@Ralizah I enjoyed reading your thoughts, and some of them gave me a chuckle. I didn’t find the game particularly engaging either, and although I probably liked it a little better than you, I’m glad that it was over quick and that I didn’t pay anything for it (other than my PS Plus subscription and an hour of my time). It’s unfortunate that such a serious and potentially meaningful subject such as clinical depression and suicide is given such a lackluster treatment. Sometimes I think games and other media (movies, books, articles, social media posts, etc) get “credit” or a boost in public opinion just because they are dealing with an edgy social issue, even if the effort is horribly executed and doesn’t produce any meaningful dialog about said issue or any progress in increasing awareness of a fringe social problem. I give credit for producers and writers of socially conscious media for having the guts to talk about difficult subjects or taboo issues, but when the product is not well thought out then it certainly comes across as disingenuous and then paradoxically undermines what progress they may have been hoping to achieve. Unfortunately I feel like sometimes the motivation for taking on the hard subjects is actually more for social praise and an easy cash grab by taking advantage of society’s guilty conscience as we often subconsciously fall victim to moral licensing and feel if we don’t support a politically correct or socially conscious effort then we are somehow part of the problem. For example, the Oscar Academy Awards is a good example - if a movie has a socially conscious theme then it will get much more consideration for best picture nominations. It happens every year. In the case of Actual Sunlight, the game has a 75 Metacritic score. Many outlets gave it 8/10 scores and Digitally Downloaded even gave it 5/5, calling it a “must play.” The fact that the game is a serious attempt at presenting depression into the gaming sphere seems to have been enough for a lot of reviewers to ignore the lack of any depth the game takes in tackling the subject matter, as you state in your review. Not to mention the inaccuracy of the content, as you pointed out as well.
Anyways, sorry to divert off on a philosophical tangent, and I’m definitely not saying that Actual Sunlight is guilty of using the subject of depression to sell this game, but I do appreciate your willingness to call a spade a spade when a game is just poorly developed. And like I said, I might not go all the way to a 2.5/10 even though I agree with most of your criticism of the game. The game did make me ponder things for a short time and for me it was a unique experience, so I give it some credit there. Since it’s so different from the kind of game I usually enjoy, I can’t say I necessarily regretted playing it. And if it serves as a springboard for other developers to take on mental illness in a legitimate way, then maybe that’s something. (Even though Hellblade did a much better attempt at this than Actual Sunlight.)
@Th3solution I can't believe I've yet to play Hellblade. Using 3D audio to simulate auditory hallucinations that lie to and belittle you is such an incredibly interesting use of the technology. Hopefully it'll go on sale on PSN soon.
Making a game about depression and mental illness is fine, but it still has to work as entertainment, and it still needs to have something to say about it. And, even if those failed and you fell back on just portraying a deeply depressed man and his inner turmoil, you could commit to creating a longer, more fleshed-out, and thus more devastating portrayal of the subject.
With that said, I'll admit I'm far harsher than most other people, but I stand by my criticisms.
RE: Digitally Downloaded... they have some really wild takes on stuff. I do enjoy reading that website, though. Whoever writes for it is clearly the Armond White of video game reviewers. I find that more valuable and entertaining than a hundred mainstream critics all saying the same things in the same ways.
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy To be honest, I was hesitant to post the review. I was afraid I might come across as a bit too flippant about certain sensitive subjects, which wasn't my intention. Also, the subject matter of the game is inherently ugly, so it's hard to talk about it in any depth without also making one's own review sound ugly.
Currently Playing: Resident Evil Village: Gold Edition
Actual Sunlight seems to revel in the pointlessness and hopelessness of the situation it presents a bit too much though.
I have no doubt that for some this unfortunately rings very true and obviously not all stories need happy endings but as you said there is no real narrative, growth or loss beyond living a number of days in the mind of a very distressed soul and it sounds way too hard going.
Pretty much.
I think even this approach could have some redeeming value with the right execution, but the game's scope is far too limited for it to have the sort of devastating impact that would make it, if nothing else, a visceral and unforgettable warning about the dangers of untreated mental illness.
