This series has easily surpassed some of the all time greats of the JRPG genre, and with consistantly great each new entry is I'd argue it's the greatest JRPG series of all time.
I honestly think the ending to Sky FC is the series high point. I can't watch the last 15 minutes of that game without bawling. This isn't to disparage the rest of the series: but it's my favourite cinematic sequence in gaming.
@@diegoarmando5489 I replayed Sky Trilogy using a translation patch for the Vita Evolution versions of the game and the voice acting makes it a lot more enjoyable. But yeah that ending to FC was something even the beginning of SC when Estelle was so in denial about Joshua was sad to see.
I've been ridiculously obsessed with this series, so naturally I have a few points: -I love the "running gag" of each game having contrived reasons for characters resetting their combat orbments, but in this game they didn't even attempt to explain😅 -I initially found it an odd choice for Alisa to not be in Rean's route, but the more I play the more I see the method behind their madness in why certain characters are in each storyline -this game feels like playing two games at the same time, kind of like playing Cold Steel 2 and Azure and comparing similarities. -some of these character pairings make sense and are so respectful to their history in the series. I always thought of Machias as Dudley Jr, so when I saw them together I laughed -a few of my normal tricks from previous games don't work here, and I appreciate that each route requires you to shift your thinking when fighting bosses -I went to buy this at GameStop, and they only had one left, with a second one on hold. I love how this series picked up
-Hey, equipment fatigue. You've seen what them heroes fight every game. No weapon, Black Zemurian Ore or not, can withstand that level of punishment. And those orbments get some abuse and then some. At least they don't lose their gear in shipwrecks like certain red-haired adventurer. -It's a relationship between career-oriented, high profile individuals. Plus, it makes it fun whenever they meet and his running "ladies-man" gag crops up, or his friends and disciples tease him. -Make it three games with the Reverie Corridor. Plus the fun stuff you find in there could amount to another half game. And they gave us Season 2/OVA of that Magical Girl series in the Corridor. I just hope that, whenever they make the next Tokyo Xanadu, they make Season 1 playable. That would be really fun. More so if they make it a 2-cour series (I swear, that "series" is the best Falcom joke so far). -I get what you mean. Delay-spam was crushed, S-Craft spamming with items was nerfed, and battle food was mellowed out, but at least we have those nice Orders, EVA-Tanks, Dominion-STR Reans and 5-figure ATS builds that blow holes in the opposition, are night-untouchable, and give them little to no chance to damage our parties or even act. -I get them digital, and pre-order physical. Saves time and grief.
To get people more hyped up the next game in the trails series outdoes Reverie in very facet. Characters, story, music, setting, combat. It blends everything in perfectly. Matty if you said Reverie has an issue where it wants to go dark but it didn't go dark enough wait until you play Kuro no Kiseki ( or in English which hopefully it will be called Trails into Dusk).
I absolutely love what they did with the combat as well as how the customization merges what I like about the older system with the new, letting you figure out how to get proper bonuses while keeping the arts you need with buffs similar to MQs. I haven't played Kuro 2 yet but so far I love how this series progresses it's gameplay.
I bought the game and skipped 70% of the scenes and dialogue lol. It's a fun game to level up characters and kill stuff, and grind out the quartz upgrades i want. I am not interested in the previous games but i will certainly be playing Kuro and other future games.
@yeongkit4370 I have the sequel, and this is true, but it still feels like an intermission instead of the real deal. Hope the 3rd game gives the proper conclusion.
I felt the entire Trails series soundtracks were fantastic, and peaked with Cold Steel 1-4. Then, the composer who was responsible for 75% of my favorite tracks left (or was pushed out, not sure), and I'm expecting the soundtracks to have taken a hit in the future. It's a shame.
I think falcom is the greatest developer of all time. They have some the oldest series in gaming history and still keep their quality bar sky high, all while remaining a private independent business. And they have like 50 employees, legends!
So far i like Ys VIII and Trails into Reverie. Was not really a fan of Ys IX and i don't think i have played any other Falcom games. At least not that i can recall.
Trails sucks Kuro C = Dingo Brad die but return as Zolga////// Ix and Jolda join Ouroboros/// Van = Demon Lord///Altera = Lapis/// Nemeth Island = Paradise/// Quatre is an Angel #NoMoreRean
For anyone curious about the noticeable worsening in soundtrack quality from falcom, it can largely be attributed to composers Saki Momiyama and Takahiro Unisuga leaving the company.
kuro no kiseki 1 & 2 have alot of my favorite tracks in the series, but the genre is mostly different and chill compared to the others. it gives calvard that unique feel tho
Same thing that happened to me. when I first play trails in the sky, I didn't like the gameplay as it seems pretty old, but its the music from the start that made me play through, but the ending is what really shocked me and wanted to play the rest of the series, their storytelling is just amazing, never felt so many ups and downs in a series until I played this series
@@furanzeF you're welcome! they did a remake for both FC and SC and added the word evolution to differentiate between the remake and the original. For those who are wondering what FC and SC means, it's First and Second Chapter of a 3 part series, Trails of the Sky 3 had a different main character and is a standalone game. They have many remixes like tokyo xanadu, the new one is called tokyo xanadu ex+. They added an extra chapter in the new tokyo xanadu called afterstory, which takes place after the story is finished
It’s funny he calls it the Smash Bros of Trails! I personally call it the MCU of JRPG’s If COLD STEEL III & IV were the INFINITY WAR & ENDGAME of the Trails series then Reverie is the NO WAY HOME!!
Trails sucks Kuro C = Dingo Brad die but return as Zolga////// Ix and Jolda join Ouroboros/// Van = Demon Lord///Altera = Lapis/// Nemeth Island = Paradise/// Quatre is an Angel #NoMoreRean
I want to give a huge mention to the Kiseki Audiobook Project channel on youtube. They have several of the in game books up and read by a fantastic narrator. I've listened to all the in game books they have recorded and posted. I highly recommend.them if you are into Kiseki\Trails and want to read the books but don't want to read them in game personlly.
I really enjoyed the true reverie corridor and how the devs just let you go hog wild with the team building for this entry. Made it feel like a true culmination of the growth in strategy that occurred over the course of the Cold Steel and Crossbell games. As a comment about the actual narrative and method of storytelling, I love referring to this series as the “One Piece of gaming”
Honestly for all hours I put into the series, even if some of the content didn’t necessarily need to be there was just a lot of fun for me. Aside from the Xenoblade series and some of the tales games, I’ve never had so much fun with a JRPG series. Currently playing trail to Zero and then after azure, but I’m so excited to play this.
I'll agree that Reverie was fun as hell. I went into this expecting something akin to Sonic Heroes where we play each story in full one by one before reaching an end point where everyone comes together. But I was pleasantly surprised that we play each of them in tandem with each other. The crazy party mashups we are forced to use throughout the story with members we normally wouldn't see interact together much was really fun. And dear Adios were some of the interactions and lines were great. I personally love how they leave a few tiny hints as to who is behind the mask of C, but you have to really pay attention to notice them. Ironically I managed to guess his identity correctly about halfway before the reveal happened, which I'm a little proud of since I was an idiot in CS1 and didn't figure out C's identity there until after the festival where they were making it super obvious. Though I definitely agree Reverie's weakest point is how convoluted the main threat ends up being. It's a big blow to the game in my opinion, but not enough to ruin it as a whole thankfully. Other than the convoluted part, my main issue ironically lies with the Reverie Corridor. Don't get me wrong, it was overall well designed and there's so much cool extra things we can do in it, making it indeed an improved Phantasma. My issue lies though with the trailers sort of. The Reveries Corridor was extremely highlighted in them, and while the Reverie Corridor does take up a lot of gameplay time, its story relevance is... kinda absent until post-game. Though I will say dear lord the true final boss was crazy difficult for me. I'm pretty sure I was appropriately leveled, and granted I might have had an easier time had I swapped around my party lineup a little, but not even the final bosses for Sky 3 and Azure gave me that much trouble.
@@CurtTheHeroYou should start from the beginning to get the most out of it but if you just wanted to try the series I'd recommend starting with Cold Steel 1 as its my favourite introductory game and then Cold Steel 2 if you liked it but after that I'd recommend playing the Sky games (FC, SC, and 3rd) and then the Crossbell games (Zero and Azure) before starting Cold Steel 3 as that's when you may start to feel confused about who characters are and stuff.
I'll say it now, even if you don't need it, but here's a longer layout of the story and the games you'll wanna play in order. First is the Liberl Arc, where you follow Estelle and Joshua Bright. The Liberl Arc takes place in the very first two games of the series, Trails in the Sky FC (First Chapter) and Trails in the Sky SC (Third Chapter), where we follow Estelle and Joshua Bright in the nation of Liberl. The Arc ends per se in SC, but Trails in the Sky 3rd wraps up every characters (besides one) story. Then we have the Crssbell Arc. This takes place in, of course, the small state of Crossbell which is caught in between two major powers. The Crossbell Arc includes two games, Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure. These games follows Detective Lloyd Bannings and the newly established Special Support Sectiok of the CPD (Crossbell's Police Department). Remember the one character I mentioned in 3rd that doesn't have her story wrapped up? Well it wraps up in Zero, which is why I would reccomend people to play the Sky series first. And then the Erebonian Arc, which includes Trails from Cold Steel 1-4. The interesting thing is that Zero, Azure, Cold Steel 1 and 2 happens at the same time. More specifically, the entirety of Zero and 80% of Azure is happening in between the chapters of Cold Steel 1, while the rest of Azure and Cold Steel 2 happens exactly at the same time. Cold Steel 3 and 4 then happens 4 years after 1 and 2. And finally, Trails into Reverie. This will finish both the Crossbell and Erebonia Arc's stories. After this is Kuro no Kiseki and Kuro no Kiseki 2, which is still not localised unfortunately, but these games apparently mark the halfway point of the entire series. Some people might have a hard time getting into this series, whether you play Sky, Zero, or Cold Steel 1 first because each of these games start slow paced. BUT! It'll be worth it, trust me. I played Sky first and when I eventually got into it, going through the rest of the series wasn't a bother for me. As the other person said, the series will sell itself eventually.
the one thing that hooked me instantly on the game was simply the WAITING period. just waiting for this game to release. after a couple of years break. the opening scene hit SO hard. it was so exciting to return to crossbell and finally be able to continue the last leg of their journey. excitement through the roof. and it kept going strong from start to finish.
Great video, now I am even more hyped! Cant believe its 3 years since I started with Sky FC and now we are here. Trails has become my favourite ongoing series of all time and I cant wait to see what happens here! Just a quick question for anyone: Does the game also have hidden side quests like the other titles had? Cause I normally check a walkthrough, just for these missable quests as I want to do these all. If there are none, I would just go in without anything this time.
