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The Kiseki / Trails (of the Sky/Zero/Ao/Sen/Etc) Community Thread: SPOILERTAGS OR DIE
- Thread starter Bebpo
- Start date
Evo versions of Zero/Ao add so much through full voice acting to the story, characters and world I'd easily rate them as the definitive versions even if it's debatable which soundtrack arrangement is better (they're extremely similar soundtracks, with only slight differences imo).
The new quests are whatever usually, but they don't detract from the games. Just don't necessarily add anything besides "hang out with your favorite cameo character for a sidequest" type stuff.
In a way, yes. But the Sora no Kiseki Evolution versions contain a lot of changes for the worse, making it the worst versions out there.
Yes, it is safe to get the Evo versions. They are really faithful to the originals.
I have a quick question about Sen II:
Did they give Lector or Mueller a voice?
Because them not having voices at all in Sen I pisses me off so much since I love their characters (you can't have voiced Olivert and not have voiced Mueller when they're playing off each other) and they're decently important characters in the series (hell, I'd say outside of Kevin's story in The Third, the rest of The Third was basically about introducing and setting up Lector as a major series character).
Coming from Lector having a very defining and regularly heard playful voice in the Crossbell Evo games, it totally sucks that he doesn't have a voice at all here. Especially since Erebonia is his main relevance country.
Because them not having voices at all in Sen I pisses me off so much since I love their characters (you can't have voiced Olivert and not have voiced Mueller when they're playing off each other) and they're decently important characters in the series (hell, I'd say outside of Kevin's story in The Third, the rest of The Third was basically about introducing and setting up Lector as a major series character).
Coming from Lector having a very defining and regularly heard playful voice in the Crossbell Evo games, it totally sucks that he doesn't have a voice at all here. Especially since Erebonia is his main relevance country.
Both play minor roles in Sen I and therefore yes, both are voiced in Sen II.
Even if I liked Cold Steel, I much preferred the Sky games. Based on your last paragraph I feel those games do everything you mentioned better than Cold Steel. The combat is just simpler is all.
Thanks, this makes me really happy. Looking forward to Sen II!
DrROBschiz
Member
You guys make me so Jelly
Yep. I really like Zero. I think it's probably the most consistent game of the build up each chapter, explosive end chapter formula so far that I've played. The end chapter is so satisfying.
I agree. It's my favorite game in the series due to how self-conclusive it is while leaving space for the sequel. I really enjoyed how the natural pacing of the events of the game too. Much better than the other games for sure.
So, my impressions of Zero without (almost)any spoilers:
- The story is great, much better than FC and definitely up there with SC and 3rd. Almost every chapter has something big happening and a lot of surprises in it.
- Most of the characters range from great to regular. While Lloyd and Eri are your regular protagonists, Randy and Tio are much, much better than I though they would be.
-The battle system could be faster and I liked most of the new mechanics in play.
-The game was much, much longer than I expected. Took me almost 80 hours to finish, but I did almost all side-quests
- The main story is strong and I am actually happy that they finished a lot of it by the end of this game, while leaving a few questions that give enough reason for the sequel.
I am also very happy about how
story ended.
It's a great game and now I just started Trails in the Blue. Hope I can finish it without taking 2-3 months.
- The story is great, much better than FC and definitely up there with SC and 3rd. Almost every chapter has something big happening and a lot of surprises in it.
- Most of the characters range from great to regular. While Lloyd and Eri are your regular protagonists, Randy and Tio are much, much better than I though they would be.
-The battle system could be faster and I liked most of the new mechanics in play.
-The game was much, much longer than I expected. Took me almost 80 hours to finish, but I did almost all side-quests
- The main story is strong and I am actually happy that they finished a lot of it by the end of this game, while leaving a few questions that give enough reason for the sequel.
I am also very happy about how
Ren
It's a great game and now I just started Trails in the Blue. Hope I can finish it without taking 2-3 months.
Trails _to_ Zero/Azure is what XSeed has used for now, I think?
Falcom once tweeted about the decision behind the title... I have to remember it by heart, because I've tried to search for that tweet again and have been unable to find it again. lol
Nevertheless, what I recall them saying was something like this:
At a certain depth underwater, when you look upwards to the surface, light becomes almost indiscernible between blue and green. Thus the decision for that particular form of 'Ao.'
....and when you think about the game itself, there's a neat, and almost poetic, meaning to that comment.
Right. It's also the most fitting one, taking context into consideration.
