The Sky's the Limit: Legend of Heroes Trails in the Sky (Mini Play-through)

[Commander]

Hi there. I've been kind of wanting to do something with this series for a while as I talk about it quite a bit in the Rejuv playthrough. Now before you click away thinking this is just going to be about a guy fanboying a game, this is actually my least favorite game in the series as there's a lot of things I dislike about it. I thought Estelle and Joshua were pretty boring/annoying characters (I really hated Estelle), the combat was a joke, and mother of god those graphics are kind of an eyesore. I shot this game down like many people before due to these faults and it's a damn shame some of those people didn't come back and give it a second shot. I also know it's a turn off since the storyline is very long (probably 100 hours between the two games...I'll explain that later). For now, I want show you the title screen:

 

 

The game could not have picked a better title screen. When the game uses these standstill images, it looks fantastic. I never really looked too much at this games title screens until now and wow, I wish I looked at them more. I didn't even notice the Areseille in the background. I'm pretty sure that's the market on the left and I think you can see a smidge of the bracer guild with the golden building being the orbal shop. As for that clock tower, I don't think it has much significance other than one past event...but I suppose that's a spoiler. There's only 5 towns in this game and I must say Rolent is the most memorable of all. It was luck that we got the one where we started in.

 

I also want to point out the Falcom and Marvelous company names at the bottom. XSEED is the one that localized them, but that's not the link to the two companies I'm talking about. I'll go more into that when we get into combat but...I'm not sure when we'll be hitting that. This game has a lot of dialogue...so much that most localization teams would consider it a loss before taking it on. XSEED hit it big by luck (especially with Cold Steel). There are also dedicated fans who have spent over a year working on the unlocalized behemoths to translate them. This game has a lot of text.

 

 

I forgot easy didn't exist in the first game. This is like the Tellius games all over again. So compared to all other games in the series: Normal is Easy, Hard is Normal, and Nightmare is the "Don't play unless you are a masochist" difficulties. You can see why people thought the sequel was brutal compared to the first game (yes, they expect you to play part 1 before part 2 and understand the mechanics). Always pick hard mode, imo. The game doesn't punish you for picking the harder difficulty which is one of the nicest things about it. That does mean certain difficult optional wins...will be hell though. I'm sure there's a mod that adjusts the difficulty (I know there's one for Cold Steel). Speaking of mods, I decided to install the Japanese voices from the enhanced port to the game. It's certainly not needed, but it is a nice touch.

 

Just don't touch nightmare mode. You'll thank me later. Not even Aidios (goddess of this world) can save you from the wrath of the poms. Did I mention this series has its own deep and established lore? Don't worry, this makes sure not to overload you (unlike Cold Steel *cough*).

 

Oh...that's the famed drawbridge of Ruan in the pic above. That's not for quite a while in the game. It's one of my favorite areas in the game. Totally not because we meet the best girl there. I'll just shut up and actually play the game now:

 

Chapter 1: I haven't even picked up the controller in this

(I missed it but the room is dark before having Estelle fade in along with the food)

 

Okay, I think I should probably stop here and talk about the graphics for a minute. Actually, I'm just going to talk about that food there. Is it just me or does that salad look like something straight out of clipart? I would also like to point out that some people call this game a masterpiece.

(Oh joy...I know where this story is going. Hello new edgelord protagonist)

 

Also, I should probably mention this was a PSP game to start, but XSEED ported it to steam and I'm pretty sure crisped the graphics to look better. I know Zero looks way more jaggy compared to this.

(If she's in Grancel right now, she'll certainly have quite the story to tell you later)

(I forgot to mention Estelle likes hitting people with her giant stick)

(I wonder who that could be)

(Oh look it's Cassius Bright. I'd recognize that signature mustache anywhere)

 

Yeah, I kind of tricked you on Estelle's dad being dead. The game does play on that cliche thinking something bad had happened to him. There's a reason for his delay, but I'm not allowed to tell you~ Also, Cassius is a terrible father. I fear the day he becomes a grandpa.

(What kind of man leaves a small child in a house all alone?)

And the first screencap screw-up. This time I will do a counter:

Pic Screwup Count: 1

 

Estelle said "Did you r[emember to bring me a present?]" (I might have messed that up, but you get the idea) I need to turn Autorun off...if I can

([Vietnam War Flashbacks] Nope, I'm sure he was fine)

(You don't mess with mustached men)

(Oh boy, I hope it's a Cold Steel 3 localization announcement)

(Spoilers: it's the third option)

(At least he acknowledges he's terrible...unlike a certain character in a certain fan-game I will not mention)

(Who do you mean? The girl loves her shoes)

(That's a pretty good philosophy. Practicality always wins)

(Isn't that jewelry on her head?)

 

So something I will mention is yes, Estelle is a tomboy. It's mostly due to what she naturally grew up around. As for the question everyone who hasn't played the game is probably beggining to know, her mother is dead. She's been dead for quite a while. I'm only mentioning this as while it does get covered, I don't remember when and it's kind of obvious. I won't share anymore information about it though since it's linked to a major historical event. It's nothing major or a plot revelation, but it's not the best time to talk about it.

(Probably a lethal weapon used to kill the dreaded pervy sheepers)

(Wow, she's more deceptive than the average anime protag. We're really off to a good start)

(If you're really sharp, you probably figured out what he's holding)

(And here comes the big reveal to nobody's surprise...)

(Yep. On top of being a terrible parent, he abducts small children)

(Holy crap! That picture in the background looks like the Golden Gate Bridge)

 

I gotta look at that picture up close for the next chapter. It's gonna kill me not knowing what it's supposed to be.

(That smile. That is the smile of the purest of evils)

(Did he really just abduct a child to help solve his parenting problems? Well played Cassius, well played)

(Hey, some people would kill to be in your Stregas right about now)

(Man probably murdered his parents just to get his hands on a second chance of raising a kid)

(Wait...you mean he brings dead people home. How is this man not in jail?)

(He's only dead on the inside)

(And I'm willing to bet he was the one to give him those wounds in the first place)

(And this shall be the quietest night of rest he will ever get for the rest of his life)

(Sleep...sleep, my child. I have big plans for you)

And then we cut to a new scene...

(It's kind of creepy to watch someone as they sleep, y'know)

(I can't remember if he's the same age or a year older)

(Well that's certainly one way to flirt)

(Like all anime protags do)

(That's...not ominous at all)

(Also if you look close at Jo...the boy, you can see the bandages on his chest.)

