The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 183 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 159 out of 183
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 183
  3. Negative: 14 out of 183
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  1. stealthbushido
    Nov 7, 2019
    9
    Fantastic JRPG. A significant step up in graphics from its psvita / ps3 release especially in 4k. If you love JRPG's you can't go wrong. 3 game's released thus far and a 4th on the way so you will be really busy
  2. FriendofOkada
    Sep 25, 2019
    10
    My first Trails/Legend of Heroes game. If you play a game for its story then this might be the game for you. The pacing can be slow at times and there are few JRPG tropes regarding the female characters that feels tremendously dated and cringey. Still a 10 out of 10 for me due to the enjoyment and addicting nature of its story and gameplay.
  3. Oblivionscar
    Jul 20, 2020
    9
    I have over 100+ hours and I am highly impressed and recommend it for this who enjoy narrative jrpg games like Persona or the first series in Legend of Heroes Trails in the Sky.
  4. elitegeek79
    Mar 28, 2019
    10
    I forgot exactly how amazing this game is! Includes all DLC for free, a steelbook, soundtrack and a mira coin! (get the physical copy!). I can't recommend this game enough. The game is full of rich lore, character development, and a wonderful soundtrack. The combat is engaging and very rewarding. The enemies are challenging but not overly frustrating. There is a very niceI forgot exactly how amazing this game is! Includes all DLC for free, a steelbook, soundtrack and a mira coin! (get the physical copy!). I can't recommend this game enough. The game is full of rich lore, character development, and a wonderful soundtrack. The combat is engaging and very rewarding. The enemies are challenging but not overly frustrating. There is a very nice crafting/abilities system if you like to tinker. The game is set on a calendar similar to Persona and like Persona you get to partake in activities with your classmates in order to strengthen bonds. The graphics are similar to Tokyo Xanadu and Ys Viii (a little better than those maybe). If you enjoyed those games you will be so psyched to play this! In fact if you like JRPGs period you must buy this game!… Expand
  5. tambalyari
    Apr 12, 2019
    9
    One of the best jrpgs I have ever played. The story is pretty well written and main story flows smoothly. Characters have their own distinct roles and very likeable. Trails series always have the best dialogue and this is no difference. When you play the game you should try to talk to all side characters/npc, because they have some interesting dialogues that evolves over time with theOne of the best jrpgs I have ever played. The story is pretty well written and main story flows smoothly. Characters have their own distinct roles and very likeable. Trails series always have the best dialogue and this is no difference. When you play the game you should try to talk to all side characters/npc, because they have some interesting dialogues that evolves over time with the story. The gameplay is well-balanced without being too easy or too hard and the combat system allows and gives player a wide variety of fighting style you can build upon. Music is simple but still gives the effective intended effect to the battle, story, etc. Graphic is old and doesn't look too good, but considering that the game was originally released more than 5 years ago, it can't be helped. Overall, it is an great game with intriguing endearing story and characters that is built carefully. Trails of Cold Steel 1 is really a Trails game at its heart.… Expand
  6. adrewtoremember
    Jun 7, 2019
    10
    After reading stellar reviews for this game for years, I was ecstatic when it finally came out on a system I owned, and it lived up to the reviews.

    Trails of Cold Steel is a JRPG that fits in the same category as games like Persona 5. Its part turn based JRPG, part social sim, although the social sim aspect is played down more in Cold Steel than it is in Persona. You assume the role of    After reading stellar reviews for this game for years, I was ecstatic when it finally came out on a system I owned, and it lived up to the reviews.

    Trails of Cold Steel is a JRPG that fits in the same category as games like Persona 5. Its part turn based JRPG, part social sim, although the social sim aspect is played down more in Cold Steel than it is in Persona. You assume the role of Rean Schwarzer, a new student at Thors Military academy. Without spoiling any parts of the story, you are placed in a special class that mixes the Noble class with Commoners, much to the chagrin of some of your classmates.