Is it because the main character drowns at the end, and the scene is from his POV while he's looking up to the sky and sees the colors right before dying?
e: I'm joking obviously, I don't want to know the real reason in case I ever get to play the game myself
Sounds like you're thinking of the wrong series.
...except he doesn't drown. ;D
You just reminded me of a tiny rant I've been meaning to make. To the Ys community thread I go...
Young Magus
Junior Member
Yo finished Cold Steel just now. Few questions
So like should I dive in Crossbell before or after I play 2?
Should I take I look at the Evo versions if I'm a better at listening then reading Japanese?
So like should I dive in Crossbell before or after I play 2?
Should I take I look at the Evo versions if I'm a better at listening then reading Japanese?
Was anyone else not really taken surprise by Crows true motives?
1. Preferably before playing Cold Steel II.
2. Yes, definitely.
3. (Cold Steel endgame spoiler).
The game expects you to have figured that out by the point of the reveal, yes.
Young Magus
Junior Member
1.Thank You
2.Ok will look into
3.
Mis-Phrased, wanted to ask if any one else saw him being a traitor waay eariler then the reveal
So I was going back and listening to The Third ost and it was interesting seeing how many tracks created for The Third are used later in the Crossbell and Erebonia games.
Like when I got to "The Last Choice" I was like wait, this is the exact same track that was playing (Sen1 spoiler):
.
Also "Singularity of The Origin" I think is the same track that plays (Zero spoiler):
. Which is maybe an interesting track title because of (Ao big spoiler)
Like when I got to "The Last Choice" I was like wait, this is the exact same track that was playing (Sen1 spoiler):
On the airship at the start of ch.6
Also "Singularity of The Origin" I think is the same track that plays (Zero spoiler):
In the temple with the upper elements
Wadji talking about the place of The Origin.
"Cry for me, cry for you" makes a sneaky appearance in Sen 1 too (Sen 1 spoilers)
for the Towa+Angie+Crow+George concert
Sen no Kiseki
I got a bit into the final chapter of Sen1 last night. I like the game overall, even if it's the slowest drip feed of all 6 games so far. But I gotta talk about the quests.
Compared to Zero/Ao the quests, especially optional ones which are 80% of the quests, in Sen1 are mostly terrible and so many of them are pure filler. I mean I can't believe there's more than one "find my lost cat" quests in a single game. I feel like in Zero & Ao, each quest had character to it and really added something to the world or plot. I really enjoyed doing every quest in those games. They often would tease out or introduce mysteries or characters that would later play into the main story. Also it feels like in those games there were fewer quests, but the quests had more meat to them. For example, in Ao (Spoiler)
Sen1's quests (especially the optional ones) are like 50% "go deliver this person something". Just feels like constant filler dragging down the game which already moves at a glacial pace. I don't know if it's because the locations are limited (either limited to the school location or limited to the field trip location), but the scope of the quests are just so tiny and most of them hardly add anything to the lore. I can't think of more than 2 or 3 memorable quests in the entire game of Sen1. The only optional ones I remember at this point on the last quest of the game in the final chapter are: (Sen 1 spoiler)
Also I realized at this point Sen 1 spoiler
, that I really dislike the school setting. It's boring, it's been done before in Sora and The Third. I have no interest in "experiencing the 'joys' of a Japanese high school experience". The fact that now that I'm in the final chapter, 60 hours+ in, when things normal start getting exciting and moving in a Kiseki game, and instead I'm
really highlights how much the school setting brought the game down. I lived in Japan, I taught at a Japanese school, I've lived this experience, it's not.that.interesting and I'm tired of it being shoved into so many things out of Japan. I also have pretty big issues with the dating sim aspect of Sen1, but that ship has sailed and Falcom has sided with the otaku fanbase unfortunately.
Another thing I noticed which imo was a mistake by Falcom is how the chapters are structured in terms of quests. I liked that in the older Kiseki games I'd get all the chapter's quests at once or maybe in two bites, I'd go do them in a session (that would be my "quest" session) and then I'd be able to sit back and enjoy the the story for the chapter in the next session. By splitting the chapters into all these days with quests each day, it feels like "bunch of boring filler quests -> tiny bit of plot movement -> bunch of boring filler quests" -> tiny bit of plot movement -> etc... instead of "lots of quests" -> "lots of plot movement". Ao no Kiseki started this with the whole multi-day chapter thing with quests each day, but those multi-day chapters in Ao were huge and honestly each "day" could've been a full chapter in that game, so it still felt like "do a bunch of quests -> get a bunch of plot". I just don't like the bite-sized drip feed of plot between handful of small quests over and over in Sen1. I like getting larger chunks of plot at a time without interruption by filler quests. In a lot of ways Sen 1 just feels like bite-sized Kiseki with short filler quests, tiny short dungeons
\), fields that are 1 or 2 screens max, bite-sized character development because so many characters in the MC cast, bite-sized main plot. Hoping Sen 2 feels a lot more meaty in all of these areas. Especially dungeon design. I like dungeons and combat in Kiseki games from 3rd on, give me dungeons that take longer than 15 minutes please. Just compare the size of the mines in Ao at Mainz to the mines in Roer. Bite-sized indeed, and the mines at Roer are probably the longest dungeon in Sen prior to the final chapter.
