For the last couple of weeks, I have returned to my beat on the streets of Crossbell with Lloyd and the gang. That’s right, I was lucky enough to review The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure. This is the second entry in the Crossbell Duology, and players follow SSS as dark forces converge on Crossbell.
The Legend of Heroes series is a much-beloved one and slowly but surely entries that weren’t originally available in the West have been making their way here. Trails to Azure is one such entry and as a sequel to Trails from Zero and as a solo adventure by itself, it is a phenomenal title. I can’t gush enough about this RPG.
If you’re a fan of the franchise there are only a few, but notable, differences in Trails to Azure when comparing it to its siblings. With regards to Trails from Zero, there is the introduction of the Master Quartz, which buffs your characters with new arts as well as stat boosts. The Master Quartz becomes a signature gameplay mechanic from this game, for me it was nice to know when this mechanic began as I’ve always enjoyed the Master Quartz mechanic. Within The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure there is a fascinating mechanic I’m not sure is in any other Legend of Heroes title.
The ‘Burst’ ability comes into play during cinematic moments of the game and allows you to use your arts immediately. This means you don’t have to worry about the delay period when activating them. This means with the right combination of arts you can decimate an enemy force quickly. Or if you’re falling behind you can heal your team quickly and recover if you’re failing in a pivotal battle.
Why I love The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
The gameplay in The Legend of Heroes series has always been enjoyable, but I think what makes the series so legendary is how each title builds its respective communities. Within the Crossbell Duology, this is probably at its best. There is an incredible sense of community within Crossbell and you feel like an actual detective solving crimes for the citizens of this city that you love. This brings me to the best element of the game, the sidequests.
As you head through each chapter you have to answer requests from anyone and everyone across Crossbell. These can be mundane ones where you are testing out your brand new Enigma IIs to absolutely eccentric requests, I won’t go into detail as to spoil the fun would be a crime. The game also has a charming graphical style. Bounding with vibrant colours and an emotional score, you won’t ever be bored while playing it.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure, is a phenomenal piece of gaming. I adored my time with it and look forward to seeing this group return in The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie, where you will be able to transfer your save file. What this means is your actions from these two titles will impact what happens to SSS in that title.
With Trails in Azure, I have come that much closer to completing The Legend of Heroes series and I have been having an absolutely wild ride.
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