Trails into Reverie is basically an epilogue to the Trails of Chilly Metal sequence. It brings each character — and we imply each character — again for one final hurrah as one more risk casts a shadow over the continent of Zemuria. Simply to get it out of the way in which: if you have not performed via the 4 Chilly Metal video games, in addition to the 2 Crossbell titles (Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure), then we would say Reverie is just about impenetrable.
Telling somebody to play via at the very least six prolonged RPGs simply to allow them to perceive what is going on on within the newest recreation is clearly taking the piss, however as we have mentioned earlier than, the deeply interconnected world of the Trails franchise is its best asset. For these gamers who’ve caught round and immersed themselves within the many adventures of Lloyd Bannings and Rean Schwarzer, Reverie is an excellent celebration.
It is also a really distinctive Trails title in that its story is advised via three distinct ‘routes’, each specializing in a selected 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 power and motion to their tales that merely seeing everybody crew up once more makes for an entertaining journey.
It is truly the third route that steals the present. It follows a number of new characters who underpin the general plot, however what makes this celebration 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 forged. 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 truth turns into abundantly clear throughout its quite a few action-packed, absolutely animated cutscenes. There isn’t any query that developer Falcom has actually stepped up its strategy 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 latest Trails titles (presently solely out there 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 frequently referenced all through the franchise — being a key speaking level. It virtually seems like a cheeky introduction to Calvard as a setting, and it is one more instance of how the Trails video games expertly weave themselves collectively to kind the larger image.
However for us, Reverie really excels in its gameplay. Whereas the dungeon design and largely improbable fight mechanics aren’t that a lot completely different from what you may discover in Chilly Metal 4, there’s an sudden pleasure in gaining access to so many playable characters. Overwhelming at first, maybe, however with the ability to tinker with such an enormous vary of celebration 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 means of micromanaging over 50 heroes (and antiheroes), however you may all the time gear up only a handful of your favorite fighters and persist with them, whereas additionally making use of the sport’s helpful celebration menu in an effort to robotically equip members with really useful loadouts. It is all made considerably approachable, which is spectacular when you think about the sheer measurement of Reverie’s roster.
In the event you’re something like us, although, you may completely love remodeling characters into borderline damaged monsters — and because of this we obtained 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 may be loved to its fullest.
The Hall additionally boasts a hub space the place you may discuss to characters, organise your dream crew — everybody is finally 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 major story size — it took us round 40 hours or so — the True Reverie Hall provides some severe weight to the general package deal, offering hours upon hours of satisfying turn-based battles and delightfully breezy elective actions. The Hall as an entire is principally a recreation throughout the recreation, and it has the potential to maintain Trails tremendous followers busy for a lengthy time.
Actually, our solely criticism of Reverie boils all the way down to story-based character bloat. A difficulty that is bled over from Chilly Metal 4, there are simply approach 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 downside throughout the recreation’s closing act, the place you have actually obtained over 40 characters standing in a room collectively. It seems to be ridiculous, and it slows the in any other case nicely 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 is usually a brilliantly strong RPG, full with greater than sufficient gameplay depth to maintain even probably the most hardcore gamers glad. As an epilogue to the Crossbell and Chilly Metal video games, it might probably appear a bit of drained by way of creativity, however its faults are simply missed while you’re again within the saddle with your entire favorite heroes.
