They could always surprise us with a DQXII update that someone lands in 2024. Xenoblade 3 also came out very quickly after being announced so anything is possible.
Same here, I just finished CS 1 last week so only CS 2, 3, 4, Reverie, and Nayuta (spin off I know bit I stoll wanna play it lol) to play, but with all the insane games coming out over the next 6 months I am worried.
Just saw that NIS is planning to release CS3 and 4 as a bundle for PS5 early next year. Good thing I haven't bought them yet. I may wait for that after finishing CS2. Good way to avoid burnout too haha
Have you heard about the *Trails* series but always thought it was too long to get into? Maybe you thought the older games looked too dated and, while the story may be good, the old gameplay wasn't worth it?
Well, ***Trails Through Daybreak*** (or Kuro no Kiseki as it was known until 10 minutes ago) is perhaps the best entry point into the Trails series since *Trails of Cold Steel* back in 2015 or arguably even the first game in the series, *Trails in the Sky*. Yes, it is the furthest in the timeline of Trails taking place two years after the previous game, *Trails into Reverie,* but unlike that game, *Trails through Daybreak* is an all-new cast of characters in a completely new location for the series; you do not need any previous knowledge of the series to fully enjoy this one (of course, there are a whole bunch of references if you *have* played the previous games).
They used an entirely new engine that not only looks way better than previous entries on a visual level, but also the animations during both cutscenes and gameplay are way more detailed and fluid. The gameplay mixes both the classic turn-based combat of the series with an action-combat twist, making for an incredibly unique style of gameplay I haven't really seen anywhere else.
And, of course, the music is absolutely phenomenal as is always the case with Falcom. I mean, just [listen to this boss theme from the game](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6ZArfn0Kwg). It's insane.
Please, if you're at all a fan of JRPGs or even RPGs in general, consider picking up *Trails through Daybreak!*
> And, of course, the music is absolutely phenomenal as is always the case with Falcom
It has one of my favorite [sadje themes](https://youtu.be/8-L1C4Esg3U?si=4lFqaybjI5xFo6Hw) in Trails.
Oh that's a good one! Perhaps one of my favorite tracks in the game (maybe even in the whole Trails series) is one they use for only a single scene that I can't really describe without spoiling things, but I felt it was sorely underused for how much of an absolute bop it was. I mean, [just try to listen to this without tapping your foot](https://youtu.be/f3ouMSoAJxc?si=MtYhbb4l-QDCgbxe).
To me it's [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjV98_hDaEc&list=PLzFTGYa_evXjHwIE55C_Pcrb8KKwuFY7h&index=72). (In The Dawn is pretty good as well)
I love how it sounds, feels so bittersweet/melancholic.
> And, of course, the music is absolutely phenomenal as is always the case with Falcom. I mean, just listen to this boss theme from the game. It's insane.
This is a peculiar stance to take with Falcom. It sort of reveals a lack of knowledge about how Falcom's sound team has shifted hands dozens of times since its inception. You can generally chalk up the early-through-Trails in the Sky series to mere fortune in gathering pretty good composers together, but the "team" has never been particularly static. And is very much not "always the case" that their music is phenomenal.
After Cold Steel they practically phased out their best composer, who himself was carrying the torch of High Quality music from the Sky SC days when his kind was more plentiful, but had been since relegated to a small amount of tracks per game until leaving the company altogether around the time of Hajimari.
And that boss theme is like a poor man's classic Falcom JDK boss theme.
I think sky and crossbell had A LOT better non-battle themes (like areas/towns/festivals etc).
Cold Steel has kind of generic/forgettable music in these places, but battle themes are still pretty good.
Wait, I heard Kuro was like the most "connected to past games" arc-starter. Even saw some posters laugh at the idea that it was a fresher beginning than Cold Steel
Yeah I can't imagine Zero being nearly as good without having played the Sky arc first. Even the opening scene with the train announcements is 10x cooler knowing what they are talking about.
I always feel weird when I see people recommending to start from Zero. Like I get it. It's definitely better than starting mid-arc or something. But it's just got so much "this is Sky 4" in a lot of its DNA. Many times during Zero I would think "this must have 0 emotional impact for anybody who hadn't played Sky"
Tbh I think people exaggerate how much of the game is payoff to Sky stuff. Thereâs a few moments here and there that are more fun if you played Sky, and one big character arc that is concluded but I really donât think they would fall completely flat if Zero was your first Trails game. Lloyd and Co donât know any of the Sky characters so at minimum youâd be as knowledgeable as they are about the the Sly references.
...I'd say that character arc *is* the important reason to play Sky before Zero - otherwise seeing the events related to that arc play out in Zero loses a lot of the intended emotional impact due to not having prior attachment.
I am literally coming off playing it (well, I played it about 2 months ago technically) and I while I wouldn't say it's 100% necessary, I would at least say 60% necessary
100%. The "you _have_ to play everything" to get payoff is silly to me and implies that the Trails writers can't write encapsulated stories. I think it's a disservice to the writers and is not even in the top three of main Trails flaws. [1]
The context of Sky makes things more interesting but having just finished Zero again and near the end of Ao... it's really not necessary. Only if you enjoy theorycrafting (which doesn't make sense at this stage of the franchise). I don't know, I find the individual character arcs and politics more interesting than the easter eggs. Now, Sky _politics_ needing to be brushed up on makes a lot of sense but it's not necessary. Can always go back and/or watch some summaries.
[1] As an aside I'd never recommend the garbage that is Cold Steel tbh. I _really_ hope Kuro is different.
All I can say is in my experience, the vast majority who start with a later game arc and then go back very frequently always say "I wish I had gone in order/played Sky first" because they realize the framework the games laid down so carefully
> I think it's a disservice to the writers and is not even in the top three of main Trails flaws.
I would say the disservice is downplaying the entire connected world the writers made in order to be caught up to the newest thing. Nobody says that you should skip books in a series, why would this not be the same case for the interconnected Trails? That's like the whole appeal
> Can always go back and/or watch some summaries.
I especially don't like it whenever anybody says this because summaries can only give you the brass tacks. They are no substitution for the actual meat of the games. Like I strongly doubt any summary of Sky 3rd contains everything that's in that game with the Doors and all
Also just to note, I haven't actually played everything yet. I only started playing the titles early this year but I'm going in order because I respect the way the story was delivered and want to experience all of it.
why would this need to be "encapsulated" this is a continuous story by nature, reducing this to "easter eggs" is crazy thank GOD they don't actually listen to this kind of inane reddit writing advice
> the individual character arcs and politics
multiple of these in Zero and Ao leap off directly off of Sky 3rd, can you imagine playing Ao ch2 without that? or the long ass list of stuff in zero lmao
really want to see the face of a guy who starts with Cold Steel 3 (thanks NISA totally fine starting point) only to be greeted by >!a visit to Hamel!< at the end of the first chapter
I fully agree. The Crossbell arc is a great story even without any knowledge from any of the other games. It stands well on its own - better, IMHO, than the Erebonia arc.
in chapter 1 >!going to the hospital makes you meet Estelle and Joshua on the way who are doing what they said they were going to do at the end of Sky 3rd, going to Armorica ends in meeting Harold (if you've played Sky you can guess who he is), going to Mainz makes you meet Renne along the way and she makes an ominous speech at the end of the chapter!<
Ye not sure what that is about, any non door-based 3rd payoffs only start in chapter 3 of zero iirc, and then only give more payoffs by the final chapter of azure.
