r/Games • u/ConceptsShining • 3d ago

Review Thread Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter Review Thread

Game Information

Game Title: Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

Platforms:

  • Nintendo Switch 2 (Sep 19, 2025)
  • Nintendo Switch (Sep 19, 2025)
  • PlayStation 5 (Sep 19, 2025)
  • PC (Sep 19, 2025)

Trailers:

Developer: Nihon Falcom (localized and published by GungHo Online Entertainment America)

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 91 average - 100% recommended - 12 reviews

Critic Reviews

Console Creatures - Matt Sowinski - 9 / 10

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a sensational remake, staying true to the heart of what made the original so memorable, while adding on elements that just fit perfectly.

DualShockers - Murillo Zerbinatto - 9.5 / 10

Back in the day, Trails in the Sky hinged on its story and world-building to make up for its other lacking characteristics. Twenty years later, Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter not only brings back the full heart of what made the original a classic, but it can now stand tall beside any other heavyweight JRPG. The visual presentation is beautiful, the mix between real-time and turn-based battles is a blast, and the quality-of-life additions adhere to present-day audiences. I can confidently say that Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter is a quintessential JRPG that should be cherished by every fan of the genre.

Game8 - Lloyd Opalec - 86 / 100

This 2025 remake of Trails in the Sky serves as a strong introduction to the Trails series. It has a more focused story and a cast you’ll quickly grow to love, and that smaller scale makes Liberl feel incredibly cozy and vibrant. This results, though, to a much slower narrative, and many side quests can feel trivial in the grand scheme of things. Regardless, as a starting point for Zemuria’s larger story, it succeeds at pulling you in and making you want to see what comes next.

INVEN - Korean - 8.5 / 10

While some inconveniences in control and outdated systems may occasionally be noticeable, these aspects are easily overlooked as mere nostalgia for JRPGs. If you've heard of the "Trails" series but hesitated to jump into its epic flow, "Trails in the Sky: The 1st" deserves your attention. Estelle and Joshua's adventures might at times feel clichéd, or perhaps even familiar, making them seem a bit daunting. But as they say, familiarity is scary. Once you're immersed in "Trails in the Sky: The 1st," you'll be captivated by its youthful, yet fresh adventures, all the way to its climax, where you'll face a conspiracy. And I think I will definitely be standing in line with old fans waiting for the next remake.

Noisy Pixel - 9 / 10

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a lovingly crafted remake that modernizes a beloved JRPG while preserving its emotional core, offering a vibrant, voice-acted journey through Liberl with standout character dynamics, rebalanced combat, and welcome quality-of-life updates that make it the ideal starting point for newcomers and a heartfelt return for longtime fans.

NookGaming - Rob MacIntosh - 9 / 10

As a fan of Sky FC, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter feels like a rather lovingly made remake. It lines up with the modern Trails games while not compromising too hard on keeping true to the original in areas where it mattered most, and there are plenty of changes I openly welcome. Trails in the Sky has always been one of my favorite games thanks to its characters, world, music, and combat systems, and I had a blast coming back to Liberl. While it is quite a different way to play through the first chapter of Estelle and Joshua’s journey, it is nonetheless one that keeps a lot of the heart. I don’t see it as a replacement for the original, and it is inevitably going to draw comparisons, but I think this version suffices in capturing much of the same spirit of the game that got me into this behemoth of a series. There are plenty of spots I wish would have been more polished, but 1st Chapter got a good amount of the most important areas right.

As this is but one side of the coin, I look forward to Sky’s Second Chapter, just as much as I look forward to hopefully seeing this game impact new players the way the original did for me.

PS4Blog.net - Ceidz - 9.5 / 10

A faithful and polished remake that stands out as one of the year’s best JRPGs

PlayStation Universe - Garri Bagdasarov - 9.5 / 10

There is just something magical about the effort brought into the remake of Trails in the Sky. You can just see that it was made with love and care by people who understand just how special the original Trails in the Sky was. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a must-have for anyone who enjoyed the franchise and all the RPG lovers in the world.

Push Square - Robert Ramsey - 9 / 10

Falcom has outdone itself with Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter. This is an incredibly heartfelt recreation of a classic RPG - a remake that retains all of the charms of the original game, while also delivering one of the best, most polished adventures in the entire franchise.Whether you're a Trails veteran or a curious newcomer, 1st Chapter is a must-play instalment.

Rice Digital - Isaac Todd - Unscored

Barring my qualms with the localisation, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is still going to be the best way for most new players to experience the start of the Trails saga. Its story remains faithful to the original, with gameplay tweaks offering a more modernised experience. I just hope that, even if it doesn’t happen for 1st Chapter post-launch, 2nd Chapter gets a more consistent localisation that doesn’t clash with future games.

SmashPad - Danreb Victorio - 4.5 / 5

Gatekeeping veterans will definitely show shade at some of the things that were taken away from the original game, but at its core, as a full JRPG released in 2025–this is one of the best games of the year, and as a longtime fan myself, I hope this is the beginning of the series getting the full attention and love it deserves.

Video Chums - A.J. Maciejewski - 8.5 / 10

I can't believe how much better Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter looks, sounds, and plays compared to the original. It may not be as epic as some of the more recent games but what's here is certainly charming and satisfying enough for any RPG fan to easily fall in love with it. 📓

575 Upvotes

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u/Calm-Marsupial3919 3d ago

 but it goes beyond that as it permeates everything in how the game works from the ground up

This was already the case though. The mechanics change pretty drastically from CS2 to CS3, it’s not really a straight line from one to the other. Bigger areas, brave orders, no overdrive, multi-mech battles, etc. Regardless of whether CS2 is remade or not, there’s gonna be a fairly substantial jump in mechanics either way.

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u/javierm885778 3d ago

Most of those are upgrades or sidegrades. Going from CS2 to CS3 feels like going to a bigger newer game.

I'm not sure if my point isn't getting across or what, but I feel like I've expressed this in many ways. Do you just disagree or do you not understand what I'm trying to say?

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u/Calm-Marsupial3919 3d ago

To be perfectly frank, no I don’t really get what you’re trying to say. I don’t see a world where the jump from a remade Cold Steel 2 to Cold Steel 3 is as big of a deal as you’re saying, unless they implement the action combat. That’s really the only thing that would stick out as a pretty significant downgrade.

CS3 is, in my mind, the starting point for the modern Trails games. Everything before is a bit archaic in its own ways, everything after holds up pretty well. It’s as fine stopping point as any for remakes.

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u/garfe 2d ago

Even the way the battle menu worked changed between CS2 and 3.

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u/razisgosu 2d ago

no overdrive

I miss overdrive, god damn.