    With this being a JRPG, you see the typical tropes filled out. Rean is the typical friendly, Jack-of-all-trades blank slate that you develop in the story, but you also have the other tropes of the aloof noble, the kind-hearted meek friend, mysterious girls A, B, and C, etc.

    One thing I was not expecting, was how well the game subverts your expectations. Being someone who has played a ton of JRPG's, I typically am able to identify the villain, plot points, and major events with a relatively high degree of accuracy. However, Trails of Cold Steel rarely ever follows your expectations. It was very refreshing to be kept on my toes like this again.

    The combat is pretty standard for a modern turn based games. You have attack, move, arts, and crafts as some of the possible options for your turn. The uniqueness come in combat links, modifiers, and S-Breaks. Combat links allow one character to link with another to perform follow up attacks, and other boons as you build a relationship with that character. Modifiers grant different bonuses to whoever acts on that turn, be it friend or foe. Things like guaranteed critical hits, health/mana recovery, or a free art. These become extremely important in late game when a free art could mean the difference between life and death. S-Breaks allow you to break the turn order and act immediately using your characters strongest move. This is particularly useful if you see the boss you have spent 20 minutes chipping away at is slated to get the 50% HP recover modifier. Pop your S-Break. and steal it from them and possibly finish the fight.

    The graphics are nothing of note, however you have to remember that this was a port from the Vita/PS3. The game runs smoothly, and is a blast, so dealing with some weird walking animations, and muddy textures is the trade off.

    The sound, however, is superb. The music in game always conveys a sense of the area you are in. In battle you will have screeching guitar solos and speed metal beats, meanwhile if you are exploring an abandoned schoolhouse, you will have a really mysterious and subdued song that plays behind you. Along with the excellent music, you have top notch voice acting. I heard so many familiar voices in my play through, that it was a little game I played to look up the VA's and see where I knew them from.

    Altogether, if you are looking for a great JRPG series to start, pick up Trails of Cold Steel. If you like it, there are 3 slated sequels coming, two of which are due to be localized by the end of 2019.    … Expand
  7. Deathdance
    Apr 10, 2019
    9
    I didn't hear about this game when it was originally released.
    I was pleasantly surprised. The first 2 hours were a little boring but it picked up quickly and is a true TBRPG which are hard to find now in this gaming generation. Totally worth your time!
  8. tomvs123
    Jun 17, 2020
    4
    Great game for teaching good morals to teens, but doesn't have much to offer to old JRPG veterans.

    I finally got around to playing this series, revered for its grand storytelling and turn-based combat and ended up disappointed. All except the last few hours of this 70-hour JRPG retreads just about everything that great JRPGs have done in the past. Which is teaching you though    Great game for teaching good morals to teens, but doesn't have much to offer to old JRPG veterans.

    I finally got around to playing this series, revered for its grand storytelling and turn-based combat and ended up disappointed.

    All except the last few hours of this 70-hour JRPG retreads just about everything that great JRPGs have done in the past. Which is teaching you though example, the dangers of discrimination, nationalism, corporate greed, turning a blind-eye to tragedies, and backing your family or group even though they're wrong. The game is very up front about pointing out what's bad, with frequent long conversations between the main characters that show you how they decided these things were bad. And to the game's credit, it gets them all right, unlike Persona 5, which teaches that discrimination of adults is okay because an adult or two hurt some children in the past.

    Much of the game reminded me of the original Scooby-Doo cartoons. Meddling kids are always exposing bad people's crimes in the face of inaction or corruption by law-enforcement organizations. And you'll get this a lot, with the bad guys even pointing out that they would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for you meddling kids. The problem with this is that the game is centered around the idea that your protagonists, just going about their school assignments, are more capable than adults whose jobs it is to solve these things. This is great if you want to empower teens, but it's not very believable to an adult.

