Absolutely amazing. The story starts off slow (took about two Chapters for me to really get the nuances of the characters and kind of understand where it was going,) so a bit slower than how Liberl and Crossbell gripped me from the start, but now I've come to absolutely love the depth and unique personalities and complex journeys of every member of Class VII (and the side characters: a notorious Trails hit.) This fleshes out the complex politics and clashing ideals of Erebonia and how it affects the greater continent, all while throwing in conspiracy, mysticism and the further mysteries of the fall of ancient Zemurian civilization into a deep, believable and engrossing tale of self-discovery, strength in the face of absolute conflict and some true coming-together moments that make you cheer. No one is out of place, and some of their backstories are genuinely emotional, but everyone is masterfully woven back into the grand tapestry of Erebonian legacy and the conflict at hand which gives it another level of immersion and the player genuinely giving af about what happens to everyone.
Every time I think the Trails series can't get better, it keeps surprising me. It absolutely cannot be understated how what makes it so special, and where it excels, is the long, continuous narrative that makes it unmatched next to one-off worlds and stories (like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.) You really get to know everyone, they keep showing up all over the place, talked about, etc. three games later, and continue through til the end (from what I understand.) There are definitely slow moments (it's got a bit of that "Talk to everyone, participate in mundane life events" Persona bent to it, so I'm not sure someone who doesn't like that will be able to cut through it to see one of the best examples of writing and character development I have ever seen in a JRPG series.) Kiseki continues to be the gold standard, and it's becoming not even close. Can't wait to see what happens next!!!
Disclaimer: This game runs parallel to the events of mid-Zero and all of Azure, so if you play the Crossbell arc first (which I still highly recommend,) you will go into this knowing the major shifts in power and the big twist events that happen across the continent, just from a very different perspective. It's really cool to see the build-ups in Erebonia, though, while hearing about Crossbell, and definitely makes me ecstatic to know what comes after those huge events. Gonna go back to play more, now, but if you like JRPG's and have never played this series, start with Sky and get hooked and never look back. (Don't play them out of order, or start with this one, because you'll miss so much backstory, build-up and references from previous games that definitely make the gravity and impact of what happens at this point so much better. I couldn't imagine jumping in here and not playing from the start and having so many references and characters completely go over my head.)
EDIT: Everything leading up to the ending up til the ending just had my head spin. I was cheering and my mouth was open the whole time. Good lord, it's so good.
Gameplay order is: Sky 1-3, Zero, Azure, Cold Steel 1-4, Reverie, Daybreak 1 and 2, Horizon+.
