The Trails series has been the core narrative of the Legend of Heroes franchise and a flagship for Nihon Falcom for over 20 years. 'Trails in the Sky the 1st' reimagined the beginning of this series for a modern audience. More than just a simple remaster, the remake was well-received and signaled a new beginning for the series.

With a deeper story and evolution as a game, 'Trails in the Sky the 2nd' takes the baton on September 17. On the 7th, I met with Toshihiro Kondo, President and Producer of Nihon Falcom, in Tokyo. While he introduced the new title during his presentation, he spoke more candidly about the development process during our interview.

We discussed everything from his thoughts on reintroducing Trails in the Sky SC, the difficulty adjustments made based on feedback from the previous game, the boundary between recreating and improving the original, and the current state of Nihon Falcom as it releases multiple titles annually for the first time in over a decade, alongside 'Kyoto Xanadu.'

Q. 'Trails in the Sky the 1st' was praised for its balanced remake, capturing the original's unique charm while meeting modern standards. Did you feel any pressure or, conversely, gain confidence while developing 'Trails in the Sky the 2nd'? I am also curious about what you wanted to inherit from the first game and what you challenged yourself to do differently.

"Well, 'Trails in the Sky' is a work we created ourselves, isn't it? So, the pressure of developing a sequel isn't as great as it is when making a new Ys title. Ys is a legendary series built by our predecessors, so the pressure is immense, but since we created this one, we were able to work relatively freely.

What we did well in the previous game was focusing heavily on player accessibility, as it was an old game. For the second game, we focused on how to make that even better. In particular, I hope players take note of the seamless transition between quick battles and Battle Commands, as well as the overall polish once you enter the command mode.

'The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC' put significant effort into its storytelling compared to 'The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC.' For example, the story branches depending on the partner you choose early on. We have faithfully captured that in the second game as well, so please look forward to it.

Q. The second game is being released just one year after the first. It seems development overlapped; was there limited time to incorporate user feedback? If so, what specifications were adjusted?

"Actually, the development periods for the first and second games did overlap. We started developing the second game toward the latter half of the first. Naturally, the feedback period was shorter than for typical titles, but we did receive one major piece of feedback: difficulty. Originally, the game was designed to be smooth and accessible even for beginners. We set the difficulty to be friendly for those playing a RPG for the first time. However, because of this, there was feedback that the battles with the Enforcers were a bit underwhelming. The consensus was that they could be more challenging. So, while the Normal difficulty in this game inherits the previous one, we made the higher difficulties more challenging.

Also, because it was originally an old game, there were many cumbersome aspects like movement, but we inherited the accessibility improvements from the first game. However, there are scenes where it shouldn't be too convenient. There are moments in the second game where feeling the inconvenience is necessary to make the scenario feel real. We made sure to keep those parts intact while having deeper discussions about which accessibility features from the previous game to carry over.

Q. I understand that Trails in the Sky was originally one work split into two. What was the development atmosphere like for SC after the success of FC?

"It's an old story, but we had made the game too large, so we ended up splitting it in half and releasing FC first. Naturally, my seniors told me clearly that if FC didn't sell, there would be no sequel. But I think we started making it on our own before we even heard the results (laughs).

Although I said it was split in half, we had actually already completed about two-thirds of it by the time FC was finished. If we had released SC as it was, the volume would have only been about one-third of the original. People were happy that we split it into two, but we worried if this volume would be acceptable, so we ended up remaking the entire second half. The second half wasn't originally planned. It came from a desire to increase the game's volume so that players would be even happier.

Falcom didn't operate by seeking permission from the company; we would just start moving, and if a problem arose, the higher-ups would put a stop to it. That atmosphere was much stronger back then than it is now, and there was a general sentiment of 'let's just make something good.' There's a preview at the end of FC, right? We made and attached that without company permission, too. I'm the president now, so I might get angry if someone did that today (laughs), but thanks to the free-spirited nature of Falcom at the time, we were able to work freely.

Q. Were there any storylines originally planned that were changed during development, or episodes deleted to adjust the length?

"It was the opposite. Nothing was deleted; it actually kept growing. There were quite a few changes. For example, the character Agate in FC was originally supposed to appear briefly as a normal NPC. However, he became a hot topic among users at the time, so the scenario writer promoted him to a main character and made him Estelle's partner early on. Even though it was a package game, we often changed the scenario by reflecting user opinions, much like operating an online game.

That continues in the current Trails series. As development progresses, plenty of ideas come up on how to make things better. The overall framework of the series is proceeding as planned, but as you develop for a long time, the creators' thoughts and trends change. I hope to continue making the Trails series better by being influenced by those factors.

