It may surprise you to know, but what if I were to tell you that we’re only around half-way through what constitutes the entirety of The Legend of Heroes' Trails sub-series of games? Yes, only half-way. Even if such a claim is based on little more than a four-year old, single-sentence response from developer Nihon Falcom’s own president Toshihiro Kondo when asked of the prospect of future arcs in the series, post-Cold Steel. “Three more arcs [are] currently planned”; three more to add to the already-existent arcs focusing on the events and characters of fictional nations Liberl, Crossbell and Erebonia alike. A steady stream of releases that in 2020 culminated in one almighty crossover of a conclusion. One that saw the in-game, fictional continent of Zemuria brought to the brink of – but fortunately avoiding – utter ruin.
Not that we need any more examples to highlight just how dense with storytelling and world-building this series has been known for. But in a slightly comical and admittedly bizarre way, it’s rather fitting that a game like Trails into Reverie – the next, foll0w-up RPG to succeed 2020’sTrails of Cold Steel IV, taking place five months after that game’s close – can pitch itself as an “epilogue” to both the Crossbell and Erebonia arcs alike. Where other games may have an epilogue serve no longer than a chapter or even some lengthy cutscene, Nihon Falcom instead proceed to make this as crammed and content-rich a turn-based RPG as any of their other prior releases. I say “as crammed,” but again you needn’t invest a solitary second in Reverie’s roughly 35-40 hour story (easily doubled if the plethora of side content catches your eye) to find Nihon Falcom going at matters risky. A game spread across three plot-threads – of which intervene and intertwine at certain points in the overarching tale – but in doing so, culminates in a cast and as much a playable roster totaling no less than several dozen.
At its most simplest, Trails into Reverie’s main pitch is that this time, players follow events from three perspectives: that of the Erebonia arc’s main protagonist Rean Schwarzer, the Crossbell arc’s equivalent in Lloyd Bannings and a third masked individual referred to initially only as “C.” The latter’s identity and accompanying motives being as much the draw for the unraveling plot as is the fate of Zemuria. A fate kicked off by events in Crossbell that find a hard-fought fight for independence for the city-state, snatched away at the last second by an antagonistic force spouting ideas on borders, nation-states and the like being a thing of the past. A convenient and smart bit of scheduling then that Reverie’s release in the West follows the recent remasters of both entries in the Crossbell arc –Trails from Zeroin 2022 andTrails to Azureearlier this year – when fans' memories of such are still fresh in the mind.
But above all, Reverie serves as a pleasant reminder that the Trails series' seemingly lonely crusade to keep the spirit of turn-based combat alive has not been a failed one. Even now, where one may be led to believe Nihon Falcom’s obsession on providing players with as many characters, plot-threads and indeed gameplay mechanics to keep up with – let alone grapple with – has at last found itself jumping the shark. But it’s impossible to ignore, with a sprinkling of new inclusions in some parts, a tweak or two to the formula in others and a plot that keeps one fixated on details both major and minor alike throughout, how brilliantly Trails into Reverie pulls it off. Nihon Falcom have done it again.
A feat which is all the more impressive this time round. Not least given how different certain traditions of the series have been tweaked and for the most part, streamlined to serve a triad of interweaving tales. The most obvious being that the usual sequence of partaking in odd-jobs and intel gathering – culminating in some manner of confrontation or end-of-chapter, dungeon-esque crawl-come-boss battle – as has been the case with most (if not all) prior Trails game, has been stripped back. In favor of a tale that’s far more focal and to the point on focusing in on its characters and the events unfolding.
In gameplay and structural terms, Reverie comprises three separate routes with which players can [mostly] switch freely between at their leisure at any time. Aside from select moments that require you advancing one or two routes to a given point – locking further progress of said route until a certain threshold is met – it’s entirely possible to, for example, transition halfway through a dungeon from one character’s perspective to begin the next act in another character’s perspective in some other part of the world. To then resume said dungeon moments later at the point one left it at. And while it may not technically be as seamless or as liberal to allow you jumping in and out at literally any point in the tale, Reverie more than makes up for this once again with a narrative full of interesting twists and turns.
Surprising still that at the point one mistakes Nihon Falcom as having maybe shown their hand too early when it comes to the story’s defining moments that initial concern is so quickly swept aside by what soon follows. For one, the identity of third playable character, C, is revealed so early – around the end of the second act – and is met with admittedly so tepid a “…heh” response, you’d be forgiven that the reasons for keeping with the tale have been lessened. And it’s Nihon Falcom’s impressive knack for dedicating time to the smaller, “quieter” spots of dialogue and world-building, that so quickly remedies this initial concern. In fact, one of the best moments of the game from a writing standpoint comes shortly thereafter during the third act of Lloyd’s route. A brief conversation on the ramifications and consequences of the events of Zero and Azure; in a game that is never shy of losing itself to silliness and over-the-top bombast in spectacle, to find a moment like this that touches on topics of patriotism, pride, sovereignty and the hopeful/hopeless allure of idols/heroes/leaders etc. Equally balanced between all three routes it may be, it’s clear Lloyd’s route/arc is the central pillar in Reverie and as a proponent of the Crossbell games when it comes to that arc’s themes, it’s great to see those games' ideas continued and expanded upon.
