Info about The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd:

Official game description:
Half a year after the events of _Trails in the Sky Second Chapter_, Liberl has settled into peace once again—but even during peaceful times, there are many among the distinguished and fortunate burning with greed thanks to the influence of ancient artifacts. Most of the population remains unaware of their abuses of power, but to the most enigmatic order of the beloved Septian Church, the Gralsritter, snuffing out these would-be villains and claiming artifacts in their name is as everyday as professing one’s faith in the Goddess.  
On the eve of another successfully completed mission, high-ranking member Father Kevin Graham is immediately assigned to retrieve one more artifact that rests beneath Grancel Cathedral. What’s more, even though this is a task he could easily complete on his own, he must reluctantly do so in partnership with his newest recruit, rookie Gralsritter and childhood friend Sister Ries Argent.  
Thus begins the start of a routine mission that becomes anything but, delving into a new and mysterious realm that follows an unnaturally strict set of rules: Phantasma. Therein, the history of the Septian Church and the pasts of the many familiar faces who took up arms for the sake of Liberl’s future will be laid bare…and some may have been better off staying forever sealed behind closed doors.  
*   A More Personal Adventure
    -------------------------
    _Trails in the Sky_ has become a fan favorite for thoughtfully written characters down to its NPCs, and for its final installment further focuses on fleshing out its playable cast via Moon and Star doors found as the story progresses.  
*   Familiar Tactics, Brutal Combat
    -------------------------------
    Widely considered the most challenging title in the series, players are encouraged to iterate upon the combat style they’ve come to know in _the 3rd_’s predecessors by either enjoying its in-depth story on Easy or crying with frustration on its unforgiving Nightmare difficulty.  
*   One More from Falcom Sound Team jdk
    -----------------------------------
    Nihon Falcom is known for its brilliant music, and the _Trails_ series has never been an exception, with _the 3rd_ adding dozens of new tracks to keep players engaged as they journey through Phantasma.  
*   Even More Olivier
    -----------------
    As if two Sky games was enough Olivier.

Release date: May 3, 2017

Categories: Turn-based Combat, Character Progression, Story-driven Gameplay, Branching Narrative, JRPG, Character-driven Narrative, Dungeon Crawler, Mini-games

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 40; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game requires the use of Proton Experimental to function correctly on the Steam Deck, which is a significant technical barrier. Additionally, there are issues with tracking offline playtime. Despite these issues, the game itself is well-regarded for its functionality and cutscenes.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $20.00 - $29.99
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows a mix of opinions on the game's value. Some users feel the game is not worth the $30 price tag due to lack of content, while others believe it is worth the full price, especially for fans of the series. This suggests that the community considers the fair price range to be slightly below the current price, reflecting some dissatisfaction but also acknowledging its value for dedicated fans.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 78.0h
  - Story completion: 40.0h
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: 22.0h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides several key points that help estimate the playtime metrics. The first quote mentions extensive playtime dedicated to achieving nearly all accomplishments and engaging in optional content, indicating a high level of engagement and completionism. The second quote explicitly states a total playtime of around 78 hours, which includes both tracked and untracked play sessions. The third quote discusses hours spent on experimenting with party combinations, suggesting significant time investment in gameplay mechanics. The fourth quote mentions a total playtime of over 100 hours, which includes main and side stories, dungeon exploration, and character leveling. These quotes collectively indicate that players spend a substantial amount of time on the game, with some focusing on completionist activities and others on exploring various aspects of the game.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game starts slow with repetitive and fragmented gameplay but improves significantly as the story progresses, particularly around Chapter 7, where character development and engaging side stories make up for the initial slog.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Chapter 7
  - Time to anchor: 30h 0m
  - Friction: Slow start; Repetitive environments; Tedious gameplay sections
  - Unlock drivers: Strong character development; Interesting side stories
  - Conditions: Focusing on main characters Kevin and Ries; Enjoying lore and world-building
- Player Archetypes:
  - Lore-Seeking Completionist (buy)
    - Motivation: To experience the full narrative and lore of the series.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on completing all story content and exploring all narrative possibilities.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: series fan; JRPG lover
    - Reference games: Trails in the Sky FC; Trails in the Sky SC
  - Challenge-Seeking Achiever (buy)
    - Motivation: To overcome difficult challenges and achieve all in-game accomplishments.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on high difficulty settings and completing all achievements.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: achievement hunter; hardcore player
    - Reference games: Trails in the Sky FC; Trails in the Sky SC
  - Atmosphere Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: To immerse themselves in the game's atmosphere and enjoy its artistic and auditory elements.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on experiencing the game's ambiance and soundtrack.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: music lover; art enthusiast
    - Reference games: Trails in the Sky FC; Trails in the Sky SC


