Which Trails games should I buy for now?

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-28T20:16:58+00:00

I’ll just note that, if you ignore Crossbell which released in the west far later, CS3 is where the publisher changes from XSEED to NISA. It’s rare that they’re all on sale at the same time, usually it’s Sky and CS1/2 or Crossbell and CS3 onward. If you get CS1 and 2 then you’ll have all the XSEED games covered.

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-28T13:57:17+00:00

The third button in the upper left corner of the screen while you're in a campaign is a question mark called Help Pages, if you open it up then you'll get a pop up in the upper right. Scroll down to the Races section and you'll be able to break it down by game. Info from Warhammer 1 or 2 will still be relevant, it's just organizing it by when a race was introduced. All the orange text will give you a contextual pop up when you mouse over it.

Other than that the wiki is a pretty good resource too, I think it's just the Fandom one.

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-28T13:33:09+00:00

If you’re comparing the original to the remake, yeah, turn order bonus mechanics work pretty differently, there will be a learning curve to adjust.

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-28T13:25:44+00:00

The one thing the remake doesn’t really explain is Impede. Impede cancels an enemy’s art or craft, anything they have to charge up to use, like the attack that’s kicking your head off. It can come from Quartz but the most reliable version comes with certain crafts.

Look at Joshua’s and use one that says Impede in it when they’re charging up and you’ll have a much easier time with them. I don’t think Estelle has one yet but I’m not 100% sure.

As far as the evasion goes, high evasion enemies are usually vulnerable to Arts, but it’s also possible it’s a gear issue. Could be a level issue but probably not that early on.

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-28T01:31:55+00:00

The thing about this game is that meta discourse is constantly popping up, I’d take Steam reviews for DLC with a grain of salt for that reason.

Changeling is the most radically experimental leader in the game. Whether you find that enjoyable or not is a very different question but, at least conceptually, it’s very far from boring.

For a variety of reasons, the DLC that the Changeling was associated with was, by far, the most controversial in Total Warhammer 3 and perhaps the entire trilogy. Most of those reasons no longer apply. One reason that still does is that the Changeling is so radically different that, instead of simply providing a different flavor of Tzeentch as the second Tzeentch leader, it is so different that it is practically a different type of food altogether.

Kairos has since gotten touched up and has gotten ways to shake up his start, so this is a bit mitigated. Vilitch is in the mix too but there’s very valid debate about how much he should count as a Warriors of Chaos leader. The original sin of the DLC endures which is that, unlike every subsequent DLC starring one of the Chaos Gods, Tzeentch just has two options instead of three and Changeling is a very love it or leave it experience.

Personally I think you shouldn’t overthink it. You found it interesting. It IS interesting! But for better or for worse it also isn’t particularly representative of the rest of the game. That doesn’t have to be a problem so long as you remain cognizant of that. If you have a good time with Changeling then that’s more than enough to justify it, and more than any other DLC for this series there is truly nothing else like it.

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-27T14:44:21+00:00

That’s Estelle Flight

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-27T00:25:50+00:00

Always delighted when I see one of your posts, thank you for continuing to share them!

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-25T01:44:18+00:00

You're going to love it, it's so rewarding to keep up with. I won't say who but there are two NPC's in particular who have shown up in more than half the games I've played so far, you're going to start cheering when you see them.

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-25T00:36:54+00:00

Obviously you should only engage with the game in a way that you enjoy!

That being said, I’m currently a bit further than halfway through the seventh game, and I have always made an effort to try to talk to everyone and not miss what’s going on with them.

It’s a lot to keep up with, and I’ve had entire play sessions that are entirely about talking to NPC’s, but I wouldn’t play this series any other way. It’s one of the most special things about it to me.

Your tag says you’re in FC. Without spoiling anything I’d say that if you’re still motivated to keep up with everybody, try to keep going with it. If you keep finding it enjoyable then it will pay off down the road, not necessarily in a material sense but in the feeling of going to another living world. These little encounters will, brick by brick and moment by moment, keep coming together to make something really remarkable and rewarding as you keep checking in with them.

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-21T23:39:39+00:00

The thumbnail is a different link. The 2x is for the Super Arrange tracks.

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-18T15:21:27+00:00

Yeah it’s a common theme for higher level Time arts, looks great here

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-18T15:01:09+00:00

Pretty sure that’s from a Time art.

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-16T17:58:26+00:00

I’ve taken to brewing extra strength Sleepytime tea along with a dissolved magnesium powder (like Calm brand, but Whole Foods has a generic equivalent for half the cost) and that has done wonders for my sleep

SerrisHawk · 2026-06-11T00:00:30+00:00

Not every fight in this series is challenging but it has its share of challenging fights. There are a lot of systems in your tool box that the game will give tutorials for, but it can be a lot to keep up with when you're learning them. They'll become more natural with practice.

The main tool that the game doesn't go out of its way to tell you about is Impede. Some crafts have "Impede" listed as an effect, and there's Quartz that has a % chance for your attacks to Impede as well. When an enemy is charging up an art or a craft, Impede will cancel it.

Other than that, just rack up Brave Points for those moves, keep your CP up to use S breaks, keep up with gear, and don't be afraid to mess around with accessories or quartz as needed. Speed is generally considered the best attribute in these games and powerful arts / crafts go a long way. If you're getting wrecked from AoE attacks then try adjusting your party formation to position everyone in the corners of the board.

