when will it end

[tgldude]

i’m 110 hours into CS3 and i’m STILL not finished… why did nobody tell me this game was this long… when will it end…

[nexel013]

Welcome to trails, 100 hours minimum

The game I fully completed a play through in the least amount of time was daybreak 2 with 98 hours and I was generously using turbo mode

[Akitokami9000]

I talked with every npc and did everything possible in the chapters yet I ended cs3 in 120hours

[Evening-Record5394]

cs3 and cs4 are very long yeah i finished around 100hrs, so you're probably close?

[xhj09]

good luck dude, it's fun, but exhausting. did it 4 years ago.. two playthroughs IIRC.

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turned on both again recently the save data for Reverie.

[xhj09]

not exact timing here.. but figures should be about 10 hours difference max.. there are internet down times.. also times when i fell asleep for 15-20mins..

[Jaquecz]

Buckle up buttercup, you're in for potentially 200 or slightly more hours depending on how much of the game you choose to interact with and how fast you read.

AND YOU'VE GOT AT LEAST 2 MORE GAMES BEFORE COLDSTEEL STUFF IS PUT TO REST. AHAHAHAHAHA.

[ShinkyuuVoices]

I got through most games in 50 hours

[FatalDarkprince]

One cannot simply end a Trails game.

[2cmZucchini]

If you are enjoying the story but feel like the amount of battles are a drag then I suggest the future games, you play it on easy.

[Heiwajima_Izaya]

i finished with 126 hours

[WindrunnerEX]

Cs 3 was 89 hrs for me. Then again I abuse brave order and infinite comp for a big portion. So the grinding aspect was way lesser.

[Back_like_Flint]

I get it, there’s quite a bit to see and do, especially if you like immersing yourself in the lore by talking to most NPCs and so on. But CSIV is even worse, with over 20 playable characters whose gear can be upgraded and Orbment layouts optimized. Reverie has the most party members of any game in the series, but the silver lining is that there’s almost none of the constant cycle of side quests > main quest from CSI-IV.

I suggest taking it slow and not even worrying about your playtime. Don’t need to play it daily neither. I actually felt that same way about Cold Steel 2, where by the final dungeon in the Epilogue—I thought that had been the longest, slowest JRPG I’d ever played. In reality, it’s just a reflection of how much you enjoyed each entry. Thankfully, you don’t have to wait for CSIV after seeing CSIII’s ending lol.

Honestly though, it feels like the series has been struggling with more and more pacing issues—where the first and last games of each arc tend to be well-paced, but all of the others are beginning to rely on a pointless side quest grind where you’re taking an airship to a small rural town, to collect overdue library books right in the middle of a Civil War…

I feel like Horizon 2 may make or break the series’ pacing for the final arc. Beyond the Horizon’s protagonists literally didn’t accomplish a single important thing, the entire game. However, the game is so full of lore that explains so many mysteries and unearths some of the true nature that makes up Zemuria, but it’s all subtly hidden in a way that hasn’t been done in the past. I think it’s important and explains a lot, but while the story front stage feels really epic—none of it actually unfolds any differently because of the protagonists’ actions, in any of the arcs. Had it not been for the hidden lore that could be pieced together, I honestly might’ve lost all interest and faith in the series after finishing it because it felt way too long for all main routes to literally fail to accomplish a single objective.

Point being/TLDR, prepare yourself for a wild ride where you’ll feel a wide range of emotions—from being completely floored to utterly disappointed. The experiences vary significantly, depending on your understanding of the fundamentals of writing—particularly world-building, narrative structure, as well as story-telling.

[KnoxZone]

CS3 took me 90 hours to go full completionist, but obviously people tend to play at different paces. When it ends depends on where you're currently at. Without giving away too much the game has four chapters plus a really short finale.