Hiya! Thank you so much for watching, look forward to a lot more games coming up~ Plus more list videos. :D If ya like what I do please consider supporting me on Patreon! www.patreon.com/PelvicGaming
Very good point about not being able to remember all the dialogue and facts. In my case, I don't have the best memory, so I would definitely struggle to see how various pieces fit together.
Excited (and wary) to watch your coverage of the Cold Steel arc whenever you get to it! I really liked your trails videos, especially in regards to your honesty and the energy and enthusiasm you transmitted even when discussing things that you didn’t like. I feel like you also did a great job of explaining game mechanics in a concise but detailed manner. Just subscribed so hopefully I find more of your content on games that I’m familiar with!
One thing with Crossbell for me was the fact it was the first new arc: the cameos from past games hit so hard for me. I didnt know when I would see these characters again. Also, the twist at the end of Azure got me real good. The way the chapters end and begin in Azure had the hype through the roof for me!
Great video! The Trails series became the most special video game franchise I've ever played in recent memory. The Crossbell duology is great. I'm really curious on how your thoughts will be on the Erebonia Arc!
Dude I am so fucking hype for the Erebonia Arc! I almost wanted to start it right after but I was like nah, I must pace myself. But the hype to go into it is a good sign! Hoping to be blown away!
@@The810kid May I ask why you find the sky arc to be overrated? Personally for me the Crossbell arc has always been the most overrated, I think its characters are by far the least developed and interesting, whereas for me Sky is my fav bc I find the character arcs to be the most satisfying (in cold steels case I think CS1/2 are heavily underrated but personally not a fan of 3/4 at all)
I just started this yesterday after sitting for forever researching and stressing over where to start! Looking forward to finally sinking my teeth into the series.
@PelvicGaming Trails Through Daybreak got me hooked but now I definitely wish I could have started at the beginning. Looking forward to Azure as soon as my physical arrives!
I gotta say, i get why a lot of fans of the older games don't like Cold Steel as much. But I don't care. I love the combat in the Erebonia arc so much that it's still my favorite. Reverie is my favorite single game in the series by a considerable margin
It's peak. Despite my gripes with Azure's endgame writing I think both games as a whole package are amazing. Zero is probably the strongest game standing on its own
@@PelvicGaming Oh I don't either, Azure's highs are way higher (and for that reason I like it more), but stuff that happens at the final dungeon is really weak imo. Well... everything besides those final cutscenes, cause they hit. I just think Zero is something most people won't complain about due to it being more consistent
The pacing never really bothered me in these games, when I first started with sky FC it took me a while to adjust to it but i just sort of changed the way I view these games compared to others. I approach them more like a novel series with some interactive elements, since the world building is at least on par with, and in some instances even better than a lot of fantasy novel series it feels to me like a more immersive fantasy novel series. I guess if you're not a big reader then approaching the series from that angle may not help much but for me kicking back on the couch with the controller relaxing for a few hours going through a trails game is a very similar vibe as curling up under the covers with a good book.
See, I approached it as a turned based rpg. I understand it's like a visual novel, I agree infact, but then I say just commit to being a visual novel. When I think I'm going to play a game and I'm tricked into reading for 40 minutes before actually playing I get a little restless.
@@PelvicGaming yeah I think it approaches a sort of middle ground between turn based RPG and visual novel. It's not exactly a visual novel so I don't think it can advertise itself alongside something like "What Remains of Edith Finch, or Ace Attorney" its also not a straight up tactical or turn based RPG like Fire Emblem (for tactical) or Final Fantasy (for turn based). For me after playing FC I pretty much just figured out what I expected of it and only played it when I felt like "that" was what I was in the mood for lol. Without really being able to have a very specific definition of "that"
Heh, I just played Trails in the Sky last month for the first time out of curiosity. Game's pretty nice. Zero looks intriguing. I'll try this, soon as I finish the sequels. Then who knows? Maybe I'll get to the Cold Steel series.
Crossbell best arc. I'd agree with you 100% if this came out before the sky trilogy remake was announced. Anyone new I'd tell them to wait for that game. Great video :)
I’m back for my usual Lady Pelvic review viewing post game completion. I gotta say, I loved this arc and didn’t even mind the pacing until the very end. Basically from Orchis Tower onwards the game felt like a slog. That being said, most of the game had me locked in and loving it. The setting of being in the police was such a cool change of pace from most JRPGs I play. I like how even the menial tasks seem to help build story. I know they can just be fetch quests with lore but that’s not a deal breaker for me. I agree with you about the gameplay improvements. Lots of stuff felt a little more convenient and refined. I think overall, I preferred Zero. Felt more focused and complete overall. Excited to move on to Cold Steel and THANK YOU for your reviews as always!
If she is complaining about the pacing in the sky and crossbell arc, I can't wait until she finishes the cold steel arc.😂. I never really find an issue of the pacing in any of the games except cold steel 2. I just boot the games and just play.
