I binged my way through the entire Trails series last year and I have to say Estelle is an amazing protagonist. Estelle’s snark was a fantastic break from the normal JRPG protagonist broodiness. One of the more underrated aspects of the Sky series is the humor. Dorothy and Nial, Olivier, Tita, and Estelle constantly had me laughing out loud, in a TEXT game. Brilliant stuff.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

100%, there are so many hilarious moments in this series!

@karasu433

4 күн бұрын

I also binged through the series last year, started on 1st January actually. And yes, Olivier is the best

Last year, I played all ten games in the series starting from Sky FC to Reverie. It's an incredible series overall and I can't wait to get into the Calvard arc with Daybreak.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Being in the middle of a similar playthrough, I am very hyped, and I'm glad I'll get to jump straight into Calvard when I'm done.

As a new fan, I got into the series with Cold Steel 1 in 2021, immediately going into CS2 and then dropping it completely after the first act for over a year and knew I wanted to finish it, so I finally did and then started CS3, it introduced Randy, who I knew just from initial research that he was an important character and that CS3 was not going to give me the knowledge I needed, I immediately dropped it and finally started FC at the end of 2022 and I AM SO GLAD I DID. I went through the whole series and replayed CS1 and 2 with new context and finally beat reverie at the very end of 2023. I try and compare it to One piece in the level of World building. Seeds get planted for later story events so early in the series that dont see payoff until much later, and if you were around for the seeds were planted to see the final result, the end reveal just hits that much harder.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, I played Cold Steel 1-2 before I played the Crossbell games, but I stopped before CS3 to play them and I'm SO glad I did. While you don't NEED to, there are so many subtle things that hit so hard if you have that context.

Trails in the Sky FC is a cozy jrpg in my books! Minus the last few bosses! This game does such a great job getting you familiar with the setting and characters!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

It does have super cozy vibes, I love that about it

I never thought I'd see the day that someone compared Trails to Gravity Falls, but hey, you're not wrong. I always say the biggest recommendation I can give is that Trails is full of anime tropes that I'd normally hate, and I don't care. I love the characters, I love the story and world building, and (once I started figuring it out), I love the gameplay. Estelle is probably one of my favorite main character in RPGs. Can't wait for the rest of the Trails vids!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

I 100% agree. There are some things in the Trails games that would just have me rolling my eyes in any other piece of media, but I'm so bought in to the story and the world that I don't even care at all. Estelle is Bestelle, the end.

I am play this right now. I got a Steam Deck over the holidays and the first thing I did was play this. I have to say I am loving it. Really looking forward to playing the rest. Hope I live that long. 😅

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Right? Who knows how much longer this series is going to take to finish... We could all be in nursing homes by the time it's done.

@jclosed2516

5 ай бұрын

@@JustTheGems True words. I am almost 69 now, and I doubt I will live long enough to see the end of these series. But as long as I can hold a controller I am "in game", so never say never...

@Antonio-Can

5 ай бұрын

@@jclosed2516 I am right behind you at 59 and only 9 games behind. 🤪

@jclosed2516

5 ай бұрын

@@Antonio-Can Oh Boy - Do you have a lot of fun to go. I wish I could erase everything about this games from my brain to do them all over again fresh. Sure - I am going to replay them some day, but it's different if you go in and can remember bits and pieces. I surely envy you. I think you will have a great time!! 😉

I just started playing trails about a year ago and I am about to finish CS4. Don't think that catching up is impossible! In just a years time this has become my favorite series ever and now I have a severe case of brain rot where its almost all I can think about. As you continue on in the series these first trilogy of games will mean more and more to you, I actually can't wait to replay them soon!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

The callbacks are so cool, especially in CS4.

One thing I like about Sky FC that I still really like about this game even after playing all the way up to Reverie is how down-to-earth it is. There's no God you have to knock out, no super-human anime characters blocking death star lasers with a sword (there's L who IS slightly out-of-the-ordinary, but even the crazy stuff he does is rather subdued and noted as crazy by people who are there to witness it) and the villain's motives and methods are down-to-earth enough for him to be redeemable without it feeling undeserved. FC's world and low stakes conflict were a breath of fresh air and although the anime craziness was pumped up in later games, I still do appreciate FC for it.

I literally downloaded this last night. Looking forward to to stating my Trails Journey.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Yes yes yes! So happy to hear that!

I'm playing FC right now. I love every minute of it. The care they took with building towns and creating NPCs with rich, changing dialogue, is unparalelled. I joke that every time I see a "purposeless" corner of a town, or house with just NPCs, fully fleshed out, I get the chills.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, they are just WILD with the amount of detail they put into EVERYTHING. For being such relatively "low budget" games, they are SO richly detailed.

I started my journey with Cold Steel 1, loved that game and then found out I was in the middle of a bigger, overarching story. I decided to go back to Sky FC and I'm so glad I did! There's just something so cozy about Sky FC, it feels welcoming and really easy to get into. The soundtrack is so good like all the Trails games. I have since finished everything else and I'm currently playing Cold Steel 3. Can't wait to keep going!

