The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is an motion RPG with platforming parts that began life on the PSP all the best way again in 2012. And as is the case with so lots of Falcom’s lesser-known titles, it was by no means launched exterior of Japan. This new PS4 model, then, is a remaster of what some would think about to be a little bit of a traditional, and whereas we would hesitate to place it on the identical podium as, say, the perfect video games in Falcom’s Ys sequence, there is no doubt that The Legend of Nayuta is a blast to play.
Broadly talking, Nayuta is like if Ys and Trails — Falcom’s widespread JRPG saga — merged with each other. The gameplay has loads in widespread with the adventures of Adol Christin, whereas the narrative facet of issues takes cues from the aforementioned Trails titles — not less than by way of pacing and characterisation. However the place Nayuta units itself aside is in its construction, which sees our plucky protagonist (additionally named Nayuta) leap between his hub-like hometown and designated motion phases.
The primary thrust of the sport’s 20-ish hour story reveals itself fairly early, as Nayuta and his adventurous buddy Cygna uncover the secrets and techniques of the ruins that pepper their beloved Remnant Isle. Being so eager in his pursuit of scholarly data, Nayuta dives headfirst into the thriller, and it isn’t lengthy earlier than he is exploring one other world, filled with unusual landscapes, perspective-shattering secrets and techniques, and, in fact, monsters.
To be blunt, the narrative by no means actually had us hooked. Nayuta’s an enjoyably energetic lead, and Remnant Isle instantly charms as a setting, however the overarching plot stumbles as a result of a reliance on drained and largely predictable style tropes. All of it simply falls considerably flat, regardless of plenty of properly written dialogue and a few story twists that attempt to preserve issues fascinating. Overly severe dangerous guys, a squeaky mascot companion, and the arrival of an amnesia-riddled thriller lady is a mix that’ll drag any RPG down.
Fortunately, the sport’s mix of hack-and-slash fight and fast-paced platforming must be sufficient to carry your consideration. With tight controls and a stable gameplay loop, dashing, leaping, and brawling your manner by way of every pretty brief stage is satisfying — and rewarding, do you have to go looking for hidden treasure chests and collectibles. What’s extra, finishing extra goals — like beating a stage inside a set time restrict — nets you stamps that can be utilized to unlock new battle strategies. There’s at all times a objective to pursue.
Now then, the motion. Essentially, Nayuta is a simplistic slasher. You might have a fast and straightforward sword combo, a dodge roll, and a double leap. You smack an enemy, and in case your combo is not sufficient to kill, you progress away from its imminent retaliation. Simple at first, however the sport shortly introduces foes that require some tactical pondering, be it due to ranged assaults or resistances to every thing however particular strategies. And whenever you begin encountering enemy teams that blend a number of of those parts collectively, issues grow to be surprisingly tough — in a great way.
Boss battles are a spotlight as nicely. These climactic fights boast their very own gimmicks, and whereas it would take a few makes an attempt to determine a sound technique, there’s a formidable diploma of creativity on present — particularly whenever you do not forget that this was initially a PSP title. In actual fact, it could possibly be argued that from a gameplay viewpoint, Nayuta is one among Falcom’s most experimental outings, and that always works to the sport’s benefit as every new stage affords some sort of recent intrigue.
Having mentioned all of that, there are occasions when the title feels only a contact unfair. Unseeable enemy assaults from offscreen is usually a downside — particularly once they subsequently knock you off a platform and reset your progress — and appropriately judging the gap of some jumps could be unnecessarily tough relying on the stage’s digital camera angle. Minor grievances for probably the most half, however the frustration can add up whenever you’re making an attempt to blitz a stage for the sake of sure rewards.
But when there’s one space the place Nayuta would not falter, it is presentation. It is a nice wanting remaster of what was already a beautiful wanting PSP launch. Fashions and textures have been upgraded, and the artwork fashion — topped off with its wide selection of vibrant colors and extremely fairly lightning results — actually pops at a better decision, whereas working at a flawless 60 frames-per-second.
Conclusion
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is an effortlessly charming motion RPG. Although the story struggles to have interaction, there’s a lot to love in regards to the sport’s hectic mixture of hack-and-slash fight and responsive platforming. A simple advice for followers of Ys, or fast-paced, skill-based motion titles generally.