Big agree on the pacing, I love slowburn and slow pacing and in general I do appreciate the structure of the series (you have a set-up game and then you get a pay-off game), but there's too much bloat to it to the point where a lot of the interesting story bits and lore gets kind of spread to thin by some blah. Trails is in some ways the diluted juice (we're keeping this analogy age-inclusive) that struggles to make a nice blend. I still enjoy it and love the series though for its other more brilliant aspects ^^''
that's just a crpg problem in general. I played my first crpg (wasteland 3, which actually has fewer text than any trails games) after playing up to cold steel 4 (which means I'm used to mucho texto) and yet I still felt overwhelmed. I think it's more about the style. crpg text dumps on per character basis; you talk with one character and they speak an entire bible, and in trails the text is long but it's a group dialogue, so it's more engaging, at least for someone used to that style.
Super excited for you to start the Cold Steel arc! I think it has the most flaws out of the main three arcs so far, but it is still my absolute favorite! Regarding the Crossbell arc, it's such a great ride. Especially with all of the political turmoil due to the nature of Crossbell in this world. And Lloyd is such an amazing protagonist to guide you through the game.
I played this translated on the PC And Police are Pigs. Also, you're going to be quite surprised when you start Cold Steel next year with its connection to this game 😉
I started with the Crossbell series. whilst I liked Zero, I loved Azure, the writing and pacing in Azure was just better for me and some of the twist I just never saw coming. It was definitely different from a lot of the usual jrpgs Im use to playing as most of them are stand alone games. The game does have an immense amount of dialogues but I did enjoy some of the conversation. I liked how even npc's will say something different after a certain amount of time has passed. Also when I finished Azure, I was desperate to start the Erbonia arc. Unfortunately I had to buy a PS Vita for Cold steel 1 and 2 as they weren't on the Switch for western audiences :(
Trails games have a lot of textboxes and it's easily a strike against the series, and I think it may be due to a restrictive budget. I got the sense of this once i got to the cold steel games and there are wars supposedly going on but they hardly show any of it. Possibly the walls of text are just more efficient to put into the game than some kind of visual demonstration of whatever the characters are talking about.
This is almost exactly how I felt about the games. I only played this arc in the series, and I just felt like there was too much exposition for my taste. I felt like I was getting way more story than gameplay, and while I appreciated how thoughtful it was, I couldn’t wait for it to end. I don’t think the trails series is really meant for me. I’m nearly 40 years old…I probably would’ve LOVED this series when I was a teenager…but I’ve experienced many elaborate and thought provoking stories before. I need games that are weighted a little more towards gameplay at this point. Some of my absolute favorite games are actually very light on story, and the emphasis is much more on gameplay systems. And I think you touched on this, but I think it’s entirely possible to have a game that leaves a big impression on you because of the way the story is told and the subject matter itself. It doesn’t need to have endless filler dialogue to be impactful
100%. As someone in their mid-30s, my thought process is how much time do I really want to dedicate to 1 game/series to get to the really good stuff. This would absolutely be something I would play as a teenager like you've said, especially with infinite time to do things as well at that age.
51 here, and as someone who played all the way through Sky, SC and Third, I genuinely couldn't agree more with EVERYTHING you said. Summed it up perfectly. It's to the point where I'm just burnt out on the genre as a whole, and now spending most of my time playing beat 'em ups and metroidvanias lol.
@@isamuu99 same here. I still love a good jrpg, but I’m way more into the indie scene lately, and I love a good metroidvania, or a roguelike. At this point, I just love a complex/robust customization system for character progression. I want the complexity in the actually gameplay, and I want the story to be a bit more linear with maybe pockets of exploration when it makes sense. I don’t want a massively open world game (for the most part) or a game that has characters that will just not shut up. I’m also so sick of the social/life sim element that seems to be so popular right now. If I wanted to be that social I wouldn’t be gaming
I enjoy all the dialogue. However, as I got into Trails of Cold Steel (playing them all in order), some of the repeated tropes have started to rub me the wrong way, like all the sexualized little girls with big robots.
Like it's a big deal, B U T you don't know how much of a big deal it is at the time. (Assuming you play it in order. In Third it kinda feels like a piece of dialogue, nothing to read super deep into U N T I L Crossbell)
@@PelvicGaming I started with Crossbell and i was like: "damn, this is so outta pocket". But since you mention there wasn't much in Skies, maybe the devs just wanted to mess with us. Anyway, i still need to start the Erebonian arc or whatever, but it's SO MUCH DIALOGUE.
I liked the Crossbell games but man, it not having no English Dub at all, not even in battles like with the Sky games, really hurt it for me and makes it kinda hard to go back to. I'm weird since I LOVE just walking around talking to NPC's and enjoying the story more than battles, not just in Trails but in every game I play. It's why I always look for games that focus more on the story/character interactions than just walking around the open world fighting stuff a lot. I'm also weird cause the Trails games feel like normal JRPG pacing to me. Give me that 3-5 hour set-up before you even fully control the characters that I love baby!(Thank you Persona games, Tales Of games, and Trails games lol) Now perfect starting point imo is...wherever the hell people want lol As long as it hooks them then I'm happy because once your hooked it's hard to get free of this series though if I HAVE to pick, just any starting point of any arc and only really if people want to do that. If people have any questions or something they have plenty of fans that can fill them in without spoiling them much or at all. Look forward to your Cold Steel reviews. Happy your sticking to it. Just 6, er soon to be 7 more Trails to go! You got this!