(And the crook must confess his schemes being outsmarted by a 10-year-old)

([Whistles innocently])

(He was attack by some Jaguars)

 

What? I didn't write this games plot. Btw, for those who have played and finished this series, there's actually a manga that goes into the backstory of a certain antagonist in this series and it's really, really good. Play the games first before reading it. All 3.

(I'll let Cassius answer this one for us)

(Oh Estelle, Cassius f*cks with everyone. Why did you think he became a bracer in the first place?)

(I would say the internet but that hasn't been invented...yet)

 

Fun fact: the concept of the internet does come about in the later games. I'm just not dumping you with lore right now. Be thankful.

(Schezard, now there's a woman who would be the fear in the hearts of alcoholics)

 

We'll meet Schezard rather soon. She's probably the most boring of the playable cast in this game and I don't mean that as an insult. This game really doesn't do her justice though.

(She's also Estelle's BFF...for now)

([Thinks about it for a moment] Hasn't she already?)

(What was Cassius doing again?)

 

[Plays Jepordy music] Damn, I really can't remember which event it was. This happens sometimes. Probably a trip to Erebonia. It's not that important...I hope. I imagine a hardcore Kiseki fan is probably wanting to strangle me right now. Just don't even make me play Miraniare again.

(Wait a minute, you know his eye color, but not his name. That's...a very questionable decision you made.)

(So butting your head into business it shouldn't be in then)

(...Shit. It probably is important. This is gonna bother me now)

I have an idea what it might be related to, but I'm not quite sure. Can't say due to spoiler reasons. I hate using that word but these games all interconnect and this is the first game. I can only mention so much.

(Guess that's better than saying "Oh Aidios, it's alive")

(Somewhere you'll be safe and happy)

(I'm also pretty sure this is Cassius's room because I'm pretty sure that's his desk)

(He does need to clean up a little bit. It is kind of messy)

(I don't blame John Doe there as this is his first abduction)

(Notice how Cassius didn't know the boy's name, but the boy knew Cassius's name)

(Believe me, he knows exactly what he's getting into. Perhaps more than you even know)

(She's not wrong as obnoxious as she is)

(Is a 10-year-old really more mature than most teenagers? That's new)

(Your worst nightmare.)

(Even if all the lights aren't on upstairs)

(And the most mature one in the household)

(Ohhhh...so he was conscious at some point. That explains a bit...except the fact he took him into his household)

(He's an angry boy)

(That's one way to shut him up)

 

So Estelle jumped onto him. I've been refraining from talking about the graphics as while they may look ugly, I've grown to really like them. It kind of reminds me of claymation and once you get used to it, you're in for a few surprises. This game is really well animated and feels much, much more alive than its predecessor arc: Cold Steel.

(And if you haven't figured it out, Estelle wears the pants in the family...or would it be skirt?)

(Probably might break a few bones as well. Good job, Estelle. He deserved it)

(Still more polite than my high school nurse)

(Ah, is that a whiny baby I head in the background?)

(Yes, please jump on him again)

(Darn. The boy learned his lesson. This was fun)

(There is something evil about that laugh)

(Yep, terrible parent who doesn't discipline his child. And he wonders what went wrong)

(I don't know why but this makes me laugh rereading it)

(Maybe he has amnesia after following off a ship and doesn't remember anything)

(I see...trust issues. We need to work on that. Estelle, jump him again)

(LMAO Cassius knows. She's gonna jump him)

(And cue the opening)

 

Now I'm not sure if I'm going to show every scene fully (If I do I certainly am not subbing them all cause oh god we'd be here forever), but I wanted to show this one. If you said "Wow, that was a super engaging and well written scene" I'd be rather shocked. I found it rather boring the first two times I saw it. But going back now after being on the journey, it just feels amazing to look at and see how it all connects. I think a lot of people kind of agreed which in future arcs they added an opening that cut right to the action or a future event before jumping back. A lot of people find the prologue of this game boring and generic but looking back, it just looks that way. Just the opening scene alone I missed so much just due to not knowing. As for the characters, I don't hate any of them if it seemed that way. Just me having a little fun. I will go over my first impression and new impression of the game. And you guys can youtube the opening if you really want to see it but there's nothing too big other than showing off future characters. Though I did want to show one pic from it:

(I am a little pissed I didn't get a perfectly clean image of my favorite ship)

 

I love the Arseille. I would say it's honestly my favorite airship and this is coming from a hardcore Final Fantasy fan as a child. Yes, it's a pretty generic looking airship with not much design to it. There are plenty of cooler ones I could list right off the bat and most people who play and beat this game (and not the sequel) probably will wonder what even is so great about it. I don't know but after seeing the arc coming to a close, there's just something about this ship. It just feels right. And it never gets old seeing it soar across the sky. Now back to the game:

(Just a man cooking breakfast. Nothing to see here)

 

 

(So make note of all the items you see here. There's some nice details to catch)

(That's how I feel in the morning...go away, sun)

(Probably given the edgelord he is...I mean nothing)

 

Yeah, I'm like that one guy who doesn't like Joshua. I don't hate him and think he has a fantastic arc and character growth. I just don't like him. Doesn't help that he's really good in battle.

(Honestly, I wouldn't mind being woken by the sound of a harmonica in the morning)

 

So obviously a song appears here and it's this one:

Spoiler

 

This song is a surprisingly good depiction of the game's storyline. A clip of it also plays when the falcom logo shows up starting the game. I'd go through 5 minutes of logos hearing the good version.

(I like how the portrait art has her in her PJs as well)

 

So while I bash on the graphics, the character portrait art is amazing. The Liberl Arc is the only Arc that doesn't have the lines VA'd (only victory quotes). I just added the Japanese in to see how much it adds or change. I like the audio, but it doesn't hold as much as these portraits do. I'd argue these are the best looking ones and it's kind of a shame that these got lost in Cold Steel because they are great.

(See, look at that happy face. Also, she's clapping)

(I don't think they live on a farm, do they? Has Cassius smuggled animals as well?)

(Hell, I'd wake up to that song every day. I should make it my alarm)

(That's a diss on yourself, bro)

(Btw, those pigtails move as she walks. It's weird but you get used to it)

(Told you see wears the pants in the house. And that's why she's the main protag and Joshua is not)

 

They actually both share that role. I just like Estelle better. She's just the Sky's icon.

(And thus we established Estelle is the leader. It could be worse)

(I'd take Joshua on my team. I don't like him, but he's good.)

