LogFAQs > #976157816

Ok some bullet points:

FC: 57h
SC: 91h
3rd: 58h
Zero: 77h

So far: 283 h

I actually took as many days to beat Zero as I did FC. But I played 20 more hours. This means I'm playing more hours a day (though there have been 3 holiday days this month, that may be a factor). I need to slow down, though, this isn't healthy. I'll probably force myself to play fewer hours/day next game.

Now where do I rank this? This is tricky.

Remember when I said FC was my favorite game because of the insane worldbuilding? Zero did it again. I absolutely care about Crossbell and its people. Now FC was more subversive for how it avoided even trying to be epic, but Zero is more fun because it did not.

The longer hours speak for this game: this is the most fun one in the series so far. Battle system, exploration, the plot, everything is so entertaining. The battle system has been nearly perfected, I hardly see it getting much better. Just bring back Haze and let me move my characters in battle already. Crossbell is my favorite location in the series. And the plot isn't super elaborate but it's thrilling and full of political intrigue, which I love.

Where this game does not beat the others is when I try to look at the "artsy" stuff though, namely character arcs. I had more fun playing this, but I care more about Estelle and Joshua's story. That one resonated with me like nothing else did, and the Renne plotline is a second, actually being the most emotional part of Zero (hey, kudos to Zero for pulling off the conclusion, but I'm waiting to see it set up something as good as that on its own). The villain is fun, but he doesn't hold a candle to Weissmann, or to Richard (but I'll take him over whatever that thing from 3rd was).

All in all, Zero is a better videogame, but FC and SC are a better story. But it's 1 vs 2, so let's see if Azure can lift this duology to that level in terms of story too.

I do have good things to say about the characters, though. While I don't like any of the main 4 as much as Estelle (or Olivier, or Renne), I REALLY like the group. They are not as deep or as quotable maybe, but they are such a pleasant bunch. All of them are people I'd like to hang out irl. They get along well, they don't bicker, they always contribute. I enjoy seeing them trying to solve cases and I enjoy seeing them chat. I was expecting them to follow anime stereotypes (i e. Randy being an annoying pervert or Elie being a rich fop) but nah, they are just nice people.

I don't even know how to rank them anymore. Randy was my favorite at the start, but the other 3 caught up. Elie is just a sweetheart, similar to Kloe, but she's got a little more snark which makes her more entertaining. Tio is also snarky too and when you learn her story you just want to give her a hug. She is basically just a good person who wants to be happy. And Lloyd is a stereotypical shonen hero but he has a trait I love, which is being intelligent and good at figuring things out. I enjoy competing with him to try to figure out the cases, and he often makes incredibly good insights that throw everything upside down.

Anyway, great game, Trails continues to deliver.