How the Trails Series Mastered Worldbuilding

[@josephduncan7561]

I cannot like this video enough. The Legend of Heroes: Trails series deserves far more appreciation and love than it gets.

[@nevassa4627]

Just to provide some semblance of comparison, they have. The series has garnered so much more love in the 4 years since the video posted.

[@3211-m9q]

Nicholas Skiff yeah for better or worse. mostly worse 😢

[@nevassa4627]

@@3211-m9q please define your aspects of "worse." I am not going to dismiss your opinion as "unfounded," but I am curious in what aspects you define as worse over the course of the series.

[@3211-m9q]

Nicholas Skiff IDK MAN I just feel like the quality of some things gets worse when more people know about it 😞

[@3211-m9q]

@J J how many cheese rolls do you think i can fit in my mouth

[@ardagus9917]

It was this video that introduced me to the Kiseki series... And after finishing every game up to Cold Steel 2, I do not regret it!

[@timidalchemist8475]

The series is great at politics and story, not since suikoden, have I ever been invested in a jrpg series.

[@RedRobinTitan]

The Trails series, and what it has achieved, has been a huge inspiration for me as a writer. Falcom has put together something absolutely wonderful and so wildly different, yet familiar, that it should be even more major than the giants of the JRPG genre. Great video on the franchise by the way.

[@rangergxi]

Xseed deserves so much praise for their translation.

[@charcharmunr]

Xseed is always just like "Hey you want a localisation for this very Japanese game? Alright."

[@conradojavier]

Xseed always earned their Money for the Weeaboo Market.

[@jsmith5212]

Xseed didn't translate the second game

[@conradojavier]

J Smith their are Other Competitions like Koei Tecmo, & Atlus.

[@rangergxi]

J Smith Yes it did.

[@panpan1287]

Fun fact: it's literally only gotten better in the last 4 years

[@hahmann]

Yep, they even managed to make obnoxious anime tropes into likable/fun characters.

[@kogashinto2123]

Let's GOOO!!!!

[@KudaGeatsune3821]

@BlazingEmber66 A localization that uses the GeoFront Fan Translation as a base No less this is happening because the fans fought for it

[@DeepestDankest]

I quit the franchise because of Cold Steel.

[@joaocbcneto]

​​@@DeepestDankestwhy not give next year s Trails Thoughts Daybreak a chance? every arc genre shifts a bit and people who disliked cold steel have liked it so far after playing it with fan translations.

[@Stormrider881]

So I just started on trails in the sky today, and before even finishing the prologue I'm extremely impressed with the amount of character given to most of the npcs that in other games would be just generic interchangeable shopkeepers or random people. Definitely making an excellent first impression.

[@charlestrudel8308]

when you will start SC with a complete save from FC, you will fall over, each npc you help in the first will remember Estelle in SC.... literally, Estelle is a celebrity by the second game.

[@Orazu10592]

I`m envious, to forget and go back to where my obsession began...You`re a very lucky person, embrace every NPC dialogue, ride the world-build train for as long as you can.

[@accelerator3432]

To be fair, i think Trails series kicks basically everyone at world building, not only bethesda...

[@ayasdwiky6009]

Even final fantasy series

[@masterchiefpettyofficerspa3646]

I'd say games like Halo, Dragon Age, KOTOR, and Mass Effect are on par with the Trails series.

[@x-iei-x4725]

Say that word again Rdr2

[@t-man7749]

@@masterchiefpettyofficerspa3646 Played Mass Effect, it was great and it had some good galaxy-building but IMO Trails stomps it in the people aspect

[@Machiroable]

Trails while good at world building is not even close when compared to something like Rance, Arcanum and Underrail(a indie game).

[@emmeownelan2076]

There was one mistake here. Trails of Cold Steel is NOT the follow-up to Trails in the Sky. The Crossbell arc, that is Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki (Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure in English) are the follow-up to the Liberl arc (Trails in the Sky) and the Erebonia arc (Trails of Cold Steel) is the follow-up to the Crossbell arc

[@lukedelameter7961]

Transfer property. If A=B, and B=C, then A=C.

[@DaoistYeashikAli]

I really love Estelle Bright....

[@SebSosa]

I love khloe

[@cesarpietrocalathaki9539]

Anelance!!!

[@Nikita_Akashya]

@@cesarpietrocalathaki9539 Tita! She's precious!

[@WhatsWithGames]

I edited the audio of this video so screw you guys, I'm first.

[@nerdpiggy]

Fair enough.

[@ChoocoboYao]

Well played.

[@chrisrice7805]

the this F ( F is for first)

[@BladeBlur]

I like your channel so screw you I gave you a sub :P

[@clockknight13]

But Geoff recorded it, so he was even earlier than you?

[@nisbahmumtaz909]

...Even now, I remember the engineer Faye from Zeiss, struggling with her relationship with her coworker. It's amazing how that little story lasted both the FC and SC games.

[@ninototo1]

Same. Still remember how Faye looks even. Pink hair and orange suit and cap right?

[@AAhmou]

How she became more distant after Sergent Abraham's confession.

[@Resener1]

“I hope the two of us can go somewhere again sometime.”

[@gamerprince-tl5hg]

Same she's one of my fav NPCs lol I enjoyed her quest

[@Jason-wt2rx]

How about Anton? Hahaha

[@Bananasaber]

This is litterally my favorite RPG series and I'm so goddamn pleased to see someone paying attention to them. Rean is probably my favorite game protagonist, because I haven't seen a better protrayal of extreemely low selfworth with decent self confidence.

[@ryansusanto6350]

your title is misleading, nihon falcom is a corporation... and tokyo xanadu is already have ghostlight as publisher for tokyo xanadu for eng release

[@OmegaMetroid93]

Really? Ghostlight? I thought Aksys were the ones doing that.

[@ryansusanto6350]

eh? kinda misinformation.. let me check it..

[@ryansusanto6350]

ups... sorry, it akys games

[@RaifSeverence]

+OmegaMetroid93 ghostlight is the EU publisher. Aksys is the NA publisher

[@OmegaMetroid93]

RaifSeverence Oh, I see. Thanks for clearing it up. :)

[@JustSumGuy01]

The trails series has become my Marvel cinematic universe of rpg with Cold steel 4 going to be my Avengers Endgame

[@カーロス-w1g]

You know, I was thinking this exact same thing the other day. Overlapping story arcs, a consistent world, powerful artifacts capable of altering the universe corresponding to different elements, etc. etc.

[@teslamid9923]

CS4 is definitely the endgame of the previous games and a satisfying conclusion imo

[@brentlio5578]

Trails of the sky trilogy is hands down the best RPG/Story game I have every played. I don't even think any Final fantasy game topples that.

[@Jrdotan]

Did you ever played xenogears?

[@Jrdotan]

@Cool Dude yap. Xenogears has one of the best plots in a videogame history. Its legendary in presentation, themes and execution.

[@theazureknight9399]

@Cool Dude Well, those aren't enough reason to argue it's a better story. What if someone's not into deep philosophy and the meaning of life and the concept of god? Are you saying that a game that portrays these themes is inhently better than a game that focuses on more mundane aspects of life like say, a love story, which is Trails in the Sky's main focus?

[@oromain]

@@theazureknight9399 You could say the reverse as well. Some may care more about deep philosophical concepts than a lens into the mundane aspects of life and love. People are just giving their opinions here, they're allowed to disagree.

[@theazureknight9399]

@@oromain Well, i never denied that in my comment, nor have i said that he isn't allowed to give his opinion, in fact, i was giving my own opinion as well. I really don't get what you wanted to accomplish with your reply.

[@namkha209]

Uh, dude, as much as I love Falcom, I gotta say that they are NOT indie. They've been around since the NES day, and is second only to Square Enix in the field of JRPG. Also, Bethesda and Falcom is good in different fields, in my opinion.

[@Lookin4aBoxToLive]

Did he call them Indie? I only heard him refer to them as "not AAA" and low-budget compared to the titans everyone knows, which by no means translates into Indie.

[@charlieterry8506]

I find that indie is a term that becomes more nebulous the further you explore the medium of video games and all the variance that entails. just curious what is your definition of indie?

[@jbirzer]

I think they fit the definition of "indie" in the US in that they develop independent of a major publisher and are not one themselves, at least in the US. Also, while they have been around as long as Square and Enix, they aren't nearly as large as the Square Enix empire.

[@rangergxi]

He called them Indie in the title...

