I think it's not a coincidence that rean was always in a group with the most infighting at the time in cs1. It's kind of implied that sara puts him in these situations as a central figure of the class and someone who can symphatise with both sides of commoner/nobles debates.
Yeah this is exactly why. Rean is the Great mediator of the OG class 7. He also grows quite a bit from having to balance both sides. So much so that once class VII reunite in this game he's class VII's unofficial leader. Which Ironically feeds into his self sacrificial nature but that's part of why he works. He's the first one in and last one out.
I really like how they depicted him throughout this arc.Rean feels like if DMC's Vergil was a genuine character and not a demonic/angelic/superhero figure. You can have all the superpowers in the world and still lose to your surrounding circumstances. What matters the most is what you represent as a person. Really respect falcom for having the balls to end this game the way they did.@@ViralwingX
@@KarlKraft888 Yeah. Him and all of Class 7 actually lost by the end of this game. They lost Crow and completely failed to find the 3rd way for the empire to go. This is why the final dungeon is the way it is too. It's was to give class 7 a win, even if it's a completely pointless one. It allowed them to actually take something for themselves before they split up. Even though they save a lot of students and people during the war.( This is objectively true they kill tons of monsters to keep the roads safe for common people as both armies don't have the time to do so.) They failed at the number 1 thing they were working for. And it affects all of class 7. Rean the most as he's class leader. Makes him feel human despite his Demon power.
I legit think Rixia looks better in CS2 than future games. She gets buffed a bit TOO much IMO. The colour/shade on her outfit doesnt seem as nice either for some reason.
Yeah. CS2 is in a weird place where it's both the payoff game to CS1, but also the setup game for CS3/4 so it can't quite reach the bombastic heights of Azure/SC. Still a very good game, but one that can be hard to appreciate until you see how a lot of it pays off in the next couple games.
I hope the rest of the series is good because I've been feeling beaten down by Cold Steel 3 to the point where I'm feeling like quiting playing the franchise entirely midgame. What is your opinion of cold steel 3 and is it worth forcing myself through it for reverie and cs4
@@meimmakoto3224 Uh, that depends on what you dislike about CS3. It's a bit of a slow burner to be sure, but so is every first game in each arc. I really enjoyed my time spent with NC7 and the new Rean. Plus the game has a great ending.
@@meowspark9 Yeah. I feel like CS3-4 is where burnout really starts to kick in for a lot of players. Makes sense considering all the games before it + the fact those are the longest games in the series.
@@KnoxZone I usually don't burn out but even I was a bit done by CS4, if Reverie was out by then officially I feel like I'd have taken a while to get to it.
What's cool is that Rean and lloyd is suppose to mirror each other. With lloyd forced to choose family instead of the city that he swore to protect resulting in occupation and him fall into fugitives. While rean (forced) choose the country instead of family resultibg in crows dead and erebonia expanding it's influence while rean become the national hero.
I love the gotta go rescue my friends feel of the first half of Cold Steel 2, especially because of the order in which certain characters rejoin the party. Based Angie! My beloved. They will never make me hate her.
@@scotsoulgem Her rebellious nature is honestly really great, even moreso when you look at it from the perspective that she is nobility and what that COULD (emphasis in could) add to the narrative. Angie is a character that not only subverts our idea of a "noble woman", but also serves to showcase the constraints that nobility has on the nobles themselves. Everything about her is shunned upon or questioned in part (or maybe even mostly) because she is nobility. From the stuff she wears, the non challant way she speaks, her competence as a fighter and manual labor, and yes even her "interests" (to put it kindly)... And the good part is that Angie herself doesn't just sit around and take it. Rather we are both told and shown that she continues to fight for her own freedom to be herself (like how she worked on the mine despite being noblity, as well as her disobeying her father in CS1 and CS2 to fight alongside her friends for what she believed was right, even earning the loyalty of some of her own Father's soldiers as a result). A lot of her traits are also a result of this: - Her studying Taito is interesting cause most of the noble women we see fight with Arts or Fire arms. The only major exceptions being Laura (part of Arseid lineage, and thus expected to continue with the legacy they left behind as Swordsmen), and Aurelia (who would be the mother of all exceptions). Both who are swordswomen (a practice that is very related to tradition in Erebonia, and for Laura that is a big part of her character). Angie instead uses a practice that isn't only uncommon for women (in Erebonia at least), but for Erebonia as a whole (correct me if I'm wrong, but I think she is the only martial artist in/from Erebonia). - Her continous work with George on the motorcycle also helps showcase her desire to be free. Her motivation being to go out and explore the world (as a result of being confined by her noble lineage and responsabilities). It's also important to note just how important Angie is to the development of the bike in universe, and (to me) is probably the character that is most related to it. And honestly I think the story could've benefited a lot if they expanded more on those elements... Having Angie be critical of the "traditions" set by nobility, and being one of the FOUR NOBLE HOUSES, she could pave the way for Erebonia to become more accepting of many things... Also she could've been a major player in the reconciliation between the noble class and the commoner class. As unlike, Jusis, Patrick, or Cayenne (I don't want to speak about house cayenne, they all suck), she actually lived in the shoes of commoners and could bring her experiences to the discussion. Would also showcase her role as a mentor (-ish) character better too (she sorta is one to Rean and C7 as a whole, but could've done more with her and Jusis both being nobles that don't really "fit in" between nobility and commoners) Also as a playable character I think she is pretty good. I like her moveset and found her useful on various occasions. But uh yeah. Don't blame anyone for disliking Angie... Not only does the story SEVERLY underutilize her, but most of her screentime is uh... Yeah... It's not a great look for her, even worse when she becomes flanderized and that becomes 90% of her personality... Although I think in a way Angie (specially in CS1-CS2) is kinda underrated and overlooked as a result of that (still don't blame anyone for not liking her, the elephant in the room really is THAT bad)... IMO: Angie is ultimately THE single biggest victim/example of Cold Steel's missed potential and really awkward writting (putting it kindly)...
Been looking forward to this one for sure. And it definitely lived up to the hype. Such a great review for sure, and am looking forward to the Nutshell
I just finished Cold Steel 2 a couple of days ago. I loved this game tbh, probably my favorite iteration of Trails combat so far. The story was great, but I agree that because it's clearly setting up for future games it can't quite reach the climactic heights of SC and Azure.
Scarlet being a former Gralsritter squire is a cool reveal because you see her using the same extendable blade as Ries earlier so you can put the pieces together early if you've been paying attention
Once you play Cold Steel 3 and 4 then you'll probably understand half the things that Cold Steel 2 was vague on. Which I look forward to both your Cold Steel 2 in a nutshell and your Cold Steel 3 Let's talk about in the future. Other than that amazing video bro.
Aww, you didn't mention how Rean is in a depressed state after his time in crossbell, and how Towa is literally the only person to notice. That's probably my favorite scene in the game
Crow and Rean (or rather the means by which were) fighting was...important to the Ouroboros Phantasmal Blaze Plan...the rest is explained later, but basically what they / Vita was hoping for didn't happen.
You very likely already have been told this but Toval and Ein are entirely the main characters of Carnelia the book series from Sky so technically we knew of them long before we saw either of them.
