As someone who was very disappointed by Cold Steel IV this game managed to rekindle a lot of my love for this franchise. I went into it with extremely low expectations and ended up playing over 10 hours a day (on my days off). My enjoyment stemmed in part due to having taken the first real break from the game (having caught up a few days before cold steel IV), and also because of the different structure the game.
Mechanically this game continues the cold steel tradition of adding a new mechanic with united fronts being thrown into the mix. However the real enjoyment of this game for me came from the Reverie corridor and more specifically daydreams. By exploring the corridor you unlock orbs that will let you see flashbacks for members of your party (like the doors in sky 3rd). It was nice actually getting to sit in shoes of characters that normally the game wouldn't focus all its attention on, letting you see side stories from Sky, Crossbell and of course Cold Steel.
Structurally the game is unique compared to other trails games. It allow you to play as three separate parties where you get locked out of them and are forced to play the other parties until they are all caught up, before moving onto the next act. It works in some ways and falls flat in others. Some stories are significantly more interesting than others, leaving (for me) Rean's act to be a slog. C's route was the easy highlight for me.
Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this game and at the time of finishing it (July 2023) its my GOTY. If you like modern trails games you should love this.
Mechanically this game continues the cold steel tradition of adding a new mechanic with united fronts being thrown into the mix. However the real enjoyment of this game for me came from the Reverie corridor and more specifically daydreams. By exploring the corridor you unlock orbs that will let you see flashbacks for members of your party (like the doors in sky 3rd). It was nice actually getting to sit in shoes of characters that normally the game wouldn't focus all its attention on, letting you see side stories from Sky, Crossbell and of course Cold Steel.
Structurally the game is unique compared to other trails games. It allow you to play as three separate parties where you get locked out of them and are forced to play the other parties until they are all caught up, before moving onto the next act. It works in some ways and falls flat in others. Some stories are significantly more interesting than others, leaving (for me) Rean's act to be a slog. C's route was the easy highlight for me.
Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this game and at the time of finishing it (July 2023) its my GOTY. If you like modern trails games you should love this.