The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

 PC
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

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  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, 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.
  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 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).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 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.    … Expand
  3. max-eagle
    Aug 19, 2017
    10
    A perfect continuation of the series.Once again "Nihon Falcom" made a beautiful, interesting, and most importantly, a fascinating tale!Thank you for that!!!
  4. doctor_awesome
    Feb 4, 2018
    8
    "Trails of Cold Steel" is finally on PC. To me, this franchise has been the best continuation of classic 1990s JRPGs into the modern era. This game shouldn't disappoint anyone who liked "Trails in the Sky". The main differences are a new story, obviously, it has many connections to "Trails in the Sky" but the fresh characters are nice. It is extremely anime and borrows from the Persona"Trails of Cold Steel" is finally on PC. To me, this franchise has been the best continuation of classic 1990s JRPGs into the modern era. This game shouldn't disappoint anyone who liked "Trails in the Sky". The main differences are a new story, obviously, it has many connections to "Trails in the Sky" but the fresh characters are nice. It is extremely anime and borrows from the Persona games pretty blatantly. The main character is a painfully generic anime MC. That said, the writing is good and the cast of characters is pretty strong.

    It drops the complicated Orbment system of the previous games, which definitely makes it more accessible, but after having spent all that time learning how to combine orbments to get really cool abilities, it did feel a little unrewarding to have such a simplified system. The game also has an unconventional weapon system where instead of just buying them from shops or looting them in dungeons, you need to do pretty simple crafting to get good weapons. It has promise.

    There are some other minor differences but this game is extremely familiar if you've played others in the franchise. I liked the story in "Trails in the Sky" better, it was less generic, and the Estelle character was a very strong lead. This story isn't bad though, and the twists at the end, even if a bit silly, did have me ready to fork over some cash to see what happens next.

    The graphics in the game are very, very basic. It was a Vita game after all. They're really not the reason anyone's playing this game, but they are good enough to be a bit immersive and engaging.

    I didn't like the soundtrack as much as the previous games, which had songs I downloaded and put on my phone to listen to again. The battle music is pretty good though.

    Ultimately if you enjoyed the previous games, this one is a sure-fire hit.    … Expand
  5. Risax
    Apr 22, 2018
    8
    I've loved "The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky" when I found it on Steam, so when I had a PS Vita (mostly for Persona 4 Golden) I also had to get this game. Then I...kind of forgot about the series, until I saw that both Trails of Cold Steel and Trails of Cold Steel II had appeared on Steam. So I bought both, and replayed this one before starting on the sequel.

    I have to admit, I    I've loved "The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky" when I found it on Steam, so when I had a PS Vita (mostly for Persona 4 Golden) I also had to get this game. Then I...kind of forgot about the series, until I saw that both Trails of Cold Steel and Trails of Cold Steel II had appeared on Steam. So I bought both, and replayed this one before starting on the sequel.

    I have to admit, I kind of miss the sprites from Trails in the Sky and the artwork in the text box. But the graphics look decent, and look better on PC.

    In any case, the worldbuilding and timeline that all the games share are what I love most about the Legend of Heroes games. This game takes place in the country of Erebonia, some stuff about it has already been teased in the Liberl games and I think the Crossbell duology too, but I haven't played the latter and hope for a translation at some point.

    In any case, while in Trails in the Sky you play as a Bracer and in the Crossbell Duology you play as a police officer, here you are a student. A part of a special class, in fact, that has both nobles and commoners as Erebonia still has a fairly rigid class system.

    Over the course of the game you'll visit various parts of the country and discover for yourself what the political climate is like in Erebonia. There is, of course, also some other stuff going on behind the scenes that you discover that I won't spoil.

    The game will run you a good 60-70 hours, and there might still be quests that you might miss if you don't talk to all NPCs, who almost all have names and their own stories going on in the background with lines that seem to change almost every day/after every quest. (or, you know, have a guide handy).

    Even then, a replay is still recommended. Especially if you want to see all the Bonding Events between Rean and his classmates.

    Unfortunately, as much as I loved the series. It's not perfect. There are some dumb anime clichés that might be as eyeroll worthy for you as they were for me. The "animated" fight sequences look stiff and awkward. And usually, the Free Days just felt like a chore where you "complete student council tasks, do bonding events, explore the old schoolhouse". Maybe that's kind of the point since you're helping the Student Council, but it's not the most fun thing around.

    Overall, it's not a perfect game. Some characters might feel unecessary and underdeveloped after their "part" of the game seems to be over (Gaius and Nord) and because you didn't do their bonding events. There is also a whole new type of combat introduced at the end of the game that feels clunky and awkward and, hell, the ending itself felt as if it dragged on for a bit before ending on a massive cliffhanger.

    That being said, I still recommend this game. The music is wonderful, the world and its inhabitants all feel very much alive and the plot has some interesting twists and turns!    … Expand
  6. Pletter64
    May 4, 2018
    8
    Newcomer's perspective.
    Having been a sidelines binge-watcher of the persona series for a while I decided this was the best way to get in on the action since I do not own any Sony consoles. As is the case I picked up this game knowing little to nothing about it beforehand and I was pleasantly surprised. For a game that was originally handheld this game holds up really well. I played it to    Newcomer's perspective.
    Having been a sidelines binge-watcher of the persona series for a while I decided this was the best way to get in on the action since I do not own any Sony consoles. As is the case I picked up this game knowing little to nothing about it beforehand and I was pleasantly surprised. For a game that was originally handheld this game holds up really well. I played it to completion once and I will perhaps buy the sequal. To not waste your time I will only state the low points here.