Still, I like the little bits of plot and lore I've been getting in the last few chapters and so I'm looking forward to the final chapter stuff. I mainly play these games for the quality writing, the characters, the mysteries, the lore of Zemuria and all of its factions. Sen1 so far has just barely given enough of this stuff to keep me interested. For what's happened and what I've seen so far, I wish the game was about half the length. Sora FC does this much better because it's short in comparison (~35-50 hours).
I got a bit into the final chapter of Sen1 last night. I like the game overall, even if it's the slowest drip feed of all 6 games so far. But I gotta talk about the quests.
Compared to Zero/Ao the quests, especially optional ones which are 80% of the quests, in Sen1 are mostly terrible and so many of them are pure filler. I mean I can't believe there's more than one "find my lost cat" quests in a single game. I feel like in Zero & Ao, each quest had character to it and really added something to the world or plot. I really enjoyed doing every quest in those games. They often would tease out or introduce mysteries or characters that would later play into the main story. Also it feels like in those games there were fewer quests, but the quests had more meat to them. For example, in Ao (Spoiler)
The multi-chapter, multi-quest story about the fake salesman trying to buy up and sell the land.
The twin pink-haired sister pranking the MC into buying flowers for her sister, and the mysterious cookie sender subplot at the school.
Also I realized at this point Sen 1 spoiler
the school festival
bored that I have to get through the tediousness of a school festival (yawn) in the final chapter before the story can start moving again
Another thing I noticed which imo was a mistake by Falcom is how the chapters are structured in terms of quests. I liked that in the older Kiseki games I'd get all the chapter's quests at once or maybe in two bites, I'd go do them in a session (that would be my "quest" session) and then I'd be able to sit back and enjoy the the story for the chapter in the next session. By splitting the chapters into all these days with quests each day, it feels like "bunch of boring filler quests -> tiny bit of plot movement -> bunch of boring filler quests" -> tiny bit of plot movement -> etc... instead of "lots of quests" -> "lots of plot movement". Ao no Kiseki started this with the whole multi-day chapter thing with quests each day, but those multi-day chapters in Ao were huge and honestly each "day" could've been a full chapter in that game, so it still felt like "do a bunch of quests -> get a bunch of plot". I just don't like the bite-sized drip feed of plot between handful of small quests over and over in Sen1. I like getting larger chunks of plot at a time without interruption by filler quests. In a lot of ways Sen 1 just feels like bite-sized Kiseki with short filler quests, tiny short dungeons
\), fields that are 1 or 2 screens max, bite-sized character development because so many characters in the MC cast, bite-sized main plot. Hoping Sen 2 feels a lot more meaty in all of these areas. Especially dungeon design. I like dungeons and combat in Kiseki games from 3rd on, give me dungeons that take longer than 15 minutes please. Just compare the size of the mines in Ao at Mainz to the mines in Roer. Bite-sized indeed, and the mines at Roer are probably the longest dungeon in Sen prior to the final chapter.Still, I like the little bits of plot and lore I've been getting in the last few chapters and so I'm looking forward to the final chapter stuff. I mainly play these games for the quality writing, the characters, the mysteries, the lore of Zemuria and all of its factions. Sen1 so far has just barely given enough of this stuff to keep me interested. For what's happened and what I've seen so far, I wish the game was about half the length. Sora FC does this much better because it's short in comparison (~35-50 hours).
I thought I recognized it, but couldn't figure out which song it was.
Having played Cold Steel I've gotten the impression and noted several times that it feels like the game was 'sacrificed' in order for Cold Steel II to deliver all the right payoffs. I pretty much agree with everything Bebpo said about the game, ignoring the Ao spoilers which I skipped.
Your comment and the several similar I've seen in a lot of places don't exactly halp with the wait and anticipation for Cold Steel II!