    The story is also full of an unbelievable number of conveniences. Your class goes on several trips to learn about the world, and something amazing/unexpected happens each and every time, at the exact time you're visiting, just so that you can solve the problem and save the day. For example, when a military complex is attacked, your teen protagonists, who were previously proven to be much weaker than adults, end up repelling the attack. All of the soldiers in the complex just mysteriously disappeared at that time.

    The political representation in the game is frequently praised. But I found it to be basic and full of conveniences. I give the writers credit for creating a functioning political landscape, but when tragedies occur, their systems mysteriously break down, paving the way for your teen protagonists to save the country. Also, there's a big emphasis on a particular terrorist group that continues to attack various sites (that you just happen to be visiting) Their goals and motives make little sense, even after the protagonists explain them to you, and make even less sense once you get to the end of the game. After learning their true goals and capabilities, the astute players will wonder why they partook in some of their earlier missions.

    I can't explain the end-game twists to avoid spoilers, but just say that they turned this decent JRPG story and world to being borderline nonsensical. It's not nearly as bad as what happened in Persona 5, and will be acceptable to the game's teen target audience, but intelligent adults should beware of the incoming poorly-done anime tropes.

    There's much more to say about the story as there's a lot going on in the game, but I'll move on to the gameplay.

    The turn-based battle system is average at best. Great turn-based battle systems have one thing in common: using the tools and training given, you can create strategies to beat the challenging enemies and bosses (or those who aren't good at strategy can just level grind). This game, on Normal mode, was just too easy. After I got used to the battle system, I frequently skipped enemies (to reduce my level) and skipped upgrading weapons and armor since that was the only way to get any sort of challenge. Harder difficulties might have been better, but the game doesn't let you change difficulties mid-game.

    Also, I must point out that while position-based combat systems are normally great, this one was annoying. Changing your position takes a turn and performing an action (such as attacking or casting certain spells) automatically moves your position to where the game thinks you want to go. So it's annoying to get your characters in the position you want them to be. If I perform a normal attack, and I have movement points to spare, why must it move me in a straight light right at the enemy? Why can't I run to the side? I got used to it, but was disappointed that the typical Idea Factory RPG has more strategic combat.

    So with the game being overly preachy with its morals (although they are good morals), leaving nothing up for intellectual interpretation, having way too many story conveniences, having a disappointing combat system, and a downright silly twist ending, there wasn't much for me to like. It's not bad - I've just done all of this before. Though the typical teen should love it and there's a lot of good stuff for them to learn here.    … Expand
  9. michaelb1928
    Sep 6, 2019
    6
    Game was ok, story was boring and dialogue felt fluffy at times, a lot of your time will be spent reading as is traditional for jrpg games, this is still my least favourite part of any of these games. Sometimes you can go for an hour even longer just listening to and reading dialogue before you can actually start playing the game again. combat is very fun tho so thats what kept me playing,Game was ok, story was boring and dialogue felt fluffy at times, a lot of your time will be spent reading as is traditional for jrpg games, this is still my least favourite part of any of these games. Sometimes you can go for an hour even longer just listening to and reading dialogue before you can actually start playing the game again. combat is very fun tho so thats what kept me playing, characters are fleshed out but can be fairly one note at times. about a 60 hour game that could have been 20… Expand
  10. vahn
    Jun 29, 2019
    10
    I already reviewed this game on the ps3, about 2 years ago, and for me, it scored a full out 10/10 because it's simply one of the best RPGs of the last years - only second to Berseria in my opinion, and maybe third to Persona 5. TOCS is one of the biggest and largest games I played in a while, less in size and more about in lore and character development: each character has theirI already reviewed this game on the ps3, about 2 years ago, and for me, it scored a full out 10/10 because it's simply one of the best RPGs of the last years - only second to Berseria in my opinion, and maybe third to Persona 5. TOCS is one of the biggest and largest games I played in a while, less in size and more about in lore and character development: each character has their development, their backstories and overall they go through their arc in a semi-flawless manner (semi because it does feel forced sometimes) but I never once got issues with how a character changed and the flow of the narrative is top notch and seamless - albeit very slow sometimes. And add combat that is both extremely deep and satisfying, with quartz, links, moves and everything, it's REALLY hard to not recommend this game.