Q. You mentioned earlier that you adjusted the movement because there was feedback that traveling between various regions in the original was cumbersome. How did you adjust movement accessibility?

"In the first game, we added a feature to move by directly designating points on the map. However, there is a certain emotion gained from the effort of walking, the scenery you see while walking from the border to a village, and the comments about it. In cases where we judged that such things would be omitted by the map jump feature, we made the player walk; otherwise, we allowed them to fly.

The Trails series has elements where you feel the charm and sentiment of a journey while walking, so if you increase accessibility too much, the flavor of the game changes. We made careful distinctions so as not to ruin that.

Q. New combat systems like Brave Rush have been introduced. How did you intend for users to enjoy the tempo and strategy of combat?

"For the first game, we implemented the seamless transition between quick battles and Battle Commands because we wanted to realize combat with a good tempo. However, I was worried that as the game rhythm improved, the combat would become a bit monotonous.

In the second game, we thought a lot about how to reduce that monotony. First of all, you can feel that the quick battles are more polished compared to the first game. We are considering ways to increase what players can do in quick battles, such as characters using ultimate skills like Crafts on the field, or enemies self-destructing on the field like in Battle Commands once they take a certain amount of damage.

Regarding Battle Commands, even if the tempo is good, it can feel a bit boring once you get used to it. This also depends on the difficulty level chosen, but we made sure it can be enjoyed even more than in the first game. Especially in modes above Normal, you can enjoy more strategic combat, so I hope those who found the first game's difficulty underwhelming will take on the challenge.

Also, since the strategy is free, we added Orbment settings and Brave Boosts to clear debuffs that affect allies. We were careful not to let the increased number of things to do damage the game's tempo, ensuring that these changes can be operated briskly. I hope fans who consider themselves advanced players will enjoy these aspects.

In Hard mode and above, powerful enemies called Enforcers appear. In particular, the Enforcers use something called Legion Boost, so if you don't set your Orbments properly, you might be wiped out before your turn even comes around. I think the difficulty in this regard will be higher than in the first game, right? I want to make it feel properly challenging, so we are currently in the process of fine-tuning that level.

Q. In the pre-release videos, the combat difficulty against enemies using 'Legion Boost' looked quite high. What kind of balance did you consider between threatening presentation and game balance.

"Opinions were divided even among the development staff. At first, it was incredibly difficult even on Normal. The difficulty changes depending on the Orbment settings, so we are still adjusting it.

When Legion Boost is activated, even if the player uses a break, the enemy will intervene again. That's when the enemy's continuous attacks begin, and whether you can withstand that becomes important. It's not that harsh on Normal, but since everyone has the impression that an Enforcer shouldn't be that weak, we made it to a level where that strength can be felt.

Some staff members wanted to create a difficulty level for users who found Normal too easy. So, we are considering a difficulty between Hard and Normal. We haven't named it exactly yet, but it might be called 'Advanced.' It's similar to Normal but has more flavor to the gameplay; those who want to enjoy the story as they have been and don't want to be held back in combat can just enjoy it on Normal. We are thinking about this as seriously as possible, and the work will likely continue until the demo version.

Q. The presentation of the Ouroboros Enforcers was significant. What elements did you focus on in the combat and presentation of the villains? Also, how do you plan to maintain consistency in the presentation or action of characters appearing in this work who might also appear in future works?

"First, regarding the spectacle of the villains' battles, all Enforcers have various techniques, and we have prepared large-scale presentations very properly, such as Ren summoning a giant robot called Pater-Mater. You can look forward to that spectacle.

Not just the Enforcers, but the Trails series features many characteristic characters. Those characters also have spectacles that are no less than the Enforcers. My recommendation is the character Gilbert; his combat is quite polished. We made his clumsy and tacky aspects very clear, perhaps even to an excessive degree. Other than that, the quality of SC-specific characters like the penguin that appears in quests has also increased significantly, so please look forward to them.

As for whether the current presentation will be inherited by future Trails series, I think the Trails in the Sky line can further utilize the current flow if there is a next work. However, as for the Trails of Cold Steel special editions or the finale, it's just beginning, so I don't know yet, but it seems difficult to show the same kind of gags as Trails in the Sky. Trails in the Sky has a bright atmosphere, doesn't it? So even if you're doing the same thing, it looks different.

Actually, the graphic technique is the same as the latest work, Trails of Cold Steel. People tell me the graphics have become much better since it became 'Trails in the Sky,' but the work is basically the same, and the technology is the same. That part is ultimately about how you devise the way you show it, and that's where the color comes from. This has been an opportunity to re-grasp those points, so I think this will be one of the major guidelines for future game production.

