Trails in the Sky FC Prologue 

It's always an interesting experience starting this game knowing the general consensus among the fanbase. Usually, the better opinions are this game gets good halfway through or farther in. More harsher opinions seem to be that this game is just required reading to enjoy the second game. I'm an outlier in that the game grabs me from the start and doesn't let go.

That opening scene never fails to get me attached to Estelle and the prologue does a great job solidifying her character. Between that and her interactions with other characters it makes for the low stakes, laid back nature of the start a great way to introduce the world slowly. One of the big things in replays people will pay attention to is Professor Alba to see the subtle build up for the reveal in end game. However, something I didn't really think about until this playthrough is how much Cassius being gone set up Estelle getting certain connections, mainly the one with Nial and Dorothy.

Originally Cassius was supposed to be interviewed by them and escort them, but having to leave meant Estelle gets to meet them, which they end up being a huge source of information in various ways throughout both FC and SC. Then with the Linde disappearing where he was originally going to use to leave the country is the jumping point for Estelle and Joshua to leave their hometown. 

Another moment that stood out to me was Estelle's little talk to Joshua after the monster extermination request for Perzel farm. You have Joshua who admits he is detached from what went on, feeling that they still should've killed the monsters, ending with thinking that he is broken. Seeing this interaction and thinking about the talk she has when they reunite in SC there is a lot to take in.

Part of it is how Estelle is better with coming across with her words. In the FC interaction, she has good intentions but the way she comes across she doesn't have the words to be nearly as effective. The bigger part though is at that point she understands Joshua so much more. When she talks to Joshua on the beach, she has come to understand him so much more, his pain of loss and the fear in his heart. With that, she is able to much more effectively talk to him and break him down fully, allowing him to feel emotion once again. It's pretty astounding how these two talks are used to show growth in both of them.

The prologue may not have anything big on the surface to grab people's attention like later games, but it does a damn good job building small sets ups that pay off greatly both in this game and the second game.

I've actually been planning to do a series playthrough from FC to Reverie (in order for the first time) this year too! If it's alright with you, I may post my thoughts as I go through them as well. I plan to talk to every NPC every time their text updates as well, which I don't think I've fully done for any Trails game yet. Although I will probably play Azure and Reverie more casually for my first playthrough since I haven't played them before.

 

I first got into Trails with FC on PSP back in late 2011. I had played the Gagharv games on PSP prior to it, so I had heard of The Legend of Heroes before. I did know that FC would be the first in a new trilogy, but I was thinking it would be more like Gagharv. Little did I know! I also wasn't aware of Zero and Azure at the time either (Cold Steel hadn't started yet), which unknowingly led me to being spoiled on some big things in those games. Over the years I kinda stopped caring about avoiding spoilers since I had been spoiled so much and instead I've decided to just look forward to the experience. FC is sadly the only Trails game I was able to play blind. 🙁 Currently I've played every localized Trails game, although I do know a lot about the unlocalized ones. I may try to go back to staying blind to future works since we're getting caught up soon.

 

As an aside, while I heavily disagree with your thoughts on Cold Steel, I have read your previous thread and appreciate that you've been sharing your thoughts on the games. I just wanted to let you know your effort isn't being wasted!

Posted by: Cold_Steel_IV

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I've actually been planning to do a series playthrough from FC to Reverie (in order for the first time) this year too! If it's alright with you, I may post my thoughts as I go through them as well. I plan to talk to every NPC every time their text updates as well, which I don't think I've fully done for any Trails game yet. Although I will probably play Azure and Reverie more casually for my first playthrough since I haven't played them before.

 

I first got into Trails with FC on PSP back in late 2011. I had played the Gagharv games on PSP prior to it, so I had heard of The Legend of Heroes before. I did know that FC would be the first in a new trilogy, but I was thinking it would be more like Gagharv. Little did I know! I also wasn't aware of Zero and Azure at the time either (Cold Steel hadn't started yet), which unknowingly led me to being spoiled on some big things in those games. Over the years I kinda stopped caring about avoiding spoilers since I had been spoiled so much and instead I've decided to just look forward to the experience. FC is sadly the only Trails game I was able to play blind. 🙁 Currently I've played every localized Trails game, although I do know a lot about the unlocalized ones. I may try to go back to staying blind to future works since we're getting caught up soon.

