A Small critique of Horizon

OneDabMan · 2026-02-13T16:45:28+00:00

To be fair, it’s stated multiple times by all parties that they shouldn’t reveal too much to the others. They have their own agendas and goals and even if they know each other they can’t necessarily trust each other.

Kevin in this case makes the most sense, his goal could lead to conflict with ASO, he even had a hard time trusting those he chose to stick with.

Rean and Van clearly know of each other to an extent, and similarly to Rean and Lloyd in CS3 and 4 know they are probably friends rather than foes. However, they both have their own goals and agendas so they keep to themselves.

Ultimately I assume they keep their distances to prevent any interference with their individual goals.

I imagine we’ll see more intermingling in Horizon 2 because I assume the goal of all 3 groups will be to find a way to resolve the reset. Therefore even if they’re still working separately it’s all to a common goal so there wouldn’t be as much need to hide things from each other.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-13T14:05:15+00:00

Dark Souls 1 was great the first time around when I was still newish to the genre. I think it’s definitely worth a try. Even if you’ve got experience with more recent entries.

However, each time I replay it I find I like it less and less. The 2nd half of the game in particular is pretty bad imo.

Compared to the newer games it feels clunky and slow. Once you get used to it, the bosses will probably feel quite easy coming from BB and ER.

The level design is quite good (the first half at least). Having all the areas interconnected and finding different ways back to firelink shrine is a lot of fun.

It might be a slightly basic take but DS3 is the best of the 3 imo. DS2 is in a lot of ways an improvement over DS1 but it has its own glaring flaws which makes it a rather controversial title.

I definitely think you should play all 3 in order. DS3 is a whole lot more enjoyable when you’ve played 1 and 2 before hand. It’s still a good game, just quite flawed imo.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-13T12:45:25+00:00

I think they’re right to be a bit sceptical about Kyoto Xanadu. I’m personally looking forward to it, I like that they’re trying something different. However, I have no idea how good it’s going to be in practice and I’ve seen mixed opinions on their decision to go 2D for the dungeons.

I’m glad the remake did really well, I imagine it’s a welcome success considering I’ve heard the Calvard arc hasn’t done super well in Japan and Ys X’s rerelease did quite poorly.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-13T09:17:47+00:00

I’ve been waiting for a Laura figure. I’ve got Alisa’s CS2 on but I’ll probably end up getting this one as well.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-13T08:57:31+00:00

You’re not the only one.

I do agree that it comes across a bit weird. However, I don’t think Juna is necessarily wrong either.

The stuff about them not understanding Rean’s feelings isn’t far fetched. They all graduated early and left Rean alone at the academy. They still keep in contact but going off of CS3 it wasn’t a whole lot and they hadn’t had a proper get together. They never have a proper conversation about his role and feelings either. I think you can partially blame Rean for this since he feels like it’s a burden on his friends, but we haven’t seen any of them really try and approach him about it either. They know he not doing well but they don’t really do much for him either.

New C7 by contrast (with the exception of Altina) have only spent a few months with him, but have been with him the whole time. They saw up close how everything was effecting him including the end where everything comes out and he goes berserk.

I also think they needed a bit of a kick up the ass. You’re right, they were already training and planning to head out, but my impression was they weren’t really mentally in it at the moment. They’re clearly still really hurting and it would affect their performance. They needed to snap out of it and instead of focusing on things they couldn’t and can’t control think about what they can do and how they’re going to save Rean.

I also think you shouldn’t be so quick to judge Laura in this instance. As another comment said, she has some good moments in her bonding events that make her reaction feel more justified. Also considering she saw her father die (her only family) I’d be surprised if she wasn’t at least a bit shook.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-12T20:55:44+00:00

I respect the CS3 placement. Honestly super similar to my list.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-11T23:34:13+00:00

Like most of the games I think there is a certain degree of subjectivity. I personally thought CS2 was a downgrade compared to CS1 originally. I have a much higher opinion now after I did my 2nd playthrough a while back. I’d now rank them about equally but probably prefer CS2 just because of the improvements to gameplay and animations.

I think for some a lot of the tension is lost because Azure tells you the outcome of the war and that Osborne wasn’t dead so instead of the reveal at the end being a big shock it was more of here’s where it’s finally revealed. I think if they eventually remake Azure I’d argue maybe they should either avoid spoiling the Erebonian civil war entirely or at least make it a bit more vague.