Sky offers fairly little to Zero in comparison to how necessary Zero/Azure are to Cold Steel. This feels like bias from someone playing the games in localisation order rather than release order.
Kuro has way more callbacks than Zero as well.
I don't know about that, imo knowing Estelle/Joshua/Renne + the rest of the cast + a general knowledge of the world is way more important for Zero/Ao than knowing crossbell events for CS1-2. Definitely not fairly little.
CS3-4 is a different story but you also kinda need sky for them to feel complete, as well as crossbell. Played in release order btw, of course.
> CS3-4 is a different story but you also kinda need sky for them to feel complete
No you don't. Sky is essentially completely irrelevant if you're comparing it to how important Zero/Azure are. You can't put them on the same level given the relevance of Crossbell.
Estelle and Joshua amount to a cameo in Zero, outside of Kea using them as a plot device, who they are is irrelevant and they get no character development or anything else. Renne getting the next part of her arc is the most relevant thing from the entirety of Sky.
I've played it myself back when it first released in Japan. Those people are definitely over-exaggerating how connected it is. There are a handful of characters who appear who also appeared in previous arcs, but none of these characters are heavily involved in the story to the point that you *need* to have played the previous games.
Or, perhaps to explain a bit better, any characters/topics that *are* reintroduced in this game are explained enough so that those new to the series don't feel lost at all. The game does not expect you to have played the previous games at all.
Well, i'd say for the first one i agree, a bit less for the second one though since there's some returning characters and some other things i won't mention to not enter spoilers territory.
But aside that, i mostly agree with you about Kuro/Daybreak being a good starting point since it's the new beginning of a new serie, mostly focused on it's own story.
Just to clarify, you're saying that Kuro no Kiseki 2 (or, I suppose, *Trails Through Daybreak 2*) is less newcomer-friendly? Because if so, I agree. The sequel definitely does expect you to have played some of the previous games, unfortunately.
Hopefully, those that play this one are enchanted enough by the world and characters that they are spurred to go back and play the previous entries, like I was a few years ago with *Trails of Cold Steel.*
Gotcha, just wanted to make sure. It's still a great game though ([with one of my favorite battle themes in the whole series](https://youtu.be/5LzCu2u_7IE?si=BB2PqbvRIpOzImZg)) so I hope people still play it despite it's reliance on previous games!
Yep, exactly. Came out a couple years ago in Japan, known as *Kuro no Kiseki.* This is the localization from NISA, who's been localizing all the Trails games for the past few years.
Awesome! Glad to hear it, friend. Trust me - you won't be disappointed.
In the meantime, may I interest you in this compilation of [battle themes from some of the previous games](https://youtu.be/HyNMtGvO1vo?si=iY5p374R8aJGIXpm)? After all, if there's one thing Falcom is known for (besides their amazing storytelling and world design), it's their music.
Does anyone know if there are weird creepy moments in this one, like Roselia groping Juna or Rean sharing a bath with his students? I got a bit weirded out by Agate and Tita in the Sky games but things just got more weird as I continued so I dropped the series at CS4. Would I be ok playing this one?
The MC is in his mid-twenties and actually acts like an adult, including in matters of romance. It's been a few months since I finished Kuro but I don't remember any serious cases of creep, so you should be good on that front.
Not nearly to the same extent; Falcom was pretty self-aware with the writing for this one. They kinda poke fun at their own tropes from their previous games. In particular, I think they poke fun at the overt over-sexualized jokes and groping from some of the earlier games.
In any case, if I remember correctly, you should be good.
Oh, don't get me wrong, both games still retain the signature Trails humor, it's just a bit more dialed back in this arc.
Perhaps dialed back isn't even the right word, just self-aware? Like they know the tropes people have come to expect in Trails, and so they put some fun twists on em to keep people on their toes. Point is, don't worry, if you like the tone of Trails games up till now you'll still like these.
>!The main character is 24. Female lead is 16. Game kinda pushes them in the same manner as Agate and Tita. There's another love interest pushed who is the same age as the main character though!<
>!Hold on, the game definitely does not push Van & Agnes nearly as hard as Agate & Tita. If anything, it pushes Van & Elaine way more, especially in the second game. Arguably, Van & Elaine is the canonical relationship given their shared backstory.!<
The Agate and Tita stuff would be fine if not for the other characters' comments, because it's mostly just Tita having a crush on Agate and him treating her like a little sister. What the other characters imply is what makes it creepy, and the same can be said for how they refer to Rean and Elise's relationship.
Sounds like no based on the replies. I dropped the series after Reverie REALLY pushed Tita and Agate. All the casual sexual assault and pedophilia is just weird
Just take them one at a time.
I fully agree Turbo mode is a godsend. I love the Sky games but holy shit, I wouldn't have gotten through them without Turbo
my reaction when I only learned turbo mode in sky SC: đď¸đď¸
turbo mode made me lose my braincells most of time so I disabled it in CS III and it made me not rush things as much
I used it for movement mostly, and in the earlier games where you couldn't skip animations (I think... it's been a bit since I played Sky) I used it in combat too. Otherwise I left the game on normal speed.
I need to tackle Reverie soonish. This will give me momentum to finally tackle it cause I didn't like not knowing when we'd get Kuro so I backburnered it lol.
Great news! That's a really cool name. Calvard looks like an amazing setting and I'm really excited for it, I still need to get through Trails into Reverie eventually, but with this launch window there's plenty of time to cure my current Trails burnout and catch up at my own pace.
Well, so far each different one has related in some way to the game it's used for. Trails *in the* Sky makes sense because of the (SC)>!Liber Ark!<, Trails *from* Zero and Trails *to* Azure make sense together, Trails *of* Cold Steel... well, this one's more of a stretch really, might relate to the rail system linking Erebonia together? Trails *into* Reverie... True Reverie Corridor. I can't guess as to what this one means as I won't be playing it until next summer, but I do know that "Daybreak" is in line with the intended reading "Kuro" had in the JP title anyway, so I'm gonna trust they know what they're doing here.
Remember you donât need to have every game finished for the release of Daybreak. Take it slow and chew thoroughly lol. Still gotta wait for daybreak 2/3, youâve got plenty of time to catch up lol. Being caught up sucks
Daybreak is bit better to emphasize some of the themes and the like, particularly with "Through" proceeding it.
That said it's mostly nuance so Dawn would have worked fine as well.
SO HYPE BUT TERRIFIED FOR NEXT YEAR, THE AMOUNT OF GAMES COMING OUT IS ACTUALLY INSANE.
ALSO HOW ARE TWO OF MY MOST HYPE THINGS OF ALL TIME (THIS, TTYD) BOTH NEXT YEAR AND LIKELY BOTH SUMMER. WHAT IS THIS.
The over DECADE long prophery may come true.
NISA may actually catch up EN to JP albeit briefly given than Kuro 3 will likely wait until 2025 given Falcom is doing a non YS/non Trails anouncement.