I think is just a matter of perspective, is the struggler to keep with plot points worth it? is keeping up with the story rewarding? I think it is safe to say that the trails series is narrative first and gameplay second, so if you go with that in mind then I think It gets easier to go through, as of now It hasn't disappointed me that much, a fair criticism a I see is that no every side quest is really needed or add to the experience so everytime the game let's you choose the way you play (let's say you choose to not engage with a side quest or talk to a npc) the game punishes you by keeping story bits that add to the enjoyment, so I guess my major problem with the series is that It doesn't commit with the story fully while giving you a false sense of "interactivity".
Your comment about watching the series rather than playing is kinda funny considering thats what I initially did for the Cold Steel saga. I didnt like them then. Then I played them! And now I hate them with every fiber of my being, well, as much as you can hate a videogame anyhow. But the Sky and Crossbell games I love to pieces, flaws and all (which Azure certainly has with how abruptly it ends).
hey I see a switch oled zelda edition: I have the Splatoon 3 edition and I also played the crossbell games on switch I recently finished Azure and currently on cold steel 3 on switch ( I'm only playing the trails games on switch as I don't have a PC or steam deck and I don't really touch playstaion due to personal reasons)
I believe I am near the end of Trails from Zero. I took it upon myself to talk to each and every NPC, each time they have something new to say. It is pretty draining.. I am at 90 hours because I am running around (and outside) the city 3 times a day. It took me a while to get used to it, though. Although, a lot of those NPCs stories arent very interesting, I appreciate how much effort was put into creating them. Even the fkin noodle stand guy has something new to say each time the story progresses a little. As mentioned in the video, I feel like I am playing a VN, so I was pleasently surprised when I found out how much people love the series. Its like 90% reading, 10% gameplay (if you dont count the running around part as gameplay) which I typically wouldnt expect many people to be into. P.S. I am gonna come back and watch the rest of this video when I finish the second game. I am a little annoyed it revolves around "that girl". Lolis kinda drive me insane and I took a big break from the game, when she was first introduced. Hopefully, Ill be fine..
I do the same thing talking to pretty much every NPC, In this arc in particular a lot of the time there are full on cutscenes just from talking to one of the NPC's that you'd have no reason to think is Important, and while not all are super interesting, some actually are very interesting which makes me want to talk to everyone so I don't miss out on the good stuff. I agree with you about Loli characters but I didn't find the character you're referring to really set off those alarm bells for me. To my memory they never really try to objectify her or draw attention to her in an uncomfortable way (something this series unfortunately is guilty of with other character from time to time.) With her specifically though the game pretty much just treats her as a child character with some special powers without any of the questionable stuff that the loli trope usually includes.
@@eromir247 Ah that makes sense too, I guess I don't mind it when it's a child character, cause kids are small and have high pitched voices so it doesn't really stand out to me. It does bother me more when it's meant to be an adult character and obviously it's especially weird when they start portraying those characters in weirdly sexual ways. In this case it's a kid so the small and squeaky thing seems normal and the overall portrayal is pretty wholesome so it doesn't personally bug me here but there is a character in cold steel that checks off all those negative boxes for me. They could be a good character and they do a lot of cool stuff but the loli portrayal makes it hard for me to enjoy.
The Crossbell arc is currently the only arc I haven't touched yet but I hear GREAT things about it. I'm working on finally finishing Sky so I can move on, but I also kinda impatiently wanna try Daybreak as well after hearing how good the gameplay is.
Cool reviews as usual. My 2 favorite trails games by far is sky sc and trails to azure. Honestly I think both the sky and crossbell arc are far better than anything that comes after but I am very curious what you will end up thinking of cold steel series. I will be honestly shocked if you prefer cold steel to these games but then again we all have our tastes and many people do! Keep up the great content!
@@comradestannis They are. Sky FC is one of my favourite games of all time. But from a game mechanics standpoint, Azure had 4 games to build on FC's foundation. Then for some reason they decided to start from the bare basics again with Cold Steel 1.
@@ReanXAlisa I don't think any of the games are bad. I just think that the first two Cold Steel games are mechanically weaker than the Liberl and the Crossbell games. From Cold Steel 3, onwards, this is largely rectified. I guess a comparable analogy would be that a lot of people find that Yakuza 0 plays better than the early Dragon Engine game but that the Dragon Engine comes into its own from Judgment onwards.
