I swear, One of the first things that got me hooked into this game was the Chest messages. Like I was enjoying the story and the combat early on, but the fact that every single chest I opened had a cheeky little message for me to search out was a really fun thru-line to string me along through the slower setup parts towards the beginning. When you get to a particular dungeon near the end of the 3rd and every single chest you open just blankly states 'this chest is empty', I felt my heart drop into the pit of my stomach. That was legitimately one of the biggest 'oh, shit, this is REALLY serious' moments I've ever had in a video game, and they did it through dumb puns that are purely optional extra content for completionists. Fun fact about those chest messages: In the original Japanese version of the game, every chest just says 'this chest is empty' when you check it, but for some reason the game was programmed with a unique entry for each chest, so somewhere in the dialogue registry is just 'this chest is empty' written 300+ times in a row. When it was getting localized to English, the translation team asked Falcom if it was okay to change them, and Falcom basically said 'yeah do whatever you want', so they started doing the chest messages, and then actively made use of those chest messages to enhance the emotional weight of the story at its climax. Utterly genius.
I loved this one. As far as Ries, she's matured over the game as well, and with the backstory of it not only being an accident but her sister willingly making that sacrifice? Very easy to see why she wouldn't be mad at Kevin, especially knowing her sister's personality and having grown up with both of them.
a certain thing i ve learned with this series s fandom is that generally most of their negativity is very overblown,worst case scenario you re still getting something good with a few flaws here and there (the whole series is really good in general). But if you see the fandom wholeheartedly praising something, then you re in for something really good. 3rd is pretty fun, playable Renne and Richard were great and there s some great story moments with Kevin s character and the doors (Renne s is especially a trip...), looking forward to seeing some Crossbell videos when the official ports come out!
The Renne door is so interesting to me, especially now that Kuro is out... my boyfriend just finished running through the game with the spreadsheet translation, it was a rather fun experience
@@ffdfdfdfdfdfdfdf If he did not, he has missed an very important chunk of info about Renne's past. That door alone made me from a "kind-of-like Renne" to a full supporter of her. The info is also very instrumental (i would say even crucial) on the story part of Renne in Trails From Zero. I advise anyone that want to play the upcoming Trails Of Zero and have somehow missed that door 15, to at least watch that part on RUclips or something. You will glad you did that later on.
Yeah, I don't think he did which sucks since that door alone and the events that happens in the Crossbell, made me think she's one of the best characters in the franchise imo.
I'm shocked that you didn't mention Star Door 15. I was really hoping that you would. Probably some of the more impactful writing in the Trails games as a whole. Completely changes the outlook on Renne as a character.
Creating such a story at all, that handles such a difficult topic with so much grace, let alone with characters we've already come to admire over two games, is a triumph.
3rd is unironically one of the strongest in the entire series. Everything just works, everything pays off or sets up a huge payoff. When I was thinking back to events in 3rd all the way in CS4, I knew this was a masterpiece. Cheers to you enjoying a classic!
Falcom didn't cut corners for Richard's sprite though, his door had an office outfit version of him. Did you not go through all the doors? Also, the gospels were just terminals for the aureole, not the thing itself. Don't confuse that for the septterrions.
The 3rd was amazing. I think a lot of the criticism comes from people who wanted Estelle and Joshua to once again be the main protagonists but Kevin is a great character and the 3rd sets up a a surprising amount of arcs that carried into the next 6 games. Plus that music. The soundtrack is top notch. Thanks for covering these games and giving them the attention they deserve.
I think 3rd puts a bit too much freedom in the players hands to experience it in any way they want. Playing through the mainstory first and doing doors in the final chapter can totally change the experience compared to someone doing doors as they pop up. A few of the doors are also just really bad or badly paced. Ravens door on nightmare is just pain.
um..no it wasn't lol. People didn't like it because its really just not that good of a game, its pretty badly paced, and I love, love the combat in this series but good lord its exhausting and not at all broken up well enough by the story. Most people into he series aren't going to complain about 30 minutes of story, its what you're there for, its not Final Fantasy which is combat interrupted by story, Trails is a story supplemented by some damn great combat and this game showed thats not really a good idea to jus make it. Its not a bad game by any means, but I completely get why fans didn't love it.
The main plot is in the background until near the end of the game. Sky 1 and 2 the main plot picks up 35 to 40% of the way through the game. Here it's around the time you're 80% of the way through the game it starts to pick up. The game is side story/combat heavy by comparison.
Just beat this game for the first time today and I’ve gotta say that it was absolutely amazing! Been enjoying watching your videos as I’ve been working my way through the Trails series.
If you're excited about Sky's soundtrack...oh boy I have a feeling you will LOVE Zero and Azure's! They are easily my favorite soundtracks in the series!
@@ericlegacy8834 inevitable struggle is the other I listen to a lot. I really can’t wait to replay the Duology. Never will turn down an excuse to replay 2 of the all time best JRPGs
Yeah, imo I loved Sky's soundtrack, but Crossbell's soundtrack is at least 10x better hahaha. To date, Azure/Azure Evo is probably my favorite video game soundtrack other than maybe Ys VIII or Great Ace Attorney 2 Resolve
Your channel is just my absolute favorite gaming channel. You aren’t swearing every 5 seconds, which I really appreciate btw and your thoughts on games are literally helping me find more hidden gems that I never knew existed. Thanks brother and God bless you.
it brings me absolute joy to see this video as a trails fan. I'm completely with you on your take, never knew why people said its an optional entry or absolutely hated it or the divide... in fact it feels like a breath of fresh air for me and what made me appreciate the combat even if there's maybe a bit too much of it. Also Get ready for peak trails, Get Ready for Trails From Zero and Trails to Azure! (If you Truly CANNOT wait, maybe you can find the geofront mods hanging around somewhere) but trust me the crossbell duology is something very special. thanks for listening to my ted talk.
One of my favorite series as well. The whole ending in the church and Kevin telling his tale is one of the greatest moments I have ever seen in a video game. I was in tears as well.
It really does. As far as I know, EVERYONE who does star door 15 mentions it at some point. Plus so many aspects that should have colored his perception just weren't there.
@@timschommer8548 I'm about halfway I think, maybe a little more, and now I'm really curious about it. The writing of the stories is already exceptionally high quality, you all say it gets better? God, can't wait
I love 3rd, glad you like it. The way it foreshadows so many things and connects old plot threads together is sooo good, for example the random fact that Cassius learned his staff techniques from Tita's dad. Is it important? No! Is it interesting? Yes!
The Third is my favorite Sky game. After playing 1 and 2, The Third is just a joyride from beginning to end. You get to see the backstory of all the characters as well as several other pieces of what the other sagas were gonna be about and getting to play with every single character (except Kurt for some reason) from the previous games and some additions was very interesting.
This is my new favorite game in the series. a much appreciated darker tone. The game doesn't outstay it's welcome like the second chapter and the doors are superbly done and I want more videogames to have side content similar to them. The music also kicks ass.
I've played every game up until Reverie, and Trails in the Sky the 3rd is still my favorite. You put a lot of my own thoughts into words in this video. It's just so dang good, and I think the people who aren't as big of fans of this game should go back and play it again after they've experienced the other Trails games. There's so many interesting and intricate details that really make this game age like a fine wine, much better than the other Sky games and even Zero/Azure.
The gameplay in 3rd is the absolute best of the Trilogy and I would even say in the franchise. It is not as flashy nor modernlike like in Cold Steel, but it is really well balanced. The only entry on which playing on Nightmare is a delight. Bosses have their own strats, some enemies can only be killed by certain type of magic, positioning is more important, etc. If you want a challenging yet fun and rewarding experience, 3rd on Nightmare is great. Aside from that, it was divisive when it released because people saw it as random filler. Something that, with Crossbell and Cold Steel, proved to be completely wrong. The lore, character development and foreshadowing that 3rd delivers makes it the most important entry in the franchise so far, as it connects all games. It sets up what's going to happen in Crossbell with one of the Doors, why the Sky characters go to Crossbell, it sets up Osborne, the Ironbloods, Ouroboros other members and even its leader., the Stigmas, the Dominions and the Church side. Phantasma and the events that take place there are also mentioned later in the series. The worldbuilding it provides is fantastic and something you will appreciate more if you replay it after finishing Crossbell and Cold Steel. Really glad you like it!
Azure has the best "old trails" gameplay and hajimari the best "new trails" gameplay. 3rd is a nice rpg much more than other trails games but the gameplay loop is still very much locked to doing the 1 broken thing on repeat. Debuff speed, earthwall, cast buffs, earthwall, cast arts, earthwall etc.
Missed that you put this out. Not only is this my favorite Trails game but maybe my favorite game of all time. That story is so good. Kevin is my favorite protag in the series. I love it.
My only real complaint about this game, and it's minor because I love it, is that you get a feeling that some of the doors should have been opened before certain story beats, so when you go back to look at the doors you realize how much impact is lost. As an example, Anelace is one of my favorite characters, and due to her not having much presence in future arcs I really wanted to soak up as much of her as possible. But her only story development, that being her receiving the sword from Cassius and winning against Alan, was dampened when it was revealed in chapter 6, because I didn't find her door in chapter 4. Also, you miss certain game mechanics from newer installments when playing this game. For example, Joshua, Scherazard, and Anelace all had the potential to be evasion tanks, but this game was before counters. Due to this being an older game, some of the crafts seem redundant because the effects don't have the same variety. Newer games give you reasons to use older crafts in specific situations, but characters like Mueller have several crafts that essentially act the same for the most part. As a result, almost all of the sword wielding characters play the same.