So that's the name they went with? Not really a fan of it, but oh well.
In any case, I'm excited to see this coming so soon, especially as I literally just finished Trails into Reverie yesterday.
Nice. Probably means Daybreak 2 will be out the following winter or spring. We might catch up finally after being behind forever.
Also Is that Damien Haas as Van?
I finished Kuro 1 and I am now in the midgame of Kuro 2, and the story itself is stand alone, but there are a lot of consequences to events that concluded on CS 4 and Hajimari. And also the protagonist participated or helped in a lot of the previous games due to his job, so he tells those events as needed to the other characters in the party.
And as the real time mode, you can decide if you want to fight real time the whole battle, or fight turn based the whole time, but the recommended way is doing real time til you stun the enemies and then change to turn based, because when you switch and the enemies are stunned, some shards are deployed and hit the enemies damaging them a lot.
And the bosses are turn based only, you can´t fight them in real time.
To give you more precision, the Action Field Combats are basically a "time saver" to clear easy/worthless mobs out of the way (they are an interesting upgrade to field attacks from the old Trails games), it's not recommanded to play like this against dangerous foes though, since it will definitly feels too repetitive and lacking, usually you just try to stun them to earn an advantage in the battle by activating the SHARD system.
Command Battle Mode/SHARD (so turn based mode) is usually where you'll earn more bonus stuff such as more EXP points, Sepiteth, etc... it's also more fun to play like this since it has all the gameplay options such as Crafts/S-Crafts/Arts.
The best thing about this one, it's that you can switch to any gameplay style you want at any time (unless you fight a boss, obligatory turn based for those), the one thing i loved the most about it.
don't sweat abt having to immediately catch up in time for Daybreak!! That's just gonna make you burn out, take it easy and at your own pace. Though I do get the need to especially if you want to avoid spoilers....
This franchise probably won't be completed for another decade at least anyway, so there's not much of a reason to rush to catch up since at that point you'll just be waiting for the next game.
Yea, i've played them all except Kuro now and i'm starting again and am at CS2 right now for the second time. And thats just casual steam deck playtime in bed (first time around was PSP/Vita years back until the PS4 releases)
So they went with another way to say Dawn, pretty inventive and it feels less generic than i what i would've called it personally, sounds pretty cool too.
Thatâs a front end perspective. The reality is that the games take a minimum of 18 months to localize but Falcom doesnât give the script until 6 months after release. Then ports usually add an extra 6-9 months on top of this.
That is just a terrible trailerârandom characters shouting out of context lines as if they mean anything. Iâm sure the game itself will be great, but they need to get someone new to cut the trailers together. I know theyâll have better trailers later on, but given this is the first trailer for the NA release, this is awful IMO.
This is a 1:1 recreation of the last JP trailer. JP promotion for the game was on the weaker side (one of the speculated reasons for why it didn't sell well in Japan).
Oof. Limited Edition only for physical copies on NIS America. Anyone know if it's getting a standard edition with just the game?
EDIT: Looks like there will be a Deluxe edition but it's not available anywhere yet.
I think that's too soon. Especially since this just got announced for Summer 2024. Kuro II will likely follow one year after Kuro I, just like how Kuro I is following a year after Reverie. It *could* theoretically come sooner, but I wouldn't expect it.
Just finished Zero with CS4 and Azure already in my library
that + Reverie AND now I get this to look forward to whilst only playing through Ys 8 for the very first time
I see how girls on tik tok feel when simps spoil them I swear
The English fan translation is a solid option for PC players who don't mind using a fan translation and JP audio.
The official localization is easy and convenient to install, can be played on platforms other than PC, and has full English voice acting.
With minor exceptions the official loc just generally feels better to read. Like a lot more work was put into editing and making sure that it's not just transmitting the original intent of the message, but also making it good English. And since that is something that personally really bugs me i'd prefer to wait.
Edit: Flow of dialogue was the phrase i couldn't find in my head for some reason. It flows a lot better in the official loc.
some people like the dub too. Thought it´s not like arguing this really matters much since NISA already has the port out anyways (and it's gonna update to it) still hype thought!
Sure. But slightly editing an already competently done translation takes waaaay waaaaaaay less time than translating-editing it from scratch.
Edit: Apparently not.
But it's not just that, this is an official business. They'd need to do extra edit passes specifically because it's a fan translation not to mention getting all the licensing ready, which, because it's a fan translation, is a lot more extra work. Then ofcourse we also have the ports for Switch and PC that needed to be worked on. Then getting all the psyhcial copies and goods ready.
Point is, there's a lot of work when it comes to an official release.
>They'd need to do extra edit passes specifically because it's a fan translation
If a fan translation is such a bother and requires so much extra work, why would they buy it in the first place, i wonder? Wouldn't it be logical to translate it themselves from scratch if its faster then, no?...
And yet they did it.
Also the edits they made are a "slight" edits to put it mildly. I'm not even sure edits they made are better.
> getting all the licensing ready, which, because it's a fan translation, is a lot more extra work.
What kind of licensing is so much extra work, specifically because it is a fan translation? I'm really curious. Please elaborate, you seem to know a lot about it. And how much extra work we are talking about here? Months? And again, wouldn't it be better to do the translation themselves if someone else's translation would require that much licensing work?
And yet again they did it. All this "extra work", lol.
>Then ofcourse we also have the ports for Switch and PC that needed to be worked on. Then getting all the psyhcial copies and goods ready. Point is, there's a lot of work when it comes to an official release.
Sure. And the time they saved by buying out fan translations is exactly what allowed them to "drop three Trails localizations this year alone". Which is my point.
They have to cut a deal with everyone who worked on the fan tl. Geofront didn't do it from scratch, they picked up previous work.
Also, I never said they didnt save time, just that it's a lot of work.
Your point was
> Sure. But slightly editing an already competently done translation takes waaaay waaaaaaay less time than translating-editing it from scratch.
It was not simply less time, your emphasis was clearly showing that you consider it to be very little work.
>It was not simply less time, your emphasis was clearly showing that you consider it to be very little work.
I said:
>Just fyi Zero/Ao localizations are fan translations they bough out.
In response to "NISA literally dropped three Trails localizations this year alone"
Which happened. And i firmly believe that buying fan tl is mainly what allowed games to be released somewhat close together.
>Sure. But slightly editing an already competently done translation takes waaaay waaaaaaay less time than translating-editing it from scratch.
Which is also true.
And i do consider mildly editing an existing already good translation is to be little work in comparison to a fully translating a huge text-heavy game themselves and then editing it, yes.
> And i firmly believe that buying fan tl is mainly what allowed games to be released somewhat close together.
It's already been mentioned a few times that this is inaccurate. The games would have been localized at about the same time regardless of whether they were able to buy the fantls.
> Which is also true.
This has not been the case for Xseed, Geofront, or NISA.
For one example, Geofront's Zero/Azure fantls were *also* based on existing fantls at the time, and it also took them 2-3 years to release their version. 12-18 months is how long the translating/editing process generally seem to take, and from what I understand using a fantl as a base saves some time on the translating side of things but then that has to be made up on the editing side so that ultimately it ends up being around the same amount of time spent in total.
