Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Review – For Those Illustrious Dreams

Contrary to what some say, I don’t believe that there is a definitive, collective way to approach a remake. Sure, a faithful iteration using modern visuals and gameplay mechanics has its value, but so do new interpretations using the original game as a basis. As long as the team at the helm understands the original, their efforts will shine through in the end result. Then again, the authenticity of that notion is so subjective that there’s no way everyone will be satisfied.

One remake I found myself struggling to figure out where I stood on following its announcement was Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. This revisit to the first entry in the vast interconnected goliath that is the Trails series, one of my favorite franchises of all time, has been remade from the ground up, gameplay and presentation-wise, while still embracing its narrative and character roots. There are several aspects of the Trails in the Sky trilogy that I have equally adored, yet wished were improved, making a remake seem like an ideal solution.

Still, having grown up with Trails since around its official English debut, I have developed a decade-long attachment to this compact slice of the series, making me nervous about how 1st Chapter would be approached. Would they make the storytelling and events strictly 1:1 or add significant structural changes? Would the gameplay stick to Sky’s ideas or unabashedly embrace what Trails through Daybreak brought to the table?

Thankfully, on the other end of this surreal re-adventure, I’m relieved and delighted. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, for the most part, strikes a brilliant middle ground that I firmly believe makes it an incredible entry point for newer fans, and genuinely one of the best JRPGs of this generation.

Story and Pacing

Throughout Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, players follow the journey of Estelle Bright and her adopted sibling Joshua as they strive to become Senior Bracers, proficient protectors of the people. However, soon after achieving junior status and taking on beginner-level jobs, the duo finds themselves traversing their home region of Liberl. They are both seeking approval from those qualified in their profession in order to gain Senior Bracer status and also uncover the truth about their recently vanished father, Cassius Bright. Naturally, this path leads to a layered conflict involving the entire nation.

As unpopular a take as this probably is, the first Trails in the Sky has some of my favorite pacing in the series, echoed in the likes of the first Trails of Cold Steel entry. Rather than sometimes coming across as if it’s trying to check boxes off a list for overarching narrative progression, the first Sky title is primarily concerned with its own core self first and foremost. Fortunately, 1st Chapter understood the assignment by expertly iterating upon the original game in ways simultaneously familiar and fresh.

One of the most fundamental facets of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter that has been retained from its original release is that this experience is an undeniable slow-burn. This title essentially requires you to really take your time and soak in the atmosphere, internalizing the distinct status quos that characterize each city and village throughout Liberl. While there are the aforementioned plot threads and character motivators driving Estelle and Joshua forward, this path of theirs is more about the journey rather than strictly the destination.

Worldbuilding and NPCs

Furthering this immersion is how each major location you visit contains a generally self-contained conflict of its own, introducing new party members and hordes of interactable NPCs, all the while. For those unaware, the Trails series is particularly notable for its vast number of NPCs, each of which is outfitted with frequently updated dialogue as story events occur. This remake is no different in that regard, and while I don’t think it has been necessarily improved as much as it could have been to align with the rest of the series, there’s no shortage of endearment and worldbuilding you can peruse should you invest yourself.

To elaborate, the other entries in this series, seen in Crossbell, Cold Steel, and Daybreak, all usually have impressively memorable NPCs with compelling, overarching plot lines and interactions. Alas, the Sky saga doesn’t hit those later-achieved highs, and this remake plays it a bit too safe by adopting the original NPC quality. None of it is outright poor per se, but there’s a lack of distinction and memorability amongst the crowds in comparison. I should emphasize that, for the sake of time, I didn’t follow my usual practice of exploring every instance of updated NPC dialogue. However, I did speak to almost everyone upon first meeting. Still, it’s possible I missed out on any newly added intrigue.

Character Dynamics and Voice Acting

Besides that relatively minor stumble, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter excels at its foundation, the bond between Estelle and Joshua. Even though you acquire new party members throughout the game, these two leading characters are the only consistent party members. As a result, their relationship is practically always front and center, and this remake does it absolute justice.

Estelle’s shining optimism and naivete contrast with Joshua’s well-meaning distance and sternness, fostering a dynamic that is thoroughly explored across every chapter. Plus, this remake only strengthens this bond and every other character dynamic, for that matter, thanks to active voice segments that play while wandering the fields and towns. These new exchanges are all splendidly in-character, feeling like natural extensions of conversations the cast would have had in the original release. Honestly, sans Trails of Cold Steel IV for entirely different reasons, this remake embraces the spirit of adventure more than any other entry in the series. The lack of a central hub and the frequent new locations in every chapter aid that feeling.