Q. What was the most impressive scene in the 'Trails in the Sky' remake, or the one the development team put the most effort into.

"That's the most difficult question (laughs). There are really many good scenes, but one of the impressive ones might be Agate. The scene with Agate and Tita is quite impressive. The scene where only the two of them are left in Ravennue Village was expressed very emotionally. The Craft presentation in battle has also become the most polished among past Falcom works. Also, there weren't many large creatures or machines in the first game, but in the second, large-scale mechs appear, such as the giant dragon Regnat and the tanks of the special forces causing a coup in Grancel Castle.

And the sky scenes only increase when you get to SC. When we first released Trails in the Sky, we kept making only the ground, so the staff argued, but in the second game, we deal with the sky a lot, fitting the title. Please look forward to that part as well.

Q. It feels like 'cooking' has been strengthened to be used in actual combat in this work. I was surprised that the damage of the failed 'attack cooking' was quite high. Why did you focus on cooking.

"Cooking usually has the image of being a side element, but this time we focused on the high-difficulty mode. The level design staff focused on making it so that you have to utilize even these side elements properly to overcome high difficulty.

The same goes for items. When playing a RPG, don't you save full recovery or resurrection items until near the ending? I wanted to get rid of that, too. It started from the idea that it would be good if you could barely clear it by using items properly, cooking, and fishing. So that's why such a presentation was included.

For reference, I remember the development team rarely coming to ask, 'Is it okay to put this in?' when that presentation came out. It seems they were quite worried about it themselves (laughs).

Q. Can we expect remakes of old works after the second game? Will it lead to 'Trails from Zero' or 'Trails of Cold Steel'.

"As a company, it's still undecided. However, in my heart, there are quite a few customers who entered the Trails series from here. I have a desire to convey what follows to those people. It seems there are staff members who can't wait either. I saw the screen a while ago, and a character not in the second game was in the party and walking (laughs). Someday, in some form, I want to deliver it.

Q. Where did you set the boundary between recreating the original and improving it in the remake.

"That's a quite difficult part. I don't want to change the places that were impressive, but I fixed parts that were too stressful or absurd if left as is, so that users of this era can enjoy them without discomfort.

It's very difficult to express in words, but it's a sense of touching it and checking one by one whether it's hot or cold. It was like this in the previous problem, but you can't judge the same way in other problems. There are cases where A and B need to be handled differently. By doing that carefully, we aimed for a point where original fans are convinced and new users can enjoy it pleasantly.

Q. This year, 'Kyoto Xanadu' and the second game are coming out three months apart. It's been over a decade since you released multiple titles in a year; do you think you now have a system in place to release multiple works annually.

"It will depend on the timing. If you ask me if we can release a new work next year, I don't know yet. This year, Kyoto Xanadu was originally a project that didn't share staff with the Trails series or Ys series, moving like a detachment, and we were able to release it because that preparation was in place.

Originally, my wish from over 10 years ago was to release about two new works a year. The Trails series is something I want to do as the Trails series, but in terms of meeting expectations, it's something that must be done. Apart from that, I think it was a challenge for Falcom that there were few opportunities for the younger generation to challenge themselves or to unfold what they want to do by exploding ideas. If we don't create such opportunities, our next generation won't grow, so ultimately, I want to aim for the release of multiple titles every year.

It will be a while before that becomes a 'must' every year, but Falcom is also gradually increasing its personnel, and at an event a while ago, there was an introduction of producers other than me. We are gradually increasing our capabilities by increasing such management personnel as well. Someday, I hope we can realize the release of two new works a year, one being a flagship work and one being a challenge work.

Actually, Kyoto Xanadu is in the 'Tokyo Xanadu' line, but since it was made mainly by younger staff and experienced hires, you will feel that the atmosphere is a little different from Falcom titles so far. I hope we can increase such titles as a detachment other than Trails and Ys.

In addition, the second game was able to be released in one year without making you wait like SC. Actually, the development work is finishing up, but as I said earlier, I'm still working on it in-house because I want to refine the difficulty part more. I have a feeling that we will definitely be able to satisfy everyone, so please look forward to it and wait.

Kyoto Xanadu also seems to give a classic impression because it's side-scrolling. I also saw it with that image at first. However, if you actually play it, you can enjoy action different from the Falcom Ys so far, and I think it will be an interesting second Ys action RPG where you can properly experience what can be realized because it is side-scrolling. I would be happy if you could enjoy this one properly as well. Please continue to support us.