Trails In the Sky: 1st Chapter Is An Excellent Remake

I have always wanted to get into the Trails video game series, but I always found it difficult to start due to the sheer number of main entries in the series (13 main entries since 2004), as well as the outdated combat in the earlier games. Thankfully, there is a new Trails game that is a remake of the first Trails game released back in 2004. Trails In the Sky: 1st Chapter is the remake of the 2004 game The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky and this was a great jump off point for me to check out this game and this series once and for all.

The story follows Estelle Bright and her adopted brother Joshua as they become junior bracers (essentially, mercenaries for hire) and travel throughout the Kingdom of Liberl to become senior bracers just like their father. When I played this game, there were so many things to appreciate. I liked the overall world-building from the places you visit to the people you meet, as they have their own stories and ambitions. The Kingdom of Liberl feels so lived in and feels like a living, breathing community. I also think the pacing is good, if not a bit slow, as you have the main story to advance, but you also have these side quests that you can complete that contributes to your overall rank as a bracer.

Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter uses a hybrid combat system of real-time battles and turn-based battles that I really like. You can engage enemies in real-time and attack them (like an action RPG) or you can press a button and switch to a turn-based combat system where you can move around in a circle and use attacks, spells, etc. You can attack an enemy in real-time until you stun the enemy and then switch to the turn-based combat to gain an advantage for your party. There is also simple customization in the equipment and the spells that you can use, which is something I think more JRPGs should look at.

I like how well written all the characters are, especially all the playable characters, and I think the voice-acting is good as well. A common criticism that I see about the dialogue is that it could get a bit campy and “anime-coded” but I think this just adds to the game’s charm. There were more than a few moments in the cut-scenes that had me laughing aloud. With that said, I found a significant issue with some of the cut-scenes where some side characters you are talking to will have voice-acting, but there is no voice-acting for the main characters at all. I hope this is something that Nihon Falcom fixes in future remakes.

Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter is an unexpectedly excellent JRPG and an excellent remake. The whole game feels so cozy and simple in its narrative and presentation of the Kingdom of Liberl and everyone in it. There are some issues with a lack of voice-acting in some cut-scenes, but this game is as good as it gets in introducing newcomers to one of the most fleshed-out series in RPG history. Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter is solid storytelling and world-building, and I think it is a must for RPG fans to experience.