(Joshua and trying. Those two don't go together)

(Hmmm...I wonder if that will ever come into play)

(He has other songs? Guess he is better than Azura at least)

 

So a bit of a spoiler is that this is the only song you hear Joshua play on the harmonica. It's not Fates bad as it's a really good tune and despite hearing it...a lot...it has value in the plot. It gains more meaning each time you hear it. That's all I can say.

(It's okay, Estelle. I forgot the name too.)

(Did I mention this game came out WAYYYYY before Fire Emblem Fates? 2004 maybe. Let me check...I was right on. Nice!)

(The song is ingrained in my head again...not that I'm complaining.)

(I, too, suck at the harmonica so I feel you)

(Hitting people with a stick is much easier. I know from my experiences with this game...it's how I kill bugs)

(I...can't believe I missed the connection)

 

So I'm going to slightly spoil you on something. You see this conversation. There's an event which happens at one of the most random times in the game that reflects off of this. The funny thing about this series is it's unbelievable that something so highly detailed and well planned out can exists. They are on the 9th game in this series which is I think a 5 year time span since this point in time and that's the 70% mark. I don't think we'll ever get a game series like this every game. Similar maybe but this...I don't know. And while you don't have to play the arcs in order, you'll miss many references and connections.

(She's really good at fishing, btw)

(I should probably do that more often as well)

(Pretty sure girls are into sophisticated guys...aren't they?)

(Weren't you?)

(I see nothing wrong with it.)

(*shamefully raises hand*)

 

Except on the bug part.

(These two are practically opposites if you couldn't tell)

(The bug academy would like to differ)

(I hate bugs. I especially hate giant bugs)

(Oh look, Cassius is around. That's a shame)

(To this day, I still find Joshua calling Cassius dad weird)

(And cue the transition)

(Only Estelle would put it that way...and I love her for it)

(Also doesn't worry about dieting and looks.)

(Don't worry, we have a lot of walking ahead of us. A lot of walking)

(>Guild

>>>Guild

>>>>Guild

Let's go right now. Gotta get those quests)

(Shit. Uhhh please don't let there be a bracer exam. I barely passed mine in Crossbell)

(Bracers are the best...except in Crossbell. Those assholes)

(Oh Estelle. You'll never get a child to treat you like an adult)

(*cough* And common sense *cough*)

(Oh great. We get to be rookies. Woo-hoo! I'm so thrilled at being insignificant)

(Even then, you're still a scrub. Trust me, I've seen what you have to do to get those ranks)

(>A little. Honey, you have no idea what you've signed up for)

(He's kind of got a lot of years of being a bracer over you so good luck with that)

 

So one nice touch about the arc is that even at the end of the 3rd arc Estelle still have a lot of room to grow meaning she hasn't surpassed her father. I'm not actually sure if she ever will honestly. I just want to say that as most generic protagonists do achieve that goal and very quickly. Most protagonists also peak their strength by the end of their story.

([Montage of Vietnam War Flashbacks] I'll do anything but the worms. THE WORMS!)

(Dammit...I knew there'd be a test. Just let me copy you, Joshua)

(...............Ladies and gentlemen, this is our fearless and great leader)

(She did.)

(Oh combat training. *Phew* I thought we had to take that other part)

(..........Don't fail me, Estelle. Don't fail)

(We are so screwed.)

(Sheer determination. Sheer determination is the answer you're looking for)

(Gee, I wonder where she got it from, hmmmm.)

(This girl is doing my job for me. Makes my job easier)

(Did I mention Schera is also the scariest woman in all of Liberl?)

(Ruan is about a uhh...40 minute walk from here so we'd be gone for a few hours. I'd do it though)

(I'd still try it. My stomach can handle quite a bit)

 

Don't ever eat sushi that's been left out...while at work. Longest 3 hours of my life.

(At least Estelle didn't inherit his troll abilities)

(I can only imagine Estelle in her early cooking days.)

(Ah the famed Estelle stare. How I missed thee)

(Remind me to talk about this when we get it)

(Yeah, I remember something about the sky bandits in there)

(Yeah money!)

(Oh we're totally going to waste it)

(And he's pretty much just going to sit there and do nothing while we work our butts off. Isn't he the greatest dad?)

 

So I do want to say a couple things and that this is actually a tutorial about Mira spending. You get a finite amount of Mira before it just gets really hard to find so you really should conserve it. Unlike Cold Steel, you won't have too much Mira trouble though. It's a really good push to do sidequests which oh boy you will want to do sidequests in this game because they are fun. That's later talk as we're still in the tutorial. Let's at least look at Joshua and Estelle's stats:

 

So I'm going to teach you some things about this game that aren't very well explained. Crafts will get explained later and that's with combat, but take a look at the numbers right below HP. EP is basically the MP of this game and I'm going to tell you that it never goes up with your level. One of the most important things to do in this game is increase you EP as fast as possible and to do that we'll look at the orbment section (yeah I won't get to equipment in this chapter).

(Also ignore that playtime. This game is 40 hours at the most so don't use my time as a reference. Probably can beat it in around 20 hours if you don't screw around like I do)

 

This right here is the blood of the series. Orbal technology plays a huge part in this entire franchise and it plays a vital role for setting up your characters. Do you see those sealed slots? Unlocking those slots gives you more EP and the cost to unlock the slot (also how much EP you gain) is based on how far down the line it is. Both characters have two lines but Joshua has a longer line 1 so he would have more EP once all lines are unlocked. And for those who played Golden Sun, think of the Djinn system when I say what's next. So what goes into these slots are quartz which affects stats or give you extra skills. They also add a number to certain colors on the line and if you meet the requirements, you gain access to that type of magic. It's pretty barebones in this game which is a shame, but all the games that follow (besides Cold Steel) really just add to how you can customize your characters. So even if a character has terrible Magic Attack, they can have a buff spell to use on the party to make use of their EP. I'll get into the issues with it in the first game, but we need quartz to demonstrate that. I love this system though and really helps add to make every party member unique.

 

As for Joshua and Estelle, Joshua is kind of an offensive glass cannon with a pretty good arte attack stat and the best quartz lock. I just realized Artes and Crafts...wow...only took me 3 years to realize that one. Anyways, Estelle is uhhh...a jack of all trades, master of zero. She's not going to be a heavy hitter nor a white mage though a pretty good tank. She is well rounded which is actually a really good thing in this game. Her best trait is the Morale Craft which uhhh...we'll see eventually. I hope you like these two because you'll be forced to use them the entire game.

