The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 210 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 177 out of 210
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 210
  3. Negative: 19 out of 210
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  1. Yallmae
    Oct 26, 2019
    9
    The Epic Saga is just before the climax.

    What an epic came. I just played through it and amazed how epic the series has become. i really hope the 4th and final game is coming to the west in 2020. Great Characters Good Music and overall much bigger Dungeons and defined gameplay. nihon falcom did great work with this game. cant wait for the finale. Everyone who loves JRPG with great lore    The Epic Saga is just before the climax.

    What an epic came. I just played through it and amazed how epic the series has become. i really hope the 4th and final game is coming to the west in 2020. Great Characters Good Music and overall much bigger Dungeons and defined gameplay. nihon falcom did great work with this game. cant wait for the finale. Everyone who loves JRPG with great lore and awsome characters should buy this game.    … Expand
  2. fifty2ndassassi
    Nov 2, 2019
    10
    If you liked the other games you'll like this one, it continues the story and adds even more likable characters to the cast that's already packed with great characters, music is good, tons of new destinations and so on.
  3. Kenmei
    Nov 8, 2019
    8
    Trails of Cold Steel 3 is game that has been built for fans of the series and if you have not played any of the previous games so far, then just stop what you're doing and go play those first. For people who are familiar with the series, CS 3 feels a lot like CS 1 in that its designed to build up the world and the major storylines for the second act to have the space and breathing room toTrails of Cold Steel 3 is game that has been built for fans of the series and if you have not played any of the previous games so far, then just stop what you're doing and go play those first. For people who are familiar with the series, CS 3 feels a lot like CS 1 in that its designed to build up the world and the major storylines for the second act to have the space and breathing room to conclude it without feeling rushed. However with so much information to go though, this being the designed conclusion to the 3 branching pathways that have made up the Trails series to this point, it can almost feel overwhelming at times. Especially for those of us in the West who never got the two Crossbell games and whose characters feature very prominently throughout most of this game.
    However, if you've got a good understanding of at least the Cold Steel games, you should be able to understand most stuff that the game throws at you. The first couple of chapters of the story feel like they are trying to close up the Sky and Crossbell series respectively so it can serve as an ok recap.
    The combat system is pretty much the same as it was in the CS games with a few things added onto it. The new Order system lets you tactfully use your BP now and adds a new dimension to help out in combat. However the game is about as clean of a turn based system as you get in JRPG's today. The core gameplay, even from the initial Trails of the Sky game, are still intact and its still very well done.
    This game has seemingly been coming down the pipe for years now. The first Trails in the Sky game came out almost 15 years ago at this point in Japan and we're finally close to the end game here in the West after I thought there would be no shot that this would be released here based on the sales data from the previous games. However I'm fully ready for CS 4 to release to FINALLY answer some of the questions that the setup throughout all of the series to this point, including in this game. In a perfect world, I'd probably recommend people to put off playing this until we've got news of CS 4 being released in the West. However with CS 4 only having been released late last year in Japan, we've still probably got a few years now before the Trails series finally comes to a close. That's probably the worst thing about this for me.    … Expand
  4. OwtDaft
    Oct 6, 2020
    5
    + Game looks nice in 4k with the Pro.
    + Card and fishing mini games are better. Fishing isn't button bashing. YAY
    + More new locations. - Story and pacing are very slow, very poorly written like the previous games. - The slow story isn't all down to world building, there is just a lot of junk dialogue. - To 100% these games is a very painful process. - Mech battles still suck. - I    + Game looks nice in 4k with the Pro.
    + Card and fishing mini games are better. Fishing isn't button bashing. YAY
    + More new locations.
    - Story and pacing are very slow, very poorly written like the previous games.
    - The slow story isn't all down to world building, there is just a lot of junk dialogue.
    - To 100% these games is a very painful process.
    - Mech battles still suck.
    - I hate it when you win a battle and the cutscene after has your character lose.
    - Your forced to use the 'Weaken Enemies and Retry' with the crazy difficulty spikes.    … Expand
  5. monks99
    Dec 13, 2019
    10
    Best jrpg game of the year. Hands down. I can't wait to play part 4. Best story ever.
  6. Neatqt
    May 13, 2020
    7
    Cast: 7/10
    Story: 8/10
    Fun: 7/10
    Gameplay: 8/10

    Recommended
    ---------------------- 65 Hours Played
  7. Aries_Liera
    Oct 22, 2019
    9
    The legend of heroes Trails of Cold Steel III is what the Cold Steel should have been, The slow pacing is still a major problem in this series, but it is needed for the world building!
  8. Hitsu1998
    Oct 22, 2019
    10
    A worthy sequel to one of my favorite JRPG of this generation! Hopefully we could also get the fourth game next year.
  9. AceZero
    Oct 22, 2019
    10
    Trails of Cold Steel III is my strong contender for the best RPG of 2019. This game pretty much answer my expectation in many aspect as a follow-up for Erebonian arc, which i will breakdown here.

