Reviews:
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While it very much feels like a traditional JRPG, there’s just a flair to this title that pulled me in
When it comes to JRPG-style games on the Switch, given the sheer volume of games I work through on a weekly basis I tend to avoid them honestly. When I got the code for this I actually hesitated a little, worried that I’d struggle to connect with it given what appeared to be a bit of an odd story, and that it would trend towards mostly familiar genre beats. I’m happy to say that I pretty quickly found I was wrong. Even though I’m unfamiliar with the franchise I didn’t feel particularly left out by the story or the interesting characters, something I consider a bit of a rarity these days. While the combat tends to have a very typical turn-based approach there are some underlying systems, attack types, and crafting that are both approachable and make you feel like your decision-making can make an honest difference rather than rote going through the motions as often happens. Just in about every area I’ve become jaded with in the genre, Trails From Zero surprised and turned me around, showing me that there are still teams determined to break through and help to keep things exciting, polished, and thoroughly engaging. The result is that it comes in as highly recommended, even by someone who actively tends to avoid the genre.
Justin Nation, Score:Nindie Choice! [8.7]