[@GrayFoxRJ]

my god.... Nihon Falcom a INDIE fucking company? No man. It doesnt matter If they are Not as big as Square Enix. They are Not a bunch of liberal nonsencial "Free from business ways of doing things" group. They are a Company, with contractors, partners, they even have their own magazine. They are Not a fucking INDIE. Wash your fucking mouth in comparing Nihon Falcom with The likes of Shit heads like some unworthy mentioning *ShiEZ* devs

[@sebbe44441]

That's it. That's literally it. I mean, they're all great JRPGs and are so much fun to play, the music is simply amazing, the main stories and main characters are beautifully written, etc. But what gives them SUCH a big edge over the competition is the fact that I want to talk to every. single. NPC whenever a plot even happens. Do you know how much time I spent on Trails of Coldsteel just for the first playthrough? Well over 100 hours. Because whenever anything happened I talked to everyone on the academy grounds and in the town. Or with everyone in the City I was just in. There are SO many memorable moments, like the whole sidestory of how Patrick is shitting on everyone in the fencing club and Alan is sick of losing to him all the time and trains to become stronger, and his childhood friend Bridget is worried about him because he's ignoring her. Meanwhile Patrick challenges the captain of the fencing club Friedel to take her position because he thinks she's more of a manager than an actual fighter since her second in command Loggins was the one who did most of the fight training so far. And when you talk to them the next time, Loggins comments on how scary Friedel was when she destroyed Patrick while he and Friedel relax and drink some tee together, and Patrick is somewhere else, not able to comprehend that someone is that much better than him. Which is big part of why he's becoming more humble throughout the game, but I wouldn't even know all that without talking to all of them all the time. And I didn't even have to look up their names even though it's been a while since I played the game. They're all just so memorable. And that's just one of the ongoing side-stories. There are TONS of those in the game. Really makes what's essentially a school campus and a small town feel alive and not just a background to but weapons and have some plot happen like in most other games. I haven't played SC yet though, no idea how good that one is. Gonna start playing it in a few days though :D

[@Dnetwork007]

SC is good too.

[@sebbe44441]

Dnetwork7 Oh yeah, I wouldn't ever doubt that. I've been told that it's even better than FC since that's basically just the prologue to SC, and even that was already one of my favorite games of all times.

[@heerotomoe]

Frick. I haven't touched my unfinished copy Cold Steel since January but could immediately recall each NPC's face as you mentioned them. Trails is so good.

[@sebbe44441]

heerotomoe Definitely. With most games I don't even remember more than maybe like 2 named NPCs. And here EVERYONE is memorable. Kenneth is still my favorite though. No matter how much shit goes down, he's just fishing. Nothing else matters ^^

[@dustanglx50]

Unfinished? Damn, you put something like that in front of me and I'm like a fat kid with a pack of Oreos.....They will be FINISHED

[@Strawhat_Pirates3D2Y]

One of the best videos describing the value of the Trails series and what sets it apart from other titles amongst western and eastern rpgs alike. Beyond relevant, timeless even. Bravo~ 👏

[@Random2960]

After playing trails in the sky I tried to search for a game that had as amazing world, story and characters as it did only to come to a disappointing realization that there is no such game. It was the best I have ever found.

[@TimeSpaceRamblings]

Random2960 sadly I am in the same boat. I played it, LOVED it, and then discovered.... there is literally nothing to top it. I hit the apex.

[@suiken3149]

You're not digging enough. Lots of great JRPGs, especially in the SNES and PSX era.

[@Dexyu]

Random2960 witcher 1 to 3 as cliche as this game now sounds to use its truee.

[@BloodMonk666]

Planescape: Torment, Tyranny, Tales of Berseria, Xenogears, ...............NieRAutomata maybe? :D

[@feathermanr7577]

Berseria's world felt flat but the gameplay is good.

[@MegaLagann]

I wouldn't really call Nihon Falcom a indie studio. But I get it sounds better for the title.

[@MegaLagann]

TopHatPangolin They're middle market developers. But I guess it doesn't have a nice ring to it like indie or AAA.

[@maliivan1993]

I've heard them and their games referred to as "AA" games y'know 2 A's instead of 3.

[@daone1008]

Well, they aren't attached to a publisher. So by definition, Nihon Falcom is an indie studio.

[@MegaLagann]

daone1008 Neither does Platinum games but you wouldn't call them indie either.

[@daone1008]

Well, I wasn't talking about whether one would call these studios "indie" in the first place. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@KaiSaeren]

I already commented on this video once I believe, and now that I have finished trails in the sky 1 and 2 I came back to thank you! Thanks to this video I discovered (or decided to look into more like) these games and the whole legend of heroes franchise and it is absolutely fantastic, it instantly shot into top 5 of my all time favorite franchises and I can't wait for the translations of the other games. I have to say, there is nothing quite like trails games, so thank you for making this video and giving it the attention and love it so dearly deserves, hats off to you my good sir.

[@wsitumn]

Yes more people should know and play this game. Best game ever.

[@AlexKensington]

Don't forget to play the Third Chapter!

[@xneutralgodx]

Crossbell arc with millith. Blew my mind when the very beginning of the game in the city of leeves referces that side quest when playing cold steel 3 beginning. I went back to crossbell arc after beating cold steel 1 - 3 . Then played cold steel 3 again and realized how much I really missed context wise. Now I regret not starting with sky

[@chibigeek7197]

I agree. I loved going up to the NPCs in Trails of Cold Steel and seeing the childhood friends slowly admit their feelings to one another, talking to the teachers about their past and worries, seeing the one student get better a fighting. I just loved interacting with the NPCs so much that in the final battle I talked to everyone in the school to get their final goodbyes and worries. I really hope these interactions return in the sequel. And thank you for talking about the trails games. They definitely need more attention.

[@TheAwkwardGuy]

Odd question here, but I only played trails in the sky, is the other LOH game he's talking about called Cold Steel? (the one with 3D dudez)

[@RaifSeverence]

+TheAwkwardGuy yea

[@keiichimorisato98]

yeah, he is talking about Cold Steel, but there is another two games that takes place at the same time as Cold Steel, Trails of Zero and Trails of AO.

[@TheAwkwardGuy]

Well idk, I probably won't see a mention of Estelle and Joshua so they don't technically happen at the same time. Err ok I didn't listen to the video pretty well but I guess he did say that all of their games are in the same location and time.

[@sebbe44441]

Cold Steel plays a bit after the whole Joshua/Estelle thing has been resolved, and it seems to play simultaneously to at least one of the crossbell games, which we don't have yet. I wouldn't count on there being no relations to Trails in the Sky though, you might be surprised.

[@evil_cupcake2386]

I'm not really sure you can compare western way of developing with eastern, but I know what you want to say. I bought Trails of Cold Steel out of curiosity one day, and I've become a fan of Nihon Falcom forever. I even get a Lionheart Edition few days ago. Maybe their stories not mindblowing as Final Fantasy, Persona etc., but they just so beautiful and with a great worlds that you emerge in those games with head. You love those characters, you know if not everyone, but at least half of them. And I mean not only main characters. For example Thors Military Academy. You remember every character there. If not by names, than at least as by personality. And when you complete Trails of Cold Steel 2, you understand that it's not a great ending, but you become so close to the characters, you love them so much, that you can't help yourself but crying with them. In my opinion, that is more valuable than any mindblowing twist.

[@t.r.c8306]

If you think their stories are not mindblowing is because you haven't played Sora no Kiseki and especially Zero and Ao no kiseki yet, Sen no Kiseki is actually the weakest entry in the series.