    Story I'm pretty sure most of you already know about the synopsis, so i want to discuss about the technical aspect of the story. It's a very linear and slow paced just like the first game,    Trails of Cold Steel III is my strong contender for the best RPG of 2019. This game pretty much answer my expectation in many aspect as a follow-up for Erebonian arc, which i will breakdown here.

    Story

    I'm pretty sure most of you already know about the synopsis, so i want to discuss about the technical aspect of the story. It's a very linear and slow paced just like the first game, and that's something to be aware of considering every Trails game that starting of with a new arc is always trying to build up the story this way. But this is Cold Steel III and it's still covering Erebonia, so why the game have to be slow paced like this? The answer is because there's a pretty spacious timeline between this game and Cold Steel II that marks a new beginning for Rean's journey, and Falcom is also trying to ensure that old and new players could catch up with the story. Regarding characters from the old game that made an appearance such as Randy or Tio, you don't really have to play the old game first to appreciate them. I mean Trails is pretty much similiar with Monogatari anime. You can watch the anime in chronological or airing order, and the experience will be pretty much the same.

    Gameplay

    It's pretty much the same but there are some noticeable changes such as the menu layout to the addition of Brave Order. Many people seems to complain about the gameplay being unbalanced, but i thoroughly enjoyed it without any issue. If i have to be nitpick, i must say that the short appearance of playable characters is probably my only issue with the game.

    Music

    "The music is hurting my ear" "It's not as good as the old game" Well you probably want to get your ears checked, cause Falcom Jdk still did an amazing job with the tracks.

    Visual

    I actually notice that some reviewers is still complaining about the visual, where i'm here thinking that Falcom actually did a good job at revamping the environment and character design in a nicer look. I mean this is a Falcom game, graphics is never their strong suit or priority, but even so they still determine to keep improving their game. Remember, graphics is not everything!

    Value

    If you're a big fan of turn based JRPG with a strong story build up, interesting world, likeable characters and so on, then you definitely must try out Trails of Cold Steel III. It's okay if you didn't play the old Trails title such as Sky trilogy or Zero & Ao, but i strongly suggest that you at least play Cold Steel I & II. The remaster version of both game already released on PS4, and you can even get it on PC, so i guess there's no problem in terms of accessibility.

