#33

Change YoY: -1   My Rating: 9.2 / 10

The second of many (seriously) The Legend of Heroes games on my list, Trails of Cold Steel III was akin to a second start for the series, as it not only made the series' debut on a new console generation, but also introduced a new set of main characters that took the center stage for much of the game. In general, the four Trails of Cold Steel games feel like two distinct pairs, the first two centering around the same core group of characters and storyline, while the latter two take place after some time has passed and, as mentioned, feature many entirely new characters in addition to the already familiar cast. This soft reset is both a blessing and a curse. It definitely gives the game a feeling of freshness, but on the other hand in some ways it also feels like you're restarting a lot of stuff from scratch after spending two full games getting familiar with the original characters.

Once the story gets going and the new characters have been introduced and made familiar, then the game hits its stride again. Not that the beginning is bad or anything, the game just takes a moment to essentially collect itself and put everything in place for what's about to happen. Effectively, we're setting up new pieces on the board for the final game in the series after quite a few of the major storylines were already wrapped up in the second game. None of this makes the game bad by any means, quite the opposite, just means that it takes a little while to get going, and when it does the result is one of my all-time favourite games, with a genuinely heart-wrenching final twist. It may be the weakest of the four Cold Steel games, but as this ranking probably tells you, that doesn't make it any less great overall. The gameplay, characters, story, and music are still all fantastic, and the slightly weaker elements are essentially a necessity for setting up the events to follow in the final Cold Steel game.

Correct on both counts

More clues.

#30

• The origin of the dragon and the mad dog
• Invest in real estate

#29 Persona 4

• Shooting yourself in the head is no longer required

#28

• Originally a Japan-only Sega Saturn JRPG, later released in the west on the PS1
• Justin, Feena, Sue

#27

• The game where the series' main antagonist earned his moniker, taking place before he defected and founded his own private mercenary company
• Set in the jungles of Soviet Union during the Cold War

#26

• Literally fighting against fate, i.e. the canon of the original story
• First of three

28 - Grandia?

27 - I think that's Metal Gear Solid 3?

35) This game which had more than 50 million players no longer exists

34) The second spin-off of this franchise that became more succesful than the original trilogy

33) This game's philosophical take on AI was significantly more intellectually stimulating than the real deal

32) The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny, Blood of Elves, Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, The Lady of the Lake The Witcher

31) The first two games in this series were the only ones in normal chronological order. This is the second of them.

Current list - https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread/248646/post-only-once-the-official-thread-the-15th-annual-greatest-games-event/4/#4

42
- For the first time in this beloved platforming sub series, a playable character has different initials than the other playable characters (both past and present).
- Pink or blue - these are the colours assigned to the playable characters.
- The two playable characters from the first game are now the ones that need to be saved.

38
- This sequel introduces a few new enemies, but only one new weapon, which itself is more an upgrade of an existing weapon.
- One new enemy is a particularly vile creature who can resurrect fallen foes.
- Sequel to a highly influential FPS

35
- At various points in the game, you’re given a choice of which team mate’s plan you want to go along with. One leads to more puzzle orientated routes, the other combat orientated.
- Throughout the game, you face enemies from another time.

34
- You’ll start this game in the same environment that the previous game ended in, although one of the playable characters is different.
- The game’s subtitle is kind of clever, and something people sometimes get wrong.

33
- The most customisable this particular series has ever been

32
- Levels here include an airport and a suburban neighbourhood, as well as trips to Japan, Brazil, and Canada.

31
- This game is not currently available to buy, despite launching a major franchise.

Correct on both.

32: A few different games came to mind for this, but let's guess The Talos Principle

46 is correct.

It's alright if people don't know the games. I now have a lot more time, so I can soon make some writeups and inform people about these brilliant JRPGs.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest