Life’s too short to care about what other people think. I started with Cold Steel and fell in so deep that I went back to play the entire series. And it’s now my favorite series.
Same starting point for me, and it's one of my favorite games ever 3 years after finishing it. I'm actually thinking about making my own video to defend starting out of order because I feel like a lot of the online discourse is people talking past each other instead of thinking critically about the issue. I'm also not scared of anyone lol, I know what this series (Cold Steel in particular) means to me and I refuse to let people scare newcomers away when Falcom rightfully tried to cater Daybreak and Cold Steel to new players.
One little correction; many of the old time fans in the west recommending Japanese release order aren't doing so because they did so themselves and cannot imagine anyone playing the series in a different order. They're doing so because they played the series out of order themselves and wish they hadn't. Back in the XSeed days it was kind of a begrudgedly accepted fact that the boat to Crossbell was permanently missed, so we might as well just enjoy what we can get and not lament the loss of the missing arc too much, and when folks got to the Divertissement chapter in Cold Steel II and Falcom rubbed several Weissmanns worth of salt in their wound, many of them found themselves wishing they knew what the heck those two new characters were talking about. It's not that they cannot imagine unintentional medias res has its charms. It's that they've experienced this medias res themselves and still wished they could have experienced the series in the order the Japanese did. Many of them experienced the series partially in order and partially out of order and are actually in a pretty good position to make comparisons on how they liked the experience best because they experienced both sides of the coin and know which one they liked better. I'm not one of the people who will tell potential new Trails fans that it's Sky FC or bust, but since what the Trails franchise is doing is relatively unique in a way new people might not fully grasp, I do usually go out of my way to stress that: Trails is not like Final Fantasy or Tales. While the series has several jump-in points, there absolutely is an optimal order and it's the Japanese release order. If someone wants to start with the installment that has the latest graphical bling and won't consider jumping in otherwise, I won't tell them to forget about it and jump back on the Squenix train. But if someone can be convinced that the Sky arc and Crossbell arc are NOT homework they have to do before they get to play outside, but rather very good games in their own right (in several ways better than the more technically advanced Cold Steel even) and can be convinced to consider the option of starting from square one so that the emotional investment that Falcom utilizes in later installments can be taken advantage of, I absolutely will take some time out of my day to try and do that convincing. Personally, playing sections like CS2's Divertissement for the first time left me feeling annoyed rather than intrigued while Falcom was carpetbombing me with references, but I acknowledge the fact that that was likely due to the choice to not play earlier installments was something that was forced upon me by circumstances so I realize that someone who willingly skipped those installments will probably feel differently.
I agree (and I have another video on the channel where I talk about the different levels of "optimal-ness" of starting at different points, with Sky being the most optimal). I guess I made this video because I've heard from multiple people that they've been entirely put off of the series because of the behavior of some fans, and I just wanted to provide a different perspective on it. At the end of the day, the more people into Trails, the better
I think the best way to get into Trails is to just play any Trails arc at the beginning (FC, Zero, CS1, or Daybreak) and go from there.. if it’s something you fall for, you’re going to go back anyway like I did. I’m sticking of my plan of completing Sky Trilogy and NG+ runs of every game until Daybreak, and I’m so happy to be back playing the series. I’m on SC now and it’s fantastic seeing events firsthand and having everything contextualized after hearing about it in the later games has been a treat. It’ll be a bit before I get to the new installment, but it’ll make it _that much_ sweeter when I get there.
100% I bought FC but never got into it until I played Coldsteel back when only CS1 & 2 were out and once I finished CS2 I feel in love with the series and wnt back and played the rest or at least what was released in the US back then.
I started with Cold Steel, didn't finish it, then played the Crossbell games and am 75% done with Trails in the Sky FC. I've jumped all over, but I still absolutely love it. I can't wait to finally get to Reverie someday and then jump into Daybreak. It's a daunting task but it's so worth it!
Honestly, I just want people to play whatever trails game will get people hooked. The more fans of the series, the more games they will bless us with!! 🥰
Great video. I wish everyone in the jrpg community could be so non-gatekeep-y. I’ve been wanting to try this series for a while, but I only have a Switch, and keep getting told I can’t possibly start with Zero, else I’ve ruined the whole experience for myself. Based on this video, I think I will give Zero a try.
Please please please do. This series is way to good to miss it because people want to tell you how YOUR experience is going to be. Jump in with whatever arc piques your Interest and go from there. Welcome to the fam 😊
Never played a single one of these, but I just ordered Daybreak. Stumbled on your channel looking up stuff on it. You have a pretty positive/wholesome channel. Nice to see. Think I’ll sub.
I always feel people that are so strict about things like these forget that humans have the ability to connects the dots and fill in the blanks. It’s better to play a game that makes you want to go back rather than playing 9+ games just to play the one you want.
I agree. If starting on Sky makes someone abandon the series, whereas if they'd started with Cold Steel or Daybreak they'd be hooked, then I think it's better to start later.
I recently started the series with Trails From Zero, and I love it! I don’t feel lost, but I definitely want to go back and play the Sky games because I’m loving the world and the characters!
I honestly think it doesn’t matter where you start. The games themselves do a good job at telling you all you need to know. They also emphasize certain events and they still make them emotional from a new person perspective.
Play Trails. That's it. I guess the only addendum I would make is pick the first game of any arc and rock that mfer. This series NEEDS and DESERVES more fans!
Thank you for this. I'm a big fan of the series and the subreddit rubs me the wrong way with their "objectively good" play order. Personally, the franchise is kind of like Star Wars. You can start on any trilogy. You'll never get the full story unless you watch all of them but you'll get hints to the past that will pay off when you watch the other trilogies. You can encourage a proper order but always remember the golden rule
I have argued so much with people about this. I think it is better to play this series than never play it. I get that experiencing the story from sky is amazing and I loved every moment, but I want people to enjoy and experience this series. I definitely would recommend that people read up on the backstory and hopefully visit the older games at some point, but I think each game arc does a good job of building the story. I definitely think starting at the beginning of any arc is a good starting point!
Thank you so much Brandon. Will definitely put this game on my list! Finally will be able to play my first Trails game. Also hopefully you are keeping cool with this mini Chicago heat wave!
Emily sent me over since I've been feeling pressured into playing Trails from the very beginning from hardcore Trails fans 😅 Sorry I didn't see this video in my inbox earlier, I'm usually up to date with TH-cam buddies. But yeah, love your points made in this video, I feel more inclined to try Trails coming from your perspective Branden. Much appreciated my dude~
I played them out of order. Mostly due to translation release schedule. It still became one of my favorite series...however I wish I had the option to play them in order which recently became available to all English speakers. I'd still say sky fc is the best starting point, but daybreak appears to be another great on ramp! 2nd best place to start based on what I know.
Thank you so much for this. I am at about 39 hours on Sky, and just can't seem to get into it. I thought maybe the series wasn't for me, especially with the internet saying the Sky series was the best place to start. I'm thinking I will give daybreak a try, and see if a fresh start will get me hooked.
This is exactly right, the developers intentionally design it so that you CAN jump in to any arc. Something about myself....I hate to admit this but... when I started CS1 (I started with TitS:FC), the most recent release was CS4. I had this weird feeling that if I kept going too fast, I was going to "run out" of Trails and then I wouldn't have anything to look forward to anymore. I got all nervous about finishing all of the active releases, and so after CS2 I stopped and took a break. And I haven't been back since! Yup, I still have not finished Cold Steel.. now that Daybreak is coming out I think I can finally give myself "Permission" to actually finish. (also the fact that Cold Steel feels kind of bland to me compared to the previous played a pretty big role too) But I really am excited to actually finally finish the arc.
I mean, yes, ideally the best way is to start with the very first game in this long series. It's the best set up for it all, and lets you experience all the reveals as intended. I haven't gotten to the other arcs yet but the start of any of the arcs still all seem great to start with! I hope more people get into the series with this new release. (I do hope they'll go back to the older games if they're interested, man do I love Estelle and crew ;-;) Also I for one am so excited to play all the Trails games I have still to play, the Steam Summer Sale is going to be my Trails delivery system.
I would like to know this too. I will try very hard to make it so I can get to meet you guys. Also I would like to know if you are going to sell some kind of merch of your logos or JRPG related, that would be really cool.
You can Start either Crossbell arc or Cold steel Arc, they are at the same time so you can start either one. Then go through reverie and then daybreak. You can always go back to liberl anytime you want
I'm the kind of person who likes to start from the beginning so I'll buy daybreak but Im waiting for the sky series to be available were I can play it.
Having already played Daybreak, I honestly think its by far the best entry point aside from sky since it's not happening along side any other arc. It has its references to past games but I didn't feel like they would alienate people if they don't know stuff because the party effectively is learning about the world similar to the perspective of a new player while Van acts as the knowledgable character who knows more about the world and others. Meanwhile, I struggle to recommend crossbell as a starting point because without sky it hurts probably the most powerful scene I've seen in a game (chapter 3 of zero) and while cold steel is better to start with I found the news was the highlight of the game for me personally due to the crossbell stuff which would've been completely lost on me had I started there. With Daybreak there was no point where I felt like the game would've been hindered without knowledge, it only added to my enjoyment.
This is a great comment. I actually started with Crossbell and I'm sure I missed out on some references, I still knew about Estelle and Joshua from "studying" the whole series a bit before even playing them. It was cool to see them pop up during my time in Crossbell. I can't wait to get to Reverie and see everything come together.
@Fast_Travel_Gamer I agree start and any arc and go back when you feel like it I played Cold Steel 1 to 3 Then sky trilogy Then crossbell Then Cold steel 4 Then Reverie Am replaying Cold steel 1 and 2 before daybreak The only thing I regret is going back before 4 and not 3 (I should have went back after 2 (but that's for me not me telling anyone else) I also kind of hate 4 and think reverie story is bad I would recommend playing sky before zero because of renne but thats just my opinion and in no way a guide
I started with Cold steel 1. No wait scratch that, I started with Ys played most of them and then went to cold steel 1 about 10 or so odd years ago. There's a demo for daybreak like you mentioned but its only on ps4, ps5, and switch and it took me about 7+ hours to clear the demo and it carries over to the full game.
I really wish there was a jrpg out there that had the exact same turn based combat system at cold steel and newer trails games but with 1/4 of the dialogue
i did exacely as you said, 3 or 4 years ago i played the first 3 games of cold steel. Today im installing both the 4th cold steel and daybreak (already bought reveri). HE is right NOBODY is rushing you unless you have bigger problems in life
It’s always kind of funny to me hearing people argue where to start with in Trails and then I remember there’s a bunch of people who started from Cold Steel 3 because that’s the first Switch Trails game 😂
I know right? since it isn't about Rean anymore, some manchild can't accept the fact Kiseki/Trails games were never about the protagonists but about the whole nation/arc you get into (and r/Falcom is heavily biased toward the Erebonian arc). It was always about Zemuria as a whole, main characters were always irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, they were just the anchor point from a player perspective, unlike YS games, they weren't meant to stay indefinitly, either it is Estella/Joshua, Kevin/Ries, Lloyd/SSS, Rean/Class VII, C or even Van/ASO, it was always about the whole continent and the people living in it, i mean that's what we mean by "worldbuilding" but seems like a lot of fans conveniantly "forgot" about the strong point of this series somehow.
Oh...and to your point (and I will ignore any discussion of current...um...issues) but this is exactly how Star Wars was brought to the public...it started with episode IV (though they only called it that later but I was alive for it...boomer alert)...and thats what everyone loved about it...being brought into something that already existed - angry internet guy
So, my 'journey' is like follows; Got Cold Steel 1 on release for the Vita, could not get into it. The world sounded very interesting, so tried CS1 again a year later on PS4. Dropped it at around the exact same point for the same reason. Got myself a gaming PC 2 years ago, and so finally access to Sky. Tried first game.....instantly hooked. Playing them all in order, currently going through Cold Steel 4, taking my time and playing other games in between, but I guess in order is the thing that actually worked best for me personally.
My progress through the series was so weird, in that I was skipping ALL around, but I've since gone back and replayed all the games in order. I have a feeling this series would have hooked me one way or another, regardless of how I went into it.
In my opinion Trails through Daybreak is a fine starting point. That said, you will get more appreciation from it if you've played previous games. Because there are definitely characters (I won't say who) present from previous games. And the events get referenced too. While the game does provide nice reference material for the previous games events, the difference is reading about something vs actually experiencing it. That said, I strongly encourage people to play the older games if possible. They hold up pretty well from both a graphical and turn based gameplay perspective.
I really want to jump into daybreak but I'm also the kind of person that likes to start in order so it's killing me knowing that I'll need to hobby wrong and grind through them to catch up like I did with the Kingdom Hearts and Yakuza games haha (although I still love those games even after playing back to back)
1:55 Literally no one said you wouldn't have a good time. What we are saying is that you are missing important context for characters and events and that you simply won't be as excited for certain things as a result of not knowing. No one has to start from the beginning, but in order to appreciate the story completely, you need that context.
I do think starting from Sky is the best way to get the most out of the story but if for whatever reason you can't or just aren't enjoying it, you can start somewhere else. As long as you go in with the understanding some references or details might not make as much sense as if you started from the beginning then you'll be fine
I started with the Sky’s trilogy but that’s because I didn’t have any attachment to any particular arc, and didn’t know the MC for Cranbell was Natsu from Fairy Tail 😂so if I had known I may have started there first then worked my way around. But I’ve been enjoying Estelle as a protagonist and I figured chronological order of when the games came out would be fine for me. Some early dialogue was cringe due to “artistic” translation but it’s good overall. Still working on SC and on chapter 3.
Falcom knows that the older games aren't available on modern consoles. They are all stuck on old hardware and PC. We need them on everything now legally without having to do mods.
This to a lesser exstent reminds me of the Yakuaza series. I only played the 2 games with Kazuga in and i still enjoyed it thoroughly. Sure i didnt know every cameo from the other games but in still had a great time.
This pirates first experience with the trails series was actually cold steal 1 and 2❤ and well I definitely had some unanswered questions 🤔 I had a lot of fun and honestly I’m not really interested in playing the sky trilogy. Definitely looking forward to daybreak
It’s weird to start with Trails Through Daybreak when Calvard takes a huge role in the Erebonia ark. I started with Trails of Cold Steel. Persona 4 Golden is how I got into The Legend of Heroes games. I’m excited for the third Trails through Daybreak game because there’s a screenshot of Yun Ka-Fai I’m glad I started with Trails of Cold Steel.
I dont think its silly its just starting from the beginning makes the best sense to experience the story from start to where it is now and you also see the evolution of the games system and mechanics along with graphics. Its just an easy method but jump in however you want as in todays age u have wikipedia and youtube to fill in the gaps of information you may be confused on while starting somewhere like day break. The whole series is an emotional roller coaster and i feel people could miss out those crucial connections with certain characters but hey i could play this entire series twice but never touch the xenobalde series 😂
It sounds like starting with Daybreak will be similar to CS 1. Yes, there are some name drops and some lore references, but the game itself can be enjoyed on its own as a starting point. I just hope Daybreak moves along faster than CS1 did. And if someone is interested in the other games... there probably be plenty of time to get to them before Crimson Sin is actually localized 😉
@@JustTheGems Everything so far points to it being a trilogy like Sky which good on Falcom since it seems like they got to manage the scope of the arc better.
Personally since I'm halfway through daybreak I don't think I could reccomend it as a starting point for most people. I started with Cold Steel 1 and after CS2 i had to go back and play all the other games. With Daybreak though I feel like the games lore has passed such a grand event that all the character cameos and references are a bit too on the nose to just inspire curiosity. A bigger point is my realization that Renee's story has persisted and continued through all the games and I don't want to someone to spoil themselves. XD
I think everyone will have a differing level of interest though, like some people will be curious about what happened before, but some will be content to just push forward from Daybreak.
It has "connect events" but no romance options unlike Zero/Azure and CS games, there's some hints about some characters feelings on the main male protagonist but nothing more than that. Kondo said that "maybe" he would take into consideration the possibility of romance in Kuro/Daybreak in future titles, either it is the established romance or the one chosen from the player choice wasn't specified though, but yeah, one could say it's your usual PR talk there XD
The reason people recommend starting with Trails in the Sky is because Sky SC is arguably the best game in the whole series - if you 'get it' after the first two games you will be hooked and likely play them all. Other orders are problamatic as most first games in each arc are set up with lots of commitment required to finish them without much payoff in the way of story/character even Sky FC is very trope like until the cliffhanger right at the end.
Yeah, I would just say that "recommending" is one thing, but the way a lot of people in the fandom "recommend" is basically saying "Either start with Sky FC or don't bother playing at all," and that's a mistake in my opinion.
You can start anywhere you want but the fact still remains that some returning characters and lore will be lost to you. It's like watching mcu movies. You can start with the Avangers, but you will have less connection to the characters if you skip previous movies.
Sorry to say they you got this completely wrong, the correct place to start is with the first audio drama, and no deviation from this is allowed. I hope they're filming that panel!
Lol yes, and if you haven't read the Ring of Judgment manga, don't even bother continuing with the series! 😂 Yeah, I hope so, if not maybe I'll see if I can get it recorded.
I think, for the most part, everyone who says that people should start with Sky FC, including myself, is doing it on a positive note. Anyone can play the games in the order they want, no one is deniying that, but objectively the best way to experience the plot is starting from the beggining. Thankfully that's not the only option since this series has a new starting point in each arc. So, starting an arc, like Daybreak, is also a good option as well. Even not playing the olg games is a good option as well, but from what I have seen, most people go back to the old ones at some point or another. this series is that good. Regarding how long the series is. I don't get that. If you enjoy the series, it's nice to have a lot of games to look forward. I think it's better to play at your own pace as well. I think I took 3 years to play all the games, and that was a great experience in itself. I never rushed them because I was enjoying them.
It’s a new arc separate from the first 10 games (FINALLY) so i think yes you can, unlike reverie for example you definitely can’t start with that one since it’s a finale game!
I think this is an important video for the series. My case wasn't a good experience. A lot of players said thta i should know about Sky, at least watch some playthrough. That was almost as the fans giving me homework, first mistake. I followed the "advice" pushed me ro watch almost two hours of summaries; and then started Zero. Needless to say i was overwhelmed and a bit tired (it was a lot of names that I won't remember). And tbh, i could do without knowing the fact that the couple of the first game were raised as brothers and even have the same surname haha... When i started playing Zero, the game itself gave me most of the tid bits that i needed (there's even various books around crossbell that gives you more info about the world). At the end i haven't finished Zero, and i found the romance and the harem-ish tropes extremely annoying, thing that maybe i wouldn't have minded if i started more fresh without my brain burning bc i have the biggest info dumping session some days before lmao.
Hardest part for me is that I don't have a PC, steamdeck, or older Playstation hardware. I only use the Nintendo Switch these days. The Trails in the Sky trilogy and Trails of Cold Steel 1&2 are not available. Trails of Cold Steel 1&2 got Switch ports in Japan and Korea but those haven't been brought over to the West. The most frustrating thing is that XSEED still own the rights to Falcom titles like Trails and Ys and they have expressed no interest in bringing anything to Switch. I hope NISA will work something out with them but I have doubts about that...
I started with Crossbell (Zero/Azure) last year. I took a break playing other games for almost a year before going back to the series with Cold Steel this time. I'm currently playing Cold Steel 2 and will most likely take a break after that too. I liked those games a lot and will continue playing them, at my own pace, and go back to the Sky trilogy somewhere down the line. I think that, with the exception of starting at the beginning of an arc (Sky FC, Zero, Cold Steel 1, or Daybreak) there's really no correct way to play this series.
@@JustTheGems Absolutely. I also think the Falcom team does a very good job at giving you enough past story elements not to get lost while keeping enough info out to not outright spoil the previous games. Having played Crossbell, I know stuff about Sky, but I still have no idea about what's the full story and how it unfolds. But I know enough to be intrigued and want to play them one day. Now that I'm playing Cold Steel 1&2, I can see how they give info about what happens in Crossbell without ever giving too much. They clearly always keep in mind that each series bring newcomers and work on both welcoming them and giving them reasons to go play the previous games should they want to.
and one more thing i would like to add no one can stop you if you want to start on kuro/ daybreak like no one can stop you from playing reverie or cold steel 4 so keep that in mind i say experience the games how you want to if kuro looks that good play it
maybe Trails Through Daybreak will be my first game of Trails series, even my first game of The Legend of Heroes franchise cuz it said "The first part of the Trails Through Daybreak arc. Considered the halfway point of the Trails series." in wikipedia. For how the game will deliver the story to make me interest into their previous series is later when i played it cuz the strong point of JRPG is the Story.
personally ideally I would say sky despite me starting with cold steel 1 but I feel that if not sky it still good to start with the beginning of an arc. the only real mistake would be starting mid arc like if someone played cold steel 2 first would ne Terrible
Heck yeah! Love what you said here because some of these people are so nasty lol, like who cares, it's a video game and people should just be able to enjoy things.
New fan to series. Was temped to get Trails from Zero (and I will next time it goes on sale), but, for now, I ignored your (and other’s) smarmy advice and started with Trails in the Sky FC.
one thing you havent said is its normal to be spent after a trails game. If you just think you should rush through the previous ones to play the last, don't, just choose one and take your time, and give up if you dont enjoy. Videogame gatekeeping and rules is the dumbest shit, do you and follow whats entertainin to you. Even if thats not "the official best game/ way to play"
I started with Cold Steel 1 to 3 (whilst i might recommend gping back before 3 unlike me who watched the first 10 minutes of 4 and went oh shit i should go back) I think you can play daybreak and then go back to sky 1 Itll be a fine game introduce you to the series And if you are playing it on playstation its not like currently you can go any further
Something weird is going on with your sound on this video. For instance around 2:49, the sound dips a couple times e.g. on "I can tell", "dropped into a", "Characters".
It gets better but still happens, e.g. at 4:25 on "here's the thing". Or at 4:55 on "you can". I think it's not that bad for this video, but you should look into it for the next ones. :-)
I noticed it too, and the only thing I can think that was different was I was holding the mic (I wasn't able to get it to clip to me like normal). Hopefully that's all it was and I won't have to get a new mic....😒
I honestly only went in order because I had followed the games since the non kiseki games. I think any one of the starting games, or really any game at all is a good place to start. If you played SC without FC, sure you miss important things, but you can catch up pretty well and a lot happens that unique to SC. I dont think you lose so much that you can't enjoy SC. 3rd probably sucks without the others though. Even cold steel I feel you could start with the 2nd or 3rd game and it's not a deal breaker, it's just a little confusing. Zero and Azure...you do miss an important plot point if you skip Zero...but its not the end of the world. Azure stakes are so high, that the "revelation" is shocking anyway. Edit: I take that comment about 3rd back...Kevin and Ries stull make that...even if you don't know the other characters
"I don't think media has to be all or nothing." - Yes. This. 1000%. The internet seems to have encouraged us to pick a "side" on something and just dig in, and I think that's silly.
The best place to start is always going to be Sky, anything else is a compromise. But that compromise may be reasonable if, say, Sky doesn't interest you right away or you only have consoles. IDK why everyone seems to get offended if you say Sky is the best place to start. Doesn't mean you have to, but you will miss stuff. And it may be that you're okay with that.
It's not so much people saying "Sky is the best place to start," it's the subset of the fanbase that says "Start with Sky or don't bother playing." That can really impact people, and it's a shame.
Daybreak is a decent starting point if u dont want to start at sky. But if u want to play daybreak 2 after daybreak thats gonna be a mess for reasons. Not to mention daybreak 3/kai from what we know is gonna be like u need to play them all.
With something like this, I'd argue "best" is purely subjective. To my mind, the best thing for someone to do -- if they like JRPGs anyway -- is to play the Trails series. However and wherever they want to start, they should start. The other games are there for them if they have an interest in going back, but if they don't want to go back and just want to push forward? I think that's great, too
@@JustTheGems but objectively speaking you will understand the newer games better and understanding all the nuances and references if you played the earlier entries.
True, but "missing out" is kind of subjective. Some people might not mind not experiencing that stuff. I just want to be sure that no one feels like they CAN'T start where they want.
You can start wherever you want and that´s better that not starting, so start at the beginning of the arc you want by all means, but saying it will be as good of an experience would be lying. For example, one of the best moments from Trails from Zero is a conclussion arc of the two main characters of Sky. For someone who hasn´t played those it is just an okay scene. For someone who watches that and decides to play the previous games, they already have spoiled several characters identity and how that arc ends. This happens all the time trought the games. For those who haven´t jumped into the series by all means, do it wherever you can as long as it is at the starting point of an arc but ask yourself a question: Would have the end of Endgame have had the same impact if you had started with Civil War instead of Iron Man? This is the same but on steroids.
So same reasoning can applied to FF7 Rebirth as well Oh you dont need play the remake if you haven't, dont listen to people. Just play it, backstories provided with RedXIII voice
"If this hobby starts to feel like a chore then, my friend, in my opinion; you're hobbying wrong." Sound advice!
I've fallen down the "stressing out about my hobby" hole before, and it's... It's just not very much fun.
Life’s too short to care about what other people think. I started with Cold Steel and fell in so deep that I went back to play the entire series. And it’s now my favorite series.
Wise words
Same starting point for me, and it's one of my favorite games ever 3 years after finishing it. I'm actually thinking about making my own video to defend starting out of order because I feel like a lot of the online discourse is people talking past each other instead of thinking critically about the issue. I'm also not scared of anyone lol, I know what this series (Cold Steel in particular) means to me and I refuse to let people scare newcomers away when Falcom rightfully tried to cater Daybreak and Cold Steel to new players.
Saaaame here! I got pulled in so deep and fast that i HAD to go back and play through all the games prior
Amen.
Yup, that's where I started, and even though I just moved back to Trails in the Sky, I'm so glad that I started!
One little correction; many of the old time fans in the west recommending Japanese release order aren't doing so because they did so themselves and cannot imagine anyone playing the series in a different order. They're doing so because they played the series out of order themselves and wish they hadn't. Back in the XSeed days it was kind of a begrudgedly accepted fact that the boat to Crossbell was permanently missed, so we might as well just enjoy what we can get and not lament the loss of the missing arc too much, and when folks got to the Divertissement chapter in Cold Steel II and Falcom rubbed several Weissmanns worth of salt in their wound, many of them found themselves wishing they knew what the heck those two new characters were talking about.
It's not that they cannot imagine unintentional medias res has its charms. It's that they've experienced this medias res themselves and still wished they could have experienced the series in the order the Japanese did. Many of them experienced the series partially in order and partially out of order and are actually in a pretty good position to make comparisons on how they liked the experience best because they experienced both sides of the coin and know which one they liked better.
I'm not one of the people who will tell potential new Trails fans that it's Sky FC or bust, but since what the Trails franchise is doing is relatively unique in a way new people might not fully grasp, I do usually go out of my way to stress that: Trails is not like Final Fantasy or Tales. While the series has several jump-in points, there absolutely is an optimal order and it's the Japanese release order.
If someone wants to start with the installment that has the latest graphical bling and won't consider jumping in otherwise, I won't tell them to forget about it and jump back on the Squenix train. But if someone can be convinced that the Sky arc and Crossbell arc are NOT homework they have to do before they get to play outside, but rather very good games in their own right (in several ways better than the more technically advanced Cold Steel even) and can be convinced to consider the option of starting from square one so that the emotional investment that Falcom utilizes in later installments can be taken advantage of, I absolutely will take some time out of my day to try and do that convincing.
Personally, playing sections like CS2's Divertissement for the first time left me feeling annoyed rather than intrigued while Falcom was carpetbombing me with references, but I acknowledge the fact that that was likely due to the choice to not play earlier installments was something that was forced upon me by circumstances so I realize that someone who willingly skipped those installments will probably feel differently.
I agree (and I have another video on the channel where I talk about the different levels of "optimal-ness" of starting at different points, with Sky being the most optimal). I guess I made this video because I've heard from multiple people that they've been entirely put off of the series because of the behavior of some fans, and I just wanted to provide a different perspective on it. At the end of the day, the more people into Trails, the better
I think the best way to get into Trails is to just play any Trails arc at the beginning (FC, Zero, CS1, or Daybreak) and go from there.. if it’s something you fall for, you’re going to go back anyway like I did. I’m sticking of my plan of completing Sky Trilogy and NG+ runs of every game until Daybreak, and I’m so happy to be back playing the series. I’m on SC now and it’s fantastic seeing events firsthand and having everything contextualized after hearing about it in the later games has been a treat. It’ll be a bit before I get to the new installment, but it’ll make it _that much_ sweeter when I get there.
100% I bought FC but never got into it until I played Coldsteel back when only CS1 & 2 were out and once I finished CS2 I feel in love with the series and wnt back and played the rest or at least what was released in the US back then.
I started with Cold Steel, didn't finish it, then played the Crossbell games and am 75% done with Trails in the Sky FC. I've jumped all over, but I still absolutely love it. I can't wait to finally get to Reverie someday and then jump into Daybreak. It's a daunting task but it's so worth it!
Yeah, my order was pretty all over the place initially too. I still got extremely hooked!
Honestly, I just want people to play whatever trails game will get people hooked. The more fans of the series, the more games they will bless us with!! 🥰
Amen to that!
This is exactly what I needed to see to get me to play Daybreak. Thank you. Maybe I'll play the others afterwards, maybe not. We'll see how it goes.
Great video. I wish everyone in the jrpg community could be so non-gatekeep-y. I’ve been wanting to try this series for a while, but I only have a Switch, and keep getting told I can’t possibly start with Zero, else I’ve ruined the whole experience for myself. Based on this video, I think I will give Zero a try.
Please please please do. This series is way to good to miss it because people want to tell you how YOUR experience is going to be. Jump in with whatever arc piques your Interest and go from there. Welcome to the fam 😊
Never played a single one of these, but I just ordered Daybreak. Stumbled on your channel looking up stuff on it.
You have a pretty positive/wholesome channel. Nice to see. Think I’ll sub.
I always feel people that are so strict about things like these forget that humans have the ability to connects the dots and fill in the blanks.
It’s better to play a game that makes you want to go back rather than playing 9+ games just to play the one you want.
I agree. If starting on Sky makes someone abandon the series, whereas if they'd started with Cold Steel or Daybreak they'd be hooked, then I think it's better to start later.
I recently started the series with Trails From Zero, and I love it! I don’t feel lost, but I definitely want to go back and play the Sky games because I’m loving the world and the characters!
I honestly think it doesn’t matter where you start. The games themselves do a good job at telling you all you need to know. They also emphasize certain events and they still make them emotional from a new person perspective.
Play Trails. That's it. I guess the only addendum I would make is pick the first game of any arc and rock that mfer. This series NEEDS and DESERVES more fans!
Yeah, I'll always recommend jumping on at the start of an arc, but otherwise I can't think of a good reason not to just start!
Really needed this one. Been taking this game on and off my wants list due to time and the overwhelming nature of the game.
I hope you'll give it a chance!
I just watch the whole playthrough of cutscenes of the older series, to know the context of the newer series.
Thank you for this. I'm a big fan of the series and the subreddit rubs me the wrong way with their "objectively good" play order. Personally, the franchise is kind of like Star Wars. You can start on any trilogy. You'll never get the full story unless you watch all of them but you'll get hints to the past that will pay off when you watch the other trilogies.
You can encourage a proper order but always remember the golden rule
Absolutely, the best order is the one that makes the most sense for you, and the one that helps get you engaged. Thank you!!
It really is accessible and enjoyable. Brandon’s advice about taking your time and taking breaks, do it.
You're good people. This video earned you at least one new follow. 🙂 Might just have to jump back into Trails now...
I have argued so much with people about this. I think it is better to play this series than never play it. I get that experiencing the story from sky is amazing and I loved every moment, but I want people to enjoy and experience this series. I definitely would recommend that people read up on the backstory and hopefully visit the older games at some point, but I think each game arc does a good job of building the story. I definitely think starting at the beginning of any arc is a good starting point!
You and David are two of my fav rpg guys on YT.
I'm honored to even be mentioned in the same sentence as David
I'm insane fella
I'm starting with Gagnarv trilogy
I wish I had the gumption to do that~!
Hard agree with all of this! And congrats on the panel Branden!
Thank you, Milla!
Thank you so much Brandon. Will definitely put this game on my list! Finally will be able to play my first Trails game. Also hopefully you are keeping cool with this mini Chicago heat wave!
I'm glad to hear it! And actually, I was out of town for the last several days, just got home... and YEAH... it's a little hot.🥵
Emily sent me over since I've been feeling pressured into playing Trails from the very beginning from hardcore Trails fans 😅 Sorry I didn't see this video in my inbox earlier, I'm usually up to date with TH-cam buddies. But yeah, love your points made in this video, I feel more inclined to try Trails coming from your perspective Branden. Much appreciated my dude~
I played them out of order. Mostly due to translation release schedule.
It still became one of my favorite series...however I wish I had the option to play them in order which recently became available to all English speakers. I'd still say sky fc is the best starting point, but daybreak appears to be another great on ramp! 2nd best place to start based on what I know.
Thank you so much for this. I am at about 39 hours on Sky, and just can't seem to get into it. I thought maybe the series wasn't for me, especially with the internet saying the Sky series was the best place to start. I'm thinking I will give daybreak a try, and see if a fresh start will get me hooked.
I'm glad to hear it, and I hope you find an entry point that works for you in the long run
This is exactly right, the developers intentionally design it so that you CAN jump in to any arc. Something about myself....I hate to admit this but... when I started CS1 (I started with TitS:FC), the most recent release was CS4. I had this weird feeling that if I kept going too fast, I was going to "run out" of Trails and then I wouldn't have anything to look forward to anymore. I got all nervous about finishing all of the active releases, and so after CS2 I stopped and took a break. And I haven't been back since! Yup, I still have not finished Cold Steel.. now that Daybreak is coming out I think I can finally give myself "Permission" to actually finish. (also the fact that Cold Steel feels kind of bland to me compared to the previous played a pretty big role too) But I really am excited to actually finally finish the arc.
I for one really enjoyed the second half of the Cold Steel arc more than the first, so hopefully you'll find more to engage with there!
I mean, yes, ideally the best way is to start with the very first game in this long series. It's the best set up for it all, and lets you experience all the reveals as intended. I haven't gotten to the other arcs yet but the start of any of the arcs still all seem great to start with! I hope more people get into the series with this new release. (I do hope they'll go back to the older games if they're interested, man do I love Estelle and crew ;-;)
Also I for one am so excited to play all the Trails games I have still to play, the Steam Summer Sale is going to be my Trails delivery system.
The summer sale is absolutely a great time to stock up for anyone that hasn't grabbed them all yet!
Brandon: I am planning on attending Anime Expo in LA. What time is your panel on the 6th? I'll try as hard as I can to make it.
I would like to know this too. I will try very hard to make it so I can get to meet you guys. Also I would like to know if you are going to sell some kind of merch of your logos or JRPG related, that would be really cool.
You can Start either Crossbell arc or Cold steel Arc, they are at the same time so you can start either one. Then go through reverie and then daybreak. You can always go back to liberl anytime you want
Well said!
Appreciate it!
I'm the kind of person who likes to start from the beginning so I'll buy daybreak but Im waiting for the sky series to be available were I can play it.
Totally valid! Play them how you want to and I hope you have a blast!
Having already played Daybreak, I honestly think its by far the best entry point aside from sky since it's not happening along side any other arc.
It has its references to past games but I didn't feel like they would alienate people if they don't know stuff because the party effectively is learning about the world similar to the perspective of a new player while Van acts as the knowledgable character who knows more about the world and others.
Meanwhile, I struggle to recommend crossbell as a starting point because without sky it hurts probably the most powerful scene I've seen in a game (chapter 3 of zero) and while cold steel is better to start with I found the news was the highlight of the game for me personally due to the crossbell stuff which would've been completely lost on me had I started there.
With Daybreak there was no point where I felt like the game would've been hindered without knowledge, it only added to my enjoyment.
This is a great comment. I actually started with Crossbell and I'm sure I missed out on some references, I still knew about Estelle and Joshua from "studying" the whole series a bit before even playing them. It was cool to see them pop up during my time in Crossbell. I can't wait to get to Reverie and see everything come together.
That's good to hear. I really hope people take this to heart and jump on board.
@Fast_Travel_Gamer I agree start and any arc and go back when you feel like it
I played Cold Steel 1 to 3
Then sky trilogy
Then crossbell
Then Cold steel 4
Then Reverie
Am replaying Cold steel 1 and 2 before daybreak
The only thing I regret is going back before 4 and not 3 (I should have went back after 2 (but that's for me not me telling anyone else)
I also kind of hate 4 and think reverie story is bad
I would recommend playing sky before zero because of renne but thats just my opinion and in no way a guide
For the most part but without renne history u do miss quite a bit with her.
I started with Cold steel 1. No wait scratch that, I started with Ys played most of them and then went to cold steel 1 about 10 or so odd years ago. There's a demo for daybreak like you mentioned but its only on ps4, ps5, and switch and it took me about 7+ hours to clear the demo and it carries over to the full game.
I’m relatively new to the trails games and I’m really enjoying them.
I'm glad to hear it! They keep getting better in my opinion
I really wish there was a jrpg out there that had the exact same turn based combat system at cold steel and newer trails games but with 1/4 of the dialogue
i did exacely as you said, 3 or 4 years ago i played the first 3 games of cold steel. Today im installing both the 4th cold steel and daybreak (already bought reveri). HE is right NOBODY is rushing you unless you have bigger problems in life
It’s always kind of funny to me hearing people argue where to start with in Trails and then I remember there’s a bunch of people who started from Cold Steel 3 because that’s the first Switch Trails game 😂
I know right? since it isn't about Rean anymore, some manchild can't accept the fact Kiseki/Trails games were never about the protagonists but about the whole nation/arc you get into (and r/Falcom is heavily biased toward the Erebonian arc).
It was always about Zemuria as a whole, main characters were always irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, they were just the anchor point from a player perspective, unlike YS games, they weren't meant to stay indefinitly, either it is Estella/Joshua, Kevin/Ries, Lloyd/SSS, Rean/Class VII, C or even Van/ASO, it was always about the whole continent and the people living in it, i mean that's what we mean by "worldbuilding" but seems like a lot of fans conveniantly "forgot" about the strong point of this series somehow.
Oh...and to your point (and I will ignore any discussion of current...um...issues) but this is exactly how Star Wars was brought to the public...it started with episode IV (though they only called it that later but I was alive for it...boomer alert)...and thats what everyone loved about it...being brought into something that already existed
- angry internet guy
Agreed, I love the feeling that there's such rich lore underlying everything.
Trails trails trails what a series what a fanbase
Tell me about it, feels like those Fate fans... OH SHI-!
So, my 'journey' is like follows; Got Cold Steel 1 on release for the Vita, could not get into it. The world sounded very interesting, so tried CS1 again a year later on PS4.
Dropped it at around the exact same point for the same reason.
Got myself a gaming PC 2 years ago, and so finally access to Sky. Tried first game.....instantly hooked. Playing them all in order, currently going through Cold Steel 4, taking my time and playing other games in between, but I guess in order is the thing that actually worked best for me personally.
My progress through the series was so weird, in that I was skipping ALL around, but I've since gone back and replayed all the games in order. I have a feeling this series would have hooked me one way or another, regardless of how I went into it.
In my opinion Trails through Daybreak is a fine starting point. That said, you will get more appreciation from it if you've played previous games. Because there are definitely characters (I won't say who) present from previous games. And the events get referenced too. While the game does provide nice reference material for the previous games events, the difference is reading about something vs actually experiencing it. That said, I strongly encourage people to play the older games if possible. They hold up pretty well from both a graphical and turn based gameplay perspective.
I really want to jump into daybreak but I'm also the kind of person that likes to start in order so it's killing me knowing that I'll need to hobby wrong and grind through them to catch up like I did with the Kingdom Hearts and Yakuza games haha (although I still love those games even after playing back to back)
1:55 Literally no one said you wouldn't have a good time. What we are saying is that you are missing important context for characters and events and that you simply won't be as excited for certain things as a result of not knowing. No one has to start from the beginning, but in order to appreciate the story completely, you need that context.
I dunno, so many posts I've seen boil down to "start with Sky or don't bother." I just don't think that's helpful.
I do think starting from Sky is the best way to get the most out of the story but if for whatever reason you can't or just aren't enjoying it, you can start somewhere else. As long as you go in with the understanding some references or details might not make as much sense as if you started from the beginning then you'll be fine
I started with the Sky’s trilogy but that’s because I didn’t have any attachment to any particular arc, and didn’t know the MC for Cranbell was Natsu from Fairy Tail 😂so if I had known I may have started there first then worked my way around. But I’ve been enjoying Estelle as a protagonist and I figured chronological order of when the games came out would be fine for me.
Some early dialogue was cringe due to “artistic” translation but it’s good overall. Still working on SC and on chapter 3.
While i would always recommended release order i started with cold steel 1 and 2 and then went back and played in order
Falcom knows that the older games aren't available on modern consoles. They are all stuck on old hardware and PC. We need them on everything now legally without having to do mods.
This to a lesser exstent reminds me of the Yakuaza series.
I only played the 2 games with Kazuga in and i still enjoyed it thoroughly. Sure i didnt know every cameo from the other games but in still had a great time.
Do you have a physical copy of Exist Archive? And did you like it?
I do - but I haven't played it yet....😶
This pirates first experience with the trails series was actually cold steal 1 and 2❤ and well I definitely had some unanswered questions 🤔 I had a lot of fun and honestly I’m not really interested in playing the sky trilogy. Definitely looking forward to daybreak
I think you'll like Daybreak, I'm loving it so far
It’s weird to start with Trails Through Daybreak when Calvard takes a huge role in the Erebonia ark.
I started with Trails of Cold Steel.
Persona 4 Golden is how I got into The Legend of Heroes games.
I’m excited for the third Trails through Daybreak game because there’s a screenshot of Yun Ka-Fai I’m glad I started with Trails of Cold Steel.
I dont think its silly its just starting from the beginning makes the best sense to experience the story from start to where it is now and you also see the evolution of the games system and mechanics along with graphics. Its just an easy method but jump in however you want as in todays age u have wikipedia and youtube to fill in the gaps of information you may be confused on while starting somewhere like day break. The whole series is an emotional roller coaster and i feel people could miss out those crucial connections with certain characters but hey i could play this entire series twice but never touch the xenobalde series 😂
Exactly, start wherever you want and have fun with it!
It sounds like starting with Daybreak will be similar to CS 1. Yes, there are some name drops and some lore references, but the game itself can be enjoyed on its own as a starting point. I just hope Daybreak moves along faster than CS1 did. And if someone is interested in the other games... there probably be plenty of time to get to them before Crimson Sin is actually localized 😉
I have a feeling that it will be faster-paced in general, just because I don't believe the arc is as LONG as Cold Steel.
@@JustTheGems Everything so far points to it being a trilogy like Sky which good on Falcom since it seems like they got to manage the scope of the arc better.
Personally since I'm halfway through daybreak I don't think I could reccomend it as a starting point for most people. I started with Cold Steel 1 and after CS2 i had to go back and play all the other games. With Daybreak though I feel like the games lore has passed such a grand event that all the character cameos and references are a bit too on the nose to just inspire curiosity.
A bigger point is my realization that Renee's story has persisted and continued through all the games and I don't want to someone to spoil themselves. XD
I think everyone will have a differing level of interest though, like some people will be curious about what happened before, but some will be content to just push forward from Daybreak.
is this game has romance like previous title?
It has "connect events" but no romance options unlike Zero/Azure and CS games, there's some hints about some characters feelings on the main male protagonist but nothing more than that.
Kondo said that "maybe" he would take into consideration the possibility of romance in Kuro/Daybreak in future titles, either it is the established romance or the one chosen from the player choice wasn't specified though, but yeah, one could say it's your usual PR talk there XD
The reason people recommend starting with Trails in the Sky is because Sky SC is arguably the best game in the whole series - if you 'get it' after the first two games you will be hooked and likely play them all. Other orders are problamatic as most first games in each arc are set up with lots of commitment required to finish them without much payoff in the way of story/character even Sky FC is very trope like until the cliffhanger right at the end.
Yeah, I would just say that "recommending" is one thing, but the way a lot of people in the fandom "recommend" is basically saying "Either start with Sky FC or don't bother playing at all," and that's a mistake in my opinion.
You can start anywhere you want but the fact still remains that some returning characters and lore will be lost to you. It's like watching mcu movies. You can start with the Avangers, but you will have less connection to the characters if you skip previous movies.
Sorry to say they you got this completely wrong, the correct place to start is with the first audio drama, and no deviation from this is allowed. I hope they're filming that panel!
Lol yes, and if you haven't read the Ring of Judgment manga, don't even bother continuing with the series! 😂
Yeah, I hope so, if not maybe I'll see if I can get it recorded.
I think, for the most part, everyone who says that people should start with Sky FC, including myself, is doing it on a positive note.
Anyone can play the games in the order they want, no one is deniying that, but objectively the best way to experience the plot is starting from the beggining.
Thankfully that's not the only option since this series has a new starting point in each arc. So, starting an arc, like Daybreak, is also a good option as well.
Even not playing the olg games is a good option as well, but from what I have seen, most people go back to the old ones at some point or another. this series is that good.
Regarding how long the series is. I don't get that. If you enjoy the series, it's nice to have a lot of games to look forward. I think it's better to play at your own pace as well. I think I took 3 years to play all the games, and that was a great experience in itself. I never rushed them because I was enjoying them.
It’s a new arc separate from the first 10 games (FINALLY) so i think yes you can, unlike reverie for example you definitely can’t start with that one since it’s a finale game!
The Daybreak demo is really nice too.
Very true
I think this is an important video for the series. My case wasn't a good experience.
A lot of players said thta i should know about Sky, at least watch some playthrough. That was almost as the fans giving me homework, first mistake.
I followed the "advice" pushed me ro watch almost two hours of summaries; and then started Zero. Needless to say i was overwhelmed and a bit tired (it was a lot of names that I won't remember). And tbh, i could do without knowing the fact that the couple of the first game were raised as brothers and even have the same surname haha...
When i started playing Zero, the game itself gave me most of the tid bits that i needed (there's even various books around crossbell that gives you more info about the world).
At the end i haven't finished Zero, and i found the romance and the harem-ish tropes extremely annoying, thing that maybe i wouldn't have minded if i started more fresh without my brain burning bc i have the biggest info dumping session some days before lmao.
1:18 begin with Trails in the Sky SC…? That’s not the first game in the series, that’s the second…
It's good to start with Cold Steel first, because when you experience the low of the low, then everything is start getting better from that point.
I’m starting with Daybreak. I don’t really care if I’m missing out on stuff.
Hardest part for me is that I don't have a PC, steamdeck, or older Playstation hardware. I only use the Nintendo Switch these days. The Trails in the Sky trilogy and Trails of Cold Steel 1&2 are not available. Trails of Cold Steel 1&2 got Switch ports in Japan and Korea but those haven't been brought over to the West.
The most frustrating thing is that XSEED still own the rights to Falcom titles like Trails and Ys and they have expressed no interest in bringing anything to Switch. I hope NISA will work something out with them but I have doubts about that...
I started with Crossbell (Zero/Azure) last year. I took a break playing other games for almost a year before going back to the series with Cold Steel this time.
I'm currently playing Cold Steel 2 and will most likely take a break after that too.
I liked those games a lot and will continue playing them, at my own pace, and go back to the Sky trilogy somewhere down the line.
I think that, with the exception of starting at the beginning of an arc (Sky FC, Zero, Cold Steel 1, or Daybreak) there's really no correct way to play this series.
Exactly. Jump in at any arc that catches your interest, and see how you feel from there. That's the best way to do it.
@@JustTheGems Absolutely. I also think the Falcom team does a very good job at giving you enough past story elements not to get lost while keeping enough info out to not outright spoil the previous games.
Having played Crossbell, I know stuff about Sky, but I still have no idea about what's the full story and how it unfolds. But I know enough to be intrigued and want to play them one day.
Now that I'm playing Cold Steel 1&2, I can see how they give info about what happens in Crossbell without ever giving too much.
They clearly always keep in mind that each series bring newcomers and work on both welcoming them and giving them reasons to go play the previous games should they want to.
and one more thing i would like to add no one can stop you if you want to start on kuro/ daybreak like no one can stop you from playing reverie or cold steel 4 so keep that in mind i say experience the games how you want to if kuro looks that good play it
maybe Trails Through Daybreak will be my first game of Trails series, even my first game of The Legend of Heroes franchise cuz it said "The first part of the Trails Through Daybreak arc. Considered the halfway point of the Trails series." in wikipedia.
For how the game will deliver the story to make me interest into their previous series is later when i played it cuz the strong point of JRPG is the Story.
personally ideally I would say sky despite me starting with cold steel 1 but I feel that if not sky it still good to start with the beginning of an arc. the only real mistake would be starting mid arc like if someone played cold steel 2 first would ne Terrible
Heck yeah! Love what you said here because some of these people are so nasty lol, like who cares, it's a video game and people should just be able to enjoy things.
Some people have this weird desire to control people, and it's... so strange.
New fan to series. Was temped to get Trails from Zero (and I will next time it goes on sale), but, for now, I ignored your (and other’s) smarmy advice and started with Trails in the Sky FC.
Lol smarmy?
one thing you havent said is its normal to be spent after a trails game. If you just think you should rush through the previous ones to play the last, don't, just choose one and take your time, and give up if you dont enjoy.
Videogame gatekeeping and rules is the dumbest shit, do you and follow whats entertainin to you. Even if thats not "the official best game/ way to play"
I started with Cold Steel 1 to 3 (whilst i might recommend gping back before 3 unlike me who watched the first 10 minutes of 4 and went oh shit i should go back)
I think you can play daybreak and then go back to sky 1
Itll be a fine game introduce you to the series
And if you are playing it on playstation its not like currently you can go any further
Something weird is going on with your sound on this video. For instance around 2:49, the sound dips a couple times e.g. on "I can tell", "dropped into a", "Characters".
It gets better but still happens, e.g. at 4:25 on "here's the thing". Or at 4:55 on "you can". I think it's not that bad for this video, but you should look into it for the next ones. :-)
I noticed it too, and the only thing I can think that was different was I was holding the mic (I wasn't able to get it to clip to me like normal). Hopefully that's all it was and I won't have to get a new mic....😒
I honestly only went in order because I had followed the games since the non kiseki games. I think any one of the starting games, or really any game at all is a good place to start.
If you played SC without FC, sure you miss important things, but you can catch up pretty well and a lot happens that unique to SC. I dont think you lose so much that you can't enjoy SC. 3rd probably sucks without the others though.
Even cold steel I feel you could start with the 2nd or 3rd game and it's not a deal breaker, it's just a little confusing. Zero and Azure...you do miss an important plot point if you skip Zero...but its not the end of the world. Azure stakes are so high, that the "revelation" is shocking anyway.
Edit: I take that comment about 3rd back...Kevin and Ries stull make that...even if you don't know the other characters
"I don't think media has to be all or nothing." - Yes. This. 1000%. The internet seems to have encouraged us to pick a "side" on something and just dig in, and I think that's silly.
The best place to start is always going to be Sky, anything else is a compromise. But that compromise may be reasonable if, say, Sky doesn't interest you right away or you only have consoles. IDK why everyone seems to get offended if you say Sky is the best place to start. Doesn't mean you have to, but you will miss stuff. And it may be that you're okay with that.
It's not so much people saying "Sky is the best place to start," it's the subset of the fanbase that says "Start with Sky or don't bother playing." That can really impact people, and it's a shame.
Daybreak is a decent starting point if u dont want to start at sky. But if u want to play daybreak 2 after daybreak thats gonna be a mess for reasons. Not to mention daybreak 3/kai from what we know is gonna be like u need to play them all.
There is always a best way to do things
And its to play them in order.
You dont have to, but its the best.
With something like this, I'd argue "best" is purely subjective. To my mind, the best thing for someone to do -- if they like JRPGs anyway -- is to play the Trails series. However and wherever they want to start, they should start. The other games are there for them if they have an interest in going back, but if they don't want to go back and just want to push forward? I think that's great, too
@@JustTheGems but objectively speaking you will understand the newer games better and understanding all the nuances and references if you played the earlier entries.
Yeah im not spending hundreds of dollars to track down 10 previous games lmao. No thanks. Only ten hours into daybreak but its good so far.
Glad to hear it!
Sure you can. But you'll be missing out on 20 years of back story, doing so. Especially if there are inside jokes throwing around.
True, but "missing out" is kind of subjective. Some people might not mind not experiencing that stuff. I just want to be sure that no one feels like they CAN'T start where they want.
I play console and i'm British, i do not play pc, not for me
I started at cold steel 1 and it was meh. Went back and played them in order and it was like night and day for my enjoyment
You can start wherever you want and that´s better that not starting, so start at the beginning of the arc you want by all means, but saying it will be as good of an experience would be lying. For example, one of the best moments from Trails from Zero is a conclussion arc of the two main characters of Sky. For someone who hasn´t played those it is just an okay scene. For someone who watches that and decides to play the previous games, they already have spoiled several characters identity and how that arc ends. This happens all the time trought the games. For those who haven´t jumped into the series by all means, do it wherever you can as long as it is at the starting point of an arc but ask yourself a question: Would have the end of Endgame have had the same impact if you had started with Civil War instead of Iron Man? This is the same but on steroids.
So same reasoning can applied to FF7 Rebirth as well
Oh you dont need play the remake if you haven't, dont listen to people. Just play it, backstories provided with RedXIII voice
Only if FF7 Rebirth is the beginning of a new story arc
@JustTheGems you can see it by remake as "midgar arc" and this as "dark materia arc"
hell no
Smell yes!
Never played the trails series but this convince me to try the daybreak demo.
Excellent! I hope you like it!