Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter PS5 Review
Summary: You can't go much better with an entry point into the long running Trails series, but Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter also stands on its own as a standout RPG experience.
4.1
Happy Trails
Over the years, the Trails series has grown in prominence among JRPG enthusiasts for its decade spanning overarching story, charming characters and top tier world building. As new players flock to the series it can be intimidating to know where to start. The first game in the series came out over 20 years and multiple console generations ago. Even though the series is broken up into multiple arcs it can be hard to follow when a character introduced in 2004 suddenly shows up with little explanation of their significance to the ongoing plot. So for those who can’t tell their Erebonia from their Calvard, their Joshua Brights from their Rean Schwarzers, it is a huge relief that Nihon Falcom have gone all the way back to the beginning and remade the original Trails game and released Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. Another relief? It’s really damn good.
Trails in the Sky 1stChapter tells the story of Estelle Bright and her adopted brother with a mysterious past Joshua. As the story begins they have become junior Bracers (sort of like mercenaries who instead of just killing things also take time to change street lamps and help kids recover lost items) and dedicate themselves to helping those in need. Of course this eventually leads to them being sucked into a globetrotting adventure with a wider conspiracy featuring a colourful cast of characters.
As the opening chapter of the series it is not as plot dense as some of the later games, but do not confuse this with it being slight in the narrative department. The world building in the Trails series is second to none and rewards exploration and revisiting the various locales around the world. Each NPC you can talk to updates their responses throughout the game so as the plot progresses they will have something new to say. In addition to this the banter between the party members is constantly entertaining, even if it is slightly horny sometimes (Not nearly as horny as the Cold Steel series mind you).
There are two major upgrades in the remake. The first is in the visuals. The cute sprites of the PSP era have been transformed into gorgeous cel-shaded graphics that are more in line with the modern Trails games. The character models in particular look fantastic and the cut scene direction conveys the action and drama of scenes perfectly . As for the rest of the game? It’s perfectly charming. Dungeons and world map sections aren’t exactly a feast for the eyes but are perfectly serviceable. It may not stack up to a modern triple A game but fits perfectly with latest games in the Trails series.
The other area that has received a lot of attention is combat. The hybrid real time and turn based model started in Trails Through Daybreak is retained, which certainly makes the game less of a grind. The real time combat aspect is fairly rudimentary, restricted to light attacks, heavy attacks, burst attacks and a dodge. It does have its advantages though, as the real time combat is useful for dispatching weaker enemies without wasting time in proper combat. You can also transition seamlessly from real time to turn based combat, and you will receive certain advantages for executing a real time dodge or burst attack before switching to the turn based mode.
Tactical combat is the turn based version and is where the meat of the combat system lies. The tactical combat system borrows from the best aspects of other leading JRPGs and adds its own twist to it. Turns are ordered similar to Final Fantasy X, and certain actions can delay or speed up turns. Used cleverly you can string together attacks where the enemy barely touches you. Field position also matters in battle, as certain crafts and arts will have a specific area of attack. Some may be able to take out all enemies in a large circle, whereas some may operate in a line. Positioning your heroes in exactly the right place can lead to more efficient attacks and battle bonuses.
Combat is fun, but not groundbreaking. The Trails series has always seemed to realise that the most exciting part of their games is the narrative and worldbuilding so as a result doesn’t get too caught up in deep combat systems. One of the most wonderful things about Trails is its multiple difficulty settings that let you tweak your challenge depending on how much you want to just enjoy the story. Another area that Trails excels in is failure in combat. Instead of booting you back to a previous save point or the start of battle, Trails allows you to retry the battle but lower the difficulty, which curbs frustration and prevents hours of monotonous level grinding.
The rest of the game is pretty much exactly as the original. There is no grand reinterpretation of the story here, no new characters and no new bonus quest lines. There are a few new lines of dialogue and some additional voice acting but otherwise it is a very faithful update with a couple of quality of life upgrades. The most useful one is ‘High Speed Mode’ which adds a zip to everybody’s step that feels more attuned to modern gameplay speeds. The faithfulness of the remake may be a detriment to people who have played the first instalment but I’d imagine that most would be coming to this game having discovered the series from its later instalments. Either way, the game is still as absorbing as it was back in 2004.
Final Thoughts?
As an entry point into a long running and interconnected series, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is an excellent game. Beyond just being a gateway into a larger whole, it is also a JRPG done right. A cast of charming characters anchored by two leads who you want to spend as much time with as possible, a twisty narrative and a combat system that is easy to pick up yet reveals plenty of depth, all the components here shine. With news that the sequel is also receiving the remake treatment, there has never been a better time to dive into the Trails series.
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