 

As an aside, while I heavily disagree with your thoughts on Cold Steel, I have read your previous thread and appreciate that you've been sharing your thoughts on the games. I just wanted to let you know your effort isn't being wasted!

Heck yeah, post your thoughts here as you please! I've browsed around a few places and it's interesting how varied opinions are on the various games and characters, so would love to see your thoughts on different games. For the NPC stuff, I'll be most likely just doing that for the Cold Steel games myself. Was ok once for the Sky games but most weren't that interesting, and when I did Zero I got burned out near the end. May do it for Azure since the first time I didn't do that, but we'll see.

I remember hearing praise for the Gagharv games back on the XSeed forums, and have some interest in trying it out at some point. However, I seem to recall the English translation being considered subpar to not great, if I am remembering that correctly.

Glad you've enjoyed my posts. I am greatly aware that my opinion on the Cold Steel saga seems to be in the minority. Browsing other places and seeing videos from people like the Kiseki Nut, I can tell overall the Saga is well liked. There are times when giving my thoughts I am afraid I might be a little too petty with certain aspects. One thing I will promise is that I will tone down the Rean stuff. Looking back on my last bunch of posts I feel like I've leaned too hard in my disdain towards the character. I'm hoping knowing the full context of the saga perhaps I will comes to at least appreciate him more.

 

Posted by: TrailsofPersona

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I remember hearing praise for the Gagharv games back on the XSeed forums, and have some interest in trying it out at some point. However, I seem to recall the English translation being considered subpar to not great, if I am remembering that correctly.

Speaking of Gagharv, Geofront just announced they will be translating the first Gagharv game: "The Legend of Heroes III: White Witch". Source: https://geofront.esterior.net/2022/12/22/embarking-on-the-white-witch-pilgrimage/

The Japanese/original versions of Gagharv are highly beloved from what I understand and are kind of like a proto-Trails in some ways. The localized PSP versions are not the best, although I did still enjoy them despite the big issues they had. Although that was about 15 years ago now. xD

Trails in the Sky FC Chapter 1

This part my mind immediately goes to how this is where Olivier is introduced and becomes a party member for that chapter. Always forget he is an extremely small part of the chapter, but he exudes such a huge presence. Love the contrast in how deception is played off in this chapter. With the Bracers and general Morgan, their attempt is quickly found out, mostly with Estelle not knowing how to keep her mouth shut. Though it doesn't help that Joshua and Scherazard make quick theories and conclusions as they get information.

Contrast this with Olivier who plays the long con until his reveal in late game SC. His first bunch of scenes show him being aloof, coming across as carefree and being a strange person to the whole group and player. There are moments where he spots things others don't, such as instantly being suspicious of Richard and telling the group to be stowaways in the Bobcat. On replays you know he is much more cunning and able to read stuff even Joshua and Sherazard don't pick up on, but on a first play through the game does a good job of doubting his ability.

Another thing about this chapter is pieces that are put in place for the revisit in SC. Outside of Tita, characters and names are introduced for the first time that play a major role in the second game in this region. You have Agate, General Morgan, and Loewe all introduced this chapter (though Loewe you don't get his actual appearance and name until much later). These people are very disconnected in this part of the game, especially Morgan, but they all come together in different ways in SC. 

However, the biggest parts are Ravennue village and the names on the tomb stone. You get a small hint that Agate is from the village via the Mayor when visiting about the Sky Bandits, but the names on the tomb stone reveal a much bigger truth that first time players will miss even when reading everything. You can clearly see Mischa's name as one of them, but her importance isn't revealed until late game, and so much happens by then you'll forget this name is the sea of others. The next time you can see the tomb stone the reveal is about to happen, and so much is going on you most likely wouldn't consider even looking at it.

I think the prologue has pretty good pacing, but coming off that this chapter keeps the pacing going with some higher stakes, what with the disappearance of an airship that Cassius was on. You go from a simple town to a small city where the world starts to become more complicated. What seems to be a simple hijack by a group of small time bandits sows seeds of something much bigger in the background. From start to finish the chapter does a great job of building more of the world and introducing new characters. Having the core duo of Joshua and Estelle makes for a great dynamic of how they react to various events, and introduction of new characters feels more natural.

By the end of the chapter, while the current predicament is solved, the introduction of the black orbment with the note adds another small mystery into the mix. I know some feel that not having a larger conflict can make the pacing of the next chapter start out slow, I think this way of starting the bigger overall plot of the game and saga works well. You can enjoy the more mundane aspects and get attached more to the characters before everything truly starts to take off.