 

On the closing note, I'll explain why this is a mini playthrough. All I'm going to do is go up until the end of the prologue. The reason I want to do this is because I end up talking about the Kiseki series quite a bit and want to have at least something to refer to since not a lot of people have played and gotten into the series (it's pretty booming now though). It's also since I pretty much believe people on here are only interested in Pokemon I don't want to invest too much time into these behemoths. If I'm wrong and the actual interest is there, oh I dropped the Rejuv run without hesitation and get to the end of SC even if it'd take 3 or even 5 times as long.

[Commander]

Silence...again, I'm not expecting much out of it but thanks for coming if you read or looked at it. Let me just show you the sheer scale of this game in which I screencap roughly every piece of dialogue:

 

 

This is only through the tutorial. I'm not going to cap every screen in this... Though this does move quicker as there's not as much to rant on. This series has a lot of faults, but it's not things that happens over and over again that need to be restated. Just let me have this. 1,000 pics here feels about as much work as 100 pics in rejuv.

 

Chapter 2: Our First Mission

 

(Lo and behold I kept my promise)

 

I think that's actually a piece of art from the ending...it kind of reminds me of Joshua sitting under a tree playing the harmonica. I swear I've seen this before though and that really bothers me more than the Cassius thing. I would say my guess but I don't want to spoil those things. It could just be random art though.

(And me showing the biggest fault in the game)

 

So the camera is awful. I don't think its in the Crossbell games (not that I'm complaining) but this bloody mechanic will drive you up the wall as while you can keep it one way, sometimes it's hard to see place and where you're going and then you get disoriented. It's a minor complaint, but good god I hate the camera in this game.

(Thankfully we have a map to help sort our marbles)

 

This is easily the thing I love about this series. You never go anywhere blind...I think. Basically if you get lost, just use the map to find your way back. This game is actually really, really small and I'd say it's the total size of Reborn City. Just Reborn City and not all the areas outside of it. It is jam packed with stuff to do in that small space as we'll quickly see.

(Praise XSEED for translating signs)

 

So that's a small detail but I always find it cool when you can actually read signs since it's so rare to see...let alone see it localized. Another nice touch is that party members follow you (which is also a complaint) and while I can switch the lead, I usually just stick with Estelle. Those pigtails, man.

(I can't believe they dubbed these in EVO of all things)

 

So yeah, we can't go that way yet, but we eventually will. We are a bit limited on where we can go but things open up as the story progresses.

(I'm not going to show this afterwards, but we get a zoom out every new town we go to)

(Heh. We are going to be late since I'm in charge)

(...Oh Aidios, forgive me for what I'm going to have to do)

(I'll get into the lore later and translate it to the "english" version)

(Schera...she's a character.)

(Let's not)

 

You know how most tutorials you are locked to one place and you can only do that. Yeah, the town is our oyster and I think you can actually leave town and go north a little bit. You can actually talk to every character before the tutorial and they will say things different then if you talk to them afterwards. You'll figure out why kind of quickly.

(Stregas are the sneakers of this world. If you look at Estelle's feet, she's wearing some now)

(The shoes will have more use. Gotta up our defenses)

(Darn, that's one really cool thing I wanted to show off. Oh well, guess we'll have to wait)

(We'll have to come back here later)

 

Now what if we talked to him again.

(Or my favorite bracer, Anelace)

 

Seriously, I did not expect to really like Anelace. I do hope she and Rean eventually meet and talk because that'd be an amazing conversation...oh...I guess that's kind of spoilers, but she's awesome. 

(Good. We'll need it.)

 

And that's the real beauty of this game. This game's filler is what makes it so charming. There are so many characters that have their own stories and it's up to you rather or not you want to explore and follow these characters. You cannot view or remember them all so really just pick out a character you like and talk to them after every important event. They never just say one thing over and over again for the rest of the game. I'd say each NPC has around 8-15 scenes of dialogue. You aren't meant to talk to and follow them all. It's just extra dialogue they didn't need to add...but they did and I'm going to give some highlights:

(Bloom...actually is a rather interesting character who does stuff for her son...against his will. I don't know if we'll see that though)

(Wasn't going to screen this until I saw this gem)

(It was worth it if she won though)

(Do it. He deserves it.)

 

You think she's kidding, but she would.

(Okay, airhead)

(Nope. We aren't doing that yet)

(...She would if he was ever home)

(There's nothing we can really afford here right now)

 

Don't worry about spending your Mira as you'll get it all back rather shortly. You can't lock yourself out of this game even if you try. Also take a look to the left screen. That's the exchange rater for sepith. It's pretty useful if you're low on mira and have an abundance of a certain sepith. Never sell any of the black ones though. Time Quartz are the most valuable ones in the game.

(Here's the seven elements and what artes they give)

(It was probably an emergency)

(See, an emergency)

(That's me when a new LoH: Trails gets localized...it's been two years now)

(Pretty good nod to the second game)

(But I don't wanna)

(The woman always wins)

(But then that'd make her...wait for it...Bright)

(She never does)

(Ah ZCF. We don't go there for a very long time)

(That applies to quite a lot of characters)

 

So one thing that really applies to skies that neither of the other two arcs start out with is that most of where this cast started they were really bad at what they did. Many of the ones that are good or where they are now worked for it and put in the hours. 3rd really helps display that (and don't skip that game despite people treating it like a side game).

(Pretty sure the evil and cunning Cassius could look monsters in the eye and scare them off)

(You see this, remember this. It is the single most important piece of lore in the game)

(That is true and also kind of important)

(It's scarier than not liking it, but we'll go into it later)

 

If you're a fan of fire emblem and are randomly watching this, you're going to be in for a real treat. There's a lot to talk about in these games.

(If only there was an off button)

(Cold Steel II - All AP on Nightmare mode. Now that is hard work)

(Don't worry, Estelle. You'll be putting in hard work and living like the olden days very soon)

(Missed it but this guy wants to talk to Cassius about the olden days)

(I can't remember which NPC is his daughter though I have one idea who it might be)

(...Oh yeah, they Royal Army. They have their own part to play)

 

So the Royal Army is pretty much the security force of Liberl. Every country is kind of different in how they run and function. I don't know much about Fate so I might try to talk to him a lot more since he seems rather interesting.

(And we have some of that politics already)

 

So many NPCs talked about lumber trading and I don't remember this at all actually. That isn't the most famous thing Liberl is famous for, but I'll also probably talk to NPCs to see if I can learn more about the wood industry.

(Well being a miner is a huge deal here)

(Maybe he should become a cook instead)

 

Mining is one of the most important jobs in this game. It is more important than drilling for oil in our world. Septium is one of the most valuable resources and it's why people exchange it for mira because it's so valuable. I'll go more into it once we hit that point in the game, but I just want to emphasize the importance of miners in this game.