No hidden side quests, missions are added gradually in the notebook. You can access them all the time and see the progress, to obtain the perks of completing the missions you have to report them in the TRC, which you can pretty much access all the time.With the Moon Leens quartz you won't be missing a single chest. I'm about the start the Final Act, and though there are some books and newspapers, they are quite straightforward to get (in shops), not even close to the cruel Carnelia collection on Trails in the Sky, if you've played the game you know what I'm talking about. The only reason I would use a guide is because there are certain conditions to be met to get extra points for the ranking grades. Like, beat a boss in certain amount of turns, and things like that.
I'm really happy to see you enjoyed this game a lot! I can't wait to play this game next week! I'm currently playing CS4(my most favorite Trails game of all of them so far easily) for the 3rd time on my Switch(1st time on Switch) so I can carry over stuff into Reverie. I can't wait to see all the character interactions and even more so hearing all these amazing characters in English for the first time(and some returning to voice their characters some more, like the SSS)! Hmm, I AM worried about the Reverie Corridor part of the game since Sky the 3rd is my least favorite game due to being in a dungeon the whole game but hopefully it's not as bad. I AM looking forward to the awesome and fun beachside content in the game, minigames and all! That's gonna be so fun!(Still don't get why some people hate fanservice but whatever, their loss) and I guess the Episodes too if they're good. I'm hoping they are. Now I just hope I can beat CS4 again in time. 😅
I will say, based on your fear of not liking Reverie because of disliking Sky the 3rd, you’re probably going to be just fine. The dungeon crawling in the big dungeon that is mandatory is pretty short and passed between your typical Trails game structure, and basically exists as a great way to keep your characters leveled and buffed up until the endgame, where it admittedly does become the focus. But this game is not a dungeon crawler the same way that 3rd is, and there is a lot more to break up and diversify the crawling even once you’ve completed the story. Plus the episodes and mini games are really fun, and using the gigantic full cast allows a lot of fun shenanigans. I’m guessing you’ll have a much better time here.
@@91sabra No, it doesn't carry over a thing. It only detects if you have a Clear Save and gives you items depending on your rank on those games. It even gives you some extra items if you have a Save from Zero and Azure, not even a Clear Save. From what I've read, depending on with whom you spent the last night on CS4 and your bond levels, certain dialogs change.However, no level, nor quartz or mira carry over.
The trails in the sky trilogy are the first games in the series. Zero and azure come after. Game order: 1. Trails in the sky 2. Trails in the sky sc 3. Trails in the sky the 3rd 4. Trails from zero 5. Trails to Azure 6. Cold steel 1 7. Cold steel 2 8. Cold steel 3 9. Cold steel 4 10. Trails into reverie
Im currently at the end of azure after making my way past the first 4 going to struggle to not go straight into cold steel , thanks matty for on showing me these games
I have never tried one of these games. My favorite non Final Fantasy JRPG series include Persona, Tales of, Dragon Quest, and Chrono Cross, so I feel like I'd really like this too
I'll say it now, even if you don't need it, but here's a brief layout of the story and the games you'll wanna play in order. First is the Liberl Arc, where you follow Estelle and Joshua Bright. The Liberl Arc takes place in the very first two games of the series, Trails in the Sky FC (First Chapter) and Trails in the Sky SC (Third Chapter), where we follow Estelle and Joshua Bright in the nation of Liberl. The Arc ends per se in SC, but Trails in the Sky 3rd wraps up every characters (besides one) story. Then we have the Crssbell Arc. This takes place in, of course, the small state of Crossbell which is caught in between two major powers. The Crossbell Arc includes two games, Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure. These games follows Detective Lloyd Bannings and the newly established Special Support Sectiok of the CPD (Crossbell's Police Force). Remember the one character I mentioned in 3rd that doesn't have her story wrapped up? Well it wraps up in Zero, which is why I would reccomend people to play the Sky series first. And then the Erebonian Arc, which includes Trails from Cold Steel 1-4. The interesting thing is that Zero, Azure, Cold Steel 1 and 2 happens at the same time. More specifically, the entirety of Zero and 80% of Azure is happening in between the chapters of Cold Steel 1, while the rest of Azure and Cold Steel 2 happens exactly at the same time. Cold Steel 3 and 4 then happens 4 years after 1 and 2. And finally, Trails into Reverie. This will finish both the Crossbell and Erebonia Arc's stories. After this is Kuro no Kiseki and Kuro no Kiseki 2, which is still not localised unfortunately, but these games apparently mark the halway point of the entire series. Some people might have a hard time getting into this series, whether you play Sky, Zero, or Cold Steel 1 first because each of these games start slow paced. BUT! It'll be worth it, trust me. I played Sky first and when I eventually got into it, going through the rest of the series wasn't a bother for me. So I wish you luck and I hope you will become ONE OF US!
Super excited! Trails is one of my favorite series of all time. I do hope NISA and Xseed can work something out to where the Sky trilogy can come to modern platforms preferably the Evolution version with voice acting. It’s not fair to people who don’t have a PC or whatever. Thankfully a cheap laptop can play them but still.
I’m currently about 40 hours into Cold Steel IV and I’m constantly turned off by the story direction. There is a lack of consequence to the events of Erobonia from the npcs and its characters. For a story filled with darkness and morale at an all time low, everyone seems to escape unscathed. I hope Trails into Reverie begins to commit fully to its story it wants to tell instead of feeling like an avengers mashup with no repercussions.
Totally agree with you. Lost interest after Cold Steel IV, but i will give Reverie a shot. Maybe it will remove the sour taste i have in my mouth from CS4. Cause it was one of the worst JRPGs ive ever played honestly. The pacing and filler IS WAY TOO MUCH for its own good.
@@OSE7EN7 That's kinda interesting because I didn't like CS4 as much as I did CS3 but there was moments in CS4 that was fun. Compared to Trails into Reverie, CS4 doesn't hold a candle and now that I have Trails into Reverie, I'm not sure if I want to change out my Switch game card to play CS4 again. I'd rather stick with Trails into Reverie, it's alot of fun, especially the Reverie corridor where the game really shines.
My advice is that you shouldn't go into it with the intention of playing them all. Just decide on playing one or two of them, and if you like them enough then you'll naturally set aside the time to play more of them. That is how it worked out for me, anyways.
@@drakenstoc4885 yeh I have one of them and only 1 so far lol. I played it for a few hours and I love it but then I took a break to play something else, you probably know how that is and then I forgot what I was doing lol. Only a few hours in though so I am just going to start again! I found it a bit too slow in the animations but I forgot u can speed it up! though I got my butt kicked when I did that lol. So I think I needed to grind a bit. I plan to play a lot more single player games soon and this will be on my list but with the first. Or the first I will do. Which is the first one in the sky trilogy I believe. The Legend of Heroes, Trails in the Sky
Just finished Reverie and my god this is probably the greatest recent Trails game. It felt like a breath of fresh air after the super long CS III and IV. The new characters are so incredibly good and how they wrote C was just amazing. I am so excited for Daybreak and the reveals in the final daydream has me hyped
Matty > Plays through 9 Trails games with the combined text that can wrap around the Earth three times to get to Reverie Falcom: Before you jump in, here's a mini book that takes roughly 30-40 mins to read that gives awesome backstory for two of our new characters Matty: Ain't nobody got time for that! Most bizarre take I've ever seen, and yet you said Falcom takes the L ... X.X Honestly though, Falcom has the Three & Nine story on their website. Anyone who is playing through the Trails series, it's an easy, quick read and very entertaining, and has backstory for Swin, Nadia, and the Organization that's pretty important.
Honestly, trails of cold steel 4 ost was bad, well, the ending was kinda bad in general, the final dungeon feels generic, the music of the final dungeon and the final boss feels generic.
well, from the Japanese release of Kuro no Kieseki, the new music direction they are going for that arc is HUGELY different in contrast with the other entries. I think it levels up to some of the series greats... but nothing is beating Trails of the Sky Battle Theme
Nah that happened after Ao no Kiseki came out. I'm pretty sure all of CS was made with the new band, but I could be wrong. Ys VIII was also made without them--so they're definitely still capable of incredible music. But yeah IMO Ao was the peak. There's s till a bunch of good songs though even if not everything is high quality like it was in sky or crossbell.
In what order to play Trails of cold steel then the new 3 trails games on the switch? Am I right in thinking it goes like this- Zero Azure Cold Steel 1-4 Reverie < The last one ever?
You have the release order correct. Only thing is that Zero and Azure overlap with CS 1 and 2 in the timeline, so they massively spoil each other, which is cool in a way, but also very unfortunate for CS which came out after the Crossbell games.
@@deusvlad2.083 as of today, I have finished Sky 1-3, Zero, and CS1. I am playing Azure (the sequel to Zero) now. I got into the series in 2021 via CS1 and went back to play in order. I will put my recommendations first since that's what you asked for, and then I will attempt to give you a comprehensive outline of the pros and cons of the most common play orders as justification for my opinion, if you're interested in additional information. These games move at a slow pace, so I recommend starting with Sky 1, Zero, or Cold Steel 1-whichever is most appealing to you-and going from there. Should you pick Zero or CS1, if there's a moment that you think you are fully committed to the series and its expansive world, I highly recommend going back to the beginning, either to play all of them in release order or at least to consider watching the cutscenes to familiarize yourself with the characters and narrative as a whole. Unless you want to start with Daybreak which releases next summer or you don't care about the narrative whatsoever, do _not_ start anywhere else, as Sky 2-3, Azure, CS 2-4, and Reverie are all direct sequels. If the opposite is ever true, i.e. you try one of these games and decide that you only want to play a fraction of the games/whatever ones give you the best experience as a fan, of the ones I've played myself, Zero and Azure (the "Crossbell" games) are the fan favorites and the only ones I would say that every fan of the JRPG genre should at least give a shot: the best balance of narrative, world building, gameplay, music, and anything else Trails is known for likely occurs here, from what the fans say, and I'm loving Azure too even though I have yet to finish it. Sky 1 is at the bottom of my personal list, but the biggest Sky fans will naturally believe that starting anywhere else is nonsensical since they'd consider Sky to be "unskippable" even for the individual experience. It is also worth noting that, though I have not played CS 3-4, CS 3-4 are extremely plot-dependent on the games prior to CS1, so if you decide to start with CS1 and go forward instead of going back like I did, most fans who have played CS3 strongly suggest returning to CS's predecessors after CS2 if you have any intention of playing them, lest their narratives be spoiled and your understanding of the characters from those games be sorely incomplete when they gain relevance in CS3. The most uncontroversial starting point is Trails in the Sky, the PC/PSP games originally released in 2004 in Japan. Sky 1 (official title Trails in the Sky) is the beginning of the narrative that encompasses the world of Trails, as all main-line Trails games (as in, not the spinoffs like The Legend of Nayuta) occur in the same world and on the same timeline. The biggest benefit to starting there is just that: you won't be missing any world, character, or narrative-relevant context if you play the games in order, and the only in-game "spoilers" of other games that you will experience are the ones I mention between CS 1-2 and Crossbell, which are essentially unavoidable due to the games occurring at the same time in-world. The Trails series has extremely political narratives, and the actions of one country, province, or state are "heard around the world" and strongly and directly impact the events in others. One of the more common starting points for the western audience is Trails of Cold Steel, aka CS1. This is where I started, and I think it's a solid place to start. You can also start with Trails from Zero, which released on several platforms last year. The best benefits to starting with one of these two games, in my opinion, are the voice acting and much improved QoL, battle systems, and overall hour-by-hour gameplay experience. Since you mentioned the Switch in your initial comment, I will point out that CS1 and 2 are currently unavailable on the Switch due to licensing complications. All 5 of the Trails games that XSEED published (Sky 1-3, CS 1-2) are lacking Switch releases, but all of the series is playable on PC, and the PC is currently the only platform on which all of the games are available in English, for reference. Last thing: as I alluded to before, Reverie is not the last Trails game; the game after it is coming to the west next summer, called Trails through Daybreak. It will likely be the best entry point since CS1, so it is an option if you're captivated by it. 11 titles total will be available next year, and Daybreak 2 is already out in Japan with Kai no Kiseki just recently announced to release in Japan next year. Good luck, and I'm always willing to talk about the series with newcomers, so please feel free to reach out if you have more questions or want to talk about anything else!