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:
- Excellent character development (weight 0.41): The game features an excellent cast with deep character development, engaging character writing, and a large cast of characters that players loved.
- Rich storytelling and backstories (weight 0.37): The game excels in providing rich backstories for characters, emotional storytelling, and detailed character arcs that enhance the overall narrative.
- Engaging main and side stories (weight 0.36): The main storyline is near perfect and enjoyable, while the side stories are meaningful and worthwhile, adding depth to the game.
- Satisfying trilogy conclusion (weight 0.33): The game provides a great and satisfying end to the Sky trilogy, with many players appreciating the finale and how it wraps up the series.
- Extended and meaningful epilogue (weight 0.27): The game features an extended epilogue that serves as a perfect conclusion, tying up loose ends and providing a satisfying finale.
- Phenomenal soundtrack (weight 0.26): The music and soundtrack of the game are highly praised, with many players noting the exceptional quality and memorability of the music.
- High-quality gameplay (weight 0.23): The game is praised for its enjoyable and great combat system, with tactically deep and engaging combat mechanics.
- Excellent addition to the franchise (weight 0.21): The game is considered an excellent addition to the franchise, highly recommended for fans of the series and a great entry in the Trails series.
- Setup for future arcs (weight 0.19): The game sets up future arcs and character developments, serving as an excellent prologue to the rest of the series.
- World-building and lore (weight 0.19): The game focuses on massive world-building and lore, expanding the universe through side stories and additional content.
- Unique boss battles (weight 0.15): The game features exciting and unique boss battles that are challenging and engaging, adding to the overall combat experience.
- Gameplay improvements (weight 0.11): The game introduces better mechanics, improved combat systems, and enhanced animations, making the gameplay more enjoyable.
- Favorite JRPG experience (weight 0.1): The game is considered one of the best JRPGs, with many players calling it a masterpiece and a highly enjoyable experience within the genre.

Common complaints:
- Game crashes and bugs (weight 0.16): Players have experienced game crashes and various bugs, affecting the overall experience.
- Monotonous dungeon crawling (weight 0.15): The dungeon crawler structure can feel monotonous and tiring, with repetitive content and designs.
- Excessive focus on dungeons (weight 0.14): The game is heavily focused on dungeons, which some players find unappealing and monotonous.
- Reused assets and scenarios (weight 0.14): The game reuses assets and scenarios from previous games, which can feel lazy and uninspired.
- Filler content (weight 0.14): The game is seen as having a lot of filler content, making it feel less substantial.
- Boring and uninteresting doors (weight 0.13): Some doors in the game are criticized for being boring and lacking meaningful interactions.
- Pacing issues throughout (weight 0.12): The game suffers from pacing problems, with slow and inconsistent pacing that affects the overall experience.
- High and challenging difficulty (weight 0.12): The game's difficulty is noted to be high and challenging, which may not appeal to all players.
- Not a proper sequel (weight 0.12): The game is criticized for not being a proper sequel and not comparing well to the first and second parts.
- Tedious mini-games (weight 0.11): The mini-games in the game are seen as tedious and frustrating.
- No Chinese language support (weight 0.1): The game lacks official Chinese language support, and players have had difficulty installing the Chinese language patch.
- Requires prior game knowledge (weight 0.09): The game is not as enjoyable without having played the first two games, requiring prior knowledge for full appreciation.
- Inconsistent gameplay length (weight 0.09): Opinions vary on the gameplay length, with some finding it too short and others feeling it is too long.
- Unnecessary elements (weight 0.08): Some aspects of the game are seen as unnecessary and technically redundant.
- Repetitive locations (weight 0.07): The game features repetitive locations and content, which can make it feel stale.
- Excessive combat (weight 0.07): The game has almost constant battles, which can feel overwhelming and tedious.
- Lack of NPCs and exploration (weight 0.07): The game lacks NPCs and open-world exploration, making it feel limited.
- Slimmed-down content (weight 0.07): The game is seen as slimmed-down and slightly shorter than previous games, offering less content.
- Changes from previous games (weight 0.07): The gameplay and exploration in this game are different from previous games, which may not appeal to all players.
- Grinding can be tedious (weight 0.07): The grinding mechanics in the game can feel tedious and frustrating.
- Lack of new content (weight 0.07): The game is criticized for lacking new graphical content and overall new content.
- Easier than previous games (weight 0.06): The game is noted to be easier compared to its predecessors, which may disappoint some players.
- Lack of side quests (weight 0.06): The game lacks traditional side quests, which can make it feel less engaging.