It's only now that you mention it that this really is "Bullying Rean: the Game." Estelle and Lloyd didn't have things quite so bad in their games. Although this is the kind of game that pre-Sky 3 Kevin would've longed for: a game where he can constantly be punished! 12:30 Now that CS1's tsunderes Alisa, Jusis, Machias and Patrick have grown out of the act, CS2 brings in two new ones to replace them: Celine and Duvalie. (And since you've played part of CS3, I think you've already seen who the next new one for that game is going to be!) 13:19 Millium is pretty interesting. Compared to Altina (who makes Tio look emotional), she seems very human. But in a way, at the beginning she's almost as emotionally stunted as Altina is. She can be happy and excited, but not much of any other emotion. Not strongly anyway. When she's not happy, she's just kind of... neutral. When she heard "Gramps" was shot and the Noble Alliance were taking over their school, she said it so matter-of-factly. Interestingly, a certain other artificially created green-haired daughter from the last arc was much more human from the beginning. KeA was mostly happy like Millium, but even from the start she showed a range of emotion like anger and fear, and later guilt and upset after becoming the Zero Child. Millium on the other hand is more one-track happy. 40:18 The "one person died when a village was burned down" is a bit of a running joke. He, Crow and Vulcan are basically the only known casualties during the war, two of which weren't even caused by the war directly. I'd love it if for your Nutshell videos you could have a South Park Kenny McCormick-style running gag where every time a major battle or conflict breaks out, poor old Market Manager Otto dies again and again. I'll probably add more edits later.
Rixia's size is really glorious 3D lol. BTW, if CS2 was a test of endurance, get ready for CS3! If CS2 is a half-marathon then CS3 is the full marathon.
I moreso meant in terms of what happened instead of the literal length. No one truly won in this game except Osborne. Class 7 had to reunite and struggle as a 3rd party in the war. They also lost Crow after promising to bring him back. The Noble alliance obviously lost since Rufus was a double agent and turned things around when the time came. Ouroborus lost since Osborne hijacked their phantasmal blaze plan. Our heroes back in Crossbell lost since even though they stopped their respective villains, they still had to deal with the ramifications of Dieter forcibly taking independence from their neighbors, as seen in Divertissment. Yeah CS2 was basically Osborne W, everyone else: L.
@@weaponsci Yeah, CS2 has a bit of a "Empire Strikes Back" vibe (there's even the "I am you father" moment lol). Maybe that's one of the reasons it's my favorite CS game so far (I haven't played CS4 yet).
CS2 is in the unique and unenviable position of being both the first part and the second part of a story arc. Sure, it is the second half of CS1's story much in the same way SC continued FC's, but Cold Steel 2 also acts as the Zero to Cold Steel 3 and 4's Azure. Having to both close one and begin/lead into another story arc is unfortunate, and I partly blame that for the multiple endings this game has and how it NEVER. SEEMS. TO. END. Happy to hear your thoughts on it, I'm looking forward to future CS3 thoughts.
Hey just wanted to say this was a really good video! And yeah I definitely understand your stance on this game. As the guy who spent 2 months editing my own CS2 vid, it's safe to say I am a fan of the game 😅 But yeah the plot of this one definitely has a lot of common criticisms. It's interesting seeing your break it down exclusively through the characters. I think as for the NG+ thing, I said this in my own video, but a lot of these games had NG+ exclusive content. Just this was the first time they put big story stuff there. (Zero had a post-game dungeon, Azure had 5 extra bosses, and CS1 had a few unique/altered scenes in the final chapter.) In Japan there was a 3 year break between CS2 and CS3 so I believe this was partially done to add replay incentives to hold people over while they waited. But there's a reason they never pulled that again. In it's defense, if you know what you are doing these games go substantially faster when skipping scenes in NG+. CS2 goes from 100 hours doing everything to like 16 hours with Turbo ofc. Anyway my defense aside, I'm glad you liked the game lol. Very curious what you'll think of Cold Steel 3 🙂 Good vid man👍
That game has such a good soundtrack. Just hearing some of the tracks in the background makes me immediately nostalgic for the game. And blue destination and reverie corridor are just classics I always have on my normal rotation. Also while I agree that CS2 is the weakest of these second arc games, I really like the finale and the emotional rollercoaster you get from getting the hype crow fight up to him dying and osborne coming back. And then just immediatly jumping into crossbell hype.
like how you've done this video, not enough good story/lore/explanation videos of the trails series. man I've played and watched this game too many times 😂
Thanks for the review. I only have one comment, and I'm sure other people will mention it or you might already know, but Cold Steel 1and 2's plots were meant to be a single entry in the series originally and due to budget and time constraints they had to cut off partway through(frankly, considering how... filler-y a lot of CS2 is, it feels like futher than the halfway point to me.) which led to CS1 and CS2 being the plot of one trails game stretched to fit two entries. Hearing that helped make a lot more sense out of all the weird stuff about the game.
Huh, not as many wind jokes as I expected but then again Gaius didn't really bring it up nearly as much. Plus you clipped the best Duvalie moments, so you are forgiven. And since I never had an opportunity to bring this up anywhere else, please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks that Leo is voiced by the same guy who does the Arby's commercials.
I didn't even finish the epilogue because MY GOD this game ending was a slog. That ending with lloyd was great and they have to add another story after that. I said to myself "fuck it" and just go straight to cs3.
We're not even 3 minutes in and it's already the spoiler section, I think that's a new record XD. - I know it's a common criticism that a bunch of Class VII members don't get much in this game, but honestly, I don't know why we expect all characters to be relevant at all times, what's wrong with a character being more relevant in one game, and then less prominent in another ? I think of Elliot and Machias in particular, who both had moments in the last game, but were given less relevancy in the next, and it's not like they didn't have their moments too like you pointed it out, it's just that other characters have more spotlight than them (like Fie, Jusis, and Emma in particular who remained a mystery throughout all of CS1) and that's okay, they don't need to be equally relevant to the plot. - Sorry bro, but I will have to disagree heavily on Elise, despite being virtually absent from the whole game, she had a big moment with Rean in the prologue and was the reason for Rean to finally be able to control his power with Alfin as her proxy, so to resume her in this game as just her crush on Rean is a bit disingenuous - Regarding the what-ifs on the ILF, while it's a pointless to talk about this since, you know, it's a what-if, it didn't happen, it was interesting to hear what you thought would happen in that scenario, and it's a credible one as well; though I'll argue on the whole deal thing that it's debatable, because Crow's the one with the knight, he can offer his services in exchange for their lives as well, it's not exclusive on him alone (but also, had the Nobles won or it he hadn't died, it seems likely given their relations that Crow and possibly the ILF would've bailed into Ouroboros thanks to Vita and escape repercussions). - Hell yeah!!! Eden Riegel is the best!!! - Regarding Vita's goal, yes, it's still quite mysterious, she was only interested in the battle between the Ashen and Azure, regardless of the winner, all she cared about was setting the stage for this clash and nothing else, but as for why and what was the point of it ? 🤷 (though it's more than likely related to Ouroboros' plans and her own wish as well), Stay tuned I guess. - 38:19 😐😐😐😐😐😑😑👎👎👎 - Good point about Duke Albarea, him being a normal dude and having megalomaniac yet realistic ambitions makes him a bit more terrifying because it could happen in reality. - GLORIOUS 3D!!!!!!!! And I don't have anything else to say, great review despite having some points of contentions on it; so that's it for CS2..... Until the nutshell video of course, but that's it for the comments I make on it, I finished writing the last one yesterday after two months, it was a doozy to finish(and also a bit indigestible to read since my pavement managed to reach 9 WHOLE COMMENTS THIS TIME!) so please read it if you can, I don't want to have put this much work for nothing, pretty please ? 🥺 (I know it's a bit of a plug, and I'm sorry for that).
It's all good lol. Glad you enjoyed it. I'll read this more throughly and give a more detailed response soon. I saw your other comments as well, so I'll give those a read and response too. I'm sure it took you days to type all of that out heh.
I'm not sure I'd give Elise the credit for Rean's epiphany moment because he has the same damn epiphany multiple times and then goes on and needs to re-learn it again, and again from different sources each time (always a loli though lol). It's part of the reason why some people don't like him as a protag as much as Estelle or Lloyd, because despite having more screentime, he takes the longest to develop/learn anything., or rather, despite the extended time, he learns the least.. At least by the end of CS2. Fortunately his new 'role' in CS3+ makes him better overall IMO. As for character relevance, it's a fair point that not everyone needs to have equal screentime or focus. Alisa probably should get a bit more though since Falcom was trying to make her the 'canon' love interest for Rean. Most people hate the harem mechanics because your choice is shallow and effects almost nothing. Falcom should make your decision matter more, OR, NOT have the harem system and just make a solid decision and develop the story for that choice more, and I think most people would prefer the latter.