I've been waiting , saving myself damn near for this game . I got the guides ready in a playlist to optimize my type of builds and this might be the one trails game I try that super hard difficulty 💪. I can't wait.
Recently I got a tattoo of Crosbell State symbol, thats how deep I am into the Trails hole. And I dont plan on climbing out. Played the fan translation of Reverie, cant wait to play it again proper. And yeah, Kuro no Kiseki is finally where the games gets darker, you can see blood, bodies etc. Reverie still plays it a bit safe.
Hey Matt do you think its ok if I skip the Trails of Cold Series, I liked Sky and Zero but Cold steel just feels bland and uninteresting I dont character about any of the the characters
Does anyone have the link for the book? I’ve been collecting all the games before starting, now I know I need one more piece 😅 picking this title up tomorrow last piece!
I keep hearing ppl say they used the same engine from CS1 through reverie but why does CS1&2 look so different from CS3, CS4 and Reverie, they clearly made some major improvements from CS2 to CS3, CS3, CS4 and Reverie look and plays completely different from CS1&2
I hope falcom brings the whole series to modern consoles like the ps5 or switch. It's a great series that should be available physically to everyone on one console.
One thing I've always said: if the money to be made is there, it will happen. Zero and Azure sold well above what Falcom's expectations were. If the franchise continues to grow in the west, there will be a tipping point where the return on investment of putting every game on modern consoles makes sense.
Trails in the Sky FC Trails in the Sky SC Trails in the Sky The 3rd Trails From Zero Trails To Azure Trails of Cold Steel Trails of Cold Steel 2 Trails of Cold Steel - Northern War Anime (Optional) Trails of Cold Steel 3 Trails of Cold Steel 4 Then you'll be ready for Trails Into Reverie Throughout Cold Steel 3 some characters talk about the Northern War that happened off-screen between the events of Cold Steel 2 and 3. A 12 episode anime came out early this year that shows what happened in that war so it's a nice little bonus thing to experience before you jump into Cold Steel 3 but it is not at all a must watch if you do not feel like watching anime and just want to play the game. Since the anime came out after Cold Steel 3, 4, Reverie, Kuro 1, Kuro 2, any new characters that appeared in the anime do not get mentioned or appear in any of the games that have come out this far. They might start showing up from Kuro 3 onwards so it's good to eventually watch the anime someday just in case.
Abyss mode blind was challenging but made me think a way lot more when it comes to battles. Didn’t feel this way in previous games even in nightmare mode
Reverie is the immediate followup to Trails-4, Rean Saga, etc ?? (I finished 4, last year, but was waiting for the latest installment to be translated, before getting it)
Can’t wait to play this!!! I’ve been dying since I finished cold steel 4 last year. Not expecting this to top that game for me, but I hope it’s amazing nether the less
Finished the Japanese version 2 years ago and LOVED it to death. Easily my favourite in the series. The story twists and structure were the peak of the series
Hey I'm interested in this series and I don't know how to approach it. I have a switch and a PS4/5. What would be the recommended order of games on these platforms. Preferably switch whenever possible
@@praneet48 Go in order. If you can, Sky 1-3, then Zero, Azure, then Cold Steel 1-4, and then Reverie. If you can't play Sky 1-3 just start with Zero (because Sky's pretty much PC only at this point so yeah, unfortunate). Hope this helps.
@@praneet48 Best order is Sky Trilogy, Zero and Azure, Cold Steel 1-4 and then Reverie. if you don't have a PC then unfortunately Sky isn't accessible, but you should be able to access Zero and Azure on PS4 and Switch, Cold Steel 1 and 2 on PS4 as well as Cold Steel 3 and 4 on PS4 and Switch.
@@praneet48 play them in order of release. Some people try to push the idea that you only need to play Coldsteel. You have to play ALL of them since they're all interconnected and this one is a big "Everyone is here" game
I had the EXACT issue with 4, I've tried multiple times but just can't get into it, maybe the lack of the Main dude took me out more than I realized. Blast right through 3 though!
I somewhat agree with your take on the music, though I never thought any tracks were bad. However, Chaotic Sludge was way overused. Was used in cutscenes, and multiple dungeons/areas, and I was tired of hearing it after awhile.
I know I’m a bit late to this one but can anyone tell me if the world building in Reverie expands much? One gripe I had with the previous games was that so much of the games revolve around the same areas and it can get a bit repetitive.
I mean the world building itself is explored and expanded in this game especially after a few reveals. In terms of areas I don't think it improves, they just reuse most of the areas from cold steel 3 and 4. Probably why it's so short in terms of main story content when compared to the others The game after this is in a completely new country with completely new characters so you might look forward to that
Just finished this game about an hour ago, absolutely loved it. I do REALLY wish I could play the Sky trilogy though. I know what happens in those games through reading the wiki, but they’re the only games in the series that I haven’t played due to not having access to them. Falcom PLEASE give us the Sky trilogy in a bundle for modern platforms. Doesn’t even have to be physical, I’d gladly take a download only.
Trails in the Sky is arguably the best starting place for the full experience and references. Trails of Cold Steel is a good entry if you prefer modern gameplay but do go back and play the rest before starting Cold Steel 3. This is the consensus. Zero is pretty good also but of course there are references you won’t understand while playing, but any of the first games in an arc is a good place
@@HyruleStreams Sky for now is available on Steam for PC but if you have a Mac you can run a Virtual Machine or Bootcamp to play it. Your computer can be a potato and still be able to play those entries.
Funny that if you didn't play this game especially 'C''s route. You will miss out major plotline linked to future game in kuro no kiseki 2. Because both Swin and Nadia is co-protagonist along side Van, Caz the game plays it out very similar to Reverie with different groups tackling different story. Like Rean and Lloyd.
I'd still say Sky, if you don't want to play them, atleast watch a story playthrough of them on RUclips. First game I'm actually physically playing is Cold Steel 1 but I know the story up until Cold Steel through story playthroughs and it's made the experience a lot more enjoyable.
Can someone help me out here? I want to play the game but only being on PS5 don't have access to all the titles in the series, only Azure, Zero and the Cold Steel games. Is it still going to make sense to jump in at one of these titles and if so which one? Thanks in advance!
I finished Zero back in January and finished Reverie and all the games between back in August. What a journey... Azure is peak! :D (I played the Sky trilogy back in 2019)
Wish they would get back to the azure formular as the experience was alot better. They waste alot of your time for the sake of 100 hour gametime. The Reverie Corridor didnt feel like it belonged into the story and the daydream are just a poor mans excuse of the stardoors sky the 3rd had but you dont get the crucial worldbuilding and character growth you got in the sky games. The main story was fantastic but the game would have been so much better with less content. Cold steel III and IV are worse on this aspect. The last boss for the reverie corridor was awesome though.
Im tempted to buy this immediately!!!! but i'm still on Cold Steel 3. Barely even past the 1st chapter. And of course havemt started part 4 yet. Im wondering should i wait and just go straight to this or just play 3 and 4?
Wait to play, DONT WAIT to buy. Seems like all recent Trails entries have sold out swiftly and get reprinted very infrequently (especially the switch versions)
If the platinum requires me to beat the entire slew of Pom Masters and Vantage Masters again… I think I’m just going to let it go, lol. Seriously hyped for the game, though
I would recommend Cold Steel 1 as a starting point since the game will mention the events of the previous Sky Arc, and Crossbell Arc happened somewhere between CS1 & CS2 if I rmb correctly so it's kind of a perspective point of view. Trails' storytelling is superb, and you'll be glad you can start CS2 immediately after CS1, and CS4 immediately after CS3
I just started playing Trails in the Sky and reached the farmhouse. What is up with Estelle and Joshua? They’re siblings but something weird is going on.
Finished this game two years ago and can’t to play it in English. I’m more excited to see my pals I got them to this point to play it lol. It’s a great farewell to Crossbell, Erebonia as well as it’s battle system plus it’s old engine, the phyre engine lol. Some cutscenes actually use their new in-house engine. When Kuro 1 & 2 officially come here I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on them as well.
For those who want to try skipping games because there are too many and half are archaic, I'll lay out my anecdote: TBH, I never played Azure/Zero or Sky 3rd. I read a (very) detailed chapter by chapter synopsis of Azure/Zero and have poked at some of the content revelations from 3rd via wikis. I didnt even read the 3 & 9 novelette until AFTER I played Reverie. Good enough. I've thoroughly enjoyed Reverie still. You get to know Lloyd & crew plenty in CS3/4. Nadia and Swin's backstory novelette isn't important. The only useful takeaway from it is covered in-game (who they killed, where they escaped from). Kevin/Grahlsritters are introduced (thinly) enough in Sky 2nd and CS2. Etc etc. You aren't missing anything foundational except what the glowing tree is in CS2, or why Rufus feels there is compelling need to imprison the SSS, or what the relationship between Rixia and SSS is from not playing Zero/Azure tbh, and a synopsis will tell you that. The main villain(s) of Reverie as well as the man under C's mask are all from Cold Steel arc, as is the corridor concept. You'll be fine.