[@kevinhanandi]

Still disapoint that there is no crosbell arc translated officialy (zero no kiseki fan translate is good tho....can't say the same with ao)

[@evil_cupcake2386]

I actually complete all three Sora games. And I can't really say that story in those are actually mindblowing, like in Yoko Taro games, but that doesn't mean that they are bad. They are awesome, with great characters and cool twists, but they're don't make you screaming something like "WTF DID I JUST SEE!!!". And still, when I completed Sora no Kiseki 3rd, it was good and in the same time sad, 'cause I got attached to heroes so much that just didn't want to say goodbye. About Sen no Kiseki, I can agree that Sen is not that great as Sora, but I just can't agree that it's shit, and so many people saying, that Sen is shit. It's not THAT bad, for Christ sake. Sen is a little standard, but still have good characters, great storytelling, nice atmosphere, awesome music and world. I love Class VII same as guys from Liberl ark and it was still sad to say goodbye to those characters, even though not for long. I understand, that Sen is strait copying some fragments from Sora, but it's still not bad, and definitely not for people that first played Sen. I understand that Sen is not making same impact as Sora, but I still can't say, that Sen is weak installment. And sadly I still didn't played Zero and Ao no Kiseki. Still waiting full translation :c

[@kevinhanandi]

I have to say that zero no kiseki really" good, arguably even better start then trails in the sky 1, although if you aren't play sora no kiseki, you won't understand some of the refrence (some of the sora characters comeback here and one of the most intriguing characters from sora explain the background here)

[@evil_cupcake2386]

Dude stop. I already can't wait full translation and you just add fuel :c

[@MrSoulChives]

>visual novels cant linger on inner monologues you havent read anything by setoguchi renya have you

[@mothersbasement]

+Yuzuki-Tan *good visual novels that give a shit about pacing

[@MrSoulChives]

Mother's Basement most his works are like less than 20 hours and lots of things happen he just writes a lot of character thoughts. Swan Song is considered to have great pacing by many and is way more detailed than a lot of books. Please dont talk about vn because i doubt you know hardly anything at all.

[@BrainScratchComms]

To be fair, there's a difference between a visual novel that's trying to tie its visuals tightly with its narrative and a visual novel that's just a book with images and music playing in the background while you read it and occasional choose-your-own-adventure decisions interspersed throughout. While those are rewarding to experience in their way, they depart from what makes the medium unique from books and focus more on the text content than the visual component. It's one way of doing it, but it also results in a fundamentally different kind of experience for the reader. - Lewis

[@angkear6267]

"While those are rewarding to experience in their way, they depart from what makes the medium unique from books and focus more on the text content than the visual component." But I always believe VN's primary focus is on the text content. The visual, BGM, VA are just supplementary which enhance the reader's immersion within the story, thus a better immersive experience than books imo.

[@BrainScratchComms]

And like I said, that's one way of doing it, but it's not the kind of visual novel that really digs to their heart of what makes a visual novel unique as a storytelling medium. It's certainly the easiest kind to construct--you just have to arrange the audiovisual component around the writing--but a visual novel developed to be "played" more than "read" is going to take pains to build its text content around the audiovisual component instead. It's a question of priority and how the player/reader is intended to experience the story. - Lewis

[@electricant55]

I almost cried when Whereabouts of Light started playing

[@caramelkalin6696]

man, with the release of daybreak it's only getting better and better. I don't regret starting this series because of that one video you made for games to play during quarantine of 2020. Thanks a lot Geoff!

[@peabeanmilk]

absolutely amazing and well written video!!! i got chills in some parts because you just put into words my thoughts on the series so perfectly that i feel like crying every interaction feels like a gift, every effort to go around the map and talk to everyone every single time their dialogue changes feels like an act of love it is a testament to how much they really focused on the writing and characters of these games. i just cant believe something as amazing as this exists. and i get to experience it over and over in every kiseki game i play

[@NukeDaHippies]

For anyone interested, it would do you good to know, Trails from Zero/to Azure (crossbell arc) do have translated versions on the PC with voices. And even if their not the greatest translation, they're fantastic. possibly my favourite of the series so far.

[@Cage532]

I know what you mean. I loved the story of Alan in Trails of Cold Steel as he struggles in the fencing club while dealing with his feeling for his childhood friend Bridget. Sure this has one side quest tied to it but you see this story unfolding way before that.

[@timidalchemist8475]

Cage532 I love that the npc,you saw and talked to in cold steel are in cold steel 3 with full portraits and are grown up especially mint.

[@ReikazeRambles]

Falcom, a company who's been making games since the 80s... indie? ehh.....

[@Aldini_to]

hahaha yeah, having a company that make like 3 games a year since the 80s, suuuper indie ps: probably was paid for this xD (maybe)

[@romulusnuma116]

I don't think he was paid but he was implying that they have a lot less resources.

[@TrueCrouton]

WayForward has been making games since the 90's but they're still considered indie.

[@ReikazeRambles]

***** Budget doesn't equal indie tho. While they may be smaller than AAA, that doesn't mean they aren't established players of the industry and longevity matters when we talk about indie. Saying they are indie generally implies that they are new and small, companies experimenting because they have no budget. While Falcom is smaller than AAA and don't have AAA budgets, they definitely aren't indie size small. When we think about indie, we don't think about companies like konami or capcom their longevity makes them established in a way that indies aren't even tho they self publish, and Falcom is the same way. They are a key part in shaping the industry even if they aren't all that well known in the way and are no way indie, and using indie to describe them is an incorrect statement that only serves as clickbait. If you're new to gaming, you may not be familiar with middle tier game development, companies like from software that are in between AAA and indie, that's where Falcom is, one of the established players of that space. There used to be a lot more middle tier devs (or AA devs) but they're dying out because of high cost of game development...

[@BrainScratchComms]

Indie doesn't mean "slow" or "new" or "small" anything dumb like that. It just means "independent." Longevity is just a stupid bullshit thing people bring up when they want to make a new player seem artsier somehow. - Lewis

[@BknMoonStudios]

I just started Ys II and immediately went ham, giving flowers to every character inside the starter town. *_HO-LY SHIT!_* It took me well over 2 hours because every character has an _insane_ amount of text prompts every time you give them the item. My favorite one was the girl that was totally into Adol and said she wanted to marry him, only to turn him down at the end because she felt she was betraying her friend. Heck, you can try to hook up with the young girl's mother or the hot nurse, and they respond just like I'd expect a real person to do. Hats off to the writers.

[@gentlemandemon]

I honestly have to directly thank Geoff and this video for getting me into this series!

[@OmegaMetroid93]

Cold Steel 2 is coming out in a few days! Who's excited? :D

[@CorruptedSoul12]

I am! I beat Cold Steel 1 last Thursday and now I can jump into the 2nd game once it comes out.

[@Dnetwork007]

MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

[@clintmckee1751]

I spent the summer beating CS 1, so I am super pumped.

[@eygeggs]

+Clint McKee Same here. That was probably one of the best game's I've ever played.

[@sageky]

it's not that I'm not excited, I'm just not ready. I've been moving through cold steel 1 at snails pase.

[@Zeon081]

Even treasure chests have more personality in Legend of heroes then say Preston in F4

[@rodrigomateodelgadodelacru8154]

General what are you doing here in KZbin A new settlement needs your help I will mark it on your map

[@SuperSupersoda]

Go back and check the treasure chests after you've taken the loot, every single one of them has something funny to say about the fact that you're checking an empty treasure chest.

[@Azure9577]

@@SuperSupersoda enforcer no. 00 , this empty chest (From trails in the sky the 3rd )

[@SuperSupersoda]

@@Azure9577 Yeah, by the time you get to Cold Steel, only the blue treasure chests have chest messages anymore, and those were obviously imported by Liberl or Crossbell.

[@Azure9577]

@@SuperSupersoda lmao

[@paraalso]

4 years and 9 games later this has become my favorite video game franchise. Thanks for giving me a push to try it.

[@Ceser1999]

Just pointing out, The first 4 Elder scrolls games are ALL set within the rule of one Emporer, so at MAX they are 50 years apart

[@maliivan1993]

65 years or 55 if you don't count the 10 he was trapped in oblivion.

[@ajsouza3720]

If I remember my lore correctly Oblivion is a mere 4 years after Morrowind which is only a few years after Daggerfall so it's more like 20-30 years. Yeah surprised he didn't really talk about Elder Scrolls that much which are imho the best open world rpgs available.

[@thepigk1ng]

and fallout 3 and 4 are pretty close too just roughly ~10 years or so

[@Minileblanc]

And Fallout 1/2 are "only" 70 years or so apart, just like 3 and NV have a decade between them and 4. Only Skyrim fits his description.

[@ikagura]

how much time between oblivion and skyrim? 200 years?

[@ParagonKevin]

I haven't watched the video yet but I just want to say that I'm glad people are praising companies like Nihon Falcom. They don't make the prettiest games (neither does Bethesda) but they do make games with very impressive stories and lore. I'll never understand how companies like Bethesda manage to sell millions of copies of their RPGs when their so unimpressive. Elder Scrolls and Fallout games are so empty and lifeless. They're sandbox games in every sense of the word. It's a box full of sand and nothing else. Other companies like Nihon Falcom, Atlus and CD Projekt (whom have thankfully found massive success) put so much more effort into making their games rich and fulfilling.

[@enclavecommunicationsoffic8095]

You may not like Bethesda's Fallouts but no way in hell does this weeb shit come close to New Vegas.

