A more than worthy continuation of the Trails in the Sky saga, tying up some loose ends from the previous game while setting up events for the following entries. The dungeon crawler game flow of the 3rd may put off some, and the presentation may look outdated, but do not let this discourage you, as the game is one of the best Japanese role-playing games released this year in the West.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd's different gameplay structure and shifted narrative focus can take some getting used to, especially when coming off the formula from prior Trails in the Sky entries. However, once I was acclimated to the new radical shifts in structure and gameplay, I found that the 3rd carries all the charm and strengths of the previous game and goes beyond that. Trails in the Sky the 3rd is an excellent conclusion that not only sends off the Liberl arc on an exceptionally strong note, but also serves as a great teaser of the overall Trails world.
Trails in the Sky the 3rd is one for the fans; it's for those of us who are in deep, who devour every morsel of lore and character development because we can't get enough of this world. It's also notably inaccessible, requiring easily upwards of 100 hours of investment in previous titles to fully appreciate. But isn't worrying about that sort of missing the point? The 3rd is a heartfelt goodbye to a trilogy that has become dear to my heart, and I am deeply grateful that more adventures exist in this world, because I don't know if I'll ever be ready for the Trails magic to end.
The story is so dense, it could discourage with a pile of text and a small amount of action, but anyone who gives Trails in the Sky the 3rd a chance, gets tens of hours of great entertainment, brilliantly written characters and an interesting story.
Trails in the Sky 3 is a departure from its predecessors in more ways than one, and is undoubtedly the weakest of the three titles. However, the foundation of what made the first two titles feel special still remains with charming, multi-layered characters I’ve fallen in love with all over again, and writing that plays my heartstrings like a god damn fiddle.
Trails in the Sky the 3rd is bound to be a very divisive game among Trails fans. Its radically different structure is such a departure from the prior games that it's inevitably going to turn off some players, but at the same time, the fantastic boss battles and charming moments still manage to keep you hooked through what would, in any other circumstance, be a rather monotonous dungeon crawler. Had it not been for the two prior games of history, I doubt it would be able to hold up as well as it does; indeed, if you haven't played the previous titles, Trails in the Sky the 3rd would be a confusing mess. If, however, like so many Trails fans, you've fallen in love with the cast and want one last adventure with them, Trails in the Sky the 3rd does an admirable job of providing just that.
SummaryHalf a year after Trails in the Sky SC, Father Kevin Graham takes on a routine mission on behalf of the Septian Church. He and his partner are then plunged into a realm that follows an unnaturally strict set of rules and is as intent to open old wounds as it is to keep them behind closed doors.