Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Review – Begin Again

I‘ve enjoyed The Legend of Heroes: Trails series over the better part of the past decade – the jump to 3D for Cold Steel, the cliff-hanger of Cold Steel 3, the admittedly iffy resolution of Cold Steel 4, the real Epilogue that is Trails into Reverie, and the fresh start of Trails through Daybreak (not so much the time loop shenanigans of Daybreak 2). The saga has become admittedly convoluted, yet in that time, I’ve seen beloved characters grow old together, completely unconnected heroes unite to save the world, and Zemuria itself unfolds with incredible richness.

Much as I want to see where it’s going – the so-called endgame to potentially rival all RPG endgames – there’s something to be said about revisiting the past, revisiting one of the greatest entries in the series and where it all truly began: In Liberl with two Junior Bracers who set out to prove themselves and ended up changing their humble nation.

Revisiting The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC is easy, but capturing that same feeling – the coziness, the tension, the camaraderie, the characters, even the soundtrack – in a remake might as well be an impossible task. In this day and age, where remakes are dragged through the mud for either changing too much or not changing enough, how do you answer, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter? Quite well, actually, striking a neat balance leaning slightly towards the latter.

Falcom could have easily upgraded the sprites and environments with higher resolution textures and more details. It could have added a bunch of additional content that didn’t exist in the original, and which may or may not stick the landing. It could have also added its latest battle system, warts and all, without much thought or consideration on how it would work lore-wise.

Instead, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a ground-up remake that stays faithful to the original while presenting iconic scenes, conversations and battles with a new presentation. While a much longer journey, estimated at over twice the length of the original FC, it’s almost everything I could have wanted, despite some noticeable hiccups along the way.

The story begins exactly how you’d remember it – overseeing a young Estelle as she waits for her father, Cassius Bright, to return home. Except this time, the perspective shifts closer to ground level, and her fervent personality is on full, admittedly awkward display, in full 3D. When Cassius returns, bringing a mysterious boy named Joshua, their interaction feels more over-the-top and anime-like. Given some of the iffy English voice-acting and lip synching, I was almost worried that this new presentation style wouldn’t quite hook me.

Thankfully, that’s not the case, and whether it’s the music, which offers three different arrangements, including the classic score, or the easy-breezy atmosphere, this is Trails in the Sky, through and through. “The Whereabouts of Light” echoes effortlessly through the breeze. The classic banter between Joshua and Estelle holds up. The walk through Rolent to speak with its people en route to the final exam to become Junior Bracers is as endearing as ever. Everything feels just right, capturing the original’s nostalgia and presenting it in a whole new light.

Suffice it to say that it’s worth the price of admission alone, but make no mistake – the pacing is also the same. It takes time to work your way through the beginnings, learning about each mechanic, kingdom of Liberl, Orbments, and so on, before the journey proper. Thankfully, Stephanie Sheh as Estelle and Johnny Yong Bosch as Joshua execute their roles well enough. Despite my concerns with the opening, their dynamic is still a treat to watch develop, even if the dialogue can somewhat awkwardly shift between voiced and unvoiced at a moment’s notice.

"Even if Falcom isn’t typically known for its graphical fidelity, the 1st Chapter looks great in every way that it should. Characters are almost one-to-one with their concept art, and the environments capture every single detail that I remember from the originals."

Of course, other characters still retain their appeal, whether it’s Scherazard’s ever-so-slight slyness or Kloe’s almost-too-dignified stature. And to this day, it still amazes me how Falcom handles its regular NPCs, who all have new lines and stories to offer if you take the time to interact with them throughout.

Fortunately, there’s much more to look forward to in terms of gameplay. Adopting the combat system from Daybreak, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter provides the option between real-time and command-based battles. You’ll lean into both eventually – the latter is a must during boss battles – but being able to swiftly take out regular enemies with hack and slash mechanics while seamlessly transitioning to turn-based combat helps break the monotony. It also features follow-up attacks and Chain Attacks, unlike the original, while also allowing each character to freely move around within a limited space, taking advantage of bonuses to back and side attacks.

The turn-based sequences remain with the option to impede opponents, potentially netting useful, limited buffs like zero-cost Arts and guaranteed crits. Thankfully, Falcom doesn’t try to over-stuff the combat system with too many new elements, keeping it streamlined while offering enough depth to outfit your characters. And it all feels very smooth to execute, especially when you’re dodging an enemy’s attack at the last moment to unleash a counter or transition into a command battle. The new UI takes little time to become accustomed to as well, even if swapping out Orbments had me pining for the good ol’ days. There’s still the chance for combat to become repetitive (Daybreak 2 pushed the limits with this), but the narrative focus means more time spent developing and mastering Arts and Crafts (no pun intended) for success.

One aspect that I will happily embrace is the visuals. Even if Falcom isn’t typically known for its graphical fidelity, the 1st Chapter looks great in every way that it should. Characters are almost one-to-one with their concept art, and the environments capture every single detail that I remember from the originals. And as contentious as the music has always felt in some of the latter entries in the series, especially when it mattered the most (cough, Cold Steel 4, cough), the soundtrack here is simply sublime. Everything – the opening refrain, the signature theme, the battle themes – is excellent. The rearrangements have been handled masterfully, not overshadowing the original tunes at all, while ensuring they sound fresh.

"Opinions may vary on the direction of certain things, but whether you’re a new or longtime fan, it’s a story well worth diving into with characters that go from typical to beloved before you know it."

“Not messing with the original” is a common theme throughout, and that extends to the new content…of which there really isn’t much. For all intents and purposes, 1st Chapter is a means for older fans to re-experience the classic from a new perspective while introducing it to a new generation of players. If you’re expecting anything beyond that in terms of new activities or such, then there will be some disappointment. There’s also the matter of the localization, which is brand new and touted as much closer to the original Japanese version. You either like it because of that or don’t because the chest messages and fan favorite lines are outright gone.

Personally, I don’t mind it, since the new localization doesn’t hinder the experience – the personalities of the cast are still very much intact and events still play out faithfully. The only real problem is that some characters’ names have been changed – Armand and Ellie are now Areum and Aria, and they appear in future titles. Maybe this will be fixed in a post-launch patch, or maybe the remakes are treated as separate, but unless the eventual plan is to remake all the games in the franchise with the new localization, it feels odd in the grander scheme of things.

Either way, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is still a great remake, showcasing the appeal of the original, the world as a whole and why Estelle is indeed best-elle. Opinions may vary on the direction of certain things, but whether you’re a new or longtime fan, it’s a story well worth diving into with characters that go from typical to beloved before you know it.

This game was reviewed on PS5.