    The gameplay can feel quite unbalanced. I was playing on hard mode the entire game through but I still felt that certain parts of the game were simply unfair. Having prior knowledge of what status effects are going to be present is basically mandatory if you don't want your party to lose 3 straight turns to the boss. I also find the limit breaks (excuse my final fantasy) a little on the stupid to balance side. The game makes it quite clear through the stats that you are required to use them on the bosses as much as possible. Though I would rather them be lowered in power along with enemy health so other tactics would work too. Also one-hit KO's through sheer damage from the boss do not belong in any game period.

    Story, surprisingly engaging. It has some holes but that is to be expected. Fan service always comes first and I like it.

    Hidden quests and other "should've done that now you can't now play the game again" **** can die in a fire. Forcing people to whip out a guide on what was once a handheld game is ridiculous. It breaks immersion, leaves you open to spoilers and makes you miss out on stuff you paid for. You don't feel smart or rewarded or accomplished from them either.

    I only saw minor graphical glitches at the end of the game and they were not enough to fuss over. The game ran smoothly and the initial setup was plenty to get me through to whole game. Having actual control prompts is already a step up from other ports that shall not be named here. Doesn't earn extra points for me.

    The dub itself is also decent though sometimes the voice acting starts midway through a cutscene. If this is intentional or not to build up surprise for a character appearance or unexpected event is debatable. I was less bothered by it than others.

    All in all I like it for what it's worth and I can only hope the rest of the series is even better.    … Expand
  7. GreenMenace
    Sep 28, 2022
    7
    The first Trails of Cold Steel introduces a game that is clunky at times, but still solid.

    Pros Tuned up replayability Fresh start and great new soundtrack Story Cons Character Involvement Pacing Bland Stereotypes Trails of Cold Steel has implemented a new system that rewards players for replaying its game, allowing players to push past the slower parts of the game much    The first Trails of Cold Steel introduces a game that is clunky at times, but still solid.

    Pros
    Tuned up replayability
    Fresh start and great new soundtrack
    Story

    Cons
    Character Involvement
    Pacing
    Bland Stereotypes

    Trails of Cold Steel has implemented a new system that rewards players for replaying its game, allowing players to push past the slower parts of the game much faster. The turbo button is a new feature that I didn’t take advantage of at first, but regretted not doing so later. The soundtrack is enjoyable, and the story introduces plot twists the player can’t see coming. There are some glaring issues though. At any given point in the story, EVERY character comments on it. Its painful, but that problem is fixed in future entries. The game does its best to create a climax for the player—but it does so by slowing down the game. You will feel it.

    Trails of Cold Steel gives you fun “bonding” moments where you get to know a character better. Your time is limited though, so you have to pick and choose who to interact with. Some moments are better than others, and some moments are absolutely cringeworthy (as a piano player, I hated watching characters play the piano).

    I’ve never been big on the main character of this series, but I’ve enjoyed the characters of Trails of Cold Steel as a whole. The characters don’t do much to surprise you (aka they’re two dimensional)—instead you grow to be comfortable with them over time as you progress through the story. Trails of Cold Steel is a four game series, so that’s important to keep in mind. Like a book, this game isn’t going to resolve everything inside the game which is intended to leave you curious about what the heck is going on. Bear in mind that if you haven’t tried a Falcom game like this, then it will be a new experience.

    Trails of Cold Steel—should you try it?

    A Trails game is like a weird hybrid of a book, movie, and video game. There’s story elements involving many characters, and you get to watch the characters interact. This game is LINEAR. It doesn’t get carried away with making the game challenging (as the game focuses on delivering a fleshed out story and challenge could interrupt that), but it offers several difficulties to players. You have to manage your resources to prepare for a simple—yet fun combat system. Players should not worry whether this game will be “too hard”. Put in the time and you’ll beat the game no problem.

    For the next series, I’ll be playing on a console. Trails games also go on sale fairly regularly, so if you’re uncomfortable paying full price, you can wait. I took the risk on the Trails in the Sky series and loved it. I haven’t enjoyed this series as much, but there are absolutely moments where Trails of Cold Steel meets or exceeds its predecessors.

    Best of luck finding your next JRPG!    … Expand
  8. 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 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 knowThe 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%.… Expand
  9. metathislazy
    Jul 2, 2021
    0
    Only didn't give it a 10 because I'm not the biggest fan of the harem aspect the game has going and how much I deeply hate Alisa's little hair ribbons and boots. Otherwise there is no greater series for world building, difficult fights, excellent continent spanning plots, and some of the best characters you'll ever get to play with. The PC update added the turbo feature which really makesOnly didn't give it a 10 because I'm not the biggest fan of the harem aspect the game has going and how much I deeply hate Alisa's little hair ribbons and boots. Otherwise there is no greater series for world building, difficult fights, excellent continent spanning plots, and some of the best characters you'll ever get to play with. The PC update added the turbo feature which really makes the game about 100% more playable because the original Vita/PS3 version was pretty meandering in the fights and establishing shots especially on replay.