Really good take. This is actually my favorite Sky game by a long shot. And in fact it's because of story not gameplay lol though the gameplay is good too. I think you touched at many of my favorite aspects of Sky the Third. My favorite parts of Sky the Third are Door 15, Door 14, and the final parting scene. Truly excellent stuff. There are a few other scenes like Joshua and Estelle's childhood + some other really good parts, but IMO what set this game apart for me and what started to make Renne my favorite character in the series was Star Door 15 (at the bottom of Gehenna) + the parting scene ... just ... truly some of the best writing I've ever seen.
The entire story is such an amazing spiritual journey of the characters growing, and surpassing their barriers and fears. Most of all surprising is how much it focused on trauma and how it can effect people, and how facing and processing trauma can help you move forward in life. Kevin and Renne are parallels in their struggle to live with severe trauma and seeing them both grow was both heartbreaking and wholesome. Just such a treat to see this level of writing in general, nevermind a video game.
Kloe still having doubts about her place and heritage gets to interact with a literal AI construct of her ancestor that sealed the Septerrion Richard gets to lay his old life as colonel finally to rest by finally besting his mentor which allows him to move forward with his new civilian life Estelle and Joshua get to have their peace with Lowe and continue their bonding with Renne And this is just a quick recap from the top of my head. Such a fucking treat.
After long last this game taught me the combat system abd how the whole materia system works. the first two games in the sky trilogy i didn't understand and restart but this game i told myself i was going to learn the combat and now that i am near the end of the story of 3rd chapter i finally understand it. I laugh at myself for not look into the note book and not look at the intrustions on how it works
Yeah that "I like it!" got an instant sub. Was my favourite game in the series for years - until I played Ao. I envy you that you still have that to look forward to :)
Literally my favourite game in the series, People are unreasonably hard on this game imo. The dungeon crawling is far from boring and the stories are 10/10.
The stories and the writing in this game man... I was shocked it's so good most of the time, from the dialogues to the short stories, the writing is top tier and far more high quality than the previous two games.
@@Thuxo I was fearing this monotone dungeon crawler with a filler side story about Kevin which didn't interest me. What I found instead was a more complete experience with better structure and writing, a shock. It feels like a high fantasy book, which they obviously went for from day 1 with dividing everything to chapters including a prologue, but it still fell into the clichés of JRPG, while you still have that in the 3rd, it has better structure, better pacing, less bloat and it feels more bookish than previous attempts.
I'm a 3rd defender through and through. Its the most refined form of Sky's combat with truly essential world building that lays the foundation for the larger story of Zemuria past Liberl. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent video. I only just finished The 3rd myself about 8 months ago, so it's still rather fresh on my mind. Some wonderful thoughts on the characters and the gameplay. I agree with your overall assessment - I really enjoyed the both the structure of the game, as well as the battles. One thing you didn't talk too much about - Kevin as the protagonist, in contrast with Estelle and to a lesser degree Joshua. I definitely thought he was a fascinating choice - certainly not your typical JPRG protagonist. Very much looking forward to playing the Crossbell games myself and have already preordered the deluxe edition of the first one. I already have a rough idea of some of the story stuff from Cold Steel III and IV, but it's going to be great to actually play through this arc, and then Reverie when it comes out and get the coda to it all.
I just recently played this game for the first time and it was without question my favorite one of the trilogy. The doors were really great and well organized. They added to everyone's personal stories very well. The combat was delicious as always. Truly an addicting romp from beginning to end.
With the amount of games all with so many things in common, I understand and expect that they will have to try different things and not just do 100% the same thing all the time with only the storying changing. Most things people don't like about any of those games I take it as "well a lot will also like it and it's to be expected that they change things up and take risks". I appreciate that they do that and don't play it as safe (and cheap) as possible.
My favorite in the trilogy, Kevin and Ries are amazing in this game and Renne's backstory is probably the most heartbreaking moment in the series for me.
I'm am currently playing the game (new to the trails series), I had my fears with Kevin being the main and the fact the actual saga ends with the second chapter, and all the "dungeon crawler" theme, but half way through I can honestly say it is the better of the three, I'll even risk and say, it's better by a wide margin, it's just far better. The first thing I'll say, the way the dungeon crawling is built is way better. The way the world in the two previous ones is built is technically like dungeons with the roads, and the game made you backtrack so much with side quests that were sometimes boring, but you felt you had to go through all of them to get strong enough. It was bad enough in the first, but SC had almost all the previous maps and they kept throwing you quests that made you backtrack again and again through areas you've seed way too many times, it was exausting and felt like bloat way too many times. In the 3rd game the dungeon crawling is reduced to meat only, which doesn't leave you exhausted. It really isn't different in the structure, only feels less bloated. The story/ies and writing - while I loved the story in the first two games, it was typical JRPG. had its pros and cons, sometimes had me emotional and I really grown attached to the characters, but it also had a lot of mediocre JRPG style cheezines to it. The 3rd has some too, but something in the structure and writing just felt more high quality, it sometimes felt like reading a book. The world building through some side stories and dialogues felt brilliant, I didn't expect seeing it in the game: things like olivier and Osborne, the report from the church, the academic piece on the Epstein foundation etc... you had a lot of stories, and very very good one, it ranged from heartfelt ones, cheerful, mysterious and a lot of them were great, I was really invested in so many, it felt sometimes like I am reading a successful fantasy book rather than text from game. The main story so far is also interesting and Kevin's in general, it feels the pacing is just right, which I think the game also does better. All and all, this game feels like it improved every aspect of the previous ones and delivers amazing storytelling, while giving you closure for the characters and building a world for the next games. I was afraid at first, didn't expect the game to mesmerize me.
For the thing with Ries, what happened was years ago, and the instant it happened, Kevin pretty much disappeared from her life. In a way, she always knew what had transpired, just not why. She spends a LOT of the game raking Kevin over the coals. That moment is the moment where she finally understands that Kevin's been torturing himself for years over his guilt. She spent the entire buildup, hell, pretty much the entire game being abrasive towards him. She clearly knows stuff is up, but can't broach the topic and can't bring herself to. So having it all spill out like that, well, there's nothing she can do or say that Kevin hasn't already done to himself.
phillip the butler was such a perfect boss fight for me. they hinted very coyly every time you ran into him, that he "wasn't just some old man" and when you finally fight him, he really wasn't a royal guard for nothing.
People all kind of have their favorite sky entries depending on what they value most. 3rd for character and combat, second for story, first for world building because those are the things I think each entry dose the best. First Chapter is actually my favorite of the three despite most people not liking it as much as second.
I absolutely agree. while I think they are all very good, a persons ranking of these titles very much depends on what they value most in an rpg or perhaps even a Trails game. 3rd did a really great job with its combat, Kevin's story, and setting the next arcs up. Its easy see why many rate it so highly and Id agree that in some ways its the best at least in the sky arc maybe the series. It's still my least favorite in the series though because I felt like a big piece of trails world building was missing from it by taking place in a linear dungeon and not having the freedom to explore the world and get to know its people.
Yesss this game was a banger, happy to hear you enjoyed it! Now we're in the same boat, having played the Sky games and Cold Steel 1 and 2! September gonna be great :D
3rd has some of the strongest soundtracks. From the air of mystery of Recluse Cube to the feeling of utter despair in Stairway to Gehenna. By far my favorite Trails game when it comes to soundtracks. I guess what people don't like about it is the lack replayability. No one plays a dungeon crawler more than once I should think and the Doors can be viewed online anytime just like reaching for a book from your bookcase
That's interesting that you heard this game is controversial, I've only ever seen love for it in my bubble of Trails fandom. I can see why it would be though, with the dungeon crawling focus and reused assets. I think it's a really special game. It has the smallest script in the series by far, but the writing has an incredible density to it. I love how much they do to flesh out the characters, and the foreshadowing is insane. Third only gets more mindblowing the further you get into the series! I'm looking forward to your eventual video on Zero!
