Does this game get good in Cold Steel 2?

[Antonio (BR)]

The Trails series came to my attention through a youtuber when he said Cold Steel 2 is one of the best games of all time. When I looked online I found out that I'd need to play Trails in the Sky and From Zero to Azure before Cold Steel, so I went and beat all of them.

Trails in the Sky begins slow, but after half of it, it picks the pace and has the best cliffhanger ending I've ever seen. Sky 2 has the same problems of the first, and like the first picks up the pace about half of it and it's just good until the end. 10/10

Sky 3 is trash, it's an epilogue made into a game, and full of game-like story, played 5 hours and dropped it.

Trails From Zero, solves a lot of my complaints in Trails in the Sky and together with its sequel made one of the best stories of all time, my top 1 RPGs of all time. And made me curse the decision of making me play with another cast before I could save Crossbell. 11/10

And then I played Cold Steel... I'm at the chapter 6 of it, 70 hours in, the rest will probably take other 20 hours to finish, making it the longest trails game I've played... and it all feels like a heavily overstretched introduction.

I thought it was strange this game wasn't fully dubbed as the others, but after playing it I understand why. The game is huge, many cutscenes can easily take half an hour. They knew they screw up so much that sometimes they offer you to save in between the cutscenes. And most of them is slice of life, meaningless to the story or could be shortened. It took my biggest problem with Sky 1 and 2 and took it to a whole other level.

And then came the narrative mistake:

9 playable characters being introduced at once?! No other Trails game had that and they knew they screwed it because they end up dividing the class to try to make you meet 4 at a time, but if fails because I care very little for all of them. And I believe this is the root of the problems and why this game is so huge, it's trying to make you know too many characters at once.

A school setting doesn't fit the trails format. And every Bracer-like thing you do ends up feeling forced, even because they lacked the care the other games had. For example, in Sky 1 Josh and Ester had met challenges above them, but they always had help of senior bracers, ike Shera, when it happened, which makes sense when they achieve victory. In Zero, Lloyd also has help with the Chief, Zeit, Dudley, and they were police officers, they were supposed to deal with their challenges. But in Cold Steel, Deus Ex Machina all over. They go fight things above them, get defeated and are saved by a miracle. And that begins happening in the FIRST FIELD STUDY. They don't even try to ask for help of Sara which is responsible for them, she isn't even informed before they go.

The main quests are all above the main cast. They are students. They are not suppose to go fight corrupt military/terrorists by themselves. It would help if Sara was with them, but she simply throws them into the field with no back up. It seems they wanted to copy the Chief's behaviors of "do what you want, and I'll cover your assess", but Lloyd was a police officer, not a student, and even so the Chief was always informed so if things go south he could get back up, here, they simply go.

The lack of privacy is the third thing I hated the most here. Big secrets are simply told to the entire class, as if they were some big family. And some of them are really big. Rean's and Fie's are not things to tell anyone. The family's problems of the entire cast is shown to the entire classroom when they are too many to be that united. In general, aside from Emma's, all the writing in relation with secrets I didn't like.

I can complain more, but that's really the root of everything that I didn't like (just the underlining premise of the story). I lost hope for these 2 last chapters to be good (it will probably end with the old man getting shot), so tell me, is Cold Steel 2, the game I heard it was one of the best of all time, actually good? Or is it just more boring senseless Cold Steel 1?

[Koby]

CS1 ends on a pretty big cliffhanger that usually makes people want to jump immediately into CS2, which is why people generally think CS2 is so good.

It's true CS1 is a very stretched intro, but pretty much every arc prior has been this way. Sky FC is my least favorite game in the series for this reason actually, followed by Zero, and then CS1. Seems like the first game in every arc is my least favorite game of each arc.

CS3 basically repeats CS1 all over again, but it does it much better and quickly moves along the plot.

[Antonio (BR)]

I didn't really think Zero streatched much, I mean, first mission and you are already on the feet of the mafia, which may not be the final enemy, but is pretty much the main story which leads to the final enemy of Zero. Sky 1, yeah, had a slow begining, as I said, but didn't streached as far and was far better written and actually got a story running by the middle with the insurrection. I wouldn't call neither only an intro, not as I do with this one. Yeah, perhaps my perception is being affected by the bad writing, which makes me tolerate this even less, But I still think this is big step down from previous arcs. I really hope CS 2 get its ♥♥♥♥ together, because if by the end of it I'm as bored as I'm right now, I'm not sure if I'll give a chance to CS 3.