    It's my favorite series by far and my favorite arc so far in the Trails series.    … Expand
  10. Fredvdp
    Aug 19, 2021
    8
    This is a game I bought after reading a recommendation online. I had no idea what exactly to expect, but I was really surprised by how much I ended up liking it.

    The combat system, while not revolutionary, does its job. It's a fairly standard turn-based approach, but with enough additions that it becomes fresh again. The characters are varied and well written (except Angelica, I'll    This is a game I bought after reading a recommendation online. I had no idea what exactly to expect, but I was really surprised by how much I ended up liking it.

    The combat system, while not revolutionary, does its job. It's a fairly standard turn-based approach, but with enough additions that it becomes fresh again.

    The characters are varied and well written (except Angelica, I'll get to that). Even a character like Machias, who starts out as more than a bit obnoxious, grew on me.

    The world building is executed very well, with the narrative starting out as quite mundane, but slowly giving the player more and more glimpses of a greater global conflict. This approach works, because unlike games that throw you into a great conflict right from the start, the story in Trails of Cols Steel allows you to learn about the world at a slow pace, making you care about the various locations and their people before the story really begins to pick up. Some people don't appreciate this slow pacing, but I think it works great.

    If you're used to playing big AAA games by studios with staffs of hundreds, you might need to temper your expectations a bit when it comes to production values. This is a very big game, but made with limited means, so you'll notice some understandable compromises. For instance, there's a limited number of animations, so a lot of it's implied or conveyed through audio alone. (To give an example: When a crowd applauds, you can hear it, but the people are sitting motionless in their chairs.)

    The game's biggest problems are in how certain characters are portrayed. One thing that kind of bothered me is the implied romantic feelings one character has for her adopted brother, which all characters seem to be okay with or even actively encourage.

    Even worse is that one character in the game, Angelica, is a serial sexual harasser and pedophile who fantasises about "deflowering" a thirteen year old child. In one scene, this character commits four counts of sexual assault, two towards characters aged thirteen and fifteen, and all the other characters present (including the protagonist) just let it happen and have a laugh about it. This pedophile is treated as a dear friend and they're all happy to see her, despite her being a horrible creep.

    From a technical point of view, I'd say the game is quite good. The visual are obviously dated, being an older game originally released on a handheld. That said, the PC conversion was very well done with many different customisation options and also an option to enable DualShock controller prompts. The biggest downside is that there can be technical issues unless you cap the framerate to 60fps. I did not experience any slowdown or crashes throughout my entire playthrough.

    In short: Highly recommended. Interesting combat. Great characters. One very creepy character who is treated as a good person.    … Expand
  11. Kenmei
    Nov 23, 2018
    9
    A very good JRPG and a good entry point into the very complicated massive story that is the The Legend of Heroes storyline. While I would say that the opening to the game can be fairly overwhelming as it throws just a TON of stuff at you from the beginning, once you get past that part, the game properly teaches you the mechanics of the game. Fans of the Persona series will like some of theA very good JRPG and a good entry point into the very complicated massive story that is the The Legend of Heroes storyline. While I would say that the opening to the game can be fairly overwhelming as it throws just a TON of stuff at you from the beginning, once you get past that part, the game properly teaches you the mechanics of the game. Fans of the Persona series will like some of the similarities the structure of the story sets up. The combat system just works too. It reminds me a little bit of the Tales series games in that regard, with the camera more focused on the rear of the characters during battle. But the series goes only as far as the characters go and this is probably the best group of characters I've played with in awhile. While not all of them are great, the superb voice acting really brings them all to life. The biggest thing people who play this game should take away though is that this is only the first game in what is supposed to be a four game series. Let alone the 3 Trails of the Sky games that came before this. So if you start to play this series, just know you're in for the long haul here.… Expand
  12. death12123
    Apr 21, 2019
    9
    I'm actually pretty new to the Trails of series, I started out with Sky but saw this came out so I'm trying this first.

    Very impressed with the game and it's characters. One thing I do like, is the use of every character where as some RPGs could literally let you use one team to beat it. I've heard about this franchise back on the PS3 but I've always simply never got the chance to    I'm actually pretty new to the Trails of series, I started out with Sky but saw this came out so I'm trying this first.

    Very impressed with the game and it's characters. One thing I do like, is the use of every character where as some RPGs could literally let you use one team to beat it.

    I've heard about this franchise back on the PS3 but I've always simply never got the chance to play, now that I did, I'm really enjoying it.

    Let's get down to business with the game.