My comment on your last trails video was about how stories are engineered and was a look at one of the design choices story-tellers have to make: pacing versus world-building. Trails goes to ludicrous extremes with its world building, and, through 13 games, has never had a single game sell a million copies. Those two facts are related. I, too, have had a great time with many games that didn't have the level of world-building trails does. I love Xenoblade Chronicles. Nier Automata didn't really work for me, and the farther I got into the story, the less interested in it I became. I get what Yoko Taro was going for, and I also fully understand why so many people love Nier so much, however, I just couldn't relate to the game's central conflict. I freely admit I'm peculiar, most people are going to get turned off by the slow pacing of trails, as they should be. Ultimately, these are all design choices. The way your favorite stories are put together is fundamentally not much different than the way your iPhone is put together: Engineers or storytellers made a long list of cost-benefit decisions and examined trade-offs. No storyteller would slow down the pace for the sake of slowing down the pace, there has to a benefit that the storyteller judges as being valuable enough to warrant the slower pace. Different people will have vastly different experiences and opinions on those design decisions. Art is different than technology due to its more subjective, and less easily measurable, nature. Trails as a story can survive, trails as a mobile phone would probably go out of business. My go to example is that I don't think the "side quest" to Canto Bight in Star Wars the Last Jedi was a good creative decision. I don't think the side quest adds anything that meaningful to what the film is trying to convey, and I would have probably cut it from the final movie. Lots of other people loved that film and that sequence in particular. To each, their own.
I agree on excessive dialogue/world-building. I think that's why I enjoyed Persona 5 being set in real life Tokyo. The player already has some semblance of context and the surrounding environment. No need to talk to a million NPCs That being said I played Zero and really liked the battle mechanics, highspeed mode, and the music
The pacing is not going to get better. It will get "worse" in some ways. The pacing is not a problem for me, but clearly is for you. So be prepared for Cold Steel. Also, I suggest to play at least on Hard from now on. I played every game on Nightmare, and is getting easier and easier. What is the point of have a good tactical combat, if you run over everything on normal, without any effort.
You know what really grinds my gears. I was interested in buying these, but they are just too much money. What the heck happened to the regular retail price? It's like over $100 on ebay. It didn't even go on sale for less.
yeah sadly with certain games and the direction that gaming is aiming towards which is strongly on digital side, its become a well if you dont buy preorder when the game comes out good luck finding a physical copy after 2 months. I had this dilemma with Digimon survive. I preorder at a mom and pop shop and namco bandai prioritized the bigger chains and I ended up getting the game digitally and never got it physically.
@@PelvicGaming I am watching it right now. I don't say you don't mention it in your video, you mostly likely do (knowing you). I am just saying from my perspective that it isn't the optimal starting point, still better starting point than Cold Steel or Daybreak.
@Official_RetroMania she says it at the end of the video. As she stated in the very beginning of the video she would. Its a good starting point if you DONT CARE about missing out on all the things that are attached to those emotional moments
coming from sky, i had a high expectation for cross bell games. But nah, too many long, uninteresting dialogues (maybe due to NIS localization). So I gave Zero 7 and Azure 7.5.
Hiya! Thank you so much for watching, look forward to a lot more games coming up~ Plus more list videos. :D
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I will consider it. 😊
Zero is legit one my favorite JRPGs, I just love the main cast and story,
Idk about favorite JRPG for me but out of the Trails games, it just might be. It's so good.
Very good point about not being able to remember all the dialogue and facts. In my case, I don't have the best memory, so I would definitely struggle to see how various pieces fit together.
I love it whenever someone discovers this arc, they are the most underrated games I know
Excited (and wary) to watch your coverage of the Cold Steel arc whenever you get to it!
I really liked your trails videos, especially in regards to your honesty and the energy and enthusiasm you transmitted even when discussing things that you didn’t like. I feel like you also did a great job of explaining game mechanics in a concise but detailed manner.
Just subscribed so hopefully I find more of your content on games that I’m familiar with!
The barrier has been gotten over!
its a fair criticism about the pacing.
Crossbell arc will always be peak trails for me
One thing with Crossbell for me was the fact it was the first new arc: the cameos from past games hit so hard for me. I didnt know when I would see these characters again. Also, the twist at the end of Azure got me real good. The way the chapters end and begin in Azure had the hype through the roof for me!
Dude same, seeing my BOIZ I was like AHHHHHHHHHHH.
@@PelvicGaming are you still kind of so-so on Renne or do you like her a little more after this arc?
I will say that Zero has possibly one of THE most hate-able villains ever. Just… so vile.
Great video! The Trails series became the most special video game franchise I've ever played in recent memory. The Crossbell duology is great. I'm really curious on how your thoughts will be on the Erebonia Arc!
Dude I am so fucking hype for the Erebonia Arc! I almost wanted to start it right after but I was like nah, I must pace myself. But the hype to go into it is a good sign! Hoping to be blown away!
The sky arc always was overrated to me and Cold Steel arc underrated. The crossbell arc is just right. Juries still out for Calvard.
@@The810kid May I ask why you find the sky arc to be overrated? Personally for me the Crossbell arc has always been the most overrated, I think its characters are by far the least developed and interesting, whereas for me Sky is my fav bc I find the character arcs to be the most satisfying (in cold steels case I think CS1/2 are heavily underrated but personally not a fan of 3/4 at all)
Fellow Trails fam! Crossbell is my second favorite with Erebonia being my favorite ! I'm currently enjoying the Calvard arc.