[@jt6404]

+Enclave Communications Officer You have to admit though Fallout 4 and 3 are dull as fuck. And New Vegas wasn't even developed by Bethesda, Obsidian did that. Bethesda just published it.

[@enclavecommunicationsoffic8095]

I never said Bethesda made FNV, I was saying you can't call all Fallout games ass because Fallout 4 was sub par. Also, 3 is my favorite in the whole franchise. Interplay writes hella good stories, but 1 and 2 are completely uninteresting gameplay-wise. 3 was quite a challenge compared to NV and had some of my favorite weapons, despite having a rehash of 2's plot.

[@globox123456789]

You can't just dismiss anything Japanese as "weeb", it only makes you look ignorant and rather xenophobic. And the reason Bethesda sell so many games is because of how simple they are. Over time they've been getting rid of many RPG features just so as many people as possible can buy it.

[@enclavecommunicationsoffic8095]

Christ, even just casually using the word weeb triggers people? It was a joke man, I'm a huge anime fan. I have nothing against Japan. But about Bethesda's simplifying of games, I'd have to argue that FO4 was one of the only ones that really did that. Skyrim had a weird leveling system, but that seemed to be more a result of trying to create an immersive one, not a stream-lined one.

[@cius2112]

just want to say this video got me into this series, I finished all the Trails in the Sky games and am on chapter 1 of Trails from Zero.

[@yoursonisold8743]

Ever since you talked about Trails of Cold Steel on the SuperBestFriendCast I've been waiting for this analysis video. I could really tell you love this franchise. As do I. They are really deep and enjoyable games. Probably the only ones where I talk to every NPC at any point in the story, even if it inflates my play time by dozens of hours lol

[@WFoong98]

Which podcast # is it?

[@yoursonisold8743]

WFoong98 #143: Mother's Sh*tbag The preview video was quite hilarious as well.

[@BearFacedLiar]

It's because of that episode that I got that game. Love it so much.

[@nerdpiggy]

Holy fuck. I need to play these games.

[@Dnetwork007]

Yes my good friend, you do.

[@bh.d.ravenous]

I highly recomend its, the Trails series are incredibly submersive with great characters

[@joaocosta6243]

You do. They are definitely worth it

[@AceofJays15]

I've been playing Trails of Cold Steel, it's incredible and pretty modern so it's really easy to get into. It's my first game in the series

[@nerdpiggy]

+Alexis Recinos is "Trails in the Sky" the first game in the series?

[@Pimpgamer101]

This video is what brought me to the world of Zemuria. I can’t thank you enough for introducing me to what is now my favorite JRPG franchise of all time.

[@vvolfflovv]

I've been playing this game lately but had no idea the amount of depth they put into its world. Fascinating video and I definitely look forward to more of your content.

[@vvolfflovv]

***** I noticed the main characters were pretty fleshed out so far in my journey but really had no idea. Welcome to the group btw.

[@AthanasiaBithia]

Other things in that first town you can find out. The lady whose cat runs away when she's sleeping? If you pay attention to her, you can see that as you progress the intro, she goes from eating, to being tired, to sleeping (with the cat gone) to waking up and putting in the request at the guild. Also if you check the hotel every now and then, you can see when exactly Josette shows up, and talk to her, before she goes to see the Mayor and scope out to steal the quartz

[@vvolfflovv]

Blawynn That really is cool. I'm paying way closer attention to the townsfolk now. Hopefully it leads to a bit more than just dialogue but its still pretty interesting stuff.

[@AthanasiaBithia]

+wolfflow Haha, these games turned me into a stalker, i swear. making sure i knew where every npc was and making notes of everything they did. it's an infectious behavior

[@vvolfflovv]

Blawynn lol

[@BobbyTheGamerOfJUSTICE]

The worldbuilding in this series is outmatched. I got into this series back in January of this yea and I’ve been obsessed ever since. Not to mention it introduced me to my wife Laura Arseid so yeah 😂

[@avosthyric]

"In this universe you can buy pocket watches that shoot fire balls." You know what? I'm sold. I'm not even gonna keep watching. I've heard so much praise already. I'll buy this shit.

[@axelded13]

just finished trails of cold steel and is now playing the second one. all I can say is that this series deserves more praise

[@KecskeTabornok]

Implying being better than Bethesda is hard.

[@NycroLP]

But it's the most popular company when it comes to these type of games.

[@LuckyHazama]

+Nycro Unfortunately

[@Joe-dy7bb]

cue the Bethesdrones.

[@evangedeon2194]

+Joe "but Skyrim is my favorite, and fallout is so famous, etc."

[@KecskeTabornok]

"But it's the moster popular company when it comes to these type of games." And this is really really sad.

[@devilsword]

7 years later and the trails series are bigger than ever

[@EnforcerNr.XBleublanc]

Nihon Falcom is God of JRPG/RPG - unbeatable

[@lishayin8132]

i bought trails in the sky because of this video, and i absolutely do not regret it. buildings that look like people can live in them! interesting characters! a decently challenging turn-based battle system! i love this, heck, and im so upset that i nearly never knew about it. this series seriously needs some love. (and he's not kidding about the music, its catchy as all hell.)

[@shyguypro9876]

Played the first chapter of Trails in the Sky and fell in love. The fact that this fleshed out a story with this many well developed characters was taking place in one tiny corner of this world made me desperate to see more of this world.

[@syfon16]

It's really easy to kick Bethesda's butt nowadays.

[@syfon16]

Rip good games from Bethesda 1986-2008

[@BeefRank]

+Acualy Is (Sylva) elder scrolls online

[@Timestopper117]

*1986-2011 FTFY

[@SuperMizuki111]

Bethesda never made good video games

[@Timestopper117]

Dex F Lol. Just lol.

[@thomasryan6240]

Personally, I want Nihon Falcom and XSeed to release the Trails in the Sky trilogy on Nintendo SWITCH. Think it would sell VERY well.

[@oromain]

I'm honestly surprised this *still* hasn't happened.

[@JoaderR]

Welp XD 6 years later, but we got an announcement! :D

[@yarumada9880]

with Kai no Kiseki announced and 90% of the story is supposedly finished probably 2 to 3 games left? i hope you make a remastered video or something when everything ends i really love the trails series which i only played since last year and currently trying to beat Trails into Reverie

[@Sunnyboy-ob4xz]

Oh look, someone who shares my love for the Kiseki series, you rock dude!

[@RudestJade]

Was that a Clone High reference near the beginning? If so, you are slick, Geoff. Very slick.

[@mothersbasement]

+JT less slick: NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENS TO THE KENNEDYS

[@TreeCookies]

+Mother's Basement I CAUGHT THE CLONE HIGH REFRENCE SO FAST MAN THAT SHOW WAS GREAT.

[@ForbiddenLore]

I caught the reference as well

[@TreeCookies]

and here i thought near nobody watched Clone High

[@kermabit6427]

I just noticed because I am playing the sky trilogy(played cold steel first because i did not know about sky) but, the tourists, mentioned at 12:33, are from jenis academy, just like Kloe. I am at 3rd and just did Kloes door, for which you needed the certificate, which is why I noticed.

[@narius_jaden215]

The world of Kiseki is amazing for world-building, no doubt. I love everything about the world of Zemuria. The cast of each series is lovable and full of depth and character.

[@naheemquattlebaum2267]

This has to be the greatest review for the Trails series I've ever seen. Damn it I wanna play all the games now.

[@1suuuperfrankystan812]

Just recently started playing trails of cold steel and I've seen all these videos on how the npc have decent conversations (sorry about the understatement) and that the books in game mean so much more than most books in RPGs and I'm thinking what have I gotten myself into I love these games

[@Entropic_Alloy]

Obsidian made New Vegas, which is a billion times better than the Bethesda made 4. Ain't nothing wrong with Dragon Quest though.

[@BeyondDaX]

Uh huh

[@princesszelda2072]

Dragon Quest is love. Dragon Quest is life.

[@FraserSouris]

Bethesda's Fallout 4 had better combat, was less buggy. Had a far better survival mode and economy.

[@meleemastermaa1449]

The back story of every NPC is not a main concern of everyone though. I can say by myself that I'm not much interested on the story of every person in the streets. Having a story for the characters that I'm playing and how their actions change their surroundings is already enough for me.

[@williamhenning4700]

I love worlds with enormous lores and backstories but I can see why the average market consumer wouldn't be all that into it.