@@Ghalion666 This. So much this. There's a myriad of issues with Rean's character arc, chief among them being that it doesn't take 4 and a half games to tell it. Hell, Kevin goes through more or less the same thing in a single short game (by Trails standards). I get that the whole point of the first two is to build him up only to bring him back down, but there's better ways to do that than just hitting the reset button. Personally I believe he should have become a side character in CS3, let one of the students be the new protagonist and let him slowly cook in the background for the entirety of that game at least. Worked for Joshua in FC. 100% agreed about the bonds system, it's in that awkward middle between two working options. To give my two cents on character relevance on top of that, sure, not everyone needs to constantly be on the spotlight. Would be nice if 'not always' at least tried to be 'sometimes' though, looking at you Machias. The guy's arc basically ends when he tones down his feud with Jusis, after that all he does is exposit his backstory and join the row of ducks. If he has something to share in his bonding events past the first game I'll never know, because the games give me no reason to care about him as more than a stat block. I'm not saying he needs to be shoved into the main story per se either, but I'd have appreciated something to bite into. By the fourth game I genuinely believe Alan was more deserving of party member status than Machias.
@@wishuponamonkeyspaw2458 Machias is the king of bond events, they literally continue and end his character arc there. His CS4 bond event literally feels like it should have at least been a quest in game due to that.
CS1 - 8.5/10. CS2 - 6/10. CS3 - 9.5/10. CS4 - 7/10. Reverie - 4/10 I love this franchise for the most part but Cold Steel has its share of problems for me and Reverie was the low point of the entire franchise by a wide margin. It made me question if I even want to finish the story. For what its worth.... Sky 1 - 8.5/10 Sky 2 - 9/10 Sky 3 - 7.5/10 Crossbell 1 - 8/10 Crossbell 2 - 9.5/10 Haven't played Daybreak....I'll likely pick it up when that arc is completely released on PC and on sale.
Nice summary again^^ This was my second game in the Trails series which I completed (after CS1). I think this story ending was actually traumatizing. As a result I really hated Osborne, the Ironbloods, Altina and even Rean. Also I think some boss fights were quite hard. But I liked the later middle part where you could travel with the Courageous through different places.
As someone who never used Crow and Millium much in this game because I stuck with the OG class whenever possible it's no wonder that the ending of both this game and 3 fell horribly flat for me. Like seriously, in my playthrough Crow was literally just some guy I never really talked to who owed me 50 mira and I don't remember anything about Millium from 2... Only that she got a fair bit of screentime as Altina's 'sister' in 3. Kind of funny how a simple and understandable playstyle choice can completely gut a stories emotional climax, or in this case multiple climaxes... And now ToCS 3's ending is locked in my mind as one of the worst and least earned game endings I've had the displeasure of experiencing.
@@weaponsci It really is funny that I'm the exact opposite for the exact same reason. I usually ignore aux-characters because I'd rather invest in the character's I know I'll still be able to use in the future.
That was a really comprehensive overview of the whole game's plot and characters in 1 hour, hah. I also think CS2 is comparatively a "weaker" game than SC or Azure, but given there's 4 Cold Steel games plus Reverie... the way I see it is I associate CS1+2 together with FC or Zero and CS3+4 with SC or Azure. I must say that personally I really like the Final Final Dungeons and all the fakeout endings. I always have fun messing around with the billion different characters they give you at the end and making my favorite team. Not to be spoilery but later games have a ridiculous amount of characters to choose. No excuses for putting plot critical information in NG+ though, what was Falcom thinking? Thankfully they don't do it again.
Hoo boy, where do I begin? First of, this was a very nice review. Especially since you are capable of saying Alisas name right! Thank you for that one! But in regards to all of your questions, 1 of them will be answered in Cold Steel 3 I believe, another will be answered in Cold Steel 4 and a really huge on will be answered in Kai no Kiseki actually. At least in regards to this "thing" I saw from Kai, a certain "something" will make a lot more sense once you get there. Again, I know some huge things but am actually mostly blind myself, because I lack context. But yes, Rean. This poor man is in line to have the worst the time of his life, for the next 3 games in a row. You will see it when you get there. This poor dude just can not catch a break. Btw, this thing you saw in the next games intro also gets explained later. I am not sure if you paid attention. Keep enjoying the games weapons. I need to deepen my friendship in my farming game with gun guy in order to get a better gun. I love gun. Gun is great. Gun was helpful in that last bossfight. The gun is the best thing in the game!
@@weaponsci Yeah, Rean is a nice guy and his suffering is just part of his character arc. I do not want to say too much to avoid spoilers. But a huge chunk of Reans story is tied directly to one of your questions. But aside from that, I would like to recommend a small palate cleanser for when you need one: Castlevania! There are 2 big collections out now and I feel like you might enjoy those games. The Dominus collection has Order of Ecclesia and I really love that game. My main OCs design is based on Shanoa. Nikita is the OC I am using online. Her outfit and powers are based on Shanoa, because I just think Shanoa is great. Also, the GBA games are also pretty good. I just feel like these games could be a good way to decompose from all the crazy stuff that happens in Trails. Have a great week man. I will be playing more Harvestella and then Ys X when it is out. I need to level up my gun.
I agree that Duke Albarea is a grounded villain in a way, but honestly I wish he'd been more of a moustache twirler. Or, to be precise, more of a soulless statesman. If he's not known for his martial prowess, reason would dictate he's chosen the administrative path. The problem with the entire Celdic incident, at least IMO, is how little actual damage was done. Sure, I can come up with pragmatic reasons for him to not come down on his own tax base like the fist of an angry god, especially during a civil war, but if anything he's being _too gentle._ Half measures like Celdic only breed further resentment, and speak to our duke's incompetence. Ideally he could have been the Machiavellian side held back by his allies for the sake of honour and chivalry, showing how the entire NA (and the nobility they represent) was barely functional as a whole even if highly capable individually. Portraying the nobles as competent would have also justified the need for a ploy on Osborne's part to begin with to bring them down, instead of him slapping largely ineffective and reluctant opponents lead by the grandmaster of failure that is Cayenne.
8:55 actually you don't need to have viewed Fie's final bonding event in CS1 for her to reference it in this game. The same applies to all final bonding events. CS2 will act as if the final bonding event happened based on whether your link level was high enough for them to appear as a choice. This has the hilarious consequence of characters contraditing each other in at least one case back to back. The final bonding event only determines who Rean will think about during the battle with the magic knight at the start of the game and which character will have level 3 link with Rean when they join the party. 20:12 It does make sense why this was locked behind a second playthrough when you consider the long gap between the release dates of CS2 (2014) and CS3 (2017) as it gave the fans something new to discover after finishing the game. That being said it should have been made accessible during the first playthrough after the release of CS3 because it's very easy to just go from CS2 to CS3 and get completely blindsided by Thomas's secret identity not being properly revealed. 40:16 he sent the Northern Jaegers to attack Celdic, not the Provisional Army. This is an important distinction as the Northern Jaegers's involvement will become an important plot point in CS3. 50:40 actually if you use these mirrors during the final boss fight on New Game+ you'll get an extra scene with the character in question talking to Rean before they disappear though it's only text on top of a CG with no acknowledgement from Rean himself. This implies that these characters really did appear in the Reverie Corridor though IMO the entire concept is poorly implemented as Class VII doesn't react to some of them suddenly changing into someone else during battle by having the mirror equipped.