If you have to play like 5 big games, in order to have some fun with another, is it really in a God-Tier? I played the Erebonian arc till here, but i am not really excited with Reverie. I am only eager to see how it will end, or if i am wrong about the bad impression it gives me, to force us to play with 3 different parties. It was the least enjoying aspect of Cold IV to me, because it costed the overall exploration of characters like Falcom did in all the other previous games.
Ah, I remember those days... back in 2011-12... when I predicted all this nice hype for this series in my humble guides in GameFaqs... Back then, Xseed had only managed to localize Sky FC, and left us hanging there for too much time with that painful cliffhanger. It was the reason I immediately imported Sky SC, 3rd, Zero and Azure for my now dearly departed PSP. And my Japanese was barely passable then... (now I make a living with the language, but that is not important). So to say that this series, the Ys series, Nayuta, Zwei, and Tokyo Xanadu have a special place in my heart just doesn't quite say it... kinda like you trying to sell this game without spoiling the fun. I've played pretty much every game in the Trails series, or as I like to call it, The Zemurian Saga, in Japanese all the way up to CS III and IV. I've gone through this beastly series 3 times in months-long marathons that really melt your mind, and I'll likely do so again when Kuro no Kiseki II comes out... or maybe I'll wait until we hit 24 games so I can spend two straight years in Zemuria, maybe get a permanent resident visa to live in Eryn Village (my favorite town in the series so far). But jokes aside, there really is no other series like this, except perhaps Ys, but that's a different sort of cuisine, with each game being its own semi-self-contained adventure with perhaps one of the oldest franchise protagonists in existence (Adol "The Red" Christin, who's been active since 1987, one year younger than the Links and Zeldas). Seriously, this series is like what I expect to happen when all books of Re: Zero are adapted to anime. Or Ascendance of a Bookworm or Mushoku Tensei. It is that big of a series. And if it were made in light novel fashion, it would be like those. With every game that comes out, my respect, awe, and even fear at what Nihon Falcom is attempting grows. But I love it, and I can't get enough of it. PD: Regarding the ongoing schism about the series' OSTs, a little bit of history: Zero/Azure, Cold Steel I and II, were made during the 'height' of the old Team JDK, Falcom's former resident rock band, and also during the times of the perfect combo of Hayato Sonoda, Takahiro Unisuga, Yukihiro Jindo and Saki Momiyama. But, Team JDK members moved on to new endeavours, Momiyama too moved to other projects, and the old trio is getting old. Add to that the fact that each installment since Cold Steel has around 60 to 80 tracks... and you get the idea. Plus, they also do other, non-Trails games. Then there is our friend Mitsuo Singa, whose music can be hit or miss for many (including me, but that's because I think his style fits the Ys series more than the Trails series). He has improved, and his tracks for Reverie were stellar works (Sword of Swords, we didn't have you enough times). Still, for me, the music is still definitely "Trails".
So being a ps5 owner, what games would I have access to and in what order should they be played? This series seems interesting but there are so many games in the series.
Some games aren't on Playstation and are only on PC. The official order for the series is. Trails in the Sky (PC) Trails in the Sky SC (PC) Trails in the Sky the 3rd (PC) Trails From Zero (PC and PS) Trails to Azure (PC and PS) Boundless Trails (PC and PS) Trails of Cold Steel (PC and PS) Trails of Cold Steel 2 (PC and PS) Akatsuki no Kiseki (PC and PS) - (Spin Off) Trails of Cold Steel 3 (PC and PS) Trails of Cold Steel 4 (PC and PS) Trails Into Reverie (PC and PS) - The One The Video Is About! There's 2 others after but they haven't been localised into English yet.
Don't listen to the fans: try cold steel 1 but do not spend too much money on it. If you manage to get to chapter 6 it means this series can be for you. It is gonna be the worst time of your life but from chap 6 on it starts to take off and gets better. Cold steel 2 is much better.. 3 meh... 4 better. These are niche games, they are no masterpieces but they try build a story that spreads across multiple games so once u are hooked u are in 4 a long ride. I don't think there are many JRPGs out there that can rival these in terms of scope (Yakuza?). But again these games are 7s at best. If u already played the Personas.. Shin Megamis.. Elden Rings etc etc... then why not, give these a go.
After playing Reverie, I'm teetering on putting the trails series as the best JRPG series ever. I would NEVER NEVER NEVER suggest anyone play this series from ANYWHERE other than the Sky Trilogy. This is a special series 🙏🏿
I for some reason have skipped the trails series ( probably because I wasn’t a mobile gammer and didn’t own a PC ). Finally decided to play the Trails in the Sky series. Beat the first one. What a cliff hanger. I want to literally play them all in order but taking breaks.
If you started with Sky already, there's not much reason to skip around anyway. From a player who started with Cold Steel, just sit back and enjoy the ride.
so far im enjoying everything from this game im on Sky SC currently,just one thing i don't like about it is how they try to stretch the play hour by adding something like recipe guessing,phantom thief quests,fishing and another fetch quests that doesn;t have any story or gameplay altering impact on the game,but at least im kinda enjoying all these puzzles and guessing game thrown at me. it common on old JRPGs to have something like this so i doesn't really straight up hate it,it just a little bit annoying if repeated over and over again,and convincing somebody to play this was a pain especially if they seen it somewhere and doesn't click on with their taste.
Help! I don't get what Matty said. He said start at Zero - I found that. Then go through the Sky Trilogy? What is that? So the order is Zero -> Sky Trilogy -> Azure -> Coldsteel -> Reverie?
The reason he says to start with Zero is because it's what he, and many others (not myself, personally) consider the peak of the series and easiest to get into. In other words, it'll hook you into the world and get you to want to play the rest. *HOWEVER,* I would heavily advise against this because Zero wraps up *THE BEST* character story that began 2 games prior to it and spoiling that is a massive disservice to yourself. If you have difficulty getting into retro style games, you should start with Cold Steel 1 and 2, then jump back to Sky 1-3, then Zero and Azure, and finally go back to wrap up Cold Steel 3, 4 and Reverie. If retro games don't bother you, then play the chronological order of Sky 1-3, Zero and Azure, Cold Steel 1-4 then Reverie. Fair warning, Sky 1 is the slowest and most boring of the games though. It doesn't really pick up until the very end. So if you start there and wonder why everyone is praising this series, just keep trucking through it and you'll immediately see why in the next entry.
I die every time someone suggests to play zero before sky. it's such a bone-head suggestion IMO. ALL of Zero's best, most emotional moments feature a character that you wont care about unless you play sky, and all of their emotional impact will be lost. Yes the story will still make sense, but the emotional rollercoaster just wont be there.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
This series has easily surpassed some of the all time greats of the JRPG genre, and with consistantly great each new entry is I'd argue it's the greatest JRPG series of all time.
I honestly think the ending to Sky FC is the series high point.
I can't watch the last 15 minutes of that game without bawling.
This isn't to disparage the rest of the series: but it's my favourite cinematic sequence in gaming.
@@diegoarmando5489the ending of cold steel 3 also wild. I love sky sc and azure the most tho
@@statesminds I had really bad anhedonia when SC came out, so I'm currently replaying it and it feels like I'm playing it for the first time.
@@diegoarmando5489 I replayed Sky Trilogy using a translation patch for the Vita Evolution versions of the game and the voice acting makes it a lot more enjoyable. But yeah that ending to FC was something even the beginning of SC when Estelle was so in denial about Joshua was sad to see.
Amen to that. Trails is peak jrpg gaming.
It's great to see creators with a large following like yourself giving the Trails games the recognition it deserves outside of Japan. Thanks a lot!
I've been ridiculously obsessed with this series, so naturally I have a few points:
-I love the "running gag" of each game having contrived reasons for characters resetting their combat orbments, but in this game they didn't even attempt to explain😅
-I initially found it an odd choice for Alisa to not be in Rean's route, but the more I play the more I see the method behind their madness in why certain characters are in each storyline
-this game feels like playing two games at the same time, kind of like playing Cold Steel 2 and Azure and comparing similarities.
-some of these character pairings make sense and are so respectful to their history in the series. I always thought of Machias as Dudley Jr, so when I saw them together I laughed
-a few of my normal tricks from previous games don't work here, and I appreciate that each route requires you to shift your thinking when fighting bosses
-I went to buy this at GameStop, and they only had one left, with a second one on hold. I love how this series picked up
-Hey, equipment fatigue. You've seen what them heroes fight every game. No weapon, Black Zemurian Ore or not, can withstand that level of punishment. And those orbments get some abuse and then some. At least they don't lose their gear in shipwrecks like certain red-haired adventurer.
-It's a relationship between career-oriented, high profile individuals. Plus, it makes it fun whenever they meet and his running "ladies-man" gag crops up, or his friends and disciples tease him.
-Make it three games with the Reverie Corridor. Plus the fun stuff you find in there could amount to another half game. And they gave us Season 2/OVA of that Magical Girl series in the Corridor. I just hope that, whenever they make the next Tokyo Xanadu, they make Season 1 playable. That would be really fun. More so if they make it a 2-cour series (I swear, that "series" is the best Falcom joke so far).
-I get what you mean. Delay-spam was crushed, S-Craft spamming with items was nerfed, and battle food was mellowed out, but at least we have those nice Orders, EVA-Tanks, Dominion-STR Reans and 5-figure ATS builds that blow holes in the opposition, are night-untouchable, and give them little to no chance to damage our parties or even act.
-I get them digital, and pre-order physical. Saves time and grief.
Just this morning I finished trails from zero! Absolutely loved it!
To get people more hyped up the next game in the trails series outdoes Reverie in very facet. Characters, story, music, setting, combat. It blends everything in perfectly. Matty if you said Reverie has an issue where it wants to go dark but it didn't go dark enough wait until you play Kuro no Kiseki ( or in English which hopefully it will be called Trails into Dusk).
I absolutely love what they did with the combat as well as how the customization merges what I like about the older system with the new, letting you figure out how to get proper bonuses while keeping the arts you need with buffs similar to MQs. I haven't played Kuro 2 yet but so far I love how this series progresses it's gameplay.
I bought the game and skipped 70% of the scenes and dialogue lol. It's a fun game to level up characters and kill stuff, and grind out the quartz upgrades i want. I am not interested in the previous games but i will certainly be playing Kuro and other future games.
how do you feel that its called Trails through Day Break?
check out kuro no kiseki 2 crimson sin if u want a dark trails game. it can be argued to be the darkest trails game so far.