[@Rakushio]

The point is that having NPC's with stories which actually get on with their own shit instead of say, standing still endlessly spouting the same line to you, regardless of what point in the story your character is in, makes that game world feel more alive and immersive.

[@android19willpwn]

True. But this video isn't about having interesting main characters or a great plot. It's about world building. That's some people's jam.

[@sebbe44441]

Hey, I used to think like that too. Maybe talk with an NPC or two if I think they have a quest or a hint for me, and be done with them afterwards. But these Falcom games made me realize how much I actually wanted to care about the "unimportant" NPCs all along. And now that I know how great it can be, I can't go back to the likes of "Welcome to corneria" and "It's you, the hero of Kvatch."

[@meleemastermaa1449]

The thing is that having story lines to minor characters shows the respect of the writer with their story, and this is pretty cool, but I don't think it's a factor that "kicks the butt" of other games. Maybe this game "kicks the butt" of all Fallout games combined, but in my opinion it would be because of the overall story/character development/climax, not because it shows the life of a merchant or something. I'm just saying that this video leaves a bad taste in the mouth because it's like saying this game's world is better than Fallout 2, for example, just because FO2 doesn't focus on the life of the "Citizen A". I'm pretty sure that hardcore Persona fans felt the same when Persona was referenced like a game that "things only happen when the protagonist is around".

[@unleashed2724]

Bruh I still remember Anton and Ricky. They appeared in all of the Trails games. You'll know why Anton is feeling down in Cold Steel. If you played the previous games.

[@Jason-wt2rx]

When will Anton have a happy ending? He deserves it hahaha

[@DrPotatoPerson]

I remember that trails had a unique, equally sassy description for every opened chest you interact with.

[@Azure9577]

Enforcer no.00 this empty chest From trails in the sky the 3rd

[@fireraccoon6398]

The NPCs are really amazing and it isn't a stretch to say this game is the only opportunity to experience such a thing. NPCs that have absolutely nothing to do with the main storyline of the protagonist, and maybe show up in one minor meaningless side quest, actually see more character growth than some of the "main team" characters of your average game, if you are there to watch them. It's one thing to have a town destroyed and see the NPCs crying out a few one-liners, which for sure adds to the atmosphere but only so much. It's another thing to see a town destroyed and see the little girl who was always helpful and mature and cracking jokes with you every morning now having a mental breakdown because of war, to see the man who used to be an asshole 5 chapters ago no longer treating his wife like trash and neglecting his kids but now acting like a responsible father trying to be with the family while the inevitable comes, to see bro and sis now debating about abandoning their house and possessions and run for their lives when they made so much effort to settle down in this town since the beginning of the previous game and created so much memories together here.

[@charlestrudel8308]

and thats just some example of something that happen all the time in this series... the amount of work here is insane.

[@drakenstoc4885]

@@charlestrudel8308 Indeed. It really is insane. I've played through and beat Sky FC/SC/3rd and CS1/2/3 already, and I finally decided to jump into Zero. It's crazy to me how each game has NPCs that are all unique individuals, living their own lives and doing their own thing. It puts into perspective how much a game developer can do to make a world come alive if they really wanted to. It's funny, because I used to not care at all about this kind of thing. But now, whenever I pop in a new RPG... they tend to feel hollow by comparison. I would give examples, but I don't want to offend anyone, lol. The main point is, it adds immersion. It makes the world come alive in a way that I don't think any other video game franchise(RPG or otherwise) has managed to accomplish. Some people may ignore the majority of the NPCs when playing the games the first time(and I don't really blame those who do - the main story for each game is good enough as it is, and the NPCs just add another layer to it all), but each game has a LOT of replay value thanks to the NPCs being as unique as they are. Another thing is how the NPCs can sometimes actually help to foreshadow future events. Little details like an NPC mentioning that they saw someone doing something that later becomes relevant in that chapter, or in the next chapter. Or perhaps talking about an event that took place in this part of the world or that part of the world, that becomes relevant several games later. Details like this are spread throughout and across each game, and Falcom has a LOT of patience when it comes to waiting for the appropriate time for it to payoff. A good comparison would be something like the "Sirius Black" name drop in the first Harry Potter book. A minor event that goes over the reader's head the first time through, but when you go back and read it, you can't help but go, "OHHHHHH!" Trails can be like that... but on steroids. Especially if you bother to interact with the NPCs(as well as read the newspapers and books scattered throughout the games).

[@ct2651]

@@drakenstoc4885 i always read the newspaper, even if sometime, its clear its propanganda lol... even this i completely realistic.

[@OHHHHUSBANT]

So fallout 1 and 2

[@Bladeninja76]

I wasn't expecting to learn about your experience with so many other games in this video about NPCs in Trails.

[@vexnexus9530]

These games are amazing. I started the first one back in May, and having beaten Cold Steel 2 yesterday, I've gone through everything I can so far. WIth the 3rd Trails in the Sky coming out next year in the west and the potential hints of the Crossbell games coming over, I couldn't be more excited for anything else. I can truly say this is my favourite game franchise of all time now. PLEASE give them a shot. At first, Sky can feel a bit off-putting, but it doesn't take long for the characters and charm to shine through its obvious low budget. Give them a try, the future of the franchise in the west depends on it!

[@Mintcar923]

Vexnexus My first full play through from Falcom was YS VII.. I thought it was excellent but I’d gotten a new respect for them after Cold Steel 1&2, TiTs and YS VIII.. These are some of the best titles ever and made me rethink how great the rpg genre could be.. Although some of the older ones could use a remake with more up to date graphics n voice acting.. As far as their competition this one I’m currently playing by Atlus called Radiant Historia PC is probably the only thing that comes close as far as being epic..

[@TheDragonEevee]

I know whats next on my list of games to play

[@yemmohater2796]

Hunie-Pop

[@roryharesnape3121]

Now there is a game with an engaging storyline ;)

[@TheDragonEevee]

Rory Haresnape Persona though

[@ordinarytree4678]

I actually played HuniePop, and refunded it once I realized that you can only get one sex scene with each girl. I appreciated the social challenge of guessing what to say, but after the first three girls you've basically memorized everything and are a pro at the puzzles. It's just a huge grind for such shitty scenes. Not worth. Play a freakin visual novel

[@winstonvontoast6163]

I know right. Why work hard, when you can find literally anything to fap to on google? Also, Hunie-Pop was $10, while the internet is free.

[@EriksBlue]

Thank you for this video im 5 games deep into this series right now, i'd love to see a update video since so much has finally come to the west after all this time.

[@DrakeDarkHunter]

Nice video, although what the Trails series has in detailed, world-building it really lacks in originality.

[@kylec.9092]

IMO, originality is really oversold. The most thrilling stories we have are knockoffs of older, rustier stories from long ago, and most often something that's said to be "original" has already been done before. All that really matters is how you take an old concept or make it better, not creating something that is totally different than what we've seen before.

[@quirijnv6793]

This. Where this bothers me the most is in the genre of MMORPG's. I play Rift, because it's the closest thing to WoW that is free, but it's pretty old and the game developer is kind of an asshole, so I've been looking for a new one to waste all my time on. Except I can't find a single one I like, every new MMORPG has some kind of annoying gimmick that makes it original, but that is not what I want. What I want is WoW/Rift all over, a standard fantasy MMORPG, but updated to 2016.

[@sedef122003]

Nope, it takes tired tropes and turns them on their head, that is one of the reasons the series is great. Not to say it does not adhere to certain tropes as well to be fair

[@ArmanCortez1]

I second what Josh Li said. I haven't played either of them (Not knowing Japanese sucks) But I have seen game-play of their translated first chapters. Trails of Zero (Ao is the direct sequel of this) in particular seems very original. What RPG comes to mind that evokes a City Noir 1950s urban feel, being set in magical fantasy world and has you playing as a cop/detective? Urban Fantasy done right imo. As for "Trails in the sky The 3rd" I will take an XSEED twitter post to describe the game. “So a priest and a nun walk into a game….” *Sigh* Now I'm sad that these three gems haven't been localized yet...

[@DrakeDarkHunter]

***** I've played and beaten all of the translated games so far, don't get me wrong! I love the Trails series and agree for the most part with what he's saying in this video here. I just felt he overstated his point when he started talking about how this game outclasses The Witcher in world building. And a part of me prefers the much more mature and morally grey storytelling of the latter compared to the contemporary anime style of the former which is still filled to the brim with anime cliches (Renne). It doesn't make it bad, or inferior necessarily, but it does kind of feel stale or pandering when you see such popular character archetypes trotted out again and again. But I digress, I still love the Trails games and am looking forward to the next one releasing in just a few days.

