A Trails in the Sky Remake Ends the ‘Where to Start’ Debate

Despite rumblings in niche corners of the JRPG community, I didn’t expect a full remake of Trails in the Sky. To be honest, I didn’t even think it needed more than a port. Well, now we’ve officially seen The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st.

I was wrong on both counts.

Pairing the story and atmosphere of The Sky Trilogy with Trails through Daybreak‘s incredible gameplay? (A game I awarded a perfect score to, by the way.) Yeah, I’d consider that a welcome combo. But beyond the thrill of updated mechanics, this remake could address a critical issue with the series. Accessibility.

Trails in the Sky is the starting point for the grand overarching story of the Trails series. The only way to play the game currently is on PC. While I’ve always praised it, even I can admit it shows its age. This remake could open the game to an entirely new audience, making it more accessible and engaging than ever.

A huge question when a new player starts Trails is, “Where do I start?” I’ve long advocated for starting with Sky, despite other options. I am of the mind that you need the info and worldbuilding of Sky to process later information. However, for some people the game is just a little too old for them to get into.

There’s also the matter of the games slow pace and sometimes repetitive gameplay loop. It’s possible that this new Trails in the Sky remake will allow the developers to restructure some of the storytelling. Obviously without influencing the overall narrative, which should remain untouched.

This means that this game will be the definitive starting point for the trails series. And, it’s welcome. The Trails in the Sky trilogy are among the best JRPGs ever made. However, it seems like many find reasons not to play them.

And I understand that, the series can feel very gatekeepy. That’s something I don’t ever want to come across. I love this series and want everyone to experience it. But, I also don’t want people to play out of order and get spoiled. And I certainly don’t want people to outright skip an incredible trilogy.

But, with the new remake there will no longer be any age on these titles. They’ll be the freshest and the newest. Hopefully the slower story beats will be refined and streamlined. Also, the addition of voice acting while the originals lacked English voices will further give new players plenty to feel comfortable about.

So hopefully, when this game releases in 2025, it will end the debate on whether it’s “Ok to skip Sky“. Because now no one will even consider it.