At the end of the day, I would have even been somewhat satisfied if the entire experience hadn't felt so... well... phoned in. This should have been a short story or film or animation or something. It's clear to me that the developers didn't care about it AS a game (they even go so far as saying: 'This isn't a game, it's a portrait' during one of this game's many droning text-based monologues), which rubs me the wrong way. Every medium has its strengths and weaknesses, and it feels like this was developed as a game because they could spend a few hours inserting a screed into an RPGMaker game with minimal effort.
Well, now that's out of the way, it's time to start working on a review for a game I enjoyed a whole lot more.
One thing, though; mental health treatment has come on leaps and bounds in very recent history. I'm 32 and in my lifetime, I've been dismissively told by a therapist that my problems weren't a "big deal" and that, at the time, I didn't need counselling. It happens. Maybe not any more, but therapists are still human and still capable of everything great and awful about being human.
I guess, intellectually, I understand that, in any profession, you're going to have some subset inept, corrupt, or disinterested people who are going to muck things up, but I still find accounts like this to be incredibly chilling. Especially in the mental health field, where it's so vitally important for professionals to be... well... professional.
But, you're right. Things like this absolutely have happened, and things like this will probably continue to happen. I should have taken that into account, and, with that in mind, I have some edits to make.
I do find it annoying in general, though, how often mental health professionals, and therapy in general, are presented as useless in fiction. How many people are hit with the message, over and over, that therapeutic regimens and, in some instances, strategic use of medication, are pointless and entirely avoid seeking professional help for issues that are manageable? I think this kind of factors into what you were saying about the additional social responsibility that comes when developing media that centers on mental illness.
Currently Playing: Resident Evil Village: Gold Edition
@RogerRoger It's fine. The edit is more accurate, and reflects my feelings without erasing experiences such as yours.
On the subject of tropes regarding psychologists in popular media, it's pretty fascinating how common it is to see them portrayed as Freudians, considering psychoanalysis in general is broadly understood as quackery today (not as bad as something like phrenology, but certainly unscientific in its base assumptions and methods). Which, come to think of it, is probably why it survives in pop culture to this day. A professional sociopath scribbling on a notepad and asking you to talk about your mother is almost an inherently funny image.
Another thing to note, I guess, is that stories about people struggling with untreated mental illness are going to be more engaging and gripping than ones in which people learn therapeutic techniques in order to live happier lives.
@Kidfried Well, when I say "entertaining," I mean that term very loosely. I don't think "entertainment" is synonymous with "fun." But it has to be something that makes the experience feel worthwhile. A great example is the Studio Ghibli film Hotaru no Haka. It's a heart-breaking, semi-autobiographical film about a couple of young children who suffer tremendously after losing their home to an American fire-bombing raid in WW2. Not what I would call a good time, but I also wouldn't say it has no entertainment value, insofar as it's a very engaging, emotionally involving experience done with a supreme regard for artistry.
Life is usually messy and doesn't conform to the contours of art, certainly, which is why art that reflects personal experience is usually edited and filtered in such a way that the emotional core of the experience stands while also making it something palatable for the audience. Art is life experience filtered and focused to certain core essentials.
Keep in mind that I'm only speaking of commercial art. Non-commercial art (that is, art designed for its own sake) can be whatever it wants to be, and is legitimate insofar as it reflects the priorities of the creator. But, when you have an audience, you HAVE to play to that audience, to some extent. Art that doesn't cater to the audience to some degree is supremely self-serving.
Your comment is fine, by the way! I appreciate the engagement.
Played Power Rangers Battle for the Grid. I didn't manage to platinum it but I did tried a lot of matches and as well beat the story mode.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised for what it was. I mean, compared to most Power Rangers games, this is the least garbage. The combat, while janky at time, has a lot of depth and gives me some Marvel vs Capcom vibes. I especially like the classic sound bites from the TV series when you manage to succeed on hitting a high combo, as well as the ability to summon a megazord (as an assist of course). Kinda wished there was more stages but they're nicely designed either way. The main stars are the characters themselves, and every character has their own role and move pool. You can see there was a lot of effort when the developers were designing the characters and their moveset. It's not perfect by any means but it definitely has great potential. My favorites so far were Lord Zedd, Mastodon Sentry and Magna Defender.