    PROS:
    - Pretty well done story
    - Great characters and development and backstories keep getting revealed
    - Has that Persona feel to it with the school system
    - Amazing soundtrack
    - Voice acting in English has been treating me great with a few corny morments here and there, it delivers nicely overall. I'm currently playing through the game in English and will stick to it.
    - The system overall is amazing
    - Keyboard and Mouse controls work phenomenal
    - Also the option for controller support
    - The ability to tweak the settings including skipping intros and cutscenes for the speedrunners
    - Lengthy game that keeps me wondering what happens next
    - Optional quests not being forced on the player for those who just want to focus on the main storyline
    - Bosses give a great challenge
    - Unlike many other games, it makes use of every party member instead of always sticking to certain party members
    - Ability to control every character in your party
    - A Lengthy game giving hours of content and gameplay to do
    - Several other games in the franchise take place at the same time
    - Dual voice options for the original Japanese Voices or the English Voices with amazing added extra lines. (With a free update)

    Neutral:
    - Although the system is amazing, it does seem complicated at first
    - I'm not a fan of the auto removal of ORBS on party members not in your group
    - Optimization and performance on the game isn't crystal perfect as even on a 1070+i7 6700k on Max settings I get hicups here and there on 144Hz.
    - When not in your party, you can't change other characters outfits.
    - There's learning in the game. Now I'm not sure about you but I don't want to learn in these games so for the question answers I honestly just look up a guide like Persona.

    Negatives:
    - The game still has bugs to work out, it's not 100% perfect
    - Sometimes the game may bug out when playing on a higher refresh rate. (More than 60FPS)
    - You can miss certain items or quests making you have to play NG+ to earn them again
    - This is a personal for me, no auto talk for voices cutscenes.
    - Some character animations like even the basic hi five or slap to the face look TERRIBLE.
    - Many times at 144Hz, they get hit before the animation ever even touched them.
    - Graphically today, it doesn't look too great as it kinda was a portable game. Still as they say, the older games hold lots of replay value. It looks a bit nasty lol.

    Overall I can say I give the game a 9/10 Very Great
    Amazing overall game but it still has kinks graphically isn't so great, but delivers on great story and gameplay.

    Yes this is the same review I made on steam btw    … Expand
  13. T4l0n
    Jan 23, 2019
    9
    Another masterpiece from Nihon Falcom, and so far their best game.
    Trails of Cold Steel if the continuation of Trails in the Sky saga, to properly experience it it's better to play sky games first, but I think that as standalone it explains properly the world it's based in.
    This underrated gem stands in my opinion at the apex of jrpgs in general, it has nothing to envy to milestones of    Another masterpiece from Nihon Falcom, and so far their best game.
    Trails of Cold Steel if the continuation of Trails in the Sky saga, to properly experience it it's better to play sky games first, but I think that as standalone it explains properly the world it's based in.
    This underrated gem stands in my opinion at the apex of jrpgs in general, it has nothing to envy to milestones of the genre like classic final fantasies, or the best shin megami tenseis.

    The already excellent combat system of Trails in the Sky has been further enhanced with link mechanics and more intuitive orb arts (think of them like materia of ff7), you have full control over the battle so you can really use the best strategies to overcome the obstacles, there's some rng elements in the form of random buffs or debuffs that appear during the fights but since you can always see the turn order you can play around them by ordering your moves.

    Just like previous chapters, Trails of Cold Steel has an outstanding character developement, probably the best so far, you really feel like you're part of a group of students, the connections they form with each other are organic and the game is never forcing events down your throat. You start the game feeling out of place, you end the game feeling the academia is your home. There are unexpected surprised along the way and the game is always able to keep a fantastic pacing, letting you dig deep into some locations, or situations, just to move on right when you start getting tired of them.

    All of the above could never be achieved without the distinct linearity of the game: you have a degree of freedom along the way but generally the game follows a strict event sequence, this is not a point in discredit though, this type of linearity never overstays its welcome because of the great story it follows and the outstanding world building. And the world building in Trails of Cold Steel is beyond every other I've ever experienced in a video game, it's even able to enrich the depthness of the Sky saga, every tiny particular has been crafted to make sense both historically, geographically and chronologically in the game; there are no clear good or bad guys but everyone acts in the interest of themselves or the nation they belong. Marvelous.

    Being originally a ps vita game it doesn't have jawdropping graphics, animations or anything but they put enough work to make every location feel distinct and realistic in its setting.
    There is a little bit of anime cliche' that some people may dislike, it's mostly during the opening hours and it might turn some people off right at the beginning, bare in mind it's heavily diluted later on.

    A fenomenal work of art, and one of the best example of its genre.    … Expand
  14. Ryphereon
    Mar 27, 2021
    10
    During my first playing session of Trails of Cold Steel, it left a bad impression on me. Mostly because of the outdated graphics and how the characters, at the time, seemed like walking stereotypes to me. As I progressed through the game though, I found myself becoming more and more entranced by its story, character writing and solid gameplay to the point where it has become one of myDuring my first playing session of Trails of Cold Steel, it left a bad impression on me. Mostly because of the outdated graphics and how the characters, at the time, seemed like walking stereotypes to me. As I progressed through the game though, I found myself becoming more and more entranced by its story, character writing and solid gameplay to the point where it has become one of my favorite games of all time.

    Trails of Cold Steel's strongest aspect is, without a doubt, its characters. All of the main characters get plenty of development throughout the game and it honestly surprises me just how much I've started to care about each and every one of them. The most impressive thing though, is that every single NPC in this game has their own story. There's multiple moments throughout the game where you're free to walk around the Academy and talk to people so you basically get to see "snapshots" of their life as the school year passes by. You see an insecure kid slowly grow more confident, rivals eventually becoming friends etc. All of these NPC conversations are completely optional, but they add a lot of depth to the world of this game. I've had times where I ended up just talking to people for 40 minutes on end, and genuinely enjoyed myself. The interactions you have with other characters do have some really silly tropes in them every now and then, but none of them were too bad in my opinion.