In regards to getting a "boxed copy", I don't think this game ever had an official physical release in English. So it's no big loss. The digital version you can get on Steam was the first English release, in 2017, 10 years after the game came out in Japan. I love that this game is dungeon and combat focused. Sky FC and SC's combat may not have been good enough to base a whole game around, but The 3rd is a massive improvement. Physical attacks are actually good now, the underpowered party members from FC and SC got massive buffs (except Josette...), Chain Crafts are hugely improved, you get higher-level Quartz (and therefor the actually fun Arts) much earlier, Hard and Nightmare difficulty are actually balanced (they were an afterthought in SC and clearly not playtested well), everything just works. And I never got bored with the dungeons because the music is so good. This game has some of my favourite dungeon tracks in any videogame, even the FIRST one, Jade Corridor, is one I keep going back to. I like to call Trails exp scaling the equivalent of rubber-band AI in racing games: characters who are behind get massive exp until they're caught up. I prefer this to the Cold Steel games' trend of auto-levelling the party after plot milestones, as here you still feel like you have some agency. Richard and Renne are so broken but so fun. I think the reason why is that The 3rd's approach to party balancing is "when everyone's broken, no-one is", so while both of them are slightly better, they don't exactly invalidate anyone else. Fast travel also makes the chest trophy much easier, as very few things are missable now. I like to think of The 3rd Doors as tying up loose ends in SC's character arcs. Of course some of them, like Star Door 8, are also blatant sequel teases. "Reused assets: the game" is actually a big part of why I ended up loving it so much, as I went in with very low expectations due to the reused assets, and was blown away by the soundtrack being almost entirely new and the combat feeling so good. They easily could've made this a cheap rush-job, but it had a lot more care put into it than you'd expect. So Ries' reaction... I actually really liked it, since what you'd expect is her being angry over Kevin killing her sister, but instead she instantly understands it was an accident, and what she's really upset about is that Kevin hated himself over it for so long and never told her. Kevin was the closest person to her growing up and they definitely had one of those "I know you better than you know yourself" relationships. Her reaction is more like... how would you feel if you found out your closest friend had suffered from severe depression and self-harming tendencies for years and never let on. I find Sky the 3rd has a lot of commentary on mental health and that everyone has someone who'll support them if they open up, even if they think they're alone. Kevin saw himself as a monster for so long and didn't want to "burden" anyone with his problems, but all that did was make things worse. (Everything dangerous about Phantasma was born from Kevin's self-hatred, since his "wish" was to go to hell and suffer for eternity) Something great about Kevin and Ries' story is how, after getting Chapter 7 and learning what's really going on, you view all their dialogue in a different light on replays. Especially everything about Kevin being in denial and Ries calling him out on it. Manifestations of emotions always appeal to me too. Overdosing Heavenly Bliss (the boss theme for Philip and others) is one of the best tracks ever. Glad you liked this game so much, this is my personal favourite game in the series so far.
A great thing about the Trails Series is the how the world feels alive. As the story progresses, so do all the NPC dialogue, the quests you are able to complete, items you can collect all change, and that's ignoring the fact that NPC's normally have at least 2 dialogues, and can get up to 4, at a time outside of cutscenes. Sky The Third is basically "Sky, the Extended Epilogue". It's got a good story, sure, but it's missing the detailed, expressive and incredible world that is the calling card of the entire series. It's like if you go to an Ice-cream Shop that specialises in Banana Splits, and you love all their Banana Splits, and you go and order the newest ice-cream desert they have, only to find out when it's served that it's not a Banana Split. It's still great Ice-cream, and if you weren't expecting a Banana Split you would love it... but you were expecting a Banana Split and that disappointment taints the entire experience in a negative light. Also, I believe that the haters only go so far as to say that Sky The Third is the "Worst of the Series so far". Given that these people also consider the series as a whole to be up to SSS+ Tier, and the "Worst" of the series can be considered an A- Tier (maybe B Tier for those who despise dungeon crawlers), you have to take what's said negatively about it like a pinch of salt for that delicious steak dinner you were served.
Imo the other aspects of third more than make up for the missing NPC dialogue. Like I love the NPC dialogue and it's one of my favorite aspects in the series, but IMO the doors are so good they blow everything in SC out of the water. Star door XV is just peak tier
@@Thuxo I was basically stating the singular reason why people consider it the worst game of the series. It's why I used the example of getting something that's still great, but not quite what you were hoping for/expecting, resulting in your reaction being tinged by disappointment. Hell, the Banana Split example I used is perfect, because the only thing major thing missing from the bowl of ice-cream to make the banana split is a banana, but the lack of that banana still makes you more disappointed than if you were just expecting a bowl of ice-cream. I also used a Tier Rating, with the series as a whole (and the best game in the series as a whole) being SSS+ Tier for those who disparage Sky the Third, while Sky the Third is merely A- Tier to those people. Still great, but missing something that's considered vital, if not core, to many of the series' fans.
@@dariusdrake7515 Yeah, I understand what you're saying. I'm just saying I don't agree with the perspective because it only makes sense if NPC dialogue is your main priority. It is one of the things I love most in the series, but the plot and characters are leagues higher in third as well as the foreshadowing for future games and tying up of past plot threads. Heck, it foreshadows as far ahead as Kuro no Kiseki and beyond. Star Door XV does not exist in FC or SC and for that reason alone, Sky the Third is better.
As a Trails fan that started with Cold Steel 1 and 2 then went back to the beginning, Third easily ranks as my favorite entry in the Sky Trilogy. A good number of people declare SC to be their favorite from this arc, but the typical Trails build-up pacing almost works to that game’s detriment. People complain often about the pacing of the final hours in Cold Steel 2, but Chapter 8 of SC has the pacing grind to a halt just before the finish line (for admittedly sensible reasons) and it’s part of why I place that game below this one. At the same time, Sky the Third only works because of what the first two games established. By this point, you already know how to play and you are familiar with almost every major character in Third already with the exception of the newly-introduced Ries. Third streamlines the Sky gameplay while using the doors to explore the characters in ways not possible in the prior games, and the main narrative unravels Kevin and Ries’ complex relationship with Rufina Argent.
I started out playing Cold Steel without doing too much research about the series overall. After I finished the 3rd I went back and played Sky and the Crossbell Arc. After that I’ve gone back to Cold Steel 1 and the experience is so much deeper and awesome. Really excited to play the rest of the Cold Steel series. The worldbuilding in this series may never be replicated in a game series
My take on Ries was that she was always tired of being abandoned by the people closest to her: Rufina and Kevin. The two of them went away for a long time to do work for the church, and then when the three of them were finally supposed to be reunited, Ries was attacked and ends up in a coma, only to wake up to find that her sister had died and Kevin had started isolating himself from her. I felt so bad for Ries when I learned this, as I could only imagine how lonely she must have felt through all of it. You can really see how sad it is for her when halfway through the game she decides to leave the party for a bit, because it's clear that Kevin has no problem making friends with everyone from Liberl. Meanwhile, he had gone years without even contacting Ries at all. I think being abandoned by Kevin during all that time might have hurt just as bad as when she lost her sister. I also think that Ries had kind of accepted her sister's death, and she had kind of moved past any grief and or anger she would have felt about it (5 years had passed after all). It makes sense to me that in the moment of learning the truth, she would be more angry at Kevin trying to isolate himself from Ries again, especially knowing that he was carrying such a large burden on his own. All this time, Ries would have wanted to be there for Kevin and help him through his grief and guilt, but of course, she was left in the dark once again, just as she always was. At the end of the day, I think Ries just wanted to feel included. Which is why at the end of the game, it's really important for her to help Kevin pull the crossbow trigger. She wasn't going to be left behind or left in the dark any longer. She was going to help Kevin and stand by his side, no matter how tough the situation may be. I thought it was a really awesome ending for her character.
Personally I think this game focused a little too much on its dungeon design and I wished it was more story focused especially since the stuff with Kevin & Reis is honestly really interesting. However the doors that you find along the way definitely make up for it. And thankfully the story picks up once you get to Chapter 7. Overall while it’s not my favorite trails game, it’s still really good. Seriously the constellation doors are probably done of my favorite video game mechanics ever. Which is why I’m super excited to play Reverie once that gets localized which I’ve heard has a similar mechanic
To begin with i didnt like the style but i ended up loving it. Especially after seeing all the memories damn i really did enjoy it and all the background info of characters. And the Renne one shocked the hell out of me. The fact that the locations change a lot make it fresh and all the characters to choose from is awesome . And the LORE
Your videos on this game series has gotten me into the Trails series. I want to watch this video......but I'm still on the first game. Will have to wait until I catch up I guess.
Yo Tita is busted this game. Loved using her. One of hardest things is behind one of the doors you have to fight Leowe AND Cassius. It was soooo hard. Idk how anyone could dislike it tho the lore and characters and gameplay make the game
Did you did the side story doors? You only mention fights in this video? Especially the doors with Renne, Olivier and the one with Campanella and the enforcers?
I feel like this game started brilliantly but once I found out it was a dungeon crawler I got disappointed because I'm not a fan of those however the addition of those doors definitely helped enhance the story and keep me happy. Definitely had an amazing intro and ended really well and now I'm so excited to continue.
When you say the aureole is a gospel I think you mean it's a Septerrion, which is a divine artifact, basically the highest class of in universe mystical objects they call Artifacts. Gospels are those smaller artifacts that function as conduits to the Aureole that power it and let people interface with it (at least from my understanding).
I’ll never understand the hate. Even if you don’t like Kevin but still feel obligated to play it as part of the greater Trails story, the game is pretty short in comparison, with little side content and like 99% less NPC dialogue than other Trails games, so it’s super easy to get through. But if you do like Kevin then it’s a treat, you get to see his inner struggles while also seeing the Sky cast as a whole spend time and grow together. Also, I’d highly recommend reading some of the supplementary material between 3rd and Zero, some characters who you’ll meet later get their real first introduction in a very short manga that shows what Estelle and Joshua are up to between now and then. There’s also a Loewe POV manga that’s pretty good as well.
For playing all except hajimari (so it might change) 3rd is still my favorite of the series and really up there for jrpgs. I will say it depends how fine are you with text I guess, but to me it was enthralling to read My favorite will still be the mission report of Cassius Bright. It makes Cassius cooler, lays out his importance, and the growing issues and tensions of Erobonia. If you play on pc. I would recommend putting the voice mods if anyone decided to play. It's not mandatory of course, but there is the voice performance and the added fun of voice rolls carries over. So in the games when you recognize the voice before seeing them, it makes it feel cool. Especially when they don't tell you who they are, but you know (forgot to mention the voice is only JP. So if your fine with that)
The setting in which this game takes place is very important for the continuity of the series, its very fundamental. I think its the bridge for starting the Crossbell duology and Cold Steel, its probably important for Trails of Reverie, and the current sequels.
