Why You Should (NOT) Play TRAILS IN THE SKY
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- Welcome to this unhinged review/analysis/recommendation(?) for Trails In The Sky first and second chapter for your local sony PC system.
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Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
2:32 - First Chapter
7:09 - FC SPOILERS
8:39 - Second Chapter
10:34 SC Spoilers
13:31 - Conclusion
15:47 - KEVIN!?!?!
Imo Sky the 3rd was very worth playing, but I'm definitely a character and lore person more than main story person. I think Kevin's whole backstory, Renne's backstory, and the setup for Crossbell and Cold Steel arcs are very worth playing Sky the 3rd for.
Trails is a series that, once you play it, compels you to tell everyone you know about it in a desperate attempt to get these games some more attention. That says something, I think.
I recommend to just stick to the Sky arc and maybe play the Crossbell games. Forget about everything else onwards. Nothing but a waste of time.
@@kuraux56s59 I disagree. Though I think Rean as a protag is notably worse than Estelle, and less enjoyable than Lloyd. I think if you're a protagonist-heavily-invested person, maybe your opinion is probably correct more often. But if you don't care who the protag is in a big series, I think the series still holds most of its value.
Of course, there are some people who actually like Rean as a protag, I... can't express my assumptions about them without coming across as insulting. I mean I don't hate rean myself, but to actually think he's better than Estelle? Absolutely not.
@@Ghalion666 The thing that does not do any favors (and very much the entirety of the Cold Steel games for that matter). Is the whole harem aspect which is completely WORTHLESS.
This series should have just ended in the Sky arc and never have any of that "There is still more to the story!"-nonsense....
@@kuraux56s59 I think the harem elements are stupid too, but they're hardly significant to the overall story and easy to ignore beyond a minute or two of cringe a few times per game.
@@Ghalion666 Still, it just goes to show how much the writers do not care about properly writing a romance like the one between Estelle and Joshua.
Glad you enjoyed the Sky games, now play the third one lmao. One thing I recommend is to NOT READ PEOPLE'S OPINIONS ON FUTURE GAMES. Crossbell (Zero and Azure) is known for having the biggest meatriders of the fanbase and completely disregarding any flaws while Cold Steel is known for having the biggest haters completely disregarding any positives. Just play the games and enjoy them as you see fit and don't engage with the fanbase until you're at Cold Steel 4. (If you make it that far lol)
Your level doesn’t reset for second chapter. If you never played First Chapter then you start at level 35 otherwise it takes to level from your first, save all the way up to level 40
The reason you don't like Renee: you skipped Sky the 3rd. In all of trails, there is one story segment more legendary than all the rest: the infamous Star Door 15. Once you see it, EVERYTHING Renee did in Sky SC makes sense.
For real. That's the highlight of Trails the Third as far as I and just about everyone else who has played the game is concerned. It also sets up the events of the Crossbell arc. If you play Zero no Kiseki without playing Trails 3 before hand you will have no idea why there's such a shift in Renee herself as well as Estelle and Joshua's relationship with her. Overall I think Trails the Third is one of the weaker games in the series, but it is incredibly lore heavy and a lot of what happens in later games won't make sense unless you played Trails In the Sky the Third.
Keep playing and you'll like Renne
As I usually say: FC is the tutorial, SC is the story, 3rd is the final dungeon.
As many people already said in the comments, play the third game and prepare to reconsider Renne.
I theorized that you were supposed to hate her annyoing behavior during SC only to get hit by her infamous backstory on the 3rd game and then hate yourself for having hated her. XD
Kevin's backstory is also in that game and also sort of dark.
I've also played the two Crossbell games too and they are pretty solid imo, save a few moments.
I stopped half-way through Cold Steel 1 however. I liked the premise of the overall story and the dynamic of two of the main characters (Jusis and Machias), but couldn't stand much of the "obviously forced" fan-service they inserted.
I was hooked the moment I saw Josette's real self.
I'm about 20 hours into Sky FC and Daybreak and honestly I'm enjoying Sky a ton more the characters are just more interesting and I personally enjoy this isometric art style a lot.
adopted children aren't "step siblings" ... or, I've not ever heard of such, and I was adopted myself, so it would come as quite a surprise lol -- dig the video; it's shocking you have less than 1k, but I subbed!
