The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure takes everything positive from its predecessor and raises the stakes significantly. It takes beloved characters, fleshes them out further and pays off every single thread it dangles throughout the two titles. It is so ambitious with its plot and delivers it effortlessly. Combat is fun, engaging and highly customisable. The Crossbell Arc deserves to be mentioned alongside the titans of the genre. If you are a JRPG fan and you’ve got the time to play them, these titles should be mandatory.

Trails to Azure is an amazing sequel. Alongside an expanded combat system, it takes every storyline that Trails from Zero cultivated and delivers a series of incredible conclusions, both for individual characters and the franchise's overarching narratives. In terms of impactful plot points, Azure is up there with the finest of Trails titles — a twisting, turning, gripping RPG that should really be considered a classic.

If you enjoyed Trails from Zero then naturally, The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure should be next on your list of games to play. With its familiar world, cast of characters, and gameplay albeit with a few minor twists; this is one epic RPG that you're sure to love.

The most overlooked and overshadowed of the three main Trails story arcs finally given the attention it has richly deserved, The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure is still worth the investment despite its lack of radical change.

Trails to Azure is one of those games that, when finished, sticks with you for a long time. One of the most fun experiences you can have in a turn-based RPG, this entry is a must-have for all fans of the series and a powerful conclusion to the Crossbell arc. Just keep in mind that, unfortunately, the PS4 version should be avoided if possible.

Instead of launching them individually, perhaps it would have been wiser for the publisher NIS America to offer the two episodes of Crossbell through a single pack.

This is just the second half of the same game played six months ago on the same platform, and, as such, is a solid and perfectly enjoyable old style JRPG with some rough edges and little courage. If you love the saga overall, it cannot be missed.

"An Epic Adventure like no other, that can be yours Forever More." The Crown Jewel of Nihon Falcom's more than 40 years in Gaming. A Testament to every human that made this legend a reality.Gaming History's Greatest Achievement!

This is a great game, Story is great. I really felt for the charcters in this game, as the grow more from Zero Great evolution of the battle system from prior games. Story is gripping, and emotional. You can really find your self caring for the charcters in this game. It is a great finish to the crossbell arc of the trails series of games. Loved my time with this game.

Pros - the cast continues to excellent and the new additions are among my favorite characters for this arc - well realized motivations for our heroes and villains that make a lot of this story work without any hitches, plus the ending had me floored - side quests build on the mystique of Crossbell and give you additional characters to follow up on from the first game - the addition of Master Quartz, the Burst mechanic alongside the added Combination Crafts make this games combat a lot more strategically interesting - no chapter of this game feels like it wastes time as there is always something interesting happening Cons - even more character information is hidden behind the final social events which just does not feel good for a story heavy game like this as some characters get a lot more interesting with the information hidden behind them As the fifth game in the amazing Trails series and the second and final game in the Crossbell arc, Trails to Azure leapfrogs most games in this series and stands as a fantastic conclusion to its set up from Zero. The two new additions to our beloved SSS feel distinct in story, personality and gameplay, earning them an easy top spot in my book. The old cast is not left behind as they all have things to do and in some cases even have some more growing to do. When it comes to pacing, the game keeps itself interesting by continuously upping the stakes and throwing curveballs to the player, forcing them to deal with a wild amount of issues, from politics, frauds, smuggling, violence etc. That is all underlined with the great sidequests that only serve to build off the main issues with situations that enrich the main story. All of this culminates in one of my now favorite ending sequences, where even though the stakes seem like they could never be paid off, they somehow exceed my expectations. All of that allowed by the excellent writing for the villains of this game. From slobbering brutes, through honorable knights and even sharply intelligent masterminds, the villains have clear motivations that make sense. Every single one of Corssbell's issues was set up to motivate these people in a very real way which just feels fantastic. Also, the combat has a few additions that make it way more interesting than ever before. Master quartz is a new way to grow your character beyond leveling them and messing about with the Enigma slots. The Burst mechanic allows for explosive amounts of damage justifying some of the hardest bosses in the series. And the new combination crafts and overall addition of two new permanent party members make this games combat excessively fun and deep to dive in. The only blemish on this game is once again the bonding events. I genuinely think it is a disservice for characters like Randy, Wazy and Rixia to have some of the most pertinent information to who they are locked behind a missable cutscene. But that is my only gripe. Overall, Azure just like Zero surprised me. I've heard for years how good it is and tempered my expectations accordingly. And this game not only met them but exceeded them. A fantastic end to the Crossbell arc and a fantastic edition to the Trails series.

THE LEGEND OF HEROES: TRAILS TO AZURE is one of the most enjoyable RPGs of the year. It has a great story, with a captivating cast of characters and a unique setting. The battles are intense and the strategy involved in battles is rewarding. The artwork is gorgeous and the soundtrack is beautiful. The various side quests add to the overall experience and the game is full of secrets to uncover. In addition, the game is incredibly replayable, with new game plus content unlocking after completion. Overall, THE LEGEND OF HEROES: TRAILS TO AZURE is a must-play for any RPG fan and is one of the best RPGs of the year.

Pros: - Compelling story - Great characters - Missing link between the Sky trilogy and the Cold Steel quadrlogy Cons: - Felt a bit too long-drawn-out - Some characters have once again stupid Arcus lines At some points it felt like you had to bring Tio since some bosses towards the end tend to deal ridiculous amounts of damage with their s-crafts and you often never really know when they'll use it, so you almost have to have 2 stacks of damage absorb.