Perhaps the most prominent Falcom rumor circulating in recent months is the potential remake of Trails in the Sky. Several comments and merchandise have seemingly been teasing such an eventuality, but nothing has been confirmed.
Still, assuming the Sky remake is actually real, it naturally prompts the conversation of what this project would even be like. Many considerations must be made not only regarding the Sky trilogy itself but also the implications of what would arrive afterward.
Presentation
The first facet that comes to mind regards the presentation. With this being a remake, the natural and likely assumption is that Falcom would depict Sky in the new engine seen in their modern games, namely those in the Calvard arc. This new engine has felt like a net positive, with greater character expression and seamlessness during exploration.
Of course, part of the contention here would be the loss of the chibi presentation, which instilled the original games with their own collective identity. But such an alteration seems bound to happen with a two-decade gap.
I’m personally pretty into the idea of an entirely remade Liberl in the modern 3D engine. As one who played the originals during their initial localizations, the prospect of seeing all of these areas with genuinely new dimensions is thrilling beyond words.
I’d also be open to new NPCs, akin to how the PlayStation 4 Kai release of Trails to Azure implemented Juna and Towa from Trails of Cold Steel. These types of additions instill supplemental appreciation that illustrates even more narrative cohesion. Sky already did a fantastic job teasing future plot threads and the other regions of Zemuria, so seeing that bolstered more seems like the way to go.
Gameplay
This is another area of contention, as two general possibilities come to mind. The first is the original trilogy’s combat system being abolished in favor of the new systems seen in Daybreak. In contrast, the other chance is comprised of revisiting the original systems with some touch-ups.
Some may not particularly care either way, but keeping the generalities of the original combat and orbment system would be ideal for retaining the Sky identity as much as it feasibly can. Still, I doubt even the most dedicated fans would be opposed to some refinements, such as encounters not starting if enemies on the overworld hit a noncontrollable character; this is often more frustrating than it should be.
But more generally speaking, I would vastly prefer it if the same wholly turn-based systems were in play alongside the same Orbment sepith value system. It’s gratifying once learned and far less time-consuming to work with on a compact playable cast compared to the likes of Cold Steel.
Daybreak has its own iteration of sepith values, but it’d be better to illustrate the series’ combat system growth if these anchors were kept to their respective arcs. At the bare minimum, perhaps a better tutorial could be implemented to teach the intricacies of sepith values and orbment lines since many players have difficulty comprehending them upon their first playthroughs.
Other features, such as maps for every location, general UI and menu improvements, and icons for missable collectibles like books, would significantly improve the gameplay experience. Summatively, I’d like it if Sky’s core gameplay identity were kept the same but with some quality-of-life touch-ups to rectify the showings of age.
Release Structure and Implications
So here’s where the topic gets really thought-provoking, to the extent that I could likely be overthinking it. If Sky were to get remade, would the trilogy be released separately, or would some of it be unified under a single release?
Ideally, it’d feel most natural if Sky FC and Sky SC were a collective singular package, considering how they use many of the same areas and are as directly narratively connected as they could be. As for Sky 3rd, I’m unsure how that would work. While it would be amazing to see the entire trilogy in one release together, I predict the maximum of that extent containing FC and SC. Sky Third could be a DLC or another full-on release altogether.
I genuinely have no idea which direction Falcom would take here, assuming this is an in-house project not developed by a third party. I could see them merging them as much as possible or making three separate releases for a potentially more significant profit.
The other side of this topic concerns potential future implications. At the point where the Sky trilogy would be entirely remade, would the remake efforts stop there? Would the Crossbell duology be next on the list?
The reason why this is a genuine possibility, or at least why I think it is, is rooted in the audiences for the Sky remake. While you would have plenty of veteran fans, you’d also likely get a substantial number of new players to the series and see this remake as a welcoming entry point. And as fantastic as that is, the question would then morph into what they should play next.
Jumping from a modern 3D experience to the chibis in Crossbell may not appeal to many, even if they were really captivated by the narrative and cast that Sky brought to the table. And if we take this potentiality to its furthest, albeit very unlikely, extent, who’s to say remakes of Cold Steel I and II wouldn’t be in the cards?
Ultimately, it’s impossible to conclude how far-reaching Falcom wants to make this remake effort, assuming that Sky is what’s getting remade. Still, this project has the capability of getting the series waves of new fans, so that’s worth looking forward to. Of course, it’d be ideal all around if this were a worldwide release…
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Check out our review.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II will be released in the West in early 2025 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG.
The Legend of Heroes Kai no Kiseki -Farewell O Zemuria- will be released in Japan for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on September 26, 2024. Clouded Leopard Entertainment will launch the title in Traditional Chinese and Koeran on the same date.