Insane quality videos. As a newcomer to jrpg genre I'm glad I found your channel. 🙌
Too late. I've already played all of them until Kuro no Kiseki 2 :)
How I'm trying to be
Same, need to hurry up with that English patch lol
I've been binging the Trails series for the last two years, I was lucky enough to get on the Trails airship just in time to play all the games in release order as Zero and Azure were released in English for the first time. I just finished CS3 and started CS4 literally this morning. I can tell you for certain, it's a time commitment, especially since I have a full time job and I try to go touch grass at least once a day, and if Trails was the only game I was playing I would definitely be burned out on it. But it's like that really good novel series you just can't put down, like at all. I think I might have a problem, help.
As for Sky the Third, I would definitely recommend playing it because there's a lot of plot threads that get set up for future games in Crossbell and Cold Steel, not to mention Kevin's everything and all the lore about the church.
Agreed, this series is BRILLIANT!!
Oh no not being a hardcore fan for years who has completed all 12 games and sunk 1k hours into the franchise 😂
Love that Brando.sando Cosmere reference
Well I’ve done 1-10 in the trails series excited for summer 2024 😊
I'm on azure right now, its going great but i miss the characters from sky 🥺
Oh no did u just diss renne? Get ready to face the wraith of the communi-
I must say that I only begun to like Renne during Trails from Zero, Star Door 15 was brutal but it didn't justified her skills for me.
Ya love these games, but, the incest is a hard nugget to move around.
It's song of ice and fire, not game of thrones, though you should say also known as or whatever. But given you opened with 'do you like books'? And as someone who read the books before the tv series (and was hype for it), consider some serious finger-wagging coming from this direction! =P'
only 2 people get mind controlled btw (kinda 3, but the 3rd one you discover the latest was only ''mind-controlled' to forget things), Richard being one of them, Also, Joshua was adopted when Estelle was 12 IIRC. Remember puberty hits girls before boys. I forget the name of the phenominon, but the whole brother/sister = no attraction biological reaction is WAY before that age.
Honestly, I think people should do a study on adopted brother/sister relationships at THAT age where both 'siblings' actually get along with each other. I suspect the weirdness would not actually be that uncommon. I have no sister, let alone an adopted one though, so maybe I'm wrong. Just saying though. I think people with ACTUAL sisters try to relate with their experience, and it's just not the same at all. Also, I find that societal norms are normalizing all kinds of weird kink culture, and find it ironic how often THIS gets shamed of all things when western white women can openly stream about being porked by their dogs... *shakes head*.
'I don't like Renne'..
play 3rd. If you don't bleed your heart for her, you're a monster.
Also, my biggest gripe in SC is how it makes oroborus look like 'MWAHAHA I'm EVIL CUZ EVUL IZ FUNNN!! AHAHAHHAA'. Which is just a stupid childish Saturday cartoon schtick that the rest of the series does NOT do with them. Though, on the plus, side, it makes Renne's...future development, more meaningful.
'it's super effing difficult'. I uhh... Did you play on normal? I don't think it's that bad, and I'im not trying to flex, but even if I am, there IS an easy mode. So I don't want to turn casual players who are more into story more than gameplay off. If you odn't enjoy a difficult turn based game, put it on easy, and you're good.
As for the size of the series being daunting. You can play sky fc and sky SC, and quit there. It has a happy ending pretty much. You can also play more if you care, and I can't imagine how someone would NOT. But at the very least, I like to tell people just try the first game, don't decide to invest on the whole series. Just 1 game. If you finish it and don't feel like you need to play more, cool, but otherwise, I'm sure you will be glad you did.
I have SO MANY mixed feelings about this series. At the very least, I can look at the Sky trilogy with a bit of fondness.
Just stick to the Sky trilogy and, I guess maybe the Crossbell games...? Do not even bother with the Cold Steel games...
"I really appreciate how the Trails series handles battles that you are forced to lose." I do not. I SWEAR IF I HEAR THE STUPID "I was holding back hurr durr" EXCUSE ONE MORE TIME...!
If you are not fond of Joshua and Estelle's relationship as a step-brother and step-sister couple. I think you are NOT going to like a certain character from the Cold Steel games.
"No other series handles their story with as much care as Nihon Falcom does, with Trails." That is VERY debatable. Specially regarding the Cold Steel games.
And, it is somewhat of a bitter joke of how you forgot about Kevin... BECAUSE THE SERIES'S DIRECTOR FORGOT ABOUT HIM AS WELL!!! I AM NOT KIDDING!!!