Your brain is right for wanting Crossbell, that arc has some of my favourite story moments in the series! There's one chapter that made me feel SO MUCH EMOTION, actually scratch that a lot of them just 1 sticks out the most and still causes ripples rn at Cold Steel 3
The only problem I had with 3rd is the lacking of town and route exploration, talking to NPCs and stuff. Great game, great storyline, very important lore... You cannot skip it. Imho Crossbell gets even better, it's amazing to see those games coming out in the west very soon.
Nope, that's exactly what makes it amazing. Straightforward Trails goodness. No more wasting your time talking to a million npcs, doing quests or walking around lots. Just straight up banger music, great combat and hugely important lore sections as well as character development sections.
It kinda distills it down to quality over quantity. Instead of having 50 irrelevant NPCs you have your 16 party members to check up on throughout the game.
I'm commenting for the algorythm but won't watch the whole thing BECAUSE I decided to jump in on this series. I decided to only try Trails in the Sky and slowly see if I do want to commit to the series or not. I hear some love it while others hate it. But I wanna try it myself!
I really want to watch this but I'm stalling on the last chapter because I want/need to finish all the doors. Is the last chapter/ending spoiled in the video?
I think I'd say that 3rd is my personal favorite game in the series, at least of the Trails games I've played so far(I've played all of Sky, both XBell games, CS1, and am currently halfway through CS2) For me by far the strongest aspect of the Trails series imo is the character writing(well, at least through XBell. Personally I'm actually not really a fan of the CS games so far), so if you started with Sky and have made it through SC I don't get why you wouldn't want to play through 3rd. It acts as both an excellent epilogue for FC and SC while also giving you a fantastic self contained story centered around Kevin I get that not everyone is into dungeon crawlers, and I do think that it feels a bit more gameified than FC and SC, but 3rd just has such amazing character writing that I don't care about those flaws. I fell in love with Sky/Trails because of how well done the characters are, so to spend more time with them was all the reason I needed to pickup 3rd, and I'm glad I did because at least for me, I found my favorite video game ever in 3rd. Sky was just such an amazing experience, and 3rd was a perfect end to it for me
One of my fav Trails games along with Cold Steel 3, definitely is fresh of air to the series, since you dont have alot of random NPCs to talk in the game everything can feel more focus, even the side content (in this case the Doors), the music is one of the strongest in the series too. I'm kinda intriged for trying out Trails into Reverie since will have a more unconventional approach to its narrative and will be both a epilogue for the games prior and a bridge to the rest of the serie, which is pretty similar to the 3rd. If you cant wait for Zero I would say that you should play other Falcom games, my recommendation is Ys 8, even if is not nearly as text heavy as trails, the story is pretty much more Falcom goodness, the Ys game does have a overaching plot like trails, but is very minimal and most of the time inconsequential as a series
Turbo mode is the best decision a game can give, i use cheat engine for games that don't have them. The 3rd is indeed the best combat focused, and u can stop the game easily since most of the cutscene is told in the doors and not suddenly get thrown in a chat cutscene of 20+ mins when u wanted to stop playing for the day. btw, are you playing the crossbell arc in PSP version or the upcoming remastered?
I ended up playing Sky 3rd out of order(Sky FC/SC > Cold Steel 1/2/3 > Sky 3rd), and I loved how much detail and foreshadowing there is in this game. It's bizarre to say this, but I think this game is BETTER when you play it out of order, compared to other games in the series. Mainly because of how much easier it is to spot said foreshadowing and appreciate those details when you do. Of course, I'd never recommend a new player to play them the way I did, because it took myself a bit of convincing to go back and play the 3rd initially(even though it ended up being one of my favorite games in the series, haha).
I dont understand why people hate the 3rd and some even suggest skipping it or consider it optional. Its phenomenal and a necessary part of the overall trails narrative
I clicked on this expecting a reaction to Star Door 15, and judging from the comments, I guess that didn't happen. Ah, well. With enough comments talking about it I'm sure it might pique is curiosity, but a warning: If you ever do check to see what's behind that door, know that you'll come to hate the word Paradise afterwards.
Glad you liked it. Personally, there are aspects of 3rd I like, but it's definitely my least favorite Trails game. I found the combat and dungeon-crawling to be too tedious and repetitive to deal with - by the time I was partway through Chapter 6 in particular, I just wanted the game to be over. I actually ended up dropping the game for awhile because I was burnt out - I didn't feel that way with any other Trails game I've played. Thankfully they eventually patched in Turbo, which helped encourage me to return to it. That helped me push through to the end, which I'm glad I did. I still consider it my least favorite game in the series, though.
Just finished this on the Steam Deck. I have to agree, it is the best game of the three. It is so streamlined compared to the other two games, you just buy all your stuff from one place in the main hub and fast travel to everything. You get to choose your team as well, which is really fun. Only parts I didn't like were when you had to run around at the Jenis Academy looking for stuff... I never want to see that place again. :D The story is well written and believable, even if it has a lot of tropes in it I just buy all of it. Now, on to Zero. :)
It's nice if you don't care about the world. Which was the main strength of the previous games I mean, i like the gameplay, but not enough to spend 50+ hours wading trough the same dungeon.
I literally just started this game 2 days ago. Its a little weird, but the scenes are great, and the new songs are the best in the series so far(only played Sky arc)
I'm going to assume, since you did not mentioned it, you did not reach star door #15. I would love to see your actual reaction to the first time you watch it. One of the true times I can say my jaw was legit wide open while watching this cutscene. Edit: forgot to mention, I've played every game in this series so far up to CS4 and the Crossbell arc (Zero and Azure) is still my favorite! I'm actually jealous that you get to experience it for the first time. Good luck and enjoy !
The sky trilogy is amazing. it would be awesome if they came to the PlayStation or even the switch. i’ll definitely replay them again. Can’t wait for the cross bell series
Its not likely since Falcom switched localized teams from XSeed to NIS America after Cold Steel 2. Meaning NISA does not own the rights to the translations of the Sky Trilogy or Cold Steel 1 & 2. Thats why the only Trails games on Switch are Cold Steel 3 and 4, with Cold Steel 1 and 2 being absent. Because Xseed no longer has the publishing rights to Trails and NISA doesn't own XSeed's translations we're not likely to see Sky or CS 1 and 2 unless they were redone by NISA which would be very expensive and probably not financially worth it.
Having played all the games in the series except Zero & Azure, and second half of Kuro, I can assure you that you're in for one hell of a ride 😃 I honestly enjoyed 3rd, but SC was definitely the highlight of the Sky trilogy for me.
I don't want to watch this yet, as I'm still going through this game and don't want to see which characters show up. So far though, after two games of epic trekking across the continent, it's refreshing to just fight my way through these dungeons, try out all the series' characters, and enter the doors when I'm in the mood for some exposition. Also, Kevin as a protagonist is charming and I'm already interested in what the story will reveal about his own character. It's great to hear you enjoyed this trilogy!
I love 3rd. I had a great time with it. Every bit as great as any other entry.
I never had any problems with it. I thought it was great.
I swear, One of the first things that got me hooked into this game was the Chest messages. Like I was enjoying the story and the combat early on, but the fact that every single chest I opened had a cheeky little message for me to search out was a really fun thru-line to string me along through the slower setup parts towards the beginning.
When you get to a particular dungeon near the end of the 3rd and every single chest you open just blankly states 'this chest is empty', I felt my heart drop into the pit of my stomach. That was legitimately one of the biggest 'oh, shit, this is REALLY serious' moments I've ever had in a video game, and they did it through dumb puns that are purely optional extra content for completionists.
Fun fact about those chest messages: In the original Japanese version of the game, every chest just says 'this chest is empty' when you check it, but for some reason the game was programmed with a unique entry for each chest, so somewhere in the dialogue registry is just 'this chest is empty' written 300+ times in a row. When it was getting localized to English, the translation team asked Falcom if it was okay to change them, and Falcom basically said 'yeah do whatever you want', so they started doing the chest messages, and then actively made use of those chest messages to enhance the emotional weight of the story at its climax. Utterly genius.
The chest messages are so great. Such a nice touch and I wish other games had more fun little things like that
I loved this one. As far as Ries, she's matured over the game as well, and with the backstory of it not only being an accident but her sister willingly making that sacrifice? Very easy to see why she wouldn't be mad at Kevin, especially knowing her sister's personality and having grown up with both of them.
I also assume she had a suspicion in one way or another about what sort of thing was up
a certain thing i ve learned with this series s fandom is that generally most of their negativity is very overblown,worst case scenario you re still getting something good with a few flaws here and there (the whole series is really good in general). But if you see the fandom wholeheartedly praising something, then you re in for something really good.
3rd is pretty fun, playable Renne and Richard were great and there s some great story moments with Kevin s character and the doors (Renne s is especially a trip...), looking forward to seeing some Crossbell videos when the official ports come out!
Door 15 oof
The Renne door is so interesting to me, especially now that Kuro is out... my boyfriend just finished running through the game with the spreadsheet translation, it was a rather fun experience
The fact he didn’t talk about Star Door 15 surprises me so much, genuinely one of the most well written scenes i’ve seen in any game period.
im guessing he didnt open it.