Gameplay feedback:
- Dungeon crawler gameplay focus (weight 0.34): The game heavily emphasizes dungeon crawling as a core mechanic, with maze-like dungeons and strategic elements.
- Character progression and customization (weight 0.26): Players can develop characters with detailed backstories, customization options, and psychological depth.
- Door exploration and mini-games (weight 0.25): Players explore various doors, including Moon, Star, and Sun Doors, which contain additional stories and mini-games.
- Turn-based combat system (weight 0.17): Combat is tactical and turn-based, incorporating grid-based encounters, speed statistics, and status effects.
- Challenging combat mechanics (weight 0.14): The game offers challenging and combat-heavy gameplay, testing players' abilities with difficult mechanics.
- Difficulty options available (weight 0.11): Players can adjust the difficulty settings, including options like Nightmare difficulty for the final boss.
- Mini-game elements (weight 0.1): The game includes various mini-games, adding extra content and gameplay variety.
- Large roster of playable characters (weight 0.08): There are 16 playable characters, including all playable characters from previous games.
- Traditional and mixed genre elements (weight 0.08): The game combines traditional JRPG elements with visual novel and Souls-like elements.
- Unique magic system (weight 0.08): The magic system includes vulnerabilities to space-time and miracles, with progression centered around this system.

Performance notes:
- Game crashes frequently (weight 0.1): Multiple reports indicate that the game crashes often, including crashes to desktop. This seems to be a significant issue affecting the gameplay experience.
- Visuals are outdated (weight 0.1): The game's visuals are described as dated and reminiscent of PSP-era graphics. Even with upscaling to Full HD, the visuals are considered old-fashioned.
- Black screen issues (weight 0.07): Players have reported issues with the screen turning black, particularly during cut scenes. This appears to be a notable bug affecting the game's presentation.
- Smooth performance on PC (weight 0.04): The PC version of the game is reported to run smoothly, indicating a positive aspect of the game's performance on this platform.
- Bug with in-game timer (weight 0.04): There is a specific bug related to the in-game timer that has been noted by players. This bug could affect gameplay mechanics that rely on timing.
- DirectX settings issues (weight 0.03): Some players have mentioned issues related to DirectX settings, which could impact the game's graphics and performance.
- Improved game speed with CE modifier (weight 0.03): The game speed has been reported to improve with the use of a CE modifier, suggesting a potential workaround for performance issues.
- Steam Deck compatibility (weight 0.03): There is a mention of the game in relation to the Steam Deck, which could indicate compatibility or specific issues with this platform.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for fans of the series (weight 0.59): The game is highly recommended for those who have played and enjoyed the previous games in the series. It is seen as a necessary continuation for fans and those invested in the story.
- Essential for story continuity (weight 0.25): Playing this game is crucial for understanding the entire series' story and character backstories. It is not recommended as a standalone game but is essential for those following the narrative.
- Highly recommended for JRPG fans (weight 0.24): The game is strongly recommended for fans of JRPG games. It is considered one of the best titles in the genre and a must-play for enthusiasts.
- Miscellaneous recommendations (weight 0.09): Various other recommendations include waiting for the remake, playing Trails from Zero on Switch, and supporting the official release.
- Positive sentiments in other languages (weight 0.07): There are positive recommendations and sentiments expressed in other languages, indicating a broad appeal and enjoyment of the game.
- Technical recommendations (weight 0.06): Some technical recommendations include using Proton Experimental for correct cutscenes and finding a save file to play on NG+ for enhanced story and world-building.
- Humorous or outlier comments (weight 0.03): Some comments are humorous or outliers, such as not opening the 15th door in Hell, which add a light-hearted touch to the feedback.