@yeongkit4370 I have the sequel, and this is true, but it still feels like an intermission instead of the real deal. Hope the 3rd game gives the proper conclusion.
Wow, as a new Trails fan this year, I absolutely can’t wait to play this game. Great review Matty 👍
I felt the entire Trails series soundtracks were fantastic, and peaked with Cold Steel 1-4. Then, the composer who was responsible for 75% of my favorite tracks left (or was pushed out, not sure), and I'm expecting the soundtracks to have taken a hit in the future. It's a shame.
I think falcom is the greatest developer of all time. They have some the oldest series in gaming history and still keep their quality bar sky high, all while remaining a private independent business. And they have like 50 employees, legends!
Yea they really are up there
As much as I love their games, I'd love a higher budget. The reused assets is jarring
lmfao delusional
So far i like Ys VIII and Trails into Reverie. Was not really a fan of Ys IX and i don't think i have played any other Falcom games. At least not that i can recall.
Trails sucks
Kuro C = Dingo Brad die but return as Zolga////// Ix and Jolda join Ouroboros/// Van = Demon Lord///Altera = Lapis/// Nemeth Island = Paradise/// Quatre is an Angel #NoMoreRean
For anyone curious about the noticeable worsening in soundtrack quality from falcom, it can largely be attributed to composers Saki Momiyama and Takahiro Unisuga leaving the company.
The metal heads depart and everything goes to shit smh
@@bigshowerthat’s unfortunate…considering ys10 is coming up
@@morriganrenfield8240 That was my thoughts too. I hope it lives up. VIII and IX had such great OSTs...
kuro no kiseki 1 & 2 have alot of my favorite tracks in the series, but the genre is mostly different and chill compared to the others. it gives calvard that unique feel tho
“Worsening” lol i mean they still slap and are better than a lot of games
Same thing that happened to me. when I first play trails in the sky, I didn't like the gameplay as it seems pretty old, but its the music from the start that made me play through, but the ending is what really shocked me and wanted to play the rest of the series, their storytelling is just amazing, never felt so many ups and downs in a series until I played this series
Yea I had to force myself through the portable games to get to the console games, but since CS3 I've definitely been enjoying the series a lot more
they did a remake newer graphics version of the trail of the sky series, added the word evolution.
same incredible story with improved graphics
@@yeongkit4370 I did not know about this, I might try it out for old times sake, thanks man
@@furanzeF you're welcome! they did a remake for both FC and SC and added the word evolution to differentiate between the remake and the original. For those who are wondering what FC and SC means, it's First and Second Chapter of a 3 part series, Trails of the Sky 3 had a different main character and is a standalone game. They have many remixes like tokyo xanadu, the new one is called tokyo xanadu ex+. They added an extra chapter in the new tokyo xanadu called afterstory, which takes place after the story is finished
It’s funny he calls it the Smash Bros of Trails! I personally call it the MCU of JRPG’s
If COLD STEEL III & IV were the INFINITY WAR & ENDGAME of the Trails series then Reverie is the NO WAY HOME!!
I'm glad that Trails been loved by many! Let's savor some Reverie and wait for Kuro's god-knows-when localization!
Trails sucks
Kuro C = Dingo Brad die but return as Zolga////// Ix and Jolda join Ouroboros/// Van = Demon Lord///Altera = Lapis/// Nemeth Island = Paradise/// Quatre is an Angel #NoMoreRean
I want to give a huge mention to the Kiseki Audiobook Project channel on youtube. They have several of the in game books up and read by a fantastic narrator. I've listened to all the in game books they have recorded and posted. I highly recommend.them if you are into Kiseki\Trails and want to read the books but don't want to read them in game personlly.
Idk how you do it dude i have have mad respect for you. You keep up with EVERYTHING.
I really enjoyed the true reverie corridor and how the devs just let you go hog wild with the team building for this entry. Made it feel like a true culmination of the growth in strategy that occurred over the course of the Cold Steel and Crossbell games. As a comment about the actual narrative and method of storytelling, I love referring to this series as the “One Piece of gaming”
Honestly for all hours I put into the series, even if some of the content didn’t necessarily need to be there was just a lot of fun for me. Aside from the Xenoblade series and some of the tales games, I’ve never had so much fun with a JRPG series. Currently playing trail to Zero and then after azure, but I’m so excited to play this.
I started playing Zero & I’m at the ready to enter the auction part. Can’t wait to play Azure that everyone is saying is a masterpiece.
I'll agree that Reverie was fun as hell. I went into this expecting something akin to Sonic Heroes where we play each story in full one by one before reaching an end point where everyone comes together. But I was pleasantly surprised that we play each of them in tandem with each other. The crazy party mashups we are forced to use throughout the story with members we normally wouldn't see interact together much was really fun. And dear Adios were some of the interactions and lines were great. I personally love how they leave a few tiny hints as to who is behind the mask of C, but you have to really pay attention to notice them. Ironically I managed to guess his identity correctly about halfway before the reveal happened, which I'm a little proud of since I was an idiot in CS1 and didn't figure out C's identity there until after the festival where they were making it super obvious. Though I definitely agree Reverie's weakest point is how convoluted the main threat ends up being. It's a big blow to the game in my opinion, but not enough to ruin it as a whole thankfully.
Other than the convoluted part, my main issue ironically lies with the Reverie Corridor. Don't get me wrong, it was overall well designed and there's so much cool extra things we can do in it, making it indeed an improved Phantasma. My issue lies though with the trailers sort of. The Reveries Corridor was extremely highlighted in them, and while the Reverie Corridor does take up a lot of gameplay time, its story relevance is... kinda absent until post-game. Though I will say dear lord the true final boss was crazy difficult for me. I'm pretty sure I was appropriately leveled, and granted I might have had an easier time had I swapped around my party lineup a little, but not even the final bosses for Sky 3 and Azure gave me that much trouble.
I would wanna try it but playing 7 other games to enjoy it is a hard sell 😅
Just play one, and the rest sell themselves. You’ll want to play them
@@seanscarborough4023 good point 🤔 is there one you'd reccomend starting with?
@@CurtTheHeroYou should start from the beginning to get the most out of it but if you just wanted to try the series I'd recommend starting with Cold Steel 1 as its my favourite introductory game and then Cold Steel 2 if you liked it but after that I'd recommend playing the Sky games (FC, SC, and 3rd) and then the Crossbell games (Zero and Azure) before starting Cold Steel 3 as that's when you may start to feel confused about who characters are and stuff.
I'll say it now, even if you don't need it, but here's a longer layout of the story and the games you'll wanna play in order. First is the Liberl Arc, where you follow Estelle and Joshua Bright. The Liberl Arc takes place in the very first two games of the series, Trails in the Sky FC (First Chapter) and Trails in the Sky SC (Third Chapter), where we follow Estelle and Joshua Bright in the nation of Liberl. The Arc ends per se in SC, but Trails in the Sky 3rd wraps up every characters (besides one) story.
Then we have the Crssbell Arc. This takes place in, of course, the small state of Crossbell which is caught in between two major powers. The Crossbell Arc includes two games, Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure. These games follows Detective Lloyd Bannings and the newly established Special Support Sectiok of the CPD (Crossbell's Police Department). Remember the one character I mentioned in 3rd that doesn't have her story wrapped up? Well it wraps up in Zero, which is why I would reccomend people to play the Sky series first.
And then the Erebonian Arc, which includes Trails from Cold Steel 1-4. The interesting thing is that Zero, Azure, Cold Steel 1 and 2 happens at the same time. More specifically, the entirety of Zero and 80% of Azure is happening in between the chapters of Cold Steel 1, while the rest of Azure and Cold Steel 2 happens exactly at the same time. Cold Steel 3 and 4 then happens 4 years after 1 and 2.
And finally, Trails into Reverie. This will finish both the Crossbell and Erebonia Arc's stories.
After this is Kuro no Kiseki and Kuro no Kiseki 2, which is still not localised unfortunately, but these games apparently mark the halfway point of the entire series.
Some people might have a hard time getting into this series, whether you play Sky, Zero, or Cold Steel 1 first because each of these games start slow paced. BUT! It'll be worth it, trust me. I played Sky first and when I eventually got into it, going through the rest of the series wasn't a bother for me. As the other person said, the series will sell itself eventually.
@@theonewhosayshello6367 cool thank you for the break down. It sounds like a pretty meaty series
the one thing that hooked me instantly on the game was simply the WAITING period. just waiting for this game to release. after a couple of years break. the opening scene hit SO hard. it was so exciting to return to crossbell and finally be able to continue the last leg of their journey. excitement through the roof. and it kept going strong from start to finish.
Great video, now I am even more hyped! Cant believe its 3 years since I started with Sky FC and now we are here. Trails has become my favourite ongoing series of all time and I cant wait to see what happens here!
Just a quick question for anyone: Does the game also have hidden side quests like the other titles had? Cause I normally check a walkthrough, just for these missable quests as I want to do these all. If there are none, I would just go in without anything this time.
No hidden side quests, missions are added gradually in the notebook. You can access them all the time and see the progress, to obtain the perks of completing the missions you have to report them in the TRC, which you can pretty much access all the time.With the Moon Leens quartz you won't be missing a single chest. I'm about the start the Final Act, and though there are some books and newspapers, they are quite straightforward to get (in shops), not even close to the cruel Carnelia collection on Trails in the Sky, if you've played the game you know what I'm talking about. The only reason I would use a guide is because there are certain conditions to be met to get extra points for the ranking grades. Like, beat a boss in certain amount of turns, and things like that.
Marty any plan on doing retro rebounds on CS3 and CS4? Would love to hear you go deeper into them.
I'm really happy to see you enjoyed this game a lot! I can't wait to play this game next week! I'm currently playing CS4(my most favorite Trails game of all of them so far easily) for the 3rd time on my Switch(1st time on Switch) so I can carry over stuff into Reverie. I can't wait to see all the character interactions and even more so hearing all these amazing characters in English for the first time(and some returning to voice their characters some more, like the SSS)!
Hmm, I AM worried about the Reverie Corridor part of the game since Sky the 3rd is my least favorite game due to being in a dungeon the whole game but hopefully it's not as bad. I AM looking forward to the awesome and fun beachside content in the game, minigames and all! That's gonna be so fun!(Still don't get why some people hate fanservice but whatever, their loss) and I guess the Episodes too if they're good. I'm hoping they are.
