Sholva Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Review

Congratulations, Falcom, you successfully remade Peak Fiction. This is, without a doubt, the best way they could’ve remade this game, and I’m happy they chose to do it this way. The thing is, the original game already is an excellent JRPG, with unmatched storytelling and world building but, then, the second game also exists, and takes everything Falcom learned with Sky FC, and surpasses it in every single aspect, if that was even possible. Oh, yes, but it is possible, because this series has more than a dozen games at this point, and I know very well what Falcom are capable of. This remake, on PC, runs quite well, on my Ryzen 7 5700X and RTX 5060 Ti (16 GB) system, the port feels and runs quite smoothly, it has plenty of scalable settings and it’s easy to play above 100 FPS at Ultra Settings and 1440p, or aim for higher resolutions, variable FPS or even locked 60, and enjoy a much improved image too. Because the only major thing missing in its settings, is some good upscaling like DLSS, to clean up that weak SMAA and TAA; other than that…Falcom did a very notable job on this PC port, and I am quite satisfied. So, keeping it “brief”, yes, this remake truly feels like the definitive version of the first game in the series. The combat, the pacing, the very well voiced custscenes, the incredible animations, the soundtrack, the world, the NPCs, the feeling that this world is huge and vast, and it hides many secrets waiting to be discovered, it’s all there, it looks incredible, plays smooth as butter, and it’s a treat for the senses. For all intents and purposes, Falcom have recreated every minute detail of the original, including the ending, and what an ending it is, as it couldn’t be any other way. When I say “every detail” I mean it, it’s all in there, you look for something you expect, and it is there, in all its ultra HD glory too. Anton looking back at that girl walking around the market? Yes, it is in there. Our Bracer Emblem being visible on our belts and clothes? Also there. The emblem being upgraded later on? Yes, they put it in there, too, of course. With the new Animation System they’ve been cooking for the past games, since Trails into Reverie and the modern Falcom Development Kit (FDK) Engine…these details, and the world, are more alive than ever, and it’s all in there, all of it. You just have to sit in there, relax, look at how alive this world looks like and see all the care and detail Falcom put in here, man…it’s wonderful. Best way to enjoy these games is just to take your time and get immersed in this unique setting: it’s a long journey…why rush through it? This is such a special occasion too, just enjoy the ride. I know there are “some” out there who have doubts about certain couple of terms being localized in a slightly different manner, but my personal take on that is simple: it’s the first game, a lot of the stuff we see, close to the end, is quite unknown stuff, to most characters. Can’t talk spoilers here, I don’t want that kind of review, but I’ll say the usual: Let Falcom do their Job, they know this franchise better than any of us : ) Congratulations to Falcom and all the people involved, including the Localization teams; personally I’ve played in English, and quite a bit in Spanish too, excellent job on both, but especially on the latter, surprised actually, the localization in my native language is so good, funny and consistent, that I’m so happy Spanish speaking gamers can finally dive into this series, if the language barrier was an issue before, for some of them. Replaying the beginning of this series, in this remake form, felt so fresh and natural, and I’m very much looking forward to the sequel, as it couldn’t be any other way.