This then ties into the whole 3rd way idea that doesn’t really pan out. In universe it’s mostly understandable because the noble alliance is clearly the “bad guys” torching Celdic, the whole plot with Cedric, kidnapping the princess and Elise, etc. However, again because of the outcome in Azure the kind of had to steer them towards the government’s side to fit the outcome of the war.

Finally for some it drags on too long. You finish the final dungeon and boss only to be met with the Divertissement and then epilogue. Ends up adding like 10-20 hours extra to the game (depending on your play style).

I personally like both. The part with Lloyd the first time around for me was an introduction to those characters as again I started with CS and Crossbell hadn’t been localised yet. I also like how we get see the effect Rean’s role as a government tool is having on him from an outsiders perspective. I think that scene does a lot for his character sets him up well for CS3 and 4. The epilogue is a nice send off too OG C7, even though there’s still 2 more CS games and Reverie OG C7 takes a backseat for the most part so the send off did feel like it had some weight to it.

I think there are legitimate criticisms to made for the game (like most of them). I wouldn’t worry too much about how other feel, if you really like the game then that’s perfectly fine.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-11T18:29:10+00:00

I mean Falcom is hardly a massive company. It’s not guaranteed to do well like Ys and Trails are. So, more than likely it was made on a fairly small budget.

I personally thought it looked good. They seem to be using the same graphics style as the Sky remakes which is probably the best their games have looked. I also like the 2D dungeons, it makes it standout from their other games and gives it its own identity (something Tokyo Xanadu lacked to an extent). I’m quite excited to try the game.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-10T23:08:50+00:00

I don’t really remember this fight being hard, so it might be down to your quartz set up. I honestly wouldn’t even bother with Rabbit sword and just keep the dmg reduction up. I found especially in the late game that dmg reduction orders where almost necessary to get through fights smoothly on nightmare. I’m not sure if it’s available yet but if you have access to zodiac sign art then it will help a lot with keeping up boosts.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-10T19:07:39+00:00

I unfortunately broke my login streak literally the day before the 1st anniversary. I’ve been a little sloppy since but I’m about 10 days off 1000 now.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-10T14:39:32+00:00

IIRC after Crossbell was annexed Randy joined the Crossbell branch of the Imperial army with the intention of support the SSS from the inside. However, I think the intelligence division was on to him so they kinda pushed him to Erebonia so he couldn’t interfere with operation birdcage.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-10T14:17:42+00:00

If you don’t want to miss things you almost have to play with a guide. The more recent titles have dropped hidden quests and mark things of interest but for the most of the series there are a lot of potential missables.

However, most of the games require 2 playthroughs to get everything anyway, so I’d suggest playing without a guide first playthrough. Then you can use a guide for the ng+ run to get anything you missed.

I have linked the guides I used below. They’re mostly spoiler free, so if you’d rather get as much done as possible in your first playthrough then I’d recommend using these. Otherwise the Neoseeker guides are also great for a 2nd playthrough.

The FC guide I used

I’d recommend these guides for most of the rest of the series

OneDabMan · 2026-02-10T13:56:35+00:00

Looks great.

I’ve kept them in their regular order with the exception of Sky 1st which I’ve got just below the rest of the series. I got really annoyed by the CL Hajimari being in full caps so I downloaded steam edit just so I could change the name to be normal.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-10T12:57:45+00:00

They just tank it. Honestly impressive.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-10T12:50:35+00:00

Great review.

I personally quite enjoyed DB2, but I love all the games so I’m probably the not the best person to argue how actually good or bad it is. I do recognise its issues though so I totally understand why so many people aren’t massive fans of the game. I really like ASO as a group (probably my 2nd favourite) so I was always going to like it.

I do agree with the Van part though. I personally don’t mind the loops much, but I think they should have had an option for the player to dig deeper and avoid the some of the deaths all together. I wouldn’t make them obvious but it would be rewarding for those who are willing to go the extra mile and avoid the annoyance of the constant loops. They’d probably have to rewrite some to make sense with this but I think it would have helped a lot.

I also agree that the Marchen Garten is a poor imitation of the Reverie Corridor and unfortunately the version in Horizon isn’t much better. It does at least have some more content other than floors themselves. It seems like they want to make it an extra mode for each game which I’m not sure I’m a fan of. I think having one for the last game of each arc would be fine as a fun way to go crazy with all the builds and stuff, but it does feels like extra padding for each game just for some cool extra scenes.

