Recent reviews by Endpunkt

Not a damn thing works in this game.

Despite the new title this is part three of the Calvard arc. It looks like the developers realized that Van and his team are not enough to carry their own story because this time around we play as Van, Rean and Kevin again. The game is separated into three routes that you play one after the other. Van’s route takes up roughly 85% of the game which is rather unfortunate because aside from towards the end all of the interesting developments happen in Rean’s and Kevin’s routes. For most of the story Van is once again a passive observer of all the shady things going on in the continent while Rean and Kevin are very proactive. Still things manage to come together in a very satisfying way to make this the best story of the arc so far. The combat in this game is the best in the series but it has admittedly gotten a little complex. Still this is a really good game and a much better experience than the previous installment.

I still think we should’ve played as Estelle in this arc instead of a new guy. They could’ve even kept the whole “between the light and dark” aspect between Estelle and Joshua. Van could’ve been a party member but I digress.

Also Rean’s back! The GOAT!

Part two of the Calvard arc and lemme tell ya, WOOOF! This game is not good. They’ve taken the most frustrating aspects of the series and bumped them up to 11 in this installment. To make matters worse they’ve introduced a system where not only do you have to replay whole sections over again but you have to listen to dialogues you’ve already heard over and over too! It’s baffling that they thought this was a good idea, it’s like the ultimate form of backtracking. This game further proves that we should’ve stuck to an older protagonist, maybe Estelle for this arc, instead of introducing a new cast. These characters have never felt more irrelevant to the story than here. Too often do they watch other characters further the story as they passively figure things out. This game pumps the brakes on the narrative so hard it’ll give you whiplash. Unfortunately if you’ve come this far you really can’t skip this one, but I wish we could.

Van Arkride is the protagonist of the first game in the Calvard arc and let me just say we could probably do with less protagonists. This game serves as a reintroduction of the world which is frustrating because this game is a terrible place to start. After all these games we’re going around recruiting new characters for our team. It can be a little frustrating. That said the story here is a little “edgier” than usual which is a welcome change of pace and helps differentiate this protagonist from the ones prior. The combat has been updated so much at this point that it’s starting to get a little complicated but that’s ok because they’ve added real time battles to this game as well which actually helps simplify things a bit. Overall this is a good one but I don’t recommend starting here.

This game is unique in the franchise in that it’s actually and epilogue to the Erebonia arc and a sequel to the Crossbell arc. We play as Rean, Lloyd and the mysterious C this time around. There are three story paths that you can switch between at anytime where you play each characters story as they work to unravel Crossbell’s latest coup. This one is really fun and the story has some great twists and turns. Along the way we get to see characters working in unconventional teams and find a mystery that really sets the stage for the future of the series in a big way. This is that good Trails storytelling.

The conclusion to the Erebonia race is just as big and explosive as you might expect coming from the conclusion of the previous game. There is a lot to like about this game but it’s not without some hang ups. The stakes have never been higher but the game will frequently go out of its way to distract you from that for better and for worse. This game features some of the best character development in the franchise but it’s not without also features some insane plot contrivance as well. With that said if you’ve come this far in the series you may as well play this one, after all it’s still a worthwhile conclusion.

Part three of the Erebonia arc. Rean’s story continues and boy does this one hit! While the story isn’t as tight as Azure it more than makes up for it with its new setting and updated status quo. We have mostly a new cast this time around but somehow they still manage to fit in the characters from the previous two games as well as some from previous arcs! Like Azure this game is Trails at its best. Highly recommend.

Part two of the Erebonia arc and the further adventures of Rean. Maybe it’s because I played this right after playing Azure but this game is a little on the weaker side. Certainly better than Sky 3, however. The biggest issue this installment has is in its pacing. Its narrative is disjointed and not very satisfying at times. There’s also some important story elements that you can’t see on your first play through which is frustrating and odd particularly because future games expect you to know it. Unfortunately the game is not worth replaying for the tidbit you’ll learn so I’d recommend watching it on YouTube. Despite the negativity, this game is still fun and worth playing.

Part two of the Crossbell arc and the continuation of Lloyd’s story! This one is probably even better than the last. The stakes are even higher than before and things get downright shocking at times! This is Trails at its best and is definitely worth playing.

The fourth game in the series and the start of the Crossbell arc. In this game we play as Lloyd Bannings, a fresh police officer and founding member of the newly instituted Special Support Section. The SSS is basically a police force with the additional duties of the bracer guild. This is easily one of the best in the franchise! The story is so neat and compelling. From the rivalry between the SSS and the bracer guild to the street gangs and mafiosos this game has got drama. The combat system is further refined and the world is just as interesting to explore as ever.