    The gameplay in Trails of Cold Steel is good. Combat has a typical turn-based format where each of your characters has a few unique moves called "Crafts" that they unlock as they gain more levels. The main novelty that Trails of Cold Steel brings to the table is that all the combatants can move around on the battlefield. Proper positioning on the battlefield can be important and you can choose to spend a character's turn on just moving to a better position. Something I also like a lot, is just how customisable your characters' movesets are. You can mix and match one "Master Quartz" and a total of 8 "Quartz" to give each character the moves and stats that you think are best for them.

    That said though, the combat is generally very easy once you get the hang of it. Even if you don't really spend time coming up with good Quartz combinations for your team, the majority of enemies will be very easy to defeat. It's only in certain bossfights and around the end of the game that things get more challenging, although even then there's a few strategies that you can use to make the fights fairly simple to win. This makes it so that I personally got burned out by the combat at a certain point in the game and mostly kept playing for the story.

    Lastly I should mention that the soundtrack is very good. Not just for the absolutely hype music that plays in specific battles, but also for the atmospheric music in general. The Falcom Sound Team did a great job making this world feel even more alive with their music. The voice acting, too, is generally good (I played in English). I wish there were more fully voiced conversations, but other than that I have no real complaints.

    In conclusion: Trails of Cold Steel is an incredible game mainly because of its story, worldbuilding and great character writing. The combat is fun at first with a lot of customisability for your characters, but it becomes too easy once you get the hang of it. This makes it so that I wouldn't recommend this game to people who don't care about the storytelling aspect of video games and only play for the combat. For everyone else: I definitely recommend you to try out this game if you've become somewhat interested in it.    … Expand
  15. kelvinsanchez15
    Jul 31, 2019
    8
    Debo decir que soy un gran fan de la saga The Legend of Heroes y he jugado tanto los juegos de Liberl como Crossbell, este en particular me parece el mas flojo de todos en cuanto a la historia que para mi es uno de los mas grandes atractivos de la saga, mejora mucho en cuanto a mecánicas y gráficos, la banda sonora esta vez no logró cautivarme pero fue decente. El port a PC por parte deDebo decir que soy un gran fan de la saga The Legend of Heroes y he jugado tanto los juegos de Liberl como Crossbell, este en particular me parece el mas flojo de todos en cuanto a la historia que para mi es uno de los mas grandes atractivos de la saga, mejora mucho en cuanto a mecánicas y gráficos, la banda sonora esta vez no logró cautivarme pero fue decente. El port a PC por parte de xSeed me parece de 10. Tengo grandes expectativas por como se desarrollará en las siguientes entregas.… Expand
  16. waveathon
    Jan 13, 2019
    9
    *currently inside of a train*

    Me: I would like to thank you ToCS,you were definitely a great JRPG game. ToCS: haha. Thanks but I believe I still have much to learn in the world of JRPG. Me; Don't be humble even though your graphics are outdated you were able to deliver the story and the gameplay.You should be proud of yourself for that. ToCS: I appreciate that. Coming from a    *currently inside of a train*

    Me: I would like to thank you ToCS,you were definitely a great JRPG game.

    ToCS: haha. Thanks but I believe I still have much to learn in the world of JRPG.

    Me; Don't be humble even though your graphics are outdated you were able to deliver the story and the gameplay.You should be proud of yourself for that.

    ToCS: I appreciate that. Coming from a long time JRPG fan who has played hundreds of JRPG I am honored that I am one of the few that you chose as worthy of your time.

    Me: It wasn't hard to find you in a mountain of JRPG games. you were always a part of a list of top 10 JRPG games that you need to play on youtube and I can see why they said that.

    ToCS: thanks but I still got more to learn I believe and I hope to be still one of the best JRPG on my sequels.

    Me: I believe you won't have to worry about that since you already have 3 sequels. I just hope the other 2 will be localized to the west.

    ToCS: ...............

    Me: ummm.... Hello?

    ToCS: ................

    Me: WHY AREN'T YOU SAYING ANYTHING!!!???

    *in the distance standing on top of a mountain*

    Falcom: *stares at the train while it goes away*

    *TO BE CONTINUED!!    … Expand
  17. BlackLotus
    May 28, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Going to cover the negative first. Horrible ending, just know If you want any type of closure you must buy multiple games. Am some what new to school part of a game, but am not the biggest fan of being put on a schedule to do things and I can only use certain characters at certain times, so I often find myself stuck with characters I do not like.

    Plus side, I really enjoyed the combat and level system.    … Expand
  18. Shilfein
    Jun 13, 2019
    3
    Having beat the game after 100 long hours, I have to say that this is by far the worst jrpg Falcom has ever made. And I am a total fan of them.

    This game takes a lot after Trails in the Sky in terms of worldbuilding and introducing interesting NPCs... however while TIS did it while presenting a compelling and interesting main quest... In TOCS they simply FORGOT about that! Sure,    Having beat the game after 100 long hours, I have to say that this is by far the worst jrpg Falcom has ever made. And I am a total fan of them.

    This game takes a lot after Trails in the Sky in terms of worldbuilding and introducing interesting NPCs... however while TIS did it while presenting a compelling and interesting main quest... In TOCS they simply FORGOT about that!