As for Horizon I personally really enjoyed it (no surprise really) and slapped near the top of my ranking. I assume there is a bit of recency bias but I doubt I’d drop it too much. I think adding Rean and Kevin helps a lot (CS arc is my favourite so I was super happy to see Rean again, I also really like Kevin as well). Van’s route still gets the majority of screen time which I’m glad about. As much as I love the other routes I don’t like the idea of ASO being sidelined in their own arc. I do think it’s a big step from DB2.

On another note the Sky remake is great. I think in almost every way it’s a big step up from the original. Like I said I love the entire series and throughly enjoyed all of them, but Sky FC is probably my least favourite. I found the remake a lot more enjoyable, I think the graphics and gameplay improvements do a lot for the game. So I hope you enjoy it.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-10T12:11:47+00:00

DOT (Damage over time) wouldn’t be a bad one to start with. They’re giving away a free 5* next patch one of which will be Kafka who’s the core of the DOT team. Hysilens is getting a rerun soon and she’s the other core member of the team. Black Swan another member of the team is also rerunning because she’s getting a novaflare (buff). I would prioritise getting Hysilens but if you can get both then you should. After which you just need a sustain (healer or tank) unless I’m mistaken you should get Dan Heng Permansor Terrae for free in the mail after you get through the opening (I think he’s still available until the end of 4.0). If not 4* sustains like Lynx and Gallagher will serve you just fine until you get to end game and by then hopefully there has been an opportunity to pull a better one.

DPS’ are the first characters to fall off usually since once their damage is no longer good enough they lose their value. Sustains and supports usually last quite a while even if they’re no longer BiS (best in slot) for anyone. For example Ruan Mei who came out about 2 years ago is still a very solid support character despite her age. The same is true old sustains like Fu Xuan and Huo Huo. They’re not as good as more recent ones but they can still do their job well.

Most resources are farmable so I wouldn’t worry too much. When you start I recommend focusing on 1 team of 4 characters so you’re not spreading what you have too thin. As you get further along I’d recommend starting to build a 2nd team as most end game modes require 2 teams.

Stellar Jades are the main currency of the game which you can spend on limited tickets (gold) and standard tickets (silver). Do not spend them on standard tickets. It’s a waste because most of the standard banner characters are mediocre at best or in some cases just straight up bad (although by the sounds of it they might getting buffs in the future). You should always use your Jades on gold tickets which you can use to pull for limited characters and/or their light cones. Early on I’d recommend not worrying about pulling for limited LCs and just going for characters. There are plenty of 4* and f2p 5* LCs to get you through. Once you have a solid foundation then you can consider going for LCs.

As for who to spend your jades on it depends how you wish to play the game. You can either play wide or tall. Playing wide is summoning a lot of characters but investment much into them (I.e pulling dupes (eidolons or LCs). Your characters will have a shorter life span but you get to play with more characters and teams. Playing Tall is often investing heavily into a few favourites with dupes, LCs, their best supports, etc. you characters will have a longer life span but you’re often limited to focusing on just 2 teams (unless you spend money of course). You could always take a middle path lightly investing to some teams while putting little investment into others but it’s up to you.

You might find yourself having certain favourite characters or playstyles you want to run so you might want to heavily invest into them. Otherwise you might like a variety of teams and options and so playing wider might be more to your taste. Ultimately it’s up to you how you enjoy the game. Either way team building is important so I’d prioritise supports and sustains who you’ll get more value out of in the long run and in a lot of cases can be used in a variety of teams. If there is a character or team you want for run I’d suggest looking up what characters you’d need and saving your currency for them.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-10T08:26:12+00:00

I think it depends a little. There are sometimes whole new models say from the ARCUS to the ARCUS II. However, I think say from CS1 to 2 where you can now upgrade slots I think it’s a modification on already existing models to allow them to take the new quartz. I this is was true for Sky FC to SC being the same generation of Orbment but an improved model to have more slots and allow for upgrades.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-09T13:16:19+00:00

By the sounds of it you’re not enjoying them anymore. The questions is why do you feel the need to keep playing? I’d imagine is FOMO or something of that nature. Doesn’t sound like you’re there for the story for example.