Now I just hope I can beat CS4 again in time. 😅
I will say, based on your fear of not liking Reverie because of disliking Sky the 3rd, you’re probably going to be just fine. The dungeon crawling in the big dungeon that is mandatory is pretty short and passed between your typical Trails game structure, and basically exists as a great way to keep your characters leveled and buffed up until the endgame, where it admittedly does become the focus. But this game is not a dungeon crawler the same way that 3rd is, and there is a lot more to break up and diversify the crawling even once you’ve completed the story. Plus the episodes and mini games are really fun, and using the gigantic full cast allows a lot of fun shenanigans. I’m guessing you’ll have a much better time here.
Wait, is the switch the only console that will carry over from CS4??
@@91sabra No, it doesn't carry over a thing. It only detects if you have a Clear Save and gives you items depending on your rank on those games. It even gives you some extra items if you have a Save from Zero and Azure, not even a Clear Save. From what I've read, depending on with whom you spent the last night on CS4 and your bond levels, certain dialogs change.However, no level, nor quartz or mira carry over.
I have all of steel series but what's the sky series? I've seen Azure and zero and nayuta
The trails in the sky trilogy are the first games in the series. Zero and azure come after.
Game order:
1. Trails in the sky
2. Trails in the sky sc
3. Trails in the sky the 3rd
4. Trails from zero
5. Trails to Azure
6. Cold steel 1
7. Cold steel 2
8. Cold steel 3
9. Cold steel 4
10. Trails into reverie
17:24 what remix of Afternoon in crossbell is tha?
I feel like the music quality picked back up in kuro! Great video and agree reverie is an amazing game.
I just beat CS4 couple days ago, the ending credits hit so different. Top tier series
Im currently at the end of azure after making my way past the first 4 going to struggle to not go straight into cold steel , thanks matty for on showing me these games
Great to hear this game is good. I am looking forward to playing it. I really enjoy the trails series.
Im going back between the crossbell duology and ff16 idk if i can play this day 1 😅
Isn't it 9 Trails games before Reverie? Sky trilogy, Zero and Azure and Cold Steel Tetralogy?
yes that is correct
I have never tried one of these games. My favorite non Final Fantasy JRPG series include Persona, Tales of, Dragon Quest, and Chrono Cross, so I feel like I'd really like this too
Please try it. Story wise it's one epic tale
I'll say it now, even if you don't need it, but here's a brief layout of the story and the games you'll wanna play in order. First is the Liberl Arc, where you follow Estelle and Joshua Bright. The Liberl Arc takes place in the very first two games of the series, Trails in the Sky FC (First Chapter) and Trails in the Sky SC (Third Chapter), where we follow Estelle and Joshua Bright in the nation of Liberl. The Arc ends per se in SC, but Trails in the Sky 3rd wraps up every characters (besides one) story.
Then we have the Crssbell Arc. This takes place in, of course, the small state of Crossbell which is caught in between two major powers. The Crossbell Arc includes two games, Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure. These games follows Detective Lloyd Bannings and the newly established Special Support Sectiok of the CPD (Crossbell's Police Force). Remember the one character I mentioned in 3rd that doesn't have her story wrapped up? Well it wraps up in Zero, which is why I would reccomend people to play the Sky series first.
And then the Erebonian Arc, which includes Trails from Cold Steel 1-4. The interesting thing is that Zero, Azure, Cold Steel 1 and 2 happens at the same time. More specifically, the entirety of Zero and 80% of Azure is happening in between the chapters of Cold Steel 1, while the rest of Azure and Cold Steel 2 happens exactly at the same time. Cold Steel 3 and 4 then happens 4 years after 1 and 2.
And finally, Trails into Reverie. This will finish both the Crossbell and Erebonia Arc's stories.
After this is Kuro no Kiseki and Kuro no Kiseki 2, which is still not localised unfortunately, but these games apparently mark the halway point of the entire series.
Some people might have a hard time getting into this series, whether you play Sky, Zero, or Cold Steel 1 first because each of these games start slow paced. BUT! It'll be worth it, trust me. I played Sky first and when I eventually got into it, going through the rest of the series wasn't a bother for me. So I wish you luck and I hope you will become ONE OF US!
Super excited! Trails is one of my favorite series of all time. I do hope NISA and Xseed can work something out to where the Sky trilogy can come to modern platforms preferably the Evolution version with voice acting. It’s not fair to people who don’t have a PC or whatever. Thankfully a cheap laptop can play them but still.
yep we need ps vita version to be remastered for modern platforms
@@sin7804 yes def need the voice acting
I’m currently about 40 hours into Cold Steel IV and I’m constantly turned off by the story direction. There is a lack of consequence to the events of Erobonia from the npcs and its characters. For a story filled with darkness and morale at an all time low, everyone seems to escape unscathed. I hope Trails into Reverie begins to commit fully to its story it wants to tell instead of feeling like an avengers mashup with no repercussions.
You don’t have to have constant death in order to have stakes in a story lmao
@@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE we all have our preference in story telling, calm down.
Totally agree with you. Lost interest after Cold Steel IV, but i will give Reverie a shot. Maybe it will remove the sour taste i have in my mouth from CS4. Cause it was one of the worst JRPGs ive ever played honestly. The pacing and filler IS WAY TOO MUCH for its own good.
@@OSE7EN7 That's kinda interesting because I didn't like CS4 as much as I did CS3 but there was moments in CS4 that was fun. Compared to Trails into Reverie, CS4 doesn't hold a candle and now that I have Trails into Reverie, I'm not sure if I want to change out my Switch game card to play CS4 again. I'd rather stick with Trails into Reverie, it's alot of fun, especially the Reverie corridor where the game really shines.
It's okay to be wrong. 💙 🧂
This series is on my to play list. Really looking forward to them. Just so many so have to set some time aside lol
My advice is that you shouldn't go into it with the intention of playing them all. Just decide on playing one or two of them, and if you like them enough then you'll naturally set aside the time to play more of them. That is how it worked out for me, anyways.
@@drakenstoc4885 yeh I have one of them and only 1 so far lol. I played it for a few hours and I love it but then I took a break to play something else, you probably know how that is and then I forgot what I was doing lol. Only a few hours in though so I am just going to start again! I found it a bit too slow in the animations but I forgot u can speed it up! though I got my butt kicked when I did that lol. So I think I needed to grind a bit. I plan to play a lot more single player games soon and this will be on my list but with the first. Or the first I will do. Which is the first one in the sky trilogy I believe. The Legend of Heroes, Trails in the Sky
Just finished Reverie and my god this is probably the greatest recent Trails game. It felt like a breath of fresh air after the super long CS III and IV. The new characters are so incredibly good and how they wrote C was just amazing. I am so excited for Daybreak and the reveals in the final daydream has me hyped
The trails series and suikoden also persona are my favorite jrpgs of all time. Tho, the world building of the trails series are on a whole new level.
Matty > Plays through 9 Trails games with the combined text that can wrap around the Earth three times to get to Reverie
Falcom: Before you jump in, here's a mini book that takes roughly 30-40 mins to read that gives awesome backstory for two of our new characters
Matty: Ain't nobody got time for that!
Most bizarre take I've ever seen, and yet you said Falcom takes the L ... X.X Honestly though, Falcom has the Three & Nine story on their website. Anyone who is playing through the Trails series, it's an easy, quick read and very entertaining, and has backstory for Swin, Nadia, and the Organization that's pretty important.
The thing is after cold steel they had problems with the band and a lot of the members left
I dont think we'll ever get ost on that level again
Honestly, trails of cold steel 4 ost was bad, well, the ending was kinda bad in general, the final dungeon feels generic, the music of the final dungeon and the final boss feels generic.
well, from the Japanese release of Kuro no Kieseki, the new music direction they are going for that arc is HUGELY different in contrast with the other entries. I think it levels up to some of the series greats... but nothing is beating Trails of the Sky Battle Theme
@@luispalacios8423What are you smoking??? CS4’s ost was amazing. I was genuinely one of the verge of tears playing through the final dungeon
Nah that happened after Ao no Kiseki came out. I'm pretty sure all of CS was made with the new band, but I could be wrong. Ys VIII was also made without them--so they're definitely still capable of incredible music. But yeah IMO Ao was the peak. There's s till a bunch of good songs though even if not everything is high quality like it was in sky or crossbell.
In what order to play Trails of cold steel then the new 3 trails games on the switch? Am I right in thinking it goes like this-
Zero
Azure
Cold Steel 1-4
Reverie < The last one ever?
You have the release order correct. Only thing is that Zero and Azure overlap with CS 1 and 2 in the timeline, so they massively spoil each other, which is cool in a way, but also very unfortunate for CS which came out after the Crossbell games.
@@BlueGrovyle So what order would you say?
@@deusvlad2.083 as of today, I have finished Sky 1-3, Zero, and CS1. I am playing Azure (the sequel to Zero) now. I got into the series in 2021 via CS1 and went back to play in order. I will put my recommendations first since that's what you asked for, and then I will attempt to give you a comprehensive outline of the pros and cons of the most common play orders as justification for my opinion, if you're interested in additional information.
These games move at a slow pace, so I recommend starting with Sky 1, Zero, or Cold Steel 1-whichever is most appealing to you-and going from there. Should you pick Zero or CS1, if there's a moment that you think you are fully committed to the series and its expansive world, I highly recommend going back to the beginning, either to play all of them in release order or at least to consider watching the cutscenes to familiarize yourself with the characters and narrative as a whole. Unless you want to start with Daybreak which releases next summer or you don't care about the narrative whatsoever, do _not_ start anywhere else, as Sky 2-3, Azure, CS 2-4, and Reverie are all direct sequels. If the opposite is ever true, i.e. you try one of these games and decide that you only want to play a fraction of the games/whatever ones give you the best experience as a fan, of the ones I've played myself, Zero and Azure (the "Crossbell" games) are the fan favorites and the only ones I would say that every fan of the JRPG genre should at least give a shot: the best balance of narrative, world building, gameplay, music, and anything else Trails is known for likely occurs here, from what the fans say, and I'm loving Azure too even though I have yet to finish it. Sky 1 is at the bottom of my personal list, but the biggest Sky fans will naturally believe that starting anywhere else is nonsensical since they'd consider Sky to be "unskippable" even for the individual experience.
It is also worth noting that, though I have not played CS 3-4, CS 3-4 are extremely plot-dependent on the games prior to CS1, so if you decide to start with CS1 and go forward instead of going back like I did, most fans who have played CS3 strongly suggest returning to CS's predecessors after CS2 if you have any intention of playing them, lest their narratives be spoiled and your understanding of the characters from those games be sorely incomplete when they gain relevance in CS3.