I just finished Trails in the Sky FC last week and I must say, it was refreshing to not see a "we need to have a fist fight with god" story line and by the end I was so hooked. The ending of FC right into a preview for SC makes me want to jump right into the next one, but I need to pace myself so I don't burn out lol. After another Yakuza game (another long and old series I completely missed for almost 20 years) I'll be jumping right back in! Love the content and keep it up!

@Unasinous

5 ай бұрын

That’s amazing self control! FC’s ending had me launching SC as fast as I could click.

@cenbu

5 ай бұрын

@@Unasinous Yeah, if I don't I'll get burnt out mid way through the second game and then won't pick it back up for years. Too many series have died by me playing them back to back lol.

@SuperSupersoda

5 ай бұрын

I think that's the right approach, I finished Azure, CS 3 and CS 4 mid-way through 2023, and then, I needed a long break from trails before starting on Reverie (which I started about 10 days ago). Pace yourself, the thing about trails is that while it's great, it's also a lot.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, the plot of this series is such a breath of fresh air to me. It's so different than most everything else out there.

I'm pretty convinced! I need to give it a try!

@darkrulier

5 ай бұрын

I would love to hear your take on this series on your channel!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

They're so good!

Considering the story it's very similar for each first in a series to be more about the small stories developing the characters and the bonds between them. I for one love to understand why the characters actually care about each other when the s*** hits the fan.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, giving the characters time to grow and get close to each other is so important to the storytelling in later chapters.

Great video! I just started my Trails journey a couple weeks ago with Sky FC and it was awesome, loved everything about it. The way it ended had me immediately purchasing Sky SC. Can't wait to continue making my way through these games!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Fantastic! I really hope you continue to love it, it's been such an amazing series to me.

Hey, Trails Guy, this is my first time seeing your videos. I couldn't watch the entire review because I'm in the middle of Trails in the Sky. I love it and everything about the series. Subbed!

The first time I played Trails in the Sky it felt really slow, but the characters were interesting. I just kept going because of that. At a certain point I noticed that it seemed as if the most important things were happening to characters outside my party. However, later on, that plot catches to you and from that point onward it's a great ride. So much, in fact, that most people, including me, have the need to start Sky SC just after finishing this gmae. On a second playthough, you notice all the carefull details falcom left in this game that would be important in the series later on. This series truly rewards your patience.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Totally, they're experts at the slow burn and seeding future story points early on

Looking forward to the day when I get stuck into the Trails series, but I know how much of a commitment the franchise actually is. So many games, and gotta play them in the right order. Great video dude!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Thank you! Yeah, it's intimidating, but if you think of it as a big series of fantasy novels, and just pick up the next one when you're in the mood, it becomes a lot cozier.

@uppernimbus

5 ай бұрын

@@JustTheGems Huh, that's a good way of looking at it!

Hey Branden! Really enjoyed going on a nostalgia trip for the early days of Trails via this video. I've been watching your channel for a couple of months now, and I always look forward to seeing a new video of yours pop up on my homepage. You have an approachable mien and a great speaking voice. The first time I saw your set with the Trails wall scroll in the background, I had a feeling you'd be a real one. 😉 As one of the editors who worked on CS4 and Reverie: by the authority vested in me, I hereby dub you a "Trails Guy." In Aidios' name we pray. Looking forward to the rest of this video series!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Yes!! Mission accomplished!😎 But seriously, thank you so much. I'm a massive fan of your work.

Heck yeah, it is! Just like it was last year!!!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

And every year thereafter!

I started FC about a year ago. Only about 10 hours in, and it just hasn't clicked for me yet. I will get through it though, but I'm hoping for that "A-HA!" moment where it just rocks and I can't put it down (Steamdeck ftw!) With that said, I am stoked you're doing this series and I can't wait to watch the videos! Keep up the great work!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

I've heard some people bounced off of FC, and then put it aside, came back to it, and it clicked. There are so many factors at play. Of course, for some people it may just not be for them, but I think if you tend to like strong JRPG plots and great characters, along with some pretty decent gameplay when you dig into it, something in here will eventually hook you.

Sky FC still has reverberations even in Reverie. I was playing through the Reverie Daydream "St. Astraia's girls in bloom" the other day, and one of the things about trails is that the story will often skip a step and assume that the player is on-the-ball enough to fill in the blanks. In this Daydream, Musse comes up with the Idea to disguise Kurt as a girl (Kurtina) so that he can sneak into St. Astraia's without eliciting comment. It's not obvious how or why Musse came up with this plan. Until you remember that Duchess Mildine Juzelith de Cayenne is roommates with Tita Russell (the 12 year old canon wielding character in Sky FC), and that Tita absolutely would have told her roommate all the details about Joshua dressing up as a Princess for the school play at Janis Royal Academy and of Joshua dressing as a maid to get an audience with the Queen, both of which happened in Sky FC. A little tea, a pajama party, and Musse would have all the details out of Tita. At that point, Musse pushing Kurt to dress as a female St. Astraia's student makes perfect sense. The idea didn't just occur to Musse, she had it a long time ago, and was just waiting for an opportunity, which finally came. When your character writing is that good, so good that the missing scene and the motivation automatically fill themselves in, that's special. Not many stories can do that.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

The character writing is just absolutely peak

Trails videos all year long? Now I will like your channel even more! Trails in the Sky FC is still my favorite Trails game even after playing the first nine Trails games.

