The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd Critic Reviews

A more than worthy continuation of the Trails in the Sky saga, tying up some loose ends from the previous game while setting up events for the following entries. The dungeon crawler game flow of the 3rd may put off some, and the presentation may look outdated, but do not let this discourage you, as the game is one of the best Japanese role-playing games released this year in the West.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd's different gameplay structure and shifted narrative focus can take some getting used to, especially when coming off the formula from prior Trails in the Sky entries. However, once I was acclimated to the new radical shifts in structure and gameplay, I found that the 3rd carries all the charm and strengths of the previous game and goes beyond that. Trails in the Sky the 3rd is an excellent conclusion that not only sends off the Liberl arc on an exceptionally strong note, but also serves as a great teaser of the overall Trails world.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd is absolutely charming and it’s not only due to its cutesy looks. With a dimensional world of multiple planes hovering in the middle of nowhere and tons of text to read through, the game could pass for a foreign cousin to the equally engaging and prosaic-heavy Torment: Tides of Numenera. Both games share a fact the flashy presentation is not always needed to tell immersive stories. It’s the quality of the writing and the riveting dialogue that count towards the long hours lost in front of the computer. When all is said and done, Trails in the Sky the 3rd comes out as a balanced, thoughtful and inspiring JRPG.

Trails in the Sky the 3rd brings the ultimate closure to the trilogy as it wraps up any important plot points that might have been missed in FC and SC.

Trails in the Sky the 3rd is one for the fans; it's for those of us who are in deep, who devour every morsel of lore and character development because we can't get enough of this world. It's also notably inaccessible, requiring easily upwards of 100 hours of investment in previous titles to fully appreciate. But isn't worrying about that sort of missing the point? The 3rd is a heartfelt goodbye to a trilogy that has become dear to my heart, and I am deeply grateful that more adventures exist in this world, because I don't know if I'll ever be ready for the Trails magic to end.

Trails in the Sky 3 is a departure from its predecessors in more ways than one, and is undoubtedly the weakest of the three titles. However, the foundation of what made the first two titles feel special still remains with charming, multi-layered characters I’ve fallen in love with all over again, and writing that plays my heartstrings like a god damn fiddle.

An atypical dungeon crawler structure in the series, but with a great result that closes like a homage this great and unknown JRPG.

A love letter for fans, a final send-off for some beloved characters and fitting conclusions to endearing storylines. The likeable characters kept me interested and never left me feeling as though the development team had gone to the same well too many times, despite some reused locations and bosses. If you are okay with a considerable shift in overall gameplay, exchanging actual exploration on world maps for doorways leading to more focused events, then Trails in the Sky the 3rd is going to be highly satisfying.

The story is so dense, it could discourage with a pile of text and a small amount of action, but anyone who gives Trails in the Sky the 3rd a chance, gets tens of hours of great entertainment, brilliantly written characters and an interesting story.

The game this time around is more story and dialogue heavy, and I felt like it presented itself as more of a visual novel, however the battle system is quite good and remains mostly the same as the First and Second Chapter.

Trails in the Sky the 3rd is bound to be a very divisive game among Trails fans. Its radically different structure is such a departure from the prior games that it's inevitably going to turn off some players, but at the same time, the fantastic boss battles and charming moments still manage to keep you hooked through what would, in any other circumstance, be a rather monotonous dungeon crawler. Had it not been for the two prior games of history, I doubt it would be able to hold up as well as it does; indeed, if you haven't played the previous titles, Trails in the Sky the 3rd would be a confusing mess. If, however, like so many Trails fans, you've fallen in love with the cast and want one last adventure with them, Trails in the Sky the 3rd does an admirable job of providing just that.