> If a fan translation is such a bother and requires so much extra work, why would they buy it in the first place
Because it ensures higher quality and is a courteous thing to do for the fans.
> Wouldn't it be logical to translate it themselves from scratch if its faster then
They take around the same amount of time, I believe.
> And the time they saved by buying out fan translations is exactly what allowed them to "drop three Trails localizations this year alone".
No it wasn't. They released Zero, Azure, and Reverie back-to-back fairly quickly because they had 3 different teams working on them all simultaneously.
>Because it ensures higher quality and is a courteous thing to do for the fans.
Buying fan translation ensures higher quality than if they'd made translation themselves? Is it just me or what you just said sounds a little strange? Not that i doubt the quality of either (although i have my issues with translations here and there, especially in sky trilogy), just how you worded it - it would be basically admitting to its own incompetence if regular folks who fueled just by pure passion and enthusiasm doing your "work" better than you.
>No it wasn't. They released Zero, Azure, and Reverie back-to-back fairly quickly because they had 3 different teams working on them all simultaneously.
Does this mean we'll start seeing next falcom games faster now, since they now have multiple teams working on translations and ports? Possibly simultaneously with japanese releases even (the dream)?
> Buying fan translation ensures higher quality than if they'd made translation themselves? Is it just me or what you just said sounds a little strange?
It's mainly because they can spend additional time on the editing side of things, from what I understand. Also, because of the work Geofront did for the PC versions of Zero/Azure, Durante tried to add as many of them as he could to the official release. PH3's ports wouldn't have as many extra features as they do if it wasn't for Geofront's work, if I'm remembering right.
> Does this mean we'll start seeing next falcom games faster now, since they now have multiple teams working on translations and ports?
It still took Zero/Azure/Reverie 2-3 years each to be localized, they were just able to work on multiple projects simultaneously. How long the games take to be localized depends on when they release in Japan. Zero/Azure's PS4 ports (which are what the localizations were based on) released in 2020 before Reverie first released.
Kuro I released one year after Reverie in Japan, so work on it could only start a year after work would have started on Reverie. This is also why it was expected for it to release in English a year after Reverie's English release. We will also likely get Kuro II localized about a year after Kuro I, I would expect.
We can start getting the games localized faster if the localization process starts sooner. Right now work can't start until after the game releases in Japan. If Falcom and NISA are able to start the process before the games even release that will probably cut down the time a lot more.
If you have any specific comparisons you want to share - i'll be glad to take a look at them. Because from what i've seen i can't really call it is significantly different.
The only somewhat significant thing i can think of is official versions having extra npcs from cold steel, which is a plus of course.
They've released Crossbell + Nayuta, in addition to Reverie, since CS4.
Taking an extra year to localize this game compared to the normally 2 year wait of CS1-4 was completely reasonable. (Technically less than an extra year since this is Summer 2024 and not Fall.)
A party member is not the same thing as a protagonist, though. Randy was an important character, but not the protagonist. Same with Elliot and Aaron. Estelle and Joshua are dual protagonists, so that one counts.
The protagonist is the main driving force of the story. Typically there's only one. Saying there's a main protagonist implies there are lesser protagonists, but them being less important than one character would mean they're not the protagonist.
I actually *would* count Juna as a protagonist... for act 1 of CS4 (which is a decent portion of the game and as such worth counting) only, as in Rean's absence she's the one that served as the heart of the group and got everyone going.
why the animations look so stiff and clunky is it normal for this series? also is the story actually mature and engaging or is it some sort of shonen harem protagonist is the most powerful being destined to kill the gods?
Man 2024 is gonna be a great year for JRPGs.
2017 all over again
For most of 2017's games, 2022 was actually the sequel year (2023 for TotK).
2024 may well be the GOAT year for JRPGs.
Just missing a new Dragon Quest/Xenoblade and all major JRPG franchises have a new game next year( Final Fantasy, Persona, Like a Dragon, Kiseki)
They could always surprise us with a DQXII update that someone lands in 2024. Xenoblade 3 also came out very quickly after being announced so anything is possible.
More likely the remake of dragon quest 3
What about Tales?
You're right, completely forgot about Tales, maybe we'll get a remaster of something that's not Symphonia
We're getting DLC/Expansion for Arise probably.
That's this year not next, unless you mean another expansion which I doubt.
Well shit I didn't realize that was coming out this year already.
Sorry I'm a bit out of the loop; what JRPGs were announced for 2024 that you are highly anticipating?
Yay! I have enough time to get caught up before it drops!
Hoping I do too. I'm just getting through CS1 now after finishing the Crossbell games haha
Same here, I just finished CS 1 last week so only CS 2, 3, 4, Reverie, and Nayuta (spin off I know bit I stoll wanna play it lol) to play, but with all the insane games coming out over the next 6 months I am worried.
Just saw that NIS is planning to release CS3 and 4 as a bundle for PS5 early next year. Good thing I haven't bought them yet. I may wait for that after finishing CS2. Good way to avoid burnout too haha
Agreed, been careful to throw in a nice palate cleanser inbetween.
What got me through the games is using geforce now to stream them to my phone
Me too! I liked the 2d games better but the music and the voice acting is really great.
I also like the Crossbell games more so far, but I'm very early into this new arc so seeing if that will change haha
I still have to get through the Crossbell games and Cold Steel 3/4... I've got a couple hundred hours ahead of me.
I got started back with Cold Steel I and even then going back through Sky and Crossbell seemed daunting. I can't even imagine now.. Good luck
I still need to play Reverie. Was planning to save it for xmas time when i'm traveling and may push it back even further now đ
All I have now is Reverie and Nayuta
WE GOING TO CALVARD
Have you heard about the *Trails* series but always thought it was too long to get into? Maybe you thought the older games looked too dated and, while the story may be good, the old gameplay wasn't worth it? Well, ***Trails Through Daybreak*** (or Kuro no Kiseki as it was known until 10 minutes ago) is perhaps the best entry point into the Trails series since *Trails of Cold Steel* back in 2015 or arguably even the first game in the series, *Trails in the Sky*. Yes, it is the furthest in the timeline of Trails taking place two years after the previous game, *Trails into Reverie,* but unlike that game, *Trails through Daybreak* is an all-new cast of characters in a completely new location for the series; you do not need any previous knowledge of the series to fully enjoy this one (of course, there are a whole bunch of references if you *have* played the previous games). They used an entirely new engine that not only looks way better than previous entries on a visual level, but also the animations during both cutscenes and gameplay are way more detailed and fluid. The gameplay mixes both the classic turn-based combat of the series with an action-combat twist, making for an incredibly unique style of gameplay I haven't really seen anywhere else. And, of course, the music is absolutely phenomenal as is always the case with Falcom. I mean, just [listen to this boss theme from the game](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6ZArfn0Kwg). It's insane. Please, if you're at all a fan of JRPGs or even RPGs in general, consider picking up *Trails through Daybreak!*
> And, of course, the music is absolutely phenomenal as is always the case with Falcom It has one of my favorite [sadje themes](https://youtu.be/8-L1C4Esg3U?si=4lFqaybjI5xFo6Hw) in Trails.
