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The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

in library

4.4/5

( 53 Reviews )

4.4

53 Reviews

English & 1 more
39.9939.99
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The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
Description
Among the nations on the Zemurian continent, the mighty Erebonian Empire has been quick to outwardly stake its claim militarily; yet politically, ugly bouts of internal conflict between the upper class and commoners attempting to rise to power have been steadily intensifying day by day. The Noble an...
Critics reviews
69 %
Recommend
Game Informer
8.5/10
The Escapist
4/5 stars
RPG Fan
90%
User reviews

4.4/5

( 53 Reviews )

4.4

53 Reviews

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Product details
2017, Nihon Falcom Corporation, ESRB Rating: Teen...
System requirements
Windows 7 / 8 / 10, Intel Atom x7-Z8700 2.4 GHz, 4 GB RAM, Shader Model 5 (GeForce 400 / Radeon HD 5...
DLCs
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel - Costume Pack, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Stee...
Time to beat
58.5 hMain
78.5 h Main + Sides
108 h Completionist
78 h All Styles
Description
Among the nations on the Zemurian continent, the mighty Erebonian Empire has been quick to outwardly stake its claim militarily; yet politically, ugly bouts of internal conflict between the upper class and commoners attempting to rise to power have been steadily intensifying day by day. The Noble and Reformist Factions have been none too kind to one another over the years, and tensions between the two only stand to worsen if compromises aren’t made in the very near future.

Rean Schwarzer, like any other citizen of the Imperial Nation, is no stranger to these rising conflicts: the class system has been deeply embedded into the hearts of every Erebonian since the days of old. As a seventeen-year-old student preparing for his new life at Thors Military Academy, however, he notices that his crimson uniform differs from the standard ones issued to his peers—typically green for commoners, and white for nobles.

Enter, Class VII of Thors Military Academy. For the first time in the prestigious academy’s history, rank means nothing and skill means everything. With nine hand-picked students of various backgrounds and abilities, Rean included, Class VII readies itself to dive deep into the political quagmire that threatens not only them, but the Empire as a whole.



Taking place on the same continent as the fan favorite Trails in the Sky offshoot of Nihon Falcom’s storied The Legend of Heroes franchise, Trails of Cold Steel (Sen no Kiseki in Japanese) is the first in the series to tread Erebonian soil and explore the inner political conflicts of this oft-mentioned powerhouse nation in detail. Delve into the expansive lore that has become synonymous with the series, enjoy school life and bond with fellow students to earn new abilities in battle, take advantage of speedy, tactical turn-based combat with the newly-developed “ARCUS” system, and uncover dramatic events that stand to change everything these two opposing social classes stand for.
  • A World Rich in Depth for Veterans and Newcomers Alike
    The events of Trails of Cold Steel are expertly told so that longtime Trails veterans and casual RPG fans alike can equally enjoy its detailed, highly nuanced storyline.

  • New Link System Adds Depth to Combat
    Take advantage of the Combat Link System by bonding with your allies throughout the school year, netting you a variety of combat benefits including healing, guarding and more.

  • A Sleek Update to a Classic Growth Mechanic
    Trails of Cold Steel streamlines the classic “Orbment” magic system from previous titles with new “ARCUS” units, allowing for more ready access to abilities and quicker customization.

  • Experience the Game as Never Before
    50% more lines of English voice-overs have been added to the PC release, bringing a fresh experience to even those who have played it before on console.

(c) Nihon Falcom Corporation. All rights reserved. Licensed to and published by XSEED Games / Marvelous USA, Inc.