[@MasterLee2011]

The rest of the series will soon be opened soon. The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure will be coming to the west in 2022 for Zero and 2023 for Azure. And The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie will be coming to the west as well in 2023. These games will be on PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. If your new to the series make sure you play the games in chronological order: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC, SC, and The 3rd. The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero, The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 1, 2, 3, 4. and The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie. In that order.

[@Deode-d4h]

After playing, but not finishing, the first Trails in the Sky game, that I may or may not have gotten illegally on the PSP, I was glad this video reminded me of it's existence once more. I blitzed through the entire Liberl arc, finished Cold Steel 1 and 2 (did not finish the divertissment because I had a strong feeling it has many MANY Crossbell spoilers), and now backtracking to the Crossbell Duology. So far, it's been the most incredible piece of JRPG story, character, and world building I've witnessed. When you reach a certain part of Trails in the Sky SC, it feels like you just got to Avengers Endgame, but only will you realize "This is the first Avengers movie, what in Aidios' name am I about to experience with the rest of the series?" This series can only be described in superlatives, and all of them are synonyms for Legend.

[@Timestopper117]

Jesus Christ, Geoff. If "Bethesda" wasn't in the title of this video we could've all avoided the shitstorm that is currently this comment section.

[@mothersbasement]

+BarelyAttractiveTwentySomething maybe, but then I wouldn't be using my stand power of shilling to its fullest.

[@Timestopper117]

Yooo, thanks for the reply! And, you know what? That's a compelling argument, I guess. Love your shit.

[@TheCrimsonCat89]

Good, because Bethesda has been shit lately, especially with their paid mod bs

[@MyNameIsMir]

What about the character from rune factory series? *RUNE FACTORY FANATICISM INTENSEFIED* I really feel like rune factory games have the best character interaction I've ever seen... better than animal crossing or the other harvest moon games (Actually... A wonderfull life had good interaction too) I'm not the only one to feel like this... right?

[@minimalrho]

Actually, I was curious about whether any games of that genre (life sim?) did this type of world-building well. I only played one Harvest Moon game and it disappointed me in this regard with only a few set pieces.

[@MyNameIsMir]

Min Ro Harvest moon's world is bad... the series is composed mostly of mediocre games, and now that Marvelous dosen't produce it anymore Natsune took the lead and started making below avarage games... Rune Factory is the only series that did it great. You should absolutly check out RF3 or 4 (4 is way better than 3, but it's on the 3ds, so you'll have to buy it) Unfortunately Neverland (the company behind Rune Factory) died after releasing RF4, and now all the rights belong to Marvelous... So there's still hope for a "fifth" (Seventh) game...

[@chimarvarmidium1425]

rune factory is an absolute treasure and a must play for any gamer that enjoys rpgs or farming/crafting/fishing for resources. i was completely amazed about how every day had different dialogues and ongoing plots for villagers when my only comparison was harvest moon which had the same stupid dialogue all year.

[@TheAntagonistGreen]

I really wouldn't say Harvest Moon's world is "bad" or it's games are "mediocre" [I'm strictly talking about the ones that Marvelous produced]. I don't even really think you can compare the two since Harvest Moon is strictly a life sim and Rune Factory is a Role Playing sim. They share a few of the same elements but their different enough to make it sound like you're comparing apples to oranges. Still fruit, but different kinds of fruit that have a different taste to them. [I ESPECIALLY don't thing you can compare Animal Crossing. Comparing Animal Crossing to either of them is like comparing an apple, an orange, and a boat]. I will admit I've had a very small sample size of RF compared to HM having only played Frontier [which I could not get into for the life of me] and 4 [which I genuinely enjoyed more than any of the handheld HM games]. It's an acquired taste really. But I really don't think you can say one game's "world" is "better" than the other, their just different. Although I will half agree that, at least for myself, every Harvest Moon [and Story of Seasons] game post Animal Parade has been incredibly difficult to get into. I think the problem is both the shift to handhelds [I much prefer a HM game on a console] and the rather drastic change in art direction [which made it feel...more generic honestly.] I will also digress, A Wonderful Life was my first Harvest Moon game, which as you pointed out, has EASILY the best world building in the entire series. It's such a shame those games are looked at so poorly and had some...questionable choices for mechanics.

[@MyNameIsMir]

Chimar Varmidium I know, right? People are now talking about Stardew valley and how good it is, but compared to the rune factory series, it's still an inferior game. The characters are just so funny and unique in their own way... I mean... Every harvest moon has someone who's from the"De Sainte-Coquille" family, but every one of them is wierd in its own way. Or the "Asian-type girl archetype", in the first game you had Mei, than in the second, Yue, Sakuya, Xiao Pai. and Uzuki. Every one of them are different, they have different personalities, likings and dislikings, goals and morives. It really is sad to think that the series may have come to an end :'^(

[@throwmeaname]

Trails of Cold Steel 3 minor side quest spoiler: I was walking around the town of Leeves and saw a dialogue between a mayor and his son. They were shouting at each other with the mayor yelling he’s disappointed at his lazy son. I thought, hmm, I wonder what this is about? But that was all the info I got at that point. Fast forward a chapter later, I got a quest about a young man wanting to become a bracer. Turns out this young man quit his reputable job at a bank, to pursue a life as a bracer. Having completed the quest, I realized that the mayor and son scene from a chapter before, is relevant to this quest of some kid wanting a different career path. Beautiful. This is a level of detail that you won’t see in any other game, and will reward those who is patient and willing to invest in the world.

[@charlestrudel8308]

the whole cold steel have that with Trista and Leeves and some character that follow each place you visit during field exercices. Pretty sure crossbell being only one big city is like this all the time.

[@harrihaffi2713]

Thinking about playing trails in the sky... Should I? Ps: Tony’s chocolonely ftw!

[@deviljho3]

The problem with your comparison about memorable npcs is one of scope, how many npcs are in games like Elder Scrolls and Fallout compared to Cold Steel? It would be downright impossible to give every single one of those npcs unique and evolving dialogue in the time it takes to develop these games, and I think it's a bit of an unfair comparison. Now, I will admit that it doesn't excuse the blatant exposition of ES and Fallout, but just some food for thought. Now the Dark Souls series and Bloodborne all have unique npcs that have unique questlines, and there are few out there that don't.

[@RPGMel710]

They actually have about the same number of NPCs. The Trails games are notorious among localizers because they have many lines to translate. Literally multiple copies of War and Peace sized dialogue. And each game keeps getting bigger and bigger.

[@monkeylemur]

That's a moot point. Just decrease the number of NPCs and give them more realism. That was one of the points he made lol

[@javi7636]

I love Dark Souls, but I always feel like the NPCs are oversold. Yes, they actually have personality, but actual character development is generally kept to a minimum, with only a few exceptions. Most of the time they only serve to reflect on just how shitty, or how mysterious, the world is in those games.

[@sebbe44441]

+RPGMel710 Did you see the picture of the script in (probably) Hiragana that I think Tom from XSeed posted on gamefaqs for example? We all knew how much dialogue FC had, and the script for SC was like 4 times as thick.

[@sheridanmovieguy]

Compare a list of named NPCs with dialogue in a given Bathesda game with a list of NPCs in a Trails game and I think Trails would probably come out on top.

[@krm2095]

Bro I literally just finished Trails of Cold Steel 1 the other day and started the second the very next. I’ve been watching your videos for like 2 years and *now* I get this in my recommendations. Scary timing

[@AndrewHadi07]

What about the suikoden world! Its similar right??

[@Dnetwork007]

Better

[@sebbe44441]

Oh damn, you're completely right. The NPCs aren't as interesting IMO, but there are definitely many story-connections between the games. Aside from 4, that has pretty much nothing to do with the others :P

[@AndrewHadi07]

well you kinda have to ignore some of the "villager NPC" BUT sometimes there are character from previous games that made an appearance, also the unique 108 characters that have very interesting personality and backstory (jeanne for example). not including the intersecting history in between games as all this happen in the same universe.

[@sebbe44441]

Andrew Hadi Georg is still my favorite. I played 2 after 5, and when I found him I actually squealed a bit ^^

[@AndrewHadi07]

I was actually the reverse when i saw georg in Suiko 5 i was like whoaa he looks so much younger hahaha..

[@buttertoast1146]

Damn I'm glad to see how many people love the series

[@Sidtheriser07]

ABsolutely, this series deserves much more than it's getting right now.