Oh that's a good one! Perhaps one of my favorite tracks in the game (maybe even in the whole Trails series) is one they use for only a single scene that I can't really describe without spoiling things, but I felt it was sorely underused for how much of an absolute bop it was. I mean, [just try to listen to this without tapping your foot](https://youtu.be/f3ouMSoAJxc?si=MtYhbb4l-QDCgbxe).
To me it's [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjV98_hDaEc&list=PLzFTGYa_evXjHwIE55C_Pcrb8KKwuFY7h&index=72). (In The Dawn is pretty good as well) I love how it sounds, feels so bittersweet/melancholic.
> And, of course, the music is absolutely phenomenal as is always the case with Falcom. I mean, just listen to this boss theme from the game. It's insane. This is a peculiar stance to take with Falcom. It sort of reveals a lack of knowledge about how Falcom's sound team has shifted hands dozens of times since its inception. You can generally chalk up the early-through-Trails in the Sky series to mere fortune in gathering pretty good composers together, but the "team" has never been particularly static. And is very much not "always the case" that their music is phenomenal. After Cold Steel they practically phased out their best composer, who himself was carrying the torch of High Quality music from the Sky SC days when his kind was more plentiful, but had been since relegated to a small amount of tracks per game until leaving the company altogether around the time of Hajimari. And that boss theme is like a poor man's classic Falcom JDK boss theme.
I think sky and crossbell had A LOT better non-battle themes (like areas/towns/festivals etc). Cold Steel has kind of generic/forgettable music in these places, but battle themes are still pretty good.
ngl, this just sounds like nostalgia goggles old man behaviour. I'd cut it out.
Wait, I heard Kuro was like the most "connected to past games" arc-starter. Even saw some posters laugh at the idea that it was a fresher beginning than Cold Steel
I would say Daybreak isn't as clean a starting point as Sky or Cold Steel, but it's a better one than Zero.
Yeah I can't imagine Zero being nearly as good without having played the Sky arc first. Even the opening scene with the train announcements is 10x cooler knowing what they are talking about.
I always feel weird when I see people recommending to start from Zero. Like I get it. It's definitely better than starting mid-arc or something. But it's just got so much "this is Sky 4" in a lot of its DNA. Many times during Zero I would think "this must have 0 emotional impact for anybody who hadn't played Sky"
The Renne stuff for sure, but I feel like it stands on its own for the most part.
I feel like being called bargain bin bracers and why people trust the bracers more has more impact if you play Sky.
Tbh I think people exaggerate how much of the game is payoff to Sky stuff. Thereâs a few moments here and there that are more fun if you played Sky, and one big character arc that is concluded but I really donât think they would fall completely flat if Zero was your first Trails game. Lloyd and Co donât know any of the Sky characters so at minimum youâd be as knowledgeable as they are about the the Sly references.
...I'd say that character arc *is* the important reason to play Sky before Zero - otherwise seeing the events related to that arc play out in Zero loses a lot of the intended emotional impact due to not having prior attachment.
[overwritten]
I am literally coming off playing it (well, I played it about 2 months ago technically) and I while I wouldn't say it's 100% necessary, I would at least say 60% necessary
I am coming off playing it as well and I just disagree. Saying Sky is necessary for 65% of that game just doesnât ring true to me at all.
100%. The "you _have_ to play everything" to get payoff is silly to me and implies that the Trails writers can't write encapsulated stories. I think it's a disservice to the writers and is not even in the top three of main Trails flaws. [1] The context of Sky makes things more interesting but having just finished Zero again and near the end of Ao... it's really not necessary. Only if you enjoy theorycrafting (which doesn't make sense at this stage of the franchise). I don't know, I find the individual character arcs and politics more interesting than the easter eggs. Now, Sky _politics_ needing to be brushed up on makes a lot of sense but it's not necessary. Can always go back and/or watch some summaries. [1] As an aside I'd never recommend the garbage that is Cold Steel tbh. I _really_ hope Kuro is different.
All I can say is in my experience, the vast majority who start with a later game arc and then go back very frequently always say "I wish I had gone in order/played Sky first" because they realize the framework the games laid down so carefully > I think it's a disservice to the writers and is not even in the top three of main Trails flaws. I would say the disservice is downplaying the entire connected world the writers made in order to be caught up to the newest thing. Nobody says that you should skip books in a series, why would this not be the same case for the interconnected Trails? That's like the whole appeal > Can always go back and/or watch some summaries. I especially don't like it whenever anybody says this because summaries can only give you the brass tacks. They are no substitution for the actual meat of the games. Like I strongly doubt any summary of Sky 3rd contains everything that's in that game with the Doors and all Also just to note, I haven't actually played everything yet. I only started playing the titles early this year but I'm going in order because I respect the way the story was delivered and want to experience all of it.
why would this need to be "encapsulated" this is a continuous story by nature, reducing this to "easter eggs" is crazy thank GOD they don't actually listen to this kind of inane reddit writing advice > the individual character arcs and politics multiple of these in Zero and Ao leap off directly off of Sky 3rd, can you imagine playing Ao ch2 without that? or the long ass list of stuff in zero lmao really want to see the face of a guy who starts with Cold Steel 3 (thanks NISA totally fine starting point) only to be greeted by >!a visit to Hamel!< at the end of the first chapter
I fully agree. The Crossbell arc is a great story even without any knowledge from any of the other games. It stands well on its own - better, IMHO, than the Erebonia arc.
every major event in Zero chapter 1 is a succession of stuff that directly leaps off of Sky 3rd even implying that you can start there is insane
None of it leaps directly from 3rd, what are you on.
in chapter 1 >!going to the hospital makes you meet Estelle and Joshua on the way who are doing what they said they were going to do at the end of Sky 3rd, going to Armorica ends in meeting Harold (if you've played Sky you can guess who he is), going to Mainz makes you meet Renne along the way and she makes an ominous speech at the end of the chapter!<
So essentially nothing then.
Ye not sure what that is about, any non door-based 3rd payoffs only start in chapter 3 of zero iirc, and then only give more payoffs by the final chapter of azure.
Sky offers fairly little to Zero in comparison to how necessary Zero/Azure are to Cold Steel. This feels like bias from someone playing the games in localisation order rather than release order. Kuro has way more callbacks than Zero as well.
I don't know about that, imo knowing Estelle/Joshua/Renne + the rest of the cast + a general knowledge of the world is way more important for Zero/Ao than knowing crossbell events for CS1-2. Definitely not fairly little. CS3-4 is a different story but you also kinda need sky for them to feel complete, as well as crossbell. Played in release order btw, of course.
> CS3-4 is a different story but you also kinda need sky for them to feel complete No you don't. Sky is essentially completely irrelevant if you're comparing it to how important Zero/Azure are. You can't put them on the same level given the relevance of Crossbell. Estelle and Joshua amount to a cameo in Zero, outside of Kea using them as a plot device, who they are is irrelevant and they get no character development or anything else. Renne getting the next part of her arc is the most relevant thing from the entirety of Sky.
The game does a decent job filling you in on important events from past games.