@@ffdfdfdfdfdfdfdf If he did not, he has missed an very important chunk of info about Renne's past. That door alone made me from a "kind-of-like Renne" to a full supporter of her. The info is also very instrumental (i would say even crucial) on the story part of Renne in Trails From Zero.
I advise anyone that want to play the upcoming Trails Of Zero and have somehow missed that door 15, to at least watch that part on RUclips or something. You will glad you did that later on.
Yeah, I don't think he did which sucks since that door alone and the events that happens in the Crossbell, made me think she's one of the best characters in the franchise imo.
I clicked this video looking to see his reaction to Star Door 15 and he didnt open it? bummer...he missed a lot!
One haven't finished Sky trilogy if one haven't opened Star door 15
The loved how much background the doors provided here. And star door 15 BROKE ME FOR DAYS
I'm shocked that you didn't mention Star Door 15. I was really hoping that you would. Probably some of the more impactful writing in the Trails games as a whole. Completely changes the outlook on Renne as a character.
Creating such a story at all, that handles such a difficult topic with so much grace, let alone with characters we've already come to admire over two games, is a triumph.
3rd is unironically one of the strongest in the entire series. Everything just works, everything pays off or sets up a huge payoff. When I was thinking back to events in 3rd all the way in CS4, I knew this was a masterpiece.
Cheers to you enjoying a classic!
Facts
Falcom didn't cut corners for Richard's sprite though, his door had an office outfit version of him. Did you not go through all the doors?
Also, the gospels were just terminals for the aureole, not the thing itself. Don't confuse that for the septterrions.
he clearly didnt.
The 3rd was amazing. I think a lot of the criticism comes from people who wanted Estelle and Joshua to once again be the main protagonists but Kevin is a great character and the 3rd sets up a a surprising amount of arcs that carried into the next 6 games. Plus that music. The soundtrack is top notch.
Thanks for covering these games and giving them the attention they deserve.
I think 3rd puts a bit too much freedom in the players hands to experience it in any way they want.
Playing through the mainstory first and doing doors in the final chapter can totally change the experience compared to someone doing doors as they pop up.
A few of the doors are also just really bad or badly paced. Ravens door on nightmare is just pain.
um..no it wasn't lol. People didn't like it because its really just not that good of a game, its pretty badly paced, and I love, love the combat in this series but good lord its exhausting and not at all broken up well enough by the story. Most people into he series aren't going to complain about 30 minutes of story, its what you're there for, its not Final Fantasy which is combat interrupted by story, Trails is a story supplemented by some damn great combat and this game showed thats not really a good idea to jus make it. Its not a bad game by any means, but I completely get why fans didn't love it.
The main plot is in the background until near the end of the game. Sky 1 and 2 the main plot picks up 35 to 40% of the way through the game. Here it's around the time you're 80% of the way through the game it starts to pick up. The game is side story/combat heavy by comparison.
@@brya9681 it was good and that your opinion and let other people enjoy it
Just beat this game for the first time today and I’ve gotta say that it was absolutely amazing! Been enjoying watching your videos as I’ve been working my way through the Trails series.
If you're excited about Sky's soundtrack...oh boy I have a feeling you will LOVE Zero and Azure's! They are easily my favorite soundtracks in the series!
Get over the barrier is a song I play during raid night in FFXIV
@@ichigo9171 It's such a great song! Firm Strength is also on my list of favorites!
@@ericlegacy8834 inevitable struggle is the other I listen to a lot. I really can’t wait to replay the Duology. Never will turn down an excuse to replay 2 of the all time best JRPGs
thank god
Yeah, imo I loved Sky's soundtrack, but Crossbell's soundtrack is at least 10x better hahaha. To date, Azure/Azure Evo is probably my favorite video game soundtrack other than maybe Ys VIII or Great Ace Attorney 2 Resolve
Your channel is just my absolute favorite gaming channel. You aren’t swearing every 5 seconds, which I really appreciate btw and your thoughts on games are literally helping me find more hidden gems that I never knew existed. Thanks brother and God bless you.
Loving your retro rebound channel, especially your 'this is why I'm buying/playing' style series
3rd is one of my all-time favorites. It made me care so much.
And oh god, when that ending song plays.
it brings me absolute joy to see this video as a trails fan. I'm completely with you on your take, never knew why people said its an optional entry or absolutely hated it or the divide... in fact it feels like a breath of fresh air for me and what made me appreciate the combat even if there's maybe a bit too much of it.
Also Get ready for peak trails, Get Ready for Trails From Zero and Trails to Azure! (If you Truly CANNOT wait, maybe you can find the geofront mods hanging around somewhere) but trust me the crossbell duology is something very special. thanks for listening to my ted talk.
One of my favorite series as well. The whole ending in the church and Kevin telling his tale is one of the greatest moments I have ever seen in a video game. I was in tears as well.
Someone didn’t do star door 15 and it shows. Otherwise loved all your thoughts on the game. Loving the trails content.
I was trying to imagine him sitting back and chilling whilst also watching TV until he grasped what he was reading haha
It really does. As far as I know, EVERYONE who does star door 15 mentions it at some point. Plus so many aspects that should have colored his perception just weren't there.
yup. he didnt. he clearly missed a lot of material.
@@timschommer8548
I'm about halfway I think, maybe a little more, and now I'm really curious about it. The writing of the stories is already exceptionally high quality, you all say it gets better? God, can't wait
@@FrozenAXL have you finish the game yet?
I love 3rd, glad you like it. The way it foreshadows so many things and connects old plot threads together is sooo good, for example the random fact that Cassius learned his staff techniques from Tita's dad. Is it important? No! Is it interesting? Yes!
The Third is my favorite Sky game. After playing 1 and 2, The Third is just a joyride from beginning to end. You get to see the backstory of all the characters as well as several other pieces of what the other sagas were gonna be about and getting to play with every single character (except Kurt for some reason) from the previous games and some additions was very interesting.
This is my new favorite game in the series. a much appreciated darker tone. The game doesn't outstay it's welcome like the second chapter and the doors are superbly done and I want more videogames to have side content similar to them. The music also kicks ass.
I've played every game up until Reverie, and Trails in the Sky the 3rd is still my favorite. You put a lot of my own thoughts into words in this video. It's just so dang good, and I think the people who aren't as big of fans of this game should go back and play it again after they've experienced the other Trails games. There's so many interesting and intricate details that really make this game age like a fine wine, much better than the other Sky games and even Zero/Azure.
I always felt that deep down Reis suspected the truth behind what happened between Kevin and Rufina
The gameplay in 3rd is the absolute best of the Trilogy and I would even say in the franchise. It is not as flashy nor modernlike like in Cold Steel, but it is really well balanced. The only entry on which playing on Nightmare is a delight. Bosses have their own strats, some enemies can only be killed by certain type of magic, positioning is more important, etc. If you want a challenging yet fun and rewarding experience, 3rd on Nightmare is great. Aside from that, it was divisive when it released because people saw it as random filler. Something that, with Crossbell and Cold Steel, proved to be completely wrong. The lore, character development and foreshadowing that 3rd delivers makes it the most important entry in the franchise so far, as it connects all games. It sets up what's going to happen in Crossbell with one of the Doors, why the Sky characters go to Crossbell, it sets up Osborne, the Ironbloods, Ouroboros other members and even its leader., the Stigmas, the Dominions and the Church side. Phantasma and the events that take place there are also mentioned later in the series. The worldbuilding it provides is fantastic and something you will appreciate more if you replay it after finishing Crossbell and Cold Steel. Really glad you like it!
I disagree but 3rd is still by far the best game in the Sky trilogy
Azure has the best "old trails" gameplay and hajimari the best "new trails" gameplay.
3rd is a nice rpg much more than other trails games but the gameplay loop is still very much locked to doing the 1 broken thing on repeat.
Debuff speed, earthwall, cast buffs, earthwall, cast arts, earthwall etc.
@@Walamonga1313 Totally agree that 3rd is by far the best game in the Sky trilogy. Don't know how people prefer SC. IMO it's not even close
@@luminous3558 Azure was just my favorite old trails game period haha. Kuro is my new fave though...
Missed that you put this out. Not only is this my favorite Trails game but maybe my favorite game of all time. That story is so good. Kevin is my favorite protag in the series. I love it.
My only real complaint about this game, and it's minor because I love it, is that you get a feeling that some of the doors should have been opened before certain story beats, so when you go back to look at the doors you realize how much impact is lost.
As an example, Anelace is one of my favorite characters, and due to her not having much presence in future arcs I really wanted to soak up as much of her as possible. But her only story development, that being her receiving the sword from Cassius and winning against Alan, was dampened when it was revealed in chapter 6, because I didn't find her door in chapter 4.
Also, you miss certain game mechanics from newer installments when playing this game. For example, Joshua, Scherazard, and Anelace all had the potential to be evasion tanks, but this game was before counters. Due to this being an older game, some of the crafts seem redundant because the effects don't have the same variety. Newer games give you reasons to use older crafts in specific situations, but characters like Mueller have several crafts that essentially act the same for the most part. As a result, almost all of the sword wielding characters play the same.