@JustTheGems

4 ай бұрын

I'm excited to get a chance to talk about all these games!

Great video! Good to see the series slowly getting more traction in the west

@JustTheGems

4 ай бұрын

Thank you! I really hope the trend continues.

This game revived my love for jrpgs

@JustTheGems

6 күн бұрын

This makes me so happy to hear

I just downloaded this for the first time and am looking forward to diving in. Your channel is the main reason I decided to dive in.

@JustTheGems

2 ай бұрын

Excellent! I hope you like it!!

With the game on sale on Steam, I am getting ready to start my adventure with Sky FC. Definitely looking forward to experiencing this franchise after seeing all of the praise it gets from the JRPG community.

@JustTheGems

Ай бұрын

Nice! I hope you enjoy it! It's such a favorite of mine.

Just finished Kuro 1 after a ~year of being exposed and starting my trails journey with trails in the sky last May This series is an 11/10 in my opinion, and despite some dislike of the recent story direction, Kuro has completely revived my love of the series, and I cannot wait to see how the plot continues to flesh itself out Good luck on the replays!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Thank you! It's been really eye-opening, playing through the series again. I'm catching things I missed the first time or two through, and it's great!

Longtime JRPG fan. Just finished this game… and have SC downloaded and ready to go. Absolutely loving Trails so far. Hadn’t even heard about the series until last year.

@JustTheGems

Ай бұрын

Nice! I'm kinda jealous that you get to experience all of these for the first time!

Awesome video man, Trails absolutely deserves to be played by more jrpg fans. It's the most "jrpg" jrpg I've played in my life, except for maybe Yakuza at times (especially with Ichiban, lmao) Estelle is still my favorite protagonist. Nothing can stand in the way of her smugness and big stick, lol. I get why people say FC is slow, and you described it perfectly. The payoff wouldn't be as emotional and hard hitting if it weren't for all the carefully laid foundation underneath. Always room for more Trails guys (and gals!) on the internet. Hope this starts a trend, lol. The more passionate folk we have spreading the good word, the more Mishy fans we'll eventually end up with which just helps keep Falcom making more great games and one step closer to world peace. Wait... who wrote Mishy in my script!? *glares at Tio* I actually dropped Sky FC shortly after playing it, just didn't get invested at first. I don't think I was ready for that kind of game at the time since I just kind of stumbled my way into it. I only vaguely recognized the name because a friend had mentioned "The Legend of Heroes" to me in a phone call before. Half a year later I randomly decided to pick it back up and it just clicked, thoroughly enjoyed the game and by the time I saw the ending I was hooked and immediately bought SC. Needless to say, that was the start to my descent down the Trails rabbit hole xD I even got so inspired by others and my own love for the series that I set out on my own journey. I'd love to be known one day as a Trails guy as well. Kiseki Nut, KillScottKill, TwitGamer, Genma, Noisy Pixel, Super Derek, and many others who have helped pave the way to the series continued success in the west, and are nothing but inspirations and goals to aim for in various ways. Both for myself, and for any others that may come along down the road.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

It's just such an incredible series. I also had the game sitting in my backlog for AGES before I finally gave it a shot. I had NO idea what was coming. I'd literally never read anything about, I think I just saw a screenshot or something and thought "Huh, that's looks JRPG-ish." And now here we are...

@Cyrus_Bright

5 ай бұрын

@@JustTheGems The Trails bug will always find a way xD

Alright, you’ve convinced me to try this game out. The generic name was so off putting that I’ve been avoiding it for years. Cheers!

@JustTheGems

4 ай бұрын

I hope you like it! Let me know what you think when you get into it.

Sky FC, the only real entry point in the series.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

I mean, it's the OG for a reason.

@codysvlogdays

20 күн бұрын

It's too bad that they don't want console players to experience trails in the sky. Would love to play that trilogy but I can't until they decide to re-release it

@RitzyBusiness

5 күн бұрын

​​@@codysvlogdaystrails of the sky should run on a potato pc , alternatively depending on your moral quandaries you could run It on vita3k if your phone is good enough. With English patch. I own it on steam and downloaded it to an actual PS Vita 😅 considering the price of the Vita you could pick one up for relatively cheap and soft mod it.