    So my final verdict for Cold Steel III is 10/10. I personally prefer to rank this as a whole series, cause Trails in general is just one gigantic game with a very complex story build up, world building, and character development. And even after 9 games, we still have plenty of places to be explored in Zemuria, including Calvard. Cold Steel III is just one game out of many other Trails title to come, but it manages to deliver the best quality that Falcom has to offer so far. It might not have the best story and can be a slow paced experience for many players, but i'm pretty sure JRPG lovers could see the shine of this game and truly appreciate it.    … Expand
  10. Valkyrie92
    Oct 28, 2019
    10
    One of the best JRPG series in history and this is a worthy successor to the already great Cold Steel 2.
    While there are more cameos from other Trails games this time around, I had no problems just reading a wiki page about the different characters, to quickly understand who they are and which game they are from (mostly Ao and Zero). Highly recommended game but definitely play the first    One of the best JRPG series in history and this is a worthy successor to the already great Cold Steel 2.
    While there are more cameos from other Trails games this time around, I had no problems just reading a wiki page about the different characters, to quickly understand who they are and which game they are from (mostly Ao and Zero). Highly recommended game but definitely play the first two games first, which are available on multiple platforms now.    … Expand
  11. takisdv
    Oct 22, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Classic jrpg done good...great story..world building and gameplay... alongside persona 5 and dragon quest xi is one of the great jrpgs of this generation… Expand
  12. SleepyMayo
    Oct 24, 2019
    10
    While i do find the story to be slow-paced in the beginning, but i still thoroughly enjoyed all of the moments from this game. Seeing how Rean matured a lot from these past few years and become a great instructor for the new Class VII is such a joy. Almost everything about this game is just a step-up from the previous title and the perfect example of a true JRPG. Definitely can't wait toWhile i do find the story to be slow-paced in the beginning, but i still thoroughly enjoyed all of the moments from this game. Seeing how Rean matured a lot from these past few years and become a great instructor for the new Class VII is such a joy. Almost everything about this game is just a step-up from the previous title and the perfect example of a true JRPG. Definitely can't wait to see more of what this series has to offer in the future.… Expand
  13. MattM
    Oct 30, 2019
    10
    Oh how a little series I found on a whim searching for a turn based rpg on psnow has captivated my heart. I just saw the first game in the cold steel series in a list of turn based rpgs and decided to try it and I've been binging thru 7 games for months now. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT play this game if you have not played at least cold steel 1 and 2. Ideally, however, play thru the entireOh how a little series I found on a whim searching for a turn based rpg on psnow has captivated my heart. I just saw the first game in the cold steel series in a list of turn based rpgs and decided to try it and I've been binging thru 7 games for months now. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT play this game if you have not played at least cold steel 1 and 2. Ideally, however, play thru the entire series, especially the trails in the sky trilogy. This game has one of the most engaging stories I've ever seen in a jrpg, fantastic turn based combat, the deepest world with the most believable characters of any video game I've ever played, period. I want to shout from the rooftops how much I love this series and yet, most will never even hear of it. If you are in the market for an absolutely amazing ride of an rpg SERIES, not a game, pick up cold steel 1 or play it on psnow. By the time you get to this game, you will be physically unable to put it down. I thought Persona 5 was a great rpg, and it is, but imo this series has blown p5 out of the water. Play this series in order and its world, characters and story will stick with you the rest of your life.… Expand
  14. Gamingking007
    Oct 23, 2019
    10
    Simply amazing! One of my favorite rpg series of all time . Buy it if you love jrpgs, you will never regret it!
  15. FireFistYamaan
    Oct 23, 2019
    10
    As someone who was disappointed by CS1 and CS1, this game is just mind-blowing! I loved the sky trilogy and the Crossbell duology but felt that CS1 and CS2 lacked what was so good about those game and then we finally get CS3 and it's as good as Trails in the sky SC and Ao no Kiseki (which is the highest standard for a JRPG)

    Rean has matured a lot and is a great teacher that does his    As someone who was disappointed by CS1 and CS1, this game is just mind-blowing! I loved the sky trilogy and the Crossbell duology but felt that CS1 and CS2 lacked what was so good about those game and then we finally get CS3 and it's as good as Trails in the sky SC and Ao no Kiseki (which is the highest standard for a JRPG)

    Rean has matured a lot and is a great teacher that does his best. The new class 7 is smaller than the previous one which is a strong point because all of the characters in the new class 7 get their spotlight and character development.

    The story is amazing because this is where everything from the previous arcs really starts to interconnect, which is just pure fanservice. Seeing, for example, Hamel just made me more emotional than any death in the series and accompanied by the recurring characters from previous entries, this take the franchise to new heights.

    When you write such a coherent story, as Falcom has done. It's important to nail those throwback scenes because let's be honest those are the best parts of the game. And falcom does that masterfully so that every veteran of the series won't be able to hold back their smiles or tears.

    This is truly a Falcom masterpiece, and I just can't wait for the end of the saga hopefully next year. Also, credit to NIS America for bringing this to the west and for the massive amount of advertising they've done for the series.    … Expand
  16. gcar4525
    Oct 23, 2019
    10
    Lives up to the series' sterling reputation. NIS America did a decent job of taking over localization, which should come as a relief to series fans.
  17. TheBox
    Nov 9, 2019
    10
    Great game for fans that are already invested into the franchise.
    Newcomers can play this game but only thing hindering the full enjoyment would be them not understanding the references being made. Granted understanding those references is NOT needed to understand what is going on in the overall story.
    -Good BGMs but nothing compared to what Cold Steel 1 and 2 had to offer. -Gameplay    Great game for fans that are already invested into the franchise.
    Newcomers can play this game but only thing hindering the full enjoyment would be them not understanding the references being made. Granted understanding those references is NOT needed to understand what is going on in the overall story.
    -Good BGMs but nothing compared to what Cold Steel 1 and 2 had to offer.
    -Gameplay has slightly changed compared to what the first Cold Steel 1 and 2 so its not just the same old combat system.
    -Story is great progression for what is to come in the future.
    -AMAZING character developments for new and returning old characters.
    -The country of Erebonia is STILL being layered and layered with lore.
    -Many more pros but its too much to write it down.