I always forget how once I start Sky FC that I am quickly sucked into the game and just breezing through it. Just finished chapter 2 and the game never slows down for me. Guess I truly am a bizarre fan loving this one so much but finding the pacing of a lot of the other games to not be as good. To be more specific, of the first games for each saga I feel FC is paced the best and doesn't go too long, whereas the others like Zero, CS I and CS III (I divide them since they each start a different part of the story for the Cold Steel Saga), work pretty well but can go on too long and have some other minor problems that keep me from enjoying them as much as FC. Any who...

Trails in the Sky FC Chapter 2

This chapter on this replay feels surprisingly short compared to what we got before. Part of that is one you get to Ruan the story beats are pretty quick with only the school festival breaking apart the main plot stuff. Hard to say which chapter is usually my favorite, but Ruan always has my favorite town theme in the Sky games. The relaxing, upbeat tune with the water-based city just works well for me.

Never thought about it until now, but I can see the one Phantom Thief B quest happening here is a nice way to foreshadow that we would meet him when visiting the area in the second game. Then of course there is Gilbert, where he has a more dignified appearance and mannerisms, but you still can get the sense that deep down he's much more pathetic than meets the eye. 

Not much to really say about this chapter, as it is more of a bridge chapter to set up for the second half of the game. The Black Orbment being a bigger mystery, the people with the masks, the appearance of who we would learn is Loewe, and of course the sudden confusion of emotions Estelle starts having towards Joshua. It also gives a little more screen time to Agate to show his two sides, one where he is considerate and the harsher, more abrasive side. Add in Kloe and her having contacted the Royal guard there is a lot of stuff suddenly going on in the game that was added in such a small chapter. 

I know for some the School Festival feels tacked on and can interrupt the flow for them. Personally, it's something that takes maybe an hour tops if you are going really slow and does serve the purpose of seeing Estelle having new emotions towards Joshua. Plus, the character moments are fun and the play is always great to watch, so it never bothers me.

As for the whole Estelle and Joshua romance stuff, I stand by that a few minor things could've been changed where they were close friends and not adopted siblings to make the prospect of them being a couple less off putting. 

Trails in the Sky FC Chapter 3

This is where everything starts coming together and the main antagonist is fully revealed. It makes sense that if someone wasn't super invested for most of the game finds this as the chapter where the game gets good. You've gone from the prologue climax of theft to a nationwide conspiracy helmed by the charismatic leader of the intelligence division. Along with that, you have a senior bracer and the nation's leading orbal engineer on the lamb, with stuff brewing in the capital. All those small hints from earlier come together to lead up to this moment. 

This chapter also serves as an introduction of the last of the major characters for this game. Much like Olivier, you get a small taste of Zin being in your party for a short section before being a major member for the majority of the final chapter. There is also Tita, who's interactions with Agate lay the foundation for Agate's arc in the next game. Agate starts out pretty harsh towards her and by the end has developed a soft spot for her.

As for the moment-to-moment parts of the Zeiss area, while it's still solid it feels like the weakest chapter of the game. I think it's because due to the nature of the quests it feels a little more lopsided in how long it takes to do some of the quests, and some of the story moments feel a little more tacked on between the Orbal shutdown of the city and the kidnapping of the professor. Another thing is while I like Tita enough, I feel like her character doesn't really come into her own until Sky 3rd, where this game and SC her best moments are paired with Agate. 

Thankfully the game doesn't meander enough to dampen the pace of everything, and once you get to the late part of the chapter things pick up so much you can easily dismiss any small shortcomings. 

Trails in the Sky FC Final Chapter part 1

Just recently got through the Grancel Castle portion of the chapter, and with so much more to happen yet don't want my post on the whole chapter to be too long.

A good portion of the beginning isn't too info heavy, but a lot happens at the same time to show just how intense everything has become. I remember in my first playthrough I hadn't quite connected the dots of Kloe being the princess, but after hearing people say Princess Klaudia a few times in the chapter it clicked and Richard capturing her made a lot of sense.