(Oh...you. I remember you.)

(You can go into the clock tower, but I don't remember much about it)

(I mean I'm no stranger to looking at chicks while doing my job...)

(Says the girl who probably can't get a boyfriend anytime soon)

(You know when a guy hates a job when it makes him crack like this)

(...I wonder if this is a bug. Dunno and my hand slipped so I don't know what Estelle said)

 

Probab

(News reporters. They are the bane of every Zumerian hero)

(Meanwhile in Crossbell, a certain group wishes they weren't)

(And the shipping starts...ho boy...this)

 

So I'm just going to open the can of worms now in that Estelle does like Joshua and there is a love interest between the two that happens throughout the plot. Play the third game before making a final judgement on it. Just...it's not exactly what you think it is. Their relationship and views are that they are very close friends and really don't see each other as brother and sister as they both sharing the name Bright may make you think. I just want to give you insight to make this more bearable (since its a focus of the plot...but not the main focus).

 

And you'd think possible incest (even though it's not really) would be the controversial romance, but ho boy you have no idea. There is a certain misunderstood situation that can set people up in flames. Poor Agate.

(Not helping, Estelle. Not helping)

 

I'll need to listen to the Japanese dub to make sure, but do take note that neither Joshua nor Estelle refer to the other as brother/sister. They do consider each other family which I think Scherazard might also be considered family. It doesn't matter too much. All I'm saying is that there's a lot more to it than you may think. Wasn't a fan of it until 3rd.

(Right. Adoption. Who even was Joshua's parents?)

(...Please go away...creepy child)

(.........Dammit. Please save me from self-created torture chamber)

(I hope you don't plan to be a waiter your whole life)

(If it's convenient and easy, it's not Estelle. Actually that pretty much applies to the trilogy as well...except the easy part for the first game)

(...I forgot about that Tio)

 

So fun fact: there actually is a main character with the same name which confused me

Spoiler

(Sadly we will no being seeing this Tio...who is marginally better...and has cat ears)

(...Now I want to continue Zero. Tio...I miss you)

(And that's how you get swindled into working for the man)

(Always get on the church's side)

(Yeah, she does that...even for work)

(It's part of the packaged deal)

 

So yes, this is a church. I also want to point out that the year is 1202. History nerds are gonna love this. So up until 1152 roughly, the world was the same as ours. What happened was a new discovery of energy source called sepith was discovered creating the orbal revolution which accelerated technology to an unprecedented amount. So due to this technology, four main power were formed: The Erebonian Empire, The Calvard Republic, The Bracer Guild, and the Septian Church. Two of those are countries while the other two are very influential across the continent. You see back in the middle ages, the church held the most influence over the people and it still in fact does here. They hold power over countries and every town has a church. Most people are also the equivalence of what you would call Catholic. It's a hot debate whether the Church or the Erebonian Empire is the strongest of the 4. Unlike many RPGs, the church is not corrupted nor evil. Unnervingly neutral is the best way to put it.

(This maid. She's pretty likable...but isn't so great at her job)

(And that's the mayor)

 

If I had to pick one character that probably didn't deserve a portrait, it'd probably be this guy. He just is not that important. Maybelle best mayor. Also, now we can finally go to the bracer guild. All of this was completely optional and honestly, you learn a lot about Estelle. It's one of those things I really like about this town. The people know her and some of them even are her friends. That was also most of the townsfolk. If you don't want to talk to them, that's fine and there's still a lot of things, but if you don't care about characters over plot, this series will disappoint you. It's more about the characters over the depth and the uniqueness of the plot (you can probably guess half of it right now).

 

Aina is one of those characters who doesn't get the justice she deserves until the 3rd game. She is the second most interesting guild master (other 3 are nothings) and there is quite the large gap between her and the best one. I don't know how much we learn about her before 3rd, but she's really someone I can talk about if you want me to since it isn't a spoiler.

 

So I pulled this off of gamefaqs as this is one of those things I didn't understand. This will clear something up about this little foreshadowing (mostly for those who played the game already):

Spoiler

According to a quick Tarot google: 
Card 1: The present or general theme of the reading 
Card 2: Past influences still having effect 
Card 3: The future
Card 4: The reason behind the question (this will probably shed light on 2) 
Card 5: The potential within the situation. 

So in order:
Theme: Hope, spirituality, renewal, inspiration, serenity
Past influences: Suspension, restriction, letting go, sacrifice
Future: Soul-searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance
Reason behind the question: Power, skill, concentration, action, resourcefulness
Potential within the situation: Bad luck, negative external forces, out of control

(Schera is a slave driver. Also, love the booze on the tables. It's a nice touch)

(So can mine)

(At least it's better than the library)

(Don't worry...she'll soon have someone else to pick on)

(Those are all her positive traits)

(Forgot to mention she's a little slow)

 

Also I never noticed until now that Estelle has a cowlick on the top of her head. It's a nice touch to show her hygiene issues as shown earlier.

(...Did you just take my only joke? Oh how cruel you can be, Joshua)

(This has nothing to do with the plot but everything to do with the plot at the same time)

(Schera has known Estelle long enough to figure out how to hammer stuff in her head)

(Well that's a lot of things to cover)

 

I'm just going to let these topics run and I'll post a:

 

LORE TEXT ENDS HERE at the end. Nothing inbetween.

 

BORING TEXT ENDS HERE

 

Liberl is quite a powerful nation due to its orbal technology but...Queen Alicia is a pacifist and doesn't attack any other nation. It's a very unique place and this stuff is very, very important to understanding the story. The first two sky games deal with the politics of Liberl while the third game explores international relationships. I'm just looking at the Liberl Kingdom history and it seems only a ceasefire was given order due to the 100 days war. This is a very important even for Liberl. Erebonia really doesn't talk about it.

(Well that's practical)

(Nope, thankfully)

(If Estelle was a secretary, there'd never be a boring day in the office)

(Also, this is the only gave which gives thorough details like this...rest of the games kind of assume you know what you're kind of doing)

(These things are awesome)

 

You see this thing, this is the most important item you get in the game. It's basically both the bible and journal of the game. It is such an amazing tool and you will be wanting to use it quite a bit. I love this thing and there's a reason it's become a staple in the series.

(Don't you dare...)

(This is a very easy test)

 

Believe it or not, the Crossbell one is easier.