    Back on my ps3 review I mostly had 3 major issues with this game: the combat is not exactly hard but the enemies have the tendency to exploit their debuffs and status effects more than actually make a fight hard, which is very cheap and easy to counter by just having the right resistance gear. Because of this, some fights are quite literally a matter of equipping the right item to counter a certain status effect and clear the boss with your S skills so that they die almost instantly.

    The other issue I had was the technical standpoint because it was obviously a low-res game meant for psvita and ps3 and to be honest it's not a whole lot different: it didn't exactly get a graphics overhaul and it looks just as "bad" as on the ps3 and vita. The only difference is that it's much smoother than before, having a constant 60 fps framerate, and the loadings are extremely quick.

    And third but not last, the flow of the game is extremely slow which was solved by the addition of the Turbo mode, probably THE BEST addition of this port: by pressing L2 you can go on turbo mode and essentially make the game run twice as fast, including dialogues and cutscenes AND the combat button, so that now the game is a lot faster. I know JRPGs are meant to be slow and methodical but TOCS has the tendency to take too much time to move forward and while I have absolutely no problem on following the story and its characters having the option to increase the speed is quite a welcomed one: I finished the prologue and chapter 1 in less than 5 hours on NG+!

    Another nice thing that I appreciate is that you can play from the ps3 and Vita games! just upload the files with a cross save and transfer it to the ps4 version: it's very easy and I managed to grab my data files from the vita and ps3 and continue the game on the ps4 version now!

    Add the fact that it has all DLC included and more extras, It's seriously hard to not recommend this game to those who couldn't get it or didn't care enough back then. If you like JRPGs and you're looking for one then I definitely recommend TOCS 1 - and eventually 2 and 3.

    Just don't expect AAA quality in graphics and animations...    … Expand
  11. fifty2ndassassi
    Nov 2, 2019
    10
    Definitely a jrpg, starts off kinda slow but when you get into the story you won't want to stop playing then things slow up and then a huge reveal and it picks up pace again. the soundtrack in all these games is amazing, and not a bad character in the bunch.
  12. monks99
    May 15, 2020
    10
    One of the very best jrpgs ever made! Trust me I've played the entire series! It's worth it!!
  13. Neatqt
    Apr 20, 2020
    6
    Cast: 6/10
    Story: 6/10
    Fun: 5/10
    Gameplay: 8/10

    Recommended
    ---------------------- 50 Hours Played
  14. SplitMind
    Apr 23, 2020
    9
    I was expecting just another run-of-the-mill JRPG in this game, however I was very pleasantly surprised by what has been achieved in a game that is now fairly old.

    The game isn't new, so graphics are not going to blow any minds, however they serve their purpose and are very smooth and polished. The anime style found in many JRPGs works well here. The story is where this game is at.    I was expecting just another run-of-the-mill JRPG in this game, however I was very pleasantly surprised by what has been achieved in a game that is now fairly old.

    The game isn't new, so graphics are not going to blow any minds, however they serve their purpose and are very smooth and polished. The anime style found in many JRPGs works well here.

    The story is where this game is at. I've rarely seen such depth to a story in a game. It's always hard to talk about stories without spoiling them, so what I'll say is that this game creates a whole country with its own socio-political issues, broaching topics such as classism and politics. Having said that, the story is why I have given the game four and not five stars - there is simply too much. There is an immense amount of text to get through, and in English it seems to be voiced randomly and then reverts to text-only. It's all too tempting to leaf through some of the dialogue, which is a shame as all characters are fleshed out very well, although the game could probably have benefitted from having one or two fewer characters.

