Intimate and grandiose

VIDEO GAME REVIEW
The Legend Of Heroes:
Trails Of Cold Steel III
Nintendo Switch

NIHOM Falcom’s The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel series enters the latter half of its quadrilogy with the release of the third installment. Pushed out on the Sony Playstation 4 last year and the personal computer earlier this year, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III has now also made its way to the Nintendo Switch to predictably stellar results. The extremely popular franchise’s steampunk setting mixed with magic locked away behind the mystical Quartz stands strong no matter what platform it is played on. Is it even a surprise, really?

Set a year and a half after the events of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II, the latest release has players following the exploits of student turned professor Rean Schwarzer. Tasked with teaching a brand new set of students at the Thors Military Academy (albeit away from the main campus), he soon finds himself leading them on missions around the continent. His eventual meddling has him stumbling on a plot far more sinister than he could’ve imagined, and only his skill as a warrior, along with the talents of his students and ex-classmates, can help him overcome obstacles along the way to a remarkable resolution.

The decidedly generic description of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III’s plot notwithstanding, the staples of Nihom Falcom’s solid writing are present throughout the game. And, needless to say, the presentation’s wonderful imagery is half the reason for the series’ loyal following. Its unique artstyle, while anime-inspired, doesn’t look cartoony or out of place, and players can easily appreciate the characters’ distinctive appearances. The various locations stand out; the modern grandeur of cities contrast heavily with the more industrialized, if cold, military settings.

To be sure, even those new to the franchise will find plenty to appreciate in The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III. As it unfolds at its typically deliberate pace, it is able to contextualize the importance of familiar characters while taking time to flesh out and develop the newer parts of its cast. Meanwhile, players already having devoted hundreds of hours to its predecessors will find plenty of new things to uncover, what with its storyline focusing on the Branch Campus. In school, interactions serve to deepen relationships. Outside its walls is a clearer picture of post-war proceedings. From the suburbs of Heimdallr in Central Erebonia to Crossbell in West Zemuria, change is portrayed through the eyes of citizens of the republic determined to restore a semblance of normalcy to their lives.

Significantly, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III runs exceedingly well on the Switch. Character models look good, backgrounds are sharp and colorful, cutscenes play smoothly, and the interface exhibits nary a hitch even when the screen is busy. In short, it’s a technical marvel that squeezes the most out of the hybrid console’s hardware limits in order to maximize the playing experience. And it remains eminently engaging when played undocked; the benefits of portability more than overcome any discernible hits in graphical fidelity.

Progression in The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is counted in days, but its sheer depth and the ample support provided by well-produced cutscenes lead to immersive gameplay. And, soon enough, Schwarzer and Company are thrust in battle. Not surprisingly, the superb combat mechanics in previous installments are retained save for a handful of improvements, among them the Brave Order system which grants the party of four hot-swappable characters collective offensive and defensive benefits. It faces the enemies in turn-based fashion, during which gamers can choose to improve field positioning, make use of items on inventory, or launch attacks. And, yes, certain instances again lend to mechanical warfare by way of Deus-Excellion and Panzer Soldat weaponry.

FOUR difficulty options are on tap, but it bears noting that The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III also has a Nightmare Mode that lives up to billing. As in all but the most crucial elements, gamers are given the option to speed up play. Most cutscenes can be skipped, and enabling Turbo Mode allows for accelerated combat phases and traversal of field areas and dungeons. In any case, at no point will the effective “rushing” compromise comprehension of the overarching narrative. Significantly, there’s also plenty for those so enjoined to stay on the other extreme of the spectrum. Side quests for bonuses abound. Vantage Master is, for all intents, a full-fledged deck builder, amping your stakes for in-game collectors. And, for good measure, fishing is back and still eminently enjoyable.

Indeed, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III proves to be more than the sum of its parts. It lures players in with excellent writing and keeps their interest with its excellent gameplay. It’s a veritable masterpiece designed to be both intimate and grandiose, darker than Trails of Cold Steel I and II but likewise deeply affecting. It can last anywhere from 70 to north of 100 hours, but, regardless of the time spent awash in its splendor, it culminates in a twist that ably earns its shock value. And therein lies what is, perhaps, it’s only lasting negative: the inevitable — and, under the circumstances, seemingly interminable — wait for The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV. Highly recommended.

