The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III

Despite some hiccups, the Switch port of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is an overall solid version of a wonderful RPG experience. The more people who get the opportunity to try the Cold Steel series out as a result of this Nintendo Switch port, the better!

If you're looking for a solid JRPG experience on the Switch, Cold Steel III will give you that and more if you take the time to dive deep into its story and combat. [Issue #49 – November/December 2020, p. 75]

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is one of the best JRPGs ever made and this Thors Academy Edition is a wonderful treat for fans of the franchise so if you enjoy adventuring with Rean then you'll treasure this very special package.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 is an excellent role-playing game of classic style, absolutely unmissable for the veterans of the saga. Everyone else may find themselves overwhelmed by excessive references, compromising the experience.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is a narratively rich role-playing game, with deep and well-drawn characters and stories ranging from epic to tragic, without dwelling too much on stereotypes, an almost physiological element of this genre. Too bad for the absence of the first two chapters in Nintendo Switch's game library. Though exhaustive and rich in detail, in fact, the various summaries in the start screen can not make up for the lack of "playful experience" that only a direct use can return.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 is a good game for JRPG fans more focused on history than action. Despite being a bad starting point in the series, it holds up as a good game, but unless you want to get to know the whole universe, there are better options than it.

There is a reason the Trails series is held in such high regard by a large portion of the JRPG audience – their worldbuilding is second to none, the scope admirable for such a small development team. Trails of Cold Steel III is no different, continuing the legacy of the prior games despite being a little too similar to Cold Steel I in some regards. The battle system stands out as one of the more engaging and flexible I’ve ever experienced in the genre, and I simply cannot wait to get my hands on Cold Steel IV later this year. That said, I do feel for Switch owners keen to dip their toe into the world of Trails, as this is not the most ideal place to start.

Quotation forthcoming.

Trails of Cold Steel III is a very ambitious game in terms of plot and lore but it really couldn't be no other way in this series. If the fans will be delighted to mire in the game's content, improved interface and combat system, it's also not any less true that Trails of Cold Steel III can feel intimidating for players unfamiliar with the series, and as such they might not enjoy this effort as much as long-time fans, who will find a long-lasting work to wrap themselves with.

Besides some shortcomings on the technical side, this port for Nintendo Switch is an excellent opportunity to recover a long-lived and engaging title, certainly not suitable for all palates, but a perfect transition between what has been and what the saga will be.

Trails of Cold Steel III is another great port to add to Nintendo Switch's library, but if you haven't played the previous two games (not available on Switch), you can miss important story details. If that's not the case, be ready for a long adventure that will leave you wanting more... and in the middle of an interesting cliffhanger.

Trials of Cold Steel III is another excellent addition to a franchise that gains so much of what makes it absorbing from the huge amount of background detail and world-building that's been achieved in earlier entries in the series. Newcomers should be aware that taking the time out to play Trials of Cold Steel I and II is advised to get the absolute maximum amount of enjoyment out of this one but, even if you're jumping in fresh, there's still plenty to love here once you find your feet. With a massive cast of well-written characters and tons of excellent combat and exploration spread across its epic running time, this is a top-notch addition to the Switch's library of JRPGs.

All in all, I had a fun time revisiting Trails of Cold Steel III on Switch. I still wonder who this release is even actually for, given how it's hard for me to recommend newcomers play this, and most fans who really wanted this would likely have bought it on PS4 last year. Even with the issues, due to my preferences, I find this to be my favorite way to play the game.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III drops JRPGo fans into the middle of a massive story arc and then has a tendency to meander. However, it provides more than enough thrills and compelling moments to make this an adventure worth taking.