Review: Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter (PS5)

The Trails franchise presents one of the biggest time commitments in modern gaming. Spread across a total of 13 (thirteen!) interconnected games at the time of writing this review, the series’ density is both its greatest strength and its most talked-about curse.

And so it makes a lot of sense for developer Falcom to revisit the very first Trails game and remake it from the ground up. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is simultaneously a perfect introduction to the franchise and a superb recreation of a classic RPG.

If you’re already familiar with Trails in the Sky, 1st Chapter will feel like coming home after a globetrotting journey. It’s a deeply charming and comparatively cosy game, from a time when the world of Trails didn’t feel quite so expansive or complex.

In truth, it feels fantastic to take a step back from the knotted storylines and colossal character rosters of the most recent Trails through Daybreak titles, and settle in for a game that’s much more personal.

Despite being totally remade in a gorgeous 3D engine — complete with a huge list of gameplay additions and adjustments — 1st Chapter is a very faithful remake of the original release. It follows the same structure almost to the letter, and the narrative hits all of the same beats.

Some tweaks have been made here and there; additional scenes that sprinkle a little more context onto proceedings are a nice touch, and the localised script’s been rewritten to better represent the original Japanese dialogue (which thankfully doesn’t damage the title’s tone in any way).

But overall, this is Trails in the Sky exactly as fans will remember it — just reimagined as a modern Falcom RPG.

It’s also longer than the original. This is largely due to the new newfound scale of the remake’s 3D world, and the more in-depth dialogue scenes — but it hasn’t been transformed into some 100-hour behemoth. Where Trails in the Sky clocks in at roughly 45 hours on a general playthrough, we’d say 1st Chapter rolls credits around the 60 hour mark.

It’s been over 21 years since the original game launched on PC, and the developer will have undergone some serious reformation in that time — but it’s abundantly clear that the team behind 1st Chapter has an unshakeable appreciation for the source material.

The whole adventure really does feel like a labour of love. You can see it in the way that iconic scenes have been recreated, with carefully placed camera angles and often hilarious, over-the-top facial animations. Towns and cities somehow retain their original atmosphere, but they’re now expertly realised as fully 3D environments.

For many players, there’ll be a surreal quality to seeing all of these memorable locations be completely reborn. Heck, it’s crazy just seeing how the old character sprites have been adapted into strikingly detailed 3D models.

This is, hands down, Falcom’s best looking release to date. There’s a greater scope to Daybreak’s setting, you could argue, but 1st Chapter’s cel-shaded approach gives it an unbeatable vibrancy. Combine the visuals with an incredibly neat and tidy user interface, and the package as a whole just feels so supremely polished.

But again, it’s not just an aesthetic upgrade. The remake incorporates many quality of life additions that have made their way into more recent Trails titles. Map and objective markers, for example, eliminate the threat of missing out on optional quests or events — which could be a frustrating aspect of the original game’s design.

And then there’s the combat, which basically fuses the initial action phase of Daybreak with the team-based tactics of Cold Steel, resulting in what we think is one of the most balanced battle systems in the series.

Compared to the latest games, 1st Chapter streamlines the finer points of combat, backtracking to the relative simplicity of the aforementioned Cold Steel saga. You’re free to move characters during command battles before selecting an action, letting you line up different areas of effect in order to maximise damage.

Knock an opponent off balance and you can follow up with attacks from additional party members, which subsequently nets you Brave Points — and they can be spent on all-out barrages that involve your whole team.

The turn-based combat is punchy and dynamic, with just the right amount of risk versus reward in spending your resources at the best possible moment — and it helps that the attack animations are absolutely top notch.

The system really sings when you’ve got a full party, all with their own passive abilities popping off and creating a kind of domino effect that sees you steamroll the enemy.

But with that in mind, it’s a shame that the story so often dictates that you’re stuck with just two or three party members. It’s not until the final couple of chapters that you’re granted a full squad, but that’s obviously how the original release handled things.

It’s difficult to blame the story for this stumble in design, though. Trails in the Sky’s plot deals in mysterious happenings and political machinations — and it’s a solid tale in its own right. But what truly elevates it is its cast of beloved characters, who remain dangerously endearing all these years later.

Dual protagonists Estelle and Joshua — two young adventurers looking to join the senior ranks of the mercenary-like Bracer Guild — play off one another brilliantly, while each of their allies brings a fresh spark of personality to the party.

The only problem with 1st Chapter’s narrative stems from the original game’s pacing. At times, Trails in the Sky is glacial. It takes tens of hours for the plot to start picking up on a broader level, and while the cast do manage to hold your interest with their often humorous interactions, some players will find their patience waning.

But if you can just take it easy and embrace the title’s slow and steady world building, 1st Chapter’s charms shine through in how heartfelt it all feels. Plus, when a chapter’s worth of drama does finally boil over, you’re usually left with a barnstorming conclusion and a great boss fight (or two).

Conclusion

Falcom has outdone itself with Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. This is an incredibly heartfelt recreation of a classic RPG — a remake that retains all of the charms of the original game, while also delivering one of the best, most polished adventures in the entire franchise.

Whether you’re a Trails veteran or a curious newcomer, 1st Chapter is a must-play instalment.