Nihon Falcom Game Reviews
Happy Trails
Whether you're a long-time fan or just curious, it’s natural to approach the release of a new JRPG with measured expectations. These games often build on rich lore and deep series history, rewarding those who enjoy exploring vast worlds and narratives. On the surface, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter might seem like just another drop in...
Let's do the time warp again
On Western shores last yast year, Falcom started a fresh arc in its long-running flagship franchise with The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak, breathing new life into the series while offering a great jump-in point for newcomers looking for a place to start. With the overall Trails series rapidly nearing the...
The long-awaited remaster of the remake
Way back in 1989, Nihon Falcom released Ys III: Wanderers from Ys for various PC-based platforms and eventually consoles like the Genesis and SNES. This 2D side-scroller was well-respected in the community and eventually acted as the basis for 2005's 3D reimagining, Ys: The Oath in Felghana, though this...
Review Ys X: Nordics (Switch) - Another Great Entry, Though We're Not Sold On The Sailing
Name a more iconic Duo, I'll wait
Though the Ys series has been around for decades now (it even predates Final Fantasy), its release history in the West was rather inconsistent until the mid-2000s and the series only really became relevant again to the Nintendo fanbase with the release of Ys VIII in 2018. After a decent follow-up a few years ago...
Dawn of a new day
To someone who isn’t an avid fan, the Legend of Heroes series can seem a little difficult to break into. The dozen or so games released over the past two decades are spread across four distinct arcs that all collectively built out one of the most detailed and tightly interconnected universes in all of gaming, one which is still...
Review The Legend Of Nayuta: Boundless Trails (Switch) - A Solid Port Of This Unique PSP Spin-Off
Back on the Trails
The Trails series is known for its incredible worldbuilding through many different games, including Trails of Cold Steel, Trails from Zero, and Trails to Azure, as well as Trails in the Sky. The events of those games culminated with Trails into Reverie, which finally got
Review The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Into Reverie (Switch) - A Refreshing Entry In The Kiseki Series
"Thought is the labour of the intellect, reverie is its pleasure"
Movement is such an integral part of the Trails/Kiseki series – both in a literal and figurative sense. The focus on transportation, walking, and familiarising yourself with the geography and inhabitants of Zemuria is paired with moments of political navigation, those who refuse to...
Review The Legend Of Heroes: Trails To Azure (Switch) - Crossbell's Conclusion Is A Cracking RPG
Blue-sky thinking
The release of the Crossbell Saga in English has been a long time coming for fans of the Trails series. And with The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero’s cracking debut last September, the wait for Trails to Azure has had us salivating. And finally, the missing gap in the series has been filled, and the conclusion of the...
It's more than zero
We don't blame you if you’re intimidated by Falcom’s The Legend of Heroes: Trails series. This massive saga is now up to its twelfth mainline game in Japan, with the West falling behind at an alarming rate. However, one piece of the puzzle has been missing for years – Crossbell. After years of begging, fans are finally...
Review Ys IX: Monstrum Nox (Switch) - A Fine Action-RPG With Performance Issues On Switch
Ysy like Sunday morning
It’s been a little over three years since we last saw a new entry in the Ys (rhymes with “geese”) franchise, when Lacrimosa of Dana broke the nearly twenty-year period where new entries skipped Nitnendo consoles. We absolutely loved that release, and now that Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is out, we can confidently say that it...
Best in class
Much like Koei’s Atelier series, Nihon Falcom’s Legend of Heroes games are some of the best RPGs that you’ve never played. Engrossing storytelling is one of the cornerstones of the RPG genre, and no other series exemplifies this as well as the Legend of Heroes. The story began with Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes way back in...
Review Ys Origin (Switch) - An Awesomely Accessible And Amiable Action RPG
Eesey peasy
Nihon Falcom's Ys (pronounced "eese") been around since the days of the PC-8800, but only now are we seeing this formative tale in the enormously popular saga. Well, technically, a lot of people already saw it in 2006 when it originally released, or 2012 when it was initially localised. Thankfully, now it's on the Switch we can see that...
Class Act
Nihon Falcom’s long-running The Legend of Heroes series finally hits Nintendo Switch in this third entry in the epic Trails of Cold Steel story arc, a direct sequel to Trails of Cold Steel II that takes place less than two years after the Erebonian Civil War portrayed in both that game and its epic predecessor. This is an enormous,...
Review Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (Switch)
Ysy to love
Though Nihon Falcom’s Ys (pronounced 'ease') has been sending gamers off on action-RPG adventures since 1987, you’d be forgiven for not being familiar with the series, with the last mainline release on a Nintendo console being the Japan-exclusive Ys V in 1995. Since then, Ys has seen something of a renaissance on PlayStation...
Review Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure (3DS eShop)
Ceci n'est pas une drill
An often overlooked strength of the 3DS eShop is the way it can serve as an unexpected harbour for under-the-radar gems. We likely never would have touched Yumi's Odd Odyssey without the eShop, nor seen a contemporary remake of Steel Empire. Add to these ranks Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure, which originally saw light on...
Review Ys Book I & II (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Ys Book I & II chronicles the first adventures of Adol Christin, a young, red-haired swordsman on a quest to unlock the secrets of an ancient kingdom.
Even the most hardened TG16 fan will admit that the machine wasn’t exactly a massive success when it was released in the States. It struggled against the Genesis and SNES despite having some great...