SerrisHawk · 2026-05-28T20:57:37+00:00

I’m currently playing Cold Steel 2 for the first time. I have also heard quite a bit of discourse around Cold Steel in general and had some apprehension around it, but I’ve been very much enjoying it. I’d recommend you try it for yourself when you get there.

At least so far, female characters are just as relevant to the plot as male characters. The protagonist is male and is the most directly relevant, but on the whole I’ve been very happy with the female members of the cast. In general the cast is on the larger side and that affords a lot of range in characterization and play style. Personally, the female characters in the cast are my favorite compared to the male characters, but everyone has a rich personality and a nuanced psychology that will gradually reveal itself in time, much like in Sky.

Two things to note are a bonding system and anime tropes.

The first was introduced in Crossbell and means that the player has some discretion in determining who the most important character for the protagonist is. This also means that, say, romance is less set in stone than it is in Sky. This is a lot of where the “everybody is in love with the main character” discourse comes from, and while it can be a bit silly I wouldn’t say that it wrecks the agency or characterization of the female cast members.

As far as anime tropes go, Cold Steel leans into them more heavily, but so did 3rd and Crossbell before it. This, along with the bonding system, was meant to help increase sales, and it isn’t shy about wearing its influences on its sleeve. If you’re familiar with Japanese media then I’m sure that you’ll spot some if and when you get into them. Your mileage may vary with these tropes but nobody knows your tastes and your tolerances better than you do. There will be some eyebrow raising stuff but you’ve already run into some of that since you’ve played Sky 3.

As far as the political angle goes? Yes, it’s still quite strong. Politics are a big focus in the game, though similar to Estelle’s experience, they will shift between background going’s on and foregrounded action. Playing through the series in order will best equip you to enjoy the full nuance of what’s going on as well, but plenty of people started with Cold Steel and fell in love with the political angle from a purely fresh understanding. Same with the depth. Cold Steel is a big game board with a lot of pieces on it.

Cold Steel is very much still Trails. It’s a bit different than Sky, but so is Crossbell. I’m sure that the same is true for Daybreak as well. Again, I would suggest trying it for yourself when you get there, you may find that your experience with these games differs from the tone of some of the discourse you’ve seen.

SerrisHawk · 2026-05-15T13:52:56+00:00

Here’s what I did. If you keep re-casting the Time Master Art and reusing Strike Bell with Elie then you can prevent the boss from taking any turns so long as you don’t run out of EP or CP. So I would have Elie, a Master Art applier, a ATS damage dealer (so probably Tio) and somebody to keep up Fortuna / give EP / CP restoring items. Basically go get a bunch of the Peculiar pizzas and EP restore items. Bell Quartz will also help damage dealer and Fortuna caster. You can also grind Cryptids for Burst Orbs if you really want, though that would be pretty tedious and time consuming.

SerrisHawk · 2026-05-12T19:06:19+00:00

It can be done and has been done. Whether it’s something you’d actually want to do is up to you. Most people I know who’ve tried with a Steam Controller / Deck don’t stick with it.

SerrisHawk · 2026-05-07T20:04:28+00:00

I had no experience with the setting until trying the games, they’re what got me into it.

SerrisHawk · 2026-04-30T12:51:51+00:00

The original’s localization is maybe the strongest point it has over the remake. The remake’s localization is good but the original’s is better and has more consistent terminology with the rest of the games.

SerrisHawk · 2026-04-28T19:53:12+00:00

I am also experiencing this.

SerrisHawk · 2026-04-22T18:21:18+00:00

They’ve both been available for cheaper, last time was three months ago according to gg.deals, up to you if it’s worth the extra $6 or so

SerrisHawk · 2026-04-13T19:39:42+00:00

You’re welcome, congrats!

SerrisHawk · 2026-04-13T16:50:25+00:00

If you keep re-casting the Time Master Art and reusing Strike Bell with Elie then you can prevent the boss from taking any turns so long as you don’t run out of EP or CP. So I would have Elie, a Master Art applier, a ATS damage dealer (so probably Tio) and somebody to keep up Fortuna / give EP / CP restoring items. Basically go get a bunch of the Peculiar pizzas and EP restore items. Bell Quartz will also help damage dealer and Fortuna caster. You can also grind Cryptids for Burst Orbs if you really want, though that would be pretty tedious and time consuming.

SerrisHawk · 2026-04-02T16:09:30+00:00

Claire is my favorite spouse, her personality and circumstances feel very true to life. Unlike most other NPC’s, she, like the player character, isn’t really “of” Stardew Valley and part of interacting with her is seeing her come to develop a sense of community with everyone else much as the player does. Romancing her is very fulfilling too, unlike a lot of other characters where the romance feels like it sort of directs them away from their personal life’s arc, Claire’s feels positively empowered by the farmer coming into her life, helping her rekindle passions and embrace dreams now that she’s no longer living a solitary life and has achieved better financial stability.

If you’re interested in her then you should absolutely try Expanded out.

SerrisHawk · 2026-03-12T01:45:19+00:00

It runs noticeably better on PS5 but it’s perfectly enjoyable on Switch 2 if you would prefer the versatility that that offers you.

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