Info about The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky:

Official game description:
Modern society owes much to a mystical technology known as “orbal energy.” Fifty years ago, during what’s come to be known as the “Orbal Revolution,” the invention of this technology and the “orbments” developed from it led to a period of rapid human advancement, birthing innovations of all shapes and sizes -- not the least of which was the airliner, or “orbalship” industry. Although the positive impact of this revolution is obvious, every coin has a flipside; for every beneficial device developed with these new materials, so too were advanced weapons and other implements of war. Thus, the land became mired with turmoil, and remains in such a state even now.  
Enter, the bracers: an organization established to serve as police and intermediaries alike, holding above all else the peace and safety of the lands under their jurisdiction. Whenever a citizen is in need of assistance, he or she may place a request at the local Bracer Guild -- and be it monster extermination, crime prevention or even peace talks among warring nations, the bracers will do whatever they can to resolve the matter cleanly and efficiently.  
Some matters require a gentler touch than others, however. When an orbalship transporting a legendary "S-rank" bracer named Cassius Bright suddenly goes missing, said bracer's daughter, Estelle, and adoptive son, Joshua, must join forces in search of him across the entire Kingdom of Liberl.  
And what they find along the way could change both of their lives forever...  
Hailed as one of the largest, longest and most meticulously detailed turn-based JRPG series of all time, this first chapter in the ongoing _Trails_ saga sets the stage for what's quickly become Ys developer Nihon Falcom's most popular and best-selling franchise in their entire 30+ year history. Introducing people, places, ideas, events and lore that rival in complexity those of even the most highly-regarded fantasy epics in literature, the care and attention given to each and every NPC, location and historical in-game event is what sets _The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky_ apart from its contemporaries.  
Come join Estelle, Joshua, Scherazard, Olivier and the rest of the cast as they uncover the secret underbelly of Liberl in their first 50+ hour masterpiece, and see what Japanese gamers have been raving about for over ten years.
Key Features:
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*   The original version of the first chapter in this historical series, featuring strategic turn-based combat with unmatched customization.  
*   Over 50 hours of gameplay on average, with countless side-quests, collectibles and secrets to encourage replay.  
*   A vast world where every NPC has a name and personality, every town has its own unique politics and economic concerns, and no detail is ever trivial.  
*   Support for a wide variety of fullscreen and widescreen resolutions, including true 1080p HD.  
*   Fully adjustable controls supporting virtually any USB gamepad, as well as a standard keyboard and mouse setup.  
*   Over two dozen unique Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud support and Steam Trading Cards featuring gorgeous anime-style art from the franchise's original artists.  
*   Numerous updates previously seen only in the handheld version, including:  
    \- Selectable difficulty level and new game+ features on subsequent playthroughs  
    \- Full voice-acting during combat  
    \- "Retry Offset" feature to lower the difficulty of battle with each attempt if desired

Release date: 29 Jul, 2014

Categories: Turn-based RPG, Single-player Story, Exploration, Character Progression, World Simulation, Crafting, Inventory Management, Character Customization


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Compelling story, deep characters (weight 0.96): The game features a compelling and well-developed story with intricate plots, political intrigue, and character-driven narratives. The characters are well-written, relatable, and undergo significant development, making their interactions engaging and emotionally resonant. The world-building is detailed and immersive, creating a captivating experience for players.
- Immersive, living world (weight 0.51): The game world feels alive and dynamic due to detailed NPCs, their interactions, and evolving dialogues. The world-building is rich and immersive, with distinct locations and atmospheres that enhance the overall experience. The game rewards exploration and interaction with the world, making players feel like they are part of a larger, living world.
- Excellent, atmospheric soundtrack (weight 0.26): The game boasts an excellent and memorable soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere and emotional impact of the game. The music is well-composed and fits perfectly with the different locations and events, creating an immersive auditory experience. The music is a highlight of the game and adds to its overall charm.
- Aged well, still enjoyable (weight 0.24): Despite its age, the game holds up well and provides an enjoyable experience. The reviewer expresses nostalgia and appreciation for the game's charm and quality. The game is easy to pick up and play, and its graphics do not detract from the overall experience.
- Endearing Estelle and Joshua (weight 0.15): Estelle and Joshua are endearing main characters who undergo significant growth throughout the story. Estelle is a strong-willed and optimistic protagonist, while Joshua is her quieter counterpart, making them a compelling duo. The game focuses on their journey and relationship, making them highlights of the game.
- Classic, high-quality JRPG (weight 0.12): The game is a high-quality JRPG that stands out among others of its era. It has classic JRPG elements, such as an epic saga, beautiful music, and an interesting world. The game is charming and evokes a strong sense of happiness, reminiscent of playing classic games.
- Well-written dialogue, great localization (weight 0.1): The game features well-written and engaging dialogue that contributes to the overall narrative and world-building. The English translation and localization are exceptionally well-done, making the text enjoyable to read and adding wit and character to the game. The dialogue is a strong aspect of the game and enhances the immersion.
- Multiple difficulty levels (weight 0.05): The game offers multiple difficulty levels and a New Game+ mode, providing a customizable and challenging experience. The Hard difficulty provides a welcome challenge for experienced players. The game is manageable without excessive grinding, and Easy mode allows for smooth story progression.
- Characters reappear in sequels (weight 0.03): Seeing protagonists and important characters return in later games is incredibly satisfying. The game sets up characters for an amazing sequel game. Side NPCs have their own stories that progress alongside the main narrative.