And all this exists even without the mention of the series' returning, turn-based combat. A system that requires you making careful, long-term decisions in how you apply your arsenal of attacks, magic-based Arts, character-specific special moves dubbed Crafts and Orders providing temporary buffs and supports during the midst of battle. As such, following the re-release of the Crossbell pairing of titles as of late, it’s a mammoth leap forward in the series timeline. Back once more to the multi-threaded, interweaving, interlocking, system-heavy conundrum of a combat system. One that acts as much a puzzle to figure out, by way of manipulating turn orders, as it is making sure one has enough points accumulated to survive the bevvy of enemy attacks coming your way. Enemies whom, once more, offer their own twists, turns and potential trip-ups. Not least in the case of select foes who can also employ overtly-powerful Crafts and tactics you yourself will employ. A scenario that so wonderfully springs up during the second act in which the party you’re in control of, comes up against the cast from another route…only for the game to have you swap control and have that fight play out again from the other’s perspective.
So consider then that amidst the possibility to tailor characters to a desired build via Equipment and Quartz load-outs – let alone the wealth of options by which to engage in combat – not only do Nihon Falcom add even more to the combat palette, but with the titular realm of Reverie, that extension of sorts reaches ridiculous lengths. Serving as a kind of pocket dimension-turn-home base you’re able to return to upon unlock, Trails has (if it hadn’t already) embraced its inner-Yakuza and going all-in on side content and activities to so easily double the duration one could spend with this game. The main draw being the Reverie Corridor, while mimicking the multi-level dungeons of series' past (specifically the Cold Steel entrants) here is expanded to provide a wealth of optional quests/objectives. In what might be the most bizarre meshing of roguelite-esque, procedural play with gacha-style pulls of equipment and cosmetic alike, while some may shudder at the latter genre’s mention here – let alone the prospect of rewards confined to random pulls – the simple truth is that Reverie’s interpretation manages to find the right balance of time invested and rewards given.
In the latter case, ranging from side stories dubbed Daydreams – that come across a kin to Xenoblade’s heart-to-heart’s or Fire Emblem’s support conversations, albeit with the added bonus of a combat set-piece on top – to some truly Yakuza-esque mini-games that really do dial the lovable ridiculousness of Trails up to eleven. None of which can be immediately unlocked through some optional currency or form of monetization; instead requiring you take on the more challenging enemies and end-of-floor bosses to reap the rewards. And in a game that serves as the biggest cast of primary, secondary and even tertiary characters covered in the series thus far, if nothing else, Nihon Falcom can’t be criticized for skimming on content here. But not just content for content’s sake; in the case of its Daydream’s, opportunities to learn more about specific less-focal characters present in past games.
With so many tempting distractions and means to invest heavily one’s hours of playtime into anything other than the main story, it’s easy to let slip of – and subsequently be abruptly reminded late on – the only real lingering issue that, despite Reverie’s monumental undertaking, serves as the only real complaints to draw. Most pressing of these is Nihon Falcom’s continued reliance on players having to manually save, as opposed to some auto save occurring at a helpful pace. While technically there’s an auto save system in the game, it’s nowhere near as frequent as it should be. Not least on an unfortunate couple of instances of the game sadly crashing mid-play. In one instance, a near hour of progress lost as a result. Aside from this, as was the case with bothCold Steel III& IV, the hard-to-ignore persistence of low-quality texture work in the environments, while not major, does briefly tarnish the experience.
Closing Comments:
A feature-rich (at times astonishingly so) package of content – major, minor and entirely optional alike – Nihon Falcom have proven once again with Trails into Reverie why they remain one of the best and most renowned RPG developers still going. The story of Reverie may find itself branching out into three routes, but that holds no sway when it comes to presenting a familiar brand of quality. In a narrative that’s as much intriguing in its larger story beats as it is surprisingly effective in its accompanying smaller ones alongside. Add to this a combat system that’s still as fun to work out and tinker with, a wealth of customization potential and generally the kind of design philosophy that’s both ridiculously over-the-top yet thoughtfully engaging all the same, The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie serves as both a culmination as much a proud celebration of the series' grand accomplishments.