    The combat is a welcome turn-based system, with the Orbal system making a nice addition to the typical magic found in most RPGs. The only critique I have is a few random difficulty spikes even on easy mode, with one boss in particular being very protracted. Doing tasks at school however can get rather tedious but fortunately much of it is optional and provides good humour and character development.

    Overall, I definitely recommend this game and I am really looking forward to playing the sequels. The slow pace at some points clearly shows their intention to develop the story over several games without too much padding and that is an excellent idea to me,    … Expand
  15. No_Baizuo
    Jul 21, 2019
    10
    Slow burn game, but very in depth and character growth is awesome! Just found the series in 2017 and it's one of my favorites. If you enjoy games where character interaction is important this is for you. Combat is easy to follow. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down!
  16. TheBox
    Sep 1, 2019
    9
    9/10

    Story starts off slow but that is because Falcom needs the player to understand the setting of the story. Story will pick up and accelerate super fast. Combat is what you'd expect from an JRPG. Characters are likable and develop quite well Prior knowledge of the older Trails games are NOT needed but having it will reinforce your knowledge about the world. Great BGMs All DLCs    9/10

    Story starts off slow but that is because Falcom needs the player to understand the setting of the story.
    Story will pick up and accelerate super fast.
    Combat is what you'd expect from an JRPG.
    Characters are likable and develop quite well
    Prior knowledge of the older Trails games are NOT needed but having it will reinforce your knowledge about the world.
    Great BGMs
    All DLCs available FREE    … Expand
  17. morgoth834
    Jun 19, 2020
    8
    A surprisingly good JRPG. The world established by the franchise is great and a ton of fun to explore. The combat is also a strong point and one of the better turn based combat systems with a surprisingly large amount of depth. The plot itself is meanders from complex and interesting to bog-standard high school harem drama while the characters are fine, if unremarkable.
  18. mjv0309
    Aug 9, 2020
    9
    I have to admit, I put this game down after playing it for the first 2-3 hours, thinking that this game wasn't for me. The beginning is VERY drawn out, and I wasn't ready for so much dialogue! However, about a month after I put it away, I came back, and the story really hit with me. It's not shiny and hip like Persona 5, but I feel like I connected with these characters SO much more thanI have to admit, I put this game down after playing it for the first 2-3 hours, thinking that this game wasn't for me. The beginning is VERY drawn out, and I wasn't ready for so much dialogue! However, about a month after I put it away, I came back, and the story really hit with me. It's not shiny and hip like Persona 5, but I feel like I connected with these characters SO much more than Persona, despite the Trails game being about half the length. I talked to every NPC, read every book and newspaper, and explored every nook and cranny. The strength of this game comes from remarkable world-building and an inviting social system. I only marked it down due to a few eye-roll-inducing scenes involving some of the female characters, which didn't really age well. I immediately bought part II after the game was finished, and can't wait to spend some more time in this world!… Expand
  19. Bmooz
    Dec 27, 2022
    7
    The beginning is exceptionally slow. You find yourself doing mundane quests and sort of muddling through things. If you can get through those first dozen hours, the story gets much better. The combat is done well and the story gets stronger as things progress.

    The bad is that this becomes a semi basic harem game, which does a great disservice to the larger series as a whole. It becomes a    The beginning is exceptionally slow. You find yourself doing mundane quests and sort of muddling through things. If you can get through those first dozen hours, the story gets much better. The combat is done well and the story gets stronger as things progress.

