the excellent final third of Trails to Azure. The game is just a delight to spend time with.
Most of why I think Boundless Trails in the end warrants this score is the gameplay. There’s no real overworld or dungeons to speak of, and the game is instead divided into levels or stages, like any traditional platformer. This means while they do some interesting things with stage conditions, and adding collectibles and replay value to each stage, it also has this disjointed nature to it which disconnects the world. This is especially noticeable when one of the things the Trails subseries is most renowned for is it's worldbuilding. The combat I believe could have also used some tweaking. Falcom’s other flagship series, Ys, also used to have a single playable character, but those games were much faster paced. The games lost a bit of that pace switching to a party formation, but The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is trapped in some weird in-between where it has the design of Ys: The Oath in Felghana and Ys Origin, but pacing more similar to Ys Seven. With a party system implemented, the levels would have had to be redesigned entirely to accommodate, so making the gameplay faster and smoother probably would have been the ideal fix here. It doesn’t always feel the most pleasant to play as is, and can slow down the experience, which is especially frustrating combined with some of the stage conditions required for 100%. Enemies can also hit you as you ascend on platforms, remaining out of sight, or through barriers that you can’t jump over, with you being unprepared to block or evade the attack. That being said, the combat and additional skills and abilities you can learn do keep the gameplay loop interesting, and there's some real fun ones and gems in there.
In conclusion, The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is one of the most pleasant gaming experiences I’ve had in a really long time. It never really attempts to do anything crazy (minus some of the late game revelations, which could very well be key to the future of the Trails/Kiseki franchise), but it does everything with a smile on its face, honest and earnest, and I loved every minute of it. Though I might not have given the game a 4 or 4.5 star score, I do absolutely believe it is worth playing and experiencing, and it is a game I will remember fondly in times to come. This game is absolutely a classic of the PlayStation Portable platform, a celebration of the platform as one of its final games from it's twilight years, a final gasp of greatness before receding into the annals of gaming history.