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Paths in the Sky Chapter 1 is a remake of the classic Japanese role-playing game (JRPG), The Legend of Heroes: Heavenly Pathswhich was first released 21 years ago. Developer Nihon Falcom has modernized its 2004 title with full English voice acting, a reworked combat system, and a host of quality-of-life improvements, making it available on just about every modern platform you can imagine.
Review of information
Platform reviewed: ps5
Available: PS5, Nintendo Switch (physical and digital); Nintendo Switch 2, PC (digital only)
Release date: September 19, 2025
Now I'll lay my cards on the table. I'm completely new to Trails row. Granted, I primarily play role-playing games (RPGs), but I just haven't had the time to get into it. But Paths in the Sky Chapter 1 seemed like the final entry point. Why? Firstly, this is a remake of the very first part. Trails story, but it also has a slick, modern user interface and graphics that make it easy for new players like me to pick up.
And after many hours of exploring the Kingdom of Liberl, I have to say, I'm so happy I got the chance to immerse myself in Trails game. Yes, Paths in the Sky Chapter 1 is a very successful remake with exciting combat, an exciting story and great graphics. Here's a summary of my experience with the game and why I think it's one of the best. best role playing games 2025.
Get ready for an epic journey
Paths in the Sky Chapter 1 follows the journey of Estelle Bright and her adopted brother Joshua Bright as they strive to find their missing father and become the Elder Binders—essentially, protectors of the world.
As the story progresses, Estelle and Joshua find themselves embroiled in something much deeper than a simple search and rescue. Of course, I won't spoil what happens next, but the game is not without unexpected twists. While it takes a while to get going (the intro is quite lengthy), the narrative remains intriguing throughout. The cutscenes never feel too long or confusing, so you can rest assured that you're in for a fun adventure.
Estelle and Joshua make interesting dual protagonists: Estelle is the explosive, hot-tempered, energetic type who loves to take action. Meanwhile, Joshua seems more sedate and reserved, leading to some humorous conflicts, especially early on.
Best bit
Without a doubt, my favorite moment was defeating the boss in the game's prologue – yes, really! I lost a few times here, which made me understand the combat and orb system better. After some training, leveling, and strategy changes, I finally achieved victory. If that's not a good example of rewarding a fight, I don't know what is.
I will say that some of the characters, including Estelle, do have that stereotypical over-the-top anime energy. It can be a little tense at some points and tiresome for some players, but personally I rarely found it bothersome.
And the English voice acting is done at a high level – the personality of each character is conveyed with sincere passion and care. This adds texture to the various characters you meet throughout the game and is a very welcome improvement over the 2004 original.
However, there are some segments – even in the main story – where scenes are not voiced or, oddly enough, only partially voiced. For example, I encountered a non-player character (NPC) whose lines were fully voiced, but those of Estelle, Joshua and company were not. This resulted in a slightly awkward viewing experience that slightly reduced my immersion in the scene.
A dose of Liberl updates
It's not just the voice acting that lifts your spirits Paths in the sky experience, however. Almost every other area has been greatly improved, making the game much more enjoyable than its original counterpart.
Perhaps most obvious is that the visuals have undergone a major overhaul. And I'm a big fan of this new look.
The character models looked fantastic on ps5 In the game version, the environment is filled with colors and elements such as shadows appear natural. Not to mention, the game ran almost flawlessly for me, with smooth frame rates and short loading screens throughout the game's duration, even when fast traveling or playing in the comfy high-speed mode.
I really appreciate the quality of the graphics, especially since the original game used chibi-style sprites for combat and cutscenes rather than full 3D models.
What I also liked about this remake was the updated original soundtrack. Music in Paths Chapter 1 is a wonderful blend of funk, emotion and pep, with almost every track enhancing your battles or explorations to a T. I also love the fact that you can switch between standard, arranged or original background music – this choice is seriously commendable.
Another thing I want to point out is the improved user interface. I found the game's various menus to be very easy to navigate, whether I was equipping new gear, cooking a new dish, or viewing my status. Everything about this game is smooth and smooth; It's truly a pleasure to play.
