Despite all I've heard over the years, I think this is the weakest "Arc Starter" game (e.g. Trails in the Sky FC, Cold Steel 1, etc.). Not to say that it's bad though, I had a great time in Crossbell! I think the main party is a little underbaked, Lloyd especially feels like proto-Rean in a way I didn't think he would. Randy and Tio are the standouts here, even if Randy is just chillin the whole game with not much to do. (Though that does match his vibe so 😆) I did grow to like everyone by the end though, Tio especially is my fav of the SSS.

But if the main four are a little underbaked, Crossbell city itself is a really fun, well developed setting. Unlike the on foot touring you do in Liberl and Erebonia, having the game based in one big city is just a fun way to reallllly flesh out the place, and talking to the same NPCs each time the story progressed was really fun. As always, there are a lot of fun side characters who show up regularly too, and they’re all very charming and are very integrated into the city in good ways. The slow opening of the surrounding areas and highways works too, and naturally folds into the “rounds” you do between story segments.

The music is solid as always, a couple of standouts and everything else just solid, very typicaly Trails-sound. The actual plot is Fine, I like the contrast of the SSS vs the Bracers, and the story eventually ramps up into some fun stuff that definitely made me excited for Azure. I definitely want more group development (especially poor Elie, please Aidios give her something, anything)

So yeah, a solid Trails game, but not particularly standout to me. Still quite enjoyed myself, because a decent Trails game (especially since this is done so similarly to the Sky style) is still more enjoyable to me than So many other things

ROT13: (Nyfb V pna’g oryvrir gurl qvq Gur Guvat NTNVA. Rira bar bs gur gernfher purfg zrffntrf wbxrf nobhg vg! V jnf va qvforyvrs sbe gur ragver ohvyqhc bs gur ynfg puncgref.)