Common complaints:
- Slow start, long prologue (weight 0.5): Many reviewers found the game's initial pacing to be slow, with the story, combat, and character development taking a considerable amount of time to develop. This slow start, often described as a lengthy prologue, may deter some players.
- Repetitive, unbalanced combat system (weight 0.38): The combat system is criticized for being unbalanced, repetitive, and sometimes tedious.  Some reviewers found themselves relying on specific strategies or skills, while others felt the need to grind due to inconsistent difficulty spikes.
- Excessive missable content (weight 0.38): The game features numerous missable quests, items, and events, often without clear indication or guidance. This design choice necessitates the use of a guide to achieve 100% completion, which can be frustrating for players who prefer to explore and discover content organically.
- Excessive, uninteresting dialogue (weight 0.36): Reviewers frequently mention excessive dialogue that bogs down the narrative and slows the pacing. Some found the story uninteresting or confusing, with too many loose ends and a lack of compelling character development.
- Dated graphics and design (weight 0.24): The game's graphics and overall design feel dated, reflecting its age. This can be off-putting to players accustomed to more modern visuals and quality-of-life features.
- Limited character customization (weight 0.08): The game's character development and party customization are limited, with linear progression and fixed party members. This lack of choice and variety can make the gameplay feel monotonous.
- Doesn't stand out (weight 0.07): Some reviewers felt that the game didn't stand out compared to other JRPGs they had played. Some reviewers also noted that the game is not a good starting point for the Trails series.
- Missing language options (weight 0.05): The game lacks certain language options, including Japanese audio and subtitles for some languages. This can detract from the experience for players who prefer to play the game in its original language or who require specific language support.
- Heavily interconnected story (weight 0.04): The game's story is heavily interconnected with other entries in the series, making it difficult to fully appreciate as a standalone title. This can lead to confusion or dissatisfaction for players who haven't played previous games.
- Unresolved, cliffhanger ending (weight 0.04): The game's ending leaves many plot points unresolved and feels like a cliffhanger, pushing players to purchase the sequel for a complete resolution. Some reviewers found the ending emotionally unsatisfying or frustrating.
- Game crashes randomly (weight 0.03): The game experiences random crashes, sometimes after applying patches or using specific mods. This instability can lead to lost progress and frustration, deterring players from continuing the game.
- Confusing menu and UI (weight 0.03): The game's menu system and UI are confusing and cumbersome to navigate, especially with a gamepad. This can make it difficult to manage items, skills, and other game functions.
- Camera and map issues (weight 0.03): The game suffers from camera and map issues, including disorienting camera angles, unhelpful world maps, and a lack of maps in dungeons. These issues can make navigation difficult and frustrating.
- Version-specific issues (weight 0.03): The game has issues with different versions, such as the GOG version having cloud save issues and the Steam version lacking certain features. This can create confusion and frustration for players trying to choose the best version of the game.
- Overly difficult final boss (weight 0.02): The final boss fight is criticized for being overly long and challenging, often consisting of multiple consecutive battles. This can lead to player exhaustion and frustration, especially if they are not adequately prepared.
- Difficult to see monsters (weight 0.02): Monsters are difficult to see, leading to unexpected collisions. Dungeons lack mini-maps, making navigation difficult.

