FALCOM - Trails in the Sky, Cold Steel, Ys Series (SPOILERS)

[Ramzii]

I've read a few reviews claiming that CS1 was better than CS2, and I have to honestly wonder if they're even playing the correct game...

[Hitoshura]

The final dungeon theme played and hyped me up like crazy.

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Can't stop thinking about reuniting everyone.

Is it crazy that i want to redo the ending to get Sara?

[Ayn]

At Hito:

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Yeah, that's what I meant when shit got real FAST in the opening act. Rean seriously cannot catch a break. When Exceed played after he went apeshit, just damn.

And..maybe I need to rewatch that, but did it show him lopping off a Jaeger's arm?

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Gaius just pulled some straight up Dynasty Warriors stuff in his dynamic entry

...CS1 better than CS2? The FUCK are they smoking?

[Hitoshura]

At Hito:

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Yeah, that's what I meant when shit got real FAST in the opening act. Rean seriously cannot catch a break. When Exceed played after he went apeshit, just damn.

And..maybe I need to rewatch that, but did it show him lopping off a Jaeger's arm?

Spoiler: show

Gaius just pulled some straight up Dynasty Warriors stuff in his dynamic entry

...CS1 better than CS2? The FUCK are they smoking?

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Yeah I had no idea Rean was going to share that pissed off anger towards the cat that I had, I was laughing about that. I was like damn I 100% understand Rean right now. I love the direction, but something tells me he's going to get the shit kicked out of him this entire game across Erebonia, BUT at least reunite with everyone. CS3 I think will finally be the game where you defeat everyone. I hope because at this point from the murderer's row of enforcers and Anguis on the rise, it looks like Rean is going to be everyone's punching bag for a while. So much for his special power! Lol the troll level is godlike. I FINALLY reunited with somebody, not sure if anyone is past the prologue but man even though I didn't care much about them I was very happy to see that person and I can't wait to see the rest now. Like I said it really is giving me a nostalgic FFVI feel, but there are so much more variables this time. I wasn't too sold on the direction this series went at first, but this sequel seals the deal. Especially hit me once I realized those happy go lucky schooling days and events are 100% over now, there is no way that is going to be able to happen now, at least anytime soon. It really puts you on edge. I am just praying that they let us use Muller and Olivert at some point!

[Ramzii]

Nearing the end of the epilogue now. The finale was absolutely incredible.

[Hitoshura]

So I ended up watching all of the scenes for the girls you choose at the end of CS1 and Sara mentioned..

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She was from North Ambria. Not sure if you guys know, but that's where Weissman is from and I heard it use to be this like cult-like crazy religious kind of place and really shaped him into the madman he became, I am pretty sure Sara probably knows of him or at least by name, some insane stuff though. Small world and it really makes me wonder what is really going on behind the scenes and his past more importantly. He IMO is one of the best villains I have ever seen, he loved being evil. On Luca Blight's level, he definitely did not fucking disappoint in SC. He may not have been the most physically powerful of the Ouroboros but I do believe he was mentally (or magically? Lol) and he will definitely go down as the most memorable. Sorry Vita.

Since it's relevant...! Most unexpectedly amazing final boss theme, is amazing.



I loved this theme so much from FC that I play it every time the group has been strategizing their next plan of action and they just let some lame BGM play that just doesn't fit the mood.

As for CS2:

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I just got Fie and Elliot back! Love the new outfits, humongous improvement over the uniforms. Cannot wait to learn my new S-Crafts, even Estelle had learned a different one by the end of FC so I hope it's soon. Also really dislike that we are below level 50, what kind of bullshit is this? I ended the game at around my late 60's and was basically invincible, now fucking crop munchers are turning my party into bitch soup.

[Ayn]

Well:

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At least they had a good excuse for Rean: He was KO'd for a month, and even he mentions 'getting back into fighting shape'. If you look at the levels when you get some of your other people back, it's more in line

[Hitoshura]

They did the same shit in SC, you'd think they would learn by now. Loading your data is basically worthless, only good thing about it is the Zeram powder.

Goddamn this song might take best "final boss" theme.



Posting it because we most likely won't get the evolution version, this is one of the rare instances it's actually way better than the original.

Is Team JDK just full of musical gods?

[Ramzii]

i think you posted the wrong song because this is clearly very very superior to unfathomed force

[Hitoshura]

Is that the real final boss theme for Ao no Kiseki? I am probably going to hold off on listening to that if so, though I did hear a good minute and yeah.. holy shit. I know seems a bit stupid and pointless at this point after listening to like 7+ tracks from these games. I won't be able to make a fair analysis between which final boss theme was more epic. I went into SC basically blind. Though since the year 2010 I have heard remixes of Silver Will and other themes from the Kiseki series I have known to love, but I hadn't heard SC's final boss theme. Because Merciless Savior fit the Faceless so well and literally felt like the end of a long epic journey/era we have all been on, a swan song I guess in the AM hours suddenly going from sleepy to fully awake again when you realize it's over. The theme still gives me the damn chills.



It's strange, this was also one of the 1st themes I ever heard from Kiseki series, and I didn't like it that much. Now I absolutely LOVE IT. It's seriously just making me want 3rd right fucking now. Something tells me the nun is going to be best girl, and imaging Kevin Graham as the main character is too much, it's amazing this is even coming stateside. I am forever grateful to Xseed.

[Ramzii]

It is, I also went into Cold Steel 2/SC blind because I wanted to experience the songs for the first time within the context of the game and it was completely worth doing. Zero/Ao are already ruined for me because I couldn't help myself after hearing Azure Arbitrator, it's easily the best game song I've heard. It shits on Fateful Confrontation and I am already obsessed with that song.

