The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie Reviews
While some of the deeper world-building feels increasingly convoluted, and it's time for the series to move on to new pastures, it is great to have one final episode of glory with most of the cast as the game celebrates the series's combat evolution and at least partially ties up some of its numerous unresolved plot points.
The Trails series just might be the best modern and ongoing JRPG series around, and while it isn’t groundbreaking, Trails Into Reverie is yet another great entry to this series. The problem is the best thing about the series; it really only caters to its fans.
Hajimari no Kiseki is a deeply flawed JRPG with a main story that barely stands on its own but is supported by a fantastic cast and great individual moments throughout. The story may feel like one which didn’t need to be told for the series to move forward, but what is contained in the routes and episodes feel like concerted attempts to fix many issues brought to the table in Cold Steel, and set many of these characters and story beats straight so they can excel in future arcs.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Reverie is the epilogue players deserve after Cold Steel 4. It's a strong send-off for many of its characters and sets up the future well, even with its flaws.
With a “yuge” playable cast and homages aplenty to past games, Trails Into Reverie represents a love letter to fans of the Trails series. Admittedly, the large cast can be a bit challenging to manage and the decision to split the story into three playable parts also makes the game feel less cohesive. It also isn’t the most newcomer friendly game and is better enjoyed by those who have played the previous games. The combat, however, remains a great example of classic turn-based battling and the production values are also quite improved. It’s a nice bookend to the Crossbell and Erebonia arcs overall.
Trails into Reverie is an all-star excursion that feels like one big franchise festival; your more traditional Trails campaign being the spine of what can be a brilliantly robust RPG, complete with more than enough gameplay depth to keep even the most hardcore players happy. As an epilogue to the Crossbell and Cold Steel games, it can seem a little tired in terms of creativity, but its faults are easily overlooked when you're back in the saddle with all of your favourite heroes.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie has a great story with an engaging turn-based battle system. While it does have issues with a bloated cast of characters, impeccable pacing makes every interaction manageable.
Trails into Reverie is a fine epilogue for Crossbell and Cold Steel arcs, offering necessary closure and clear hints about the series' future.
We would really like to see the crew at Falcom get a bigger budget to give full speed to this world, this characters and this combat system. Trails into Reverie is a tremendously solid JRPG and a worthy follow up to the Erebonian tetralogy. Just beware: you need to have played some of the previous titles to really appreciate the story.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie is an excellent finale to the two previous story arcs. What's more, the aspect of three paths progressing in the same story is really interesting, especially as there's a good mix of recurring and new characters. What's more, the pace is very good and the story is more concise, which is better. Finally, once again, the abracadabra scenario will keep you on the edge of your seat with its unexpected twists and turns. In short, if you're a fan of JRPGs and haven't already done so, you absolutely must discover the Trails series.
Review in French | Read full review
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie is a honorable conclusion to the Crossbell and Erebonia arcs. Though it's not recommended for those who haven't experimented the previous games yet, the title offers a beautiful emotional catarsis to the challenges the characters faced so far.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
It's also very enjoyable to spend a couple hours with one group in one area of the continent and then shift over to a different group to catch up on how their mission is going. The stopping points where the game forces you to pick up another protagonist's journey are natural and work well, and the combat and music are as engaging as ever. Any RPG fan who hasn't played a Trails game needs to find time to remedy that glaring oversight, and know that you'll have a captivating reunion-like experience waiting for you with Trails into Reverie. Even if it takes finishing a collection of 40-plus hour RPGs to get there.
Landed on our markets three years later than the land of the Rising Sun, from a technical point of view The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie is a cross-gen title that is not exactly avant-garde.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie serves as the grand conclusion to the Crossbell and Cold Steel story arcs, tying up loose ends with an all-star crossover cast of characters. It does very little to catch new players up to speed with the narrative and context, and ultimately is not a good place to start for newcomers. However, Reverie features an incredibly in-depth gameplay experience to keep even the most hardcore of fans engaged for hours on end.
Trails into Reverie represents the grand conclusion of the events of West Zemuria and a fitting tribute to the heroes who have accompanied us all these years. Behind fantasy, politics and artificial intelligence, Falcom has once again managed to portray the humanity of its protagonists in a masterly manner, leaving us moved by the threads of destiny that intertwine as we watch the credits.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie is a solid addition to the series, serving as an excellent epilogue to the Crossbell and Erebonian arcs.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie is not your average game; near decades of world-building, character arcs, and detailed lore have led to this culmination. The franchise isn’t perfect, but this series is wholly one-of-a-kind. It is a monolith that should be recognized alongside icons like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, and Persona. The details of the continent of Zemuria are unlike anything else I have experienced in gaming, and its cast now has several of my favorite characters in the medium. Reverie has the intimidating task of closing the page on three arcs that expanded across almost twenty years of characters and storytelling. Even if the narrative in this chapter falls short compared to past entries, it still stands above most other games in the genre. If Trails into Reverie is the last time we see most of these beloved characters, it serves as a terrific send-off.
Trails to Revere is not a kind game to newcomers. If you want to start this series, there is a lot to learn. Whether it is the story, the ornament system, or anything else, you might find yourself reading, rereading, and rereading to get your head around everything. On the other hand, if you are someone that has played all the games or even a few of them, there is just so much here that will please you. Whether it is all the characters from other games, the end to two arcs, or a beginning of a new one, Trails to Reverie is one for the fans, and it is another great addition to the series.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie acts as an excellent finale that long-time fans of the series will find themselves fully engrossed in until the very end. It brings together so many characters, locales, and events from the games that came before it in a meaningful and satisfying manner, whilst the core gameplay mechanics remain as engaging as ever. Add to that the brilliant Reverie Corridor that really fleshes out the experience and it’ll be clear that this is a triumphant conclusion for the long-running story.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie is the latest installment of The Legend of Heroes franchise released in the West and which, within the Trials series, is in charge of closing the Crossbell and Erebonia arcs. Nihon Falcon's JRPG will close the story of the last two series and lay the foundations for the Calvard arc, of which the first installment will soon reach the West. Although we are facing a title that grates at a high level, the fact that it closes two arcs and starts from the previous events does not make it a recommended game for new users. Of course, the fan of the franchise will enjoy it without a doubt.
Review in Spanish | Read full review