You then have Olivier commenting about the current situation brewing to then changing the mood to a little more comedy. Meeting Mueller, who is obviously the one he had been conversing with through the phone, Olivier's antics return for a little bit. A lot of why I love Olivier in this chapter shows here and some other scenes. It's fun to see tease other characters, but equally funny to see him get his comeuppance as well. After pissing off his boyfriend Mueller too much, he loses his chance to go to the banquet. Also that moment he gets smacked in the face back into the bar by Estelle.

Before the castle there is a lot of small moments that can be looked over not knowing about the late reveal shortly before the credits. When you see Kurt not feeling well the Professor is just barely off screen, and it's been so long and such a minor detail you don't connect the same thing that happened with Josh at the top of that one tower. There's also the fact that Nial mentioned that someone from the Erebonian royal family has come to Grancel, and the immediate thought is it's someone who will be introduced later, or is just a character for background story telling. Little are you aware at the time that you know this person very well.

The not so hidden secret at this point is Joshua is very aware that Lorence is someone he knows. You got a small idea in chapter 1, but the game really hits your head over it. There's also more little hints that add up from past chapters that Joshua most likely is from Erebonia based on his reactions to certain things. Two things from the castle that is a nice little bread crumb is the redaction of the Hamel incident via the Queen, and when making up names for themselves Joshua goes with Karin. After playing the second game you know exactly why he is so fond of that name.

Last but not least is the main antagonist of the game, Colonel Richard. His face to face with Estelle and Joshua allows us to see his human side, not the leader of the intelligence division. Add on his lack of confidence in his skill when making it to the underground of Grancel Castle, you see a man who idealizes Cassius to an unhealthy degree, and you see a man who is desperate for any power to wield for his country, as the Queen pointed out with the types of policies he wished to have enacted. 

One thing that is subtly played out in this game is the fact that no one person is enough for anything. Sure, Cassius is considered a hero and a legend, but even he can't do everything, such as protecting his wife during an invasion from a large enemy force. Estelle and Joshua are by themselves nothing compared to the people they face near the end, but they make up for it with the group they have come together whether through their own work or the connections of their father with Zin coming in. 

The final chapter starts with a bang, and never loses pace. With the castle portion done, the game nears the climax!

Trails in the Sky FC Final Chapter Part 2 

Funny how hard the final sections of the game feel in a first play through, where battles feel like an eternity and getting through them feel difficult. In this play through the final sections went by so fast, and I manage to beat Lorence on the terrace! Though in that situation I had a cheese plan, give Estelle the ability to gain CP each turn and have loads of Ice Cream that could heal 25CP each use. Still not a cake walk but made it manageable. Past play throughs I used s crafts and crafts sparingly, but now know that with the right team you can beat chests easily and recover CP between them pretty quickly. I remember the final boss gauntlet taking me over an hour my first time, but here everything took about 30 minutes. 

The fight against Lorence is a great way to hype up what you will be against in the next game, while allowing the following section to still shine and not be overshadowed. Richard still is hands down the best antagonist of the series, and the entire fight against him to him helping you to his talk with Cassius does a really good job of showing his character and motivation. A person weak on the inside tempted with something too good to pass up from fears of the past. Between that and the stuff later with Josh it starts to set up a theme for next game of moving forward from the past.

That Joshua scene with Weissman and then the final scene with Estelle on the terrace is just all around excellent. The music stopping immediately at Alba coming in shows that something is about to go down. The new, foreboding music after he snaps his fingers with Joshua's memories coming back in, and so many never before seen portraits lends itself to making such a powerful scene. Then the truth of Joshua unknowingly being part of allowing all the events to play out is such a punch to the gut. A masterclass in a reveal with a few things you kind of expected playing out in ways you didn't see coming. The last line of Weissman about Estelle adds even more chills to the depths of depravity of the man.

As for the terrace scene, only much later in the second game do you find out a lot more context about what broke Joshua, but it was a great scene to show the despair of Joshua after everything that he just learned. Add in a visibly confused Estelle who doesn't even know how to process everything and just blurting out her feelings, it's just a tragic scene to witness. That final moment where Joshua sedates Estelle with a kiss and you see that blank stare in his eyes is a hell of a way to end the game. Later games go for more bombastic cliffhangers, but being such a personal moment after one conflict and before the next one starts makes it so much more impactful for me.