@codysvlogdays

5 күн бұрын

@@RitzyBusiness I dont have a potato PC for it to run on 😂 and I don't really like playing games on my phone, id prefer a full re-release on all modern platforms

It was a while back when I noticed a sale on GOG from a game called Trails Of Cold Steel. I had no Idea what I was going in to - Honestly. After playing about a half a hour, I noticed lots of references to events that happened in the past, so I started looking around and noticed that Cold Steel was in fact the 6th part of a series. I stopped playing, and because the Sky series where still on sale, I said to myself "what the hell - Why not?", and bought all three Sky games. I started with Trails In The Sky FC, and after less than a hour in I was hopelessly hooked. I just could not stop playing. By the time I go to the end of Sky the 3th (OMG Stardoor 15 was a big punch) I was extremely lucky, because the Geofront team had just finished the translation of Trails From Zero. I bought the PC version (Chinese or Japanese I cannot remember), and used their patch to play Zero. Needless to say I wen through Trails to Azure afterward (yep - that one was also translated just in time). I am really, really, really, really glad I could play all the games in the right order, so the story evolved naturally. I am glad I dropped Cold Steel until I was ready for it. That said - This is, of course, something strictly personal, and I never will say that someone playing the games in any other order is doing something wrong. Some people just do not like the "old school" style of the early games. After that "hell of a journey", I finally picked up Trails Of Cold Steel again. And, oh man, how different was this game now I got all the references and completely understood what was going on and why it was going on. I am now finally diving into Trails Into Reverie. This is because I took a short "Trails" break to play the Atelier games I had bought a while ago (Atelier Sophie 2 is my favorite), but now I am "back on track" again.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Absolutely, the added context of everything that came before adds SO much to Cold Steel!

If I could press a button and erase my knowledge of Trails so I could find it and fall in love with it for the first time all over again, I would. Without reservation or hesitation. I am genuinely envious of people who get to experience this series for the first time.

@JustTheGems

4 ай бұрын

100%, same for me!

Thanks for Trails in the Sky FC Review!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Thank YOU!

Amazing series, was sad last week when Kondo said in an interview that he had urged Trails writers to start moving for the climax (and later end) of the series. Maybe we dont have too many Trails left to play....but The Legend of Heroes will continue later with another saga I am sure.

@JustTheGems

4 ай бұрын

Agreed, I'll be sad to see it go, but I'll be glad if they can end it all on their terms.

Just here cheering you on to become the Trails Guy one day

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Thank you! I need all the cheering I can get! 😁

Amazing review! If I wasn't a trails fan already I'd become one after this. Keep it up

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Thank you!!

One thing missing from the Trails community that it so desperately needs is concise, yet detailed story synopsis and “the story so far” content. These games span over such a long period of time, and some newcomers like myself are often overwhelmed by the sheer size of the series. This is why it took me nearly two years to finish FC, and why, even at the end of the first title, I’m absolutely out of the loop on the story. I’ve already forgotten some key character arcs and confused as to some of the plot twists and turned. I would love to see a video for each entry with not just a story so far breakdown, but a “what’s going on with this character at this point in the story” section. I’m so hesitant to start SC, simply because I’m absolutely lost on all but the core story beats of the first game.

@Unasinous

5 ай бұрын

Just my two cents, but at this point it sounds like you know precisely as much as you should know. Spending time with each game you’ll pick up little (and big) details that pay off in the future. Part of the fun of the series is being exposed to a strange situation or object that makes little sense at the moment, but you later find out why that place or thing exists. Small example without any big spoilers: why are those weird towers interspersed around Liberl? Little mini-dungeons with not much story surrounding them? That’s odd. Personally, I feel you’d be doing yourself a disservice by watching a video to pick up story details for the first time. As a refresher before a new game launch when it’s been a year or more since you played a game in the series, sure, but I really don’t feel it’s necessary on your first playthrough of the series. They do a decently good job of keeping you in the loop as you go.

@SuperSupersoda

5 ай бұрын

@@Unasinousto add to your point, later one, you'll find out what purpose those towers serve, and then, even later on, you'll find out why those towers were built in the exact spot that they were built. Then, when you encounter other things that seem to possess the same properties as those towers, you'll have a solid idea which direction the story is going in. Trails doesn't hold your hand or spoon feed you, it will leave things unexplained and expect the player to have paid enough attention to piece things together themselves.

@Silverjerk

5 ай бұрын

@@Unasinous this is great advice. And very well-reasoned, that story synopsis videos are likely to inadvertently weave in details from subsequent titles, accidentally spoiling later reveals. Sincerely appreciate the feedback. The biggest issue holding me back from moving on to SC is a lack of confident that I was going to be able to follow the story beats as I felt lost during FC.