[@buttertoast1146]

@@Sidtheriser07 alot of people got into it over quarantine

[@Sidtheriser07]

@@buttertoast1146 And I'm one of them :P I just watched a bunch of videos that said "Best JRPGS on PC" and Trails in The Sky was a frequent member of those lists. So that was my intro to the Zemurian continent.

[@ThePieman556]

Clicked this video on a whim a couple of months ago, and now I'm absolutely immersed in this amazing series! Thank you for the great introduction!

[@SatoshiOokami]

This was... so beautiful. As a long time huge fan of the series, you literally brought me to tears :) This expressed the core Kiseki factors so well, I'm not sure anyone would be able to describe them so well :D And even though as others said, Falcom is definitely not an indie studio, this video is correct in every aspect :)

[@WannabeAltruist]

Majora's Mask vs The Legend of Heroes? I haven't played tloh but when I hear his description of the detailed and dynamic npc's I think of Termina.

[@WalkerRileyMC]

Gotta agree on one thing right off the bat. Square and Enix, and then SE, both suffered greatly from the 'new world' syndrome. Enix started with Dragon Quest 4 (you guys could have easily kept the same world and kept expanding....come on now....) and Square right from the start. Square almost resolved this when they tied Vagrant Story, FF Tactics, and FF12 together (and they've been plugging it into FF14 recently as well) and those are some of the most enjoyable games in the series simply because they share a world in which we already have lore to build upon. Arc the Lad did this to great effect, where events are referenced constantly between each game.

[@oguzhangungor9117]

Trails In The Sky games are easily my fav RPG's and my fav story of all time. Also fav soundtrack. Thank you for this video.

[@thunderbolts9]

While I LOVE the support for Falcom and the Trails series, they are not an indie studio. They are one of the oldest game developers around.

[@angelocruz3577]

yeah they're middle market I guess?

[@Sidtheriser07]

WayForward's been making games since the 90s and is still considered Indie....and I think he meant they're low on resources compared to many others.

[@thunderbolts9]

Siddharth actually Falcom was founded in 1981. It is one of the oldest game devs around but I get what you mean.

[@Gundamvid]

What's cool from what I experienced in Trails of Cold Steel is there a mix of gimmicks from RPG of the past From my experience here is the list Turn-Based/Move System - Lunar Series Orbal System - Final Fantasy 7 Materia System CP Gauge - Wild Arms Force System Same Universe, but different countries - I get the feel from the Suikoden series Attacks that could affect an area or line - Chrono Trigger techs Recruiting of characters to better the HQ in the sequel - Suikoden castle system Cooking system - Star OceanGiant Robot combat - Xenogears

[@EANTYcrown]

i am sorry but i beg to differ in the witcher comentary, the world building in the game is mostly outsatanding, granted the npc have no personality criticism is valid, but the level of detail behind every aspect of social interactions, and the day to day life of a vilager in a medieval society are masterfully crafted.

[@animebro14]

i just beat witcher 3 yesterday and its amazing. every character and npc had personality and acts like real people. I love how the games world focuses more on the politics and societal structure. it's universe is like ours

[@miguelpereira9859]

I think most AAA WRPG's can't have the same level of deph because they have to be voiced. It's kinda how the Deus Ex sequels will never have the same deph as the original because of fancy graphics

[@EANTYcrown]

but the wolrd bulding itself is great, reading the books you find, and the notes posted on the towns public boards, giving no useful information most of the time but rather glimpses of the day to day life of an ordinary inhabitant, that is the kind of stuff that helps with the realism of the experience

[@winstonvontoast6163]

Everything about the Witcher was amazing. Considering the DLC is as well, where you got 40+ extra hours for $20. The game was an absolute bargain in my opinion.

[@Animenite97]

The Witcher 3 has the best quest design I've ever seen in a video game. It ruined quests for other games for me.

[@sleshstamp]

Hey Mother's Basement! I'd really like to see a top English OP list for Anime. Some of them are downright terrible, but others are really good--like the Shaman King OP and Yu-Gi-Oh OP... just think it's an interesting idea for a video!

[@wolfekupo5651]

I would guess that the original Pokemon opening would be on it (despite Pokemon Johto and Advanced Battle being way better)

[@NanoAndFriends]

+Wolfe KuPo or the negima!? opening 1000% sparking. its an okay opening and sung by a few of the main characters which is cool

[@wolfekupo5651]

***** the current Pokemon XYZ op is sang by Ash's VA in japan and I believe one of the D&P ones was sang by Ash and Dawn's, I really like when they do that in anime in general personally

[@NanoAndFriends]

Wolfe KuPo Its great right? Like they do that for negima too in the japanese version the theme is sung by every character depending on the episode. I didn't know about the pokemon one that's insane its a good song too

[@sleshstamp]

Yeah but I mean openings that were changed from Japanese to English. OPs like Berserk and Deadman Wonderland don't count because they were always like that.

[@darkbeetlebot]

You just convinced me to play the first jrpg I've attempted in 2 years. Congraturation!

[@craiganderson7085]

My first Falcom game was playing Ys Origins in 2012 on Steam and I loved it. Since then I have played Ys Oath In Felghana, all three Trails in the Sky games, and right now I am playing Trails of Cold Steel and Ys Seven which both recently released on Steam. If you love old school JRPG I highly recommend you play them. I play them on Steam, but I think alot of them are available on Playstation network as well. And Ys VIII Lacrimosa of Dana comes out later this month. Can't wait! :)

[@eugenerider0701]

I met Trails in the Sky in my elementary school prob 2008 or 9. Falcom games were pretty popular in East Asia while I was still there. Some really remarkable memories with the series.

[@kobayashibrynhild9622]

Craig Anderson Trails 1 and 2 are on PS Now. That's how I first heard about them.

[@1luarluar1]

46) A world with simple graphics like using sprites or very basic 3D models with maybe just few important texture can be much more complex in therms of characters, story and gameplay; I suggest to modders to use an older engine to create a more immersive world; what about Bethesda using an old engine to create a new game, I'm sure it will be a very unique experience and will challenge the team. 47) I think a game should let you create the story and characters in your mind, it has to push you to imagine. 48) I think that receiving and completing missions or quests from an NPC is a rigid way to be immersed in a game and it feels like the open world game suddenly become like a narrow experience. 49) Simple and non realistic graphics have a charm that for me is more powerful, for example, Gothic 2 has a great atmosphere that other more recent games have not. 50) Sometime the best games in terms of complexity, graphics, sounds, budget, are actually not working to create a sense of immersion and other games, more simple, less complicated, with a lower technology succeed instead to create a believable and immersive world. 51) A masterpiece is a game that constantly surprises the player with new locations, new NPCs, enemies, behaviors, stories and; I think that the more the game is simple, the more it can be deep and engaging. 52) Instead of working on creating a very detailed world, is better having a varied world; for example for the sound, instead of having hundreds of sounds inside a village, I think is more effective having just few sounds typical for each different place; I much more prefer having sounds that characterize uniquely different places instead of having the same hundreds of sounds in every village, for example. 53) If you need to use voice-acted technology, instead of using hundreds of actors, just hire a really talented single one that does all the readings; a powerful warm voice is much more engaging and emotional effective. 54) A sprite enemy NPC with a great sound has a bigger presence then a super sophisticated 3D model with a weak sound. 55) The dialogs, the voice acting, the missions and the story have to belong to the world the game creates and not from our modern time (most of the RPGs set in a magic world make this mistake, they are not believable because all the elements I cited feel like from our time); Build the dialogs ancient dialogs, eerie dialogs, craft the missions like they were from a different culture, a different time, create a story that does not have modern values, but ancient, completely out of our way of thinking, make us confront a new reality not just a transposition of something we already know...and the voices...please..the voices...make them mysterious...ancient, primitive, full of wonder, not spoiled by our way to understand life.... 56) Keep it simple and you will be more free. (Bruce Lee) 57) A game should always remain mysterious, open constantly to new interpretations...like a Kubrick movie... The game is always in the mind of the player, a game is like a key that unlocks the multilayered places of our souls. 58) Use less polygons, use more interesting textures. In Might and Magic 6,7,8 for example the world is created with very simple structures, very few polygons but the textures compensate in a big way as they characterise the places in memorable ways and some few focused details instead will bring the world alive. 59) If a game is made with too many people and money will most probably fail or become unintersesting because it loses its visionary integrity, keep the developer team relatively small. 60) Is a painting that reproduces perfectly the reality interesting? I think it is not interesting, it lacks of imagination, which is the first and main tool of our doing as human being. So, in a game, do not be real, use the imagination, in shapes, in stories, in colours, in Npcs, in crafting a world, in crafting a quest, in crafting an enemy....use your imagination eye, not the technological eye...do and observe what you are doing, do not be slave of reality, do not be slave of a technology....if you can create a detailed Npcs with fluid animations...well, try to create a simple Npc, with no fluid animations, with little polygon count, trust your emotional eye....an emotional eye prefers to focus on the primitive, on the simple, not distracted by distracting details. 59) Because a game has to be mysterious, do not create an engine that has a long drawing distance, keep the fog, keep the mystery, let the player discover things and places, do not guide the player; also keep the night dark, night is made to rest, the night asks the player to find a shelter, a place where to rest and meditate about things, the night has to bring a new gameplay, activities that have to be different compared with the daylight..use the power of the cycles that nature offers, follow the cycles of the lights, of the weather, of the actions, of the rests, of the excitement, of the calm, of the violence, of the grace, of the noises, of the silences.61) There is a strong and unnatural detachment from what is recorded in a studio from the actors that are reading lines of dialogues and what happens during the gameplay; I think this happens for two orders or reason: 1) actors read lines of dialogues and cannot connect properly from what happens on the screen because they are not there, this feels so unnatural. 2) the recordings happen in a studio, so from a completely different place compared with a forest, street or any other place the games are set. The solution? Recording the dialogues and sound effects on real places; this would gift the game of a powerful and realistic sound. I know that is hard and costly to implement, but I think it could be done limiting the ammount of dialogues and complementing it with written txt. In a way, there is no need to act everything , just very few important lines to give the feeling of it. 62) Use framerate as a specific tool for creating particular moods. Very often developers consider a high framerate as a golden goal to achieve at all costs; I disagree as a low framerate has a magical quality that it is worth to implement and try. 63) I don't want to press a button and see my character to do a lot of performance, it feels like not being in control, this is the trend of modern games where everything is done for you, click!... And the character is flying, kicking and grabbing and slashing...I think someone introduced this style and then everyone copied it because it was a novelty, but what are the consequences of this automated system? The consequence and result is a less interactive and engaging game, detached from the control of the player, so much much better to simplify and go back to the old system, a click, an action.