It's weird how every CS game was just not as interesting to me as previous entries, however CS2 is definitely my fav in the arc. As someone who eats, breathes and shits mecha, the increased focus on Rean/Valimar and Crow/Ordine plus their rivalry was awesome. The final dungeon and bosses were great in this game and the divertesment Crossbell chapter was incredible especially hearing Get Over The Barrier again. It's a shame I wasn't really a fan of the direction CS3 and 4 took however the gameplay really carries those games so it aint so bad.
I actually think they should've played OG Inevitable Struggle during the Rean/Altina boss instead of Blue Destination. Just to really cement the feeling of being back in Crossbell again lol.
It's my most hated game in the Trails series. There are few reasons for it, but here's a summery of the most important parts: 1. Awful writing for the civil war. The Erebonia civil war is a major event in the Trails universe that was talked about since the great Trails to Azure. also, the brilliant way Falcom put these games' timeline next to each other also built to this. But, when we eventually got to it, the civil war was poorly executed and poorly written. It felt like another event and not a true civil war. I can't remember the details specifically at this point, but I remember it felt dumbed down, the interesting premise of the Nobles vs reformists went back to typical JRPG tropes and eventually to clichés like fighting an almighty being and bad man want more power. 2. It drags on forever. Some parts in the game, like shrines were insufferable, and the game refused to end. I remember how I got to Lloyd and Rixia and was overjoyed by this, only to get they expect me to grind for sepith forever in a few part dungeon for a major boss battle. I was sure I am getting some epilogue stuff for plot connection, but I got War of attrition against the game. I was already tired before, but I was completely drained by the end of the two bosses. And after this, it STILL went on. There were some good parts of course, but most of the game had disappointing writing overall, and poor pacing, which was amplified by the fact that a major event that was built up was in the middle of this poor execution. I was really suffering at some parts and was honestly relieved when it finally ended, which never happened in any Trails game.
Yeah CS2 is polarizing. Most fans seem to either love it or hate it. I still think it's a good game, but as I said, definitely the weakest "sequel" entry I've played so far.
@mattautajay3755 A bonus - that scene where's Elliot's father rode the tank + the quirky models of CS 1 and 2 made that ridiculous scene seem like something straight out of Team America/Southpark lol. I was rolling laughing at this.
@@omensoffate An unfortunate consequence of mistreating the Sound Team to the point where they leave in mass exodus until there are only two in-house members left. (Thanks, Kato)
watched/listened while I wasn't around to type so I have to try and remember everything I wanted to comment on, doh. Surprised you like Altina's outfit, most everyone doesn't like it lol. I personally prefer her S-craft-specific outfit she gets in CS3. She also has the best 'magical girl' outfit from the dlc in 4 =P. Though Laura's is also uhh.. yeah.. I don't think that one is available until reverie though. It's true that Altina isn't a super major character in this game, but it is strange how she gets her on music score, it's even named after her. I think it suits her well too. It's kinda high-techy, but also melancholic and mysterious. I half-suspect many people are unaware that a pack of crows is called a murder, incidentally, I wonder if any other language on earth has as stupid and random a term for something like that when you could probably more easily communicate the idea using 'pack', or 'flock' or whatever. I mean I k now lots of languages have weird arbitrary rules for specific words or terms that don't seem very consistent with similar expressions, but 'murder' for crows is really REALLY random.... Especially since they're mostly scavengers and not even a hunting bird like Eagles or Falcons. Like what the heck?! You think they would decide to call a pack of pack-animal-hunters murder, like lions or something, but no, poor crows. CS2 glorious 3d Rixia is my fave. She 3Ds even more in later titles but honestly I prefer cs2. I'm not a weirdo safe-horny hypocrite either. I just have my preferences that kinda stop at 'F' size. Her hair and outfit seem shinier too in CS2 IIRC. As for Vita being in Sky 3rd. I'm aware of this 'fact', but I don't really recall HOW or WHY people have decided that it's her. How do they know it's Vita and not some random girl? I don't remember her giving away any clues that she knows magic, is a witch, is an Anguis, etc. My biggest gripe with CS2 you do not mention, I'm starting to wonder if I have a mental block on some element that everyone else 'got' in the game but I keep missing it somehow. I hate the ending of CS2 because throughout all of CS1 and CS2 all of class 7 act like attending Thors has been the most important decision in their life and how meaningful it is to them and how much they grew from it. But at the end of CS2, the game just dumps on you that literally everyone is dropping out early? That they wont be taking their 2nd year? You mentioned that the final challenge, people 'reminded you' that it's their last thing to do as a class, but how is that a reminder? Pretty sure the game gave you ZERO indication of this throughout the entire game until the very end. I mean I get on paper some of them have good reasons for dropping out but those details aren't fleshed out AT ALL in CS2, and there's no in-between content from it and CS3 like CS1 and CS2 had that Ymir visit sidestory thing. Jusis certainly has a bulletproof reason for dropping out. His dad's in prison, his brother is now Osborne's head ironblood, nobody is left but him to run the great house. But then you get stupid ones like Laura, who 'wants to train the way of the sword with her father'.. bish, you were doing that BEFORE you joined Thors, and you spent the whole of CS1 and 2 gassing up how expanding your focus made you grow MORE in an indirect way too, so why not just finish the job? ugh. IMO it really feels like they decided at the last minute that class 7 wasn't going to be a class anymore and they didnt' bother writing in the details or why or ANYTHING. Macchias had more content regarding Patiery than he does his post cs2 aspirations ffs. IMO the ending of CS2 is Falcom's absolute #1 biggest ball-drop in the entire series.
I see what you mean. You don't really "grasp" the epilogue and the significance of the corridor (for lack of a better term) until after you finish everything. It requires the hindsight to fully appreciate it
I swear some of these Nicknames they give the characters in game is got to be from 8 graders. Whenever i hear a character call someone by their nickname or Alias (gentleman thief, the swift, Mcburn) I cringe 😅.
46:45 "Osborne may as well put a curse on this man"
HOOBOY
He's a goddamn prophet
NOT YET. THIS IS A SPOILER.
As soon as I heard that I came looking for this comment.
I think it's not a coincidence that rean was always in a group with the most infighting at the time in cs1.
It's kind of implied that sara puts him in these situations as a central figure of the class and someone who can symphatise with both sides of commoner/nobles debates.
Yeah this is exactly why. Rean is the Great mediator of the OG class 7. He also grows quite a bit from having to balance both sides. So much so that once class VII reunite in this game he's class VII's unofficial leader. Which Ironically feeds into his self sacrificial nature but that's part of why he works. He's the first one in and last one out.
I really like how they depicted him throughout this arc.Rean feels like if DMC's Vergil was a genuine character and not a demonic/angelic/superhero figure. You can have all the superpowers in the world and still lose to your surrounding circumstances. What matters the most is what you represent as a person. Really respect falcom for having the balls to end this game the way they did.@@ViralwingX
@@KarlKraft888 Yeah. Him and all of Class 7 actually lost by the end of this game. They lost Crow and completely failed to find the 3rd way for the empire to go. This is why the final dungeon is the way it is too. It's was to give class 7 a win, even if it's a completely pointless one. It allowed them to actually take something for themselves before they split up. Even though they save a lot of students and people during the war.( This is objectively true they kill tons of monsters to keep the roads safe for common people as both armies don't have the time to do so.) They failed at the number 1 thing they were working for. And it affects all of class 7. Rean the most as he's class leader. Makes him feel human despite his Demon power.
@@KarlKraft888you could kinda argue that Rean and Crow are Vergil and Dante in swapped positions.
@joaocbcneto wait a second, Rean has a tachi, Crow has two guns and a sword...
WHY DIDN'T I SEE IT ALL ALONG?!
Once the glorious 3D jokes began, I was expecting the Glorious 3D Rixia joke. I was not disappointed
3D? More like DDD...
Even worse in Daybreak lol
I legit think Rixia looks better in CS2 than future games. She gets buffed a bit TOO much IMO. The colour/shade on her outfit doesnt seem as nice either for some reason.
