On sale today! The only story action RPG in the "Trails" series returns in its 10th anniversary year! Editorial review of "Nayuta no Kiseki Ad Astra" for Nintendo Switch!

Nihon Falcom's story action RPG "Trails of Nayuta ad Astra" was released on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

The story action RPG "Nayuta no Kiseki" was originally released for PSP in 2012, and in 2022, the 10th anniversary of its release, it will be revived as "Nayuta no Kiseki Ad Astra" for Nintendo Switch with greatly upgraded graphics and sound!

The name "Nihon Falcom" and the word "Trajectory" might lead one to assume that this game is part of the company's signature "Trajectory" series, but this game is positioned as an offshoot of the "Trajectory" series, with no connection to the storyline itself.

However, the warm worldview, fascinating characters, and a story that takes two or three turns, all of which are unique to the "Locus" series, are still present. Furthermore, since Nihon Falcom is the developer of the nationally known action RPG "Ys" series, the game is sure to satisfy action-oriented players with its easy-to-use but thrilling action elements and challenging system.

The Akiba Research Institute editorial staff also had a chance to try "Nayuta no Kiseki Ad Astra. Here is our review of the game.

First, let's enjoy the story!

The story opens on the peaceful small island of "Left Behind Island," where the main character, Nayuta, temporarily returns home from an off-island academy.

The main character, Nayuta Herschel.

This is Nayuta's childhood friend and partner, Signa-Alhazen. He is a master swordsman.

When Nayuta arrives at the island, she is warmly welcomed by the islanders. The time that flows slowly, as if at a resort, and the heartwarming atmosphere are most pleasant!

The stone streets along the sea are filled with an exotic atmosphere.

Nayuta's only living relative, her older sister Asa

Laila, the royal tsundere heroine (a bit on the dere side)

On this leftover island, there is a strange phenomenon of shooting stars and ruins falling from the sky. In addition, mysterious ores called "pieces of stars" are sometimes found near where shooting stars fall, and not a few researchers are paying attention to them academically.

Museum by researchers fascinated by the mysteries of the island

After touring the island, Nayuta resumes her "handyman" job with Signa. Just as she is about to start her normal daily life again......, a huge tower falls from the sky near the shore.

The ruins that fell near the remaining island.

Orbas, the master of swordsmanship. He not only teaches swordsmanship, but also gives us all kinds of advice.

Nayuta and Signa are nailed by Orbus, but their curiosity gets the better of them and they set foot inside the ruins.

The inside of the ruins is a dangerous space where magical beasts roam, but the two make full use of their swordsmanship and aim for the top of the ruins.

At the top, they meet a fairy girl named Noi. Then, two mysterious men appeared.

When Nayuta and her friends manage to return from the ruins, Noi tells them that Zext, a man in black, is trying to ruin her world "Terra. Noi then tells them that they must retrieve a mysterious item called Master Gear, which was stolen by Zext.

Inspired by a sense of mission and a quest, Nayuta ventures into the other world of Terra.

Somehow, the ruins near her home become connected to Terra. From here, Nayuta is forced to travel back and forth between the two worlds.

Here, Nayuta learns that Terra is an alternate world called "Lost Heaven" in their world. In fact, Nayuta's parents sailed off to the "Lost Heaven" at the end of the world, but have not been heard from in five years. If she can solve the mystery of this world, she may be able to find her missing parents. ......

With these faint hopes in mind, Nayuta embarks on an adventure that will take her across the four continents of Terra and restore the Master Gear stolen by Zext, and the seasons that have been thrown out of whack.

A comfortable system that can be played according to the player's skills!

This is the synopsis of this work.

Mysterious ancient ruins, adventures in other worlds you've always dreamed of, powerful enemies, and a boy who follows in the footsteps of his parents who have disappeared....... The game is full of romantic settings that are already exciting, but let's check out the main game.

This is a stage-clearing action game.

First, the player must traverse the four continents and conquer the stages scattered throughout the map.

Since the original game is a handheld game, each stage can be completed in about 5 to 10 minutes, making it easy to start and play at your leisure.

However, the difficulty level is not as easy as one might think. Each stage has its own set of missions, and by completing these missions, players can earn rewards for clearing the stage, receive more stamps related to character growth, and so on.

At the start of the game, there are three difficulty levels to choose from, so if you are confident in your skills, why not try to complete the game on the highest difficulty level?

It is a good idea to start with NORMAL!

Very simple basic action, fighting enemies by combining attacks and jumping.

As you grow, you will be able to use various special attacks and expand your range of action!

Jump over places where the footholds are far apart with a two-step jump!

Gimmicks with puzzle elements. You can get hidden items by solving puzzles.

At the end of each continent, a huge boss character awaits you.

