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Overview

Trails Into Reverie marks the 10th installment in Nihon Falcom’s long-running series, "The Legend of Heroes," more commonly known as the "Trails Series." As a precursor, it's important to mention that Reverie may not be the ideal entry point for newcomers. This isn't meant to gatekeep or be elitist, but rather to emphasize that the game builds upon the foundation established in the previous six titles, including the Crossbell duology and the Cold Steel saga. New players diving into "Reverie" without this extensive context might find it challenging to digest the information. While the game does provide a visual novel-style recap, it may not fully capture the scope of this ambitious epic. With that said, does Reverie offer a satisfying conclusion to the series?

Gameplay

Three Trails to Explore
For the first time in the series, the narrative unfolds from the perspectives of three different main characters. We follow Lloyd Bannings, the protagonist of Trails from Zero, Rean Schwarzer from Trails of Cold Steel, and a mysterious masked character simply referred to as 'C.' Players have the freedom to switch between these routes until reaching a specific story point that forces a switch. This dynamic approach to storytelling leads to more varied pacing and story development.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3057944555
The True Reverie Corridor
A significant portion of the game takes place in the True Reverie Corridor (TRC), a mysterious pocket dimension outside of time and space. Here, players can access randomly generated dungeons with high-level combat encounters. While the repetitive nature of this system might be an issue, it's offset by the intriguing plot surrounding the TRC. The deeper you venture, the more secrets you uncover. Reverie brings together characters from previous games, fulfilling the dream of many long-time series fans who've wondered what it would be like if characters from different titles joined forces.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3057941833
Combat System
Reverie extends the already robust combat and character system from Trails of Cold Steel. With a solid foundation laid down in the first game and continuous improvements, this system is highly flexible but can also feel overwhelming. The central element in all Trails games, the battle orbments, allows for the conversion of energy from quartz gems into powerful magical arts and passive stat bonuses.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3057938304
Each character has innate strengths in certain stats, but the flexibility of the orbment system enables flexible character builds.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3057936916
The synergies between these systems make character development and combat a joy, even when facing formidable endgame opponents. However, the abundance of options can potentially allow experienced players to shatter the game.
Games Within the Game
Reverie introduces various side activities and mini-games, from shoot 'em up games, Tetris, and trivia quizzes to card games and a mech action fighting game. While these diversions can be enjoyable in moderation, indulging too heavily in them might lead to burnout by the end.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3057940116

Story

Without giving away too many spoilers, Reverie provides a satisfying conclusion to the series' overarching narrative. It serves as the culmination of the character arcs introduced over the previous six games. Even side characters and NPCs from Crossbell and Erebonia have their roles, illustrating how interconnected everyone is with the unfolding events. Each character's route is compelling, but special mention goes to C's route, showcasing Falcom's strongest writing chops in recent years.
Reverie is also filled with various side stories called daydreams. these daydreams act like vignettes from various characters from playable to NPCs that completes the pieces of the puzzle. sometimes you have short combat sections, or fully visual-novel style where the players have no controls except to advance the dialogue. I enjoyed all of them and proves once again these peripheral characters and stories are what made me love the series so much.

Technical Issues and Bugs

Specs: RTX 3080, Ryzen 3700x, 16GB RAM, 1440p
The PC port, developed by Durante and his team at PH3, is exemplary. It runs smoothly and offers extensive customization options and quality-of-life features, such as the turbo mode, which helps with lengthy battle animations.

Graphics and Visuals

Reverie uses the same engine as the previous two Trails games. While its technical graphics might resemble those of a PS3 game, there's a commendable effort to make the game visually appealing. Character details, city architecture, and overall environmental design capture the essence and atmosphere of each location. Although the cities in Reverie maintain their trademark visual charm, the True Reverie Corridor can feel repetitive due to its procedural generation. Notably, the monster and enemy designs stand out, offering a nostalgic reimagining of older 2D Trails games' foes in 3D.
Reverie represents Falcom's first attempt at motion-captured animation. While it's not flawless, it adds cinematic flair to significant scenes that may have felt stiff in previous games.

Audio and Music

The soundtrack, while not bad, may be one of the weaker entries in Falcom's library. While there are some standout tracks, overall, they may feel somewhat lackluster in comparison to other Falcom titles.
Regarding the voice work, both the returning and new English cast deliver commendable performances. The game maintains an anime-like voice direction and talent selection, which can be a turnoff or a positive aspect depending on your personal preferences. In general, it feels like a well-executed anime dub.

Conclusion

Reverie is an expansive title that may be a bit overwhelming for casual players. However, for long-time Trails fans, it offers a satisfying conclusion filled with high-level combat challenges and hundreds of hours spent in a beloved world with beloved characters.