I just started this yesterday after sitting for forever researching and stressing over where to start! Looking forward to finally sinking my teeth into the series.
Just finished Trails From Zero. Cant wait to get started on Trails To Azure
I hope you love it as much as I do!
@PelvicGaming Trails Through Daybreak got me hooked but now I definitely wish I could have started at the beginning. Looking forward to Azure as soon as my physical arrives!
I gotta say, i get why a lot of fans of the older games don't like Cold Steel as much. But I don't care. I love the combat in the Erebonia arc so much that it's still my favorite. Reverie is my favorite single game in the series by a considerable margin
This game is pure love.
It's peak. Despite my gripes with Azure's endgame writing I think both games as a whole package are amazing. Zero is probably the strongest game standing on its own
I prefer Zero myself but I don't think Azure by any means is bad. :D
@@PelvicGaming Oh I don't either, Azure's highs are way higher (and for that reason I like it more), but stuff that happens at the final dungeon is really weak imo. Well... everything besides those final cutscenes, cause they hit. I just think Zero is something most people won't complain about due to it being more consistent
Hoooooo boy. Maybe I should go back and play the past titles. You bring up some good points. Awesome review, once again.
finally I been waiting for you to play these ones.
Sorry to keep you waiting!
HULLO! The Crossbell is the best arc hands down!
I need to play this series at some point.
The pacing never really bothered me in these games, when I first started with sky FC it took me a while to adjust to it but i just sort of changed the way I view these games compared to others. I approach them more like a novel series with some interactive elements, since the world building is at least on par with, and in some instances even better than a lot of fantasy novel series it feels to me like a more immersive fantasy novel series. I guess if you're not a big reader then approaching the series from that angle may not help much but for me kicking back on the couch with the controller relaxing for a few hours going through a trails game is a very similar vibe as curling up under the covers with a good book.
See, I approached it as a turned based rpg. I understand it's like a visual novel, I agree infact, but then I say just commit to being a visual novel. When I think I'm going to play a game and I'm tricked into reading for 40 minutes before actually playing I get a little restless.
@@PelvicGaming yeah I think it approaches a sort of middle ground between turn based RPG and visual novel. It's not exactly a visual novel so I don't think it can advertise itself alongside something like "What Remains of Edith Finch, or Ace Attorney" its also not a straight up tactical or turn based RPG like Fire Emblem (for tactical) or Final Fantasy (for turn based). For me after playing FC I pretty much just figured out what I expected of it and only played it when I felt like "that" was what I was in the mood for lol. Without really being able to have a very specific definition of "that"
Heh, I just played Trails in the Sky last month for the first time out of curiosity. Game's pretty nice.
Zero looks intriguing. I'll try this, soon as I finish the sequels. Then who knows? Maybe I'll get to the Cold Steel series.
Enjoyed the trails games on ps vita but they're the only ones I've played, this looks interesting
Crossbell best arc. I'd agree with you 100% if this came out before the sky trilogy remake was announced. Anyone new I'd tell them to wait for that game. Great video :)
I’m back for my usual Lady Pelvic review viewing post game completion. I gotta say, I loved this arc and didn’t even mind the pacing until the very end. Basically from Orchis Tower onwards the game felt like a slog. That being said, most of the game had me locked in and loving it. The setting of being in the police was such a cool change of pace from most JRPGs I play. I like how even the menial tasks seem to help build story. I know they can just be fetch quests with lore but that’s not a deal breaker for me. I agree with you about the gameplay improvements. Lots of stuff felt a little more convenient and refined. I think overall, I preferred Zero. Felt more focused and complete overall. Excited to move on to Cold Steel and THANK YOU for your reviews as always!
If she is complaining about the pacing in the sky and crossbell arc, I can't wait until she finishes the cold steel arc.😂. I never really find an issue of the pacing in any of the games except cold steel 2. I just boot the games and just play.
The one comment in here that I fully agree with.
Falcom music is sooooo good
Absolutely agreed with all points. And Im one of the small minority who like the pacing on first playthroughs, less on second and more.
Big agree on the pacing, I love slowburn and slow pacing and in general I do appreciate the structure of the series (you have a set-up game and then you get a pay-off game), but there's too much bloat to it to the point where a lot of the interesting story bits and lore gets kind of spread to thin by some blah. Trails is in some ways the diluted juice (we're keeping this analogy age-inclusive) that struggles to make a nice blend. I still enjoy it and love the series though for its other more brilliant aspects ^^''
This reminds me of Shadowrun: Hong Kong in that it has a great story, and the gameplay is solid once you get to it, but there is SO MUCH READING.
that's just a crpg problem in general. I played my first crpg (wasteland 3, which actually has fewer text than any trails games) after playing up to cold steel 4 (which means I'm used to mucho texto) and yet I still felt overwhelmed. I think it's more about the style. crpg text dumps on per character basis; you talk with one character and they speak an entire bible, and in trails the text is long but it's a group dialogue, so it's more engaging, at least for someone used to that style.
Super excited for you to start the Cold Steel arc! I think it has the most flaws out of the main three arcs so far, but it is still my absolute favorite!
