The Legend of Heroes from Falcom is a popular RPG series in Japan. Now XSEED is bringing them to the US with The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky for PSP. Join Estelle and Joshua, two young trainees in the Bracer Guild as they take jobs and go on quests to help people. Along the way they’ll team up with some memorable adventurers and maybe even save the world in the process.

Trails in the Sky is your typical RPG with some strategy elements. Players will gather clues and items in towns, then venture forth into monster filled forests, dungeons, and mazes to defeat enemies and gain experience. As a member of the Bracer Guild, you’ll take jobs and quests from a bulletin board, and then receive rewards upon completion. Some of these assignments move the story along, but others are just side quests. Many of these jobs are time-sensitive, so you’ll want to complete as many as you can before moving on to the next town or story point.

You can see monsters out on the field, so you can plan your attack before the fight starts. Battles are typical turn-based RPG fare. You can use your turn to move around the field or attack (and sometimes both), use magic or other skills. Some turns provide extra bonuses, so plan your moves accordingly. After winning a battle, you’ll earn elemental spoils which you can use later to customize your skills and abilities. Back in town you can use those prizes to arrange stones into slots that give your characters different kinds of magic and attacks.

Trails in the Sky does a good job of easing you into the gameplay, but consequently, makes the game a bit slower paced, especially in the beginning. The 2-D graphics are very details, but a little small sometimes.  But if you want a super long RPG with a world and characters you can sink your teeth into, The Legend of Heroes might be right up your alley.

Kid Factor:

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is rated T for Teen with ESRB descriptors of Animated Blood, Drug Reference, Fantasy Violence, Language, Suggestive Themes, and Use of Alcohol. There is some light violence in the sword and magic battles, but I didn’t see any blood at all. Most of the drug and alcohol references, language, and suggestive themes are in the text only. I’d be OK with kids younger than teens playing this, but because of the high level of reading required, it’s best for older RPG fans only.

Tags: Game Reviews