The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure Review

By Anthony Doty Last updated Mar 15, 2023

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The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure on PS4
1. The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure on PS4

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure marks one thing of an enormous milestone for the franchise, because it signifies that after 19 years, all the video games within the first two Trails arcs have been localized. With this launch, followers of the collection can benefit from the second half of the Crossbell story with an official translation. Those that have performed via the Chilly Metal collection may nonetheless be a bit postpone that there’s no English dub contemplating each character within the recreation has an English voice actor in a later recreation, but when that is what it took to get an official translation, it’s value it.

Graphically, Trails to Azure is spectacular for an 11-year-old PSP recreation, however the fixed-up graphics are barely complicated, as some textures will probably be good and crisp whereas others seem like blurry nothings. If it had been simply paths or flooring, it wouldn’t imply something, however there are contextual indicators for essential areas that would’ve simply been retouched as properly.

So far as the story goes, It’s been a number of months for the reason that occasions of The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and the SSS (Particular Help Part) workforce has been barely fractured after the earlier recreation’s occasions. The story begins with solely Lloyd Bannings and Elie MacDowell returning to the SSS. Nonetheless, they’re joined by Noel Seeker and Wazy Hemisphere as interim members whereas Tio Plato and Randy Orlando are away coping with the fallout of the DG Cult incident.

Crossbell Metropolis remains to be selecting up the items after the Gnosis drug outbreak uncovered a number of the legislative leaders for his or her corruption. This has equally shaken up the army, with the Crossbell Guardian Pressure equally restructured. The story begins not lengthy earlier than the West Zemuria Commerce Convention that will probably be hosted in Crossbell, gathering representatives from Erebonia, Liberl, Calvard, and Remiferia.

All throughout Crossbell Metropolis, there are causes to be on edge. From the Purple Constellation Jaeger Corps with ties to Randy transferring into the vacant Again Alley constructing or considered one of Erebonia’s intelligence brokers popping up within the metropolis, there’s one thing afoot.

Picture Supply: Nihon Falcom by way of Twinfinite

Whereas Lloyd and Ellie aren’t as shut with the brand new members, the characters writing within the Trails video games are one of many greatest highlights, and the banter is unmatched. All of the characters really feel heat and alive, and the friendships really really feel realized and distinctive.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure as soon as once more provides that trademark Trails aptitude because it takes you on a journey that begins out considerably innocently after which snowballs right into a loopy story that drives the world ahead. The truth that this entry takes place virtually precisely concurrently The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Chilly Metal means followers may already know a number of the story, however now they get to see the opposite facet.

The gameplay itself is nearly equivalent to Trails from Zero, however it implements new mechanics that went on to turn out to be normal within the Trails collection, such because the Grasp Quartz and Burst assault. The identical turn-based fight the collection is understood for continues however doesn’t fairly evolve regardless of a couple of new tips. This implies whereas it will likely be acquainted, and people who performed Trails from Zero can hop proper in with none points, it may also bore those that aren’t keen to endure for the superb story.

Combat — Picture Supply: Nihon Falcom by way of Twinfinite

As an alternative, shiny new bits of Trails to Azure serve to reinforce the story, giving gamers new traversal choices to assist in exploration. Particularly, the SSS will get entry to an Orbal Automotive that can let gamers quick journey to particular factors all throughout the map. Whereas the world has at all times felt alive, it was recurrently prohibitive to make the trek to an out-of-the-way location to speak to NPCs or test a retailer, however the automotive permits prompt journey to all of the essential locations.

As soon as once more, this entry provides loads of facet missions from monster eliminations to detective targets, so having the ability to make fast journeys saves a ton of trouble that might in any other case add pointless hours of traversal onto the playtime clock. Although completionists attempting to finish the battle e book will nonetheless discover themselves needing to go in all places on foot.

Whereas each single re-release from the primary The Legend of Heroes: Trails of the Sky FC to now have included it, there’s no overstating the worth of the Excessive-Velocity Mode (known as Turbo Mode within the different entries) in these older JRPGs. Getting all the strolling animation speeds to 2x actually makes the sport fly by with out letting extra of the boring components weigh it down.

With the ability to pace up fight additionally stored me from skipping fights close to the tip of the sport to get to the finale sooner. The primary distinction between this and the Chilly Metal collection is it may well nonetheless be toggled off, and the sport nonetheless feels okay. In any of the later 3D video games, after utilizing Excessive-Velocity Mode it turns into unattainable to play the sport with out it, as all the pieces feels far too sluggish.

One among my favourite sides of Trails to Azure and its predecessor is that PlayStation Trophies have an precise profit. Each earns factors to spend in New Recreation Plus to hold over ranges, Quartz, gear, or the knowledge from one of many recreation’s many books. This does imply that except you one way or the other tear via the trophy listing, you’ll seemingly not be capable to take all the pieces with you into your subsequent playthrough, nevertheless.

In case you’re a fan of the Trails collection and are wanting an entire have a look at the world within the franchise, The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure is an unmissable cease. Regardless of being based mostly on a decade-old handheld title, the sport is each bit as gripping because it was when it got here out. Plus, with The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie arriving in July, that is the proper time to brush up on the backstories of the heroes that will probably be collaborating.