And as for the story? I thought it was alright. The issue is that the pacing felt very rushed and didn't have enough time to develop the other characters more. Still, for what it's worth, it at least has a story mode, since before it didn't have one at launch. Another issue is that fighting the same mastodon sentries can get very repetitive and tedious.
However, I have two real big issues with the game. First off, while the game runs fine during matches, is trying to find a math that gets problematic. Sometimes, it just gives me an error and automatically disconnects. I really hope cross-play comes soon to the game now that Sony is fully allowing cross-platform support for every developers. And second, the soundtrack. It's just very generic metal rock and lacks any catchy oomph. Even some of the worst Power Rangers openings like from Operation Overdrive's are more likely to stick into your head than any of the songs in the game. The only piece of music from the game that was actually decent was sadly exclusive for the Cenozoid Blue trailer. Honestly, they should really hire Ron Wasserman as the composer.
Anyway, all in all, for a licensed fighting game, it's pretty decent. It's still rough around the edges, and I have to admit that the balance patches might ruin some of the combos players were already accustomed to, but I can see it improve very much in the future. There are still a few things I'd like to say but I want to keep things simple. I'd give it a 6.5/10.
I'd probably bump it to a 7 if they add Zen-Aku in lol
I tried this when it first came out and... hated it. For a number of reasons. The controls felt kind of stiff and unpleasant. The quirkiness felt forced. The lack of interesting story or characters (reminds me of a Souls game, actually, where a lot of it felt like an almost completely plotless romp). The sound in the actual dungeon (as you mention) is awful. But, more than anything, I just cannot enjoy F2P games. There's always a catch, and 99% of them are predatory in some way. These companies want their money, and if there's some sort of premium currency that makes the game easier, you can bet they'll design the game in such a way that it's a lot more fun if you open your wallet. And, look, I understand that: it's why I like normally priced games. They have my money. They can focus on making the experience fun to play.
I probably only got seven or so hours in. Your 100+ hour playtime is mind-boggling to me, but good for you for sticking with it.
Anyway, like I said, really nice break down. I'm so glad I didn't stick with it long enough to hit the really infuriatingly unfair section that almost broke you.
What a pleasant surprise it was. I had heard good things about the campaign, but it exceeded expectations. I’m not crowning it the game of the generation or anything but it’s a solid, well executed FPS campaign - something that is actually pretty rare.
The game is well designed and technically sound, it’s just what I want from my solo campaigns. It flowed really smoothly, and never seemed to drag too much. The length was just about right at about 8 hours or so, although it still left me wanting more because of the enjoyment I had. I might dip my toe into the multiplayer just because of how fun the combat is, but MP online isn’t typically my forte.
The gameplay is bolstered by the ability to play both as a Pilot and the Titan, each has their own moves, gunplay, and special abilities. It keeps the usual [in my opinion] rather stale gameplay mechanic of a first person shooter diverse and more enjoyable. The game mixes in light puzzles and platforming, with the whole package shrouded in a solid storyline with decent character interactions.
Is the story going to win any awards or blow your socks off? Well, no — but it keeps your interest and has enough twists and turns to be serviceable. I really loved the relationship of the main character Cooper with his Titan named BT. There is a smattering of humor and I honesty felt a personal emotional bond develop with BT as I played through the game — similar to other good gaming partnerships in games such as Joel and Ellie, Booker and Elizabeth, or maybe more appropriately Ratchet and Clank. Of course Cooper and BT don’t have the large impact of those classic partnerships but honestly I cared for BT on a visceral level in the same vein.