Really good take. This is actually my favorite Sky game by a long shot. And in fact it's because of story not gameplay lol though the gameplay is good too. I think you touched at many of my favorite aspects of Sky the Third. My favorite parts of Sky the Third are Door 15, Door 14, and the final parting scene. Truly excellent stuff. There are a few other scenes like Joshua and Estelle's childhood + some other really good parts, but IMO what set this game apart for me and what started to make Renne my favorite character in the series was Star Door 15 (at the bottom of Gehenna) + the parting scene ... just ... truly some of the best writing I've ever seen.
Will say that Crossbell is on a completely different level though. Especially since you've played Cold Steel I and II first. You're in for a treat.
Thank you for the video bro!!! I cant wait for your response to Zero and Azure!
The entire story is such an amazing spiritual journey of the characters growing, and surpassing their barriers and fears. Most of all surprising is how much it focused on trauma and how it can effect people, and how facing and processing trauma can help you move forward in life. Kevin and Renne are parallels in their struggle to live with severe trauma and seeing them both grow was both heartbreaking and wholesome. Just such a treat to see this level of writing in general, nevermind a video game.
Kloe still having doubts about her place and heritage gets to interact with a literal AI construct of her ancestor that sealed the Septerrion
Richard gets to lay his old life as colonel finally to rest by finally besting his mentor which allows him to move forward with his new civilian life
Estelle and Joshua get to have their peace with Lowe and continue their bonding with Renne
And this is just a quick recap from the top of my head. Such a fucking treat.
After long last this game taught me the combat system abd how the whole materia system works. the first two games in the sky trilogy i didn't understand and restart but this game i told myself i was going to learn the combat and now that i am near the end of the story of 3rd chapter i finally understand it. I laugh at myself for not look into the note book and not look at the intrustions on how it works
I just finished this game yesterday. It was really good. I can't believe people actually skipped this one.
9:15
my playing this part: oh, it's Philip, thats cool.
*five seconds later*
HOLY ADIUS HE HAS AN S CRAFT
Yeah that "I like it!" got an instant sub. Was my favourite game in the series for years - until I played Ao. I envy you that you still have that to look forward to :)
You and I are soooo on the same page when it comes to the awesomeness of Trails soundtrack being as good as if not better than the P5 soundtrack
Literally my favourite game in the series, People are unreasonably hard on this game imo. The dungeon crawling is far from boring and the stories are 10/10.
Top tier game yeah
The stories and the writing in this game man... I was shocked it's so good most of the time, from the dialogues to the short stories, the writing is top tier and far more high quality than the previous two games.
@@FrozenAXL Thank you, someone who understands. I really do think Third is way better than FC and SC...
@@Thuxo I genuinely think the Third is infinitely better than the first two games by a LONGSHOT I have no idea where the full on hate is coming from.
@@Thuxo
I was fearing this monotone dungeon crawler with a filler side story about Kevin which didn't interest me. What I found instead was a more complete experience with better structure and writing, a shock.
It feels like a high fantasy book, which they obviously went for from day 1 with dividing everything to chapters including a prologue, but it still fell into the clichés of JRPG, while you still have that in the 3rd, it has better structure, better pacing, less bloat and it feels more bookish than previous attempts.
I'm a 3rd defender through and through. Its the most refined form of Sky's combat with truly essential world building that lays the foundation for the larger story of Zemuria past Liberl. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent video. I only just finished The 3rd myself about 8 months ago, so it's still rather fresh on my mind. Some wonderful thoughts on the characters and the gameplay. I agree with your overall assessment - I really enjoyed the both the structure of the game, as well as the battles. One thing you didn't talk too much about - Kevin as the protagonist, in contrast with Estelle and to a lesser degree Joshua. I definitely thought he was a fascinating choice - certainly not your typical JPRG protagonist. Very much looking forward to playing the Crossbell games myself and have already preordered the deluxe edition of the first one. I already have a rough idea of some of the story stuff from Cold Steel III and IV, but it's going to be great to actually play through this arc, and then Reverie when it comes out and get the coda to it all.
100% feel the hunger for Trails from Zero! I finished Sky the 3rd about three months ago, and the wait is a real struggle.
I just recently played this game for the first time and it was without question my favorite one of the trilogy. The doors were really great and well organized. They added to everyone's personal stories very well. The combat was delicious as always. Truly an addicting romp from beginning to end.
With the amount of games all with so many things in common, I understand and expect that they will have to try different things and not just do 100% the same thing all the time with only the storying changing. Most things people don't like about any of those games I take it as "well a lot will also like it and it's to be expected that they change things up and take risks". I appreciate that they do that and don't play it as safe (and cheap) as possible.
My favorite in the trilogy, Kevin and Ries are amazing in this game and Renne's backstory is probably the most heartbreaking moment in the series for me.
Glad you’re enjoying this journey!!
I'm am currently playing the game (new to the trails series), I had my fears with Kevin being the main and the fact the actual saga ends with the second chapter, and all the "dungeon crawler" theme, but half way through I can honestly say it is the better of the three, I'll even risk and say, it's better by a wide margin, it's just far better.
The first thing I'll say, the way the dungeon crawling is built is way better. The way the world in the two previous ones is built is technically like dungeons with the roads, and the game made you backtrack so much with side quests that were sometimes boring, but you felt you had to go through all of them to get strong enough. It was bad enough in the first, but SC had almost all the previous maps and they kept throwing you quests that made you backtrack again and again through areas you've seed way too many times, it was exausting and felt like bloat way too many times. In the 3rd game the dungeon crawling is reduced to meat only, which doesn't leave you exhausted. It really isn't different in the structure, only feels less bloated.
The story/ies and writing - while I loved the story in the first two games, it was typical JRPG. had its pros and cons, sometimes had me emotional and I really grown attached to the characters, but it also had a lot of mediocre JRPG style cheezines to it. The 3rd has some too, but something in the structure and writing just felt more high quality, it sometimes felt like reading a book. The world building through some side stories and dialogues felt brilliant, I didn't expect seeing it in the game: things like olivier and Osborne, the report from the church, the academic piece on the Epstein foundation etc... you had a lot of stories, and very very good one, it ranged from heartfelt ones, cheerful, mysterious and a lot of them were great, I was really invested in so many, it felt sometimes like I am reading a successful fantasy book rather than text from game. The main story so far is also interesting and Kevin's in general, it feels the pacing is just right, which I think the game also does better.
All and all, this game feels like it improved every aspect of the previous ones and delivers amazing storytelling, while giving you closure for the characters and building a world for the next games. I was afraid at first, didn't expect the game to mesmerize me.
For the thing with Ries, what happened was years ago, and the instant it happened, Kevin pretty much disappeared from her life. In a way, she always knew what had transpired, just not why. She spends a LOT of the game raking Kevin over the coals.
That moment is the moment where she finally understands that Kevin's been torturing himself for years over his guilt. She spent the entire buildup, hell, pretty much the entire game being abrasive towards him. She clearly knows stuff is up, but can't broach the topic and can't bring herself to. So having it all spill out like that, well, there's nothing she can do or say that Kevin hasn't already done to himself.
phillip the butler was such a perfect boss fight for me.
they hinted very coyly every time you ran into him, that he "wasn't just some old man"
and when you finally fight him, he really wasn't a royal guard for nothing.
I'm still working on Trails in the Sky 1 and loving it. Cannot wait for the next games in the series!
People all kind of have their favorite sky entries depending on what they value most. 3rd for character and combat, second for story, first for world building because those are the things I think each entry dose the best. First Chapter is actually my favorite of the three despite most people not liking it as much as second.
I absolutely agree. while I think they are all very good, a persons ranking of these titles very much depends on what they value most in an rpg or perhaps even a Trails game. 3rd did a really great job with its combat, Kevin's story, and setting the next arcs up. Its easy see why many rate it so highly and Id agree that in some ways its the best at least in the sky arc maybe the series. It's still my least favorite in the series though because I felt like a big piece of trails world building was missing from it by taking place in a linear dungeon and not having the freedom to explore the world and get to know its people.
Yesss this game was a banger, happy to hear you enjoyed it! Now we're in the same boat, having played the Sky games and Cold Steel 1 and 2! September gonna be great :D
3rd has some of the strongest soundtracks. From the air of mystery of Recluse Cube to the feeling of utter despair in Stairway to Gehenna. By far my favorite Trails game when it comes to soundtracks. I guess what people don't like about it is the lack replayability. No one plays a dungeon crawler more than once I should think and the Doors can be viewed online anytime just like reaching for a book from your bookcase
That's interesting that you heard this game is controversial, I've only ever seen love for it in my bubble of Trails fandom. I can see why it would be though, with the dungeon crawling focus and reused assets. I think it's a really special game. It has the smallest script in the series by far, but the writing has an incredible density to it. I love how much they do to flesh out the characters, and the foreshadowing is insane. Third only gets more mindblowing the further you get into the series! I'm looking forward to your eventual video on Zero!
I just finished 3rd right before watching this video, and I loved it.
I am genuinely surprised star door 15 didn't even get a mention.
Great stuff Matt!
The Crossbell arc is the cherry on top of this whole marvelous cake
In regards to getting a "boxed copy", I don't think this game ever had an official physical release in English. So it's no big loss. The digital version you can get on Steam was the first English release, in 2017, 10 years after the game came out in Japan.
