The Legend of Heroes: Trails Into Reverie PS5 Review-
"If you have played any of the Trails of Cold Steel games or any of the Zero games that came before, you will be well acquainted with the world and its star heroes who we begin this game with. Centered mostly around the ever-popular Crossbell, the autonomous state is FINALLY about to gain its rightful indepedence after being the centerstage of much conflict due to its position bordering the more powerful nations of Calvard & Erebonia. Yet, right as the ceremony is underway, disaster stikes."
"Something that differentiates this Trails game from the rest is the way in which the story frequently shifts between different protagonists. I will not spoil any story events but needless to say the game sees you play as Rean Schwarzer, Detective Lloyd Bannings of the SSS, and a 3rd party who goes by the name of C. It did not take me very long to ascertain the true identity of the 3rd playable character, but it does do enough storywise to keep you enthralled. This system which sees you going from one characters point of view to another entirely is called Trails To Walk, and while on paper, it sounds brilliant, in practice it doesn't quite fit the bill. It makes the story seem way too linear and fast paced and doesn't give the characters or certain cast members time to shine. This Trails game is by far the most linear, in terms of hidden quests and stuff to find, as the story is so quickly hurrying you along. It is one of the main complaints I have about this game. Its got some great returning locales for you to visit, that said, you aren't given the same sense of exploration or interaction as past Trails games to fully be able to enjoy the atmosphere and its citizens either. You will be nostalgic as we get to check in on several locations we haven't been to in a number of games such as the Nord Highlands, Ymir, and many others."
"This game also features the largest number of playable characters and this who's who list of stars will surely please almost anyone's personal style. From Rixia Mao, to Aurelia LeGuin, the continents strongest must come together to battle this daunting adversary. Another new feature which is a pretty awesome feature is the world of Reverie. Without going too far into what Reverie actually is, allow me to just say that its like a trial ground. Its sole purpose is to make your characters grow by becoming stronger. Within this Reverie Corridor, there are stations for upgrading your gear, there are battlergrounds where the most fearsome of foes lie in wait, and there is also a sporting center where you can play minigames such as Who Want's To Be A Miranaire? which is a fun trivia game based solely on past Trails games. This is a neat side activity and not only can you unlock new characters to join you in the trials ahead but you can also unlock daydreams, or memories that show you certain characters activities in recent times. Its well worth exploring and getting all you can get not only for all the stuff unlocked, but also because on standard difficulty, this is also surprisingly the hardest Trails game to date. Some of the early enemies will punish you if you aren't coming at them with all you have and even then, some will still punish you if you aren'y utilizing the games order systems and new United Front systems to their fullest. It took me by surprise cuz as this is a Trails game, I had become accustomed to expecting the first 3/4 of the game to be a breeze, but the difficulty spike here begins early on."
"That being said, you can just about guess what to expect if you have played any Trails game before. A+ storytelling and wonderful characters with charm for days and their unbreakable bonds they hold with one another as they face adversity head-on. They will need it with this formidable foe they are dealing with this time around. I must say, that my favorite characters in this game are the newcomers to the series, Nadia, Swin & adorable little Lapis!! You will see who I mean when you play."