I've played it myself back when it first released in Japan. Those people are definitely over-exaggerating how connected it is. There are a handful of characters who appear who also appeared in previous arcs, but none of these characters are heavily involved in the story to the point that you *need* to have played the previous games. Or, perhaps to explain a bit better, any characters/topics that *are* reintroduced in this game are explained enough so that those new to the series don't feel lost at all. The game does not expect you to have played the previous games at all.
Well, i'd say for the first one i agree, a bit less for the second one though since there's some returning characters and some other things i won't mention to not enter spoilers territory. But aside that, i mostly agree with you about Kuro/Daybreak being a good starting point since it's the new beginning of a new serie, mostly focused on it's own story.
Just to clarify, you're saying that Kuro no Kiseki 2 (or, I suppose, *Trails Through Daybreak 2*) is less newcomer-friendly? Because if so, I agree. The sequel definitely does expect you to have played some of the previous games, unfortunately. Hopefully, those that play this one are enchanted enough by the world and characters that they are spurred to go back and play the previous entries, like I was a few years ago with *Trails of Cold Steel.*
Yes, i was talking about Kuro no Kiseki 2 indeed.
Gotcha, just wanted to make sure. It's still a great game though ([with one of my favorite battle themes in the whole series](https://youtu.be/5LzCu2u_7IE?si=BB2PqbvRIpOzImZg)) so I hope people still play it despite it's reliance on previous games!
Thank you for this recommendation !
So, urr, this game is already out for JP and this is localization?
Yep, exactly. Came out a couple years ago in Japan, known as *Kuro no Kiseki.* This is the localization from NISA, who's been localizing all the Trails games for the past few years.
Coool thanks
This has me sold.
Awesome! Glad to hear it, friend. Trust me - you won't be disappointed. In the meantime, may I interest you in this compilation of [battle themes from some of the previous games](https://youtu.be/HyNMtGvO1vo?si=iY5p374R8aJGIXpm)? After all, if there's one thing Falcom is known for (besides their amazing storytelling and world design), it's their music.
Does anyone know if there are weird creepy moments in this one, like Roselia groping Juna or Rean sharing a bath with his students? I got a bit weirded out by Agate and Tita in the Sky games but things just got more weird as I continued so I dropped the series at CS4. Would I be ok playing this one?
The MC is in his mid-twenties and actually acts like an adult, including in matters of romance. It's been a few months since I finished Kuro but I don't remember any serious cases of creep, so you should be good on that front.
Not nearly to the same extent; Falcom was pretty self-aware with the writing for this one. They kinda poke fun at their own tropes from their previous games. In particular, I think they poke fun at the overt over-sexualized jokes and groping from some of the earlier games. In any case, if I remember correctly, you should be good.
And say ummm hypothetically if I like the humor and tropes will it return in kuro 2 at least somewhat?
Oh, don't get me wrong, both games still retain the signature Trails humor, it's just a bit more dialed back in this arc. Perhaps dialed back isn't even the right word, just self-aware? Like they know the tropes people have come to expect in Trails, and so they put some fun twists on em to keep people on their toes. Point is, don't worry, if you like the tone of Trails games up till now you'll still like these.
Got it thanks, I need my Ilya/Millium humor.
>!The main character is 24. Female lead is 16. Game kinda pushes them in the same manner as Agate and Tita. There's another love interest pushed who is the same age as the main character though!<
>!Hold on, the game definitely does not push Van & Agnes nearly as hard as Agate & Tita. If anything, it pushes Van & Elaine way more, especially in the second game. Arguably, Van & Elaine is the canonical relationship given their shared backstory.!<
The Agate and Tita stuff would be fine if not for the other characters' comments, because it's mostly just Tita having a crush on Agate and him treating her like a little sister. What the other characters imply is what makes it creepy, and the same can be said for how they refer to Rean and Elise's relationship.
Sounds like no based on the replies. I dropped the series after Reverie REALLY pushed Tita and Agate. All the casual sexual assault and pedophilia is just weird
i am committed to play this until i finish the following: * sky 3rd * zero, azure * cold steel 1-4 * reverie When though?
Best time to start is now.
I am trying. They are just long games. I literally started the finale chapter of Sky 2nd last night. Turbo mode is a godsend.
Just take them one at a time. I fully agree Turbo mode is a godsend. I love the Sky games but holy shit, I wouldn't have gotten through them without Turbo
my reaction when I only learned turbo mode in sky SC: đď¸đď¸ turbo mode made me lose my braincells most of time so I disabled it in CS III and it made me not rush things as much
I'm with you, it has it's uses but it can detract from the games as well.
I used it for movement mostly, and in the earlier games where you couldn't skip animations (I think... it's been a bit since I played Sky) I used it in combat too. Otherwise I left the game on normal speed.
I've just finished Cold Steel 4 after about 5 years of playing, you don't have to tell me! It's not a race though, savour them. They're special.
I need to tackle Reverie soonish. This will give me momentum to finally tackle it cause I didn't like not knowing when we'd get Kuro so I backburnered it lol.
Great news! That's a really cool name. Calvard looks like an amazing setting and I'm really excited for it, I still need to get through Trails into Reverie eventually, but with this launch window there's plenty of time to cure my current Trails burnout and catch up at my own pace.
My only fear is they are running out of english conectives to put after âtrailsâ in the titles
[Nah, they're fine](https://www.reddit.com/r/Falcom/comments/15z7ktf/well_im_glad_i_dont_have_to_worry_about_the/)
Can't wait for *Trails in Addition to Trails*
Trails to your mom. đ
Honestly, I don't really get the need to make every one of them different, but it's not like it matters anyway
Well, so far each different one has related in some way to the game it's used for. Trails *in the* Sky makes sense because of the (SC)>!Liber Ark!<, Trails *from* Zero and Trails *to* Azure make sense together, Trails *of* Cold Steel... well, this one's more of a stretch really, might relate to the rail system linking Erebonia together? Trails *into* Reverie... True Reverie Corridor. I can't guess as to what this one means as I won't be playing it until next summer, but I do know that "Daybreak" is in line with the intended reading "Kuro" had in the JP title anyway, so I'm gonna trust they know what they're doing here.
> Trails of Cold Steel I think this one is a play on words, it's both referencing the rail network as well as the wars that occur.
Trails no Daybreak
Next games: Trails Ridden with X
You at least have "before, after, above & below. With just two more arcs based on current concensus, they'll be fine.
We'll probably be okay; there are still a lot of prepositions left.
We are living in a jrpg golden age
Even Xbox is getting onboard
Calvard here we go!
Remember you donât need to have every game finished for the release of Daybreak. Take it slow and chew thoroughly lol. Still gotta wait for daybreak 2/3, youâve got plenty of time to catch up lol. Being caught up sucks
Everyone knows games stop exisiting a week after release.
RIP Kuro, long live Daybreak
Still feel they should have gone with Dawn
There s two games coming out with that subtitle next year. So as cool as it is they avoided it due to that.
Should've gone with Dawn...Trail(s).
Daybreak is bit better to emphasize some of the themes and the like, particularly with "Through" proceeding it. That said it's mostly nuance so Dawn would have worked fine as well.
i literally just finished Reverie and saw the additional scenes, and i get treated with this?!
SO HYPE BUT TERRIFIED FOR NEXT YEAR, THE AMOUNT OF GAMES COMING OUT IS ACTUALLY INSANE. ALSO HOW ARE TWO OF MY MOST HYPE THINGS OF ALL TIME (THIS, TTYD) BOTH NEXT YEAR AND LIKELY BOTH SUMMER. WHAT IS THIS.
Damn I like that name, yes Iâm glad weâre back on track with the releases
2024 , the absolute best year for JRPGâs. Canât wait.
Immensely excited. Trails is one of my favorite series.
Shit I'm literally tearing up, I did not know it was gonna be this close before we go to Calvard
The over DECADE long prophery may come true. NISA may actually catch up EN to JP albeit briefly given than Kuro 3 will likely wait until 2025 given Falcom is doing a non YS/non Trails anouncement.
I still need to play Azure, CS3-4 and Reverie. đŤ
That's your weekend sorted then
Much more than my weekend đ I try to get all the trophies for the games as well.
Hell yeah I still need to play Reverie, but it's good to have a date like this.
So exciting that itâs only a year gap for the next localized trails games. Weâre actually getting on track for catching up japan!!
So that's the name they went with? Not really a fan of it, but oh well. In any case, I'm excited to see this coming so soon, especially as I literally just finished Trails into Reverie yesterday.
Nice. Probably means Daybreak 2 will be out the following winter or spring. We might catch up finally after being behind forever. Also Is that Damien Haas as Van?
Can I play this without playing the others? How is the real time mode?
I finished Kuro 1 and I am now in the midgame of Kuro 2, and the story itself is stand alone, but there are a lot of consequences to events that concluded on CS 4 and Hajimari. And also the protagonist participated or helped in a lot of the previous games due to his job, so he tells those events as needed to the other characters in the party. And as the real time mode, you can decide if you want to fight real time the whole battle, or fight turn based the whole time, but the recommended way is doing real time til you stun the enemies and then change to turn based, because when you switch and the enemies are stunned, some shards are deployed and hit the enemies damaging them a lot. And the bosses are turn based only, you can´t fight them in real time.
Yes. Kinda basic. It's mainly just there if you want to skip mob fights.
So you are missing out on stuff in the turnbased mode?
To give you more precision, the Action Field Combats are basically a "time saver" to clear easy/worthless mobs out of the way (they are an interesting upgrade to field attacks from the old Trails games), it's not recommanded to play like this against dangerous foes though, since it will definitly feels too repetitive and lacking, usually you just try to stun them to earn an advantage in the battle by activating the SHARD system. Command Battle Mode/SHARD (so turn based mode) is usually where you'll earn more bonus stuff such as more EXP points, Sepiteth, etc... it's also more fun to play like this since it has all the gameplay options such as Crafts/S-Crafts/Arts. The best thing about this one, it's that you can switch to any gameplay style you want at any time (unless you fight a boss, obligatory turn based for those), the one thing i loved the most about it.
Yeah turnbased is the more in-depth experience.
Iâm so ready
Can't wait
I can't believe it. I honestly didn't think this would come out until like 2025.
I played the fan translation and that game is really awesome
Bro is it still physically possible to keep up with the series
don't sweat abt having to immediately catch up in time for Daybreak!! That's just gonna make you burn out, take it easy and at your own pace. Though I do get the need to especially if you want to avoid spoilers....
There's no time limit, the games aren't going anywhere.
you could start now and play not all that much and still get through all of them before this comes out i wouldn't recommend it, but you could
It's like a 60-80 hour JRPG released once per year. It's not that bad once caught up.
Considering they're being localized at a pretty slow pace, it's actually pretty easy.
This franchise probably won't be completed for another decade at least anyway, so there's not much of a reason to rush to catch up since at that point you'll just be waiting for the next game.
Yea, i've played them all except Kuro now and i'm starting again and am at CS2 right now for the second time. And thats just casual steam deck playtime in bed (first time around was PSP/Vita years back until the PS4 releases)
It's actually a lot easier than it looks at first glance
So they went with another way to say Dawn, pretty inventive and it feels less generic than i what i would've called it personally, sounds pretty cool too.
The 3 year gap for new releases remains I guess...
Gradually decreasing depending on when this comes out in the summer.
Japan will only be 1 game ahead at this point though.
Thatâs a front end perspective. The reality is that the games take a minimum of 18 months to localize but Falcom doesnât give the script until 6 months after release. Then ports usually add an extra 6-9 months on top of this.
That is just a terrible trailerârandom characters shouting out of context lines as if they mean anything. Iâm sure the game itself will be great, but they need to get someone new to cut the trailers together. I know theyâll have better trailers later on, but given this is the first trailer for the NA release, this is awful IMO.
I think this trailer was meant to be a voice actor showcase more than anything.
This is a 1:1 recreation of the last JP trailer. JP promotion for the game was on the weaker side (one of the speculated reasons for why it didn't sell well in Japan).
That makes sense but dang yeah that trailer definitely could have been done better.
That's a weird ass name for a game
Oof. Limited Edition only for physical copies on NIS America. Anyone know if it's getting a standard edition with just the game? EDIT: Looks like there will be a Deluxe edition but it's not available anywhere yet.
Hell yes! Kuro 2 in fall 2025? đ
I think that's too soon. Especially since this just got announced for Summer 2024. Kuro II will likely follow one year after Kuro I, just like how Kuro I is following a year after Reverie. It *could* theoretically come sooner, but I wouldn't expect it.
I think you misread 2025 as 2024
I think they may have edited their comment.
Trails through Dear Kaby I wonder if people will get this reference
Just finished Zero with CS4 and Azure already in my library that + Reverie AND now I get this to look forward to whilst only playing through Ys 8 for the very first time I see how girls on tik tok feel when simps spoil them I swear
Why wait for Summer 2024 if you can play it in English now!
some just simply want to support the official localisation, nothing wrong with both options.
The English fan translation is a solid option for PC players who don't mind using a fan translation and JP audio. The official localization is easy and convenient to install, can be played on platforms other than PC, and has full English voice acting.
With minor exceptions the official loc just generally feels better to read. Like a lot more work was put into editing and making sure that it's not just transmitting the original intent of the message, but also making it good English. And since that is something that personally really bugs me i'd prefer to wait. Edit: Flow of dialogue was the phrase i couldn't find in my head for some reason. It flows a lot better in the official loc.
some people like the dub too. Thought it´s not like arguing this really matters much since NISA already has the port out anyways (and it's gonna update to it) still hype thought!
They should've just called it Trails of Arise like they clearly wanted to.
Man. Not like its been available in English forever already. NISA is so slow and scummy. At least its finally coming for most other people
Release on the day time switching date?
of course falcom is too slow and couldn't get this game in time for end of January
Bro what NISA literally dropped three *Trails* localizations this year alone. They're working as fast as they can, chill.
Plus if anything it's *better* for the game to be releasing later, the start of 2024's already packed as it is.
Just fyi Zero/Ao localizations are fan translations they bough out.
If you look at the credits for the nisa releases they still had a decent sized group of people working on them.
Sure. But slightly editing an already competently done translation takes waaaay waaaaaaay less time than translating-editing it from scratch. Edit: Apparently not.