I love that this game is dungeon and combat focused. Sky FC and SC's combat may not have been good enough to base a whole game around, but The 3rd is a massive improvement. Physical attacks are actually good now, the underpowered party members from FC and SC got massive buffs (except Josette...), Chain Crafts are hugely improved, you get higher-level Quartz (and therefor the actually fun Arts) much earlier, Hard and Nightmare difficulty are actually balanced (they were an afterthought in SC and clearly not playtested well), everything just works.
And I never got bored with the dungeons because the music is so good. This game has some of my favourite dungeon tracks in any videogame, even the FIRST one, Jade Corridor, is one I keep going back to.
I like to call Trails exp scaling the equivalent of rubber-band AI in racing games: characters who are behind get massive exp until they're caught up. I prefer this to the Cold Steel games' trend of auto-levelling the party after plot milestones, as here you still feel like you have some agency.
Richard and Renne are so broken but so fun. I think the reason why is that The 3rd's approach to party balancing is "when everyone's broken, no-one is", so while both of them are slightly better, they don't exactly invalidate anyone else.
Fast travel also makes the chest trophy much easier, as very few things are missable now.
I like to think of The 3rd Doors as tying up loose ends in SC's character arcs. Of course some of them, like Star Door 8, are also blatant sequel teases.
"Reused assets: the game" is actually a big part of why I ended up loving it so much, as I went in with very low expectations due to the reused assets, and was blown away by the soundtrack being almost entirely new and the combat feeling so good. They easily could've made this a cheap rush-job, but it had a lot more care put into it than you'd expect.
So Ries' reaction... I actually really liked it, since what you'd expect is her being angry over Kevin killing her sister, but instead she instantly understands it was an accident, and what she's really upset about is that Kevin hated himself over it for so long and never told her. Kevin was the closest person to her growing up and they definitely had one of those "I know you better than you know yourself" relationships.
Her reaction is more like... how would you feel if you found out your closest friend had suffered from severe depression and self-harming tendencies for years and never let on. I find Sky the 3rd has a lot of commentary on mental health and that everyone has someone who'll support them if they open up, even if they think they're alone. Kevin saw himself as a monster for so long and didn't want to "burden" anyone with his problems, but all that did was make things worse. (Everything dangerous about Phantasma was born from Kevin's self-hatred, since his "wish" was to go to hell and suffer for eternity)
Something great about Kevin and Ries' story is how, after getting Chapter 7 and learning what's really going on, you view all their dialogue in a different light on replays. Especially everything about Kevin being in denial and Ries calling him out on it.
Manifestations of emotions always appeal to me too.
Overdosing Heavenly Bliss (the boss theme for Philip and others) is one of the best tracks ever.
Glad you liked this game so much, this is my personal favourite game in the series so far.
A great thing about the Trails Series is the how the world feels alive. As the story progresses, so do all the NPC dialogue, the quests you are able to complete, items you can collect all change, and that's ignoring the fact that NPC's normally have at least 2 dialogues, and can get up to 4, at a time outside of cutscenes. Sky The Third is basically "Sky, the Extended Epilogue". It's got a good story, sure, but it's missing the detailed, expressive and incredible world that is the calling card of the entire series. It's like if you go to an Ice-cream Shop that specialises in Banana Splits, and you love all their Banana Splits, and you go and order the newest ice-cream desert they have, only to find out when it's served that it's not a Banana Split. It's still great Ice-cream, and if you weren't expecting a Banana Split you would love it... but you were expecting a Banana Split and that disappointment taints the entire experience in a negative light.
Also, I believe that the haters only go so far as to say that Sky The Third is the "Worst of the Series so far". Given that these people also consider the series as a whole to be up to SSS+ Tier, and the "Worst" of the series can be considered an A- Tier (maybe B Tier for those who despise dungeon crawlers), you have to take what's said negatively about it like a pinch of salt for that delicious steak dinner you were served.
Imo the other aspects of third more than make up for the missing NPC dialogue. Like I love the NPC dialogue and it's one of my favorite aspects in the series, but IMO the doors are so good they blow everything in SC out of the water. Star door XV is just peak tier
@@Thuxo I was basically stating the singular reason why people consider it the worst game of the series. It's why I used the example of getting something that's still great, but not quite what you were hoping for/expecting, resulting in your reaction being tinged by disappointment. Hell, the Banana Split example I used is perfect, because the only thing major thing missing from the bowl of ice-cream to make the banana split is a banana, but the lack of that banana still makes you more disappointed than if you were just expecting a bowl of ice-cream. I also used a Tier Rating, with the series as a whole (and the best game in the series as a whole) being SSS+ Tier for those who disparage Sky the Third, while Sky the Third is merely A- Tier to those people. Still great, but missing something that's considered vital, if not core, to many of the series' fans.
@@dariusdrake7515 Yeah, I understand what you're saying. I'm just saying I don't agree with the perspective because it only makes sense if NPC dialogue is your main priority. It is one of the things I love most in the series, but the plot and characters are leagues higher in third as well as the foreshadowing for future games and tying up of past plot threads. Heck, it foreshadows as far ahead as Kuro no Kiseki and beyond. Star Door XV does not exist in FC or SC and for that reason alone, Sky the Third is better.
As a Trails fan that started with Cold Steel 1 and 2 then went back to the beginning, Third easily ranks as my favorite entry in the Sky Trilogy.
A good number of people declare SC to be their favorite from this arc, but the typical Trails build-up pacing almost works to that game’s detriment. People complain often about the pacing of the final hours in Cold Steel 2, but Chapter 8 of SC has the pacing grind to a halt just before the finish line (for admittedly sensible reasons) and it’s part of why I place that game below this one.
At the same time, Sky the Third only works because of what the first two games established. By this point, you already know how to play and you are familiar with almost every major character in Third already with the exception of the newly-introduced Ries.
Third streamlines the Sky gameplay while using the doors to explore the characters in ways not possible in the prior games, and the main narrative unravels Kevin and Ries’ complex relationship with Rufina Argent.
I started out playing Cold Steel without doing too much research about the series overall. After I finished the 3rd I went back and played Sky and the Crossbell Arc. After that I’ve gone back to Cold Steel 1 and the experience is so much deeper and awesome. Really excited to play the rest of the Cold Steel series. The worldbuilding in this series may never be replicated in a game series
IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS SINCE THE LAST ONE
My take on Ries was that she was always tired of being abandoned by the people closest to her: Rufina and Kevin. The two of them went away for a long time to do work for the church, and then when the three of them were finally supposed to be reunited, Ries was attacked and ends up in a coma, only to wake up to find that her sister had died and Kevin had started isolating himself from her.
I felt so bad for Ries when I learned this, as I could only imagine how lonely she must have felt through all of it. You can really see how sad it is for her when halfway through the game she decides to leave the party for a bit, because it's clear that Kevin has no problem making friends with everyone from Liberl. Meanwhile, he had gone years without even contacting Ries at all. I think being abandoned by Kevin during all that time might have hurt just as bad as when she lost her sister.
I also think that Ries had kind of accepted her sister's death, and she had kind of moved past any grief and or anger she would have felt about it (5 years had passed after all). It makes sense to me that in the moment of learning the truth, she would be more angry at Kevin trying to isolate himself from Ries again, especially knowing that he was carrying such a large burden on his own. All this time, Ries would have wanted to be there for Kevin and help him through his grief and guilt, but of course, she was left in the dark once again, just as she always was.
At the end of the day, I think Ries just wanted to feel included. Which is why at the end of the game, it's really important for her to help Kevin pull the crossbow trigger. She wasn't going to be left behind or left in the dark any longer. She was going to help Kevin and stand by his side, no matter how tough the situation may be. I thought it was a really awesome ending for her character.
Personally I think this game focused a little too much on its dungeon design and I wished it was more story focused especially since the stuff with Kevin & Reis is honestly really interesting. However the doors that you find along the way definitely make up for it. And thankfully the story picks up once you get to Chapter 7. Overall while it’s not my favorite trails game, it’s still really good. Seriously the constellation doors are probably done of my favorite video game mechanics ever. Which is why I’m super excited to play Reverie once that gets localized which I’ve heard has a similar mechanic
To begin with i didnt like the style but i ended up loving it. Especially after seeing all the memories damn i really did enjoy it and all the background info of characters. And the Renne one shocked the hell out of me. The fact that the locations change a lot make it fresh and all the characters to choose from is awesome . And the LORE
Renne :'(
Your videos on this game series has gotten me into the Trails series. I want to watch this video......but I'm still on the first game. Will have to wait until I catch up I guess.
I absolutely loved this video, but dude, did you do Star Door 15?
That broke me. Probably the darkest thing I've seen in a video game.
Yo Tita is busted this game. Loved using her. One of hardest things is behind one of the doors you have to fight Leowe AND Cassius. It was soooo hard. Idk how anyone could dislike it tho the lore and characters and gameplay make the game
Did you did the side story doors? You only mention fights in this video? Especially the doors with Renne, Olivier and the one with Campanella and the enforcers?
I love this game! Kevin story is awsome!
I feel like this game started brilliantly but once I found out it was a dungeon crawler I got disappointed because I'm not a fan of those however the addition of those doors definitely helped enhance the story and keep me happy. Definitely had an amazing intro and ended really well and now I'm so excited to continue.
When you say the aureole is a gospel I think you mean it's a Septerrion, which is a divine artifact, basically the highest class of in universe mystical objects they call Artifacts. Gospels are those smaller artifacts that function as conduits to the Aureole that power it and let people interface with it (at least from my understanding).