Fortunately most of the 3rd is fresh for me with the exception of the first song. The one you linked is pretty sweet, I always like when they remix their openings into their battle/dungeon music. Kinda sad they didn't do that with Cold Steel 2 but oh well.

How are you enjoying CS2 btw?

[Hitoshura]

The Crossbell arc is going to be a whole other beast, praying to Aidios that makes it. If there is a Falcom sale this winter I am going to gift my close friends (about 4) that recently got into PC gaming, a lot of them use to love RPG's like FF Tactics and Chrono Trigger so I think they will take a liking to it.



I lied, this was actually the 1st song I ever heard, it has been a while sorry.

It's my undisputed favorite of all Falcom, I know pretty lame but just goddamn it makes me want to play every single game in the library. Except Nayuta... lolz.


Remix of the song above.
Just who the hell are these godlike composers? I heard these guys do live shows too, that is one dedicated group of video game composers. Would love to see them perform someday.

Oops, derped and forgot to post my thoughts on Cold Steel 2 as of this moment: (Still in Act 1; I guess no more chapters!)

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Pretty much undid everything I disliked about the 1st game. I 100% love this direction even though it's a lot of losing to the big bad's still. They keep parading Rean's power in front of us, but the guy is still a punching bag and can't seem to even use it at the right time, and it keeps getting swept under the rug very blatantly, so that's a bit disappointing actually. The villains all look very interesting, particularly that McBurn character. I really just want to gather everyone again, and am on my way to get the 2nd group of people. It really reminds me of FFVI and SC when Estelle is gathering up the gang again, although a lot less individual character focused the reunions genuinely feel good so these characters actually did grow on me just enough to acknowledge that at least. All good things, can't wait to see what unfolds in this chaos.

[Greatguardian]

Finally finished FC after literal years of corrupted saves, power outages after boss fights, and general lack of attention span. Now I can hardly bring myself to load a game in SC because the title screen BGM is so great. I just sit there and let it loop for a while.

Prologue final boss is awful on Hard though and I will probably just restart on Normal because I have ToCS waiting for me.

[Hitoshura]

^That's awesome to hear, did you start immediately? What did you think of the prologue in SC aside from that fight?

Cold Steel 2 Act 1: Part 2:

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Just fought Altina and Beaublanc, and now neck deep in Valimar combat. I take it this is going to be the formula of way things go until I gather everyone? I like it a lot so far just because it's an excuse to bust out Valimar lol. Too bad they keep holding back Rean's power but I think for some reason that's going to be more of an end game, right now the focus seems to be on Valimar and regrouping, it's pretty awesome. Just wish we had a fucking airship now.

Holy shit, if they would have just mentioned Sharon was a member of the society at some point in her past, I would have definitely liked her a lot more sooner but man she gets a free pass just for shocking me with that, it's funny that the two characters I was annoyed most with because they were always around are literally alaways in my sight now, guess I have no choice. I love how all the characters share our feelings towards them a bit since they both had a shady past but man what a crew of people we have right now, this is feeling a lot more like TitS at this point, and the wobot battles add an edge to all the chaos, the fact that you can tag in different characters with different abilities is amazing and totally going to kick Crow's ass. Loved the Joshua and Renne name drops as well, respect!

[Ayn]

Wait Hito..

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I thought they mentioned Sharon WAS an Enforcer towards the end of CS1? Or did I read that in the guidebook and mistakenly thing it? I do recall Sara calling her "Severing Chains" at the end.. Maybe I just deduced from that name that she was Ouroboros.. But I'm pretty sure they made it clear when they were fighting that Soldat

Also, re another TiTs nod: (don't read if you're not at Bareahard/past that point yet, Hito):

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McBurn: I thought you actually beat Loewe? Wouldn't have thought that with that sorry show of power.

Duvalie: I did. Granted, he won the other ninety-nine or so battles.

....So much for armor chick being on Loewe tier.

[Hitoshura]

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Duvalie is not Arianhod, more like her fan girl. There's a humongous difference. Arianhod saved Class 7 in CS1. Haha funny I am at this part. I have to add it now that ice maiden isn't being controlled by a puppetmaster she is a lot more interesting independent. I also love how emma was thinking rean hated her for being secretive. Its like they knew we would feel this way. But rean like way too nice.

[Ayn]

Ah ok, I must be blanking on the Arianhod part -- when did that happen?

Also, you may not be here, so don't read just yet Hito, but for the rest.

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Paused at the part where Crow, the Jaegers, McBurn/Duvalie and Millium clone show up.

For the love of God, LEAVE YMIR ALONE PEOPLE.

[Hitoshura]

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It's @ 12:20.

She's the one who threw that giant lance through that orb in the Legram Castle after the Nosferatu fight. She is basically the Loewe in the Crossbell arc, but even more powerful. I hear that Loewe was basically the only person that could even fight 1 vs 1 against her, so she's not just all pretty looks. It seems like she lives even if you defeat her fair and square in Crossbell and continues to show up in Erebonia (wish they could have done that for Loewe, UGH so mad here lol). If she's a super boss in CS3, that would be pretty amazing, but it looks like this McBurn character might be the end all of powerful characters now? I have no idea at this point.

[Ayn]

Yeah, I actually JUST remembered that after a scene yesterday.

[Ayn]

..Am I the only one who thinks uppity Phil Ken Sebben whenever Bleublanc laughs?