    The bad is that this becomes a semi basic harem game, which does a great disservice to the larger series as a whole. It becomes a recurring theme that distracts from and drags down the plotline, since it inhibits the development of characters outside of the MC.    … Expand
  20. rschock1
    Oct 14, 2020
    10
    Long form story of political intrigue and military life. This is a continuation of the Trails in the sky series. I have only played a few hours of the first Trails in the Sky title but still found Interesting characters and great depth to the world building. A bit of a lengthy trek, but an extremely unpredictable ending with a great cliffhanger leading into the next chapter. HighlyLong form story of political intrigue and military life. This is a continuation of the Trails in the sky series. I have only played a few hours of the first Trails in the Sky title but still found Interesting characters and great depth to the world building. A bit of a lengthy trek, but an extremely unpredictable ending with a great cliffhanger leading into the next chapter. Highly recommended if you have 50+ hours to spend on a JRPG. Falcom really outdid themselves with this undertaking. Highly recommended.… Expand
  21. vvv123
    Jan 23, 2021
    8
    I'm a fan of FE3H and this was quite similar due to the school system. For me, it was easier/quicker to get into vs Persona 5. The story was great, not amazing imo as pacing was slow at times, but enjoyable and very immersive. I wasn't expecting who the actual villian was so a good plot twist. The bond shared with the students is deeper in comparison to FE3H and I enjoyed the field studyI'm a fan of FE3H and this was quite similar due to the school system. For me, it was easier/quicker to get into vs Persona 5. The story was great, not amazing imo as pacing was slow at times, but enjoyable and very immersive. I wasn't expecting who the actual villian was so a good plot twist. The bond shared with the students is deeper in comparison to FE3H and I enjoyed the field study parts. The game is a bit longer than it needs to be, I started to get a bit bored by mid chapter 6, probably due to doing all the quests, but I appreciate the world building and depth. I did like the slower pace and turn based combat. Great music too! The previous parts to this series should either be made available on PS4/Switch or include a summary in CS1. Its not needed, I haven't played them, but would be good to have a better understanding of the world. I hope the next games have auto feature for the texts.… Expand
  22. Bazzak
    Nov 5, 2020
    10
    Absolute masterpiece of an RPG, western or jrpg. I’ve played them all. This is for story lovers and the combat is as good/complicated as something from now such as persona 5 royal. This is better than the persona games for me because the characters have so much depth and back story and it has more of an ensemble cast. Due to obscurity most rpg players have not come across falcom and thisAbsolute masterpiece of an RPG, western or jrpg. I’ve played them all. This is for story lovers and the combat is as good/complicated as something from now such as persona 5 royal. This is better than the persona games for me because the characters have so much depth and back story and it has more of an ensemble cast. Due to obscurity most rpg players have not come across falcom and this series but it’s seriously one of the best games you will ever play if you consider yourself an RPG gamer. I’ve stopped trusting rpg game critic reviews except from Rpgamer which is how I came across this game. I’m only one game down looking forward to the next 3, it’s fantastic that the story doesn’t end and just keeps going!… Expand
  23. KNX2501
    Apr 5, 2021
    8
    Es un excelente port de la versión que salió en la PS3/Vita con todo el contenido descargable. La historia es genial con una buena estructura de juego. Solo debes de tener en cuenta que no es una versión remasterizada por lo que gráficamente se ve como se veía en la PS3.

    Ayuda mucho que puedas importar tu viejo save data de las versiones anteriores pero me hubiera gustado que también    Es un excelente port de la versión que salió en la PS3/Vita con todo el contenido descargable. La historia es genial con una buena estructura de juego. Solo debes de tener en cuenta que no es una versión remasterizada por lo que gráficamente se ve como se veía en la PS3.