You can't compete with the boss by pushing your way to the end, so be sure to spot the enemy's action patterns and attack precisely!

The stage moves dynamically! It's dizzying!

Players are free to return to the island they left behind while they are attacking each stage. It is a good idea to return to the island to regroup and regroup when you get stuck, run out of recovery items, want to upgrade your equipment because you have accumulated mila (in-game currency), or want to learn a new skill under Orbas.

Perhaps a new event or storyline awaits you.

Join forces with Noi the Fairy to conquer the game!

Noi also supports you with magic (arts) attacks. Noi's Arts will increase through events and by defeating specific enemies, and will also level up as experience is accumulated by activating them a certain number of times.

When surrounded by enemies, use arts with a wide attack range to get out of a tight spot!

Use Nayuta for melee attacks, Noi for long-range attacks, and so on, depending on the situation.

As the story progresses, Nayuta and Noi will be able to use "gear crafting," a cooperative action.

This is an important action that is indispensable to the game, such as breaking down walls to open up new routes, hooking on to floating objects in the air, and unlocking gimmicks on the map.

Once you have acquired a new gear craft, go back to a stage you have already conquered. Perhaps you will discover something new.

If you smash a huge tree, you have found a new route!

Enjoy the changing seasons in the game!

One of the unique elements of this game is the "seasons.

As you progress through the game, you will be able to freely switch seasons on each continent. As the seasons change, the same stage will have a different structure, and the magical beasts will also change.

The appearance of the world map naturally changes as well. This is summer, the season of fresh greenery

As the seasons change, so do the enemies. Each stage can be played with a fresh feeling.

In addition, as the seasons change, you will be able to enter important facilities.

In spring, the paths are obstructed by grass and flowers. ......

In summer, the paths are connected!

Switching seasons is an essential part of the story.

If you find a place you can't enter in a single playthrough, switch seasons and try again.

When seeds and saplings are obtained, they can be planted in the stage and harvested as the season progresses.

If you plant a sapling in spring and switch seasons to summer, you will see ......

the fruit was plentiful!

Enjoy the beautiful change of the four seasons and conquer stages that show different expressions with the seasons. You will feel like you are traveling to another world!

In these days when traveling abroad is still considered a little hesitant, you may want to try this title to enjoy exploring other countries.

Plenty of challenging elements

Speaking of the "Kiseki" series, there are many challenging elements in this game! The "Locus" series is known for its many challenging and rewarding elements,

This title, which bears the name "Locus," is no exception.

Nayuta, who also works as a "handyman," often receives requests (quests) from islanders in her mailbox.

Solving the quests often results in the receipt of rare items in addition to mira. Also, through quests, you can see an unexpected side of the client, so be proactive in completing quests in order to enjoy the story even more.

A wide variety of quests, ranging from "otsukai" (errand boy) type quests to quests that can be solved by going back and forth with Terra.

Cooking, as is customary in the "Kiseki" series, is also a part of the game.

If you obtain a recipe during the game, you will be able to ask Aasa to make you a bento box lunch.

Ingredients available at each stage of the game and at the stores are needed to make bento boxes.

Eating these ingredients not only restores your strength, but also provides you with experience points, so be sure to consume them.

At first, you can only make simple dishes, but eventually you will be able to make high-end bento lunches that will give you both recovery and experience.

Also, by destroying objects in each stage, you may obtain items such as insects, gems, fossils, etc. These items can be donated to museums. These items can be donated to a museum to be displayed.

Donating items to the museum will give you gratuity milas and items.

When donated items are added, they are properly reflected in the graphics.

It is pure joy and fun to see the collection grow. Let's build the best museum in the world!

Power-up elements unique to this title!

Now that we have talked about the charms of "Nayuta no Kiseki," let's pick up the differences from the original PSP version.

First and foremost, the enhanced graphics for the Nintendo Switch's resolution are spectacular.

The benefits of the higher resolution can be felt especially in the scenes where the camera moves closer to the characters, whereas in the PSP version the character's face was blurred, it is clearly displayed in this game. In addition, standing pictures of characters are added to conversation scenes.

This makes it possible to enjoy conversations between characters even more.

New illustrations have also been added. They are inserted in the event scenes! event scenes.

The most significant power-up point of this work is the enhanced graphics.

The sound has also been enhanced, with BGM and sound effects that can be heard more clearly.

Players who have played the game since the PSP version are sure to be impressed by the evolution of the game!

So, that's our review of the first part of the game, but of course, the adventure continues to unfold.

The identity of the beautiful girl who sleeps in the "Garden of Stars" at the center of Terra is ....... The whereabouts of Signa, who disappeared after leaving a letter behind, can be found at ....... What will happen to Aasa, who is feeling unwell, .......