Every time the credits roll and that teaser for the second game happens, I always get the same mix of emotions. Despite knowing what will happen the shock is still present because it's so well done, and there's the disgust of what just happened, mainly towards the demon who showed himself at the end that was controlling Joshua and everything in this game. Then that sense of determination near the end as the second story will be about bringing Joshua home, but there's that uncertainty as this will be even bigger than what we just experience. I can never forget that feeling from my first time playing, learning there was at least one more game, and at the time it seemed like it may never come out. It was the first time I kept up with any type of news about a game.

5th time playing the game, and my opinion of it has only cemented itself further. Yes, next game has bigger pay off and later games have bigger conflicts. However, this game is paced so well and I am invested from start to finish. Of the starting games for a saga, it is the shortest and does so much in that short amount of time, and on replays you can see just how much groundwork is laid for the next game and in some ways the future sagas. Outside of 3rd, I still feel confident that none of the other games I will replay can overtake it as the top spot in this franchise for me.

Onwards to Sky SC!

Trails in the Sky SC Prologue

Right off the heels of the ending of FC, the first bunch of scenes come at you hard. Seeing Estelle go through all the stages of grief in a short amount of time is extremely well done, from her being angry at her dad, running into Grancel with it starting to rain, then making it home and her taking as long as possible to check out Joshua's room, to discover exactly what she expected but hoped not to. 

I love the introduction of Kevin, and the changes to his name title. From inconsiderate jerk, to inconsiderate jerk?, to the reveal that he is a travelling priest shines some brief levity onto the introduction. Despite coming off as flirtatious, you get a quick sense that he is able to tell something is wrong and the truth of the situation. A strong introduction to a new character right off the bat.

It is questionable how necessary the prologue is to the story. Yes, Estelle needs training and to grow as a person, but with what we got it doesn't really add much if anything to her growth as a character. That said, being such a short section in a 60 plus hour game, it's brief enough and gives some breathing room after what just happened. It also allows players to get used to the idea of Joshua not being around as Estelle's partner and helps flesh out the friendship of Her and Anelace. 

After a few hours to just enjoy some low stakes, we see some of the Ouroboros members and Joshua now working with the Sky bandits, showing the people taking actions in the shadows that will soon put Liberl into another storm. While not knowing the specifics, knowing four other people somewhere on the level of Loewe lurking in the shadows as well adds to the sense of foreboding of this game. 

I do like how this game goes about having the party restart their battle orbments. Being updated to help increase their battle capacity over time gives it a story reason. Plus, between Loewe and some of the archaisms, you saw spells that you couldn't get yourself until this game with the upgraded battle orbment. 

Trails in the Sky SC chapter 1 and 2.

One of the big problems when it comes to the second games of a story arc is the pacing definitely takes a hit. This is especially true for those games that were originally supposed to be one game but got split into two. How enjoyable the revisits to each area can vary wildly depending on what is going on.

For the Ruan chapter, it works overall pretty well. A big part of that is how after the mayor being arrested in the previous game, you get to see how an election is going on and how the town is livelier for that. You also get the payoff of seeing the orphanage rebuilt as well. Admittedly, I am very biased for this chapter since both Kloe and Olivier are re-introduced, and Bleublanc is one of my favorite enforcers of the series. The way his dialogue is written and banter between him and Olivier always get a smile out of me. I also enjoy the little dialogue from Olivier after the chapter ends where he casts himself as "the wandering prince from a foreign country to rescue the princess". All in all, a solid chapter.

Zeiss on the other hand leaves a lot to be desired. When I think about all the various chapters and acts of the games in the franchise, this one is definitely one of the most forgettable, and in my opinion makes it one of the worst. Sure, there were parts of Cold Steel 4 that I really disliked, but at least they were memorable and allowed for conversations on how it worked. In this instance, while nothing bad about it, there was nothing that really stood out for me. I didn't really find any of the quests to be all that memorable either, though at least it didn't have that election assault case post chapter 1. That one is a frustrating one to complete even with a guide.

My main problem with Zeiss is nothing in the chapter really does anything to help set up or have much of a payoff from the previous game. Zin and Kilika have a history with Walter, but you only find out at the very end of the chapter and not get much. As cool as Walter's design is, I find him overall boring. A dangerous guy who finds the idea of shaking up people's lives with the possibility of death to just feel one note. Part of that comes from Weissman kind of filling the role of rotten person who takes pleasure in others suffering but works out as he is still very much in the shadows and his reveal end FC makes him stand out so much more.