[EdgarAllenSwole]

The narrative doesn't improve in the sequels. The main plot device is having characters make terrible decisions to keep them in constant conflict.

The pacing improves since there's a clearer threat to focus on. Less whiplash from the school-to-terrorist pipeline in every CS1 chapter.

Overall I'll say this - if CS1 tested your tolerance for bad writing then save your money. If you can endure it to enjoy other aspects (like the combat) then maybe try the sequels.

[Antonio (BR)]

Originally posted by EdgarAllenSwole:

The narrative doesn't improve in the sequels. The main plot device is having characters make terrible decisions to keep them in constant conflict.

The pacing improves since there's a clearer threat to focus on. Less whiplash from the school-to-terrorist pipeline in every CS1 chapter.

Overall I'll say this - if CS1 tested your tolerance for bad writing then save your money. If you can endure it to enjoy other aspects (like the combat) then maybe try the sequels.

If this game test my tolerance for bad writing? Fie says "It would take some preparation to take this place" refering to garrelia fortress, half an hour of cutscene later 2 commandos with 2 airships and supporting units take it. And don't tell me the hijacking of the tanks made a difference, they didn't even stay in the base and the only thing it did was to distract one of the two divisions that were there. And you know, the entire time I saw that cuscene I was thinking "Where are the anti-air defenses? Where are the airships? There should be at least one, I saw it in hangar and at the exercise" They could at least have said the tanks were hijacked to destroy the AA-guns, but nope, just a decoy. And this level of bad writing is exclusively from here, when they did something similar in Crossbell it was stated clearly that the terrorists invaded the bases and disabled the anti-air defenses and Crossbell doesn't have airships, which prompts everybody to look for airships.

And you know what is even worse, I had just watched a cutscene of half an hour with the main cast shocked with the power of the tanks pondering if they become obsolete... Just for two commandos to take one of the biggest military bases in the empire, making the army rely on guests to deal with them. That made the entire previous cutscene pointless, and nobody even point it out.

So yeah, it does test my patience. But I already bought CS 2 so I'll play it anyway. I hope they start having more care with it, because CS 1 is quickly becoming the worse RPG I did drop.

[Johnathon Fortnite]

If you don't like something, technically speaking you don't have to play it or like it. I had a similar issue with daybreak (dislike aspects of the story and characters etc) my life became much better when I stopped forcing myself to play it and just gave up on it.

It's a big franchise. There's bound to be a few that aren't good. Though I'm surprised you didn't like sky 3rd. It's different but its story telling is superb imo. Really cool setting too. Plus it ends nicely.

And it's not just an epilogue, (feels like it is until later on though) it's designed to give you info for crossbell and future titles. Explanations for characters, especially Renne. Highly recommend giving it another try once you're all finished. On the other hand if you really can't be bothered. Read or watch all star doors.

[Antonio (BR)]

Originally posted by Johnathon Fortnite:

If you don't like something, technically speaking you don't have to play it or like it. I had a similar issue with daybreak (dislike aspects of the story and characters etc) my life became much better when I stopped forcing myself to play it and just gave up on it.

It's a big franchise. There's bound to be a few that aren't good. Though I'm surprised you didn't like sky 3rd. It's different but its story telling is superb imo. Really cool setting too. Plus it ends nicely.

And it's not just an epilogue, (feels like it is until later on though) it's designed to give you info for crossbell and future titles. Explanations for characters, especially Renne. Highly recommend giving it another try once you're all finished. On the other hand if you really can't be bothered. Read or watch all star doors.

I understand, but if I have stopped after Sky 3 disappointed me, I'd lost the Crossbell arc, which was great.

Sky 3 felt game-like in the story. i know this is a game, but gameplay and story are usually separated (kinda like your characters can die in combat and be revived, but can't be revived if they die in a cutscene). The story is supposed to be believable, when the story starts to look like a game, my suspension of disbelief runs out. And since even in the begining it felt like a streached epilogue, it really bored me.

Here, who knows, it might get better. If it doesn't I guess I'll just watch a video in youtube, but I really wanted to save Crossbell, even if it's with this cast I don't care. Considering the timeline, CS 2 will probably happen at the same time as the ending of Azure, from there, Lloyd says Crossbell had to fight 2 years of ocupation, so I assume we gonna finish saving it by CS 4, considering the standard 1 year gap between games.