    Sure, there are some recurring villains along the trip, but the main characters basically bump with them by total dumb luck one time after another, stopping their plans continuously does not seem to affect their schemes at all, their movements have no sense and are never explained, and both groups are part of a bigger scheme that makes them basically irrelevant.

    There is nothing except worldbuilding. Only at the literal last hour of the game the player is blessed with some real story development.. Only so they could end it abruptly with a cliffhanger.

    Such a complete waste of time is almost infuriating, and the press has the arrogance to compare this with TIS 1 and 2... Honestly, I am so fed up with this game that I don't even care what happens next in the story. Hour after hour of fetchquests hoping for some advance in the main quest, to receive it only when the game was about to end, after 100 friggin hours, my patience simply has given out.

    In the end, the game feels like an introduction that any other RPG with good writing could have done in 8 hours. instead they stretched it beyond the limits of human decency.    … Expand
  19. VG_Alex
    Apr 5, 2022
    7
    I have a lot of curiosity and value of in-depth research on this type of works. It is also worth trying for players who have not tried this kind of game,JRPG are rarely to play nowdays so I give it a good review for my first 'THE LEGEND OF HEROES'.

    Review of "The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Steel:Kai" Graphic/Art: 7 Music/Sounds: 7.5 Narrative/Performance:7 Gameplay:7    I have a lot of curiosity and value of in-depth research on this type of works. It is also worth trying for players who have not tried this kind of game,JRPG are rarely to play nowdays so I give it a good review for my first 'THE LEGEND OF HEROES'.

    Review of "The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Steel:Kai"

    Graphic/Art: 7

    Music/Sounds: 7.5

    Narrative/Performance:7

    Gameplay:7

    Score:7.2    … Expand
  20. SaintVulcan
    Jun 20, 2019
    6
    整体上非常生硬的一部作品。剧情方面由于过场动画太多，密集地穿插于战斗与自由时间之中，难以展开叙事，导致虽然故事内容尚可，但全程都遍布令人吐槽不能的虎头蛇尾和自圆其说。战斗方面继承了前作成熟的系统，依旧能体验到可以沉浸其中的节奏感，但在本作中存在感太低。结尾单独设计的机神战也过于鸡肋，不明所以。总的来说，本作为了展开新系列的故事而太过仓促，质量差强人意。整体上非常生硬的一部作品。剧情方面由于过场动画太多，密集地穿插于战斗与自由时间之中，难以展开叙事，导致虽然故事内容尚可，但全程都遍布令人吐槽不能的虎头蛇尾和自圆其说。战斗方面继承了前作成熟的系统，依旧能体验到可以沉浸其中的节奏感，但在本作中存在感太低。结尾单独设计的机神战也过于鸡肋，不明所以。总的来说，本作为了展开新系列的故事而太过仓促，质量差强人意。
  21. hileger
    Dec 11, 2022
    5
    Пустая графомания , хуэта хуэт . Пук пук школоло избраный , пук пук какой ты хороший такой всем нравишься ,пук пук друзббэ спасет мир ,пук пук.
    нахуй мне 200 часов в надежде вдруг трахну пучеглазую куклу без эмоциий ,пойду лучше трахну своего друга примерно эффект тот же ( сюжет для японошкольников) и грезы вот накачаюсь и раздам пизды всем ненавистникам. ( боевка    Пустая графомания , хуэта хуэт . Пук пук школоло избраный , пук пук какой ты хороший такой всем нравишься ,пук пук друзббэ спасет мир ,пук пук.
    нахуй мне 200 часов в надежде вдруг трахну пучеглазую куклу без эмоциий ,пойду лучше трахну своего друга примерно эффект тот же ( сюжет для японошкольников) и грезы вот накачаюсь и раздам пизды всем ненавистникам. ( боевка стандартная пошаг жрпг)    … Expand
  22. Luigichief
    Feb 18, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I finally started the great Cold Steel Arc after its completion. This is perhaps the best paced 'starting game' of the Trails franchise, but there are controversies.

    That post-prologue I found it a bit unnecessary but okay. The prologue itself I liked and thought it was very clever, they introduced the characters in a really good and natural way. The first 3 chapters were very good (second and third in particular), they have a variety of gameplay and the story develops very naturally and with some of the characters, with a peak of tension at the end of the third chapter. Still in it, there are so many things going on in the background that it can be a little overwhelming.
    Chapter 4 already has an 'cimax' at the very beginning even before the 'field trip', focused on Rean and his sister, and he is very good by the way. His Field Trip is also really good, taking place in the capital of Erebonia, Heimdallr. The climax of chapter 4 is very interesting and we are presented with the Imperial Liberation Front (which was of great importance in Crossbell, even though it was not 'shown'). Chapter 5 starts very slowly, the Field Trip in Laura's homeland is cool and Rean's duel is very good. Besides, there are some mysteries there. But the second part of the trip on the Erebonia border is the good part, which is when the 'post-prologue' happened. Chapter 6 was good, but compared to the previous ones it is a little behind, the highlights were the focus on the relationship between Alisa and her mother and the climax in the mine with very tense and challenging Boss Fights. The final chapter starts very slowly (the presentation / introduction of his festival I thought more or less) but after the final dungeon of the game, it pays off. And the final sequence of the game is phenomenal; it has twists, unexpected, exciting and even epic events. The franchise's game endings are always exceptional (apart from Sky the 3rd), but this is the best so far.

    The game has several mysteries, even too many in my opinion, they held a lot of the answers for the sequence. As always the script for Trails is great, it's amazing for example, as nothing in this game happens without a reason behind it. Something that I find very interesting, is that depending on your exploration and actions, you have acquired knowledge about several things (be it characters or 'politics'), which affects some of your future dialogues whether you know a certain thing or not. Crow's twist I thought was really good, but if you really wanted to know who C was just by name (they gave it a go), even though Crow's personality was WELL different.

    Having these mechas in the story didn’t please me so much, it had been since Sky but nobody piloted the robots there, I’m afraid of the future of the series.    … Expand
  23. Lotex
    Jul 10, 2020
    8
    Pros:
    - Fantastic story
    - Character development - Different and very likeable characters Cons: - Not always good balance between spells and skills or even some stats Overall a very good with a fantastic story that more or less takes place over 9 different games. You can dive right into it with Cold Steel, but you'll have some spoilers about things that either happen in Trails of    Pros:
    - Fantastic story
    - Character development
    - Different and very likeable characters

    Cons:
    - Not always good balance between spells and skills or even some stats

    Overall a very good with a fantastic story that more or less takes place over 9 different games. You can dive right into it with Cold Steel, but you'll have some spoilers about things that either happen in Trails of Azure and Trails to Zero as well as Trails in the Sky.    … Expand
  24. VVayfarer
    Jul 4, 2020
    10
    Starts out slow, but develops into what is possibly one of the most intricate stories in the history of video games. Highly recommended.

    Also, as I'm personally not a huge fan of turn-based combat (despite having played hundreds of turn-based RPGs in the past) I really appreciated the addition of a turbo mode in the PC and PS4 versions.
  25. slothjaw
    Feb 5, 2023
    6
    I see why people like this game. It's true that the game spends a lot of time world building and it has a lot of dialogue but that doesn't mean it's quality stuff necessarily. I'd say it's average quality. While it tries to tackle some deep topics it just doesn't do a very good job covering classism in real depth. The politics are not covered in depth. The characters sometimes have depth,I see why people like this game. It's true that the game spends a lot of time world building and it has a lot of dialogue but that doesn't mean it's quality stuff necessarily. I'd say it's average quality. While it tries to tackle some deep topics it just doesn't do a very good job covering classism in real depth. The politics are not covered in depth. The characters sometimes have depth, but more often the game tries to disguise their tropiness with superficial details like "this character likes swimming" or "this character likes napping." In general I'd say the problem with the story here is that it fails to say anything interesting or new about society. Saying "classism exists" or "classism is bad" just isn't enough to earn my praise. When it tries to achieve more it just fumbles the ball. This game really just isn't worth the time, in my opinion.… Expand
  26. Jajooka
    Jul 22, 2023
    7
    Trails of Cold Steel Series in general:

    Combat: I picked up Trails of Cold Steel as a tactical turned based rpg fan, and as such my main focus is challenging interesting fights and playing around interesting builds. I played through 1 to 4 and from the combat perspective it was generally fun, and most of the time adequately challenging (choose Nightmare dif, don't belive the    Trails of Cold Steel Series in general:

    Combat:
    I picked up Trails of Cold Steel as a tactical turned based rpg fan, and as such my main focus is challenging interesting fights and playing around interesting builds. I played through 1 to 4 and from the combat perspective it was generally fun, and most of the time adequately challenging (choose Nightmare dif, don't belive the description that sais its for NG+). I would recommend the series from this aspect if you have already finished the stronger titles of the genre.

    Story:
    One of those stories that makes sense on the surface until you start to think things through, but this is part of its charm for some as fans nontheless enjoy theorizing about obvious logic flaws and holes in the plot. It has vast world-building for sure, with a couple of interesting characters and ideas. If you are the type who doesnt get too worked up on details, you probably won't have problems with this story arc either. For me it was mostly annoying and ridicolous.    … Expand
  27. SuperSuki
    Feb 17, 2021
    9
    This game may start of slow but it has incredible world-building, really good combat, the only reason this doesn't get a 10/10 is because some of the bosses were really unfair and can stun-lock your party if you don't have the right accessories to black them but it's fine because when you die you can always retry or weaken the enemies if you want
  28. Reuve
    Apr 20, 2022
    6
    I want to like this game, I like the first one. But, God, I hate how this game represents war. The princess and the protagonist's sister just got abducted by the enemy, but then the protagonist strolling around in the enemy airship trying to learn their back story lol. this is a worse way to introduce the villains and their story!

    There's just no sense of urgency and no grim realities    I want to like this game, I like the first one. But, God, I hate how this game represents war. The princess and the protagonist's sister just got abducted by the enemy, but then the protagonist strolling around in the enemy airship trying to learn their back story lol. this is a worse way to introduce the villains and their story!

    There's just no sense of urgency and no grim realities of war. The protagonist also spare every enemy he defeated and help keep the enemy's rank intact.