The voice performances were a mixed bag. The main two characters were very well done, especially the robotic dry unintentional humor of BT. The supportive cast was more ho-hum, despite a refreshingly large number of Australian accents which are a nice change of pace for game characters. A shout-out to the mastermind villain’s (forgot his name) monologues though. These are present mostly through optional voice recordings, which were splendidly cold and calculated and probably needed to be highlighted more, rather than side content.
Graphically, it was also a mixed bag but the vast majority of the textures and art design is really quite good. The environments are a little ‘samey’ but each chapter has a few different hooks to keep it fresh.
The character facial models are pretty poor, actually, but I only noticed this at the end credits when they showed all the characters and credited the voice actors. The fact is, you don’t spend much time with face-to-face interaction in the game so it makes sense they didn’t spend resources making the facial features look more realistic than a late PS2 game. Also the character movement animations are occasionally wonky and especially as the pilots are jumping and wall running, the clipping and execution of portraying such amazing skills is a little bit unrealistic looking. For example characters float and move in ways that defy physics — all for the sake of keeping the game movements easy to execute. The floaty-ness and mid-air drifting is janky but nothing too horrible, and I prefer the game being really forgiving when I’m wall running and trying to make a difficult platform combo rather than looking more realistic at the expense of making me fall to my death over and over.
Speaking of difficulty, I played on normal, and it was just right for my taste. But there is easy as well as hard and master difficulties. There is a nice mechanic when you are at a platforming section that may require some difficult or non obvious jumps that your helmet computer analyzes the terrain and produces a ghost hologram for you to follow. You can also hit the touchpad to highlight the next objective. Overall, it’s makes the game very approachable for a novice of the genre like me.
Closing thoughts — I’ll not over-sell the game, it’s really good but not necessarily transcendent. I would welcome a sequel for sure. I don’t usually give concrete scores for my games, because my opinions of a game often drift a little over time, but I’m thinking something in the 7-8 range.
I said this earlier on another thread, but Titanfall 2 has amped my excitement for Respawn’s forthcoming Jedi: Fallen Order. If they can nail the fun factor like this, then we’re in for a treat. Thematically it’s going to be a very different game, and being third person will shake things up compared to the TF games. Not to mention it’ll be more saber-play and force-skill based but we’ll certainly see the wall-running and this style of platforming return. I am worried about the facial animations since they will be more critical in a third person action story driven game. Also, Titanfall 2 campaign is a very linear experience, and they’ve said Fallen Order is hub world / 3D Metroidvania type of set-up. But if they can just get the game to feel solid and fun like this, then I’ll be happy.
@Th3solution Nice review! I agree with you mostly, especially on the relationship between Cooper and BT. You really do get attached to your Titan. A bit harsh saying that the facial animations were like a ps2 game though! Not sure how busy the servers are these days, but I found the MP a blast. I'm pretty much the same as you, rarely dipping my toe into that side of things but I still enjoyed it.
Life is more fun when you help people succeed, instead of wishing them to fail.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
@JohnnyShoulder Lol, yeah, I think maybe I over-stated the lack of facial animation quality. Not sure if you paid attention to the scenes during the credits where they show Cooper interacting with all the other characters while they credit the voice actors, but that was my final impression of the facial graphics and they all look pretty wooden. But early in the actual game I do think I remember them being better. I think I exaggerated somewhat on that.