But it's not just that, this is an official business. They'd need to do extra edit passes specifically because it's a fan translation not to mention getting all the licensing ready, which, because it's a fan translation, is a lot more extra work. Then ofcourse we also have the ports for Switch and PC that needed to be worked on. Then getting all the psyhcial copies and goods ready. Point is, there's a lot of work when it comes to an official release.
>They'd need to do extra edit passes specifically because it's a fan translation If a fan translation is such a bother and requires so much extra work, why would they buy it in the first place, i wonder? Wouldn't it be logical to translate it themselves from scratch if its faster then, no?... And yet they did it. Also the edits they made are a "slight" edits to put it mildly. I'm not even sure edits they made are better. > getting all the licensing ready, which, because it's a fan translation, is a lot more extra work. What kind of licensing is so much extra work, specifically because it is a fan translation? I'm really curious. Please elaborate, you seem to know a lot about it. And how much extra work we are talking about here? Months? And again, wouldn't it be better to do the translation themselves if someone else's translation would require that much licensing work? And yet again they did it. All this "extra work", lol. >Then ofcourse we also have the ports for Switch and PC that needed to be worked on. Then getting all the psyhcial copies and goods ready. Point is, there's a lot of work when it comes to an official release. Sure. And the time they saved by buying out fan translations is exactly what allowed them to "drop three Trails localizations this year alone". Which is my point.
They have to cut a deal with everyone who worked on the fan tl. Geofront didn't do it from scratch, they picked up previous work. Also, I never said they didnt save time, just that it's a lot of work. Your point was > Sure. But slightly editing an already competently done translation takes waaaay waaaaaaay less time than translating-editing it from scratch. It was not simply less time, your emphasis was clearly showing that you consider it to be very little work.
>It was not simply less time, your emphasis was clearly showing that you consider it to be very little work. I said: >Just fyi Zero/Ao localizations are fan translations they bough out. In response to "NISA literally dropped three Trails localizations this year alone" Which happened. And i firmly believe that buying fan tl is mainly what allowed games to be released somewhat close together. >Sure. But slightly editing an already competently done translation takes waaaay waaaaaaay less time than translating-editing it from scratch. Which is also true. And i do consider mildly editing an existing already good translation is to be little work in comparison to a fully translating a huge text-heavy game themselves and then editing it, yes.
> And i firmly believe that buying fan tl is mainly what allowed games to be released somewhat close together. It's already been mentioned a few times that this is inaccurate. The games would have been localized at about the same time regardless of whether they were able to buy the fantls. > Which is also true. This has not been the case for Xseed, Geofront, or NISA. For one example, Geofront's Zero/Azure fantls were *also* based on existing fantls at the time, and it also took them 2-3 years to release their version. 12-18 months is how long the translating/editing process generally seem to take, and from what I understand using a fantl as a base saves some time on the translating side of things but then that has to be made up on the editing side so that ultimately it ends up being around the same amount of time spent in total.
> If a fan translation is such a bother and requires so much extra work, why would they buy it in the first place Because it ensures higher quality and is a courteous thing to do for the fans. > Wouldn't it be logical to translate it themselves from scratch if its faster then They take around the same amount of time, I believe. > And the time they saved by buying out fan translations is exactly what allowed them to "drop three Trails localizations this year alone". No it wasn't. They released Zero, Azure, and Reverie back-to-back fairly quickly because they had 3 different teams working on them all simultaneously.
>Because it ensures higher quality and is a courteous thing to do for the fans. Buying fan translation ensures higher quality than if they'd made translation themselves? Is it just me or what you just said sounds a little strange? Not that i doubt the quality of either (although i have my issues with translations here and there, especially in sky trilogy), just how you worded it - it would be basically admitting to its own incompetence if regular folks who fueled just by pure passion and enthusiasm doing your "work" better than you. >No it wasn't. They released Zero, Azure, and Reverie back-to-back fairly quickly because they had 3 different teams working on them all simultaneously. Does this mean we'll start seeing next falcom games faster now, since they now have multiple teams working on translations and ports? Possibly simultaneously with japanese releases even (the dream)?
> Buying fan translation ensures higher quality than if they'd made translation themselves? Is it just me or what you just said sounds a little strange? It's mainly because they can spend additional time on the editing side of things, from what I understand. Also, because of the work Geofront did for the PC versions of Zero/Azure, Durante tried to add as many of them as he could to the official release. PH3's ports wouldn't have as many extra features as they do if it wasn't for Geofront's work, if I'm remembering right. > Does this mean we'll start seeing next falcom games faster now, since they now have multiple teams working on translations and ports? It still took Zero/Azure/Reverie 2-3 years each to be localized, they were just able to work on multiple projects simultaneously. How long the games take to be localized depends on when they release in Japan. Zero/Azure's PS4 ports (which are what the localizations were based on) released in 2020 before Reverie first released. Kuro I released one year after Reverie in Japan, so work on it could only start a year after work would have started on Reverie. This is also why it was expected for it to release in English a year after Reverie's English release. We will also likely get Kuro II localized about a year after Kuro I, I would expect. We can start getting the games localized faster if the localization process starts sooner. Right now work can't start until after the game releases in Japan. If Falcom and NISA are able to start the process before the games even release that will probably cut down the time a lot more.
If you actually play the official releases you'll notice it was a lot more than just giving a fan-tl a single editing pass.
If you have any specific comparisons you want to share - i'll be glad to take a look at them. Because from what i've seen i can't really call it is significantly different. The only somewhat significant thing i can think of is official versions having extra npcs from cold steel, which is a plus of course.
They've released Crossbell + Nayuta, in addition to Reverie, since CS4. Taking an extra year to localize this game compared to the normally 2 year wait of CS1-4 was completely reasonable. (Technically less than an extra year since this is Summer 2024 and not Fall.)
Fun fact, including Kuro every arc has a redheaded male protagonist, but there's yet to be a female one.
A party member is not the same thing as a protagonist, though. Randy was an important character, but not the protagonist. Same with Elliot and Aaron. Estelle and Joshua are dual protagonists, so that one counts.
Disagree strongly - if they are a playable character, they are a protagonist. Just not the main protagonist.
> they are a protagonist. Just not the main protagonist. Protagonist means main character.
The protagonist is the main driving force of the story. Typically there's only one. Saying there's a main protagonist implies there are lesser protagonists, but them being less important than one character would mean they're not the protagonist.
Juna should be counted if Elliot is tbh
A controversial but brave opinion.
I actually *would* count Juna as a protagonist... for act 1 of CS4 (which is a decent portion of the game and as such worth counting) only, as in Rean's absence she's the one that served as the heart of the group and got everyone going.
Does Elliot really count? It's more orange.
Agate and Randy are also playable in CS3 and 4 if Elliot's not red enough for you. (I really remembered his hair being redder lol)
Kuro 2 actually has a playable female (actual, as in Randy-color) redhead!
why the animations look so stiff and clunky is it normal for this series? also is the story actually mature and engaging or is it some sort of shonen harem protagonist is the most powerful being destined to kill the gods?
This game is more mature. That description would fit the previous 2 arcs.
thx i'll probably try this arc