BassForever
Member
Basileus777
Member
Wait for it to be Nitroplus Blasterz related.
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
Aidios let this not be a complete troll.
Young Magus
Junior Member
DONT PLAY WITH MY HEART XSEED!!!
DONT DO THIS TO ME!!!!!
and to think this comes THE day after I finshed CS1....
Dear god don't be fucking with me now XSEED! I SAY DONT BE FUCKING WITH ME GOD DAMN IT!!!
SpaceDrake
Member
The real question is this:
Ries, Riess, Riese, Liese, Lise, or Liesz?
(I like the third option myself, for clarity of pronunciation)
Ries, Riess, Riese, Liese, Lise, or Liesz?
(I like the third option myself, for clarity of pronunciation)
And they're making crazy progress on Cold Steel 2. XSEED doing the work.
Basileus777
Member
Anything but the first and last options.
What?
Sen 2's chapter 2 is easily one of my worst gaming experiences ever.
That afterstory though, makes me really look forward to Sen 3.
Shouta
Member
It was probably unintentional. It just came out like that because of the size of Erebonia and the size of the cast needed to represent it. It's gonna happen when you have a scale of that size that you have to set up more to get the proper payoffs.
Sen 1 is sort of in an interesting place because the only game in Trails that's similar to it is FC. Zero is supposed to be similar but ultimately, I think it's structured much more in line with SC/Ao/Sen 2. It's pretty hard for a game that's setting things up to compete with ones that are basically the roller coaster ride the entire way, lol.
That's not much of a question since XSEED already decided on Ries Argent (see Zemurian History page on the website for Cold Steel).
SpaceDrake
Member
I'm attentive!
I think one of the differences too with Sora FC is that Sora FC was the first and you didn't know the game structure. You didn't know how good the game or interesting the game was going to get in the final chapter or SC. You didn't know about Oroborous or anything. You were just playing a nice little slow game about Bracers and Estelle and friends and it was a neat little new rpg adventure.
Now do that again in Sen1 and you have 5 prior games worth of build up in story, lore, factions, mysteries, characters sitting like the elephant in the room that as a player you're waiting to get to the point where stuff starts getting addressed. Also you know the Kiseki structure so you're powering through knowing the final Chapter and the sequel game (or two) will be where that stuff is at, add in Sen1 being almost twice the length of Sora FC and lacking the "adventuring" around the world progression and imo less interesting characters and you have all the workings for a game that feels like a slog for much of it.
While somewhat true, Cold Steel isn't quite as "starting from point zero" as TitS First Chapter. A long-time fan will recognize certain people & references, understand long-term/bigger scale worldwide developments better and can notice the influence of certain organizations like
Ouroboros
In the end, Cold Steel's characters wouldn't even be in the situation they are in if it wasn't for stuff that has happened 3-4 games earlier, so while it's a bit more boring to start with a situation that is a bit reminiscent of TitS FC, seeing how it all fits in the bigger picture later on is pretty cool.
DrROBschiz
Member
Cold Steel was so mixed for me. There were parts i loved and parts I didnt. The whole game was this rollercoaster of peaks and valleys.
I have a hard time placing it but on reflection its the weakest in the series and I think I attribute that to the script. There were just too many forced moments and nonsensical dialogue. Its not like that ALL the time but man... there were just so few moments that felt natural and hit hard.
Its mixed though. Some characters definitely had better treatment in the script department than others and a LOT of the best conversations are put behind optional events....
How is this meant to be pronounced? I'd google the katakana but I'm too scared of spoiling 3rd. From GCSE german if guess something like "Reez" but I still have nightmares about Reise being pronounced "Rye-say" so I can't be sure.
Pronounced as 'Reese' and correctly spelled as Rieß.
You shouldn't be too hype for the second game if you're expecting a lot of characters interactions between the cast in the main story except for Rean. Most of the character development for the main cast still replies on the free time mechanic. A lot of the time the main cast just shows up in important scenes and stands there with nothing to say.
Even the cat has more lines than most of the main cast in the main story.
Cool, thanks. Nothing worse than finding out you've been pronouncing it wrong it in your head and then the correct way sounds wrong.
Now I'm torn as to whether to keep watching your Translation Tuesdays, or hold out in hope of unlocking them myself when (if) 3rd comes out. Will you continue to do them if it's confirmed? I've enjoyed the ones I've seen so far, be interesting to see how they compare to xseed's version.
We only have one Door left, but it's the least important of the bunch and we would drop it the second XSEED were to announce something.