THE GOOD:

• Deep combat system, relying more on team setups and planning than on brute force

• Outstanding storyline featuring easily relatable themes

• A technical marvel

THE BAD:

• Game mechanics may overwhelm less-patient newcomers to the series

• Uneven character development

• A very slow burn

RATING: 9.5/10

POSTSCRIPT: Anyone familiar with the survival horror/visual novel series Corpse Party already knows what to expect from it. After first releasing in Japan back in 1996 on the personal computer, Corpse Party officially ventured West with its remake for the PlayStation Portable iwn 2010, with XSEED Games providing the English translation. The rest is history, with the franchise becoming popular enough to warrant a sequel in the form of Book of Shadows, and a spin-off/extension of the main story by way of Sweet Sachiko’s Hysteric Birthday Bash. All of these games feature a healthy amount of horror, a dash of comedy to lighten the mood, and a whole lot of spooks to keep players on their feet.

Corpse Party: Blood Drive is no exception, and if anything, embodies the best of the series’ writing so far. Set two months after the events of Book of Shadows, Blood Drive follows the story of Ayumi Shinozaki, one of the original protagonists, and a survivor of the Sachiko Ever After curse that set off events in the franchise’s first game. Now, still feeling a healthy amount of survivor’s guilt, Ayumi continues her journey to learn more of her family’s psychic origins, and comes across a rumor that the Book of Shadows that had caused the curse might also be able to end it. The newfound knowledge gives Ayumi a sense of purpose: a way to right the wrongs she had unknowingly caused. With the prospect of bringing back her friends in mind, Ayumi must use her knowledge of the occult to reclaim her family’s legacy, tame the Book of Shadows, and use its power to bring the dead back to life.

That’s one thing that Corpse Party; Blood Drive does excellently. Even newcomers to the series will find its characters and its writing easy to follow. While the narratives of Corpse Party games aren’t exactly the deepest, it’s easy to get caught up in their shenanigans, particularly when the art and voice acting are done spectacularly well. Blood Drive is one such example; while the title does have some garish designs, silly dialogue, and B-rated quips, there’s actually a lot of personality that went inside it to the point that these end up being more charming than annoying. They become clear references to the game’s roots, the horror-visual-novel aspects coming full force with its style of dialogue, and its simplistic exploration sequences. It might not appeal to everyone, but fans of the series will no doubt love its return; they’re given the opportunity to bask in its atmosphere, explore its dark, creepy areas, and eventually, experience its endings.

This is part of the attraction of Corpse Party in general; there’s a lingering fear in its writing and acting, almost as if death is nearby. Players stalk its halls, looking for reprieve, at times running into clues, and in others, stumbling right into an angry spirit. In some cases, death actually is just around the corner, with some bad endings being downright creepy as spirits call for safety, only to tear into the players and cause the Game Over screen to appear. What’s amusing about it is that it’s not even as gruesome as it seems. Timely black screens and good writing provide much of the scares, if nothing else proving that over-the-top visuals and loud stinging jump scares aren’t needed to frighten players. Corpse Party is about atmosphere done extremely well.

Say what you will about the anime presentation, but Corpse Party: Blood Drive nails the dour, depressing themes of the series without being overly negative. Its outstanding voice acting, combined with solid art design, never feels overly out of place, allowing it to deliver its unique dose of horror in spades. If anything, Blood Drive understands what its players expect from it, and toys with their expectations even as it gives them exactly what they were craving for. And while its gameplay isn’t stellar, pretty much being a run-of-the-mill exploration/horror game, it’s the setting and the writing that lets it stand apart from the dregs of the genre. True, it can lean on cliches at times. That said, there’s a beauty in the simplicity of its goals and how well it hits the right notes at the right times.

As longtime fans of the series know only too well, Corpse Party actually does so many things that modern horror games seem to have set aside, and Blood Drive is no exception. It slowly builds up its spooks instead of barraging players with gory images or loud noises. It gives pretty decent pay-offs which are at home with its universe. And it never forgets to have fun or highlight its sillier moments; at the end of the day, Blood Drive seeks to entertain. Like a horror story said over a campfire, it can venture towards the cheesy on occasion. Nonetheless, it’s well worth the experience, and horror fans shouldn’t think twice to pick up on the Switch.

THE GOOD:

• Corpse Party at its finest

• Great voice acting, solid art, and a decently fun story to keep players interested

• Atmospheric tension

THE BAD:

• Load times can be a tad slow

• Exploration segments are simplistic, and its gameplay can be bogged down by reading

• The silliness can take unprepared players out of the moment

RATING: 9/10

THE LAST WORD: Azur Lane: Crosswave, from the popular mobile title retrofitted for gaming platforms, will be releasing five new characters through downloadable content next month. The DLCs will be made available separately on the PlayStation Network or via Steam for $7.99 each or as a pack for $33.95. Each of the five DLCs unlocks one main playable character, three new support ships, and additional Story Mode content.