I’ll never understand the hate. Even if you don’t like Kevin but still feel obligated to play it as part of the greater Trails story, the game is pretty short in comparison, with little side content and like 99% less NPC dialogue than other Trails games, so it’s super easy to get through. But if you do like Kevin then it’s a treat, you get to see his inner struggles while also seeing the Sky cast as a whole spend time and grow together.
Also, I’d highly recommend reading some of the supplementary material between 3rd and Zero, some characters who you’ll meet later get their real first introduction in a very short manga that shows what Estelle and Joshua are up to between now and then. There’s also a Loewe POV manga that’s pretty good as well.
For playing all except hajimari (so it might change) 3rd is still my favorite of the series and really up there for jrpgs. I will say it depends how fine are you with text I guess, but to me it was enthralling to read My favorite will still be the mission report of Cassius Bright. It makes Cassius cooler, lays out his importance, and the growing issues and tensions of Erobonia.
If you play on pc. I would recommend putting the voice mods if anyone decided to play. It's not mandatory of course, but there is the voice performance and the added fun of voice rolls carries over. So in the games when you recognize the voice before seeing them, it makes it feel cool. Especially when they don't tell you who they are, but you know (forgot to mention the voice is only JP. So if your fine with that)
The setting in which this game takes place is very important for the continuity of the series, its very fundamental. I think its the bridge for starting the Crossbell duology and Cold Steel, its probably important for Trails of Reverie, and the current sequels.
love the 3rd, it was so moving and whimsical and even ethereal
Your brain is right for wanting Crossbell, that arc has some of my favourite story moments in the series! There's one chapter that made me feel SO MUCH EMOTION, actually scratch that a lot of them just 1 sticks out the most and still causes ripples rn at Cold Steel 3
Good to hear! I also liked Sky 3rd.
The only problem I had with 3rd is the lacking of town and route exploration, talking to NPCs and stuff. Great game, great storyline, very important lore... You cannot skip it. Imho Crossbell gets even better, it's amazing to see those games coming out in the west very soon.
Nope, that's exactly what makes it amazing. Straightforward Trails goodness. No more wasting your time talking to a million npcs, doing quests or walking around lots. Just straight up banger music, great combat and hugely important lore sections as well as character development sections.
yeah honestly i feel its the right choice, i had enough of exploring the towns for 2 games
It kinda distills it down to quality over quantity. Instead of having 50 irrelevant NPCs you have your 16 party members to check up on throughout the game.
I'm commenting for the algorythm but won't watch the whole thing BECAUSE I decided to jump in on this series. I decided to only try Trails in the Sky and slowly see if I do want to commit to the series or not. I hear some love it while others hate it. But I wanna try it myself!
I did the same thing, hope you enjoy!
@@cius2112 have a great timeee!!
i just need to get this out of my chest
i like the 3rd much more than SC
yep, i said it
anyway, great video, and glad you liked the 3rd too
I really want to watch this but I'm stalling on the last chapter because I want/need to finish all the doors. Is the last chapter/ending spoiled in the video?
I think I'd say that 3rd is my personal favorite game in the series, at least of the Trails games I've played so far(I've played all of Sky, both XBell games, CS1, and am currently halfway through CS2)
For me by far the strongest aspect of the Trails series imo is the character writing(well, at least through XBell. Personally I'm actually not really a fan of the CS games so far), so if you started with Sky and have made it through SC I don't get why you wouldn't want to play through 3rd. It acts as both an excellent epilogue for FC and SC while also giving you a fantastic self contained story centered around Kevin
I get that not everyone is into dungeon crawlers, and I do think that it feels a bit more gameified than FC and SC, but 3rd just has such amazing character writing that I don't care about those flaws. I fell in love with Sky/Trails because of how well done the characters are, so to spend more time with them was all the reason I needed to pickup 3rd, and I'm glad I did because at least for me, I found my favorite video game ever in 3rd. Sky was just such an amazing experience, and 3rd was a perfect end to it for me
One of my fav Trails games along with Cold Steel 3, definitely is fresh of air to the series, since you dont have alot of random NPCs to talk in the game everything can feel more focus, even the side content (in this case the Doors), the music is one of the strongest in the series too. I'm kinda intriged for trying out Trails into Reverie since will have a more unconventional approach to its narrative and will be both a epilogue for the games prior and a bridge to the rest of the serie, which is pretty similar to the 3rd.
If you cant wait for Zero I would say that you should play other Falcom games, my recommendation is Ys 8, even if is not nearly as text heavy as trails, the story is pretty much more Falcom goodness, the Ys game does have a overaching plot like trails, but is very minimal and most of the time inconsequential as a series
Trails fans, we got em. Matty the Crossbell Arc is peak JRPG goodness, when you hear Trails from Zero Battle Theme you will lose it.
Turbo mode is the best decision a game can give, i use cheat engine for games that don't have them. The 3rd is indeed the best combat focused, and u can stop the game easily since most of the cutscene is told in the doors and not suddenly get thrown in a chat cutscene of 20+ mins when u wanted to stop playing for the day.
btw, are you playing the crossbell arc in PSP version or the upcoming remastered?
Surprised you didn't touch on Star Door 15 considering how impactful it is.
I ended up playing Sky 3rd out of order(Sky FC/SC > Cold Steel 1/2/3 > Sky 3rd), and I loved how much detail and foreshadowing there is in this game. It's bizarre to say this, but I think this game is BETTER when you play it out of order, compared to other games in the series. Mainly because of how much easier it is to spot said foreshadowing and appreciate those details when you do. Of course, I'd never recommend a new player to play them the way I did, because it took myself a bit of convincing to go back and play the 3rd initially(even though it ended up being one of my favorite games in the series, haha).
I dont understand why people hate the 3rd and some even suggest skipping it or consider it optional.
Its phenomenal and a necessary part of the overall trails narrative
Aw man youre gonna love trails into reverie then
God i hope he tackles the next 2 games with the crossbell duology, it's my favorite
I clicked on this expecting a reaction to Star Door 15, and judging from the comments, I guess that didn't happen. Ah, well. With enough comments talking about it I'm sure it might pique is curiosity, but a warning:
If you ever do check to see what's behind that door, know that you'll come to hate the word Paradise afterwards.
Glad you liked it. Personally, there are aspects of 3rd I like, but it's definitely my least favorite Trails game. I found the combat and dungeon-crawling to be too tedious and repetitive to deal with - by the time I was partway through Chapter 6 in particular, I just wanted the game to be over. I actually ended up dropping the game for awhile because I was burnt out - I didn't feel that way with any other Trails game I've played.
Thankfully they eventually patched in Turbo, which helped encourage me to return to it. That helped me push through to the end, which I'm glad I did. I still consider it my least favorite game in the series, though.
Just finished this on the Steam Deck. I have to agree, it is the best game of the three. It is so streamlined compared to the other two games, you just buy all your stuff from one place in the main hub and fast travel to everything. You get to choose your team as well, which is really fun. Only parts I didn't like were when you had to run around at the Jenis Academy looking for stuff... I never want to see that place again. :D
The story is well written and believable, even if it has a lot of tropes in it I just buy all of it.
Now, on to Zero. :)
It's nice if you don't care about the world. Which was the main strength of the previous games
I mean, i like the gameplay, but not enough to spend 50+ hours wading trough the same dungeon.
I literally just started this game 2 days ago. Its a little weird, but the scenes are great, and the new songs are the best in the series so far(only played Sky arc)
I'm going to assume, since you did not mentioned it, you did not reach star door #15. I would love to see your actual reaction to the first time you watch it.
One of the true times I can say my jaw was legit wide open while watching this cutscene.
Edit: forgot to mention, I've played every game in this series so far up to CS4 and the Crossbell arc (Zero and Azure) is still my favorite! I'm actually jealous that you get to experience it for the first time. Good luck and enjoy !
he missed a lot by not opening that door.
3rd is experimental and I love it. It helps that it has an awesome soundtrack, even for falcom standards. Amazing game.
Ty
Honestly the reused assets is done so well and the game is SO GOOD I honestly give 0 shits about asset reuse
The sky trilogy is amazing. it would be awesome if they came to the PlayStation or even the switch. i’ll definitely replay them again. Can’t wait for the cross bell series
Its not likely since Falcom switched localized teams from XSeed to NIS America after Cold Steel 2. Meaning NISA does not own the rights to the translations of the Sky Trilogy or Cold Steel 1 & 2. Thats why the only Trails games on Switch are Cold Steel 3 and 4, with Cold Steel 1 and 2 being absent. Because Xseed no longer has the publishing rights to Trails and NISA doesn't own XSeed's translations we're not likely to see Sky or CS 1 and 2 unless they were redone by NISA which would be very expensive and probably not financially worth it.
Having played all the games in the series except Zero & Azure, and second half of Kuro, I can assure you that you're in for one hell of a ride 😃
I honestly enjoyed 3rd, but SC was definitely the highlight of the Sky trilogy for me.
My biggest shocking moment was how rufina died and renne's past.
I don't want to watch this yet, as I'm still going through this game and don't want to see which characters show up. So far though, after two games of epic trekking across the continent, it's refreshing to just fight my way through these dungeons, try out all the series' characters, and enter the doors when I'm in the mood for some exposition. Also, Kevin as a protagonist is charming and I'm already interested in what the story will reveal about his own character. It's great to hear you enjoyed this trilogy!