    I like the art direction, the characters and the mechas, but the way it represents war really turned me off and I had to dropped this game. Obviously this game was aimed at young teen demographic and not for me.    … Expand
  29. Lolerrev
    Apr 24, 2021
    8
    Pros:
    +Fantastic story
    +Charismatic characters
    +The plot will hook you in
    +Low pc requirements.
    +The combat system is awesome.

    Cons
    +Somewhat outdated graphics (like a ps2 game)
    +If you are not an advanced English learner, you may struggle to understand the game.
  30. Wondux
    May 23, 2023
    7
    As the first game of an arc in "The Legend of Heroes", this game was very slow. However, I still loved running around cities, interacting with characters, and completing tasks given to me by the folk. I also loved the school feeling of the game, as a Persona fan. The social sim mechanics were also great. I absolutely love the world-building of this series and this arc does a great jobAs the first game of an arc in "The Legend of Heroes", this game was very slow. However, I still loved running around cities, interacting with characters, and completing tasks given to me by the folk. I also loved the school feeling of the game, as a Persona fan. The social sim mechanics were also great. I absolutely love the world-building of this series and this arc does a great job showing the Erebonia part of the story.… Expand
  31. BiancoBoii
    Oct 11, 2021
    7
    I think it's a very good game, but the mechanics are a little worn, and the game itself is very repetitive, however a great place to start in the series if you're looking into the trails series. Overall I think if you like turn-based JRPGs, it is definitely worth the money
  32. DartFeld
    Nov 9, 2021
    10
    a good start for Erebonia arc with awesome story as the previous title and with better battle system.
  33. MoofiaBossVal
    Dec 26, 2021
    9
    Despite being made for the PSP, the game aesthetically holds up and looks pretty good. The soundtrack is bloody fantastic. The English voice dub is also stellar. The turn based combat is also really fun, especially building your characters, and the game can be challenging at times. The story is also pretty good.
  34. JasonTran
    Feb 7, 2022
    8
    The game has great worldbuilding, interesting lore.The story itself is kinda dissapointing,but considering that this game is the prolouge for future installments,you should not be bother by it too much.The gameplay is simple but somehow addicting.Everytime i boot up the game,i find my self playing the game for over 5-10 hours straight without stopping.
  35. NateDalton06
    Apr 26, 2023
    8
    The starting point for the legend series. I went into this wanting to get into the series and I did just that. Despite being a little bit of a slow burner but it does have its moments. I thoroughly enjoyed the slow parts though as it got me invested into its world and characters. The world building is honestly fantastic it is so thought out and gripping. Despite being dated (which I didn'tThe starting point for the legend series. I went into this wanting to get into the series and I did just that. Despite being a little bit of a slow burner but it does have its moments. I thoroughly enjoyed the slow parts though as it got me invested into its world and characters. The world building is honestly fantastic it is so thought out and gripping. Despite being dated (which I didn't mind at all) its combat was fantastic, it was the perfect amount of strategy and difficulty. I already all the cold steel series and I can't wait to play through them and the rest of the games in the legend series.… Expand
  36. hk300
    May 1, 2023
    10
    This entry in the Trails series has some great world building setting up some concepts that aren't always executed so great in Cold Steel II but you can appreciate their story potential in the first game. Combat is fun, and the large cast provides you with a variety of skills and fighting styles. Not sure of the general consensus towards this but I quite enjoyed the school trip segmentsThis entry in the Trails series has some great world building setting up some concepts that aren't always executed so great in Cold Steel II but you can appreciate their story potential in the first game. Combat is fun, and the large cast provides you with a variety of skills and fighting styles. Not sure of the general consensus towards this but I quite enjoyed the school trip segments as they'd force you to use certain party members you may not have considered. Overall just a fun game.… Expand
  37. mpop
    Jun 29, 2023
    9
    Great game, The CS series starts here, a bit of a slow start, but it is a good intro into the CS series arc of the Trails games. Well worth the play. Here you are introduced to Rean Schwarzer a great protagonist. The game sets you up for a great arc of the trails game, 4 great games.
  38. AnimeConnoisseu
    Jul 1, 2023
    0
    A poor mans Persona. Trails of Cold Steel might be the most boring game I have ever had the displeasure of playing. The characters are all walking anime tropes and couldn't recommend this game to anyone unless they are extreme otakus.
  39. xsmittyxcorex
    Jul 12, 2023
    0
    The hype for this game actually baffles me.

    I mean, the gameplay itself is fun, but this is a story focused genre, and the story and dialogue are absolutely abysmal! It’s literally Mighty Morphin Power Rangers league. The only difference is at least the acting is better. A master class of “Tell, don’t show!” If this is the level of writing it takes to get paid, sign me the hell up!    The hype for this game actually baffles me.

    I mean, the gameplay itself is fun, but this is a story focused genre, and the story and dialogue are absolutely abysmal! It’s literally Mighty Morphin Power Rangers league. The only difference is at least the acting is better. A master class of “Tell, don’t show!” If this is the level of writing it takes to get paid, sign me the hell up! Falcom, I’ll write your next game in exactly one week. Would be a day, but even pumping out the garbage your writers clearly do as it comes to them, stream-of-conciousness style like a 5 year old, there is more than 24 hours worth of this useless dialogue..    … Expand
  40. arqqw4
    Aug 31, 2023
    4
    not satisfactory .

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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.
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  2. 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.
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  3. 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.
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