@Unasinous

5 ай бұрын

@@Silverjerk yeah after I typed up and sent my comment earlier I reread your initial post. I could see value in recaps or “snapshots” of the world and expected player knowledge at the end of each game. You’d have to be wary that whoever is making the videos won’t spoil anything, but everyone’s spoiler tolerance is different. And there are sooo many little tiny details that come up in future games it would almost be impossible to cover everything. One of the charms of the series is that some basic-ass side quest character from FC might show up randomly in Azure. You either remember that side quest or you don’t and no recap would ever mention it. I think as long as you remember the big picture story and important character relationships you should be fine to play SC. If you end up missing details here or there it won’t be the end of the world. If you’re really worried about your knowledge, I’d look up recent reviews of “first time” KZreadrs after they beat FC. Their reviews shouldn’t have any knowledge of SC and the content might jog your memory on important or cool moments. Reformed Gamers or WeaponsCI on KZread might work for your purposes. If you decide to hop into SC, hope you enjoy yourself!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

It's true, finding resources that are going to give you just what you're looking for without spoiling things down the line is pretty tricky. I also wish there were more resources that provided this sort of service.

This is one series I’ve never delved into but it’s definitely on my radar.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Oh man, I HIGHLY recommend it

The thing that has been holding me back with Trails FC is the pacing. Because the series is so large, I'm impatient with the slow pacing early on. It's why I thought I might like the series better if I started with something like Zero and then worked backwards. I really want to get into the series

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, I get that. I have a hard time recommending a strategy for people that struggle to get past the pacing issue, so I say, if starting with Zero and jumping back after you're hooked works for you, then go for it!

@oxtim394

5 ай бұрын

@JustTheGems I think I also need to remind myself to just be patient. That I'm not going to catch up and finish the series in a month, so just get into it for the long haul

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

@@oxtim394 Exactly, good point. It's such a long-form story, so it's totally fine to settle in and take your time.

@oxtim394

5 ай бұрын

@@JustTheGems thanks for the feedback and encouragement! I'll put "finish Trails FC" on my list of loose goals to accomplish this year 😄

The Legend of Heroes series pretty much gives me all the Xenogears vibes that I love to the point where the entire series is like a love letter to Xenogears in a way.

@JustTheGems

Ай бұрын

I've felt like I've seen some pretty blatant nods to Xenogears as well as Chrono Trigger, and it makes it very clear what games and creators this team admires. Which makes me admire this team even more.

my top 3 fav series. i played fc to cs4 in 2022 . i used the geofront patch for the crossbell arc . i played them back to back from march to September 2022

@JustTheGems

4 ай бұрын

It's an incredible achievement, and I can hardly believe they're still keeping up the quality after so long!

I’m thinking to play trails this year. So thanks for the review!

@JustTheGems

3 ай бұрын

Good, I hope you like it!

I like to think of starting the trails series is like starting one piece, very intimidating because the vast amount of hours to sink into them, but once it hooks you, you’re in for the ride

@Xebusc

5 ай бұрын

Also wanna add it’s similar in story telling in the fact that it can be “slow” while it’s building characters and world building, with trails first game in a set and one piece beginning of an arc, but it builds and the pay off by the end is fantastic and leaving wanting to find out what comes next

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Exactly, it seems like a mammoth undertaking, but we're a society that regularly binges shows now, so to me it's not so different than that.

I just bought a Steam Deck OLED to play These 3 Trails in the Sky games. Thanks man.

@JustTheGems

4 ай бұрын

Nice! I hope you enjoy them! And the Steam Deck is awesome.

I started this a couple days ago, looking forward to finding out why Estelle is Bestelle. So far I'm loving the main theme, the whole series seems to have great music, as do Falcom games in general but something about it has really caught me.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Oh heck yes, the music in the series is so darn good and catchy. Falcom has some of the best composers - I wish they individually got more credit, to be honest.

I literally subscribed cuz you said you would be doing these in the last video. :P

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

All right! Thank you!!!

There’s a few “Trails people” here on KZread. Fierce competition. But none of them have your majestic beard - point to Just the Gems.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

💯💯💯💯💯💯

I devoured this series last year and my existence will only start making sense in July. I know Sky FC is often the least loved game of the series with CSII but like you said, the cozy episodic feeling where stakes aren't too high just worked for me, even if I had to retry finishing the game.

@JustTheGems

2 ай бұрын

Totally, the introductory game of each arc is super appealing to me because you're just getting to know the characters and the world. And when it comes to Trails, I'm pretty patient, so I don't mind the slower pace of games like FC and CS1.

Half way through SC right now.

@JustTheGems

4 ай бұрын

Nice! Just wait till you get to the 3rd, things start getting HEAVY

best trails arc

@JustTheGems

4 ай бұрын

There's a strong argument to be made!

Hey Brandon, I love the energy and content you put out! I have been wanting to get into the Trails series for a while now, and I know you said this is technically where the entire series begins. I have a Switch, DS, and PS2. Can I play this game on any of these consoles?

@Unasinous

5 ай бұрын

Hey I’m not Brandon but Steam on PC is the best (only) modern way to play the Sky series. I don’t know much about it but I guess there was a PSP version back in the day. Good news if you decide to look into the Steam version is a potato could run the Trails in the Sky series.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Unfortunately no, but like Usanious said, almost any sort of PC should be able to run the Sky games, so it is possible. If you're adamant about sticking to consoles, then I expect we'll see an updated port or remaster of the Sky games in the not-too-distant future. Falcom knows they're in demand.