Popular achievements
Goodies
avatars wallpapers
System requirements
Minimum system requirements:
Why buy on GOG.COM?
DRM FREE. No activation or online connection required to play.
Safety and satisfaction. Stellar support 24/7 and full refunds up to 30 days.
Time to beat
58.5 hMain
78.5 h Main + Sides
108 h Completionist
78 h All Styles
Game details
Works on:
Windows (7, 8, 10, 11)
Release date:
{{'2017-08-02T00:00:00+03:00' | date: 'longDate' : ' +0300 ' }}
Size:
12.2 GB
Rating:
ESRB Rating: Teen (Violence, Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)

Game features

Languages
English
audio
text
日本語
audio
text
Buy series (2)
Buy all games in the series. If you already own a game from the series, it won’t be added to your cart.
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User reviews
Overall most helpful review

Posted on: August 2, 2017

ChaH0s

Verified owner

Games: 21 Reviews: 1

A fresh take on an amazing series

If the Trails in the Sky games cought your interest, but couldn't quite convince you to pick them up, this is definitly worth it! The game offers a fresh start with new and likable characters from the country of Erebonia. The 10 protagonists are freshmen from the military academy Thors. On the gameplay side, you will fight monsters, comlete quests, loot dungeons and skill chraracters. Guns, swords, lances. magic and even instruments aide you in your fight against a dark power, spreading terror in the Empire. All pretty standard JRPG stuff, but executed really well. Experienced players are adviced to play in hard mode however. Trails of Cold Steel, like all the other Trails games, shines with loveable chraracters, protagonists, side characters and background NPCs alike. Allmost all have a name, a live, friends and goals. Even the most mundane looking child in a backwater village will crack you up. Advancing through the main story also advances all those small stories that, together, make the game so much more vivid. The addintional features look really amazing and i can't wait for my 4th run through it. BTW the english dub is great. I especially love Reans, Fies, Saras and Oliverts voice. Trails of Cold Steel II will probably be released sometime around christmas, and the third and final part will hopefully sometime too. If my broken german-english couldn't convince you, read this review: https://kotaku.com/the-legend-of-heroes-trails-of-cold-steel-the-kotaku-1782978713 May Aidios be with you!


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Posted on: August 3, 2017

Futsuu

Verified owner

Games: Reviews: 2

Best recent RPG

I spent over 120 hours playing the PS3 version, and about 4 hours of this version. It's easily a 5-star game, and one of the few I own for the console that I have no plans to sell or trade in. Story Amazing story on par with Trails in the Sky. While the main character, in my opinion, can at times be a rollercoaster between love and hate, this adds another dimension to the story. Most NPCs are named and have their own mini-stories that evolve as you progress through the game. You're of course free to follow or skip them as you see fit. Likewise with side quests. Graphics Compared to the PS3, the graphics are crisper and you have many options to reach a good balance between performance and graphics quality for your system. The loading times are also faster. The differences are obvious so it's a clear upgrade from the console. If you're having problems, I recommend turning down shadow quality. Combat The combat is turn-based and a lot of fun, with more strategies becoming available as you progress. For those familiar with Trails in the Sky, the orbment system that allows you to customize each character has been simplified but in a good way. I'm not sure if it's due to running at 60 FPS, but turn execution is notably faster, which for me, also makes the combat more exciting compared to the PS3. Of course, it being turn-based, there is no time limit on giving a command - it's just execution that is faster. There's a new turbo mode function you can use to speed up both walking around and combat even more, helping kill fodder and get from one story event to the next at a faster pace. Cons You need a controller for greatest enjoyment. While you can still play with a keyboard and mouse, and combat mostly just requires two buttons, you can't navigate menus using the mouse, only the keyboard. Like the PS3, still no dual audio - I would have liked to see a Japanese audio option. That said, the English voice overs are excellent in this case.


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Posted on: August 3, 2017

Quickly became my favorite RPG

First I would like to point out that I am just now downloading this so my review will be for the PS Vita version and I'll update the review later. I got this game as a Christmas present and gave it a try. It quickly grew on me as it had a strong start and remained so so good throughout. This game has everything I'd want in an RPG - Lots and lots of content. I mean that in many ways, things to do, missions, characters, story, development, music, everything is top notch. Now since this is a game, lets focus on that gameplay aspect a tad more - the Trails Of Cold Steel series brings its own unique battle gameplay elements (Evolving from what little I've payed of Trails in the Sky. I need to go back and play that series). Battles can get quite deep, status alignments have a huge effect that can change strategy, and you are constantly getting new abilities to keep things fresh. I spent over 100 hours and 10 minutes on my first playthrough on the Vita and enjoyed every minute of it. (I explore and take my time and don't rush through it.) Talking to NPC's is important and they aren't generic like many games. What they say changes constantly and it could be important to talk to one for one reason or another. This game also has a deep relationship flow I guess kind of like Persona series or even Ar Tonelico (A little off from that one though). Even the final battle introduces new battle mechanics that will carry over and evolve in Trails Of Cold Steel II. If you're wondering if you should play these games in order - Previous Legends of Heroes experience is not a must, but staying in a main brance like Trails Of Cold Steel, then yes, it is very important to play them in order for many reasons. Anyway, again, this is for the Vita version and I'll update my post later talking about new features for PC and if I found any bugs or not. For now, I just really wanted to rate this good as I haven't been so passionate about a game in a very long time- it's that good.


