The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC

There are 9(!) chapters here, each can often take between 5-10 hours, meaning there is a ton of story content, so much so that I really think this game could be split into two separate entries.

I also think the gameplay has aged better than some will give it credit for.

At its best, the combat strikes this really tense and fun level of difficulty where you're trying to find just the right position and strategy for each of your party members so that they're close enough to heal each other, far enough that they can't easily be hit all at once, and have the capacity to dish out enough damage to wittle down at times very large and aggressive teams of enemies.

Where the first game had a pretty good soundtrack, this one has some of my favorite JRPG battle themes of all time.

It rewards experimentation and forethought, especially in harder difficulty settings where preparation can mean the difference between victory and a complete party wipe.

If the rumoured remake is any good, I recommend that over this version for the improved visuals and quality-of-life updates.