The graphics otherwise are beautiful. The Titans and the helmeted soldiers all look really fetching.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Just recently played three games. Managed to nabbed them when they were on a sale since August. The games were The Walker (PSVR), Hidden Dragon Legend (PS4), and Immortal Legacy (PSVR). However, I'm just gonna start first with the former:
The Walker: Beat the game on all difficulties. It's...very average. Despite the fact that it got selected by China Hero Project and awarded for "Best Vr game of 2017" (despite the fact that at that time, the game still wasn't released), the game is yet another by-the-numbers wave shooter. It tries to do something unique with its sword play but it feels flat and lacks the oomph the gunplay has. Plus, Raw Data and Killing Floor Incusion do it way better. The sword is only useful when on the 4th stage and when you don't have enough time to dodge the arrows. And speaking of which, the gunplay is the best part, is also the most basic. The only time is was satisfying was headshotting those zombie soldiers. However, the accuracy with your gun can be sparratic, sometimes even the bullets missing despite the enemy being incredibly close to me. Despite that, it's still more satisfying to use than with the sword. Although the damage numbers are almost random and are only there just because. You can also use magic talismans (can't on hard though), which while the functionality is nice, in execution it either turns the next shots into an instant kill or just stops the enemy on its track. The freeze talisman being the most useful. On bosses, it can slow them down while with the electricity talisman does the exact same effect as when used on normal enemies, which is to paralyze them. However, even that's usually random. Oh, and no, there aren't anymore talismans other than freezing and paralyzing.aDoesn't even have a fire talisman (I do remember an explosion on the 2nd stage but maybe it was just a barrel or something cause after that there's barely any of that again). The only fun factor the game has is ranking up scores (despite not even being mentioned in the marketing). You get points for time clearance, damage taken (which is rather convoluted), accuracy and items (which you obtain from killing enemies but again, it's random). Only the accuracy has anything gameplay related. The game doesn't even net you bonus points for doing cool tricks with your swords or guns. Even Guns n Stories did it better.
Anyway, the game lacks in variety. There are only 3 enemies and 2 bosses. One of the enemies gets red-skinned solely for one scripted scene on stage 3. After that, it reverts back to generic bald crawling zombie. As for the bosses, only the final boss was actually good, constantly evading attacks while dealing with enemies that thankfully aren't much of a burden. However, the payoff is a letdown. There isn't even an actual ending. The talking armor in your house just says "congratulations" and that's it. In fact, I remember reviewers like Gamepitt, Zombie Chimp and Gamspew calling the story "immersive and amazing", which is a fat lie. Heck, the guy in black hood that appears on the tutorial never appears again, so what's the point? I would compare the story to that of an NES game. And speaking of which, about the first boss (a harpy which was introduced out of nowhere), the problem with it is how annoyingly long it takes. It really isn't hard, since the boss does the same attack over and over again. Just block, attack, rinse and repeat. The problem is that you have to deal with enemies while you're at it, which wouldn't be much of an issuof the game didn't made me waste my time clearing these waves of enemies. Whenever the boss escapes, you're forced to kill some of the resting enemies, and you have to do it 2 or 3 timesho. Really shows that the game is only fun in short bursts (4-5 minutes), because the first boss took me around 9-10 minutes and I was awfully exhausted. Worst of all, the way she does is so unsatisfying. She just disappears almost like you defeated a mini boss than an actual boss. It sucks cause I really dig her design, as well as how her stages look. Too bad the boss itself was boring and tedious.
Anyway, the game has around 8 stages (1 that's exclusive to the tutorial, 2 exclusive to survival, and 5 that are from the campaign). The game's other modes includes Legend Mode and Rampage mode. Legend mode is basically the game's challenge mode (according to Winking), which is just surviving 3-4 waves against the same 3 enemies. Except sometimes the final boss will appear in its mini boss form (and don't worry you can kill him in just less than 30 seconds). Meanwhile, Rampage Mode is just...there. The only difference it has compared to Legend is that it's infinite. The problem though is that it lacks a scoreboard and you can only use the submachine gun from the normal difficulty. Another problem is that it's just 3 stages in a loop, in the same order. Another thing I've just realized after the playing the game is that the game is only hard because 1)the sound is all over the place, from sounding faint to barely even making a sound at all (Zombiechimp commenting that the game has a rain sound effect but I barely heard in my playthrough), 2)enemies are pure damage sponges, even when you get a stronger weapon, and 3)enemies literally spawn out of thin air and they all start ganking you DkS2 style. It gets so annoying that it starts becoming less fun. If when you unlock the dual weapons on the hardest difficulty, it barely makes any difference because it still feels the same game. Doesn't help when the three weapons are locked behind difficulty so it's not like you can choose any weapon on any difficulty (compare that to other previous wave shooters which did have the option). Plus, the game is just overall erratic. From the AI to the sound to how you score points to how much damage you deal to the enemies' health. Honestly, the only things the game did right were the final boss and the presentation, which I guess is where the budget was spent. Oh, and I just want to mention that the enchanted armor dude's only real purpose in the game is too just praise the player when you win or criticize him when you lose, and maybe also to redo the tutorial level.
