This is a Japanese role playing game that you do not see often anymore. The story is epic, the localisation makes characters into persons and everything combined makes this game a must have for JRPG lovers and gamers that appreciate a good story.
If you've played Trails FC, there's a good chance you're already waist-deep in SC, and so my review isn't going to sway you one way or another. For those who haven't yet taken the plunge, I cannot stress enough that SC is a direct sequel that takes place immediately following the ending of the first game, so I recommend beating FC first.
Pros
- a perfect follow up that ties up the first game in a nice little bow
- more intrigue
- some of my favorite character moments (Olivert being first among them)
- more fun boss fights and more refined combat system
- even more options when it comes to character optimization
- fantastic follow ups on the side quests from the first game
- one of the few games where returning to the areas from an old game does not feel like the devs were lazy, and instead it feels nice continuation of the previous events
Cons
- the game takes a little bit to get going once again but it is helped by every chapter being overall more interesting than the ones in the first game
As a second game in the fantastic Trails series, Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter had the hard time of following up the amazing first game. So how did it do? Did it suffer the dreaded sequelitis?
Nope. The Second Chapter improves on every single thing from the first game and adds even more fantastic story moments that are bellowed to this day. More intrigue, more plot threads being sown while some are being solved. We get to see the influence of other countries on the kingdom of Liberl, setting up the geo-political scale of the entire series.
There are also far more character moments, setting up relationships between friends and enemies that are carried through to the latter games and payed off. Aka some of the stuff hinted at in this game is followed up on and brought to conclusion in Cold Steel 4. The ninth game in the series. We are at the second one. Like wow.
The best way to describe this is if you are a fan of something like Malazan or The Wheel of Time, this carries as much worldbuilding and character arcs as those series. It is beautiful to watch.
The combat got overhauled and added more effects to the turn order that can help you or screw you, making the combat puzzle of pushing people around on the turn order even more engaging to play with.
You also get new orbments, allowing you to slot higher tier quartz which allows for even more unique spells gained through the intriguing synthesis system. Once again, you can spend hours on min maxing characters, though AOE magic is kind OP even on the physical characters like god damn.
Over all, Trails in the Sky: Second chapter is a fantastic sequel that takes the original and enhances it. What an amazing game that continues setting up the future of the series.
Trails In The Sky SC is one of the most adored JRPG, thanks to his incredibly deep story. The western conversion comes a little to late to give justice to this masterpiece: the weight of years is felt on the graphics.
Perhaps one day gamers outside Japan will be able to appreciate the full scope of this series, which takes time to develop pieces of its world in detail. Until then, at least the two Trails in the Sky games show how rewarding the series can be, and the upcoming Cold Steel shows that more is on the way for non-Japanese speakers.
Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter is a perfect sequel to the first entry. It offers some subtle improvements, while also keeping the focus on what Legends of Heroes does best; that narrative. It's traditional, but classy, and well worth the time it takes to play through it all.
If you're a fan of the series (or just of JRPGs in general), then The Legend Of Heroes: Trails In The Sky SC will offer you an engaging narrative as well as enough complex and challenging battles to tide you over till Christmas.
I’m not going to say it’s a bad game. I can definitely see glimmers of an awesome game here and there, and can totally understand why so many people consider it a masterpiece. But, it just wasn’t for me.
Brilliant game. Takes FC and doubles on everything that it does right, while adding new features and a different, more interesting and engaging plot. It also serves as the ending of Sky, even though 3rd expands on the world and characters.
This game is VERY GOOD, but it owes a lot of it thanks to its predecessor. It has a more serious, urgent tone and the plot of the first game increases. The characters are VERY good. There is a lot of development here. But it is really amazing how almost all the characters that have images are good, developed, have a background and are part of the narrative. The final part of the game is too good. Very nice difficulty, you have to think and prepare for the bosses. I did about 90% of the sidequests. The world is still too alive.
This game is not terrible, in fact it has amazing music and combat mechanics.
Too bad none of this matters because you will spend 2/3 of the time playing this game trying to figure out where you are supposed to go and who you are supposed to talk to.
This game is so cryptic that even with a walkthrough I couldn't advance in the story and had to look up videos to see exactly the one stupid thing that I didn't do and that I had to so I could play the game.
It's a shame because the game had an amazing battle system, but dear lord I just lost my patience. Why not show a marker or something like that so I know where I should be going? Does anyone enjoy walking back and forth trying to know what is the one NPC that you need to talk to? I just spent 2 hours talking to NPCs and walking, walking, walking... talking and walking, that is what this game is, a walking and talking simulator, give me that battle system and I can make a better game.
Same flaws as FC without the benefit of having a good plot. It's a 60 hour long game and the first 40 are bad filler. Only picks up towards the end and even then it's not very good. The best thing the game has going for it are the characters, and setting up the broader franchise storyline.
SummaryPicking up shortly after The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, Estelle travels across Liberl in search of Joshua. The journey involves more than seeking loved ones, however, as the Bracer Guild also tasks her with unraveling the mysteries behind the newly unveiled Society of Uroboros.