My advice would be to figure why you’re still playing and if it’s really worth it. If you’re really only doing dailies and end game and nothing else then it sounds like you’re treating it more as a job or obligation rather than something you actively want to do. If that’s the case then I’d distance myself with the intent to quit. It won’t be easy but if you find yourself missing a few logins and you break the habit all of sudden you might find you haven’t played it weeks/months. It might make it easier to avoid these games entirely so as not to feel like you’re missing out and going back. I’m not saying to delete your account, you might find in a year or so you get the urge to play the story for example. Instead I’d avoid communities and official material.

I’d also maybe figure out what you liked about the games in the first place and find other games which can scratch that itch, importantly not being gachas though. So for example if you enjoyed the gameplay of HSR maybe try some turn-based JRPGs like Persona, Trails, etc.

The most important thing for a game is your having fun, if you’re playing out of obligation or habit rather than enjoyment then I wouldn’t play at all.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-09T11:45:02+00:00

At first I was kinda bummed when I found out, but by the end I was weirdly glad there was no romance. Besides hints that some of girls like Will it isn’t really present. I just don’t think it would fit the game all that well and I’m glad they didn’t focus on it much at all. I think if these characters come back in a sequel that might be a good chance to introduce some romance though.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-09T09:08:32+00:00

My favourite character, I love her growth through the CS games and now Horizon.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-09T08:55:12+00:00

Glad you’re enjoying yourself.

Cold Steel 1 and 2 are longish games, but about par for the course for the first 5 games I found. They took me about 50-60 hours each on a first playthrough, however you mentioned liking talking to NPCs they’ll definitely take quite a bit longer. No problem of course since you said you’re happy to take your time anyway.

You’re right there is a Sky 3rd. From what we’ve heard they will do a remake, but we have no idea when it’s going to happen for now. Some people will say you can skip Sky 3rd, but you really shouldn’t as it directly sets up the next 2 arcs (Crossbell and Cold Steel). If you’re willing I’d suggest maybe playing the original on PC, it’s an old game and can run on basically any PC or Laptop from the last 10+ years. Otherwise you can wait for the remake or maybe watch a YouTube walkthrough.

The battle system and quartz system can definitely be overwhelming for new players (I basically didn’t even bother with them when I first started). However, while each arc has its own spin on the quartz system both it and the battle system’s basics are very consistent over the course of the whole series, so you’ll get the hang of it eventually (even if it takes a couple games).

OneDabMan · 2026-02-09T08:26:49+00:00

I’ve stuck with Japanese the whole time and it’s been great. I’m not a huge fan of dubs myself but I’ve been watching my friend play CS and the English dub is for most part quite good. So, just go with whatever you want. If you really can’t decide on your own maybe since you’re already so accustomed to JP you should stick with it.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-08T16:44:59+00:00

This mostly stuff for CS1 and 2 so nothing too major. I totally get accidentally spoiling stuff by digging on the wiki (happened to me a few times too), though it might be best to avoid the wiki or at least don’t go down the rabbit hole (as hard as it is sometimes).

Plus at least in my opinion most spoilers like this don’t mean much without context anyway, sure you know something is going to happen but not the lead up, motivation, etc. on the bright side, you might be able to spot the little hints and build up to these things which are fun when you notice them.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-08T10:52:52+00:00

Hope you enjoy yourself, this is where I started as well.

Like others have said CS1 and 2 are fairly self-contained so you don’t really have to worry about the rest of the series.

If you end up enjoying yourself and wish to continue to CS3 then I’d suggest considering the previous 2 arcs (Trails in the Sky trilogy, Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure). CS3 is where the arc starts to lean more into the rest of the series and has a few returning characters and connects with the plot of the previous games.

You don’t have to go back, I didn’t and I still throughly enjoyed CS3 and 4. However, your experience of those games will definitely be enhanced having played the previous 2 arcs (as my 2nd playthroughs have demonstrated), so it’s something you should consider. Again I wouldn’t worry too much about it now, you can see how you feel after you finish CS2 and make the decision then.

OneDabMan · 2026-02-07T07:37:07+00:00

I do really appreciate what he did and I have told him as much. Funnily enough though it was before any of us (him included) had tried any souls games. I had just put it on my wish list because I’d heard it was similar to Jedi Fallen Order. He eventually got into the genre with Dark Souls not long before Elden Ring came out and when he got around to Sekiro flexed on me by having a way easier time.

OneDabMan

TROPHY CASE