To be honest, is not that the game is bad. It's just painfully average. The fact that there are people out there thinking this game is a masterpiece amuses me, because there's a good reason why it was removed from the Australian PS store and why it got a 50% price cut in the west. Also, I remember when they promised that the game will recieve physical copies later in 2018 but it never happened. Is like even Winking lost interest in the game.
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy As someone who actually somewhat enjoyed playing the game, I agree with you with your criticism. If the difficulty wasn't so BS on the later floors and if the microtransactions was easier to ignore, then I think the game could have been good. Yeah, it's very janky but the same can be said with other cult games like EDF, Deadly Premonition, Greedfall, Chaos Legion, etc. Heck, the same can be said with the majority of chinese games on the PS4 As well like Sinner, Hidden Dragon Legend and even Don't Even Think (you know, the game that Push Square is refusing to acknowledge lol). As for the soundtrack? I really wished they could have given you the option to play at least more than one licensed song during the tower. Still, there are two original songs that are atleast good, and those are Jin Die theme and the final boss theme.
Oh, and I actually don't mind the lack of PvP. I've played plenty of games were the PvP was mostly Ai fights, which also includes mobile games. If anything, the lack of actual PvP was a good thing due to how OP some of the decals and weapons are. There's a good reason why the PvP in games like the Souls games, Warframe, Nioh and Freedom Wars were terrible.
Anyway, I still liked the game. Sure, it's not for everyone but the same can be said with Suda's other games. Just kinda wished they toned down the difficulty and maybe add some story events imo, while pulling a MH World by giving players the chance to take on timed events that they missed.
@RangerTwin You really went all in on a vr wave shooter huh lol.
Anyway, I share the same feelings. What sucks is that the developers, Haymaker Games, seems to be selling their website, and even deleting many of their social media accounts like Facebook and to a lesser extent Twitter. I even went as far as to contact to of the people who appearantly worked there and ask them about the situation but no dice.
You know, if China Hero Project's purpose is to kickstart chinese developers in the market, then I can say that then definitely failed with this one sadly enough. It's no wonder that even in the China Hero website, the game's page was barely updated. Kinda feel bad for them. Hope they're okay.
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Oh, I see. My bad, then. I guess it's no wonder why the game is very flawed compared to Suda's other games. Really wished he was the one directing the game. Maybe he could have helped on adding some additional flavor to the game and possibly some improvements or something down the line.
Anyway, as I said before, even though I still do like the game (especially when compared to how it was at launch like how before you would lose literally everything if you died at a TDM invasion), I still agree with your review. If the difficulty wasn't so unforgiving later on, I would have forgiven the game for its major flaws like the story and the microtransactions.
And man, I really wished Lily Bergamo actually happened. I don't mind Let it Die but the fact that Lily got cancelled for this? Yeah...
Combat is deep and satisfying, and they introduce things at a pace so you're never overwhelmed. While normal encounters can be dangerous if you're not paying attention, the bosses in particular were pretty great.
It's mostly a very smooth experience. The only notable frame drops I noticed were during a boss fight about halfway through (it's a very large enemy, and the frame drops occur once it's health gets low & it starts running like crazy along the side of the buildings around the arena), but even that wasn't very distracting.
While it's an action game at it's core, it's actually a pretty well rounded package that breaks things up with investigations, environmental platforming & puzzling, the occasional stealth section or on rails shooting section, and a few other optional minigames (such "moving block" puzzles, delivery minigames, and even a retro game minigame), which are mostly quality experiences themselves.
It's very replayable if that's your thing. Of course it has what you'd expect for an action game, outside of the easiest difficulty, every section is graded so you can replay scenarios for a better score, and it has an unlockable harder difficulty. Outside of that though it has a decent photo mode (which can be used to unlock character, enemy, & location entries in an extensive encyclopedia), hidden cats & toilets to find in every mission, and an in game achievement system that can be used to collect goodies. There's a lot of accessories & a few different costumes to collect as well.