I mentioned before that Tita doesn't really come into her own until third, and this chapter makes it apparent. She returns to the party but outside of being extremely happy to see Estelle she just doesn't have much of a presence. Yes, she is needed to set up the devices to track where Walter was at, but her presence even in those scenes feels small, even with the one where Anelace goes crazy over how cute she is. Zin is also a character who I like, but unlike most of the characters in the first game there really wasn't anything set up for him to have an arc here, so it feels almost like an afterthought. 

Most of SC is overall solid and late game has some exceptional moments, but this chapter is just a slog. The only other part later I dread is the back-to-back tower visit chapter. That chapter feels like everything just comes to a complete halt for a few hours. 

Trails in the Sky SC Chapter 3

After the boring slog that was Zeiss, chapter three makes up for it quite a bit with throwing in the plot thread with the remaining intelligence division agents in with the mix. Add in the background greater world building and current situations, it really helps add in intensity to an otherwise minimal storyline.

This chapter does well with showing the complexity of the varying factions involved. With Liberl, the Queen is popular but there are still remnants of those who don't think she is a capable leader. Calvard has it' turmoil with a faction squarely against the current president and the mess it has with its own internal politics. Then there is Erebonia where everything seems mostly fine, but the name of Giliath Osborne comes up for the first time, and has quite a visible effect on many of those present. In the grand scheme of the game, it is a very small part of the story, but is quite good at giving context of the greater world. We also learn of the Crossbell Problem.

The chapter utilizes the party members quite well here. Of course, the main start is Kloe, where we get more attention on her unease of being an heir, and how her uncle views her shortcomings. Being the oldest party member, Zin works much better here as a mentor figure and giving some solid advice along with Olivier. Speaking of Olivier, this chapter throws more breadcrumbs and once again makes us question what his ultimate goal is. I think the banter between characters makes this chapter shine quite well, especially with the Duke no longer being coddled and having people openly dunk on him, slowly breaking him down more so he can potentially rebuild himself.

Then we have Renne and the reveal of her being an enforcer. The game does do quite a good job to be subtle and not show all its cards. However, being a good bit into the second game, players will start to question anything and everything, and so her reveal isn't that surprising, and is quite easy to catch early on. Even on my first playthrough where I only did story stuff, the fact that pretty much everyone outside of a few exceptions had a name to them, the fact that Renne's parents didn't have one with their text box's but where just referred to as her Mother and Father stood out. Add on to the fact that Joshua was so young when he joined Ouroboros, nothing is off limits when it comes to who an enforcer could be.

Every little interaction going forward after the first interaction makes me, and most likely other players, primed to pick apart every little detail. It starts out small with her picking up on Philip being strong and being a bit too overly curious about certain things. Then when it comes to her playing riddles you really know she is smarter than she comes across and has a knack for tricking people. By the time you get to the showdown with Kanone if you haven't already figured out the reveal it's pretty obvious. That said, the reveal is still really well done. Her portrait during the reveal with music contrasted with her previous playful personality is quite the whiplash. Then revealing Pater-Mater on top of that to show even more of the Society's capability is just icing on the cake.

Last but not least, we finally get to see Richard for the first time since the end of the Coup. Seeing him in a much more humble position apologizing to Almathia is a strong start to what till be his redemption arc. It does a great job showing not only why he was greatly respected, but also shows just how close he and Almathia are, with Almathia having a very high opinion of Richard. 

This chapter really shows how strong the writing can be with characters and showing the varying relationships between them. While certain aspects of worldbuilding and background stories occurring while the main story happens are arguably best during the Crossbell arc, this game and by extension 3rd are peak character writing to me. 

Trails in the Sky SC chapter 4 and 5

A common theme that most characters in this saga share is loss and how to move on from that, and these two chapters really complement each other in that respect. How someone experiences loss and moves on from it can vary wildly, and where they are in life and especially who they have to lean on can make a huge difference. Cassius is brought up with the loss of his wife from time to time, and I feel that having a daughter to take care of made all the difference. Yes, losing the love of his life hit him hard and made him change his career and fighting style, but having Estelle to look after still gave him a sense of purpose and allowed him to continue moving forward.