    Tip** Though NOT needed, Highly recommend you start with Cold Steel 1 and move your way up. Hardcore fans would say to play the first 5 games in the franchise(Trails in the Skies and the Crossbell Duology) but that is asking too much for newcommers. Its like making them watch 08 Iron Man and 08 Hulk and all the following movies just to fully enjoy Avengers: End Game.

    Recommend buying a used GameStop copy if you're still skeptical, that way, you can atleast get your money back if happen to don't like the game    … Expand
  18. Nyking1992
    Oct 22, 2019
    10
    This has easily become one of my favorite series and one of my favorite games of all time these games improve with each new entry i preordered it as soon as I was able to and I'm glad i did the combat definitely feels refreshing but I always liked the old combat too from the first two
  19. peter1324
    Oct 23, 2019
    10
    If it wasn’t for some game critics that don't like turn based rpgs I bet this game would at least be at a 90 on metacritic.
  20. delaymachine
    Oct 27, 2019
    10
    based and NISApilled. At long last this gem is finally here. Translation is pretty good too, based NISA can finally translate games properly.
  21. Serphs
    Nov 1, 2019
    10
    Masterpiece.

    Make sure to play Cold Steel 1+2

    But this game is based on the events of all the past games. But I am saying you can stick with Cold Steel games only if you want.
  22. vahn
    Jul 23, 2020
    8
    Before starting this review, a few disclaimers: I have played neither Zero no Kiseki or Aoi no Kiseki but my judgment of the game won't change a whole lot, and secondly I never finished the Trails in the Sky trilogy...because I hate that game.

    With that out of the way, I had a lot of expectations after finishing the second game: CS2 is easily one of my favorite jrpgs of all time, just a    Before starting this review, a few disclaimers: I have played neither Zero no Kiseki or Aoi no Kiseki but my judgment of the game won't change a whole lot, and secondly I never finished the Trails in the Sky trilogy...because I hate that game.

    With that out of the way, I had a lot of expectations after finishing the second game: CS2 is easily one of my favorite jrpgs of all time, just a few notches below Berseria, and not just that but the combat in CS2 was fun thanks to the changes in magic and making the fight overall more varied and yet still complex. On top of that, the ending was self-contained enough to be satisfying regardless of this sequel.

    So it is sad for me to say, that Trails of Cold Steel 3...is good, but not as good.

    I want to start with some positives: graphically the game has improved...somewhat, it still feels very ps3-ish and there's an overabundance of blur used. It reminds me of the ps4 ports of CS1 and 2, which were upscaled ps3/vita versions, so graphically speaking it does its job but you can see there's not a lot of new things going.

    The gameplay has improved a little: they put the turbo mode from the ps4 ports of cs1 and 2 which is GOOD because the game is extremely slow-paced, so slow that I would play them in turbo to make sure the fights ended quicker. You can also save anywhere by pressing options instead of going to the menu AND then pressing select/option, which is one step less. And the minigames have also improved: fishing is a lot less annoying and requires only to hold a button, while the Vantage Masters card game ("SIGH" another card game) is essentially a simpler version of hearthstone. More stuff to later.

    Combat hasn't seen many changes overall, but these changes are pretty interesting: beyond the UI changes of the combat (which has the ONLY issue of being too small IMHO) they added a new thing called Brave Orders, which are AoE buffs that use Brave Points - the same you use for Rush and Burst - to help the game.
    They also added Break Gauges, which are mini defense bars that enemy have that when depleted will lead them to a state of weakness, every attack will be a critical hit, and they won't act until it's their turn

    And with that, I think it's time to talk about the negatives because I'm extremely conflicted here. Don't get me wrong it's a great game so far, spent over 50 hours in and I'm in chapter 3 and I know I should at least finish, but I have many concerns about this game....starting with the combat itself.

