Following the release of the almost universally acclaimed first chapter of Trails in the Sky in September, it was revealed that developer Falcom was already well on its way to creating another full remake of the second chapter of Trails in the Sky.
While we don’t have an official release window, the reworked sequel is expected to be released next year – and expectations are sky high (pun intended) considering how popular the original title is.
But what will happen? After 2nd chapter? Well, you would think that the most obvious course of action for Falcom would be to alter the file third a game from the Sky trilogy – Trails in the Sky The 3rd. The name actually fits the remakes and all!
However, it turns out that the situation is not so clear-cut. In a up-to-date interview with Online equivalent (in translation Machine), Falcom CEO Toshihiro Kondo admits that the studio is actually split on which classic Trails title it wants to remake next.
“We’re not sure whether to do Trails in the Sky The 3rd or Trails from Zero next – our opinions are divided,” he states.
“Some members say it would be better to remake ‘Zero’ before ‘The 3rd.’
Trails from Zero is a game that takes place chronologically after the Sky trilogy. It usually introduces a fresh cast of characters and a different setting.
At first glance you might think so zero (again, pun intended) it makes sense to move straight to the next saga in the series – but it seems the problem is that The 3rd is a very unconventional Trails title.
Without spoiling anything, The 3rd nicely wraps the Sky games and many of the plot points surrounding them, but its unconventional dungeon-based structure makes it a bit of a black sheep.
“I think we’ll have to remake The 3rd at some point, but there are a lot of possible ideas for what form it could take,” Kondo says, referring to the possibility of reworking the game’s design.
Of course, these remakes aren’t the only Trails projects Falcom has in the works. The next game in the Daybreak saga – the successor title to Trails Beyond the Horizon, which will be released in the West in January – is currently deep in development.
As Falcom gets busier and busier, it will be fascinating to see how it tries to strike a balance between these full-blown remakes and the titles that will define the future of the series.
What do you want next from Falcom? Is Third the One? Would you like a remake to improve its unique design? Break down some barriers in the comments section below.