@@uchytjes10 And an additional D will be added for every next entry she appears in.
Yeah. CS2 is in a weird place where it's both the payoff game to CS1, but also the setup game for CS3/4 so it can't quite reach the bombastic heights of Azure/SC. Still a very good game, but one that can be hard to appreciate until you see how a lot of it pays off in the next couple games.
I hope the rest of the series is good because I've been feeling beaten down by Cold Steel 3 to the point where I'm feeling like quiting playing the franchise entirely midgame. What is your opinion of cold steel 3 and is it worth forcing myself through it for reverie and cs4
@@meimmakoto3224 Uh, that depends on what you dislike about CS3. It's a bit of a slow burner to be sure, but so is every first game in each arc. I really enjoyed my time spent with NC7 and the new Rean. Plus the game has a great ending.
Maybe I should get back into CS3 then. I started it after CS2 but was getting burnout from playing all the games from Sky part 1.
@@meowspark9 Yeah. I feel like CS3-4 is where burnout really starts to kick in for a lot of players. Makes sense considering all the games before it + the fact those are the longest games in the series.
@@KnoxZone I usually don't burn out but even I was a bit done by CS4, if Reverie was out by then officially I feel like I'd have taken a while to get to it.
28:41 Mcburn’s stat sheet is brilliant😂
ALL HAIL THE GLORIOUS 3D BARRIERS!
What's cool is that Rean and lloyd is suppose to mirror each other. With lloyd forced to choose family instead of the city that he swore to protect resulting in occupation and him fall into fugitives.
While rean (forced) choose the country instead of family resultibg in crows dead and erebonia expanding it's influence while rean become the national hero.
I love the gotta go rescue my friends feel of the first half of Cold Steel 2, especially because of the order in which certain characters rejoin the party.
Based Angie! My beloved. They will never make me hate her.
I kind of just have to ask... what is based about Angie's behavior?
@@scotsoulgem Because it makes people like you cope and seethe.
@@scotsoulgem
Her rebellious nature is honestly really great, even moreso when you look at it from the perspective that she is nobility and what that COULD (emphasis in could) add to the narrative.
Angie is a character that not only subverts our idea of a "noble woman", but also serves to showcase the constraints that nobility has on the nobles themselves. Everything about her is shunned upon or questioned in part (or maybe even mostly) because she is nobility.
From the stuff she wears, the non challant way she speaks, her competence as a fighter and manual labor, and yes even her "interests" (to put it kindly)...
And the good part is that Angie herself doesn't just sit around and take it. Rather we are both told and shown that she continues to fight for her own freedom to be herself (like how she worked on the mine despite being noblity, as well as her disobeying her father in CS1 and CS2 to fight alongside her friends for what she believed was right, even earning the loyalty of some of her own Father's soldiers as a result).
A lot of her traits are also a result of this:
- Her studying Taito is interesting cause most of the noble women we see fight with Arts or Fire arms. The only major exceptions being Laura (part of Arseid lineage, and thus expected to continue with the legacy they left behind as Swordsmen), and Aurelia (who would be the mother of all exceptions). Both who are swordswomen (a practice that is very related to tradition in Erebonia, and for Laura that is a big part of her character). Angie instead uses a practice that isn't only uncommon for women (in Erebonia at least), but for Erebonia as a whole (correct me if I'm wrong, but I think she is the only martial artist in/from Erebonia).
- Her continous work with George on the motorcycle also helps showcase her desire to be free. Her motivation being to go out and explore the world (as a result of being confined by her noble lineage and responsabilities). It's also important to note just how important Angie is to the development of the bike in universe, and (to me) is probably the character that is most related to it.
And honestly I think the story could've benefited a lot if they expanded more on those elements...
Having Angie be critical of the "traditions" set by nobility, and being one of the FOUR NOBLE HOUSES, she could pave the way for Erebonia to become more accepting of many things...
Also she could've been a major player in the reconciliation between the noble class and the commoner class. As unlike, Jusis, Patrick, or Cayenne (I don't want to speak about house cayenne, they all suck), she actually lived in the shoes of commoners and could bring her experiences to the discussion. Would also showcase her role as a mentor (-ish) character better too (she sorta is one to Rean and C7 as a whole, but could've done more with her and Jusis both being nobles that don't really "fit in" between nobility and commoners)
Also as a playable character I think she is pretty good. I like her moveset and found her useful on various occasions.
But uh yeah. Don't blame anyone for disliking Angie...
Not only does the story SEVERLY underutilize her, but most of her screentime is uh...
Yeah...
It's not a great look for her, even worse when she becomes flanderized and that becomes 90% of her personality...
Although I think in a way Angie (specially in CS1-CS2) is kinda underrated and overlooked as a result of that (still don't blame anyone for not liking her, the elephant in the room really is THAT bad)...
IMO: Angie is ultimately THE single biggest victim/example of Cold Steel's missed potential and really awkward writting (putting it kindly)...
FF6 vibes for sure, really enjoyed it.
Been looking forward to this one for sure. And it definitely lived up to the hype. Such a great review for sure, and am looking forward to the Nutshell
You've been definitely improving at this! Great video!!
I just finished Cold Steel 2 a couple of days ago. I loved this game tbh, probably my favorite iteration of Trails combat so far. The story was great, but I agree that because it's clearly setting up for future games it can't quite reach the climactic heights of SC and Azure.
Scarlet being a former Gralsritter squire is a cool reveal because you see her using the same extendable blade as Ries earlier so you can put the pieces together early if you've been paying attention
Not just that, she even uses the same crafts as Ries. (except her S-craft is a souped-up version of Ries' Infinity Sparrows, which was a normal craft)
This game introduces me to Trails games. I owe this game the latter part of my life. 😊
Here for the *barriers*
46:48 BARRIERS!!!🚧
Sometimes, I forget how much some characters can be actual Glazing Master.
In barriers we believe 🙌
Once you play Cold Steel 3 and 4 then you'll probably understand half the things that Cold Steel 2 was vague on. Which I look forward to both your Cold Steel 2 in a nutshell and your Cold Steel 3 Let's talk about in the future. Other than that amazing video bro.
Wooo, 1 hour of video, lets gooooooo
Aww, you didn't mention how Rean is in a depressed state after his time in crossbell, and how Towa is literally the only person to notice. That's probably my favorite scene in the game
Crow and Rean (or rather the means by which were) fighting was...important to the Ouroboros Phantasmal Blaze Plan...the rest is explained later, but basically what they / Vita was hoping for didn't happen.
You very likely already have been told this but Toval and Ein are entirely the main characters of Carnelia the book series from Sky so technically we knew of them long before we saw either of them.
Wow, I get ys 10 AND weapons Cs2 review today?! Best day ever🎉
It's only now that you mention it that this really is "Bullying Rean: the Game." Estelle and Lloyd didn't have things quite so bad in their games. Although this is the kind of game that pre-Sky 3 Kevin would've longed for: a game where he can constantly be punished!
12:30 Now that CS1's tsunderes Alisa, Jusis, Machias and Patrick have grown out of the act, CS2 brings in two new ones to replace them: Celine and Duvalie. (And since you've played part of CS3, I think you've already seen who the next new one for that game is going to be!)
13:19 Millium is pretty interesting. Compared to Altina (who makes Tio look emotional), she seems very human. But in a way, at the beginning she's almost as emotionally stunted as Altina is. She can be happy and excited, but not much of any other emotion. Not strongly anyway. When she's not happy, she's just kind of... neutral. When she heard "Gramps" was shot and the Noble Alliance were taking over their school, she said it so matter-of-factly.
Interestingly, a certain other artificially created green-haired daughter from the last arc was much more human from the beginning. KeA was mostly happy like Millium, but even from the start she showed a range of emotion like anger and fear, and later guilt and upset after becoming the Zero Child. Millium on the other hand is more one-track happy.