    I want to be honest here: I never found combat in trails of cold steel (and even in sky tbh) to be balanced or "fun" at all, for the simple reasons that it was hard and very unfair and always against you and this game doesn't shy away from that - I think this game is way harder than 1 and 2.
    As per usual every enemy in the game will solely rely upon status effects or 1 shot moves to make the game hard and because of that, it can lead to frustrating moments that can make you ragequit, like frogs spamming nightmare status on all your team and then SLOWLY killing them off without even letting you escape. This is why you want to usually use rush the enemies and bosses before they react and why Brave Orders are here.

    Despite being simple buffs, they're EXTREMELY important, and by the end of the game you'll be using 2: Sledgehammer and Wind Blade, a.k.a. "break and stunlock to death". That's the only to survive most boss OHKO moves or being afflicted from status effects. Sure it was usually "spam S-Crafts until they die" but that's not as effective anymore, or only situational. Annoying really, but not as annoying as the story.

    First and foremost, I do like the fact that you get to meet the old class VII and all of the graduates but this time you deal with a new class VII and, to be blunt, they're not as interesting as the OG class VII

    I'm not sure how important they are at the end - which is why I regret not writing this after finishing the game - but good lord they're annoying! I would explain why but my space is little, but they're just uninteresting **** that have no part of the story, except being your students! I would have loved having Elise or Alfin as students under Rean instead (and it would make sense too but I can't say why) or maybe even Thoma from Nord trying to follow Gaius steps or something. At least Altina is back and she's pretty good and better developed.

    Overall, it's a good jrpg, and a worthy sequel but in comparison to 1 and 2 I thought it's lacking a lot.

    I highly recommend playing this after 1 and 2, as there's too much stuff recurring and not just characters and events. I think it's the bare minimum.

    As for the ties to Ao/Zero and sky stuff, I think it's not all that needed: it's a good boost but the game doesn't sway from the Erebonian arc so much you MUST have played it. It made me curious but that's it.    … Expand
  23. Dekoppa
    Nov 1, 2019
    10
    Trails of Cold Steel is the first game that introduce me to Trails, and what a beautiful series that i stumble into. At first i thought the game is just a FF-Type 0 rip-off with generic and cliche story, but i was completely wrong. The big difference between Trails compared to many other video game on the market is how deep and thoughtful the process on making such a massive worldTrails of Cold Steel is the first game that introduce me to Trails, and what a beautiful series that i stumble into. At first i thought the game is just a FF-Type 0 rip-off with generic and cliche story, but i was completely wrong. The big difference between Trails compared to many other video game on the market is how deep and thoughtful the process on making such a massive world building. This series has one of the most ambitious stories in video games ever (no, seriously), and they always putting extra effort to make the world to feels truly alive. For example, almost every NPC in Trails game is an actual character with name, background story, personality, and development. Hell, you can even meet up with an old mercenary NPC from Trails in the Sky on Cold Steel III, literally after 8th game later. Not only that, every side quest is also feels like an actual side story instead of a low effort and repetitive side quest in most games (think of it like The Witcher 3).

    Trails of Cold Steel III is just one game of this massive journey that this series has to offer, and so far after putting around 50+ hours into it, i'm having such a blast and would easily put it as one of the best JRPG in recent years. Don't let the low production value and anime aesthetic fools you, cause this series is seriously a hidden gem and the best one of that. Falcom might be a small company, bet they always put 120% when creating games, and it's definitely shows on this game.

    Don't sleep on Trails series, cause you seriously missing out an amazing piece of an adventure right here.    … Expand
  24. Gamer7777777
    Nov 14, 2019
    1
    Poor repeated main story, even not finished, too easy combat without any balancing effort, one generation late graphics and animation. 1/10.
  25. zaftgun
    Oct 22, 2019
    5
    This series used to be relaxing and fun to play. But not anymore. This entry is a complete wreck. Music that hurts my ears, unbalanced skills, messed up pace, weak character depiction, boring plot that's so much bits and pieces and at the end of it barely make much sense. The cliff hanger is nothing when I knew it coming and the story leading up to it was so bad. There are 13 charactersThis series used to be relaxing and fun to play. But not anymore. This entry is a complete wreck. Music that hurts my ears, unbalanced skills, messed up pace, weak character depiction, boring plot that's so much bits and pieces and at the end of it barely make much sense. The cliff hanger is nothing when I knew it coming and the story leading up to it was so bad. There are 13 characters that you play without counting characters that only make 1 or 2 appearances. Each of those characters speak a line. End of dialogue and game. Imagine the grind you need to go through to equip all of them and change setups. Not to mention the trouble with unbalanced gameplay. The healing and enrage function of the enemies are extremely annoying...and the end boss effect just outright ignores defensive skills. there's no warning either and the structure of the game and sometimes just dont let you save even though there are so many save points. the effort that has been put into the game is plain to see. downright 2/10. But this is not counting the english translation which seem to be doing quite a bit.