Regarding the Crossbell arc, it's such a great ride. Especially with all of the political turmoil due to the nature of Crossbell in this world. And Lloyd is such an amazing protagonist to guide you through the game.
Thank you for the entertaining review!
Thank you for watching! :)
I played this translated on the PC
And Police are Pigs.
Also, you're going to be quite surprised when you start Cold Steel next year with its connection to this game 😉
I started with the Crossbell series. whilst I liked Zero, I loved Azure, the writing and pacing in Azure was just better for me and some of the twist I just never saw coming. It was definitely different from a lot of the usual jrpgs Im use to playing as most of them are stand alone games. The game does have an immense amount of dialogues but I did enjoy some of the conversation. I liked how even npc's will say something different after a certain amount of time has passed. Also when I finished Azure, I was desperate to start the Erbonia arc. Unfortunately I had to buy a PS Vita for Cold steel 1 and 2 as they weren't on the Switch for western audiences :(
Its funny because i am playing the crossbell games. I am at the finale of azure.
There is never enough trails
Love to see it! great video!
Trails games have a lot of textboxes and it's easily a strike against the series, and I think it may be due to a restrictive budget. I got the sense of this once i got to the cold steel games and there are wars supposedly going on but they hardly show any of it. Possibly the walls of text are just more efficient to put into the game than some kind of visual demonstration of whatever the characters are talking about.
its not, its a strike against you.
What are some of your favourite horror themed games doesn’t have to be a horror game but it must have strong horror themes
Silent Hill 2 remake
@@comradestannis haven’t played but excited to play it soon
@@deltaprime3509 me too
This is almost exactly how I felt about the games. I only played this arc in the series, and I just felt like there was too much exposition for my taste. I felt like I was getting way more story than gameplay, and while I appreciated how thoughtful it was, I couldn’t wait for it to end. I don’t think the trails series is really meant for me. I’m nearly 40 years old…I probably would’ve LOVED this series when I was a teenager…but I’ve experienced many elaborate and thought provoking stories before. I need games that are weighted a little more towards gameplay at this point. Some of my absolute favorite games are actually very light on story, and the emphasis is much more on gameplay systems. And I think you touched on this, but I think it’s entirely possible to have a game that leaves a big impression on you because of the way the story is told and the subject matter itself. It doesn’t need to have endless filler dialogue to be impactful
100%. As someone in their mid-30s, my thought process is how much time do I really want to dedicate to 1 game/series to get to the really good stuff. This would absolutely be something I would play as a teenager like you've said, especially with infinite time to do things as well at that age.
51 here, and as someone who played all the way through Sky, SC and Third, I genuinely couldn't agree more with EVERYTHING you said. Summed it up perfectly. It's to the point where I'm just burnt out on the genre as a whole, and now spending most of my time playing beat 'em ups and metroidvanias lol.
@@isamuu99 same here. I still love a good jrpg, but I’m way more into the indie scene lately, and I love a good metroidvania, or a roguelike. At this point, I just love a complex/robust customization system for character progression. I want the complexity in the actually gameplay, and I want the story to be a bit more linear with maybe pockets of exploration when it makes sense. I don’t want a massively open world game (for the most part) or a game that has characters that will just not shut up. I’m also so sick of the social/life sim element that seems to be so popular right now. If I wanted to be that social I wouldn’t be gaming
I enjoy all the dialogue. However, as I got into Trails of Cold Steel (playing them all in order), some of the repeated tropes have started to rub me the wrong way, like all the sexualized little girls with big robots.
Just here to stop by and drop a like
I felt kinda lost starting with Zero cause i didn't know about the cult and whatnot lol
The cult is introduced in Zero with only reference of them in sky the 3rd.
^ correct
@@The810kid "only a reference", its a pretty fucking big bombshell of a reference.
Like it's a big deal, B U T you don't know how much of a big deal it is at the time. (Assuming you play it in order. In Third it kinda feels like a piece of dialogue, nothing to read super deep into U N T I L Crossbell)
@@PelvicGaming I started with Crossbell and i was like: "damn, this is so outta pocket". But since you mention there wasn't much in Skies, maybe the devs just wanted to mess with us.
Anyway, i still need to start the Erebonian arc or whatever, but it's SO MUCH DIALOGUE.
I liked the Crossbell games but man, it not having no English Dub at all, not even in battles like with the Sky games, really hurt it for me and makes it kinda hard to go back to. I'm weird since I LOVE just walking around talking to NPC's and enjoying the story more than battles, not just in Trails but in every game I play. It's why I always look for games that focus more on the story/character interactions than just walking around the open world fighting stuff a lot. I'm also weird cause the Trails games feel like normal JRPG pacing to me. Give me that 3-5 hour set-up before you even fully control the characters that I love baby!(Thank you Persona games, Tales Of games, and Trails games lol)
Now perfect starting point imo is...wherever the hell people want lol As long as it hooks them then I'm happy because once your hooked it's hard to get free of this series though if I HAVE to pick, just any starting point of any arc and only really if people want to do that. If people have any questions or something they have plenty of fans that can fill them in without spoiling them much or at all.
