“For everything that happened, for all the twists and turns over the years, I’m still enormously proud of the work I did on Trails in the Sky SC,” Dice said. “SC has had more twists and turns getting out the door than just about any game I’ve heard of… But the game still is going to come out, and it’s going to be great fun, and it’s going to leave a lot of people satisfied.”

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So far, other than a few complaints about bugs and crashes, reactions to SC have been uniformly positive. But people at XSEED are still waiting for the other shoe to drop. They’re still haunted by the Curse of Kiseki. After a four-and-a-half-year journey, it feels surreal—and unbelievable—that the game is actually out.

“I’m happy it’s over and trepidatious about the launch because I want people to finally enjoy it, but I know, KNOW, Kiseki is gonna Kiskei,” Chavez said. “Aidios have mercy.”

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