    Overpriced piece of garbage. I'm so angry I wasted 100 hours on this ****
    NG+? There's no way I'd want to go through that again...    … Expand
  26. Fubuism
    Feb 8, 2020
    10
    Trails continues the trademark epic storytelling, character development and one of the best music tracks you can find in any game.. play 1 and 2 before this one to truly appreciate it.
  27. CommissarWolf
    Jan 30, 2020
    9
    This is how do you an RPG, one of the best I have played in a very long time. Obviously you will have needed to play the two before this to be really able to get into it, but the investment is worth it as it allows you to really fall in love with the characters and the world. Overall I had an amazing time with this game and if you are a fan of JRPGs or even RPGs in general I recommend it.
  28. DIVIDEAD
    Jul 27, 2020
    10
    Terrific game. Falcom are the kings of RPGs. It does help to have played other games in the series, but its wholly enjoyable on its own.
  29. Risax
    Mar 28, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Trails of Cold Steel III.

    I have...mixed feelings about this game. First of all, it looks great! It isn't comparable to Triple A JRPG graphics, but said graphics as well as the animations certainly look better than they did in the first two Cold Steel games.

    I am disappointed we had to the school setting, though. Stuff like having a private train, a hangar for Panzer Soldats and the like does make it feel more like a prestigious school than the original Thors did, but I didn't miss the Field Exercises and doing all the chores around the school. Even the "Old Schoolhouse" section is back in a way.

    Aside from that, the new cast of characters are kinda...*shrug*

    Maybe it's because we had two games to get attached to the original Class Vii, which had around 11 members at a certain point if you exclude Rean. And now you have the old Class VII, the new Class VII plus some other characters that occasionally join your party from the other Cold Steel games, the Trails in the Sky games and the Crossbell duology.

    Plus, it just kinda feels they try too hard in making the new Class Vii interesting? But that might just be me...

    My biggest hang-up has to be the classic Legend of Heroes "F-You!" Cliffhanger and the reason that every atrocity that Erebonia has commited isn't because sometimes humans just suck, no it's because of a "curse". The supernatural isn't exactly out of place in the Trails of Heroes universe, but it kind of feels...cheap? All the political maneuvering Osborne and Olivert have been doing to try and make the Empire a better place according to their believes just seems to be thrown out of the window like "Nope, just fix the curse and everything'll be hunky-dory!"

    Cold Steel IV might reveal it won't exactly be like that, but at the time the reveal simply pissed me off.

    But, despite my complaining, I really did enjoy the game. Graphics looked fantastic, Panzer Soldat battles once again make a return and once again seem to be improved upon, as much as I might dislike the Field Exercises having your own camp and train does make it feel a bit more like a Field Exercise and less like a Field TRIP.

    The story makes many interesting twist and turns once again too, even if some did annoy me.