In chapter 4, we get to learn more about Schera's past and what lead her to become who she is today. Before becoming a bracer, she was part of a traveling troupe who was her family. However, one day her troupe leader passed away and the person she saw as an older sister and mentor just left. Thankfully she had one other place to consider as a home, Rolent where the Bright family resided in. Having a place to fall back to allowed her to slowly move on and have a different place to call home and people to confide in. As we see in her confrontation with Luciola, while not an easy confrontation she has a place that she would even take her former family member over to protect.

Having the dream sequence after the boss fight cements in how Schera and Estelle have been able to move forward. You have a dream where Estelle has her mother back and life is simple and fulfilling. Everyone has times where they wished they could live a much better and easier life, where you could just enjoy each day and not worry about the more complicated stuff. Despite how easy it would be to stay in such a dream, Estelle has moved forward, and while missing her mother dearly she has new people in her life she deeply cares for and can't abandon. So we got two people who with the help of others have been able to step by step keep moving, but what happens when you don't have anyone?

Agate while brash and straightforward can be very kind to others. That said, you can always tell he has a wall up where he is unable to show true vulnerability. The one person in his life he could truly let himself down with, his sister, tragically passed away during the war. While there were others in his village that knew him, he was emotionally on an island, where there was no one to connect with and help him move forward. Blaming himself for his sister's passing and unable to tackle his feelings, he did what he could to fill the void and not have to think about his trauma.

This of course changes slowly when he meets Tita. While just a kid she can be hardheaded and once she is really set on doing something, nothing can stop her. While first annoyed at her you can see that she slowly becomes more important to him and sees her as a second sister. When he is about to die at Loewe's hand she doesn't hesitate to shield Agate, as he is very important to her, and this impresses both Loewe and Agate with her steel determination. Finally, he is able to let his feelings of 10 years ago come out and sort out his feelings. With this, he can truly start moving forward and become the best person he can be.

Chapter 4 and 5 really contrast each other quite well, and with the escalation of events the fear from the war 10 years ago starts to show up again, but that strength of unity also shows up as well. To top it all off, we get a little more context with Loewe. A complicated person who you know isn't all bad, he also experienced loss and trauma much like Agate. However, unlike Agate who avoided those memories, Loewe keeps them close, and used those negative emotions to hone his skills. While not confronting your trauma is unhealthy, Loewe shows the other way trauma can negatively affect you when you can't sort out your feelings in a healthy manner. Later, when all the pieces are put in place, you can see how both he and Joshua became the way they were, and how each of them took the path they did.

On the same note, while you don't have much context with the Sky games, having context of the Cold Steel games Olivier is another good example of moving on from loss. You can tell that the dream he had was bittersweet, with the only thing to go off of being that Mueller was in it. It isn't until late into the second part of the Cold Steel saga you learn about his situation with his actual mother, and her eventual passing away. In one way, he lost the one person important to him, and could've lived a much more bitter life. However, with outreach from his stepmother and having two siblings he came to love dearly; our sweet Olivier was able to move forward and became the lovable idiot we now know. with that knowledge, I came to appreciate this small moment so much more. 

All in all, both solid chapters that work in tandem to become so much more memorable. It is unfortunate that the scene with Agate and Tita is just slightly dampened by what their relationship is turning into. Yes, you can argue it is more a one-sided crush Tita has, but with everything from 3rd and CS III and IV, it heavily implies that eventually it will be reciprocated. Thankfully, their scene still works really well and is one of the biggest emotional highlights of the game up to this point.

Trails in the Sky SC chapter 6,7 and 8

Before going into story moments, I want to bring up game play pacing for these chapters. While there being story elements, these chapters, especially 7 and 8, have a lot more game play to story ratio. While there are some neat set pieces you go through, it can start to feel draining, and the story feels like it moves much more slowly after a certain point. Chapter 6 works well enough with the sections being relatively short and having the reveal of the Glorious and the reunion of Joshua to cap it all off. 7 doesn't fare as well as it's mostly short scenes against the enforcers to tease their reasons and set up their final standoff. As for 8, I personally love it mainly since it's the one-time Liberl is completely opened up to explore, and you get to see the effects of the various areas with orbments being completely disabled. On a replay it's not as bad as I remember, but on a first play through these sections can feel tedious, especially if you aren't comfortable with orbment setups and using certain party members.

Second half of chapter 6 goes real hard once you get on the Glorious. Between the conversation with Weissman then Loewe, the battle on the deck, then the escape with Joshua, everything goes by so fast. Learning the truth about Joshua's past and Hamel was a punch to the gut but sets up for the emotional catharsis of the final scene of the chapter. While one would expect that Estelle and Joshua reuniting would allow for them to talk right away, having them hold that off so they could escape adds some tension and makes you wonder how everything will end up playing out. 