[Johnathon Fortnite]

Originally posted by Antonio (BR):

Originally posted by Johnathon Fortnite:

If you don't like something, technically speaking you don't have to play it or like it. I had a similar issue with daybreak (dislike aspects of the story and characters etc) my life became much better when I stopped forcing myself to play it and just gave up on it.

It's a big franchise. There's bound to be a few that aren't good. Though I'm surprised you didn't like sky 3rd. It's different but its story telling is superb imo. Really cool setting too. Plus it ends nicely.

And it's not just an epilogue, (feels like it is until later on though) it's designed to give you info for crossbell and future titles. Explanations for characters, especially Renne. Highly recommend giving it another try once you're all finished. On the other hand if you really can't be bothered. Read or watch all star doors.

I understand, but if I have stopped after Sky 3 disappointed me, I'd lost the Crossbell arc, which was great.

Sky 3 felt game-like in the story. i know this is a game, but gameplay and story are usually separated (kinda like your characters can die in combat and be revived, but can't be revived if they die in a cutscene). The story is supposed to be believable, when the story starts to look like a game, my suspension of disbelief runs out. And since even in the begining it felt like a streached epilogue, it really bored me.

Here, who knows, it might get better. If it doesn't I guess I'll just watch a video in youtube, but I really wanted to save Crossbell, even if it's with this cast I don't care. Considering the timeline, CS 2 will probably happen at the same time as the ending of Azure, from there, Lloyd says Crossbell had to fight 2 years of ocupation, so I assume we gonna finish saving it by CS 4, considering the standard 1 year gap between games.

I meant that particular game, not the whole franchise. I don't like daybreak. I stopped playing daybreak. Went back to cold steel.

As for the rest, sky 3rd is highly divisive tbf. I had to force myself as well. It wasn't until after i finished it/got a decent way through I started having fun.

Like I said you don't have to play them lol, it's only a game afterall.

Also characters don't die in combat, I think it's like ff where they're knocked out.

[Antonio (BR)]

Originally posted by Johnathon Fortnite:

Originally posted by Antonio (BR):

Also characters don't die in combat, I think it's like ff where they're knocked out.

Yeah because swords are famous for just knocking people out, right? The same action knocks out in the gameplay and kill in a cutscene. Lol.

[Johnathon Fortnite]

Originally posted by Antonio (BR):

Originally posted by Johnathon Fortnite:

Yeah because swords are famous for just knocking people out, right? The same action knocks out in the gameplay and kill in a cutscene. Lol.

I know what you mean but this is true for every fantasy game. People have over 10k health at some point. If you wanna go there then you need to address why rean is able to slice multiple people in one attack and not just instantly end the game.

In ff14 I lob a nuke at an enemy and they're just knocked out lol. The issue here is you're using your brain for an anime game. Suspend your disbelief for a while. Cold steel and trails as a whole aren't super serious realism titles.

Also magic exists which kinda invalidates the whole realism isn't good enough aspect lol

[Johnathon Fortnite]

Also what on earth did you do to the quotes 😭 they're all ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up

[Antonio (BR)]

Well, I don't like when the story begins to look like a game because games are made to be fun, which convenieces help them do it, in the stories is the opposite, the more conveniences you include the shallower it gets, as conflict is the fuel of stories, the more conveniences you give (like a simplified level system instead of real training), the less conflict you get, because everything starts to be easy.

In sky 3 a character enters a room to see a cutscene of something that they already witnessed. Storywise is pointless, it's just a game-like way for the player to see said cutscene. Couldn't you just meet the character and have something making them remember the event so you can have a cutscene to illustrate as they tell the others what happened? Yes, it's the normal way to present a flashback.

But if you really wanna know what was the last thing that made me decide to drop it, it was Satelite craft from Tita Russell. She still has it despite not being in the her world, so no satelite was launched. it's a small detail, yes, and usually I'd dismiss it as artistc expression (Barret from FF7 has a satelite limit break and he doesn't have the money to for it), but in Sky 2, when the orbal shutdown happened, her gun and Olivier's stoped working together with their crafts, but... her Chaingun craft still worked, because the chaingun used conventional bullets. They could have forgot that, it's a very small detail, but someone there had the care, to not only remember that, but to even include a quest that made her use the chaingun. That is a great attention to detail. That is love. Love that wasn't in Sky 3. Not in this small detail, nor in the rest I had played.

