As a remake of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC, the sequel continues the story of Estelle and Joshua, but the stakes are much higher than before. New Crafts and S-Crafts will be available, and there’s also Brave Rush for Quick Battles. Alongside the main story, you can look forward to mini-games like fishing and cooking.

Of course, full English and Japanese voice-overs are included with English, Japanese, German, French, and Spanish text on PC (though consoles lack Japanese text). Those who cleared Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter can carry over that data in the sequel for some bonus items, which should provide an early advantage.

The disclosure also noted that some of the content made using generative AI includes background signboard textures, records illustrations, InfoCast videos, voices, and music.

Let It Die: Inferno was officially unveiled during September’s State of Play showcase. While not too many details about the game had been revealed since then, the title did get a demo on PC last month which the studio hoped would provide players a “taste” of the overall gameplay loop.

The title has been described by Supertrick Games as a roguelite multiplayer game that involves players jumping down into the Hell Gate to get their hands on the Eye of the Reaper. It will also encourage exploration by allowing palyers to get their hands on weapons that can then be used in future runs. The core dungeon-crawling experience is slated to largely revolve around PvE, while PvP will also be featured in a separate game mode.

The story of Let It Die: Inferno revolves around humanity getting struck by a new menace in the form of a giant chasm shortly after the world had recovered from the devastation caused by the destruction of Earth Rage. Players are tasked with exploring this chasm – referred to as the Hell Gate – to figure out just where it might lead to.

The main driving force behind player characters wanting to explore the Hell Gate was a mysterious rumour: “Deep within the Hole lies the Eye of the Reaper, a mass of SPLithium so large that whoever claims it could rule the world.” Along with this, players have also been tasked to “Kill anyone who gets in the way.”

What sets the player character apart from regular humans is the fact that they are an Immortal adventurer – referred to as a Raider. This means that they can die and come back as many times as they want throughout their time exploring the Hell Gate. To accomplish this task, Raiders will also get to meet up and hang out with the Raiders Association, with characters that have been described as “a tearful receptionist in mourning clothes, a badass one-armed older woman, a mysterious mask-wearing veteran, a storyteller gone rogue,” and “a proud and beautiful Raider”.

Let It Die: Inferno is slated for release on PC and PS5 on December 4. The title is the latest entry in the Let It Die franchise, which originally started off as a dungeon crawler with asynchronous multiplayer. There was also a middle game – Deathiverse: Let It Die – which unfortunately didn’t do too well, and ended up going into redevelopment at the hands of Supertrick Games. For more details, check out our review of its original launch.

If the name sounds similar to Grasshopper Manufacture’s free-to-play hack-and-slash title Let It Die, it’s because Inferno is a sequel. Supertrick Games, spun off from Grasshopper, is leading development after working on Deathverse: Let It Die, which suspended services and transitioned into a brand new title.

In development for PS5 and PC, Let It Die: Inferno is a rogue-lite multiplayer experience where players descend into the Hell Gate to obtain the Eye of the Reaper. Along the way, you’ll scavenge SPLithium and various weapons to extract and use on subsequent runs. PvE threats await, but other players also pose a challenge.

Those keen on a PvP-only experience can partake in the returning Death Jamboree mode. Stay tuned for more details on the title, which launches on December 4th, in the meantime.

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.

As the starting point for the long-running Kiseki series, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter follows Estelle and Joshua as they join the Bracer Guild and venture through Liberl. What initially starts as a journey to become Senior Bracers results in the discovery of a conspiracy that could threaten the kingdom. Overall, it’s estimated to last 80 hours, which is more than double the original.

Alongside fully 3D visuals, it offers the same battle system as Trails through Daybreak. Players can choose between command battles and real-time combat, switching between them as required. Follow-Ups and Chain Attacks have also been added alongside the Overdrive mechanic.

As for the future, the next entry in the series, Trails Beyond the Horizon, launches on January 15th, 2026, for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.

Speaking to The Gamer (translation via Automaton-Media), studio CEO Toshihiro Kondo revealed that the team’s main programmer completed it in about 80 hours. The reason for the nearly-doubled playtime is “more map exploration” and the additional voice acting.

“There’s more map exploration compared to previous games, and we found that if you explore those areas, listen to the voiced lines, and complete all the quests, it takes twice as long as the original. Maybe it’s also because you spend more time watching the events. Back in the day, we really did tend to scroll through text at the speed it appeared, and that gave the original a kind of snappy feel in its own way.”