The most uncontroversial starting point is Trails in the Sky, the PC/PSP games originally released in 2004 in Japan. Sky 1 (official title Trails in the Sky) is the beginning of the narrative that encompasses the world of Trails, as all main-line Trails games (as in, not the spinoffs like The Legend of Nayuta) occur in the same world and on the same timeline. The biggest benefit to starting there is just that: you won't be missing any world, character, or narrative-relevant context if you play the games in order, and the only in-game "spoilers" of other games that you will experience are the ones I mention between CS 1-2 and Crossbell, which are essentially unavoidable due to the games occurring at the same time in-world. The Trails series has extremely political narratives, and the actions of one country, province, or state are "heard around the world" and strongly and directly impact the events in others.
One of the more common starting points for the western audience is Trails of Cold Steel, aka CS1. This is where I started, and I think it's a solid place to start. You can also start with Trails from Zero, which released on several platforms last year. The best benefits to starting with one of these two games, in my opinion, are the voice acting and much improved QoL, battle systems, and overall hour-by-hour gameplay experience.
Since you mentioned the Switch in your initial comment, I will point out that CS1 and 2 are currently unavailable on the Switch due to licensing complications. All 5 of the Trails games that XSEED published (Sky 1-3, CS 1-2) are lacking Switch releases, but all of the series is playable on PC, and the PC is currently the only platform on which all of the games are available in English, for reference.
Last thing: as I alluded to before, Reverie is not the last Trails game; the game after it is coming to the west next summer, called Trails through Daybreak. It will likely be the best entry point since CS1, so it is an option if you're captivated by it. 11 titles total will be available next year, and Daybreak 2 is already out in Japan with Kai no Kiseki just recently announced to release in Japan next year.
Good luck, and I'm always willing to talk about the series with newcomers, so please feel free to reach out if you have more questions or want to talk about anything else!
I've been waiting , saving myself damn near for this game . I got the guides ready in a playlist to optimize my type of builds and this might be the one trails game I try that super hard difficulty 💪. I can't wait.
Recently I got a tattoo of Crosbell State symbol, thats how deep I am into the Trails hole. And I dont plan on climbing out. Played the fan translation of Reverie, cant wait to play it again proper. And yeah, Kuro no Kiseki is finally where the games gets darker, you can see blood, bodies etc. Reverie still plays it a bit safe.
Now that's commitment, good for you.
Hey Matt do you think its ok if I skip the Trails of Cold Series, I liked Sky and Zero but Cold steel just feels bland and uninteresting I dont character about any of the the characters
When I finish final fantasy 16 I’m gonna get back into cold steel 3 and then cold steel 4 and then reverie
Where can i get this hoodie Matty?!?!?!?!? GREAT REVIEW!!!
This really is a god tier JRPG that many won’t discover as you need to play 8 games beforehand
Yeah fuck that
Does anyone have the link for the book?
I’ve been collecting all the games before starting, now I know I need one more piece 😅 picking this title up tomorrow last piece!
Got into trails this year. I've probably played over 100 JRPGs in my life and this series is to me the absolute best of the best. The GOAT of JRPGs.
I keep hearing ppl say they used the same engine from CS1 through reverie but why does CS1&2 look so different from CS3, CS4 and Reverie, they clearly made some major improvements from CS2 to CS3, CS3, CS4 and Reverie look and plays completely different from CS1&2
"Form is emptiness,emptiness is form...1st,2nd,3rd,4th,5th,6th,7th.....Eight Leaves Luminous Abyss!!!"
I hope falcom brings the whole series to modern consoles like the ps5 or switch. It's a great series that should be available physically to everyone on one console.
One thing I've always said: if the money to be made is there, it will happen. Zero and Azure sold well above what Falcom's expectations were. If the franchise continues to grow in the west, there will be a tipping point where the return on investment of putting every game on modern consoles makes sense.
Legend of Heroes: Trails 1-5 is on the PS store on PS4 & 5
sir i have a question please consider to answer
Oh Matty i had no idea you finished the whole series! Hope to see videos on the ones you haven't made yet :)
Can someone tell me exactly what games I need to play before Trails into Reverie?
Trails in the Sky FC
Trails in the Sky SC
Trails in the Sky The 3rd
Trails From Zero
Trails To Azure
Trails of Cold Steel
Trails of Cold Steel 2
Trails of Cold Steel - Northern War Anime (Optional)
Trails of Cold Steel 3
Trails of Cold Steel 4
Then you'll be ready for Trails Into Reverie
Throughout Cold Steel 3 some characters talk about the Northern War that happened off-screen between the events of Cold Steel 2 and 3. A 12 episode anime came out early this year that shows what happened in that war so it's a nice little bonus thing to experience before you jump into Cold Steel 3 but it is not at all a must watch if you do not feel like watching anime and just want to play the game. Since the anime came out after Cold Steel 3, 4, Reverie, Kuro 1, Kuro 2, any new characters that appeared in the anime do not get mentioned or appear in any of the games that have come out this far. They might start showing up from Kuro 3 onwards so it's good to eventually watch the anime someday just in case.
All 9 games is recommended for the ultimate experience.
Abyss mode blind was challenging but made me think a way lot more when it comes to battles. Didn’t feel this way in previous games even in nightmare mode
Reverie is the immediate followup to Trails-4, Rean Saga, etc ?? (I finished 4, last year, but was waiting for the latest installment to be translated, before getting it)
It's the finale of both Rean and Lloyd's (Crossbell) saga I believe and marks the halfway point of the entire series.
Wow!!!! Matty surprised me with a trails review
Can’t wait to play this!!! I’ve been dying since I finished cold steel 4 last year. Not expecting this to top that game for me, but I hope it’s amazing nether the less
I finish the trial of the sky 1 n 2 the other will be have another oroborus members will appear?
Hey bro im new in to the series, i should start from trails from zero? It only makes sense from the title right?
Finished the Japanese version 2 years ago and LOVED it to death. Easily my favourite in the series.
The story twists and structure were the peak of the series
Same pal same. Hajimari is for me the best trails game so far. Kuro 1 was ok, have not played Kuro 2 yet.
But nearly 170 hours in Hajimari =
Hey I'm interested in this series and I don't know how to approach it. I have a switch and a PS4/5. What would be the recommended order of games on these platforms. Preferably switch whenever possible
@@praneet48 Go in order. If you can, Sky 1-3, then Zero, Azure, then Cold Steel 1-4, and then Reverie. If you can't play Sky 1-3 just start with Zero (because Sky's pretty much PC only at this point so yeah, unfortunate). Hope this helps.
@@praneet48 Best order is Sky Trilogy, Zero and Azure, Cold Steel 1-4 and then Reverie.
if you don't have a PC then unfortunately Sky isn't accessible, but you should be able to access Zero and Azure on PS4 and Switch, Cold Steel 1 and 2 on PS4 as well as Cold Steel 3 and 4 on PS4 and Switch.
@@praneet48 play them in order of release. Some people try to push the idea that you only need to play Coldsteel. You have to play ALL of them since they're all interconnected and this one is a big "Everyone is here" game
I had the EXACT issue with 4, I've tried multiple times but just can't get into it, maybe the lack of the Main dude took me out more than I realized. Blast right through 3 though!
I don’t understand the hate for 4.
Best game in the series especially when Rean gets promoted.
I somewhat agree with your take on the music, though I never thought any tracks were bad. However, Chaotic Sludge was way overused. Was used in cutscenes, and multiple dungeons/areas, and I was tired of hearing it after awhile.
I know I’m a bit late to this one but can anyone tell me if the world building in Reverie expands much? One gripe I had with the previous games was that so much of the games revolve around the same areas and it can get a bit repetitive.
I mean the world building itself is explored and expanded in this game especially after a few reveals.
In terms of areas I don't think it improves, they just reuse most of the areas from cold steel 3 and 4.
Probably why it's so short in terms of main story content when compared to the others
The game after this is in a completely new country with completely new characters so you might look forward to that
Just finished this game about an hour ago, absolutely loved it. I do REALLY wish I could play the Sky trilogy though. I know what happens in those games through reading the wiki, but they’re the only games in the series that I haven’t played due to not having access to them. Falcom PLEASE give us the Sky trilogy in a bundle for modern platforms. Doesn’t even have to be physical, I’d gladly take a download only.
Really would like to try the trails series, but I really don't know where to begin, its a daunting series to start with.
Trails in the Sky is arguably the best starting place for the full experience and references. Trails of Cold Steel is a good entry if you prefer modern gameplay but do go back and play the rest before starting Cold Steel 3. This is the consensus. Zero is pretty good also but of course there are references you won’t understand while playing, but any of the first games in an arc is a good place
@@Mikiiiiiiiiiip Thanks for your Info! Maybe I just start with Sky
@@HyruleStreams Sky for now is available on Steam for PC but if you have a Mac you can run a Virtual Machine or Bootcamp to play it. Your computer can be a potato and still be able to play those entries.
@@Mikiiiiiiiiiip I have bought it! Maybe Im going to do a stream to!
@@HyruleStreams nice, would love to watch you play it! On Twitch?
Funny that if you didn't play this game especially 'C''s route.
You will miss out major plotline linked to future game in kuro no kiseki 2.
Because both Swin and Nadia is co-protagonist along side Van, Caz the game plays it out very similar to Reverie with different groups tackling different story.
Like Rean and Lloyd.
Got it today, can't wait 🙌
What game in the series should i start with? I kind of want to skip the sky games from what i see
I'd still say Sky, if you don't want to play them, atleast watch a story playthrough of them on RUclips. First game I'm actually physically playing is Cold Steel 1 but I know the story up until Cold Steel through story playthroughs and it's made the experience a lot more enjoyable.
Is it better than SMT V and FFXVI? cause I had issues with these and were the last 'jrpgs' I played. Itching for a bit of turn based again.
Can someone help me out here?
I want to play the game but only being on PS5 don't have access to all the titles in the series, only Azure, Zero and the Cold Steel games.
Is it still going to make sense to jump in at one of these titles and if so which one?
Thanks in advance!
I finished Zero back in January and finished Reverie and all the games between back in August. What a journey... Azure is peak! :D (I played the Sky trilogy back in 2019)
Wish they would get back to the azure formular as the experience was alot better. They waste alot of your time for the sake of 100 hour gametime. The Reverie Corridor didnt feel like it belonged into the story and the daydream are just a poor mans excuse of the stardoors sky the 3rd had but you dont get the crucial worldbuilding and character growth you got in the sky games. The main story was fantastic but the game would have been so much better with less content. Cold steel III and IV are worse on this aspect. The last boss for the reverie corridor was awesome though.