    Ayuda mucho que puedas importar tu viejo save data de las versiones anteriores pero me hubiera gustado que también agregaran el cross-save entre PS4 y Vita    … Expand
  24. Bull1112
    Sep 5, 2022
    10
    The game that started it all with my love for Falcom. This series is nothing short of a masterpiece. Some people think this game is very slow going and boring but to me that is not true at all. If you like games such as Persona, then you'll love this game. The most incredible world building I have ever seen with one of the best group of characters. You really can't go wrong with this game.The game that started it all with my love for Falcom. This series is nothing short of a masterpiece. Some people think this game is very slow going and boring but to me that is not true at all. If you like games such as Persona, then you'll love this game. The most incredible world building I have ever seen with one of the best group of characters. You really can't go wrong with this game. Always going to be a 10/10 in my heart.… Expand
  25. AdoMobA
    Mar 20, 2023
    8
    Pros
    - solid start to the Erebonia arc
    - intrigue builds from the first chapter onwards in a satisfying way - Class VII is a fun cast of characters that were fun to get to know - the reworked combat is a joy to look at - the OST is fantastic - fantastic twist ending that made me feel stupid for not realizing Cons - Cold Steel arc continues in the Persona inspired hangouts with    Pros
    - solid start to the Erebonia arc
    - intrigue builds from the first chapter onwards in a satisfying way
    - Class VII is a fun cast of characters that were fun to get to know
    - the reworked combat is a joy to look at
    - the OST is fantastic
    - fantastic twist ending that made me feel stupid for not realizing

    Cons
    - Cold Steel arc continues in the Persona inspired hangouts with characters, that feel like they don't belong
    - the story feels like it is without any stakes, until the very last chapter

    The sixth game in the Trails series, Trails of Cold Steel was my introduction to these games. And I have been sucked in and addicted ever since. This game is not perfect and with the context of the greater series it is one of the weaker entries, but I still rate it highly for how great it feels to just lose yourself to the world.

    As the first game in the arc, Cold Steel has a job of setting up the story and teaching players about the country it takes place in. And it succeeded at that completely. Whether it is through the classes in school, through the interpersonal conflicts between party members and through the fact that you travel half of the country for your excursions, Cold Steel one presents its lore in a fun and digestible manner.

    What helps is the lovable cast of characters that are assigned with you on these excursions. Rean is not a leader. He is an equal to his party members which doesn't have him dropping inspirational quotes left and right. They are just school kids trying to learn to coexist with each other.

    Getting to know them, Cold Steel returns with the Persona like social events, pioneered in the Crossbell arc. I am not a fan of these in this series, though they are not terrible in this game. Character moments that don't affect the character in the oveall story feel weird for this series.

    Combat was reworked to fit the 3D space instead of the classical grid. It still retains the reliance on the visible turn order, which you can manipulate through the use of abilities inflicting Delay. The one area where this combat severely lacks is the Arts.

    The game divides the characters skills to Crafts and Arts. Crafts are character specific and they are learned with levels. Arts are bestowed through your orbments and can be exchanged at any time, and two characters can end up with the same Arts as a result of their orbment setup.

    The issue is that Crafts are immediate while Arts take one turn to set up, and another turn to execute. Let's look at the Insight status that grants affected character 50% evasion. You could set up the Shining art on turn one, and have it executed on turn six on a single ally. Or you could use Alisa to cast the craft Heavenly Gift, and give an AOE Insight status to all characters inside of the radius of that craft. Oh and on top of that, it also regains 20CP on every turn for all the affected characters, allowing them to use their crafts more. There is just such little and niche points for arts that it is crazy in Cold Steel one.

    Overall, however, Cold Steel one is a fantastic start to the Erebonia arc that had me scrambling to get and understand the rest of the series. A fantastic game.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

60
#60 Best PS4 Game of 2019
83
#83 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2019
36
#36 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 16
  3. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. RPGamer
    Sep 6, 2019
    100
    It was and still is an absolute must-play for any JRPG fan, and a master class in slow-burn world-building that should be mandatory gaming, and if a modern-hardware remaster puts it into the hands of even more gamers, I can’t help but be all for it. If the original release was already a modern classic, then this improved version is nothing short of a masterpiece.
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  2. 4P.de
    May 15, 2019
    82
    Slighty enhanced PS4 premiere of the epic rpg saga with a slight touch of Persona.
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  3. GameCritics
    May 10, 2019
    30
    Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel lacks vibrancy, the animations lack imagination, and the characters are a bunch of bores. Not having played any other games in the series, I can’t say whether this series is suffering from sequelitis exhaustion, but this installment just lacks so much. It’s an excruciating play that I cannot recommend.
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