@goldenfield12

5 ай бұрын

Nice, thank you for the reply guys. I should definitely try them on Steam, but if there is a good chance that the Sky series gets a port or remaster, I might wait for that.

I guess it’s time to get into Trails in the Sky

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

It is time! It's ALWAYS time!!

This is on my list to complete this year. It's been sitting in my stack of shame for years now. I won't get through all of Trails this year but I'm hoping to at least make a dent.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

And hey, if you start to feel any burnout playing through them, it's totally fine to take a break. I think of it as a long-running series of novels, where it can be compelling and fun to just keep going from one to the next, but it's also fine to read something else in between volumes. A palate cleanser, so to speak.

@XfitNerd

5 ай бұрын

@@JustTheGems Awesome way to think about it. I try to mix things up a bit, usually running something less involved at the same time I'm going through a JRPG. Right now that's Super Mario Wonder as I can jump in and out as much as I want without missing a beat. At the moment, I'm finally making my way through FF7 Remake in preparation for Rebirth. I think my experience with FF16 made the combat of FF7R much more palatable for me. I felt a little disconnected jumping from action to menus when I first tried playing. Now if feels more comfortable.

Hi man, i have a suggestion.... aside of every individual review, how about a video for a series overview? Like covering how many sagas are there by now, for which platforms, how do you recommend getting in as a newcomer, which games to avoid until you're familiar with some plot points, stuff like that

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, I think I'll cover the series as a whole in a few different ways. I do also have a "Where to Start Trails" video, here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/p6aGl8evj7nAZ7w.html

I started in the trails series in 2022 and played FC. Gave myself a buffer and played SC last year. This year I'll finish Sky Fyi tobacco age is 21 now in the USA

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

I honestly didn't know they increased the age! I guess when you get to be so darn old, the stuff that affects the kids stops being on your radar...😅

@toolman4745

5 ай бұрын

@@JustTheGems yeah I never smoked and I'm over 40 now. Only reason I know is because someone I know didn't realize it was changed to 21 and sold someone a pack and got in trouble for it. It's pretty new

3:28 Grab your pitchforks!!! 😂 You're not wrong. But I call it a Crock pot RPG. Its going to take a while but oh so worth it!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Exactly! That story gets so tender and juicy, it melts in your mouth! (Did I take the metaphor too far.)

@Eagleknight815

5 ай бұрын

@@JustTheGems Nah...it's just right.

I completed the whole series three years ago, on my PS Vita and my Mac, in three months. Now I’m waiting to start the English translation of the Calvard arc, on the PS5. I’m planing on playing them lying down, courtesy of PS Portal! That’s exactly the games it’s made for. Heheh.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Amen! Being able to lay on the couch upstairs (instead of in my cold basement) makes the Portal such a great device.

@bhoqeem1975

5 ай бұрын

@@JustTheGems Speaking of PS Portal, I managed to replicate the same functionality with an 8” android tablet and Backbone One controller tied up with a type c to type c cable. Despite the lack of convenience since I can’t mount the tab directly to the controller, I find it to be more stable than the Portal. And I can do just about a whole lot other things with it, as opposed to mere streaming PS5 as the Portal does. And the tablet itself, interestingly, doesn't have to be on the expensive end. The Alldocube iPlay 50 Mini is way more than just adequate for the task. I even managed to cram in emulators from PSP, PSX, PS2, Wii U, GBA, and NDS. Making it one of the best emulator handhelds ever seen.

Im just waiting for the sky trilogy to be released on switch or something to get started. I heard rumora that it might be remastered, but i think thats all im missing to jump into trails. Don't want to get a psp just to play sky 1-2. 3 not being officially released NTSC.

@BlueGrovyle

5 ай бұрын

You're of course welcome to wait as long as you please, but as someone who didn't start with Sky, is glad he didn't start with Sky, and loves the series as a whole all the same, you definitely don't have to wait, and you may ultimately be waiting for nothing in the event that the rumors are just rumors or the plan falls flat. Nonetheless, I hope you will join the fans like myself whose experiences of video gaming have been thoroughly enriched by this series.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

I think it will definitely happen - if not on the Switch, then on whatever comes next. Falcom knows there's demand for those games to come back.

@RaifSeverence

5 ай бұрын

You could always play on PC. All 3 are on PC. And you don't need a modern day pc to play them, they were all made with 2004 to 2008 pc specs in mind

You might become a "Trails guy" since going through all of those games to get caught up is a lot! I didn't have a channel when I started my journey with Trails, so it will be interesting to see what your thoughts are as you get through them and post a video. I wonder if there is still enough time for me to become one of those ardent defenders of the Trails in the Sky the 3rd... (though shall not skip!).

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Yes, please help us defend Sky the 3rd - the lore and character work it does is VITAL to the series as a whole!