    I am sad there's some pretty big spoilers about the Crossbell duology pretty early on and I'd feel like seeing it and some of the members of the SSS again after having played the games would have made certain parts hit a lot harder. So if you can get your hands on a fantranslation, or can wait until the upcoming remakes get official translations, I'd suggest playing those games first!    … Expand
  30. Tekachi
    Dec 23, 2019
    10
    This game keeps on doing what has made this such a beloved and cared franchise. The continuous development and growth of the characters, either npcs or playable as well as the ever expanding world and lore keeps on giving you the sense of a living and breathing world that keeps on aging with each entry making you feel a part of it.
  31. tripplen
    Oct 22, 2019
    9
    A well made sequel with enough changes to keep long time fans engaged. It highly recommended that newcomers to the series to at least play the first two games before digging into this one as there is a lot of details the game kinda assumes you know. Definitely not perfect because newcomers get shafted but definitely one of the better JRPGs out.
  32. Empyrea
    Dec 19, 2021
    7
    What to say about this game? Well the best of this game is its soundtrack (although they become a bit repetitive), voices and battle system. I didn't play the two previous games but I read about the plot and even with that you'll get lost with so, so many characters that appear. Honestly, this game would have improved so much with just a few characters and much less dialogues. About theWhat to say about this game? Well the best of this game is its soundtrack (although they become a bit repetitive), voices and battle system. I didn't play the two previous games but I read about the plot and even with that you'll get lost with so, so many characters that appear. Honestly, this game would have improved so much with just a few characters and much less dialogues. About the graphics let's say they're not great. This is a classic rpg so they don't focus on such things. The actor that gives live to the main character is good but I would have chosen a more juvenile voice. Also, it's very funny seeing Rean talking and behaving as a 30-year-old when he is a couple of years older that his students! lol About the ending, it's such opened that I was about to give this game a 6. I honestly could not rate this game with more than a 6 or 7. Although I have to say that when I was close to the middle I thought of quitting the game but I forced myself to keep playing it because I liked the battle system (although I avoided as many battles as I could) but I started to skip more and more dialogues. After 88 hours of playing this game I've finally have beaten it but I'm sure it should have taken me 120-140 hours (or even more) if I had read all the text. I only recommend to buy this game if you have played the previous ones and you liked them or if you are curious about this game and you find it for a cheap price but I have to tell you: it's better to buy any "Tales of". They are average games, shorter and cheaper than the Trails games. So yes, quite disappointed but because I bought it for a good price I'll probably get my money back.

    P.S: I've also loved to see mechas in a game for a change.    … Expand
  33. nunoforever
    Apr 10, 2020
    10
    O único JRPG ao nível do Final Fantasy e Persona, uma Historia épica e com Gráficos melhorados o melhor sistema de turnos da útima década um jogo legendário que ficara para sempre na historia como um dos melhores jrpg de sempre. Simplesmente o melhor JRPG de 2019.
  34. oppandasan
    May 12, 2021
    10
    I've played this on Japanese but i bought it again when it localized simply because the game is so good and the story was so deep that it goes way back the previous installments. Game is so worth it!
  35. Abood
    Mar 20, 2020
    10
    one of the best JRPG I ever played make sure to play the crossbell arc to get the story 100%
  36. Daveion
    Feb 11, 2020
    10
    Jprgs are really the best in making emotional stories. " Falcom has done such an incredible job on this series"
  37. AzureOrdine
    May 7, 2020
    6
    As someone that genuinely loves this game to death, I cannot in good conscience rate this game any higher than a 6. I can forgive it being unfinished, but this story suffers from garbage anime tropes, too many characters, meh story, and repetitive chapters. Each chapters story repeats, many missed opportunities for something interesting to happen, sorry falcom, but y’all gotta re-evaluateAs someone that genuinely loves this game to death, I cannot in good conscience rate this game any higher than a 6. I can forgive it being unfinished, but this story suffers from garbage anime tropes, too many characters, meh story, and repetitive chapters. Each chapters story repeats, many missed opportunities for something interesting to happen, sorry falcom, but y’all gotta re-evaluate yourselves and how you make your games, and I am saying this purely out of love and not hate. Because there is potential for a great story here, but y’all need to follow through… Expand
  38. Boehls123
    Oct 11, 2020
    10
    This is one of my favorite rpg series, great story, great turned based battle, great characters, it has it all
  39. Bazzak
    May 9, 2021
    10
    10/10 COMING FROM A MAINSTREAM WESTERN RPG PLAYER. This game outdoes even the first 2 with a beautiful graphical upgrade (strongly recommend full HDR settings) With the STRONG CAVEAT to play the first 2 games, this is another JRPG masterpiece. Ive played all kinds of RPGS for 15 years and the involvement ive gotten in the complex plot, characters and combat system ive never ever10/10 COMING FROM A MAINSTREAM WESTERN RPG PLAYER. This game outdoes even the first 2 with a beautiful graphical upgrade (strongly recommend full HDR settings) With the STRONG CAVEAT to play the first 2 games, this is another JRPG masterpiece. Ive played all kinds of RPGS for 15 years and the involvement ive gotten in the complex plot, characters and combat system ive never ever experienced outside of this. If you enjoy reading novels and playing RPGs this game is a solid 10. The combat system is great, as good a turn based combat as ive ever played. Even the NPCs have their own stories that keep updating. Unlike other games you need to play the cold steel arc together like a box set of novels as they are almost literally continuations of the plot that takes a 10/10 WHOLE 4 games (even longer if you want to get technical) to fully cover. The continuation is a positive and unlike anything seen in mass market gaming. If you want to see the characters and plot youre so invested in develop step by step. Put it this way, if you liked Persona 5, this is a way better game (play 4 games together) and underrated by mass market reviewers who just wont do justice to this niche of story driven gaming with great combat. Its a gem but should have been promoted way more to the west.… Expand
  40. Ikrus
    Aug 23, 2023
    0
    Why do Falcom & XSEED Games continuously put out games with heavy undertones and straight up scenes of sexual assault in their games and brush it off as comedy? I've seen people call this Japanese humor and what not, but cultures and mindsets should always be challenged and made more accessible to all groups of people.
  41. AdoMobA
    Mar 21, 2023
    9
    Pros
    - an amazing continuation of the Cold Steel story
    - the change up to combat interface serves the combat well - the one game in the series where I actually like the social events with individual characters - great continuation the original Class VII - Cold Steel side character cast makes me actually care for all of them - a good cliffhanger of an ending - banger of an OST    Pros
    - an amazing continuation of the Cold Steel story
    - the change up to combat interface serves the combat well
    - the one game in the series where I actually like the social events with individual characters
    - great continuation the original Class VII
    - Cold Steel side character cast makes me actually care for all of them
    - a good cliffhanger of an ending
    - banger of an OST