Other player notes:
- Gratitude to content creators (weight 0.07): Players expressed thanks to content creators for introducing the series and gifting the game.
- Voice mod recommendation (weight 0.03): A suggestion for a voice mod was mentioned.

Emotions:
- Excitement (weight 0.17): Players are excited about the engaging story, character development, and unique gameplay mechanics such as the doors system and combat mechanics. The anticipation for future games in the series, including the Crossbell arc and potential remakes, also contributes to this excitement.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.12): The satisfaction comes from the game's conclusion to the trilogy, resolving loose ends, and providing a satisfying ending. Players appreciate the deep character backstories, fan service fights, and the overall completion of the Sky story.
- Joy (weight 0.11): Joy is derived from the character development, emotional moments, and the depth of character relationships. The enjoyable gameplay elements, such as dungeon crawling and mini-games, along with the rewarding JRPG experience, contribute to this emotion.
- Frustration (weight 0.11): Frustration stems from game crashes, screen issues, and punishful game mechanics. Players also express frustration with the repetitive and stale structure of the game, difficulty with certain bosses and mini-games, and the lack of Chinese language support.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.09): Nostalgia is evoked by the conclusion of the trilogy and the farewell to beloved characters. Players reflect on childhood memories, the impact of the game, and the emotional connection to the characters and story.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.06): Enjoyment comes from the game's focus on lore, character depth, and backstory. Players appreciate the fun combat, strategy, and the overall positive experience with the game's new format and optional content.
- Disappointment (weight 0.06): Disappointment is due to the combat system, lack of meaningful interactions, and disconnected stories. Players also express disappointment with the pacing issues, long dungeon delves, and the game not meeting expectations compared to previous parts.
- Sadness (weight 0.04): Sadness is felt when saying goodbye to beloved characters and the emotional ending of the trilogy. The emotional storytelling and the impact of the game's ending contribute to this sadness.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Appreciation is expressed for the deep character development, excellent music, and strong storyline. Players appreciate the narrative depth, strategic combat, and the overall character growth and emotional impact.
- Gratitude (weight 0.02): Gratitude is felt towards the developers, translators, and supporters for making the game available. Players thank the developers for the personal impact and life-changing experience the game provided.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm is driven by the enjoyment of the game's challenging fights, improved gameplay, and enhanced combat potential. Players praise the story, soundtrack, and gameplay mechanics.
- Sad (weight 0.01): Sadness is felt when saying goodbye to the cast and the emotional moments in the game. Players are sad that the Sky trilogy is over and reflect on the emotional impact of the story.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Anticipation is felt for future games in the series, such as Zero and Azure, and the remake of the first part. Players look forward to seeing the cast through the rest of the series and beyond.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise comes from the storytelling in door 15 and the shocking reveals and emotional depth in the game. The meaningfulness of the side quests and the 14-star door also contribute to this surprise.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love is expressed for the brilliant ending of the trilogy and the characters. Players love almost everything about the game, including the character details and lore.
- Happy (weight 0.01): Happiness comes from the charming and tearful farewell to characters, fantastic writing, and character development. Players appreciate the best character and story elements in the game.
- Satisfied (weight 0.01): Satisfaction is felt from the great send-off for the Sky trilogy and the fantastic and bittersweet ending. Players appreciate the conclusion and the overall experience.
- Nostalgic (weight 0.01): Nostalgia is evoked by the memories of the trilogy and the emotional connection to the characters and story. Players reflect on the impact of the game and the trilogy's conclusion.
- Excited (weight 0.01): Excitement is felt for the enjoyable combat, character writing, and the anticipation to start the next arc of the Trails series. Players are excited about the future games and the potential remakes.
- Hopeful (weight 0.01): Hope is expressed for improvements in the remake and the potential for a remake of the game. Players look forward to the future of the series and the potential enhancements.}