I started Trails last year with Trails in the Sky! I actually bought the Steam Deck to be able to play it hahahh

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Ha, I literally did exactly the same thing!

@iridmeilien

5 ай бұрын

@@JustTheGems hahaha amazing! Greeting from Spain :)

I really want to get into Trails, but man is it a daunting undertaking. I also have that disability where I have to have physical copies of games and this series will cost a small fortune to complete.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Do you have to have the physical copy that you play? Because you can grab Japanese copies of the Sky games and play digital versions, if that's doable for you. (I'm kind of the same way, but for the Sky trilogy I happily made an exception.)

@PowerSynopsis

5 ай бұрын

​@@JustTheGems I might consider it just to get started if there is ever a _really_ good sale. I refuse to pay anywhere near full price for digital games no matter how good they are.

Would love a trilogy of fc physical in america. Trails in the sky fc is a true gatekeeper of a story, dude i swear i fell asleep in fc and sc, i love the games but the dialogue at times is so godamn much lol. They are a "live in the moment" type story/game, slow burn to the 10x level. The more games made the more it gets further for people lol, just now im in trails the third and im actually loving it more since im a dungeon crawler kind of a guy. They are really fun games if you enjoy the story and the main gameplay, im a big fan of the gameplay and it is really cleaned up in the third. Some things id say missing in the old trilogy or id say duology since the third is pretty cleaned up is some quality of life features, the turbo being one of the great ones!

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, my major criticism of the series is that it is FAR TOO WORDY. We don't need every character to comment on every single thing in a story scene. Sometimes, people in a group don't all share their thoughts, and that's okay! 😄

I just beat the first three games, Im now on trails from 0 and im enjoying that a lot

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Oh man, Zero is great!

I've only played and finished FC and SC, imo FC is a cozy game that I love because I love jrpgs but it's like a 6/10 if I see it objectively. Loved SC a bit more and will probably play the 3rd soon.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

It just keeps growing from there.

Absolutely right. If I were to rank my trails games from worst to best...it's FC in the bottom, and SC at the top. Of course the bottom is still one of the best games I've played. Let me stick up for the gameplay, I'm one of those "gameplay first people" and trails FC introduces the system that in my opinion wasn't as good when it was "improved" for cold steel. It's battle grid gives a lot of room for different mobile strategies and is far better IMHO then the "just sit there" of FF and DQ of the time. It felt a lot larger than cold steel too...cold steel felt claustrophobic. I remember playing FF13 just a year before FC came out on portable...I couldn't believe how much better FC was as a story and a game.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, the worst Trails game is still a top-tier game, all things considered, hard agree.

The more people playing trails the better 😊

@JustTheGems

16 күн бұрын

Agreed

Game is old enough to buy cigarettes and die for its country. Love the one liners you sprinkle in

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

😂

As much as I love the trails series there is one thing I don't like and maybe someone could explain the appeal to me. Missables..... The best example of the top of my head is in cold steel 1 where at a point where the story tells you to hurry you ride across the whole northern Highlands in a direction opposed to the direction you are told to, to talk to a guy on a tank to get a book. I see the appeal of talking to everybody and anybody because it is really nice to see all these fleshed out side characters but with that much travel in between sometimes... With the crossbell games it's the same I regularly talk to everybody in the city but all the villages outside too? And not only is it talking to everybody... You have to do it several times because the timing is of utmost importance too. I get that it's optional and BP DP and AP don't matter that much in the end and the second best weapon is fine to beat the game, but I still don't get the appeal of it. Edit : I forgot about hidden side quests... Just why... They sometimes have such great bits of lore and story... Why not just bunch them up with the regular quests so you don't miss them what's the appeal here?

@RaifSeverence

5 ай бұрын

I think it stems more from a line that is said in Sky FC. "Learn the layout of the land" or something to that effect. While it may not be immediately obvious, if you learn the land the characters inhabit, and by extension, it's inhabitants themselves, you'll be able to pick up on clues needed for these missables. I know there is a few times in Sky FC where there are NPCs that are struggling to find answers to their problems, but time timing for you to intervene isn't ripe (the escort quest in Bose, or the woman reading Carnelia in Ruan comes to mind). I say it's more of a design philosophy rather than something people like due to Daybreak seemingly having toned it down by marking points of interest on you're minimap.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, I've honestly taken to using spoiler-free guides to make sure I don't miss any missables, and that's not ideal, of course... But who has the time to talk to EVERY CHARACTER -- TWICE! -- after every story event? It's not realistic, for sure. But I can't stay mad at Trails...😅

Huh, never heard it compared to Gravity Falls, but I can see it. One other piece of media which does this is Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated, which is very similar to GF structurally and so similar in all the same ways to Sky FC.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Oh interesting, I'm glad to hear other shows using that concept, I think it's such a cool way to do it

Heya. A question for you. Would the animation be an adequate substitute for the game? Or have you watched it yet?

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

I've watched it, and I'll say definitely no. It only covers around the first third of the second game, which is... a very weird segment for them to decide to animate.😅

Needs a port on the Switch

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

I'll second this.