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Posted on: August 6, 2017

An Amazing JRPG

As a preface, I am someone who is quite picky with turn based JRPGs. I tend to find that the combat systems are too basic and lacking in depth to sustain dozens of hours of gameplay, with a single dominant stratedgy allowing for the same mindless inputs each turn rearing its head before long. I feel that very few stories are worth the slog of boring battle after boring battle to get to the good stuff. Only JRPGs that break the mold can engage me with their combat, and Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is one of them. The combat system is deep. Each character has unique abilities called Crafts but also allows for deep customization in the form of spells, statistics and passive bonuses with the Orbments system. Positioning matters as attacks have different ranges and AOEs, turn order can be delayed or sped up depending on the actions taken, and hitting the enemy with the right kind of weapon types, elements and status effects all matter if you want to win the harder fights. Not that the combat is the only good thing about this game. The unique setting is incredibly well realized, being akin to the 1930s Europe if everything was powered by magic crystals. Characters in the main party are well written (with the option to advance character arcs and explore their depth with bonding points) and NPCs have lives of their own that can be discovered. The games narrative starts off on the slow end and feels like it foreshadows too much, but by the end the scope of the plot is grand and goes off in interesting directions, setting itself up for the sequel in this duology. So with a great combat system, interesting party members, a good story and world, there are still flaws. The game is very linear, which can feel restricting. The hidden side quests are too hidden, and you're best off to read a guide. The enemy designs often feel out of place with the setting. The SMT Persona influence is evident, and the anime tropes might be much for those less inclined to tolerate them.


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Posted on: August 28, 2017

simsatellite

Verified owner

Games: 167 Reviews: 5

Almost as good as Trails in the Sky

TL;DR - has the charms of Trails in the Sky First Chapter (FC) with an improved engine but even worse pacing and cliffhanger. Trails of Cold Steel (CS) has the hallmarks of a great Trails game: unparalleled English translation, excellent music, fun turn-based combat, deep character development, detailed and consistent world with an epic story that spans multiple titles, unique among RPGs (playing previous games is not required, but CS will have spoilers.) The theme of the story is serious, focusing on class conflict, but has a healthy amount of comical moments. This game is not for those that lack patience, as it is very text-heavy and the plot moves VERY slowly to allow character development. It easily takes 80+ hours to finish, then ends on a cliffhanger, basically requiring you to play the sequel. Compared to Trails in the Sky, CS is most similar to FC. Lots of sidequests and NPCs who all have their own little stories you can follow. In terms of differences, CS introduced combat links, which is interesting. Quartz system is completely reworked, making it more beginner-friendly but a lot less deep. Combat overall is much easier if you know what you're doing though. Graphics is mostly 3D, but it's low-poly 3D, so it doesn't always look better. English voiceovers in many cutscenes, not just in combat. Most of the voices are surprisingly good, but some scenes are only partially voiced, which can be annoying. If you are prejudiced against dubs, there's an unofficial undub mod online. What compelled me to knock off one star is that CS characters, though interesting, can be too cliche at times (e.g. tsundere); the pacing of the story is also poor even by Trails standards. Things get really interesting only during the last hour of the game but resolves nothing. Even FC resolved a major event before the cliffhanger. CS2 will likely be epic, but CS1 on its own is less satisfying than FC. Overall, a very enjoyable RPG, but don't expect it to be as good as the Sky games.


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