Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

TLDR: I just couldn't get invested in the game. The writing kept me out of it for the most part.(If you don't mind that it's a good game) Maybe just not for me. I feel like I am missing something, because the reviews are very good for this game. But I have multiple Issues with the game as of now. (maybe it will get better, but honestly I doubt it). The issues I had are subjective, I feel like the core issue is that I expected too much. __________________________________________________________________ The writing lacks depth in pretty much every aspect. For example your starting location is a former frontline combat-zone of a war between two nations. So you would expect characters and the map to be reflective of those events, but even if you find a small mural or an anecdote I find myself just not invested in the story. It all seems kind of bland. I also have issues with the characters (They basically scream 2000s anime), but given this is a remake of a 2004 game I give it a pass here. The combat system is fun, not too deep, very friendly to newcomers of the genre. I really tried to like the game, but I think it is just not for me. Definitely not a bad game, maybe I expected the game to be something that it never tried to be in the first place. (This will maybe change if I progress further, as of now these are my thoughts)

English : A complete introduction to the Trails series with this game, which seems to be a very good entry point into the saga, especially since the remake of the second installment is already announced for 2026. So, how does this first chapter hold up? Graphically, it’s pleasant but quite modest. The artistic direction uses a rather generic anime game style, which is a shame. Indeed, if we look at the early games, they had a distinct identity of their own. I feel that the game has lost some of its visual identity with this remake. Gameplay, on the other hand, is where the game truly shines. It’s very dynamic, notably thanks to the seamless transition between action gameplay and tactical gameplay. Although the action phase is quite simple, it remains effective: before engaging in combat, you have fun dodging attacks and countering until the enemy is stunned, then switching to tactical mode to chain really stylish combos. The tactical phase is equally dynamic, thanks to real positioning gameplay: you need to avoid enemy AOEs while trying to place yours to hit as many enemies as possible. On top of that, there’s an orb system that strongly resembles the Materia from Final Fantasy VII, allowing you to customize your characters as you wish and give them access to magic. It’s a combination that works really well and is also visually enjoyable thanks to the animations of the different “Arts” (special skills) of the game’s characters. Story-wise, I was sometimes frustrated by the game’s slow pacing. However, this slowness is somewhat compensated by the fact that it gradually allows players to get immersed in the universe, understand how it works, and add background to the various characters. Still, it doesn’t excuse everything, as in the end, it feels more like playing a huge prologue than a proper game with a beginning and an end. Perhaps it would have been wiser to merge the first two installments of the series into a single game to avoid this feeling? All in all, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a game I recommend to any player who enjoys J-RPGs, if only for its really cool gameplay and its charming characters, whom I’m excited to see develop in the second remake coming out next year. ____________ Français : Découverte totale de la licence Trails avec cet opus, qui semble être une très bonne porte d’entrée à la saga, d’autant plus que le remake du deuxième opus est déjà annoncé pour 2026. Alors, que vaut ce premier chapitre ? Graphiquement, on est sur quelque chose de sympathique, mais assez modeste. La direction artistique adopte un style anime game plutôt lambda et générique, ce qui est dommage. En effet, lorsque l’on regarde l’allure des tout premiers jeux, ceux-ci possédaient une identité qui leur était propre. Je trouve que le jeu a perdu en identité visuelle avec ce remake. Niveau gameplay, en revanche, c’est là que le jeu brille véritablement. C’est très dynamique, notamment grâce au passage « seamless » du gameplay action au gameplay tactique. Bien que la phase d’action soit assez simpliste, elle reste efficace : avant d’engager un combat, on s’amuse à esquiver les attaques et à répliquer jusqu’à étourdir l’ennemi, pour ensuite passer en mode tactique et enchaîner des combos vraiment stylés. La phase tactique est, elle aussi, tout aussi dynamique, grâce à un véritable jeu de positionnement : il faut éviter les AOE ennemies tout en essayant de placer les nôtres afin de toucher le plus d’ennemis possible. À cela s’ajoute un système d’orbes, faisant fortement penser aux matérias de Final Fantasy VII, qui nous permet de personnaliser nos personnages à notre guise et de leur donner accès à la magie. Un cocktail qui fonctionne franchement très bien et qui se montre, en plus, très agréable visuellement grâce aux animations des différents « Arts » (compétences) des personnages du jeu. Scénaristiquement, j’ai parfois été frustré par le rythme du jeu, qui est vraiment très lent. Cependant, ces lenteurs sont en quelque sorte compensées par le fait que ce rythme permet d’intégrer progressivement l’univers, de comprendre son fonctionnement et d’ajouter du background aux différents personnages. Cela n’excuse pas tout, car au final, on a davantage l’impression de jouer à un immense prologue qu’à un véritable jeu avec un début et une fin. Peut-être aurait-il été judicieux de fusionner les deux premiers opus de la licence en un seul et même jeu afin d’éviter cette sensation ? Malgré tout, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter est un jeu que je conseille à n’importe quel joueur appréciant les J-RPG, ne serait-ce que pour son gameplay vraiment cool et ses personnages attachants, que j’ai hâte de voir évoluer dans le deuxième remake qui sortira l’année prochaine.

Entered the series this year with this game. It had been a while since I found a good RPG that just hooked me, and this one was it. The gameplay loop is fun, the story is fun, the combat is really fun and well designed. The only complaint I have is that the game does not do the best of jobs of informing you why some things are important: Cooking is an example, the tutorial just makes you think its a system for crafting health and stat boosts for combat, but in reality its a PERMANENT STAT BOOST for each new recipe you craft, and gives you a combat health/stat booster item, and the game is balanced with the idea that you are pursuing these. Beyond that, great game, even the sidequests were fun and felt intuitive to the story, there was no "The world is ending but I have to deliver these 25 acorns" moment, for each area the game gives you a clear and concise break/reasonable pause for the characters in pursuing the main story where it makes sense to go after side quests.

Я рыдал. Жду ремейк второй части

Must play for JRPG enjoyers. Solid remake. This is also the best starting point if you want to try the Trails series. Do note that this is the 1st chapter, 2nd chapter comes 9/17. Climax of story happens in 2nd chapter.

The game is excellent! I love the characters, the gameplay and the story. I never played the original, in fact I didn't know it existed until a friend recommended it. I am glad that he did. Just know if you are going to play it, you are in it for the long haul. The story builds up slowly, but the ending is worth it.

most vastly overrate game of all time. Only weebs that buy this animie jrpg chit predisposed to approving i guess. No: 1) story is written for 5 year olds; 2) EVERY SINGLE character is the exact same, same skills same weapons literally nothing interesting; shockingly bad 3) Itemization, skills, equipment, does not matter at all -- its exactly the same for every single character; 4) no sense of "party" just random encounters with more weebs; 5) world is just literally 1 long linerar tube; 6) tries to do 3d mapping but m.manson had better luck licking his own bumbhole; 7)anime boobs dont even bounce properly. All in all all a ripe pile of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.

Primera vez jugando a la saga y me llevo una experiencia que recordaré para siempre. Podría decir mil cosas, pero solo diré que es una auténtica maravilla a todos los niveles. No me esperaba que me gustara tantísimo de principio a fin; es excelente, lo pondría en mi top 10 de toda la vida. Esperaré con ansias la segunda parte. Recomendadísimo.