Fli
United Kingdom (Great Britain)
 
 
:joshuasc: :JoshuaB:

We must be better, simply because the option exists.
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FINAL FANTASY IX
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The best Turn based (J)RPG's on Steam.
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Given the "WHOA DUDE" award in 2016
Given the "The “Even Better Than I Expected” Award in 2017

Simply put; This is one of the best JRPGs I've ever played. Now for everyone who doesn't know me, you're probably not aware of the gravity that statement has... Let's just say that I've played a LOT of great JRPGs in my time, from the popular Final Fantasy series, to the hidden gems like Anachronox, Piers Solar and Septerra Core.

I would easily rank The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC in my top five JRPGs of all time.

Let me make a quick summarised review on whether this is your type of game or not;
  • Turn based battles
  • Story intensive
  • Difficulty ranging from low, to intense
  • Over 75 hours of gameplay
If you don't have the patience to read the text in this game, then you will be missing out on the thing that really sets it apart from the competition. The story itself could be called JRPG standard fare I suppose, but what really sets this game (and the prequel) apart from the competition is amount of world building that is done. Every NPC has a name, and every NPC has a story. There are weapon shop owners who I actually went to speak to after every single event. I spent time getting to know the people of Liberl and I had a fantastic time doing it. The playable characters all have their goals and motivations, and aren't just there for the ride. They feel almost real, you grow to actually care about them as you play through the game. As a long time JRPG player, this blew my mind quite frankly.

The battle system is completely turn based and pretty tactical. Some of the bosses in the game can be tough, especially if you're playing on the harder difficulties, making it feel all the more satisfying when you pull off a clutch victory or manage to outwit an opponent. The development system is pretty unique too, borrowing elements similar to Materia and rewarding clever placement of Quartz. The equipment system gives you five slots to work with, meaning you can make all rounded characters or specialised roles depending on your personal preference.

The visuals are colourful and vibrant, and I enjoyed the isometric view. The big attacks and magicks feel cool to use, and you definitely get a sense of awe with the larger ones, this always gives you a feeling of being powerful when you're fighting enemies. The music is absolutely fantastic, and does a really great job of remixing in the main theme, which gives every song a sense of nostalgia in a way. The sound design in general is really good, and having enemies pop when they die sounds incredibly satisfying.

One of the few negative things I can say about this game is the performance wasn't too great for me. I have a machine that should be able to knock this out easily, but I still got occasional stuttering which was a bit disappointing. In battle it ran fine though, even in the most intense scenes, so it could be a driver issue or something on my side. The controls are fine, with complete control over remaps. Using a controller or M&KB really is down to personal preference, and you won't find yourself hampered using either.

Another negative point that is more down to personal preference rather than something objectively bad is the fact that if you want to get all the books (some of which allow you to get the ultimate weapons) you need to be very careful of going past points of no return. I'd suggest following a book guide and a BP guide, if you're bothered by missables at all. ( Here )

I don't know what else I can say to make you consider this game. It's fantastic and you should definitely play it if you love JRPGs or just like great stories. Please be sure to play the first game though, seeing as this one is a direct sequel, and actually gives you bonuses for carrying over save data.

Right, that's too much writing, I must now collapse.

Blorf
Review Showcase
326 Hours played
Kinda addictive.
Steam Year In Review 2023
57
Games Played
470
Sessions
571
Achievements
35
New Games
21%
11%
10%
10%
6%

Recent Activity

0.1 hrs on record
last played on Mar 10
0.6 hrs on record
last played on Feb 27
0.7 hrs on record
last played on Feb 21
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Server Dingo Nov 25, 2014 @ 1:37pm 
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Post this on the walls of the 12 prettiest Girls you know...
If you get back 5 you're beautiful. ..
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