I struggle to stick with JRPGs that aren't the Trails series, weirdly. The only other JRPGs I've ever completed are a few Final Fantasy games (VI, VII, VIII) and Persona 4. There's just something about Trails and the interrelatedness of everything that works for me. I think Sky FC and SC are the most WRPG-like JRPGs.
Falcom's action-oriented adventures, like Nayuta, Xanadu Next and Zwei II coming soon to Steam, usually have enough of a living, interconnected world to suffice for story-focused players. They're definitely worth a shot, though maybe Ys Origin would be hardest to get into since that's comparatively light on story.
I struggle to stick with JRPGs that aren't the Trails series, weirdly. The only other JRPGs I've ever completed are a few Final Fantasy games (VI, VII, VIII) and Persona 4. There's just something about Trails and the interrelatedness of everything that works for me. I think Sky FC and SC are the most WRPG-like JRPGs.
Yeah, you should give Xanadu Next a try. Even if its entirely different from the Trails games in gameplay and lighter on story.
But it's undoubtedly great.
Just a small question, I noticed that sometimes the game dips from constant fps to half of it for no reason with certain GPU (this usually happens after the fight is over and you return to the map)
When testing with 2 different GTX 960's 4gb, they both had this issue.
when I was testing with an old GTX 660 2gb, it doesn't have this issue.
That's weird, so I wanted to ask if there is any issues with that card for this game?
Does anyone know if achievements progress is cumulative across playthroughs? Specifically, I'm referring to stuff like 100h of playtime, won 1000 battles, etc... I'm almost at the very end and nowhere near meeting the requirements for those two. Do I need to grind for them before finishing the game or will they come naturally without resetting if I just keep playing into NG+?
Just a small question, I noticed that sometimes the game dips from constant fps to half of it for no reason with certain GPU (this usually happens after the fight is over and you return to the map)
When testing with 2 different GTX 960's 4gb, they both had this issue.
when I was testing with an old GTX 660 2gb, it doesn't have this issue.
That's weird, so I wanted to ask if there is any issues with that card for this game?
Does anyone know if achievements progress is cumulative across playthroughs? Specifically, I'm referring to stuff like 100h of playtime, won 1000 battles, etc... I'm almost at the very end and nowhere near meeting the requirements for those two. Do I need to grind for them before finishing the game or will they come naturally without resetting if I just keep playing into NG+?
I'm on track for completing all the collectibles/single playthrough stuff, I just wanted to know for sure about the arbitrary counter ones. I really wasn't keen on just sitting around while letting the timer run, so it's good to know I can just keep playing and let it happen naturally.
Getting into Chapter 5, I was kinda disappointed that
Toval apparently didn't get the voice treatment. There's even a scene where everybody's talking and he's the only one without a voice. Though I understand it's not really reasonable to call the voice actor just to fill that one line.
Getting into Chapter 5, I was kinda disappointed that
Toval apparently didn't get the voice treatment. There's even a scene where everybody's talking and he's the only one without a voice. Though I understand it's not really reasonable to call the voice actor just to fill that one line.
He's not the only one. There are still a handful of lines Rean didn't get voiced, mostly scenes with Towa from what I remember. A couple other secondary characters that have some voiced lines are still silent while everyone around them isn't.
IIRC Brittany said they will try to do some of the remaining missing lines from CS1 while recording for CS2, notably the ones where they couldn't get the actors back for CS1 recording but did get them for CS2. The character you referenced was one she specifically mentioned doing some more recording for, I think.
End of chapter 6 spoilers,
I was getting pretty confident in my speculation of who C might be and the game completely ruined it with one scene. Now I'm back to square one and have no idea, I must be overlooking something.
And that fight was dumb. An area S-craft that can 1HKO the entire party? Lame. Bring earth wall adamantine shield I guess.
Also, teasing some
more Ouroboros involvement. I've been wondering what they're up to, since
Just finished this up. Jesus, now that was a hell of an ending blitz - Maybe not as well executed as Sky FC, but it did its job.
But anyway, FREEDOM. Time to enjoy the next four months playing something other than Kiseki for once after an 8 month blitz through the Sky trilogy and this. The Burnout was beginning to feel real.
Just finished this up. Jesus, now that was a hell of an ending blitz - Maybe not as well executed as Sky FC, but it did its job.
But anyway, FREEDOM. Time to enjoy the next four months playing something other than Kiseki for once after an 8 month blitz through the Sky trilogy and this. The Burnout was beginning to feel real.
They did not. Ys Seven runs on Falcom's own engine, Yamaneko. Cold Steel runs on PhyreEngine. I'm pretty sure we know that PS3 was the lead platform from the start, too.
Well, that's unquestionably Flame Slash. I guess it really was planned for PSP at one point. I can say with certainty, though, that the models from the magazine are in the final game - they're just unused.
Falcom's action-oriented adventures, like Nayuta, Xanadu Next and Zwei II coming soon to Steam, usually have enough of a living, interconnected world to suffice for story-focused players. They're definitely worth a shot, though maybe Ys Origin would be hardest to get into since that's comparatively light on story.
I'd like to reiterate that you could always do that with Laura, and that she's still 10 times better at it. (Just so people don't think it changes the balance in any meaningful way)
Not against bosses. The only issue I have with it is that Fie is apparently able to stun even strong enemies and field study bosses that can't normally be stunned.
This is a "strong enemy" that can't normally be stunned even when hit from behind. In the video, I hit it 20 times with Laura, and it never gets stunned. But then I switch to Fie and start hitting it, and it does eventually get stunned. I then begin the battle with a double advantage, which, without this change, wouldn't have been possible.
Not against bosses. The only issue I have with it is that Fie is apparently able to stun even strong enemies and field study bosses that can't normally be stunned.
This is a "strong enemy" that can't normally be stunned even when hit from behind. In the video, I hit it 20 times with Laura, and it never gets stunned. But then I switch to Fie and start hitting it, and it does eventually get stunned. I then begin the battle with a double advantage, which, without this change, wouldn't have been possible.
I like how you still felt the need to tag it from behind when it was already stunned.
Not to take away your point, but there are some "strong" enemy mobs that can be stunned into Double Advantage (notably the huge Zu-like bird beasts) if attacked from behind by what would be deemed the correct weapon. They aren't completely immune. Might just be a rare occurrence or even a glitch and they aren't meant to be stunned at all.
Yeah, I did that out of habit, lol. I know you don't need to.
I wasn't aware any of them could be stunned. The enemy in the video I tried attacking from behind with every character I had, but was only able to stun it with Fie. Guess I'll try it with other enemies sometime...
Exactly. I think it'll be a long time before XSEED considers their own localization of Nayuta, and they'd probably license the new upcoming fan translation instead to save costs.
I don't know if I'm missing something but this final(?) battle feels like it relies on luck a lot.
So far the best strategy I've found for the knight battle is using the stat boost craft and then the evasion one once you have the CP for it (usually after the first heal) and hoping he doesn't hit. But if he just hits you all three times you just wasted a ton of CP and HP and have nothing to show for it. And if he gets several link attacks you're pretty much SOL, and they seem to be random.
Edit: Won with basically no HP. It's a miracle that last hit didn't kill me.
Edit edit: That whole sequence of events through the ending was... something. I'm not a fan and it might have even damaged my interest in the rest of the series.
I don't know if I'm missing something but this final(?) battle feels like it relies on luck a lot.
So far the best strategy I've found for the knight battle is using the stat boost craft and then the evasion one once you have the CP for it (usually after the first heal) and hoping he doesn't hit. But if he just hits you all three times you just wasted a ton of CP and HP and have nothing to show for it. And if he gets several link attacks you're pretty much SOL, and they seem to be random.
Edit: Won with basically no HP. It's a miracle that last hit didn't kill me.
Edit edit: That whole sequence of events through the ending was... something. I'm not a fan and it might have even damaged my interest in the rest of the series.
After sleeping on it, nothing was really a dealbreaker but
I'm not really into mechs, and they feel kind of shoehorned in here.
And I think the cliffhanger was worse than FC, since CS1 didn't really resolve anything and just felt like it ended halfway through.
Then there were the times it just felt like Falcom was messing with the player. Rean's interactions with Emma through the final chapter were frustrating, at that point the player obviously wants to know what's up with her and she's the only Class VII character you don't really have any background on. She even seems willing to talk about it, but every time Rean blows her off. They also totally botched the "Crow is C" twist for me with the stuff in the mines. Up until that fight with him I was getting pretty confident it was him, but they totally hand waved how he practically had to be in two places at once in the mines to do everything he did in the time that he did and not appear suspicious to anyone.
Osborne's shooting is also going to be a bit of a let down regardless of the resolution. I kind of hope he didn't die because he's an interesting fellow with his hands on a lot of things, but if he didn't then it doesn't make a whole lot of sense why he'd survive a shot that was able to shoot down an airship. Maybe there was an explosive on the ship and Crow shot that to blow it up? Basically have to make up theories on it.
All the politics stuff that was building up at the end was really exciting but it was dampened a lot by everything else. The writing as a whole doesn't feel as strong as the Sky trilogy to me.
And even without CS2, knowing there are games going on simultaneously in Crossbell covering the frequently mentioned but never really detailed events there just makes you want them that much more.
After sleeping on it, nothing was really a dealbreaker but
I'm not really into mechs, and they feel kind of shoehorned in here.
And I think the cliffhanger was worse than FC, since CS1 didn't really resolve anything and just felt like it ended halfway through.
Then there were the times it just felt like Falcom was messing with the player. Rean's interactions with Emma through the final chapter were frustrating, at that point the player obviously wants to know what's up with her and she's the only Class VII character you don't really have any background on. She even seems willing to talk about it, but every time Rean blows her off. They also totally botched the "Crow is C" twist for me with the stuff in the mines. Up until that fight with him I was getting pretty confident it was him, but they totally hand waved how he practically had to be in two places at once in the mines to do everything he did in the time that he did and not appear suspicious to anyone.
Osborne's shooting is also going to be a bit of a let down regardless of the resolution. I kind of hope he didn't die because he's an interesting fellow with his hands on a lot of things, but if he didn't then it doesn't make a whole lot of sense why he'd survive a shot that was able to shoot down an airship. Maybe there was an explosive on the ship and Crow shot that to blow it up? Basically have to make up theories on it.
All the politics stuff that was building up at the end was really exciting but it was dampened a lot by everything else. The writing as a whole doesn't feel as strong as the Sky trilogy to me.
And even without CS2, knowing there are games going on simultaneously in Crossbell covering the frequently mentioned but never really detailed events there just makes you want them that much more.
I agree with you, actually. In fact, (Endgame Spoilers)
making Rean a mech pilot on top of him struggling with his "Super Demonic Power", (which I have an idea about but that's Trails 3rd territory)
lazily doubles down on how "AWESOME and SPECIAL" your main character is without taking any restraint into consideration. Cold Steel 2 has a chance to work with it, but I'm not sure how it will successfully integrate both with the story by the end. In my mind, choosing one might have been the better bet.
It's poor, preferential writing that reminds me more of Dragon Age Inquisition's awful Green Hand than a good LoH title. It ironically gives off the opposite effect and makes me see Rean as an even lamer character. It's a great reason why I dislike Cold Steel's ending the more I think about it. The cliffhanger doesn't feel succinct and tripped over several ideas in the attempt of being an exciting cliffhanger. I won't say my heart didn't beat seeing any of the final events on-screen (I was legitimately surprised by a number of events), but taken as a whole I still see it as a bust.
As for the fight, I never had issues with it on either playthrough (did Nightmare on this most recent one) and it feels to me as if the fight's pattern allows the opportunity for you to win each time. My anecdotal sample is small, however.
I agree with you, actually. In fact, (Endgame Spoilers)
making Rean a mech pilot on top of him struggling with his "Super Demonic Power", (which I have an idea about but that's Trails 3rd territory)
lazily doubles down on how "AWESOME and SPECIAL" your main character is without taking any restraint into consideration. Cold Steel 2 has a chance to work with it, but I'm not sure how it will successfully integrate both with the story by the end. In my mind, choosing one might have been the better bet.
It's poor, preferential writing that reminds me more of Dragon Age Inquisition's awful Green Hand than a good LoH title. It ironically gives off the opposite effect and makes me see Rean as an even lamer character.
You see this is going to be awkward to talk about, since I've played and beaten ToCS 2 on vita, but let me try and organise some thoughts about that specific aspect of the ending.
To say that Rean has preferential treatment by the narrative is probably pretty accurate. He's the main character, sure, but there's a lot of physical... stuff, going on around him, more so than perhaps should be reasonably expected. Even if, post ToCS 1, it turns out to be justified by the narrative, one could still say that this wasn't necessary for Rean's character in a broader sense, since he's established to be pretty powerful from the get go.
BUT, despite having a lot of things in his favour, Rean ultimately loses in the final battle of ToCS 1. What this suggests to me, is that there's been an escalation of power for the plot as a whole, rather than the focus being on Rean specifically. This could also be a problem depending on how it's handled, but it does mean that Rean isn't necessarily a power trip, or worse, a light novel protagonist. Perhaps he's more of a logical explanation as to why a bunch of military academy students are able to meaningfully get involved in... well, the ending and beyond, when several adult characters have taken off the kiddy gloves and are making serious moves.
...Wow talking around what's basically the second half of the plot is more difficult than expected. There are a few other details that I could mention that I honestly can't remember if they're spoilers or not at this point, but hopefully you kind of get where I'm coming from, ish. Rean's definitely not a perfectly written character, but I came out of Cold Steel 1 and 2 liking him overall, and I never really thought him getting a mech was crossing the line. I did roll my eyes at his transformation thing, but that was before I played the third, which (like your experience, seemingly) may have helped soften the blow of that particular aspect.
I'm up to the Nord Highlands now and I'm still feeling this is a far better game that Sky.. I didn't like him at first (obviously) but I think Jusis is my favorite character for now
I'm up to the Nord Highlands now and I'm still feeling this is a far better game that Sky.. I didn't like him at first (obviously) but I think Jusis is my favorite character for now
To each his own, personally I think CS1 is the weakest of all the trails game. (Mind you it's an excellent series and the lowest entry is still better than pretty much all the other jRPG out there imo)
Funny thing, Chapter 3 was the moment when I started to really get into the game. Thinking it in retrospective, is thank to it that I got interested in finishing SC and the series as a whole. I liked FC, but those 4? years of waiting for the sequel really hurt my excitement for the series.
If I had to do a ranking, it would be Sky the third > Sky FC > Cold Steel 1 = Cold Steel 2 > Sky SC. Although they're all REALLY intertwined, and I wouldn't like FC and the third so much if it wasn't for what SC and the Cold Steel games brought to the table, if that makes sense.
(Also, Jusis is in fact great. He was my top priority free time event barring any events with other characters that coincided with the plot for my first playthrough, and I do not regret it at all.)
I'm up to the Nord Highlands now and I'm still feeling this is a far better game that Sky.. I didn't like him at first (obviously) but I think Jusis is my favorite character for now
I like Jusis too! I found him to be a rather balanced character as far as subject matter was concerned. Aside from being mutually tsun for Machias, he never got stuck in a corner always talking about any certain something or someone. It really allowed him to flow with the narrative between story and Bonding Events quite well.
You see this is going to be awkward to talk about, since I've played and beaten ToCS 2 on vita, but let me try and organise some thoughts about that specific aspect of the ending...
BUT, despite having a lot of things in his favour, Rean ultimately loses in the final battle of ToCS 1. What this suggests to me, is that there's been an escalation of power for the plot as a whole, rather than the focus being on Rean specifically. This could also be a problem depending on how it's handled, but it does mean that Rean isn't necessarily a power trip, or worse, a light novel protagonist. Perhaps he's more of a logical explanation as to why a bunch of military academy students are able to meaningfully get involved in... well, the ending and beyond, when several adult characters have taken off the kiddy gloves and are making serious moves.
...Wow talking around what's basically the second half of the plot is more difficult than expected. There are a few other details that I could mention that I honestly can't remember if they're spoilers or not at this point, but hopefully you kind of get where I'm coming from, ish. Rean's definitely not a perfectly written character, but I came out of Cold Steel 1 and 2 liking him overall, and I never really thought him getting a mech was crossing the line. I did roll my eyes at his transformation thing, but that was before I played the third, which (like your experience, seemingly) may have helped soften the blow of that particular aspect.
I understand what you're getting at and honestly, I'm not asking for a perfect character. It's easy to see in multiple ways that Estelle nor Kevin are perfect executions. I suppose there's something that makes me tick towards Rean in CS1; it's not exactly a "light novel protagonist" as you accurately stated, but I find them very much closer than I'd like. It's this concern that leaves me on edge about the character and left me cold through the first chapter of Cold Steel. The mech was more an extra scoop on top of what I saw as a pile of undesirable characterization than the straw that broke the donkey's back.
(Trails 3rd Spoilers)
Ah, it seems we're speaking of the same thing as far as 3rd. On that note, while this would soften the blow, as you said, the story implications of its existence would be the true decider for me. As in, keeping the respective leading events and main character personas of either title into consideration, there's a reason it made me roll my eyes to begin with in this instance and not in 3rd's. One has a deliberately more sinister take on the cost/effect, while the other, seeming more of an inconvenience. Now, I can't draw full equivalence here as Cold Steel 1 does not give the full origin story for Rean's condition, unlike 3rd. Speaking for myself, the previous game never made me feel as if the power wielded was (at least initially) a desirable arsenal for the wielder. Sure, Rean doesn't love it, but the cost of its emergence in 3rd was massive in comparison. I don't wish all revelations like this to be the same level of dramatic, but hoisting weight upon it does help sell it better. It does help that the transformation is a potential retreading, but the execution matters all the more in that case.
I hope you understand my being vague even in spoilers tags, but I want to ensure no one that skims unknowingly highlights anything. The post got a bit speculative for my liking anyways, as I'm not positive if they're one in the same yet (unless you confirmed it, I'm not sure). I hope my point is still clear through the similarities.
I appreciate you leaving out CS2 details for me and do see where you are coming from, I believe.
So what are the NG+ scenes, do I have to replay the whole game to see them? Hiding scenes behind NG+ is really lame. And is that drama CD script very important?
Also curious about what you're referring to with Sky 3rd. I'm kind of drawing a blank.
Doesn't seem like a Stigma to me, though Gaius's S-craft seems very suspiciously similar. Doesn't seem like he's really met the "conditions" for one though? And speaking of 3rd and S-crafts I can't help but wonder about Emma's, the whole concept of hers is really reminiscent of Anima Mundi's attack big attack.
So what are the NG+ scenes, do I have to replay the whole game to see them? Hiding scenes behind NG+ is really lame. And is that drama CD script very important?
As I recall, there are two NG+ scenes in CS1, and neither of them are ultimately very important.
You can choose to dance with no one at the festival, and going with Emma to pick up the clothes for the performance yields an additional scene with Vita.
CS2, on the other hand, has an entire NG+ exclusive book series, which is very important.
I'd recommend reading the drama CD, but it's not strictly necessary.