The only aspect that I think could be improved is the localization. There are some grammatical and translation errors in the text displayed throughout the game. I'll admit that this is a small issue, especially since the voice acting is very clean and the story is faithfully recreated.
The chain… continued… I just can't stop.
I was excited to discuss the combat system in this game because it really impressed me. There are two ways to fight Paths in the Sky Chapter 1: quick combat, real-time combat; and team combat – a turn-based, slower approach.
It's a lot of fun to dive head first into action in a quick battle. I took pleasure in crushing my opponents, charging up almighty ships and dodging incoming attacks. If you stun an enemy, you can even switch into teamfight and fight with an advantage over your opponents, making it easier to quickly clear normal encounters and load up experience.
Team combat is the default for boss and mini-boss encounters. The turn order is displayed on the side of the screen, and on each turn you can decide whether to: use an art, such as healing or attack magic; skinning an enemy with a craft – a strong physical attack; use an item, shield or run. You will also have the option to stalk enemies or attack them in a chain, dealing massive damage. It took me a while to get used to the system, but once I had the right skills, I was able to withstand sudden bursts of enemy attacks and then launch a deadly counter-offensive.
You'll have to get used to the orb and quartz system if you want to stand a chance against some of the bosses too – there are some difficulty spikes that are punishing to say the least.
The orb system essentially requires you to connect a series of gems together in a specific pattern to unlock new arts. Some of these, like Earth Guard, I found almost essential to getting through some of the tough early game fights – if you're struggling, I'd suggest re-evaluating your build in this department, as well as purchasing better gear from the in-game store.
If you are still struggling after changing your strategy, fear not! You can simply lower the difficulty, which ranges from Very Easy to Nightmare. As a seasoned RPG player, I chose Normal, but it wasn't without its problems.
Yes, I took my fair share of hits during my playthrough. At times I was stunned by how I could survive such high damage attacks and whittle down some impressive health bars. But the orb system does encourage experimentation, and when you finally figure out the right strategy, victory will be very satisfying.
Sure, the game will ask you some tough questions, but it will also give you the tools to find the right answers. And in the end? This makes the gaming experience extremely enjoyable.
As a person who experienced Trails Playing for the first time, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this game. But honestly, it exceeded my expectations. A combination of great graphics, exciting combat, a bizarre world and an exciting story. Paths in the Sky Chapter 1 This is a top notch JRPG.
But not only that, it is also a top-notch remake. There are a lot of improvements – new interface, combat mechanics, visual style… I could go on. And it rarely feels like Nihon Falcom is taking any half measures. Of course, there are some minor localization errors and some unusual partially voiced parts. And some may be intimidated by the sudden increase in complexity.
Still, Paths in the Sky Chapter 1 is without a doubt one of the best remakes of 2025 and one of the best JRPGs I've played this year. If you're a fan of the genre, this is an easy recommendation, and if you've ever wanted to get into Trails series, now is the time to do it!
Is the first chapter of Trails in the Sky worth playing?
Play if…
Don't play if…
Accessibility
You can set the subtitle language to English, German, French or Spanish, and choose English or Japanese voice acting. There are also several ways to customize the camera's behavior, such as normal or inverted configuration, camera speed, and camera distance.
There are also difficulty options, including a Very Easy mode if you just want to focus on the game's story. Unfortunately, there is no colorblind mode.
How I reviewed the first chapter of Trails in the Sky:
I spent over 30 hours playing Paths in the Sky Chapter 1predominantly focusing on the main story, but also throwing in a few side quests here and there. I played the game on normal difficulty the entire time.
During the game Paths in the Sky Chapter 1 on PS5 my console was connected to Skyglass, generation 2 TV and used Samsung HW-Q800D soundbar. Sometimes I also immersed myself in the game via remote play on my Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, but this was quite rare.
Personally, I've reviewed a lot of games here on TechRadar, including recent releases like Raidou Update: The Secret of the Soulless Army And Final Fantasy Tactics: Chronicles of Ivalice. I'm also a lifelong JRPG fan, some of my favorite games include Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, Persona 3 RebootAnd final fantasy VII (original, of course).
First inspection September-October 2025
