Geekcape Games Reviews The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is the first part of the newest chapter in the long running Legend of Heroes franchise by Ys developer Falcom. Before we go any further, a quick warning. If your first thought when you hear The Legend of Heroes moniker has anything to do with the previous PSP Legend of Heroes trilogy published by Namco, forget them. Just put them out of your head. Those poorly developed and horribly localized games are related to this newest game in name only. There, now that we have that out of the way, on to the good stuff.
Trails in the Sky is full of classic RPG goodness, but may not be everyones cup of tea. The game tells an exciting and sometimes heart warming story. It has a quick moving, easy to learn, and enjoyable combat system. It also looks and sounds very nice, despite the fact that it’s actually a port of a 7 year old Japanese only PC title. Unfortunately there are some sticking points that might turn some gamers off, such as the often drawn out and verbose dialog, and certain “slice of life” story segments that would feel a bit more at home in a high school anime than a fantasy role playing game.
The story in Trails in the Sky follows the step-siblings Joshua and Estelle Bright as they strive to become Bracers (a sort of knight-like civil servant) in the country of Liberl. It’s a charming story that has been localized by Xseed Games with great care to preserve the emotion and humor that the original is know for. Fans that don’t mind a large amount of reading in their games will be treated to really some of the best dialog that any JRPG has to offer. Unfortunately, though the story is thoughtful and engaging, the dialog came be quite drawn out, may be a bit much for some. There are sections of the game when conversation between the characters can become a bit tedious, which is a shame considering that the writers who work on this game are clearly talented. That being said, there a some gamers who will absolutely eat this stuff up. Fans of anime and manga take note.
Story is one half of the equation that makes up Trails in the Sky, the other is combat, and in this game you will do a lot of it. Which is why it’s a boon that combat is so enjoyable. The system utilized in this game can literally be as simple or as strategic as the play would like. Moving quickly though fights when you are on your way to some important quest is a breeze, though combat centric gamers will find a lot to like with the systems many options.
The graphics are impressive if a bit dated. The characters which are represented by 2D sprites are overlaid on a 3D background, and over all the effect is well done. The look is similar to other Falcom games such as Ys: The Oath in Felghana. The sound and music can also be a bit of a mixed bag. While the soundtrack is spot one in both matching the tone of the game and just being all around catchy, the English voices can be a bit irritating. The voice acting is pretty much limited to battle cries and short quips, but they can be rather grating. Especially Estelle, who often sounds more like a middle aged woman than a teenage girl.
Overall The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is a great game, just not for everyone. Those who enjoy tons of great dialog, plenty of hassle free combat, and a story that seems to be pulled right from a fantasy anime or manga will be delighted, but if those things aren’t you’re cup of tea you might want to pass on this one.
