Board 8 > It's about time that Luis plays through TLoH: Trails of Cold Steel (spoilers)

(+) Yeah! (+)

Here's a game that I'd been meaning to play for a while, yet was dangling tantalisingly out of reach unless I'd bought a PS3 for the express purpose. I was left pretty much hoping for a PC port, and lo and behold they eventually made one. Icon was kind enough to gift me it in exchange for furthering word of it in some way; so here we are in the first playthrough topic I've ever attempted. I never really considered people would be interested in episodic blurbs of a game I'm playing though before, but I guess we'll find out now!

I don't intend on detailing my reactions to every little thing that happens. It's fine for people who like to give exposition on their every plot point and cutscene, but I'll be more concise than that. I'll also be going into it almost totally blind. You can summarise my pre-knowledge of ToCS as being aware that it's a strategy/RPG kind of game, it's in the same series as Trails in the Sky (which I haven't played, but I think this is maybe in the same universe of a kind rather than a direct sequel), and the fact there was a Class VII Mercs build (which incidentally sparked my initial interest). So yeah, no spoilers as I'm going along would be just fantastic thanks.

I can't think of much else to say so I'll be jumping in!

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I could have been prepared to believe that the beginning of the game was the start of the story (it wouldn't have been the first to throw you straight into the fray after all), but given we're all starting at level 49, it kind of tips me off that we're being given a glimpse of the future before being parachuted back to simpler times at the end of however long they want to tease us for. What immediately strikes me is that I'm left to my own devices once combat begins, which feels like a throwback to games of old. Or maybe it's just a symptom of modern gaming that I'm half expecting an explanation for what everything does. Move? Skills? Crafts? We'll find out how best to use those as we go along then! A quick look at the notes section shows space for combat tips when they deign to fill me in, so in the meantime it seems like I'll just be muddling through the tutorial section until that stuff actually matters.

I come through the first couple of fights with the default party before I decide to switch things up. Everyone seems to get the same amount of EXP regardless of whether or not they're fighting, so I leave in the overleveled instructor and swap the awkward looking 'tall boy' for 'blue haired girl'. Much better. She hits like a truck so I don't feel like I'm sacrificing efficiency for aesthetic preference either. I'm aware of characters being linked as I fight, but I choose not to dwell on how to optimise it as I assume the time will come when this becomes relevant.

Eventually we come across two robots on whom auto-attacks will not suffice! Time to mess around with skills and crafts then! Magic doesn't seem all that strong until I use blue haired girl's S-craft, which eats a big chunk of health bar but uses all her CP. Whether it's because I'm worried about wasting the rest before a harder fight appears, or because it's making it seem to easy, I decide not to use another. They both soon fall, and yep, we're going back to Day 1 and the lowly depths of level 3.
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Our hero Raen bumps into blonde girl straight off of the train, and I'm already beginning to develop a headcannon where he wants nothing more to do with her. The "Hmm's" and "Uh-huh's" in response to her chatter, and then the "Huh, I completely forgot to ask her name. Oh well." just confirms it. We'll make a cynic out of you yet, Raen. An entrance ceremony and several anime tropes later, we have our first dungeon. It's pretty gentle, with even the boss not terribly taxing, but I suppose it's main purpose is to just set the tone. None of the characters have really stood out to me as especially likeable yet, other than Raen, oddly enough. I'm not normally drawn to the main character, but there's plenty of time for that to change. Elliot seems to be angling for the Yosuke position on the team, whilst they're really laying it on thick with the misogyny and projected self-loathing with Machias; they really don't want you to like that guy!

End of prologue seems like a good stopping point for the start of this topic. Expect more over the weekend.
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Tag.
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tag
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what is a Raen
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Fine, Rean. It sounds like it should be Raen though.
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rhymes with mean tbqh
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Persona protagonists are jealous of the mad amounts of pussy that Rean acquires for himself
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Tag.

Just to clarify, Trails in the Sky and Trails of Cold Steel do take place in the same world and have connections between them, but you don't really need to play TitS to understand Cold Steel since both games explain lore and stuff on their own. Just to avoid confusion, most times when the game vaguely mentions events which happened in a nation called "Liberl" is probably a reference to Trails in the Sky, since that is where the first game took place.

ninkendo posted...

Persona protagonists are jealous of the mad amounts of pussy that Rean acquires for himself

I still remember at the beginning of my playthrough topic when you made a comment about "Rean and his army of waifus". I actually thought you were exaggerating...
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Tag.
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