Visuals and Presentation

Then, there’s the stellar presentation boasting outstanding vibrancy and expressive animations, perfectly encapsulating the comforting warmth Liberl embodies. While I do partially wish that the scales of the towns were expanded, akin to Daybreak’s magnificently handled hub and several accompanying cities, there’s a compactness to Liberl as a nation that makes this design choice fit, even if it may have just been for emulating the original look. Speaking of, it feels genuinely unreal to navigate these spaces in 3D that are still laid out as they were two decades ago. In terms of faithful remakes, this collective recreation is the most pleasant example I have experienced firsthand, regardless of it being rooted in my personal nostalgia.

On the other hand, the highways connecting the settlements have undergone the most significant design alterations. Moving away from the highly linear, narrow walkways seen in the original Trails in the Sky FC, 1st Chapter provides tremendous pathways with expansive landmasses. In hindsight, these avenues of connective tissue are where I found myself most pleasurably lost with this depiction of Liberl. It felt like the vague images that come to mind when thinking of this game remade being presented right before your very eyes in the best way possible. Moreover, sometimes seeing airships fly around, Liberl’s crowning technological marvel, only adds to the joy fans will have when traversing these roads.

Quality of Life Improvements

Coexisting with this sentimentality and spectacular rejuvenation is the addition of quality-of-life systems, particularly the mini-map and fast travel. The original Trails in the Sky was somewhat old school, as it understandably lacked these features in its 2004 release, though it did make the prospect of replays not exactly riveting. Luckily, 1st Chapter has embraced the conventions of the series seen in every entry from Trails from Zero onward. Both exteriors and interiors now have transparently displayed maps that you can also examine in closer detail, alongside several fast-travel points per location.

There are even dedicated markers for optional events and sidequests, now, also like the modern games; it makes exploration and quest completion far less taxing than it ever used to be. In the titles before Trails of Cold Steel III, secret events and items were hidden outright, containing no markers or the like. While it did serve the purpose of making discoveries feel accomplished for those who closely examined every continually updated corner, the timesink was sometimes a tad much. Granted, there is one sidequest in 1st Chapter that is ruined by having map markers in general, but that is purely an exception.

Combat System: A Perfect Blend

In terms of gameplay, I initially viewed 1st Chapter as a new iteration of the Trails through Daybreak engine; however, in actuality, this remake is a melding of several fundamentals seen throughout the entire franchise. To begin with, battles adopt the dual action and turn-based styles from Daybreak, letting players perform physical combos on foes out in the field before transitioning into turn-based bouts at their leisure. Depleting an enemy’s break gauge leads to an advantageous initiative order, while getting caught off guard with damage on your end can result in a rather unfavorable ambush. Even so, turn-based encounters are still the primary focus, with boss battles and events automatically starting and staying in those setups.

When this dual system was first introduced in Daybreak, it was comically straightforward to spam the action combat and prevail in just about every scenario. Nonetheless, Daybreak II balanced this implementation, and 1st Chapter has done it more so. In this entry, you have plenty of foes who are either highly resistant to break damage on the field or even reject damage outright. Consequently, it is not remotely viable to rely solely on action combat here, striking a sensible middle ground.

Still, it’s gratifying to pull off when applicable. Each character, whom you can actively swap manual control of across the field at any time, has a standard combo string and special attacks tied to their own gauge; the latter induces major break damage should it land. Everyone controls entirely uniquely and smoothly, with no awkward stiffness whatsoever. Perfect dodges are also in place, rewarding charges for special attacks. It’s lenient, but the cathartic visual and audio design upon impact makes it worthwhile.

Turn-Based Combat and Balance

As for the meat and potatoes here, the turn-based bouts, 1st Chapter is possibly the most balanced entry in the series to date, or close to it at any rate. Strategies like spamming Earth Guard/Wall, a spell that heavily mitigates damage, are no longer superbly effective, now requiring players to consider their entire toolkit at all times. Being able to freely walk around a miniature arena instead of having the lite tile-based tactical approach from the original does make approaches more dynamic, too.

I found myself regularly engaging in cooking for the numerous benefits it can provide, considering the equipment status effect inducement and equipment customization, a feature from later in the series that utilizes its own resource, U-Material. The in-game achievement system, similar to those found in Crossbell and Daybreak, makes every minor feat a celebrated event with distinct items, too. It’s a rewarding experience, both on the Normal and Nightmare modes, the latter of which is potentially the most demanding take on this difficulty in the series that still feels reasonable.

Before introducing further complexity, these turn-based encounters allow party members to perform basic attacks, character-specific techniques known as Crafts, spells called Arts, use items, and defend. The general loop here is to break foes via elemental affinities so you can perform greater damage, and several tools aid this process. For instance, the follow-up attack foundations from other entries have been input here, enabling party members to team up for singular or area-wide strikes via a resource named BG.

Then, some spells impart buffs and debuffs, alongside Crafts that have their own array of boons, such as executing more damage depending on your positioning relative to the targeted foe. Overdrives and Auras are new additions to the mix, essentially character-enhancing states that excel under the right conditions. Lastly, support abilities from later games are available here; basically, mid-battle benefits between two characters that arise depending on their numeric levels.

As a result, each encounter feels highly individualized, bolstered by how the immediately surrounding terrain can impact your positioning. A major improvement from the original Sky is that battles aren’t just easily won by Art-spamming anymore. Crafts were underutilized, and measures have been taken, notably inherent rebalancing, to make it so these two avenues of battle are more equally utilized. Granted, Arts still take center stage, but Crafts are immeasurably more beneficial than they ever were. Moreover, for those curious, the Orbment system of obtaining Arts has been retained from the original Sky.

Put simply, each character has a device called an Orbment that houses elemental stones known as Quartz. Different elemental totals across lines result in unique Art combinations, and each character’s orbment tends to have cases of elemental restrictions, ensuring everyone’s toolkits are approached uniquely. It can take some getting used to, but it’s immensely rewarding and addictive to experiment with, doubly so thanks to clear communication about the elemental cumulative totals needed for Arts.

A Notable Change to Turn Bonuses

Still, one change that may upset longtime fans is that you can no longer steal turn bonuses as freely as was previously possible. To elaborate, Trails games display turn order mid-battle, and certain turns are randomly granted bonuses or penalties for the character or foe taking it. In older games, you could use S-Crafts, essentially a character’s ultimate attack, or other maneuvers impacting turn delay to alter where those turn bonuses would end up. Practically every move would influence the bonus order in some way. However, Daybreak onward changed how this works. Now, in 1st Chapter, only specific abilities, as well as defeating, stunning, delaying, and BP-attacking, can modify the delivery of incoming turn bonuses.

On one hand, the turn order stealing was easily abused in older entries, breaking the difficulty down even further when coupled with delay-based strategies. So, I do understand this design choice, even if it does feel like a trademark characteristic of the series has been reduced. Then again, this also makes those select abilities all the more vital and time-sensitive.

Localization and Additional Content

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter does have a handful of new events and quests, but I wish there were more. These new scenarios are mostly akin to brief divergences rather than truly substantial character deep-dives, which I find to be a bit of a shame. The supporting casts in a few chapters received limited attention in the original release, and this hasn’t been drastically altered here. Of course, not every named character needs a thoroughly explored backstory or the like; it’s just that Sky doesn’t thrive with its NPCs nearly as much as the rest of the series.

Localization has been a hot topic for this release, and seeing as I don’t know Japanese, I can’t comment on the nuances of that matter, though I can comment on the English dub and the general readability of the text. Put bluntly, I didn’t have significant issues with it. An instance involving off-terminology/name from the original game, along with semi-awkward sentence structures, was present, but that was about it in my case.

The English dub mirrors this strength. The cast boasts a variety of compelling performances; it’s undeniable that the majority are in love with these roles. Yet, inconsistency in pronunciations, most notably with ‘Liberl,’ and occasions of peculiar editing on the line reads seep through. It’s a strong dub overall, though, just not quite hitting the highs of other localized releases.

(Minor note: Progression-based trophies may not function correctly if you carry over data from the Prologue demo.)

For those curious, notable customizable options include audio sliders, separate turbo mode options for turn-based and field battles, a 120 FPS mode for supported screens, and remappable buttons. Additionally, it’s possible to swap between the new soundtrack, the arranged version from the PS Vita Evolution release, and the original game. It’s a neat gesture, yet I wish the new arrangements were a bit more daring and not as “safe”.

Verdict: The Ideal Entry Point

Trails has, for years, been this overwhelming, intimidating wall for even veteran JRPG fans deeply familiar with the genre. Over ten games, each of which can eclipse 50, 60, and oftentimes 100 hours of playtime, is no small feat to dedicate oneself to. However, we finally have an absolutely ideal entry point that manages to put Trails on the map for modern, prospective players.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter feels like a love letter to fans and a wholehearted invitation to any individual even mildly intrigued by these games. Whether it be its detailed and continuous overarching narrative or sizable cast, there’s at least something here for all JRPG fans to love, and this remake puts a spotlight on these origins in one of the best ways possible.

Thanks to an updated user interface, a robustly actualized combat system, marvelously bright, striking visuals, and a faithfully woven narrative that touches up on its foundations, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a must-play JRPG that I’d argue is one of the most defining titles of our generation. It’s not perfect, and won’t satisfy every fan seeking something closer to home or bolder and larger than life, but there’s heart here. A heart that respects its roots and celebrates its future, dreaming of what once was and paving the way for an effervescent dawn. Here’s hoping Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter is sooner rather than later.