I've been tempted by this series plenty of times, especially with how everybody lauds the characters and dialogue. Yet watching this, I can't really see where the excitement comes from. Isn't good dialogue supposed to be snappy? Impactful?
It sure doesn't make me want to buy in to a franchise that'll take more of my life than reading Wheel of Time would, which would probably be a more enjoyable character-based experience in a rich world.
I played it for about 5 hours and found it to be one of the most boring games I've ever played.
You've got to really REALLY like JRPGs I guess
Trails in the Sky 1 is certainly the slowest in the series so I can understand if you get turned off from the series by only playing a bit of the first game. Some people praise the series for its dialogue/writing, however I wouldn't say that the games' proses are what make it special or unique (although there are some good lines throughout the series). The franchise's real strength is its attention to detail with it having a very well developed setting/world and how all the NPCs have their own names, dialogue that is constantly updated and story arcs that even continue in future games. The other thing that makes Trails special is how every game is directly connected with a larger story going on throughout the whole series, unlike most JRPGs where every entry is self contained. The games are slow paced and low budget but watching the characters and world change and grow over each entry is what makes playing through the series so fun (at least for me). However that means that the first game can feel like there isn't a lot going on since it is trying to lay the groundwork for all the stuff that comes later. Plus it is a really low-key game in general with some of the most memorable scenes being moments like the two main characters eating sandwiches under a windmill. Even I didn't really get invested in the series until after playing the Cold Steel games, which I played after only finishing Trails in the Sky 1. Then I went back and played the older games. So yeah, the series is not for everyone but it's something I've grown to really enjoy.
Man, it is sort of driving me crazy who the guy with the blonde hair is in the Grandia 3 interview. They gave him the wrong name and title so I can't figure out who exactly he is.
Thanks for taking the time to write up this beefy review. I'm a pretty long-time fan of the series and the only people who have been sharing their opinions on the Japanese release of PSW are other hardcore fans, so it was interesting to read the thoughts of someone who isn't as invested in the franchise. Also describing Sakura Wars as a “Power Ranger dating sim" is spot on and always how I have thought of the series.
As for you comment on how Sega will localize the game, they have confirmed that it will indeed only have the Japanese audio so it will be a sub-only release like the Yakuza series. And fun fact about Tokyo Mirage Session since it was bought up a few times, Nintendo did not actually translate that game. Nintendo published the title and oversaw the localization but Atlus USA was actually the company that translated the game. Atlus USA is also responsible for localizing most of Sega's games now since they are owned by them, so the localization team behind Tokyo Mirage Session might also be involved in Project Sakura Wars.
@mezmero: Thank you for the compliment! While I didn't love everything about AI I do agree that I am looking forward to seeing what Uchikoshi creates in the future, such as that Death March Club game he is making at Too Kyo Games.
@quantris: Thank you! That is maybe one of my main gripes with AI in general is that it never really feels like you are solving anything yourself. The Ace Attorney series is fantastic at making the player feel like they are solving a mystery even if their interactions are kind of limited. AI feels like it just tells you everything without using its gameplay systems to make you feel like you are part of the process in some way. Again, still liked the game, but that was a big problem I had with it.
These are really awesome write ups. I'm actually in the middle of a huge Falcom kick at the moment. I've been playing games from this company for years but I've been working my way through the Trails games recently. Late last year I finally closed the book on Second Chapter and I just finished Trails in the Sky the 3rd and I am working my way through Zero at the moment. I played the original Trails in the Sky way back when it first released in the US on the PSP and kind of fell back in love with the franchise when I played through the Cold Steel games a few years ago. Now I'm trying to finish the whole series before Cold Steel III comes out in September but we'll see how that goes.
Bowl-of-Lentils's comments