Even if you're not into replayability it's still a pretty meaty experience for an action game, lasting roughly 35-40 hours for a run (I played on Pt Standard, and finished about 38 hours in). It also has a post game chapter, so even if you're not into replaying past missions, you can get some extra playtime from this, though I haven't really delved into it.
It's a very visually appealing game, with great art direction.
Mixed:
the story is okay. I like the worldbuilding & some of the characters, but it ultimately devolves into typical anime pseudo-science technobabble.
Negative:
You can't 100% most missions the first time through, as there will be some areas/items inaccessible due to you needing an ability you don't yet have. This works well in more open world or "Metroidvania" games, but is less appealing in a chapter based game such as this (also, you can only replay previous chapters via a PC you can only access at the start of a chapter at HQ).
While most gameplay elements are quality, the platforming is a bit rough (probably because it centers around having your Legion yank you across gaps, and if you happen to as much as brush anything you lose all momentum & fall like a rock, and your character won't grab ledges & pull themselves up even if you're right at the edge). It's not so bad that I had any issue with any of the main objectives, but there's quite a bit of goodies off the beaten path only accessible past tricky platforming, and that's where it becomes an issue.
Overall my criticticims are pretty minor and it was a great experience. The most engrossing Switch exclusive I've played since year one's BotW, Odyssey, & XC2, IMO. As a disclaimer, I played it exclusively docked.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
It's taken me 120 hours, played in chunks over the past two years, but I've finally completed The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Second Chapter. It's important to note that it didn't take me so long out of boredom or any dislike of the game, more that I'd complete a chapter of the story, be very satisfied with its conclusion, and then move onto something else. Second Chapter is an absolutely massive game, and with a gargantuan amount of text and some very long story scenes, it may not be to everyone's taste.
I feel fortunate that Second Chapter was even localised in the West. It had a difficult road to release, given the gargantuan amount of text needing translating and editing, and the fact that by that point the PSP was completely obsolete.
Taking place a few months after First Chapter's cliffhanger ending, the story picks up largely where things left off. It is therefore absolutely essential to play its predecessor first. Second Chapter sees our heroine, Estelle Bright, continuing her work with the "Bracer Guild" (a sort of civilian police force) while simultaneously searching for the one she loves, who happens to have gone missing. Along the way she reunites with her friends and comrades from the first game. Coincidentally, strange phenomenon begin occurring throughout the kingdom of Liberl at the precise moment she sets out on her journey, and she is quickly drawn back into the fight against Ourobouros, a mysterious Illuminati-esque society. As Trails in the Sky is part of a larger series of games within The Legend of Heroes franchise, not all the mysteries surrounding the society are revealed by the end of the game - not even their ultimate motives. Indeed, the fight here is personal to Estelle and focuses quite sharply on the activities of just one of Ourobouros' Anguis (which I'm guessing is some sort of general) and his kooky band of Enforcers. There is also a sense of tension in the wider world of Zemuria (Trails' continent) with geopolitical concerns lingering in the background.
The world building is brilliant. Liberl is a kingdom rich with history and stories, and almost every character, including NPCs, feel like they have a real stake in the world. Every NPC has something unique to say, which will change depending on where you are in the story and the events that have occurred. Many even have their own full-fledged personalities, backstories and relationship with Estelle and will recall events from the first game. There are also newspapers to read that reflect the events of the world, as well as books containing some thoughtful fables that tie into the themes of the game.
There is also unique dialogue depending on which characters are in your party.
There is real skill in how Second Chapter engages the player, because while the story is new, outside of a few areas the world is identical to that seen in First Chapter. You'll retread the same areas, visit the same towns and talk to many of the same people. Normally - and I'm sure most gamers would agree - I'd balk at the idea of playing a game with this level of repetition. Producing a game in this way obviously saves a massive amount of money and development time, and Falcom are acutely aware that what sets their games apart is the writing and attention to detail in the worldbuilding and character arcs.