[Johnathon Fortnite]

Originally posted by Antonio (BR):

Well, I don't like when the story begins to look like a game because games are made to be fun, which convenieces help them do it, in the stories is the opposite, the more conveniences you include the shallower it gets, as conflict is the fuel of stories, the more conveniences you give (like a simplified level system instead of real training), the less conflict you get, because everything starts to be easy.

In sky 3 a character enters a room to see a cutscene of something that they already witnessed. Storywise is pointless, it's just a game-like way for the player to see said cutscene. Couldn't you just meet the character and have something making them remember the event so you can have a cutscene to illustrate as they tell the others what happened? Yes, it's the normal way to present a flashback.

But if you really wanna know what was the last thing that made me decide to drop it, it was Satelite craft from Tita Russell. She still has it despite not being in the her world, so no satelite was launched. it's a small detail, yes, and usually I'd dismiss it as artistc expression (Barret from FF7 has a satelite limit break and he doesn't have the money to for it), but in Sky 2, when the orbal shutdown happened, her gun and Olivier's stoped working together with their crafts, but... her Chaingun craft still worked, because the chaingun used conventional bullets. They could have forgot that, it's a very small detail, but someone there had the care, to not only remember that, but to even include a quest that made her use the chaingun. That is a great attention to detail. That is love. Love that wasn't in Sky 3. Not in this small detail, nor in the rest I had played.

These are really weird complaints to put lightly lmao. It's a video game. It's gonna have cutscenes the way it does because it's a game. This isn't meant to be a super realistic franchise. You're thinking WAY too hard rn.

It's anime. A silly anime game with serious portions.

You're grasping to reach straws to give yourself a reason to hate it imo

[Antonio (BR)]

That was just the straw the broke the camel's back, not the entire reason. But once you are fed up with something, even the smallest thing can make you snap. If I had to summarize, Sky 3 had a storytelling much worse and forced than its predecessors, this detail was just one more. Blame Sky 1 and 2 for setting my expections too high.

[Johnathon Fortnite]

Originally posted by Antonio (BR):

That was just the straw the broke the camel's back, not the entire reason. But once you are fed up with something, even the smallest thing can make you snap. If I had to summarize, Sky 3 had a storytelling much worse and forced than its predecessors, this detail was just one more. Blame Sky 1 and 2 for setting my expections too high.

Fair enough, though you only played it for 5 hours. It's kinda hard to take you seriously here because later on the writing is imo better than anything you'll see in the future.

Also the realm you're in isn't technically real. Spoilers i know but you don't care I bet. Iirc you start the game carrying a relic right? That puts you and everyone connected to Kevin (so the entire cast) in that place. If you played more you'd understand why it was that tita could use her satellite.

It's an alternate dimension where religious demons try to eat you.

[Antonio (BR)]

Originally posted by Johnathon Fortnite:

Originally posted by Antonio (BR):

That was just the straw the broke the camel's back, not the entire reason. But once you are fed up with something, even the smallest thing can make you snap. If I had to summarize, Sky 3 had a storytelling much worse and forced than its predecessors, this detail was just one more. Blame Sky 1 and 2 for setting my expections too high.

Fair enough, though you only played it for 5 hours. It's kinda hard to take you seriously here because later on the writing is imo better than anything you'll see in the future.

Also the realm you're in isn't technically real. Spoilers i know but you don't care I bet. Iirc you start the game carrying a relic right? That puts you and everyone connected to Kevin (so the entire cast) in that place. If you played more you'd understand why it was that tita could use her satellite.

It's an alternate dimension where religious demons try to eat you.

Oh, go ahead, you can spoil it. The last thing I remember was the cutscene of Tita (the door one) in which she was trying to create a ridiculous tiny imitation of the Pater-Mater, and I couldn't stop myself from thinking... Why are you so obssessed with a robot that you guys could stop with convencional weapons? The piece of technology Oroboros had that should really keep you awake at the night is by far the Glorious (the flying aircraft carrier). That is what you should be worried about. The thing with satelite happened just after... I told you, it was everything. I admit the "Agato-san... Agato-san..." thing was funny, but not enough to excuse the rest