    Cons
    - the story is hard carried by characters as this is a setup game for CSIV

    As the eight game in the series, Trails of Cold Steel IV serves as a setup to the fantastic finale that is Cold Steel IV. This does not make this game pointless, it just means that it had to be carried by its cast. And it was.

    Taking Rean, the student, and making him a teacher was a fantastic choice. Working as an instructor of the Thors Military Academy Branch Campus, the player is put in charge of fostering the new Class VII and their future. While doing that, the game is also really good about not forgetting about your old classmates.

    The whole game is structured almost exactly like the original Cold Steel, where you spend some time at the academy teaching your people, then you go on an excursion where you put that into practice. Rinse repeat until the final couple of chapters where the important story bits happen.

    What this story and its structure does is it actually makes the Persona-esque social events make sense. Rean being a teacher and taking the time to individually coach his students makes sense. Rean being an adult, and using his free time to catch up with old friends also makes sense.

    Them not affecting the story doesn't matter much, as the students struggle to internalize the lessons and the old friends are there to mostly inform Rean of what they accomplished, as their character development happened in the first half of the series.

    Where Persona inspired a great change however, is the combat interface. I am a proponent of companies stealing good mechanics ideas from each other, as they can only improve their games. Persona 5 tied every possible action to an individual button so you did not have to slog through the initial menu, speeding up the process of picking what you wanted to do. Cold Steel III takes that idea and runs with it. It makes the combat feel faster and more fun by comparison to the first two games.

    The combat puzzle is finally balanced between the usefulness of Arts and Crafts, but in come Brave Orders that completely obliterate any semblance of balance again. Junas Brave Order called Sledge Hammer is the single most abusable thing in the entire game, as breaking enemies is the main tactic for this game.

    Every enemy has a Break Gauge under their health which once depleted, breaks this enemy. A broken enemy is dropped at the bottom of the turn order, takes increased damage and each regular attack that hits them restores BP, which you need for using Brave Orders.

    Overall, I like where Trails of Cold Steel III took the cast of characters, even though the overall story might have been cut short due to its set up nature. An amazing setup for the final game in this arc.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Best PS4 Game of 2019
71
#71 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Everyeye.it
    Oct 22, 2020
    87
    Drawing on the most successful elements of the first two episodes of the tetralogy, such as the well-established turn-based combat system and the slice of life component, Nihon Falcom has once again managed to surpass itself, packaging an extraordinary title from every point of view.
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  2. PLAY! Zine
    Dec 2, 2019
    85
    A long-awaited localization of the next Trails of Cold Steel instalment is finally here. If you haven't played the previous ones, don't bother with this and go play those instead. But if you have, you know exactly what to expect here and feel free to get excited. It is a great game.
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  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Nov 18, 2019
    80
    In between setting off on field expeditions, where you assist Erebonia’s inhabitants by taking on quests, you learn more about your students and colleagues by helping them out at the school. Narrative is still the focus, and with a dizzying amount of dialogue for even minor characters it manages to feel epic and sweeping and personal and intimate all at the same time. [Issue#169, p.84]
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