Gameplay feedback:
- Strategic turn-based combat system (weight 0.31): The game features a turn-based combat system with strategic elements like character positioning, turn order manipulation, and unique abilities. Battles require planning and utilizing the environment, with some reviewers drawing comparisons to classic JRPGs and tactical RPGs. The system emphasizes character stats and customization, but level differences can sometimes overshadow strategic depth.
- Deep magic customization via Quartz (weight 0.12): The game utilizes a 'Quartz' or 'Orbment' system for magic and ability customization, drawing frequent comparisons to Final Fantasy VII's Materia system. This system allows players to combine different elements and crystals to unlock various spells, passive bonuses, and customize character builds. While offering depth, some find the system overwhelming initially or requiring grinding.
- Combat system mixed reception (weight 0.06): Some reviewers found the combat system to be just okay, simple, or even a snorefest, even when sped up. Others found it deep enough and easy to understand. Difficulty is generally on the easier side, though some early-game content may require a more strategic approach.
- Unique character 'Craft' abilities (weight 0.03): Characters possess unique special abilities called 'Crafts' or 'S-Crafts' that utilize a CP (Craft Points) meter. These skills, especially S-Crafts, can deal significant damage and can be used strategically, even during the enemy's turn. The reviewer spent a considerable amount of time viewing each character's S-Craft.
- Accessibility and anti-grind mechanics (weight 0.02): The game includes accessibility features like a 'Retry Offset' that lowers enemy stats after failed attempts, making battles easier. There's also a system that reduces experience gained from weaker enemies, discouraging grinding. Additionally, random turn-based bonuses like HP healing or critical hits can occur.
- Setting in Liberl Kingdom (weight 0.02): The game is set in the Liberl Kingdom, a world of orbal technology, airships, swords, and magic. The story follows Estelle and Joshua Bright as they become Junior Bracers and explore the Kingdom of Liberl, learning about its traditions and history.
- Dynamic party member system (weight 0.02): Party members join and leave throughout the story based on their own objectives, rather than having a static roster. The game allows for a party of up to 4 characters, with dynamic roles and party splitting mechanics.
- Level-scaled experience system (weight 0.02): Experience gain is heavily influenced by level differences, with underleveled characters gaining significantly more experience to catch up. Conversely, overleveled characters receive minimal experience, signaling the player to advance the story.
- Tactical positioning limitations (weight 0.02): Positioning is not always significant in combat, as movement consumes an entire turn, making area-of-effect attacks more practical. Delaying enemy attacks with moves is a viable strategy. Magic requires a turn to drive, while physical attacks can be used immediately.
- Cooking and crafting mechanics (weight 0.01): The game features a cooking mechanic where players can discover recipes by eating items and then create their own HP-restoring items. This adds a crafting element to resource management.
- Gameplay speed-up option (weight 0.01): The game includes a speed-up button that affects both battles and map movement, allowing players to accelerate the gameplay. However, this also affects the in-game timer, creating a discrepancy with actual playtime.
- Slow-burn, narrative-heavy story (weight 0.01): The game features a slow-burn narrative with a lot of text, focusing on character introductions and world-building. It sets up events for its sequels, with many characters, locations, organizations, and political intrigues.
- Low-stakes early adventures (weight 0.01): Early in the game, tasks include rescuing cats and helping with school plays, indicating a focus on low-stakes adventures. The initial quest involves simple tasks like defeating rats in sewers to earn money.

Performance notes:
- Good performance on PC/Steam Deck (weight 0.08): The game generally runs well, even on older hardware and the Steam Deck. Some users reported needing to adjust settings on the Steam Deck to optimize performance. The PC version supports higher resolutions and ultrawide aspect ratios.
- Occasional crashes and bugs (weight 0.06): Some players have reported crashes and bugs, with one suggesting a potential fix involving hardware vertex shaders. Frequent saving is recommended to mitigate potential progress loss. Crashing issues present at launch seem to have been patched out for some users.
- Steam version needs patches (weight 0.05): The Steam version requires fan-made patches for improved BGM, full voice acting, and better translation/fonts.
- Lag and poor KBM controls (weight 0.01): One reviewer experienced significant lag in certain zones despite having a capable computer. They also criticized the keyboard and mouse controls, suggesting a poor port from the original game.
- Cutscene loading issues (weight 0.01): Some players have reported issues with cutscenes, such as black screens or failures to load. Disabling movies in the launcher settings may resolve the black screen issue.
- Turbo mode bug (weight 0.01): Using Turbo 1.5x in combat can cause the game to lock up; a minimum of 2x is recommended.
- Timer discrepancy (weight 0.01): There is an 8-9 hour difference between the Steam game timer and the in-game timer.

