This past Summer has felt like a giant waste of time. I barely played any video games, barely did much of anything really. Only recently have I been feeling more like myself, and able to sort of interact with the world again. During the Summer, I don’t know if it was depression or what, but I was really insular, not really playing video games, really not interacting with the outside world. Which is a shame, as one of my most anticipated games came out during the Summer, The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie. Instead, I just vegged out for what felt like months and watched old TV on my computer. I don’t think I even turned my TV on for something like 60 days.
Luckily that gloomy period is over, and I am back to being my generally cynical, but pretty happy-self. To that end, I have finally delved deeply into Trails into Reverie. I am over 4-dozen hours in, and as expected I love this game. It quickly became the most bonkers, nonsense-anime game this series has turned out, and I am here for it. It’s not perfect, one big flaw being the sheer scope of the roster. You seem to get every single character ever used in the previous games in your party eventually, as well as new ones. I think I read somewhere that you get over 40 characters in total, which is absolutely insane. Coupled with the massive roster, the game really wants you to grind in the ever evolving dungeon, the Reverie Corridor. This dungeon is…away from the main story for the most part, which could change later, I just don’t know yet. The setup really resembles the main gameplay loop from Trails in the Sky 3rd, being something of a dungeon-crawler setup. Also for those who didn’t play 3rd, think how Tartarus is set up in Persona 3.
Just be forewarned: The game is very grind-heavy. If you don’t like the idea of spending entire play sessions just rotating through a huge cast, making sure the levels of your party are approaching parity, then this may not be the game for you. There are catch-up items that you can get in battle, but relying on those is really not feasible, as the grinding will also make sure you are flush with cash, and have enough materials and accessories for your giant cast.
The story of this game is…great for me, but I have played every game in the series preceding this one. This game may in fact be the worst jumping-off point I have ever seen in a video game series. If you haven’t played every Trails game, you will be lost in some way, if not several, if not totally lost. So far Trails in the Sky seems the least represented, but it’s still there. If you haven’t played the Crossbell duology, and Trails of Cold Steel in its entirety, you will be very confused as to what is going on. For those of you that have taken in all Zemuria has to offer previously however, the story is great, and seems to be something of tying a bow on the current cast, before Falcom gets Kuro no Keseki over to the West. The triple-protagonist system in the game is handled well, controlling the cast (for now) in the main stories. I am almost certain the 3 disparate groups will eventually come together.
The fact you have so many characters lends itself to variety in battle, with many compositions being not only viable, but fun to play. That is a good thing, as the amount of systems layered on top of each other is kind of nuts. There are several gauges, bars, turn orders, orders, etc. I could try to explain it, but without context, it’s useless. It is a lot, and really the culmination of all 3 Trails series coming together. I actually am hoping Kuro no Keseki pares some of this back, being a fresh start in the Zemurian story.
By now, it should be obvious I am a total mark for the Trails series, and I really hope Falcom continues its tradition of getting the games out of Japan, and in front of a more worldwide audience. These games combine a great aesthetic, music, story, and most of all, heart to make a JRPG world that feels lived-in. 11 games into the series and I have to say is all I want is more. I cannot wait to finish this stellar title, and fidget waiting for Kuro no Keseki.
UPDATE: I did finish the game, my impressions hold up. I love this game, and I think anyone who loves JRPGs should give this series a go.
Ray Knows Nothing 