Look forward to your Cold Steel reviews. Happy your sticking to it. Just 6, er soon to be 7 more Trails to go! You got this!
Drop the Kiseki notes journal!
Lol when its a bit more filled out I will!!!
I think is just a matter of perspective, is the struggler to keep with plot points worth it? is keeping up with the story rewarding? I think it is safe to say that the trails series is narrative first and gameplay second, so if you go with that in mind then I think It gets easier to go through, as of now It hasn't disappointed me that much, a fair criticism a I see is that no every side quest is really needed or add to the experience so everytime the game let's you choose the way you play (let's say you choose to not engage with a side quest or talk to a npc) the game punishes you by keeping story bits that add to the enjoyment, so I guess my major problem with the series is that It doesn't commit with the story fully while giving you a false sense of "interactivity".
Kai no kiseki is pretty good. But i never was into the trail of steel series. It never got me hook but it is what is Tho.
Steel is next,, and you bet your ass I'll be giving my thoughts on that.
@@PelvicGamingDoesn't seem to be as good as the previous games.
Your comment about watching the series rather than playing is kinda funny considering thats what I initially did for the Cold Steel saga. I didnt like them then. Then I played them! And now I hate them with every fiber of my being, well, as much as you can hate a videogame anyhow.
But the Sky and Crossbell games I love to pieces, flaws and all (which Azure certainly has with how abruptly it ends).
Are the vita versions good?
hey I see a switch oled zelda edition: I have the Splatoon 3 edition and I also played the crossbell games on switch I recently finished Azure and currently on cold steel 3 on switch ( I'm only playing the trails games on switch as I don't have a PC or steam deck and I don't really touch playstaion due to personal reasons)
Still haven't played a Trails game. Just here showing some love because it's always cool getting a new video from Lady P! ❤
Same. I’m most likely not going to play them after hearing about how much reading you gotta do.
I believe I am near the end of Trails from Zero. I took it upon myself to talk to each and every NPC, each time they have something new to say. It is pretty draining.. I am at 90 hours because I am running around (and outside) the city 3 times a day. It took me a while to get used to it, though. Although, a lot of those NPCs stories arent very interesting, I appreciate how much effort was put into creating them. Even the fkin noodle stand guy has something new to say each time the story progresses a little. As mentioned in the video, I feel like I am playing a VN, so I was pleasently surprised when I found out how much people love the series. Its like 90% reading, 10% gameplay (if you dont count the running around part as gameplay) which I typically wouldnt expect many people to be into.
P.S. I am gonna come back and watch the rest of this video when I finish the second game. I am a little annoyed it revolves around "that girl". Lolis kinda drive me insane and I took a big break from the game, when she was first introduced. Hopefully, Ill be fine..
I spoke to all the npcs recently in trails through daybreak so I ended up clocking 140hrs in that game and I got burnt out. still love the series
I do the same thing talking to pretty much every NPC, In this arc in particular a lot of the time there are full on cutscenes just from talking to one of the NPC's that you'd have no reason to think is Important, and while not all are super interesting, some actually are very interesting which makes me want to talk to everyone so I don't miss out on the good stuff.
I agree with you about Loli characters but I didn't find the character you're referring to really set off those alarm bells for me. To my memory they never really try to objectify her or draw attention to her in an uncomfortable way (something this series unfortunately is guilty of with other character from time to time.) With her specifically though the game pretty much just treats her as a child character with some special powers without any of the questionable stuff that the loli trope usually includes.
@@dajungle4010 Its not just the inappropriate stuff for me, its this whole squeeky high pitched anime girl persona. I guess I gotta get used to it D:
@@eromir247 Ah that makes sense too, I guess I don't mind it when it's a child character, cause kids are small and have high pitched voices so it doesn't really stand out to me. It does bother me more when it's meant to be an adult character and obviously it's especially weird when they start portraying those characters in weirdly sexual ways. In this case it's a kid so the small and squeaky thing seems normal and the overall portrayal is pretty wholesome so it doesn't personally bug me here but there is a character in cold steel that checks off all those negative boxes for me. They could be a good character and they do a lot of cool stuff but the loli portrayal makes it hard for me to enjoy.
@@dajungle4010 Yea, thats messed up for sure. I am not looking forward to that!
The Crossbell arc is currently the only arc I haven't touched yet but I hear GREAT things about it. I'm working on finally finishing Sky so I can move on, but I also kinda impatiently wanna try Daybreak as well after hearing how good the gameplay is.
Cool reviews as usual. My 2 favorite trails games by far is sky sc and trails to azure. Honestly I think both the sky and crossbell arc are far better than anything that comes after but I am very curious what you will end up thinking of cold steel series. I will be honestly shocked if you prefer cold steel to these games but then again we all have our tastes and many people do! Keep up the great content!
Glad I'm not the only who thinks zero is a good starting point
Rennes arc in this game is completely neutered if you don't have the context from the Sky games. No this is not a good starting point.
reminds me of hexzy force on the psp
Azure is peak Trails gameplay.