Im tempted to buy this immediately!!!! but i'm still on Cold Steel 3. Barely even past the 1st chapter. And of course havemt started part 4 yet. Im wondering should i wait and just go straight to this or just play 3 and 4?
Wait to play, DONT WAIT to buy. Seems like all recent Trails entries have sold out swiftly and get reprinted very infrequently (especially the switch versions)
so happy to hear this one's good.
If the platinum requires me to beat the entire slew of Pom Masters and Vantage Masters again… I think I’m just going to let it go, lol. Seriously hyped for the game, though
Where does one begin on this series?
Finally got my LE from NISA. Excited to start after I finish FFXVI
What was the name of the prestory novel?
I love JRPG’s, but to hear I have to play at least six games to “get into” this one… feels like a lot.
I would recommend Cold Steel 1 as a starting point since the game will mention the events of the previous Sky Arc, and Crossbell Arc happened somewhere between CS1 & CS2 if I rmb correctly so it's kind of a perspective point of view.
Trails' storytelling is superb, and you'll be glad you can start CS2 immediately after CS1, and CS4 immediately after CS3
I just started playing Trails in the Sky and reached the farmhouse. What is up with Estelle and Joshua? They’re siblings but something weird is going on.
Finished this game two years ago and can’t to play it in English. I’m more excited to see my pals I got them to this point to play it lol. It’s a great farewell to Crossbell, Erebonia as well as it’s battle system plus it’s old engine, the phyre engine lol. Some cutscenes actually use their new in-house engine. When Kuro 1 & 2 officially come here I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on them as well.
Where can I get the hoodie tho
Just started playing and it truly is
For those who want to try skipping games because there are too many and half are archaic, I'll lay out my anecdote:
TBH, I never played Azure/Zero or Sky 3rd. I read a (very) detailed chapter by chapter synopsis of Azure/Zero and have poked at some of the content revelations from 3rd via wikis. I didnt even read the 3 & 9 novelette until AFTER I played Reverie. Good enough. I've thoroughly enjoyed Reverie still. You get to know Lloyd & crew plenty in CS3/4. Nadia and Swin's backstory novelette isn't important. The only useful takeaway from it is covered in-game (who they killed, where they escaped from). Kevin/Grahlsritters are introduced (thinly) enough in Sky 2nd and CS2. Etc etc. You aren't missing anything foundational except what the glowing tree is in CS2, or why Rufus feels there is compelling need to imprison the SSS, or what the relationship between Rixia and SSS is from not playing Zero/Azure tbh, and a synopsis will tell you that. The main villain(s) of Reverie as well as the man under C's mask are all from Cold Steel arc, as is the corridor concept. You'll be fine.
Did you not do a review of Azure and the Cold Steel games, or did I miss those?
If you have to play like 5 big games, in order to have some fun with another, is it really in a God-Tier? I played the Erebonian arc till here, but i am not really excited with Reverie. I am only eager to see how it will end, or if i am wrong about the bad impression it gives me, to force us to play with 3 different parties. It was the least enjoying aspect of Cold IV to me, because it costed the overall exploration of characters like Falcom did in all the other previous games.
Never played the Trails series before. Should I get this game if I know nothing of the characters and world? Even though I love RPGs?
bro i promise you play all the game first...
you miss out one of the best jrpg series
@@jakkranzigaming4711 Alright. Where can I get these games then? Which one is the first one to try out?
Im so excited, its finally here 🎉.
Do I have to finish CS4 to play this game? I was tired of CS4 around the 2/3rds mark and checked out a plot summary online.
Yes you should finish it. Did you play Cold Steel 1, 2, or 3 before you jumped into IV?
Ah, I remember those days... back in 2011-12... when I predicted all this nice hype for this series in my humble guides in GameFaqs...
Back then, Xseed had only managed to localize Sky FC, and left us hanging there for too much time with that painful cliffhanger.
It was the reason I immediately imported Sky SC, 3rd, Zero and Azure for my now dearly departed PSP.
And my Japanese was barely passable then... (now I make a living with the language, but that is not important).
So to say that this series, the Ys series, Nayuta, Zwei, and Tokyo Xanadu have a special place in my heart just doesn't quite say it... kinda like you trying to sell this game without spoiling the fun.
I've played pretty much every game in the Trails series, or as I like to call it, The Zemurian Saga, in Japanese all the way up to CS III and IV. I've gone through this beastly series 3 times in months-long marathons that really melt your mind, and I'll likely do so again when Kuro no Kiseki II comes out... or maybe I'll wait until we hit 24 games so I can spend two straight years in Zemuria, maybe get a permanent resident visa to live in Eryn Village (my favorite town in the series so far).
But jokes aside, there really is no other series like this, except perhaps Ys, but that's a different sort of cuisine, with each game being its own semi-self-contained adventure with perhaps one of the oldest franchise protagonists in existence (Adol "The Red" Christin, who's been active since 1987, one year younger than the Links and Zeldas).
Seriously, this series is like what I expect to happen when all books of Re: Zero are adapted to anime. Or Ascendance of a Bookworm or Mushoku Tensei. It is that big of a series. And if it were made in light novel fashion, it would be like those.
With every game that comes out, my respect, awe, and even fear at what Nihon Falcom is attempting grows.
But I love it, and I can't get enough of it.
PD: Regarding the ongoing schism about the series' OSTs, a little bit of history: Zero/Azure, Cold Steel I and II, were made during the 'height' of the old Team JDK, Falcom's former resident rock band, and also during the times of the perfect combo of Hayato Sonoda, Takahiro Unisuga, Yukihiro Jindo and Saki Momiyama.
But, Team JDK members moved on to new endeavours, Momiyama too moved to other projects, and the old trio is getting old. Add to that the fact that each installment since Cold Steel has around 60 to 80 tracks... and you get the idea. Plus, they also do other, non-Trails games.
Then there is our friend Mitsuo Singa, whose music can be hit or miss for many (including me, but that's because I think his style fits the Ys series more than the Trails series). He has improved, and his tracks for Reverie were stellar works (Sword of Swords, we didn't have you enough times).
Still, for me, the music is still definitely "Trails".
8 games to play before tho. Does it really worth it ? Is the story that good ?
How did you even play this game it’s not even out yet i look in my ps4 store and still haven’t seen it explained
So being a ps5 owner, what games would I have access to and in what order should they be played? This series seems interesting but there are so many games in the series.
Some games aren't on Playstation and are only on PC.
The official order for the series is.
Trails in the Sky (PC)
Trails in the Sky SC (PC)
Trails in the Sky the 3rd (PC)
Trails From Zero (PC and PS)
Trails to Azure (PC and PS)
Boundless Trails (PC and PS)
Trails of Cold Steel (PC and PS)
Trails of Cold Steel 2 (PC and PS)
Akatsuki no Kiseki (PC and PS) - (Spin Off)
Trails of Cold Steel 3 (PC and PS)
Trails of Cold Steel 4 (PC and PS)
Trails Into Reverie (PC and PS) - The One The Video Is About!
There's 2 others after but they haven't been localised into English yet.
Thanks yall. With so many games, I wish I started sooner. I just started looking into the series about a month ago.
Don't listen to the fans: try cold steel 1 but do not spend too much money on it. If you manage to get to chapter 6 it means this series can be for you. It is gonna be the worst time of your life but from chap 6 on it starts to take off and gets better. Cold steel 2 is much better.. 3 meh... 4 better. These are niche games, they are no masterpieces but they try build a story that spreads across multiple games so once u are hooked u are in 4 a long ride. I don't think there are many JRPGs out there that can rival these in terms of scope (Yakuza?). But again these games are 7s at best. If u already played the Personas.. Shin Megamis.. Elden Rings etc etc... then why not, give these a go.
After playing Reverie, I'm teetering on putting the trails series as the best JRPG series ever. I would NEVER NEVER NEVER suggest anyone play this series from ANYWHERE other than the Sky Trilogy. This is a special series 🙏🏿
I was going to skip Reverie but your video made me reconsider it. I love the series though I never played the Crossbell part.
Is Trails into Reverie the final trails game that will ever be made?
I for some reason have skipped the trails series ( probably because I wasn’t a mobile gammer and didn’t own a PC ). Finally decided to play the Trails in the Sky series. Beat the first one. What a cliff hanger. I want to literally play them all in order but taking breaks.
If you started with Sky already, there's not much reason to skip around anyway. From a player who started with Cold Steel, just sit back and enjoy the ride.
so far im enjoying everything from this game im on Sky SC currently,just one thing i don't like about it is how they try to stretch the play hour by adding something like recipe guessing,phantom thief quests,fishing and another fetch quests that doesn;t have any story or gameplay altering impact on the game,but at least im kinda enjoying all these puzzles and guessing game thrown at me.
it common on old JRPGs to have something like this so i doesn't really straight up hate it,it just a little bit annoying if repeated over and over again,and convincing somebody to play this was a pain especially if they seen it somewhere and doesn't click on with their taste.
Help! I don't get what Matty said. He said start at Zero - I found that. Then go through the Sky Trilogy? What is that? So the order is Zero -> Sky Trilogy -> Azure -> Coldsteel -> Reverie?
Sky trilogy -> Zero-> Azure -> Cold steel 1-4 -> Reverie
The reason he says to start with Zero is because it's what he, and many others (not myself, personally) consider the peak of the series and easiest to get into. In other words, it'll hook you into the world and get you to want to play the rest. *HOWEVER,* I would heavily advise against this because Zero wraps up *THE BEST* character story that began 2 games prior to it and spoiling that is a massive disservice to yourself. If you have difficulty getting into retro style games, you should start with Cold Steel 1 and 2, then jump back to Sky 1-3, then Zero and Azure, and finally go back to wrap up Cold Steel 3, 4 and Reverie. If retro games don't bother you, then play the chronological order of Sky 1-3, Zero and Azure, Cold Steel 1-4 then Reverie. Fair warning, Sky 1 is the slowest and most boring of the games though. It doesn't really pick up until the very end. So if you start there and wonder why everyone is praising this series, just keep trucking through it and you'll immediately see why in the next entry.
Basically pretend no other games exist, play Sky1. Don't bother with the rest if you can't get into the first one
I die every time someone suggests to play zero before sky. it's such a bone-head suggestion IMO. ALL of Zero's best, most emotional moments feature a character that you wont care about unless you play sky, and all of their emotional impact will be lost. Yes the story will still make sense, but the emotional rollercoaster just wont be there.
@@isxell5233 Sky Trilogy is the first three games right? Sky, Sky SC, Sky 3rd? Also, thank you!
alright fine ill start this series lol been thinking about starting it for about a year now, may as well give it a shot
Can you just play this one or should you play them in order?