While there are a few story additions, more voice lines are available, especially between Estelle and Joshua, since a large part of the story focuses on them alone. “For example, in scenes where the two travel together and cross checkpoints, we’ve added quite a lot of detailed dialogue, increasing the total number of lines. There’s also some casual dialogue during battle, which is more detailed than in previous games.” The result is the largest number of voice lines in the series yet.

Falcom has also included instant fast travel and “high-speed movement” to make traversing the world much quicker, not unlike in the improved versions of the original. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter launches on September 19th for PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch. Check out the opening cutscene, remade in glorious 3D, here.

Joshua, who was recovered by Cassius Bright and brought home for treatment, is the focus. After he awakens, Estelle, Cassius’s daughter, barges in to check on him. Joshua isn’t too keen on the care, but Estelle is (aggressively) stubborn. Hijinx thus ensue, though this is the first of many beginnings for the story.

We won’t dive into spoilers, but the 3D visuals excellently portray the emotions inherent in the scene. It should be interesting to see how Falcom approaches other notable events later in the story.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter launches on September 19th for PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Head here for details on the English cast, featuring several returning actors from the original.

Based on The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC, the first title in the long-running Trails/Kiseki series, the story follows Estelle and Joshua Bright. After becoming Bracers, they embark on a journey throughout Liberl to effectively earn their stripes, meeting allies like Kloe Rinz, Olivier Lenheim, Agate Crosner and Tita Russell.

As a remake, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter features similar combat to The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak with the option to switch between real-time hack-and-slash mechanics and turn-based commands. It also overhauls the visuals and features a new localization, though much of the English cast remains the same. Stay tuned for more details, including more extensive gameplay, before its release.

“When I saw Grandia being remastered first, I thought, ‘That’s so nice. I’m jealous!'” said Shigema. For some context, Shigema also worked on the classic Grandia series, which was released back in 2019.

“I had been hoping for a Lunar remaster as well, so I was thrilled when it was announced,” said Shigema. “At the same time, I can’t help but wonder – will today’s players still enjoy a game from 30 years ago?”

Shigema also spoke about how simply watching a playthrough of classic games like Lunar: Silver Star Story wouldn’t quite be the same as actually playing them. While watching videos of someone else playing games can help a person understand some aspects of the title, to actually experience the game properly, they would have to play the game.

“Movies, novels, and manga can be enjoyed in their original form, but games require the hardware they were originally released on, making them far less accessible,” he explained. “While watching old playthrough videos can give you a general idea of what a game is like, as the question suggests, games are ultimately media that must be ‘experienced.”

“Nothing compares to picking up a controller and playing for yourself. That’s why this remaster is so exciting – it brings that experience back for a new generation. I hope that after playing Lunar, players will look up at the moon and think, ‘Ah… so that’s where my adventure took place.'”

Lunar Remastered Collection is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch in April. The title will be available digitally, as well as physically. Physical copies are only available in North America, however.

The game was announced all the way back in September 2024, and will include modern features like support for widescreen displays, HD animated cutscenes, and new English voice acting.

While there will be plenty of quality-of-life features in Lunar Remastered Collection, GungHo Online Entertainment has revealed through an FAQ that it there will be no option for players to change the difficulty of the classic RPGs. On the other hand, the games will allow players to play through the RPGs in Classic Mode, allowing them to experience the games with their original visuals. Players can also disable the blur effect that is otherwise present on the top and bottom edges of the screen.

The story of Lunar: Silver Star Story revolves around a young boy, Alex, who sets of on an adventure. Things quickly take a turn, however, when the Magic Emperor arrives. Lunar 2: Eternal Blue is a follow-up that takes place 1,000 years after its predecessor, and features a new protagonist named Hiro.

As discovered by Wario64 on BlueSky, online Canadian retailer Video Games Plus has listed the title for pre-order on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. Interestingly, the release date is September 25th, which neither Falcom nor GungHo Online Entertainment have previously announced.

Some have pointed out that this follows the developer’s practice of launching Trails titles in September for Japan. Regardless, an official announcement may be due sooner than later. Stay tuned for updates.

Alongside PS5 and Nintendo Switch, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is coming to PC this Fall.