(But...I like talking to you)

(And we have our first job)

 

Basically, you go up to this board and click on each job to grab it. There's no limitation and I recommend doing all the optional ones ASAP. This is our sidequest system as well. It works beautifully in this game (then SC 1ups the quests)

(I'd be worried if Estelle failed even that simple task)

(Shut up. This is fun and you will learn to like it)

(I already explained this)

(Our lecturer or something)

 

And now we cut to the only real boring part of this segment...only because I already explained it.

(We're not going to do that as I've already explained it)

(And finally we regain control. I've been wanting to do this)

 

So here's what the bracer notebook looks like:

(This is your overall stats and achievements. You'll get some more stuff here later)

(This is the list of magic and how you can gain access to it)

(This is the quest screen which shows both sidequests and the main quest)

 

I'd also like to mention there have been a lot of QoL additions since I last played it. There's an autosave (more like save backup) feature as well as a speedup button that I didn't have when I started playing. Both are pretty welcomed features for me, but I really didn't need them.

(Just a note that it's probably best to refine one of each quartz though Blue is the most important)

(This is why blue is important)

 

If you're wondering the quartz color importance Time > Water > Mirage > Space > Earth/Fire > Wind. They all have uses but that's my personal thoughts on it. Also there's a limit of one type of quartz per slot. You can't have two HP Quarts in an orbment. Though I think you can if it's different lines. It's something that you get used to rather quickly. Also, open Joshua's and Estelle's slots fully ASAP. If you don't open anyone else's it's not a big deal. Also, I have to say Sky FC has the ugliest orbments in the series. And also the lamest.

(Yeah, she's gonna shut up since I know what I'm doing)

(This isn't useful in FC but in the other two games it's kind of vital to survive)

(And this is why you should have used up all your quartz...I think or at least got 3 quartz instead of 2)

(Estelle is going to be my main arte user for this chapter so she gets priority)

(None of the other games give as thorough explanation of this)

 

So one of the debates is whether or not to start with Sky or Cold Steel. I'll give you the reasons for both:

 

Starting with Sky:

-It's the first game in the series which all other connect to it

-It is very well paced in introducing the lore and many elements to the series

-The story and characters are very well written

 

Starting with Cold Steel (just the first game):

-The first game has very little connection to the series letting newbies come in

-The graphics are a huge step up from the previous games

-The battle system is better refined and much more engaging

-Battle system is more simplistic and easier to learn

-The voice acting is great and many bells and whistles speed up the game

-The school NPC cast is more interesting than the random Sky NPCs (and you see them more often)

 

I know I hate on Cold Steel but it's one of the best ways to get into the series though the second one does go into a bunch of heavy spoilers (not all of them but one NPC spoils many plot points of Sky). Sky is the best introduction to the series, but oh boy does it have many turn offs which Cold Steel doesn't have (despite it having a weaker plot it's what got me hooked and Sky didn't). The key difference is that Sky is kind of boring or feels dull the first 8 hours before getting interesting while Cold Steel really only takes an hour before getting a feeling what to expect from it.

(Oh that happens to me all the time)

 

Imagine getting the dates mixed up for a final exam. That's always a fun time when you royally screw up (thankfully it was a day too early instead of a day too late)

(The fate of the bracers are doomed)

(And this is one of those limitations in the art style)

 

You don't really see it unless in a standstill but you can see Estelle and Schera have a gap between them. It's not uncommon for this in RPGs, but hey, this game is very animated believe it or not. I think they were just limited in how they could design that or something.

(Something tell me Schera is responsible for Estelle graduation Sunday School)

 

Oh yeah, there are high schools, but it's not really required and not everyone goes. Cold Steel really helps establish how it works and what exactly they learn and why. There's only two years of education for people. Before that, it's actually the church who teaches and educates children across the world. You probably can see why everyone has the same religion now. After school, you pretty much are taught and trained in the field of profession you strive for. While the game does do a very good job explaining all of this, I feel it's better from my mouth now then trying to sort it all out down the line. Schooling is also very different than what you may think.

(Joshua wouldn't miss an opportunity to betray you like this, li'l Estelle)

 

And here we are: the thing I wanted to get to in this chapter.

(Yeah, I get to bring this up)

 

So there are actually multiple ways to become an official bracer. We don't learn about it in this game but in Crossbell, you can actually take a written test as part of a qualification. I believe it is roughly 100 questions and it tests you knowledge on both the current world, the history, and the guidelines for being a bracer itself. We'll learn much more about bracers along this journey, but I can't disagree that it's pretty important to know those things as like the church, bracers aren't bound to a single country.

(Seeing how good of a father he was, this probably happened on numerous occasions)

 

Believe me, SC saves the abomination that would have been this main protagonist. I actually enjoy seeing Estelle this time around compared to the first time since I know what happens. Yeah, I kind of dislike how much of an idiot they portray her as even now. Still a better lead than Rean, I suppose.

(Show of hands who actually read that screencap...I didn't either.)

 

I think this is a brilliant way to teach you to read those. Cold Steel is even better as some of the funniest lines are written into the quests you'll drone out including one where the writer even says "You probably aren't even reading these at this point." It's a pretty brilliant tutorial to teach you to read stuff and next chapter we'll get to read something great.

(Yep, not paper and penciled test in this game. You're home free)

(It's also Sewer Appreciation day. You better than those sewers for dealing with your garbage)

(Estelle also is pretty arrogant and cocky, but she is lovable nonetheless)

 

I seriously don't blame anyone who starts playing the game hates Estelle. She does have all the checks that can really nudge people all the wrong ways. She gets better, I promise.

(Thank you. I don't think we'd ever progress without you, Schera)

(She did have a go through a smelly sewer just to set this up for you)

(Yes, I can finally talk about the actual combat)

 

Okay so items play a much more significant role in this series compared to others. I'll explain it in combat as they have one huge perk that otherwise you'd just use healing and items outside of battle. You'll want to buy a number of status healing items for sure as yeah...those are always fun to deal with.

(This is...the only game it doesn't have much use)

 

So in both Crossbell and Cold Steel, filling out the monster guide will net you a bunch of good items and completely filling it out (up to the final dungeon) would net you an amazing item which was either a super valuable accessory or a rare and really good quartz. It's pretty easy to do in those games since it's a craft skill.

(Time to finally get to work)

(Yeah, dungeons in this game aren't very complicated)

(They also are pretty convenient)

 

So one thing this game often does is make a clean cut path from a healing point to the boss. It really cuts down on the tediousness of having to backtrack to heal. EP is also pretty scarce in the early game so you really have to conserve it...which is kind of hard on hard. In other words, these things are your best friend.

(And cue the tutorial)

 

I honestly wish we could skip these but they aren't too bad.