Every time I get to the beach scene it hits me so hard. On one hand, it shows the biggest strength of Estelle and her ability to connect with others. I mentioned how early into FC Estelle was unhappy with Joshua calling himself broken and cheering him up a little she had no idea what Joshua was truly feeling. Finally knowing everything about his past and why he left, she can see the truth, that the guy that seems in control at all times and doesn't let his guard down, is scared. Finally hitting the truth on the nail, this is the moment where Joshua can finally move on from his past. Finally able to let his emotions out from the past trauma, we finally get a glimpse of Joshua as a whole person. Joshua can finally see that he isn't broken, only that he was trying to escape and that was holding him back. 

Chapter 7 I don't have a lot to say. Back when I first played this game the only thing I knew was this game was to wrap up the Liberl stuff, and that Cold Steel was going to come out shortly after. I didn't know about the other games between and the years they had been released in Japan. So when Olivier left and said next time they would meet as enemies, I assumed that was a tease for his return in Cold Steel. Boy was I wrong and I got really blindsided at that later scene. One of the biggest flaws outside the mostly just game play centric chapter, is that only two of the four enforcers did I have any interest in. I loved Bleublanc's personality and his banter, so any time with him was always a joy. As for Renne, her extremely playful yet dark personality was intriguing and I was interested to see more of her and what her backstory was. Walter is still as dull as ever, and while I am invested in Schera's side of the story, I don't care as much for Luciola.

Chapter 8 is a lot of running around and doing battles/side quests. While it should feel grueling after the slog of going through the towers, having so many changes in the cities with the shutdown and slowly losing some combat ability makes it more interesting. Crazy how much you can miss if you don't have a guide. The hidden quests aren't too hard to find, but my first playthrough I never thought to go back to the top of the towers. While the most exciting stuff happens at the end of the chapter, there's a lot of subtle stories told through running around and seeing everything, like seeing the Ravens step up to be a big help in the chaos. 

As for the finale of chapter 8, ho boy does it go absolutely crazy. Something I thought about a lot more is how in the background this is a game between two masterminds, Cassius and Weissman, where Weissman has the advantage. With everything in chaos, it's a struggle to get some semblance of order, and when you finally think the folks of Liberl will get some kind of break, something new happens. Once you reach Grancel to the chapter's end, it's a constant showing of hands, or more accurately, Ouroboros forcing Cassius to play a trump card. They attempt to take the Queen or Princess hostage, forcing Cassius to bring Richard out so he no longer had that trump card. The entire time there is a question of control and manipulation going on. 

Amongst all of that, you got this rag tag group that have been slowly fighting the shadows, growing in the process. We finally get the last completion of SC's character arc with Kloe accepting inheriting the crown and having her stand in front of the Erebonian army to negotiate. Something I didn't think about is how this shows a huge difference in Weissman's and Cassius's approach. Weissman has his eye focused on major threats, and does anything to eliminate them. The rest is nothing to be concerned about. Cassius can get a read on situations and make preparations, but puts in trust on the up in coming. As Richard noted, he was a fool to not see the potential of the new generation. To me, this makes a brilliant way of the group to be front in center of the final part of the story, while they are still just a small group in the grand machinations of the world.

Then of course the final piece of this huge puzzle reveals himself, Prince Olivert, the one we came to know and love as Olivier. His entrance shocked me, as while there were some small hints they were overshadowed by so much, and the significance of the Vander name isn't something you are privy to as a player in this game. It's definitely a masterful play as Kloe seems to have the upperhand in the negotiations, and while it seems to be gone by the Olivert reveal Kloe is able to regain composure after Estelle's butting in for the final trump card to be revealed. Add on some more hints on the current situation of Erebonia's political landscape, the chapter ends on an extremely high note as the player is pumped up to finally finish the fight with Ouroboros.

Small aside, while the talk with Olivert and Zech's was a great way to do some worldbuilding, to me it is part of why some of Cold Steel didn't land as well with me. I'll hold off on when I get to the replay of Cold Steel, but the way this game talks about Osborne and how he ultimately ended up being as a character in the Cold Steel games falls short with what I came to expect with scenes like this.