Remake. But also, more like a reimagining because it plays differently.
I explain all this in my review.
BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I saw this on Steam but the “1st Chapter” subtitle is a red flag. Is this a remake of a complete game or a partial release like the FFVII remakes?
atomicpoet@lemmy.world 1 day ago
BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I was trying to figure out whether it was a complete experience on its own. @missingno@fedia.io clarified that it’s a remake of the first game in a trilogy. I was concerned it was being released episodically and I’ve been burned on incomplete episodic releases too many times.
Katana314@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
Falcom seems to be doing okay, but if they suddenly go bankrupt, you could just play the original SC on Steam to finish the story.
atomicpoet@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Not sure if my review comes off too text-heavy, but I aim to cover this game in detail.
I dig into its history—because this isn’t just any JRPG. Its pedigree stretches back to 1984 on the PC-88.
naticus@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Sorta. It’s so loosely connected to the Dragon Slayer and contains almost no reference back to anyone before Trails actually started in 2004. Yes, I know, these are the origins, but saying “it’s not just any JRPG” makes it sound like the preceding series would be relevant to Trails too. I would say that the only games that you’ll ever see meaningful references to would be the Gagharv trilogy, but even then, not canon to Trails.
I think the more impressive thing is that Falcom has been making RPGs since before “JRPG” was a used term. Before Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy ever took the stage.
Either way, loving the remake, it’s truly one of the most faithful remakes of any games I’ve ever seen, regardless of genre. It’s insane that at a glance I recognize literally every area compared to the original.
emb@lemmy.world 1 day ago
The game it’s a remake of was a very full experience. The original and its sequel were know as FC (first chapter) and SC, I think mostly in retrospect.
Vague spoilers for the story arc
While the original Trails in the Sky was very full, it does end on a cliffhanger that sets up directly for the sequel.
missingno@fedia.io 1 day ago
The original was part of a trilogy, this is a remake of that same first game in the trilogy.
BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Thank you, that’s what I was trying to figure out. I’m guessing that the worst case scenario is that I can play the originals if they don’t remake the sequels. I think I’ll pick this up. I could use a good story-based single player game.
naticus@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Yeah the reason for the naming is that the original games were Trails in the Sky FC (First Chapter) and SC (Second Chapter) because it was supposed to be one game. And the scope of the story got so huge that it would never have been reasonable to release it as just a single game. FC was a 40-60 hour game while SC was 60-80 hours.
The 20 hour gap on each is really how much a player dug in because nearly every single NPC has their own story going on in the sidelines and some people (myself included) actually end up following them all at every story transition. They reoccur throughout this game and later games too, so the attention to detail to keep an these things happening is fairly incredible.
To further answer your original question though, FC really does need SC to get a satisfying end, but FC is a beloved entry anyhow from all the world building it provides.
The series is currently 12 games and will be 13 soon. That’s 4 major story arcs that all connect, get referenced, have some reappearing characters and talk of those past events, etc. In comparison to more well known JRPG series, it’s not like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest because this is not an anthology series.
atomicpoet@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Thank you for succinctly explaining why Trails in the Sky is such an artistic achievement.
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 hours ago
I think they’ve already announced that they’re remaking SC (Second Chapter). As the other commenter said, it’s more of a duology so I dunno if they’ll remake the third.
Katana314@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
I’d say it’s more accurate that it’s part of a “duology”. Die-hard fans insist on playing the 3rd game to absorb Deep Lore, but it’s not a part of the satisfying bookended arc starting from the first game. You don’t even play as the same main character. Frankly, I’m not sure if they’re going to remaster it.
Theories say the second game will release in a year, but game dev schedules tend to go wild. I wouldn’t blame anyone for waiting until then, since it is a big cliffhanger. It’s well written, doesn’t feel cheesy, and feels like an “ending”, but sucks to be left there wondering.
Ashtear@lemmy.zip 8 hours ago
Sky 3rd is simply the third game in this continuous series. It’s not a “die-hard fan” thing. It’s the third work, just as much the third season of a TV series or a third novel in a novel series. Whether or not it’s a good work is a matter of taste. But whether it’s a necessary part of it is not up for debate.
It wraps up the first arc of a major throughline in the series and starts many more.
Katana314@lemmy.world 8 hours ago
Ahem, erm, technically, hah…there’s also a manga that connects the events after SC! Bet that makes you feel silly, being wrong and all. /s
Whether it’s necessary is not a matter of what the Lord and Savior Mr. Falcom says. It’s purely down to whether players will enjoy playing it. They also make Ys, and the same rule applies there. Honestly, if it was “necessary” to play Sky 3rd in order to enjoy Zero/Azure, I probably wouldn’t recommend any of the three. This even extends to my favorite series, Ace Attorney; part of what makes them great is that you can technically enjoy any of them in any order.
To prevent sounding too negative, 3rd does refine the combat formulas a bit, and adds some cool characters and moves. For me, that wasn’t enough to justify it. Mainly, I don’t want people with limited time worrying they “must” play 3rd to avoid getting snubbed by key unexplained details. Some people that enjoy that kind of extensive lore, or read every codex entry, may love it, but that’s definitely NOT what everyone plays for.