40:18 The "one person died when a village was burned down" is a bit of a running joke. He, Crow and Vulcan are basically the only known casualties during the war, two of which weren't even caused by the war directly. I'd love it if for your Nutshell videos you could have a South Park Kenny McCormick-style running gag where every time a major battle or conflict breaks out, poor old Market Manager Otto dies again and again.
I'll probably add more edits later.
Rixia's size is really glorious 3D lol. BTW, if CS2 was a test of endurance, get ready for CS3! If CS2 is a half-marathon then CS3 is the full marathon.
I moreso meant in terms of what happened instead of the literal length.
No one truly won in this game except Osborne. Class 7 had to reunite and struggle as a 3rd party in the war. They also lost Crow after promising to bring him back.
The Noble alliance obviously lost since Rufus was a double agent and turned things around when the time came.
Ouroborus lost since Osborne hijacked their phantasmal blaze plan.
Our heroes back in Crossbell lost since even though they stopped their respective villains, they still had to deal with the ramifications of Dieter forcibly taking independence from their neighbors, as seen in Divertissment.
Yeah CS2 was basically Osborne W, everyone else: L.
@@weaponsci Yeah, CS2 has a bit of a "Empire Strikes Back" vibe (there's even the "I am you father" moment lol). Maybe that's one of the reasons it's my favorite CS game so far (I haven't played CS4 yet).
CS2 is in the unique and unenviable position of being both the first part and the second part of a story arc. Sure, it is the second half of CS1's story much in the same way SC continued FC's, but Cold Steel 2 also acts as the Zero to Cold Steel 3 and 4's Azure. Having to both close one and begin/lead into another story arc is unfortunate, and I partly blame that for the multiple endings this game has and how it NEVER. SEEMS. TO. END.
Happy to hear your thoughts on it, I'm looking forward to future CS3 thoughts.
Hey just wanted to say this was a really good video! And yeah I definitely understand your stance on this game. As the guy who spent 2 months editing my own CS2 vid, it's safe to say I am a fan of the game 😅
But yeah the plot of this one definitely has a lot of common criticisms. It's interesting seeing your break it down exclusively through the characters.
I think as for the NG+ thing, I said this in my own video, but a lot of these games had NG+ exclusive content. Just this was the first time they put big story stuff there. (Zero had a post-game dungeon, Azure had 5 extra bosses, and CS1 had a few unique/altered scenes in the final chapter.)
In Japan there was a 3 year break between CS2 and CS3 so I believe this was partially done to add replay incentives to hold people over while they waited. But there's a reason they never pulled that again. In it's defense, if you know what you are doing these games go substantially faster when skipping scenes in NG+. CS2 goes from 100 hours doing everything to like 16 hours with Turbo ofc.
Anyway my defense aside, I'm glad you liked the game lol. Very curious what you'll think of Cold Steel 3 🙂
Good vid man👍
Thanks dude. I guess I can give your video a watch one of these days now that I'm done with the game
That game has such a good soundtrack. Just hearing some of the tracks in the background makes me immediately nostalgic for the game. And blue destination and reverie corridor are just classics I always have on my normal rotation.
Also while I agree that CS2 is the weakest of these second arc games, I really like the finale and the emotional rollercoaster you get from getting the hype crow fight up to him dying and osborne coming back. And then just immediatly jumping into crossbell hype.
@@_hayt_ Blue Destination is the most viewed track on the Falcom Music Channel! And I think the most-viewed Falcom-related English video on YT!
like how you've done this video, not enough good story/lore/explanation videos of the trails series. man I've played and watched this game too many times 😂
Thanks for the review. I only have one comment, and I'm sure other people will mention it or you might already know, but Cold Steel 1and 2's plots were meant to be a single entry in the series originally and due to budget and time constraints they had to cut off partway through(frankly, considering how... filler-y a lot of CS2 is, it feels like futher than the halfway point to me.) which led to CS1 and CS2 being the plot of one trails game stretched to fit two entries. Hearing that helped make a lot more sense out of all the weird stuff about the game.
Holy crap I am so attracted to fie I can't stop thinking about her
46:46
WELL IN A MANNER OF SPEAKING....
@@ShroomRPG If you're going to make this joke, at least spoiler tag it to CS4 and push it to the 'Read more' section.
Huh, not as many wind jokes as I expected but then again Gaius didn't really bring it up nearly as much. Plus you clipped the best Duvalie moments, so you are forgiven. And since I never had an opportunity to bring this up anywhere else, please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks that Leo is voiced by the same guy who does the Arby's commercials.
I'll never be able to unhear that, damn you!
Kind of.
Well Leonidas voice actor actually voices M. Bison.
Man, and right at the time when I was playing through Act 2.3 of CS2
I didn't even finish the epilogue because MY GOD this game ending was a slog. That ending with lloyd was great and they have to add another story after that. I said to myself "fuck it" and just go straight to cs3.
We're not even 3 minutes in and it's already the spoiler section, I think that's a new record XD.
- I know it's a common criticism that a bunch of Class VII members don't get much in this game, but honestly, I don't know why we expect all characters to be relevant at all times, what's wrong with a character being more relevant in one game, and then less prominent in another ? I think of Elliot and Machias in particular, who both had moments in the last game, but were given less relevancy in the next, and it's not like they didn't have their moments too like you pointed it out, it's just that other characters have more spotlight than them (like Fie, Jusis, and Emma in particular who remained a mystery throughout all of CS1) and that's okay, they don't need to be equally relevant to the plot.
- Sorry bro, but I will have to disagree heavily on Elise, despite being virtually absent from the whole game, she had a big moment with Rean in the prologue and was the reason for Rean to finally be able to control his power with Alfin as her proxy, so to resume her in this game as just her crush on Rean is a bit disingenuous
- Regarding the what-ifs on the ILF, while it's a pointless to talk about this since, you know, it's a what-if, it didn't happen, it was interesting to hear what you thought would happen in that scenario, and it's a credible one as well; though I'll argue on the whole deal thing that it's debatable, because Crow's the one with the knight, he can offer his services in exchange for their lives as well, it's not exclusive on him alone (but also, had the Nobles won or it he hadn't died, it seems likely given their relations that Crow and possibly the ILF would've bailed into Ouroboros thanks to Vita and escape repercussions).
- Hell yeah!!! Eden Riegel is the best!!!
- Regarding Vita's goal, yes, it's still quite mysterious, she was only interested in the battle between the Ashen and Azure, regardless of the winner, all she cared about was setting the stage for this clash and nothing else, but as for why and what was the point of it ? 🤷 (though it's more than likely related to Ouroboros' plans and her own wish as well), Stay tuned I guess.
- 38:19 😐😐😐😐😐😑😑👎👎👎
- Good point about Duke Albarea, him being a normal dude and having megalomaniac yet realistic ambitions makes him a bit more terrifying because it could happen in reality.
- GLORIOUS 3D!!!!!!!!
And I don't have anything else to say, great review despite having some points of contentions on it; so that's it for CS2..... Until the nutshell video of course, but that's it for the comments I make on it, I finished writing the last one yesterday after two months, it was a doozy to finish(and also a bit indigestible to read since my pavement managed to reach 9 WHOLE COMMENTS THIS TIME!) so please read it if you can, I don't want to have put this much work for nothing, pretty please ? 🥺 (I know it's a bit of a plug, and I'm sorry for that).
It's all good lol. Glad you enjoyed it. I'll read this more throughly and give a more detailed response soon. I saw your other comments as well, so I'll give those a read and response too. I'm sure it took you days to type all of that out heh.
I'm not sure I'd give Elise the credit for Rean's epiphany moment because he has the same damn epiphany multiple times and then goes on and needs to re-learn it again, and again from different sources each time (always a loli though lol). It's part of the reason why some people don't like him as a protag as much as Estelle or Lloyd, because despite having more screentime, he takes the longest to develop/learn anything., or rather, despite the extended time, he learns the least.. At least by the end of CS2. Fortunately his new 'role' in CS3+ makes him better overall IMO.