[@timidalchemist8475]

Raul Gubert this is why I love about the trails series suikoden,ultima,might and magic and even old bethesda games and that's because the writers execute a trope or a common structure in a narrative and make it not feel tiresome or generic,trails and suikoden make a heavy use of npc by having characters to them even the unimportant ones have character development because the writer is achieving what he/she loves to do,also I loved the world building of zemuria (trails) and dept heaven (srpg/rpg series by sting) because they feel alive and connected and not just one single static world just to make the world big.

[@1luarluar1]

Freddy Martinez totally agree with you!

[@Adam-il6le]

I must say I agree with your opinion. I recently played my first Legend of Heroes game (Trails of cold steel) and I was really surprised that every npc had 2 dialogs after every story/day progress. There were also hidden quests that were triggered when talking to somebody, books to read and even random events with npcs. This was definitely one of the best worlds I've seen so far. However I also need to admit I wanted to progress the story as fast as possible and I started skipping npc dialogs and looked for hidden quest on walkthrough :D .

[@anarrivingwingedhussar9692]

The Trails series is extremely popular in Japan and rightfully so. The Cold Steel games in particular are amazing and deserve more attention in the West.

[@Havocfang2]

Now, I'm all for shitting on Bethesda's game worlds, but you included Witcher 3 in there and I can't abide that. Given the scale of the game, there's plenty of immersion. Half of the quests and sidequests are you showing up halfway into a plot, and some quests are interwoven masterfully. But yeah, fuck Fallout 4.

[@flamepalkia5076]

@Mother's Basement I really like your channel largely due to how you analyze so much into the design in games, stories, and even openings that only show a small amount of the product. This is very helpful to anyone who is working toward creating anything related to what you cover. It helps to know what to do and what not to due. Having great examples like the ones you always show us is one of the reasons I keep coming back. So thank you for going into all of the details, thank you for helping me become a better story writer, and thank you for being you.

[@ssh83]

That's a long video to basically say "I wish tertiary NPC would have banter for their personal story that progress as the main plot progresses." Backtracking to old places just so i can talk to random NPCs? No man. Bioware's companion dialogue works similarly and it's much better. Higher quality for fewer numbers and they are all in your base camp, not randomly scattered in the world that you have to backtrack. Also, an even bigger thing to make the world feel alive is to change the world as the game goes on. Not just random unimportant text, but actual changes like town blown up, new mayor in town, festival, etc.

[@Freezezonian]

I don't think he's really advocating about backtracking just to talk to NPCs. Not entirely anyway, it's nice that it's there for those who do enjoy it (slightly guiltily raises hand) but that the NPCs show more character in the trails games than they do in most others. I do agree with you that actual changes happen too, towns are different, like say a town destroyed early in the game shows more and more progression of rebuilding as the game goes on. mayors, and festivals also would be very nice ways to show that the world is alive. But as he pointed the NPC text is the cheapest and easiest way. For changes to towns that means more models and textures. New shaders for the buildings. Probably some new sound files if there were fires still burning or say clean up and rebuilding going on. A lot of that could be reused but it still is some more money, and likely some of the first stuff on the chopping block for cuts and stuff. Something I feel he kind of missed is that there really are different reasons behind playing a JRPG vs a Western RPG. Extra credits did a fairly good series of videos for it, but the important distinction for this conversation, I feel is that JRPG's are all about a story, where as a Western RPG is all about your effects on a story--and possibly a more cinematic experience in general--because in most Western RPGs the player's character is a blank slate that the player can make into themselves, or anything they want. Whereas a lot of JRPGs the player character--if there is only one--is usually already defined, and if it is a blank slate there isn't usually a whole lot of effect they can have on the story in general. That's why I think that the Bethesda games have more focus on voice acting and maybe why most of the NPCs beyond plot and player companions tend to be rather lacking in characterization. The focus isn't on them or even the world so much, as it is on the player and what they are doing. I also have to say that I think choice is also a very strong narrative component to games and their ability to tell stories. but yeah he is right there are some things games can't do that other forms of media can. I still feel however that video games can be one of the strongest narrative formats we have when it's used right.

[@TheAverage01]

I completely agree with you Freezezonian. WRPGs and JRPGs have very different scopes, it's like comparing the Dark Knight to the Avengers. Both could be called action, sure, but how they deliver on that premise is very different. Those expecting/wanting a fairly lighthearted bright tale from Dark Knight will be disappointed, and those expecting deep, dramatic, and gritty realism from the Avenger's will also be let down. Those that play JRPGs are usually looking for something different when compared to those who favor WRPGs, but many time people forget the strong distinctions between the two and want to debase one for lacking the qualities of the other, despite those very qualities being that which makes the distinction in the first place.

[@Freezezonian]

Of course that isn't to say that they can't borrow from each other too. Avengers can have some serious moments, and Dark Knight can have some small bits of funny. And that idea, is something I think he was suggesting could and possibly should happen.

[@TheAverage01]

Agreed!

[@keiichimorisato98]

no back tracking involved actually. you don't go through the whole game world to talk to everyone after every major story event, you only need to talk to the people in the town that you are currently in after each event involving that town. the game is split up into chapters, each chapter is set in a different city/town in the game with their own story arc that eventually culminates into a larger narrative. if you have ever played a dragon quest it's will feel very similar.

[@captainveeee]

Ah trails in the sky, one of the first JRPG I have played and what has sold me to love the genre. The only game where I will go out of my way to talk to characters because I am bored and want to hear about their day, or spend just as much time looking forward to the main characters' backstories in the Third Chapter

[@MysticBlade]

This video popped up randomly on my feed (subscribed!) and i gotta say i'm very happy your spreading the love for the Trails series. It gets overlooked so often and nobody ever seems to give it at the credit it deserves for its amazing storytelling, world building, and absolute ridiculous depth. All that said, i still think it falls to the glory that is Suikoden. :D I don't want to get into any comparison arguments because everybody everywhere always has a little bias one way or another, but i do want to say that calling Falcom a indie company is kinda weird and misleading. Just because they haven't had a hit game that the entire world eagerly anticipates doesn't mean they are indy by any means.

[@JmonVids]

That's it. You convinced me to buy Tails of the Sky. There goes all of my Christmas break.

[@skydark15]

Do it brother it's worth it.