You are the Harvestella guy atm 😊

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Hey, I'll take that! That's my other big internet goal, to get people to try that game!

@Baseme17

5 ай бұрын

I bought it after watching your channel & going to try it out after I finally finish P5R Enjoying your content mate 👍

Be a "Trails Blazer " ✌️

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Dang yes, I should have thought of that! Love it!

The orabal/quartz is just materia. It's not THAT complex. I think the timing of the western release truly helped it. Most JRPG fans are Sony ponies whether they want to omitted or not and are still holding their breaths for a first party Xbox game to come to Playstation. The year is 2011 and you're a Sony pony who plays JRPGs you want a new turn based game....what are your options? Trails in the Sky SC,Atelier Totori or Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2. Nowadays with more options most people will choose something other than Trails in the Sky SC. Also being on the Vita helped Trails of Cold Steel because after your finished with P4G and FFX the only turn based games are Atelier and Idea Factory games.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

I think it's complicated because of all the numerical values associated with each different quartz. Take a look at some of those charts sometime, they are INTIMIDATING...😅

I bought this on steam years ago but due to being almost 40 with a wife and two kids it’s just not practical for me to play pc games so I’ve only played about 2 hours. I wish falcom would make the trilogy available to play on modern consoles (wish they’d also start releasing on Xbox so I can replay their games for achievement points)

@emvatomix

5 ай бұрын

Buy a Steam deck, Will be like play trails in a switch.

@PapaDragonMK

5 ай бұрын

Same situation for me, so I order my steam deck this month!

@timseyer6769

5 ай бұрын

Same here. Played through 1-3 on my steam deck. It took a while but was sooo worth it. Edit: side note they all run on the steam deck without issue even though they are not all certified.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

I get that. I literally bought a Steam Deck just to be able to play the Sky trilogy on the couch. 😅

So many trails games! Would you say start with trails of the sky then maybe move onto the steel ones? I rather play the first ones before the later releases

@JustTheGems

4 ай бұрын

The ideal situation would be the Sky games first (FC, SC, 3rd), then the Crossbell games (Zero, Azure), and then the 4 Cold Steel. They're all available on Steam, which is convenient, but if you're a fully console player then the Sky games are harder to come by - the first two were available on PSP, but only the first had a physical release, and the 3rd never had a console release at all

@FletchMo7

4 ай бұрын

@@JustTheGems thanks Brandon! Just mentioned in the other video that I’m looking into a steam deck so think this is how I will play the series moving forward!

@FletchMo7

4 ай бұрын

@@JustTheGems one last thing… I’m going to try google it too but did you play the first trails of the sky game on psp? If so how different is the steam version?

@JustTheGems

4 ай бұрын

@@FletchMo7 I did. The PSP version is lacking all the quality of life improvements they added in the Steam version, like turbo mode, so I definitely recommend it.

@FletchMo7

4 ай бұрын

@@JustTheGems iv set a plan in motion to purchase a steam deck. I had a look on steam library and it says the first trails of the sky is not supported.. please say this isn’t so haha

The story can seem generic and slow paced - it does all pay off but right at the very end. If you complete the game and still don't get it then its probably not for you but most will want to play the second chapter straight away🙂

@JustTheGems

Ай бұрын

For sure. I almost see it as one story between the two games, because that cliffhanger is SO extreme.

Can anyone help me out here? I started this game and I am stuck at the beginning where they have to make their first arts to pass and get on with their adventure. I have looked on line how to use their arts with the quartz and all and I just don't get it. So I am stuck here because I can't do it right. I am an old gamer and I do mean old. I saw pong in 73 in Japan and was amazed. I've played quite a few of RPG's in my time and this whole arts and crafts thing has me befuddled. Thanks in advance.

@JustTheGems

2 ай бұрын

Do you mean where you go to the orbal factory and have to pick out a quartz? I don't think it actually matters which you pick or where you slot it. Believe me, I feel like NOBODY really understand the quartz/arts system in the first few Trails games. By the time Cold Steel comes around, they abandon that system for one that's much more streamlined.

The only thing that bothers me about the Sky trilogy is the whole 'sibling love' aspect. As someone with a daughter who also adopted his son, the idea of them hooking up is sick and nauseating. That said, Trails is easily the best series of JRPGs out there. Especially if you're a turn based gamer. So far I've played the 7 games through CS2. They're all great and I'd highly recommend them to anyone. Just give 'em a shot and you won't be disappointed.

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

Yeah, the "they're related but they're not!" trope is super, super, super weird and I wish Japanese media would just stop it.

Sky sc was wonderful, sky 3rd sucked

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

I loved 3rd, but I would prefer they not make any more "lore dump" games. I'd like to see it spaced out throughout a more Trails-typical narrative.

TITS is the best! i love estelle and joshua and their amazing frens! and i love the fact that it's T rails I n T he S ky

@JustTheGems

5 ай бұрын

I can't put it much better than that!