(Sometimes they magically teleport behind you)

(This is different in the Cold Steel and Crossbell games)

 

And now for the fun time:

 

...I forgot how archaic this game is compared to the other arcs. I didn't take a pic but we have a drop down menu with the options of:

>Attack

>Craft

>Arte

>Item

>Move

>Flee

 

For a turn based game, it can be surprisingly tactical and you can use strats to gain an advantage. So we'll start with attack. There's a stat called Mov which is the number of blocks a character can move on a single turn. It's pretty much the blue squares which you can give characters an insane Mov stat with the right equipment and quartz. You'll also want to move characters much closer to the front since the player and enemies are so far away in this game...for some reason. Starting position will save you a headache later. Anyways, the area in red is your range for attack someone. Estelle has a larger range stat so she can hit enemies 5 squares away compared to Joshua's 4. Hitting an enemy with an attack moves them a square depending on the direction you hit. As for move:

 

The attack button locks you into moving towards an enemy to hit without control. The move button lets you move to a specific square and then wait until your next turn to take another action. It's not too useful in this game, but in later games it's a pretty significant strat as location can mean everything including winning or losing a fight.

(That's a terrible pic)

 

So when defeating a monster, they turn into smoke dropping septith like you see and sometimes a treasure chest which is a random item...which usually is just an ingredient. Sometimes you can get a useful item such as an antidote but mostly just ingredients. They do not drop Mira (money) like most RPGs.

 

Also as a note these monsters don't attack for some bloody reason. Don't ask me why they felt the need to do that. Anyways, defeating a monster in battle gives exp. The amount given varies depending on your level so don't every expect to be able to powergrind in these games. On the opposite note, characters who fall behind can easily catch up and be one or two levels below the party. Levels...mostly are for gaining new crafts and HP. Your stats always go up but you'll only be around level 32-35 for the final boss so don't expect to gain levels like crazy. I think we end the prologue at level 8 (we're level 3 now)

(Eventually we'll get a quartz that gives us all the information on the monster without having to fight a billion of them)

(...These things)

(...Let's use our physical attacks)

(Oh, I thought it was called Artes and not Arts...I need to stop playing Tales games so much)

 

So how arts aka the magic in this game works is that you have a turn to cast and then have a turn to attack. The cooldown time for each art is different but offensive arts generally take longer than support or healing ones. One important thing to note is some skills and attacks from both you and enemies can cancel arts. Also in the sky games, arts are your best source of damage. I don't like these guys as they don't really do art displaying justice as they die in one hit to anything (kind of feels like you're wasting your EP on them that way). The two turn thing is jarring, but it's a brilliant mechanic when you get used to it.

(Clock up raises speed which in harder fights...not this game...it's a very useful attack)

 

I'll be honest that the art menu is the clunkiest in the sky series but it's not that bad. Only real grip in all three games is healing with artes outside of battle...with skies being the worst offender. You have to go to that orbment menu then scroll all the way down to the art you want to use. It gets annoying after having to do it every battle.

(I would like to add normal attacks do roughly 60 damage)

(Pizza Cake!)

 

So after battle, the character having the finishing blow will do a victory pose and say one of 2/3 lines. Estelle says Piece of Cake which one of the steam achievements is Pizza Cake due to the VA's english getting a bit garbled making it sound like that. Yeah there's a small bit of VA in this game and it's not bad and there are some well known VAs who voice those quotes. I will say that Olivier did receive a different VA for the Cold Steel series.

 

And for this tutorial:

(Yeah...about that, buddy)

 

Okay so Crafts are...okay in this game. Cold Steel they are amazing (outclassing arts on many occasions), but they aren't awful to use. Just don't expect to do a lot of damage with them. Some are great though like Estelle's Morale:

(Missed it, but it raised both their attack stat letting Joshua one shot both enemies)

 

Joshua has the Double Slash Crafts which is a pretty cheap CP (what crafts use) and hits enemies twice for 75% of his normal attack. Very useful for tactics and art breaking though...unfortunately this game is pitifully easy so you probably won't worry about that much.

([Edgy Voice] "We're not do yet')

 

And now we go into something a bored localization member did:

(Is that sarcasm?)

 

So something about the first game is that every chest was coded individually to say "the chest was empty" and so the loc team would have to write that every single time due to poor programming. Some guy said "Fuck it, I'll put whatever I want" and every empty chest has a unique quote. They later added this to the SC and 3rd due to its popularity in the West. Even CSII recieved special chest sayings which some pun master put them all in. These are not found in the original Japanese just like autosaving and the speed-up button.

(If you're asking if we'll ever go behind here...not in this game. At least we do get to find out what's behind there...unlike a certain franchise a certain fangame(s) is based off of)

(DO NOT DO THIS UNLESS FORCED TO!)

(Again, don't do this unless necessary or on a boss)

(And now we introduce our trump card)

 

So since I'm forced to show this...this is an S-craft

(Once you hit 100 CP your character glows like this)

(You select a target like this)

(Darn...I missed the finishing swing)

 

S-crafts are your trump card as not only are they your strongest attack, but they also can be activated at any point in the battle as long as you have 100 CP (200 CP makes them even stronger). These attacks are also very flashy and can have a different range of effects. Some are individual enemies while others can heal or buff the party (usually both if 200 CP). They also have quotes with my favorite being:

 

"For the sake of my master, I must stop you."

 

Pretty sure on Normal mode you can S-craft spam your way to victory on bosses (I know you can for Cold Steel normal mode for half the game) so that's one way to breeze through the game. This all is about to be tied together in which it all makes sense...and reminder that this is a turn based RPG.

(This, my friend is where everything comes together)

 

So if you see the thing on the left, that's basically the battle forecaster and although you don't know who the enemies are going to attack or what they are going to use, you know exactly when they will go and you also will know exactly when you'll go next. Every action you do causes a lag time delay before you can take another action. Crafts have more wait time then attacks. Artes have roughly the same wait time as attacks though the time is split to when you attack (adding an additional action to the order). Defeating an enemy also causes the turn order to shift up since that enemy can no longer take an action (same goes for fainted party members). S-craft is your trump card as it can cut in the turn order at any given time which now I'll take about the attributes for the battle forecaster:

 

So there's 4 basic attributes in FC (there's like 20 kinds by Cold Steel): Increased attack, healing HP/EP/CP, Septith bonus, and critical. Increased attack boosts your damage by the percent shown (usually it's just 10% in this game). Healing is based on the Icon and Percent. Yellow is for HP, Green CP, and Blue for Ep. The Sepith bonus is additional Sepith gained per hit on the enemies. The more hits you get the bigger the bonus which certain attacks hit once while others hit multiple times. Critical shown by an explanation mark doubles the damage you do. Whoever has the icon as shown below is given that bonus. FC is really tame so only Crits matter and by the way, there are no crits in this game other than that and by equipping certain items and quartz. That means you can't get screwed over by a random crit since you'll know it's coming. This really helps make battles more engaging...outside of this one. 

