Trails into Reverie is actually an epilogue to the Trails of Chilly Metal collection. It brings each character — and we imply each character — again for one final hurrah as yet one more risk casts a shadow over the continent of Zemuria. Simply to get it out of the best way: if you have not performed by means of the 4 Chilly Metal video games, in addition to the 2 Crossbell titles (Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure), then we might say Reverie is just about impenetrable.
Telling somebody to play by means of no less than six prolonged RPGs simply to allow them to perceive what is going on on within the newest sport is clearly taking the piss, however as we have mentioned earlier than, the deeply interconnected world of the Trails franchise is its biggest asset. For these gamers who’ve caught round and immersed themselves within the many adventures of Lloyd Bannings and Rean Schwarzer, Reverie is a wonderful celebration.
It is also a really distinctive Trails title in that its story is advised by means of three distinct ‘routes’, each specializing in a particular character or group. The primary two star the aforementioned protagonists, as they’re torn away from their now comparatively regular lives and tasked as soon as once more with beating the dangerous guys. In some methods, each Lloyd and Rean’s routes really feel like retreads of ideas and story beats that had been already handled in earlier video games — however there’s simply sufficient vitality and motion to their tales that merely seeing everybody staff up once more makes for an entertaining journey.
It is really the third route that steals the present. It follows a number of new characters who underpin the general plot, however what makes this occasion so intriguing is that they don’t seem to be your typical heroes. They’re led by the masked and mysterious C, whose objectives appear to conflict with the nice man antics of the bigger solid. C employs the assistance of Nadia and Swin — two teenage assassins on the run — and there are some nice character dynamics at play right here, because the younger duo are sluggish to belief their faceless chief.
Whereas the general plot of Reverie does really feel a bit prefer it belongs in a film spin-off to a 1,000-episode anime, it is these character-driven moments that maintain every thing collectively. The sport positively revels in reintroducing fan favorite figures, and this reality turns into abundantly clear throughout its quite a few action-packed, totally animated cutscenes. There isn’t any query that developer Falcom has actually stepped up its method to cinematic storytelling — Reverie being an indication of issues to return within the contemporary Kuro no Kiseki arc.
Talking of Kuro, Reverie additionally acts as one thing of a bridge to the most recent Trails titles (at the moment solely accessible in Japan and Asia). With out spoiling something, the latter half of the plot locations a highlight on the broader repercussions of present occasions, with Calvard — a nation that is often referenced all through the franchise — being a key speaking level. It nearly seems like a cheeky introduction to Calvard as a setting, and it is yet one more instance of how the Trails video games expertly weave themselves collectively to kind the larger image.
However for us, Reverie actually excels in its gameplay. Whereas the dungeon design and largely incredible fight mechanics aren’t that a lot completely different from what you will discover in Chilly Metal 4, there’s an surprising pleasure in getting access to so many playable characters. Overwhelming at first, maybe, however with the ability to tinker with such an enormous vary of occasion members is a strategist’s dream come true. What’s extra, Reverie — in distinction to prior video games — showers you with highly effective equipment and stat-boosting quartz proper from the off, permitting for a way of tactical freedom that is merely unmatched elsewhere within the franchise.
Now, not everybody will benefit from the technique of micromanaging over 50 heroes (and antiheroes), however you’ll be able to at all times gear up only a handful of your favorite fighters and follow them, whereas additionally making use of the sport’s useful occasion menu to be able to mechanically equip members with really helpful loadouts. It is all made considerably approachable, which is spectacular when you think about the sheer measurement of Reverie’s roster.
If you happen to’re something like us, although, you will completely love reworking characters into borderline damaged monsters — and for this reason we acquired hopelessly hooked on exploring the True Reverie Hall. An enormous, partly randomised, and endlessly replayable dungeon that grants worthwhile rewards, the True Reverie Hall is a brilliantly labored time sink the place the Trails fight system could be loved to its fullest.
The Hall additionally boasts a hub space the place you’ll be able to speak to characters, organise your dream staff — everybody is ultimately playable within the Hall no matter their story route — and even play a variety of minigames everytime you like (the in-depth Pom Pom Get together and Vantage Masters included). When you do need to tangle with the Hall itself at set factors within the story, it’s a principally elective tour, providing up some peak dungeon crawling ought to the temptation take you.
Regardless of being one of many shortest Trails titles by way of essential story size — it took us round 40 hours or so — the True Reverie Hall provides some critical weight to the general bundle, offering hours upon hours of satisfying turn-based battles and delightfully breezy elective actions. The Hall as an entire is principally a sport inside the sport, and it has the potential to maintain Trails tremendous followers busy for a lengthy time.
Actually, our solely criticism of Reverie boils right down to story-based character bloat. A difficulty that is bled over from Chilly Metal 4, there are simply method too many characters current in some scenes, all of them getting an pointless line of dialogue simply in case you forgot they exist. This turns into a very noticeable drawback through the sport’s closing act, the place you have actually acquired over 40 characters standing in a room collectively. It seems to be ridiculous, and it slows the in any other case properly paced plot to a crawl.
Conclusion
Trails into Reverie is an all-star tour that seems like one large franchise pageant; your extra conventional Trails marketing campaign being the backbone of what could be a brilliantly strong RPG, full with greater than sufficient gameplay depth to maintain even probably the most hardcore gamers completely satisfied. As an epilogue to the Crossbell and Chilly Metal video games, it could actually appear a little bit drained by way of creativity, however its faults are simply neglected while you’re again within the saddle with your entire favorite heroes.