The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie Evaluate (Change)

Motion is such an integral a part of the Trails/Kiseki collection – each in a literal and figurative sense. The deal with transportation, strolling, and familiarising your self with the geography and inhabitants of Zemuria is paired with moments of political navigation, those that refuse to maneuver on, and folks rising from their errors. And after the occasions of Trails of Chilly Metal IV, there’s a whole lot of motion – individuals are making an attempt to maneuver on from the occasions of 5 months in the past.

In The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie, there’s loads of participant motion – shifting between characters and tales – coupled with the aftermath of the Nice Twilight. Whereas restoration is sluggish and alter is imminent within the Erebonian Empire, the state of Crossbell is eventually reclaiming its independence. These are two nations in flux, shifting on from the previous. However there are new forces that threaten to disrupt this new chapter for Zemuria. This leads to a strong and unconventional entry within the Trails collection, albeit one which seems like a little bit of an affordable excuse to get all your favorite characters collectively.

In some ways, Trails into Reverie seems like a slamming down of the brakes after the 100+ hour gauntlet of depth that’s Chilly Metal IV. Reverie is a comparatively brisk 45-hour affair, and the sport can be much more closely structured. You observe three completely different story arcs between three completely different protagonists: Lloyd Bannings, head of the SSS and the lead of Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure; Rean Schwarzer, Teacher at Thors Department Campus and protagonist of the Chilly Metal saga; and the mysterious ‘C’, a model new character. You possibly can swap between these tales everytime you need by means of the ‘Trails to Stroll’ system; generally you’re compelled to swap to a different character or end one other route.

We love this method – it helps cut up consideration between the solid way more evenly, although there are nonetheless means too many characters who barely get a glance in. But it surely additionally helps in making this one of many tightest adventures within the franchise so far: there’s little or no filler and the sport feels extra digestible in consequence, even with the entire obstacles to entry this tenth Trails sport has to recover from.

Nevertheless, the person arcs are on no account equal. Lloyd’s route, which focuses on the SSS in Crossbell as they proceed to combat for independence, seems like a weight loss program model of Trails to Azure. We like the SSS, however but once more it’s about Crossbell’s freedom being snatched from its grasp. Rean’s story was the one we had been most anxious about, and whereas it does a great job of exploring his private struggles after his position within the Nice Twilight, did we actually want one other story about Rean? That route additionally options in all probability the worst chapter within the sport.

C’s arc, nevertheless, is extraordinarily good. Specializing in 4 new characters – C himself, Swin and Nadia (two former assassins), and a speaking doll referred to as Lapis – there’s by no means fairly been a playable solid like this quartet. These are all criminals who develop and alter one another and their views on the world for the higher, all with loads of teasing. We’d’ve taken a complete sport specializing in these 4 in a heartbeat, and so they deliver a contemporary dynamic to the franchise.

Whereas there may be little or no filler in Trails into Reverie itself, the three storylines are all linked by one overarching plot thread, which sarcastically seems like filler within the wider Trails storyline. There are just a few small carrots which might be dangled in entrance of you, hinting on the collection’ future in Calvard and the occasions of Kuro no Kiseki. However Reverie largely seems like a handy option to collect over 50 characters collectively for a second track.

The sport is fairly enjoyable to play, although. Reverie nonetheless basically has the identical turn-based battle system as its direct predecessor, with Courageous Orders, Rushes, and Bursts all returning. The objective continues to be to interrupt enemies after which throw out tons of hard-hitting Arts and Crafts, and we take pleasure in nothing greater than snapping Trails’ fight system in half and allotting lots of of 1000’s value of injury.

The latest function comes within the type of United Fronts. Utilizing the Assault Gauge, you possibly can spend factors to get your complete social gathering collectively (each within the battle and in reserve) to both assault with bodily strikes, or magic, or heal the social gathering in a single massive movement. It additionally recovers Bravery Factors, used for Courageous Orders and follow-up assaults. It’s improbable in a pinch and provides an additional layer of technique to battle.

You possibly can mess around with the sport’s fight to your coronary heart’s content material within the True Reverie Hall, an extradimensional dungeon and hub. Within the hub, you possibly can spend Reverie Factors to improve your Courageous Factors or Assault Gauge, unlock different options, play minigames, purchase new gear, or view Reminiscences, extra cutscenes that add some flavour to the sport’s essential story and fill the hole between Chilly Metal IV and Reverie.

The dungeon portion is the place the magic lies, although. The flooring within the dungeon are randomised and offer you monsters to combat, treasures to uncover, and Orbs to take again to unlock Reminiscences, minigames, gear, and new characters. We spent hours right here exploring, reshuffling, and dealing in the direction of upgrading our favorite characters and kitting them out with one of the best gear – with the snappy battle system and the host of fight choices on provide, it permits you to expertise the pure pleasure of Revere’s gameplay, uninterrupted. It was arduous for us to place down – significantly with the promise of making the last word group, and within the post-game.

The Reminiscences are the core draw right here – the characters and world are what make Trails what it’s. In the event you’ve performed the PC-exclusive Trails within the Sky the third, these are just like the Reminiscence Doorways, however none of the Reminiscences hit the identical highs. Most are simply enjoyable little tales following completely different teams of characters previous to the occasions of Reverie. Some have gameplay parts, whereas others are simply pure exposition. A number of do give a style of what’s to return in Kuro no Kiseki, and a few put a smile on our faces, however these felt of little consequence.

In the event you’re not a fan of tinkering with loadouts, then it’s value noting the quantity of tinkering it’s important to do in Trails into Reverie. On condition that there are over 50 playable characters and the variety of occasions you turn between tales and events, you’ll should always equip, unequip, swap, and shuffle gear and social gathering members — even should you ultimately decide on a ‘greatest’ group, since you’ll be leaping between tales and as some Reverie Hall fights power you to make use of a randomised social gathering. It’s a degree of micromanagement that’s enjoyable when you may have a celebration of ten, maybe, however when it’s 50, it’s fairly overwhelming and might take 15-20 minutes to decide on a setup.

Visually, Trails into Reverie is just like Chilly Metal IV, which is smart provided that it was the final sport Falcom developed utilizing the PhyreEngine. Nevertheless, among the motion scenes are a step up with some brilliantly choreographed fights, one particularly appearing as a showcase for the brand new engine utilized in Kuro no Kiseki onwards. Couple these moments with the always-solid soundtrack from Falcom Sound Group jdk, and the epic combat scenes assist to raise the sport’s total narrative.

The Change port, nevertheless, struggles within the efficiency division. In dungeons and quiet cities, Trails into Reverie runs easily and persistently. Nevertheless, in places akin to Heimdallr, or anyplace in Crossbell, the sport lags significantly, to the purpose the place it impacts button inputs. This occurred whether or not the Change was docked, undocked, in fast-forward mode, or performed at common speeds, and it actually dampens among the extra epic moments within the sport. We hope patches will easy all of this out later down the road.

Trails into Reverie strikes in a number of completely different instructions, and in some ways, it is some of the refreshing video games within the collection. It’s additionally impenetrable should you haven’t accomplished the Crossbell or Chilly Metal video games, requiring lots of of hours of data and gameplay with a view to even comprehend what’s taking place. However should you’re a collection fan, then whilst filler, it’s an satisfying trip.