It took until Reverie for the next arc to get as good.
I'll let ya know my thoughts as I get there
I wish games would be good from the start.
@@comradestannis They are. Sky FC is one of my favourite games of all time.
But from a game mechanics standpoint, Azure had 4 games to build on FC's foundation.
Then for some reason they decided to start from the bare basics again with Cold Steel 1.
God that’s just not true, would be nice if we could stop with the whole X is bad until Y shit.
@@ReanXAlisa I don't think any of the games are bad. I just think that the first two Cold Steel games are mechanically weaker than the Liberl and the Crossbell games.
From Cold Steel 3, onwards, this is largely rectified.
I guess a comparable analogy would be that a lot of people find that Yakuza 0 plays better than the early Dragon Engine game but that the Dragon Engine comes into its own from Judgment onwards.
I also consider this the best arc. Next stop the cold steel arc who I love... but is definitely not as good, it has some pretty glaring flows.
So I've been hearing... y'all making me nervous.
in what order should someone play?
@@Pikachu-qr4yb The ideal first game is Trails in the sky first chapter then release order.
The pacing seems to get worse and worse each arc but I feel for you with the cold steel arc you’ll know when you play it.
My comment on your last trails video was about how stories are engineered and was a look at one of the design choices story-tellers have to make: pacing versus world-building. Trails goes to ludicrous extremes with its world building, and, through 13 games, has never had a single game sell a million copies. Those two facts are related. I, too, have had a great time with many games that didn't have the level of world-building trails does. I love Xenoblade Chronicles. Nier Automata didn't really work for me, and the farther I got into the story, the less interested in it I became. I get what Yoko Taro was going for, and I also fully understand why so many people love Nier so much, however, I just couldn't relate to the game's central conflict. I freely admit I'm peculiar, most people are going to get turned off by the slow pacing of trails, as they should be.
Ultimately, these are all design choices. The way your favorite stories are put together is fundamentally not much different than the way your iPhone is put together: Engineers or storytellers made a long list of cost-benefit decisions and examined trade-offs. No storyteller would slow down the pace for the sake of slowing down the pace, there has to a benefit that the storyteller judges as being valuable enough to warrant the slower pace.
Different people will have vastly different experiences and opinions on those design decisions. Art is different than technology due to its more subjective, and less easily measurable, nature. Trails as a story can survive, trails as a mobile phone would probably go out of business. My go to example is that I don't think the "side quest" to Canto Bight in Star Wars the Last Jedi was a good creative decision. I don't think the side quest adds anything that meaningful to what the film is trying to convey, and I would have probably cut it from the final movie. Lots of other people loved that film and that sequence in particular. To each, their own.
We agree!
So the pacing is bad but the story is better than Sky. Huh. That’s interesting thanks.
Trails dulogy bad pacing? Oh boy... wait till you start Cold Steel series.... pacing? what pacing? cast bloat? what cast bloat?
LOL so I'm hearing... I'll be sure to come back and give ya my thoughts haha
I agree on excessive dialogue/world-building. I think that's why I enjoyed Persona 5 being set in real life Tokyo. The player already has some semblance of context and the surrounding environment. No need to talk to a million NPCs
That being said I played Zero and really liked the battle mechanics, highspeed mode, and the music
The pacing is not going to get better. It will get "worse" in some ways.
The pacing is not a problem for me, but clearly is for you. So be prepared for Cold Steel.
Also, I suggest to play at least on Hard from now on. I played every game on Nightmare, and is getting easier and easier.
What is the point of have a good tactical combat, if you run over everything on normal, without any effort.
You know what really grinds my gears. I was interested in buying these, but they are just too much money. What the heck happened to the regular retail price? It's like over $100 on ebay. It didn't even go on sale for less.
yeah the print run must have been small and people bought this up and aren't selling their copies
yeah sadly with certain games and the direction that gaming is aiming towards which is strongly on digital side, its become a well if you dont buy preorder when the game comes out good luck finding a physical copy after 2 months. I had this dilemma with Digimon survive. I preorder at a mom and pop shop and namco bandai prioritized the bigger chains and I ended up getting the game digitally and never got it physically.
Aaa.. Anton dumped again
wait, im a playboy????
I think it is a okay starting point but only ok, not the perfect one, because you will miss out on the emotional moments with Renne and Estelle.
You commented in five minutes. Did you watch the entire video? Cause I *really* encourage watching the entire video.
@@PelvicGaming I am watching it right now. I don't say you don't mention it in your video, you mostly likely do (knowing you). I am just saying from my perspective that it isn't the optimal starting point, still better starting point than Cold Steel or Daybreak.
@Official_RetroMania she says it at the end of the video. As she stated in the very beginning of the video she would.
Its a good starting point if you DONT CARE about missing out on all the things that are attached to those emotional moments
quality duology. peters out by the end though, sad how the blue tree doesn't get much elaborated on. reality-changing magic is cheap, too
coming from sky, i had a high expectation for cross bell games. But nah, too many long, uninteresting dialogues (maybe due to NIS localization). So I gave Zero 7 and Azure 7.5.