Years may have past -- as has its accompanying follow-ups, sequels and entirely new plot-threads to follow -- but in many ways, The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure feels like the end of a journey. A journey not just in terms of its placement in the Trails canon -- the second and final part to the Crossbell arc -- but a journey that in one sense you could've rightly proclaimed to have felt seemingly winding yet never-ending for fans of the series. An entrant in Nihon Falcom's long-running, equally-winding string of turn-based RPGs that prior to now had been for those in the West all-but-impossible to access.

Much like its fellow Crossbell entrant brethren, last year's Trails from Zero, Azure has spent much of the past decade-plus confined to its original Japan-only release on the PSP. Only making occasional jumps to other platforms in Asia, but never one major enough to reach either North American or European shores by way of handheld, console or PC alike. But that feeling of a journey's end is felt more so in the tale being spun with Trails to Azure. An inevitable outcome for anyone who's played through the latter moments of Trails of Cold Steel II but whose ratcheting tensions, unraveling and subsequent conclusion reaffirms that belief that alongside Zero, Trails to Azure makes the Crossbell arc the most narratively satisfying to see through to its respective end. Even if that end isn't exactly the most, shall we say, "happiest" or victorious feeling. Bordering on Pyrrhic in fact.

If there's one major factor that helps Azure stand out -- even in the midst of latter-day and mechanically-interesting entrants and contrasted too with the prior Zero -- it's the general feeling of unease. A tone this time that's a touch less light-hearted, even with its ample number of comical moments. An overall narrative progression that's more in tune with the encroaching unrest that with Azure builds across its handful of lengthy chapters. A story that once more expands on the tensions between neighboring nations of Erebonia and Calvard -- Crossbell sandwiched between the two, struggling against seemingly impossible odds to find its sense of self and identity slip away as the game progresses. By no means a dour or even melancholic tale, what Azure gets right in its themes is that balance between hopeful idealism and harsh reality. A state and indeed a main cast of characters vying for some form of easy route forward, but knowing full well the circumstances stopping such ideals from materializing.

The Liberl arc may have the better more personal tale by way of its main protagonist in Estelle Bright, but with Zero and now Trails to Azure, the Crossbell arc cements Lloyd Bannings as, if not the most complex or interesting of protagonists, then the more sympathetic of Trails leads. A proud Crossbellan lad simply wanting to do what's best for his home. A simple enough premise but one Azure makes great use of. Just don't expect coming into Azure that the game will offer some means of a story refresher beyond a quick, abridged summary in the menu. Much like other similarly "second part"-type releases in Cold Steel II and Cold Steel IV, Trails to Azure assumes without a second thought not only that you've already played Zero, but that you're still clued up enough to want to jump straight back into proceedings.

There are no flash-forwards, much like what the first half of the Crossbell tale provided -- and beyond its sudden introductory prologue pitting you immediately with tackling the first main dungeon, the manner with which players are reintroduced to characters and settings is also lesser compared to other Trails entrants. A brief reminiscing in a couple of lines of dialogue aside, if you're interested in what Azure has to offer, this is one you can't play through until you've finished Zero. Technically you still can of course, but given its second-half nature and references to events from the previous game, it pays to come into Azure with the context of what's come before. Bonus incentives such as the ability to carry over save data from Zero if playing on the same platform, a minor incentive to continue one's adventure. An ability one was sadly unable to divulge in having reviewed Zero on the Switch and this time on PS4.

But aside from a story that feels a tad more to the point and streamlined towards its main events, not much has drastically changed when it comes to the combat. You still have your turn-based encounters that require you balancing the use of attacks, crafts, arts and special abilities when available but in a broad sense, the gameplay of Azure is essentially 1:1 to what Zero provided. That said, a few new minor additions both in and outside of combat do help vary things up from time to time. And in the case of simply traversing Crossbell itself, a tad quicker -- albeit, like combat, these new additions do come with one or two caveats. To start, the ability to fast-travel akin to how you could do so within the city itself from one area to the next is unlocked early on and while this sounds helpful, the downside is that said fast travel is initiated only through the vehicle you acquire. Less a simple hop to a menu and more a convenience should you remember to stay in the same area your mode of transport is.

Though it's in combat where Azure's small but more noticeable inclusions are featured. The prime one being the new Burst mechanic whereby successive attacks on a foe fill up a meter displayed in the top-right of the screen. Avoiding damage increases the rate with which this meter increases. When full, players can enter Burst mode which not only prevents enemies from attacking altogether for a limited time, but immediately nullifies all negative traits like debuffs and ailments on your party, as well as cancelling any Arts enemies may have charging. Both a helpful way to utilize and/or exploit dishing out charged attacks, while at the same time a handy get out of jail maneuver should things go awry, though it may only pop up during the major story beats -- tackling an end-chapter dungeon for example -- its malleability in so far as how it can slot into one's strategy just about mitigates the brief times it eventually resurfaces throughout.

As stated, though, minor additions in Trails to Azure there may be, the formula both in and out of combat remains relatively the same. Your party once again, in-between critical story missions, tasked with fulfilling tasks and side activities requested by Crossbell's citizens. Some visible to tackle (with a limited time-frame in which one can complete them) and some hidden for those willing to visit as many places and speak with as many characters as possible. The rewards are once again a mixed bag, but there's still genuine value to be had in investing one's time with the more non-important quests, beyond just a helpful accessory to wear or quartz to equip. Not least quests that involve combat -- be it taking down a more powerful monster lurking somewhere in the overworld or even surviving a set number of encounters against a particular set of characters. Even the momentary multiple choice questions or responses that require a specific answer encourage you to pay close attention and take in more of the world than you'd expect.

Perhaps the biggest gripe with Trails to Azure, though -- and one that unfortunately seems not only greater this year, but sadly exclusive to its PS4 release -- is the quality of certain textures and assets out in the game world. While some are easy to ignore like the smudged quality to certain non-interactive objects in a town or village, it's harder to avoid in other instances where the visible lack of improvement repeats over and over. And with none of the impressive visual improvements that were present in Zero last year, albeit in that game's own Switch & PC versions. Much like last year's release, it would seem the PS4 iteration of Azure has been dealt the short straw. At one point, what should be an in-world opera house's advertisement for two characters is so poorly rendered it's almost laughable in how bad it sticks out.

Closing Comments:

Occasionally let down by a PS4 release that unlike its Switch and PC equivalents lacks the visual sharpness and touch ups to its evident age, The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure caps off the two-part Crossbell arc in satisfying fashion. A fitting, perhaps convenient, time then to finally have the last piece of the Trails series slot neatly into play and release in the West. The release of Reverie fast approaching; itself an epilogue of sorts to both Crossbell and Erebonia arcs alike. In the meantime, while it would be easy to dismiss this as more of the same -- virtually untouched the core combat and world design generally is -- that doesn't take away from what remains another entertaining and intriguing tale of eventual tribulation for the troubled city-state of Crossbell. The most overlooked and overshadowed of the three main Trails story arcs finally given the attention it has richly deserved, The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure is still worth the investment despite its lack of radical change.