I finished Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter at around 35 hours, with every side quest done, and I honestly loved it. It is the kind of JRPG that starts off calm and local, then slowly gets its hooks into you until you realize you are fully invested. This is my first game in the Trails series and it’s off to a very strong start.
I played the demo first, and it took me around 7 hours. It covers the entire prologue, and it completely sold me on the game’s vibe. By the time the demo ended, I already knew I was going to buy the full thing.
Story progression
A lot of games try to start with a world-ending threat right away, and then it feels weird when the party spends 20 hours helping villagers find a lost necklace. This game does the opposite, and it was genuinely refreshing. It builds up the world first, lets you do Bracer work that makes sense in-lore, and then the plot escalates toward the end in a way that feels earned.
The world-building is the main reason it works for me. Liberl feels like a real place, and I liked the little bits of politics sprinkled into conversations and story beats. It never felt like random lore dumping, more like the game quietly reminding you that bigger forces are moving in the background.
I especially liked that side quests tapered off near the end, right when the story is hitting its climax. The game also does a good job placing requests at moments where it actually makes sense that the Bracers would have time to take them on.
Characters and performances
Usually in JRPGs there is at least one party member I tolerate at best. That did not happen here. Every party member was fun and enjoyable, and the group chemistry was a big part of why I stayed locked in even during the slower stretches.
Olivier especially made me laugh a lot. His antics should be annoying on paper, but the game uses him just right, and he ends up being a highlight whenever he is on screen.
The voice acting deserves a shoutout too. It is not just Estelle and Joshua. The whole cast sounds great, and the voices fit the characters really well.
Combat and presentation
Combat is excellent, and the animations are genuinely top tier. That was a big factor in me buying the full game after finishing the demo. Every big move has impact, and it just feels good to watch your party do their thing.
I also really liked the positioning element. Having turn-based combat that cares about where you stand in a 3D space is surprisingly interesting, and it worked better than I expected. It is not just picking attacks from a menu, it is also thinking about spacing, turn order, and setting up your next few moves. Stealing bonuses was an interesting mechanic but I don’t think I made use of it as much as I should have. I didn’t really have any big issues with difficulty though, except the final boss which took a couple of tries.
Music-wise, the BGM and atmospheric tracks were great. Exploring towns and routes always had the right mood. The only downside is the combat music got repetitive for me toward the end. Not bad, just something I noticed after so many fights.
World design
The cities and towns do not feel very big, at least in terms of physical size. I believe this is because they kept the remakes faithful to the original, which is understandable but I hope they are larger in the sequel.
They clearly put a ton of work into NPC dialogue. It updates after each story event, which I really appreciated. I did not always go around talking to every single NPC after every story beat, but I loved knowing the game was accounting for it.
That said, the NPCs themselves are still fairly static. Some walk around and it does feel a little lively, but it could be better. It is one of the only places where the game feels a bit like a remake of an older structure.
Closing thoughts
The ending is a massive cliffhanger, but it is the good kind. It feels like a big reveal that sets the board for what comes next, and I finished the game feeling hyped, not annoyed.
It also helps that they announced a couple days ago that Second Chapter is coming in Fall 2026. I am really looking forward to it, especially because I always hear people say the second game is the best one in the trilogy.