The writing itself is generally of a high standard, with few errors (I counted three in my entire playthrough) though at times the dialogue can be rather dry - particularly from Estelle herself. An all-round do-gooder she isn't the most charismatic protagonist, and as a result while she's likeable, she's also not always easy to root for. Thankfully her comrades and the colourful villains more than pick up the slack.
Second Chapter is split into nine chapters, with the first five containing discrete stories revolving around each region of Liberl, while still tying into the overarching narrative. There are a number of side quests, listed as "jobs" in the Bracer branch offices, though as quests are the only way to make money I would argue it is necessary to complete them. Surprisingly for an RPG side quests mostly contribute to the game's rich worldbuilding foundations. There is an exhaustive record of all quests taken, which proved useful to me given the long breaks I took at various points of the game.
Battles utilise a solid turn-based system, taking place on an isometric grid. There are a few cues from tactical RPGs; for example, characters can move around to avoid getting hit and attacks have specific areas of effect. There is a turn-order displayed on screen which is useful for planning attacks and can be manipulated to your advantage. Some turns have certain perks such as "critical attack" or a small health regeneration, which can also benefit enemies. In additional to physical and magic attacks there are "crafts" which are techniques unique to each character. No character is useless, and all feel important not simply in terms of the story, but gameplay too.
While each character is predisposed to either being physically or magically gifted (or balanced between both), players can shape their skills and attributes via "Orbments", which work a little like Materia from Final Fantasy VII. These confer certain attributes on characters and may be used to offset weaknesses or greatly augment strengths. In turn magic - and the spells available - is entirely dependent on the orbments set to each character, so you will need to think carefully about their placement.
Thanks to an XP system where points are dished out on a downward slope depending on how high a character's level is, it is extremely difficult to overlevel during normal play. Conversely, this has the benefit of allowing under-levelled characters to catch up to their peers quite quickly. Generally characters are kept around the level the game wants you to be, and ensures the challenge is quite evenly pitched throughout. However, there is a rather nasty spike in the final chapter, which features one of the longest and most difficult RPG battles I've ever played outside of Shin Megami Tensei 3. It required every single ounce of strategy I could muster and almost took my sanity with it.
In terms of presentation the visuals blend spritework and basic 3D elements. Character designs, represented through portraits next to dialogue boxes, are very nice indeed. I really appreciated the lack of "fan service" (something I feel cheapens the messaging of many a Japanese RPG), and Estelle is not remotely sexualised.
Music is absolutely brilliant. It's not quite the aural orgasm of the Ys series, but it genuinely brings Liberl and the situations unfolding on screen to life. There is no voice acting.
Trails in the Sky Second Chapter is an extremely solid RPG that I thoroughly enjoyed. I feel it's easy to recommend to fans of the Trails of Cold Steel series, but I'd also heartily recommend it to fans of the genre, though only after the first game has been played. Aspects that stand out are the exceptional worldbuilding, engaging story and mostly excellent writing - though this second point comes with the caveat that Estelle's dialogue can occasionally be a little dull. The battle system is solid and quite tactical. In all a well-balanced and finely crafted Japanese RPG from the oldest master of the genre.
@mookysam How is the pacing in this game? Trails in the Sky FC had absolutely glacial pacing, imo, and the little twist at the end wasn't worth the gargantuan amounts of build-up and wheel-spinning.
Anyway, good write-up, and glad to see you enjoyed it. Have you played the Cold Steel games, by chance?
Currently Playing: Resident Evil Village: Gold Edition
@Ralizah Thanks. Not played the Cold Steel games yet as I wanted to finish this first.
The first game was incredibly slow, for sure. Here, while there's more going on from the get go and the villains establish themselves early on, the game is still quite a slow-burner. I'd day individual chapters are more interesting than those in the first game but things don't really ramp up that extra notch until chapter five. Then from six onwards the central plot is the sole focus. It definitely benefits from having the world already fully established.
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