The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails

An action RPG with tons of attitude and plenty of charm, The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is an excellent throwback to some of our favorite classic JRPGs. Every little piece of this game works flawlessly with each other, resulting in a solid gaming experience that retains everything that’s needed for a game to become a timeless masterpiece.

The language barrier might be an issue – and a major one, at that – but for players that are fluent in Japanese, now’s the chance to enjoy one of the best JRPGs we’ve got in recent years, just before it’s widely released sometime in the future.

Legacy of Trails

It might not be immediately apparent, but The Legend of Nayuta is actually a part of the fabled Trails series. Veteran players might recognize that name from the outstanding The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, which just so happens to be one of Nayuta’s influences.

First released some years back on the PSP, this updated version of The Legend of Nayuta includes all the usual bells and whistles we’ve come to expect from a proper remaster. Considering the original game came from a portable console, it’s great to see this game running at a higher FPS and a massively upscaled resolution than the PSP original.

Luckily for fans of the series, the PSP is no pushover, and the visuals of Nayuta look amazing at the increased resolution. Even if character models might look a bit blocky, it retains the charm of the original game and compensates its technical limitations with an impressively well-crafted plot that’s worthy of even the Final Fantasy series.

Epic Presentation

Any great JRPG worth its salt must include a common set of requirements, one of which is, of course, an epic soundtrack. The Legend of Nayuta delivers that in spades, thanks to the excellent work made by three different composers who have worked on the Trails series before.

Veteran players of The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel III might find the different setting to be difficult to adjust to at first, but the charismatic characters and excellent presentation value sells the game setting and story in a commendable way.

The updated version of the game also includes some new illustrations to help make the story more digestible for western audiences. That said, we should address the elephant in the room, and that’s the game’s language.

This initial release of the game is only available in Japanese, with the official English translation slated for release in 2023. There’s still some time left before that, however, so if you plan to play this game sometime before the proper English release, be sure to practice your kanji skills beforehand.

All in all, this is the ultimate way to play one of the PSP’s finest JRPGs. The higher resolution and improved framerate make the game transition towards next-gen consoles a smooth one and also cements its place as a worthy member of the legendary Trails series.

Pros

• Crisp and vivid visuals
• Amazing character design
• Engaging plot with charming characters

Cons

• No English translation at release
• Some character models look a bit blocky compared to the others