As for character relevance, it's a fair point that not everyone needs to have equal screentime or focus. Alisa probably should get a bit more though since Falcom was trying to make her the 'canon' love interest for Rean. Most people hate the harem mechanics because your choice is shallow and effects almost nothing. Falcom should make your decision matter more, OR, NOT have the harem system and just make a solid decision and develop the story for that choice more, and I think most people would prefer the latter.
@@Ghalion666 This. So much this. There's a myriad of issues with Rean's character arc, chief among them being that it doesn't take 4 and a half games to tell it. Hell, Kevin goes through more or less the same thing in a single short game (by Trails standards). I get that the whole point of the first two is to build him up only to bring him back down, but there's better ways to do that than just hitting the reset button. Personally I believe he should have become a side character in CS3, let one of the students be the new protagonist and let him slowly cook in the background for the entirety of that game at least. Worked for Joshua in FC.
100% agreed about the bonds system, it's in that awkward middle between two working options.
To give my two cents on character relevance on top of that, sure, not everyone needs to constantly be on the spotlight. Would be nice if 'not always' at least tried to be 'sometimes' though, looking at you Machias. The guy's arc basically ends when he tones down his feud with Jusis, after that all he does is exposit his backstory and join the row of ducks. If he has something to share in his bonding events past the first game I'll never know, because the games give me no reason to care about him as more than a stat block.
I'm not saying he needs to be shoved into the main story per se either, but I'd have appreciated something to bite into. By the fourth game I genuinely believe Alan was more deserving of party member status than Machias.
@@wishuponamonkeyspaw2458 Machias is the king of bond events, they literally continue and end his character arc there. His CS4 bond event literally feels like it should have at least been a quest in game due to that.
CS1 - 8.5/10.
CS2 - 6/10.
CS3 - 9.5/10.
CS4 - 7/10.
Reverie - 4/10
I love this franchise for the most part but Cold Steel has its share of problems for me and Reverie was the low point of the entire franchise by a wide margin. It made me question if I even want to finish the story.
For what its worth....
Sky 1 - 8.5/10
Sky 2 - 9/10
Sky 3 - 7.5/10
Crossbell 1 - 8/10
Crossbell 2 - 9.5/10
Haven't played Daybreak....I'll likely pick it up when that arc is completely released on PC and on sale.
Nice summary again^^
This was my second game in the Trails series which I completed (after CS1). I think this story ending was actually traumatizing. As a result I really hated Osborne, the Ironbloods, Altina and even Rean. Also I think some boss fights were quite hard.
But I liked the later middle part where you could travel with the Courageous through different places.
As someone who never used Crow and Millium much in this game because I stuck with the OG class whenever possible it's no wonder that the ending of both this game and 3 fell horribly flat for me. Like seriously, in my playthrough Crow was literally just some guy I never really talked to who owed me 50 mira and I don't remember anything about Millium from 2... Only that she got a fair bit of screentime as Altina's 'sister' in 3.
Kind of funny how a simple and understandable playstyle choice can completely gut a stories emotional climax, or in this case multiple climaxes... And now ToCS 3's ending is locked in my mind as one of the worst and least earned game endings I've had the displeasure of experiencing.
Funny, whenever auxiliary characters join the main crew I always try and use them a lot because I worry that they'll leave and never be usable again
@@weaponsci It really is funny that I'm the exact opposite for the exact same reason. I usually ignore aux-characters because I'd rather invest in the character's I know I'll still be able to use in the future.
That was a really comprehensive overview of the whole game's plot and characters in 1 hour, hah.
I also think CS2 is comparatively a "weaker" game than SC or Azure, but given there's 4 Cold Steel games plus Reverie... the way I see it is I associate CS1+2 together with FC or Zero and CS3+4 with SC or Azure. I must say that personally I really like the Final Final Dungeons and all the fakeout endings. I always have fun messing around with the billion different characters they give you at the end and making my favorite team. Not to be spoilery but later games have a ridiculous amount of characters to choose. No excuses for putting plot critical information in NG+ though, what was Falcom thinking? Thankfully they don't do it again.
Vita's plan makes more sense as soon as you get to CS4
Are you going to do anymore Trails 3 gameplay?
Yeah I'll resume that eventually. Just busy with some other stuff at the moment
Mqn. Last year i binged Zero, Azure, CS3, CS4, and Revere. Got all the Platinums. Started in March and finished is September. It wqs awesome
Rixia's Rixias are too powerful for the 3rd dimension...
Hoo boy, where do I begin? First of, this was a very nice review. Especially since you are capable of saying Alisas name right! Thank you for that one! But in regards to all of your questions, 1 of them will be answered in Cold Steel 3 I believe, another will be answered in Cold Steel 4 and a really huge on will be answered in Kai no Kiseki actually. At least in regards to this "thing" I saw from Kai, a certain "something" will make a lot more sense once you get there. Again, I know some huge things but am actually mostly blind myself, because I lack context. But yes, Rean. This poor man is in line to have the worst the time of his life, for the next 3 games in a row. You will see it when you get there. This poor dude just can not catch a break. Btw, this thing you saw in the next games intro also gets explained later. I am not sure if you paid attention. Keep enjoying the games weapons. I need to deepen my friendship in my farming game with gun guy in order to get a better gun. I love gun. Gun is great. Gun was helpful in that last bossfight. The gun is the best thing in the game!
Stop posting the names of future games and don't imply stuff.
Rean having three more games of pain after this is very unsettling lol
@@weaponsci Yeah, Rean is a nice guy and his suffering is just part of his character arc. I do not want to say too much to avoid spoilers. But a huge chunk of Reans story is tied directly to one of your questions. But aside from that, I would like to recommend a small palate cleanser for when you need one: Castlevania! There are 2 big collections out now and I feel like you might enjoy those games. The Dominus collection has Order of Ecclesia and I really love that game. My main OCs design is based on Shanoa. Nikita is the OC I am using online. Her outfit and powers are based on Shanoa, because I just think Shanoa is great. Also, the GBA games are also pretty good. I just feel like these games could be a good way to decompose from all the crazy stuff that happens in Trails. Have a great week man. I will be playing more Harvestella and then Ys X when it is out. I need to level up my gun.
I agree that Duke Albarea is a grounded villain in a way, but honestly I wish he'd been more of a moustache twirler. Or, to be precise, more of a soulless statesman. If he's not known for his martial prowess, reason would dictate he's chosen the administrative path. The problem with the entire Celdic incident, at least IMO, is how little actual damage was done. Sure, I can come up with pragmatic reasons for him to not come down on his own tax base like the fist of an angry god, especially during a civil war, but if anything he's being _too gentle._ Half measures like Celdic only breed further resentment, and speak to our duke's incompetence.
Ideally he could have been the Machiavellian side held back by his allies for the sake of honour and chivalry, showing how the entire NA (and the nobility they represent) was barely functional as a whole even if highly capable individually. Portraying the nobles as competent would have also justified the need for a ploy on Osborne's part to begin with to bring them down, instead of him slapping largely ineffective and reluctant opponents lead by the grandmaster of failure that is Cayenne.
45:22 Somehow Osborne returned
Lmao
8:55 actually you don't need to have viewed Fie's final bonding event in CS1 for her to reference it in this game. The same applies to all final bonding events. CS2 will act as if the final bonding event happened based on whether your link level was high enough for them to appear as a choice. This has the hilarious consequence of characters contraditing each other in at least one case back to back. The final bonding event only determines who Rean will think about during the battle with the magic knight at the start of the game and which character will have level 3 link with Rean when they join the party.