You could at least give a reason for why players shouldn't play Cold Steel. I've finished the Sky trilogy and CS1, and CS1 is still far and away my favorite of the 4. It's not for everyone and I understand why, but telling people to avoid the most accessible game in the series just because it disappointed you isn't really helpful.
@@BlueGrovyle ...You are right. I should at least try to give reasons.
The reasons I can think of as of now, are... (FAIR WARNING! MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR LATER!!!)
SPOILER ALERT!
SPOILER ALERT!
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SPOILER ALERT!
(1) While the Trails series was always very much an anime-style story. The Cold Steel games very much feel like they are following on the style of modern anime which I really do not like most of the time.
(2) We still know NOTHING about who exactly the Grandmaster of Ouroboros even is. Or what her final goal is even supposed to be outside of MAYBE being some sort of "Well-Intentioned Extremist"-reason...?
(3) The absolutely stupid use of Harem anime tropes... After the well-written romance of Estelle and Joshua... There is this... Not to mention, All of the following Trails games have romantic choices that in the end. Do not matter at all when. Since, the following arcs. There is no reference to any type of actual romance between the MC and whatever heroine he may have chosen.
(4) A lot of the villains are "Redeemed" like flipping a "OFF" and "ON" switch.
(5) The "I was holding back." trope in fights you are not supposed to win being used SO MANY TIMES it makes the villains feel like Gary Stus/Mary Sues
@@kuraux56s59 Ye I totally agree. Some ppl make this series seem like the bible but the actual writing is pretty trash later on. It was nvr stellar. What is amazing is its world building which is probably among the best from the jrpg genre but thats about it.
@@Ty_Jac It makes me so bitter that all of that worldbuilding and build up in the end was all for nothing...
@@kuraux56s59 Completely disagree, I think you are biased and blinded by nostalgia. All the reasons you've given for disliking CS can be applied to Sky
1. Sky is full of anime tropes. The dialogue and themes are all very anime. The only anime trope that is more prevalent in CS is the high school trope, but even that is also present in Sky during the Jennis section. Its disingenuous to highlight anime tropes as a reason to like sky over CS
2. CS not revealing the grandmasters plans or identity is a very silly point to make. Sky didn't reveal it either as it was irrelevant to the story, just like it was in CS. Its disingenuous to highlight the withholding of mysteries as a reason to like sky over CS.
3. Harem anime tropes... Did we play the same game? The one where Khloe, Estelle, Josette and every female npc wants a piece of Joshua?
CS let's you choose, and some of the games do reference your choice in the next title by giving having rean question how they're doing.
I've played through the series twice, romancing Alisa and Laura, and both romances were just as good as Estelle Joshua.
I would argue that because the romance isn't leaned into as heavily in CS, each character is allowed to grow and change independently of Rean. Meanwhile Estelle and Joshua has grown/progressed quite little in comparison. It is disingenuous to highlight harem tropes as a reason to like Sky over CS.
4. Luciola is redeemed, fakes her death and becomes a fortune teller. Alan is redeemed, goes on to form RnA research. Loewe is redeemed just before dying, now everyone likes and respects him. Renne is redeemed, she is accepted as part of the brights.
These are all main bosses from Sky. The only other human bosses I can think of are Walter, who is eventually redeemed in later games, and Weisman, is the only one who actually stays evil and dies. In ALL trails games the villains are redeemed except for the big bad. It is disingenuous to highlight the redeeming of villains as a reason to like Sky over CS
5. There is a very obvious reason. All the Orouboros fights in CS were either 2 enforcers vs party or mcburn vs party. In early CS the party consisted of 8 new military cadets and sometimes a robot. It makes sense that the fresh recruits would struggle against the king of demons. Meanwhile in sky, the fights were against a single enforcer and the party had Joshua (who is an ex enforcer), Olivier (who is a master with arts), Mueller (who is known to be an OP royal guard), Zane (who has been asked multiple times to go up to S rank because he's so OP) and Kevin (who is one of the 12 dominions). Its clear the Sky party had more than enough power to handle 1 enforcer at a time. Once class 7 starts growing up there's fewer of those unwinnable fights, and when they do show up, they also only require you to take down a small chunk of their HP. Although you may dislike the way the story is told, my explanation at least clears up any confusion about the villains feeling like Mary sues.
You haven't given any rational ideas as to why someone should play Sky but not bother with CS.
It seems more like you built an attachment to the sky series and see it through rose tinted glasses, while you hold some sort of resentment towards CS for not being able to recreate the same emotions.