Games Happy

Word: This evaluate for The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure goes to imagine that you’ve got performed via or not less than performed a great deal of its direct prequel, Trails from Zero, which was launched final 12 months (you possibly can learn our evaluate of that, right here). When you have not but performed Zero, play that first earlier than taking up Azure, as it’s a direct continuation of the narrative and occasions of the earlier sport!

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure has lastly arrived, and Crossbell is looking. This newest launch marks the primary likelihood that Trails followers have (formally) been in a position to expertise this second journey within the metropolis of Crossbell and the beginning of a 12 months filled with Trails goodness! I have been eagerly ready for this second half of the Crossbell Arc, and the wait is lastly over.  After a while away, it’s time to bust out the ol’ Enigma orbmant, and Zeit treats and rejoin the Particular Assist Part and get again on the case.

Trails to Azure picks up a few months after the tip of Trails from Zero, with Crossbell nonetheless recovering and coping with the aftermath of Joachim and his D:G Cult shenanigans. The Particular Assist Part has seen a little bit of a shake-up with previous favorites Tio, Randy, and Elie away, contending with their very own escapades whereas new, but acquainted, faces Noel and Wazy have joined Lloyd. Followers of the previous squad received’t have to attend too lengthy into Azure for his or her previous favorites to rejoin although, granting you a full squad of six heroes as an alternative of the earlier video games’ core 4.

As a direct sequel, there’s plenty of carryover from the earlier sport when heading into Azure. You can be visiting most of the similar areas, combating the identical monsters within the fields, seeing a number of the similar spell results, characters, and the record goes on, however don’t assume that Azure isn’t chock-full of surprises and new mechanics make the most of. Very similar to its predecessor, Azure retains the identical liberal use of aspect quests to assist additional flesh out the land of Crossbell that followers can count on from any Trails title. Even for its faults, there’s a particular appeal to the town of Crossbell and its surrounding areas that instantly managed to tug me again in. Booting up Azure, it was like hanging out with a pal you have not seen for a very long time however instantly choosing issues off as if no time has handed in any respect. 

It’s this innate familiarity that Azure gamers can have with Crossbell and its residents that makes most of the moments and narrative twists sting just a bit extra. The shock narrative developments in Azure are tense and gripping, and whereas one specific reveal fell a bit flat for me, general the story left me on the sting of my seat more often than not. All of Azure’s wealthy narrative and characters (and all the time entertaining chest quips) have as soon as once more been delivered to English audiences due to the dedication and immense abilities of the Geofront staff, very similar to Zero’s was.

As an individual whose first foray into the Trails collection was with the Chilly Metal saga, whose first two titles run concurrently with most of the occasions of Zero and Azure, I loved witnessing occasions I knew about, however from the Crossbellian perspective. With the ability to stroll across the West Zemuria Commerce Convention, a pivotal second in each Azure and Trails of Chilly Metal, was one such instance. 

Going into Azure, I used to be involved that a number of the pleasure I used to be going to have would find yourself dulled as a result of having witnessed occasions from the Erebonian perspective, however I’m joyful to say that this wasn’t the case. From having discovered of a number of the occasions as depicted in Chilly Metal, I knew stepping into that Crossbell wasn’t going to get out of Azure unscathed, however boy-oh-boy, I  wasn’t ready for precisely what I used to be about to witness.

A majority of the gameplay additions in Trails to Azure are present in its fight system. Gamers of the next Chilly Metal titles will discover that Grasp Quartz really made its debut right here in Azure. These are particular sorts of quartz that will let you additional customise and tailor your SSS staff as each grants totally different passive buffs, from rising injury out of your spells to placing up a reflective protect on a personality when the battle begins. These will degree up and get stronger a lot in the identical method that ordinary social gathering members do, which is able to add to and enhance the bonuses they supply and ultimately give the outfitted character entry to highly effective particular arts that may simply flip the tide of these robust fights.

The second greatest addition is the inclusion of the Burst system. Usually relegated to simply the ultimate areas of Azure’s chapters, as you dish out injury and keep away from taking injury your self, you’ll fill a bar and, as soon as full, might be utilized to let your social gathering take a handful of uninterrupted turns in a row. Arts have zero casting time, permitting you to forged them immediately directly, letting you actually dish out ludicrous quantities of ache on bosses when used on the proper time. As touched on briefly, this tide-turning mechanic is simply out there in the course of the impactful and pivotal moments of the sport, and in addition requires that none of your lively social gathering is knocked out. 

With each the grasp quartz and the burst system, alongside the elevated variety of social gathering members (although you solely have 4 actively taking part in fight at any time), Azure permits gamers way more freedom and selection in designing and outfitting their social gathering. I’m a giant sucker for RPGs that give me plenty of management in how I wish to tailor my social gathering or check out methods, so these had been massive enhancements for me in Azure over Zero. 

As a lot as I loved my time with Azure, surpassing my expertise with Zero, I nonetheless got here away from it with some minor annoyances. Echoing my evaluate of Trails from Zero, I nonetheless want that NIS America had invested in doing an English language dub for Azure, although the Japanese voice forged continues to do a stellar job. Who is aware of, maybe one-day NISA will launch a patch that provides it into the sport; fingers crossed. 

One other small annoyance was that there are just a few moments the place you might be required to make use of particular characters in sure fights so as to progress. Very similar to any RPG, you might be certain to seek out your “predominant crew” that you simply spend the vast majority of your time with and design a common technique round — every time you might be compelled to swap one among them out for another person, whatever the sport, it may be a bummer. Fortunately although, these conditions in Azure are on the uncommon aspect and solely happen a handful of occasions, so it by no means grew to become greater than only a easy annoyance within the scheme of issues.

The opposite aspect of that criticism has to do with the retry system whenever you lose encounters. Trails video games usually have an amazing characteristic — one which needs to be adopted extra extensively — the place you possibly can retry a combat as-is or cut back the problem only for the combat and retry that method. What I would want was additionally an possibility, one which (fortunately) was added to later video games however is absent right here, is the power to retry a combat whereas having the ability to entry your social gathering menu to regulate gear or social gathering members first. As an alternative, some fights had been made way more troublesome just because I had the fallacious accent outfitted that didn’t cease a standing impact from touchdown that I couldn’t tackle whereas utilizing the retry possibility. I get pleasure from how troublesome battles might be in Azure, but it surely’s annoying that until I’m keen to scale back the problem or reload an earlier save and hopefully not lose an excessive amount of progress, you possibly can simply be caught in an almost unwinnable encounter in any other case.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure is an unimaginable instance of the RPG style; with its wealthy world and lore paired with a loveable forged of characters, this duology of video games deserves to be acknowledged in the identical breath as the opposite titans of the style. Titans that I believe the Crossbell video games surpass even. I like the Trails video games and Azure has additional cemented this collection as one among my favourite RPG franchises of all time. I can’t wait to affix again up with the Particular Assist Part later this 12 months with Trails Into Reverie. Trails followers, we’re consuming good this 12 months, and Trails to Azure is one hell of a beginning course.

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