20:12 It does make sense why this was locked behind a second playthrough when you consider the long gap between the release dates of CS2 (2014) and CS3 (2017) as it gave the fans something new to discover after finishing the game. That being said it should have been made accessible during the first playthrough after the release of CS3 because it's very easy to just go from CS2 to CS3 and get completely blindsided by Thomas's secret identity not being properly revealed.
40:16 he sent the Northern Jaegers to attack Celdic, not the Provisional Army. This is an important distinction as the Northern Jaegers's involvement will become an important plot point in CS3.
50:40 actually if you use these mirrors during the final boss fight on New Game+ you'll get an extra scene with the character in question talking to Rean before they disappear though it's only text on top of a CG with no acknowledgement from Rean himself. This implies that these characters really did appear in the Reverie Corridor though IMO the entire concept is poorly implemented as Class VII doesn't react to some of them suddenly changing into someone else during battle by having the mirror equipped.
It's weird how every CS game was just not as interesting to me as previous entries, however CS2 is definitely my fav in the arc. As someone who eats, breathes and shits mecha, the increased focus on Rean/Valimar and Crow/Ordine plus their rivalry was awesome. The final dungeon and bosses were great in this game and the divertesment Crossbell chapter was incredible especially hearing Get Over The Barrier again. It's a shame I wasn't really a fan of the direction CS3 and 4 took however the gameplay really carries those games so it aint so bad.
I actually think they should've played OG Inevitable Struggle during the Rean/Altina boss instead of Blue Destination. Just to really cement the feeling of being back in Crossbell again lol.
@@weaponsci Definitely agree. Kind of mad they actually used Blue Destination since that song belongs to Rean and Crow IMO.
finallllllllllly been waiting fir thid since i was playing cs3 now i finished the whole series up to kuro two lol
cool thumbnail
It's my most hated game in the Trails series.
There are few reasons for it, but here's a summery of the most important parts:
1. Awful writing for the civil war. The Erebonia civil war is a major event in the Trails universe that was talked about since the great Trails to Azure. also, the brilliant way Falcom put these games' timeline next to each other also built to this. But, when we eventually got to it, the civil war was poorly executed and poorly written. It felt like another event and not a true civil war. I can't remember the details specifically at this point, but I remember it felt dumbed down, the interesting premise of the Nobles vs reformists went back to typical JRPG tropes and eventually to clichés like fighting an almighty being and bad man want more power.
2. It drags on forever. Some parts in the game, like shrines were insufferable, and the game refused to end. I remember how I got to Lloyd and Rixia and was overjoyed by this, only to get they expect me to grind for sepith forever in a few part dungeon for a major boss battle. I was sure I am getting some epilogue stuff for plot connection, but I got War of attrition against the game. I was already tired before, but I was completely drained by the end of the two bosses. And after this, it STILL went on.
There were some good parts of course, but most of the game had disappointing writing overall, and poor pacing, which was amplified by the fact that a major event that was built up was in the middle of this poor execution. I was really suffering at some parts and was honestly relieved when it finally ended, which never happened in any Trails game.
Yeah CS2 is polarizing. Most fans seem to either love it or hate it. I still think it's a good game, but as I said, definitely the weakest "sequel" entry I've played so far.
seriously your not alone with many issues,😅
@mattautajay3755
A bonus - that scene where's Elliot's father rode the tank + the quirky models of CS 1 and 2 made that ridiculous scene seem like something straight out of Team America/Southpark lol.
I was rolling laughing at this.
@FrozenAXL dude don't remind me, im eatin here while food sprayed on the table 🤣🍰
@@mattautajay3755
😂😂😂
If we can't romance Duvalie in Cold Steel 3 or 4, I will riot! She is cute when she gets mad
You have bonding events with her but she is not fully romanceable
She is harem adjacent in Cold Steel 3 and 4.
Murder of Crow is terrible! you shouldn't joke about someone like that when they crow'k!
Ha!
Cold steel 2 is the last time the ost is an absolute banger so gg
2 was more consistently good, but 3 and 4 have some absolutely bangers like the normal battle theme and into the netherworld
@@omensoffate An unfortunate consequence of mistreating the Sound Team to the point where they leave in mass exodus until there are only two in-house members left. (Thanks, Kato)
No best girl again? I'm starting to think you had no favorite in Erebonia arc
fffffffffuuuuuuuuu
I mean to put Fie but forgot.
Again.
@@weaponsci great choice
watched/listened while I wasn't around to type so I have to try and remember everything I wanted to comment on, doh.
Surprised you like Altina's outfit, most everyone doesn't like it lol. I personally prefer her S-craft-specific outfit she gets in CS3. She also has the best 'magical girl' outfit from the dlc in 4 =P. Though Laura's is also uhh.. yeah.. I don't think that one is available until reverie though. It's true that Altina isn't a super major character in this game, but it is strange how she gets her on music score, it's even named after her. I think it suits her well too. It's kinda high-techy, but also melancholic and mysterious.
I half-suspect many people are unaware that a pack of crows is called a murder, incidentally, I wonder if any other language on earth has as stupid and random a term for something like that when you could probably more easily communicate the idea using 'pack', or 'flock' or whatever. I mean I k now lots of languages have weird arbitrary rules for specific words or terms that don't seem very consistent with similar expressions, but 'murder' for crows is really REALLY random.... Especially since they're mostly scavengers and not even a hunting bird like Eagles or Falcons. Like what the heck?! You think they would decide to call a pack of pack-animal-hunters murder, like lions or something, but no, poor crows.
CS2 glorious 3d Rixia is my fave. She 3Ds even more in later titles but honestly I prefer cs2. I'm not a weirdo safe-horny hypocrite either. I just have my preferences that kinda stop at 'F' size. Her hair and outfit seem shinier too in CS2 IIRC.
As for Vita being in Sky 3rd. I'm aware of this 'fact', but I don't really recall HOW or WHY people have decided that it's her. How do they know it's Vita and not some random girl? I don't remember her giving away any clues that she knows magic, is a witch, is an Anguis, etc.
My biggest gripe with CS2 you do not mention, I'm starting to wonder if I have a mental block on some element that everyone else 'got' in the game but I keep missing it somehow. I hate the ending of CS2 because throughout all of CS1 and CS2 all of class 7 act like attending Thors has been the most important decision in their life and how meaningful it is to them and how much they grew from it. But at the end of CS2, the game just dumps on you that literally everyone is dropping out early? That they wont be taking their 2nd year? You mentioned that the final challenge, people 'reminded you' that it's their last thing to do as a class, but how is that a reminder? Pretty sure the game gave you ZERO indication of this throughout the entire game until the very end.
I mean I get on paper some of them have good reasons for dropping out but those details aren't fleshed out AT ALL in CS2, and there's no in-between content from it and CS3 like CS1 and CS2 had that Ymir visit sidestory thing. Jusis certainly has a bulletproof reason for dropping out. His dad's in prison, his brother is now Osborne's head ironblood, nobody is left but him to run the great house. But then you get stupid ones like Laura, who 'wants to train the way of the sword with her father'.. bish, you were doing that BEFORE you joined Thors, and you spent the whole of CS1 and 2 gassing up how expanding your focus made you grow MORE in an indirect way too, so why not just finish the job? ugh.
IMO it really feels like they decided at the last minute that class 7 wasn't going to be a class anymore and they didnt' bother writing in the details or why or ANYTHING. Macchias had more content regarding Patiery than he does his post cs2 aspirations ffs. IMO the ending of CS2 is Falcom's absolute #1 biggest ball-drop in the entire series.
I see what you mean. You don't really "grasp" the epilogue and the significance of the corridor (for lack of a better term) until after you finish everything.
It requires the hindsight to fully appreciate it
😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔
I swear some of these Nicknames they give the characters in game is got to be from 8 graders.
Whenever i hear a character call someone by their nickname or Alias (gentleman thief, the swift, Mcburn) I cringe 😅.
sure they are, ugh also so tired of duex machina and ass pulls, so much that you already expect its gonna happen, and it got worse on later games