The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

 PC
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. RPG Fan
    Oct 9, 2017
    90
    In case I haven't said it enough already, the PC port of Trails of Cold Steel is quite simply the best version of the game you can get at the moment. It's also an excellent port on its own that brings many improvements and scales well between a dedicated gaming rig at max settings and an ultraportable laptop squeaking by on low. If you're a fan of the series, this is a no-brainer. If you've never played a Trails game before, this is an excellent place to start.
  2. DarkStation
    Aug 7, 2017
    90
    Nihon Falcom’s games have helped me to rediscover JRPGs which I had almost given up due to their often perplexing superiority complex. There’s this integrity towards the way Nihon Falcom makes their games, and it’s reflected in the gaming experience. What The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel may lack in production values, it makes up for in the richness and depth in its unpretentious and diverse narrative. That makes following Rean and his friends during their year of study uncannily engaging entertainment. I can’t think of any better way to get acquainted with The Legend of Heroes series than this. The only thing bothering me right now is how long I have to wait for the second part!
  3. DarkZero
    Sep 5, 2017
    80
    In the end, Trails of Cold Steel is a game made for specific fans of the JRPG genre, but it also succeeds in nailing down all of its tropes and mechanics, rather than try to appeal to everyone with a bunch of pieces that don’t fit cohesively. Its emphasis on character development and skill trees prove that it has placed its priorities in the right areas, rather than blow its budget on visuals or other superfluous aspects. What it lacks in innovation, it more than makes up for in polish, and the result is bound to leave many fans hungry for the next two installments in the trilogy regardless of whether they play through the main story or follow every side character’s journey to completion.
  5. Hooked Gamers
    Aug 9, 2017
    80
    I can certainly list the game’s qualities, but I can also list its flaws. But I think in the end what it comes down to is the fact that this game’s qualities feel individual, whereas I perceive its flaws belonging to the genre as a whole, which, to me, makes them far more forgivable.
  6. We Got This Covered
    Aug 8, 2017
    80
    The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is smothered in detail which creates a living, breathing world at the cost of some story and character development.
  7. Gaming Nexus
    Aug 3, 2017
    80
    Trails of Cold Steel is one of those games where you get out of it what you put into it. While it is playable for a rank newbie, there is far more depth available to the experienced player. There are some small rough edges, but it works very well overall.
  8. Wccftech
    Aug 2, 2017
    80
    The Legend of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel takes the best of the Trails in the Sky games and enhances it to new heights. While the school setting isn't particularly innovative, all surrounding mechanics have been masterfully implemented, resulting in a game that's incredibly engaging despite the slow pace and a few other minor issues. Additional, the wealth of PC exclusive features make the game one of the best consoles to PC port ever released.
  9. GamingTrend
    Aug 15, 2017
    75
    The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel has made its way to PC, but has made no changes to differentiate itself. This game overall is one that has definitely aged well and has grown on me as time goes by, and is a quality JRPG that any fan of the genre will enjoy. However, this re-release provides no incentive whatsoever for someone wants to double dip.
  10. Digital Chumps
    Aug 7, 2017
    75
    The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel was a surprising favorite of mine when it released on the Vita back in 2013. It was a pleasant surprise seeing it on PC, especially with all of the new voice acting they have added in. If you’re looking for a JRPG on the PC, this one is certainly an option, but it would not be my first.
  11. GameSpew
    Aug 18, 2017
    70
    This is a game with a long, arcing story that takes some awkward, colourful teens through their turbulent teenage years with a fun and vibrant world to explore, charming characters to befriend and a turn-based combat system with a surprising amount of depth once you look beneath the surface.

Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Best PC Game of 2017
68
#68 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 143 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 108 out of 143
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 143
  3. Negative: 14 out of 143
  1. lord_batman
    Mar 7, 2019
    10
    If you like games with great worldbuilding, character development/interactions and a massive plot that spans over the course of several games,If you like games with great worldbuilding, character development/interactions and a massive plot that spans over the course of several games, you won't be disappointed. Oh, and I can't stress enough how amazing the soundtrack is. You'll be mind-blown playing this game for sure. Also try the previous Trails in the Sky series if you like this one, it's just as good.… Full Review »
  2. magicllama
    Aug 3, 2017
    9
    The Trails series has always set the bar quite high within the JRPG genre, and Trails of Cold Steel certainly earns its right to bear the nameThe Trails series has always set the bar quite high within the JRPG genre, and Trails of Cold Steel certainly earns its right to bear the name of this franchise. I would say that in particular, this game even stands out from previous Trails titles with its level of characterization and overall lovableness of the main cast (helped in no small part by bonding events reminiscent of Persona). Not only is the lore deep and interesting, the game eases you into it masterfully, so that even series first-timers can get a solid grasp on the significance of certain plot events. The combat mechanics, a huge step up from past games, are incredibly fun and evolve a bit over the course of the game. The game overall just has a peculiar effect, a spirit to it that hooks you and forces you to form emotional attachments to main characters, locations, factions, and even NPCs - which makes it all the more effective when some of these attachments are tested in Trails of Cold Steel II.

    This new PC port comes out swinging with a ton of potential; the higher-end graphical enhancements more than rise to the challenge of adapting what is essentially a handheld title to meet the standards of PC gaming. However, while the largest flaw of the Vita version (long loading times), seems to have been resolved, there were a few graphical glitches in the game's initial release. It seems, though, that the developers immediately recognized these issues and jumped to work on fixing them, so I expect they should be patched up very soon. And of course, the anime-stylized 3D models that were at least passable in a 2014 handheld seem a little awkward in a 2017 title.

    All in all, Trails of Cold Steel is a high-tier and incredibly fun JRPG that will stick with you for a very long time (and at 70-90 hours per playthrough, it had better). As with most Nihon Falcom titles, the game's concept, story, and "heart" are a solid 10/10, while the execution unfortunately tends to waver at a 7/10. This is nonetheless an excellent game, and a must-play for all JRPG fans.    … Full Review »
  3. Dubeau
    Oct 22, 2017
    7
    The game by itself is well done. Interesting RPG with cooking, upgrades for weapons and equipment. The story is quite political in it's coreThe game by itself is well done. Interesting RPG with cooking, upgrades for weapons and equipment. The story is quite political in it's core and the game shows us events with dates. It's a nice sens of moving forward. However the dialogues are very annoying, not because they are bad but there is so many of them and they state the very obvious almost 75% of the time. Do we have to know every single feelings, every single though. Many, many sequence are very arduous...so be prepared to skip a lot of dialogues in the like you never seen before. The fighting is well done but again in the last chapter you are hit with an impossible boss to handle. The graphics are to the level of a PS3 game. The 3D models are quite basic. Overall it was a fun JRPG but the dialogues skipping can be a long exercise of patience. I give it a 70%.… Full Review »
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