Recommendations:
- Excellent series entry point (weight 0.81): The game is highly recommended as a great entry point to a beloved and expansive JRPG series. Reviewers praise its engaging story, well-developed characters, and immersive world-building, making it a worthwhile experience for both newcomers and veterans of the genre.
- Story-rich, slow-paced JRPG (weight 0.67): The game is recommended for players who enjoy story-rich JRPGs with extensive dialogue and turn-based combat. However, it may not appeal to those seeking fast-paced action or concise experiences due to its slow pace and emphasis on world-building.
- Strongly recommended overall (weight 0.35): Many reviewers express strong positive sentiments, recommending the game without hesitation. However, these points often lack specific details about gameplay or mechanics, reducing their overall constructiveness.
- Play in release order (weight 0.13): Playing the games in the intended order is crucial for understanding the story and characters throughout the series. Starting with later entries like 'Cold Steel' may lead to missed context and a desire to experience the series from the beginning.
- Mixed opinions; consider skipping (weight 0.12): Some reviewers express mixed feelings, with some recommending skipping the game in favor of later entries or summaries due to its flaws. However, others still plan to play the sequel, indicating a divided opinion on the game's overall quality and value.
- Anticipating 2025 remake (weight 0.02): Some reviewers are anticipating the release of a remastered version in 2025. They suggest waiting for the remake to enjoy improved graphics and potentially additional features like French translation.
- Buy sequel during sales (weight 0.02): Reviewers recommend purchasing the sequel (SC) along with the first game, especially during sales. This is because the first game's ending strongly encourages continuing the story immediately.
- Consider gameplay difficulty/speed (weight 0.02): Some reviewers suggest using turbo mode to move and explore faster. Others recommend playing on Nightmare difficulty with Retry Offset OFF for a challenging experience, while some suggest normal difficulty.
- Install Evo Voice Mod (weight 0.02): Installing the Evo Voice Mod is highly recommended to add Japanese voice acting to the first five games. This enhances the immersive experience and allows players to fully appreciate the emotional depth and character development.
- Use guide for completion (weight 0.02): For players aiming for 100% completion or wanting to experience all side content, using a guide is highly recommended. This helps avoid missing hidden quests and in-game books, but be cautious of spoilers.

Other player notes:
- Prologue to expansive series (weight 0.12): This game is the first entry in a large, interconnected series and serves as a prologue to a much larger story. Many plot threads are not resolved within this game, requiring players to continue with the sequels to experience the full narrative.
- Text-heavy; fan patches enhance experience (weight 0.1): The game is text-heavy with limited voice acting, resembling a visual novel. However, high-quality fan-made translation and voice patches are available to enhance the experience. The official Steam version lacks Chinese localization and voice acting.
- Anime art style, steampunk setting (weight 0.05): The game features an anime art style within a steampunk fantasy world, typical of Falcom's JRPGs. The visual style uses sprites pre-rendered from 3D models, evoking nostalgia for PS2-era RPGs.
- Evolving NPC dialogues, hidden quests (weight 0.03): NPCs have unique names and their dialogues evolve as the story progresses. Hidden quests require speaking to almost all NPCs after every main quest.
- Unique, memorable experience (weight 0.03): The Legend of Heroes saga tends to inspire unique and memorable experiences. The reviewer mentions playing the game on Steam Deck and using Proton compatibility settings.
- Story of Estelle and Joshua (weight 0.02): The game follows Estelle and Joshua as they train to become Bracers, who are police-like figures that handle various tasks. The story focuses on Estelle's coming-of-age as she seeks to uncover her father's fate.
- Missable achievements, patch issues (weight 0.01): Some achievements are missable, and applying patches may disable achievements, which could affect achievement hunters.
- Diverse cultural influences, lore (weight 0.01): The game amalgamates diverse cultural and historical influences in a distinct blend of East & West. The game features mysterious lore that serves as a spine to the story.

Emotions:
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