(I say as I almost die)

 

I don't know why but the enemy in the far back doesn't move...well at least that's end of this tutorial. 6 monsters in a fight isn't that bad...and would've been easier if I certain someone wasn't forced to start at 0 CP. I probably won't showcase too many battles outside of bosses since even those usually are a joke in this game. Biggest problem with this game's combat is that it's too limited and enemies are too weak.

(All that work just for a box)

(So there was a box inside a box. There's probably a box inside those boxes too)

(Estelle, you better not give us a game over)

 

So while you don't do it here, you're often given choices in this game. If you perform the correct choice, you'll be rewarded even more. If you pick a wrong choice though, you won't be punished too much and at least get the base reward. There's many quests which you can go the extra mile as well to earn an even better reward which we'll get to soon.

(Yeah, would you believe this also is part of the tutorial)

 

So what this is teaching you is to think about your actions. I feel Cold Steel does this better by giving you an opportunity to fail and not missing out on the bonus points showing you should carefully think what you're doing. Though you won't be able to get a perfect unless you follow a guide as there's many easy to miss or screw up things to get the best ranking. Some of which aren't worth the effort. It's still better than flat out telling you like most games would.

(And Estelle almost failed to nobody's surprise.)

(By the way, Joshua is the smart one of the group. He can kind of do it all)

(Yeah! We get to learn what we had to find)

(This also is very important)

 

Yeah something that's kind of is important is that a sidequest isn't finished until you report it. The bracer book helps keep track of what you need to do so sometimes it's best to finish a group of quests and report them all at once. The most important thing is that as long as you finish the quest, there is no time expiration to report them, unlike completing the quest. They are time sensitive and you could miss out on it if you wait too long (which is why it's best to try and get them done asap).

(Unless you're playing Cold Steel)

 

You see this, this is how you earn the bulk of your money in the game. You don't really ever need to grind for it so long as you do sidequests. Only motive for fighting enemies is three things 1) Sepith, 2) Levels, and 3) the battle theme:

 

Spoiler

 

(I have no idea why they went for smooth jazz as the battle themes, but it works somehow. Though I prefer the danger theme and every other game's battle theme over this one)

(And this, my friends is what you suffer through all the tutorials for)

(Oops...I hit talk instead of report)

(500 mira for going through a tutorial. If only all games were this nice)

 

So all the stuff in parentheses is rewards for doing extra tasks not required by the quest or making the right choices in the main quests. Yeah, you get extra cash and Bracer Points (BP) by doing a good job. And speaking of that, the first Cold Steel (not the second) went away with paying for quests only giving rewards which with an even bigger cast made mira shortages all too common. Thank Aidios for Omlette boy there. It's not a terrible shortage but it's apparent. This game you'll rarely have Mira shortage.

(And we're rank 9...only 8 more ranks to go. Hooray)

 

I think I was rank 3 by the end of this game. I could actually find out if I wanted. The top tier ranked rewards aren't all that great.

(If you think Schera is bad...she's a saint to Aina)

(WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS ARE YOU RUNNING BACK HERE!)

(DON'T! It's a tarp!)

(Ah the junior bracer badge)

(It's 3 o'clock. Jeeze that tutorial took longer than I thought)

(You're in my hood now)

(...I can't remember why Joshua wanted to be a bracer. I have a good guess though)

(It truly is the best feeling when you barely pass something so I'd probably do that as well)

(Nah. I'm pretty sure this is kind of the dead time for bracers. Just wait until Jaegers get involved)

(About that...)

 

So something you learn in 3rd is that Schera was kind of like Estelle and maybe even worse. I was always on the line with Schera but that door event kind of ended up winning me over. I also image how she treats Estelle is similar to how Cassius treated her though every bracer has their own unique way of teaching their students.

(Still doesn't make him any less of a terrible father)

(Pretty sure Schera is a C-rank bracer)

 

So something about bracers is that they're ranked from G-A...or something like that. The closer you are to A, the more respected you are and often go on more dangerous and out of country missions. Despite being a totem pole, A rank bracers are usually the only ones that travel out of country and often in the most dangerous or areas that need bracers the most. That's actually why there aren't too many A-ranked Bracers in Liberl. And while gameplay wise you can reach A-rank, lore wise it's actually very difficult to do so.

(If you are young and even a C rank you are considered very, very good)

(I mean...she isn't wrong)

(Yeah, we did the easiest thing in the game. Let's celebrate with fish)

(I actually didn't know this)

 

So my guess is that most people become bracers at 18...mostly due to schooling which is two years. It's actually a fact I didn't know until this playthrough that they were the youngest which is kind of an interesting fact.

(I don't think little boys would be dumb enough to charge out to fight deadly monsters)

(Good thing Estelle isn't a girl)

(Wait...there's other places to get milk. I wanna try that stuff)

(High pony you created...probably because you didn't want to do homework)

(Believe me, that tis a wound upon any human being and a danger to the world)

(Well they let you become one, didn't they?)

(I think Father Fate would pull the trigger at that thought)

(Sure, kid. Sure. You see how far that takes you)

 

So fun fact, Luke actually gets a portrait in the second game despite not being relevant at all. Go figure.

(Pretty sure you are the one egging him on though)

(I'd be jealous too...)

 

So you remember how "All boys dream to become bracers." It's funny how all the dialogue connects and really shows how tied the lore is together. We haven't really even hit the modern politics.

(And boys will be boys)

(This is gonna be a long journey, isn't it?)

 

I'm not going to defend Estelle because I really didn't care for her in first chapter. I'll just say the onion boy makes everything better. I haven't seen enough of Lloyd yet, but Kevin is my favorite of the 3 main protags so far and he's in the "side game." Now let me show you the bracer book again:

 

As you can see, it got pretty updated since last time we checked. I thought the 3 rules were in this one but I guess not. This'll be updated chapter by chapter and more tabs are added over time. Any question you have though is always found in this book. Except history which we have quite a bit that happened in 50 years alone. That's a whole different demon which we'll talk about over time. And also, this game or part isn't as bad as I remember. I guess that's a plus.