It’s good to see how niche game franchises have been making their way to a wider audience with the JRPG renaissance. This is what has been happening with The Legends of Heroes series, which in September of last year received one of the installments that did not reach these lands when it was released in 2010, Trails from Zero. Now, continuing with that same line of releases, we welcome The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure.
This is the direct sequel to Trails to Zero in which the essence that has characterized the saga is maintained, in addition to having many of its locations that we have already seen. Now, they refine certain mechanics along with the storytelling that worked in its predecessor.
right where we stayed
Trails to Azure represents the second part of the Crossbell City story arc, set just after the events of Trails from Zero. So it is almost imperative to have played last year’s title to follow the thread of events that happen in Azure. However, he does his best to place players within his story.
We continue the story of the young detective and protagonist of the prequel, Lloyd Bannings who continues as a member of the Special Support Section (SSS) of the Crossbell Police Department. The story picks up right after the end of Trails From Zero, in which Lloyd and a few other companions track down remnants of the cult fan D∴G from the first game. After a series of events
Whoever has played and finished the previous game has the possibility of transferring the data and with it, all the decisions that were made. That implies new dialogues that have to do with past events, we will pass the money earned and the level of affection with certain characters.
Being a direct sequel, Azure addresses many of the topics covered in the previous game such as corrupt politicians, cults, criminal associations, among others. It even continues certain side missions that started in Zero. However, many things are new, such as the addition of new characters.
Why change what is right?
Trails to Azure returns to take the same gameplay scheme as in Zero, it is still a turn-based RPG in which many of the missions must be done in the city of Crossbell and its surroundings. We will have to constantly talk to the locals to acquire missions (main and secondary) that will lead us to carry out different tasks. Some missions serve as dungeons in which we will see the enemies wander to avoid them or take them by surprise with the advantages that it implies. The game is divided into chapters and these in turn are divided into days, and we will receive a series of requests as missions.
The game allows you to start at high levels if you don’t have a saved game of Zero, or pass the experience you have gained if you have. This implies having magic, skills and many of the known Crafts equipped. Thus the game assumes that we have traveled a path and does not make us start from scratch, hence the importance of having played Zero.
The in-battle menu remains familiar, with commands like Attack, Arts, Crafts, Items, and Flee, plus two new additions Master Quartz and Burst Gauge. The combats are still in turns but with the component of the distance of the attacks in which there is a grid that represents the range of the attacks. The biggest change is the Master Quartz system, which allows each character to equip a special Master Quartz that greatly increases specific stats and levels up as they are used.
Added as I said, the Burts system which gives a new gauge bar which, once full, puts the party in a state that instantly gives everyone a turn and allows arts to be cast without waiting for a limited time. Now to move faster, the SSS now has a vehicle, which makes getting around Crossbell much easier. And just like Trails From Zero, this version of Azure has an X2 speed mode button, very useful for grinding and long areas with many enemies.
Another section where the game feels very continuous is the graphics, but what is seen on PSP is improved, which by the way, we must forgive some things in this port. The same engine is maintained, although the same 3D settings with pre-rendered character sprites are preserved, it seems to me that it has its charm. Minor bugs like some low resolution textures and jagged edges of characters can be noticed. However, the game enjoys better resolution, faster times between scene changes, and a more vivid color palette.
Canchera music returns for battles, calmer themes for quiet moments and tense tones for the same situations. Again it comes with only Japanese voices with English subtitles, if the first one didn’t translate, this one wasn’t going to be special.
verdict
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure is a long-awaited sequel to the Crossbell saga that first came to us last year and now the plot is complete. It is a title that is very close to what was shown in Trails from Zero in terms of gameplay, plot and graphics, and therefore, the previous game must have been played. At the story level, it is a culmination in style with the same tropes that do not tire lovers of productions with anime touches. It has a few new gameplay mechanics to keep it fresh, but overall we’ll feel right at home.
Note: This review was made on PS5 and the code was provided thanks to NIS America.
