Trails (series)

Trails, known as Kiseki (軌跡) in Japan, is a series of role-playing video games by Nihon Falcom. It is a part of their larger The Legend of Heroes franchise and itself consists of several story arcs, including Trails in the Sky and Trails of Cold Steel. The games are historically turn-based, with some spinoffs and later games featuring real-time combat.

Not to be confused with the Tales (video game series) by Bandai Namco.

Trails
15th anniversary logo
Genre(s)Role-playing game
Developer(s)Nihon Falcom
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5
First releaseThe Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
June 24, 2004
Latest releaseThe Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki
September 30, 2021
Parent seriesThe Legend of Heroes

Trails began with the release of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky in 2004. The series was released exclusively in Asian markets until the 2010s, with Xseed Games handling its English localization until NIS America took over in 2019. The series was conceived by Falcom as part of a goal to create a narrative lasting decades, and has been praised by critics for its emphasis on character arcs and worldbuilding. The series had sold over six million copies by 2021.

Overview

Trails is a series of fantasy turn-based role-playing video games by Nihon Falcom.[1] Later entries in the series, such as the Cold Steel games, introduced more social simulation elements, akin to the Persona series.[2] The series originally began as a numbered entry in The Legend of Heroes series with the release of The Legend of Heroes VI: Trails in the Sky in 2004. Despite that, it had no narrative connection with prior Legend of Heroes games and has since been considered its own distinct franchise.[1][3] The series was conceived by Falcom as part of a goal to create a narrative lasting decades.[3][4]

Trails is set on the continent of Zemuria, with the games taking place across several nations, including the Kingdom of Liberl, the city-state of Crossbell, the Erebonian Empire, and the Republic of Calvard.[5] The majority of the games take place within a few years of each other and follow an overarching narrative, with plot elements being foreshadowed across several earlier games.[1][3][5] Trails features political and social elements, such as war, secret societies, and organized religion, as a part of its setting.[4][6] Every minor non-playable character in the series has a name, with several having their own character arcs with varying degrees of importance to the main plot.[4][5]

Games
Trails
2004Trails in the Sky
2005
2006Trails in the Sky SC
2007Trails in the Sky the 3rd
2008
2009
2010Trails from Zero
2011Trails to Azure
2012
2013Trails of Cold Steel
2014Trails of Cold Steel II
2015
2016
2017Trails of Cold Steel III
2018Trails of Cold Steel IV
2019
2020Trails into Reverie
2021Kuro no Kiseki
2022Kuro no Kiseki II - Crimson Sin

The series is broken into several distinct story arcs: the Trails in the Sky[lower-alpha 1] trilogy, the Crossbell duology, the Trails of Cold Steel[lower-alpha 2] tetralogy, and the ongoing Kuro no Kiseki.[1] The Trails in the Sky games are set within the Kingdom of Liberl and follow Estelle and Joshua Bright, a pair of "bracers" which are an international guild of hired help that help citizenry in need.[1] The Trails of Cold Steel story arc consists of four games set in the Erebonian empire and follows Rean Schwarzer and Class VII, a specialized group of students attending a military academy.[1] The Kuro no Kiseki arc is set in the Republic of Calvard. The series also has a few spinoffs.

Trails in the Sky
Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

The first game in the series was released in Japan in 2004 for the PC.[7] It was shortly afterwards ported to the PlayStation Portable in 2006.[7] Due to its large amount of text, the game was not localized into English until 2011, when it was translated by Xseed Games.[8] The European PSP release was published by Ghostlight.[9] The game was also given a high definition port as part of Sony's PSP Remaster line of ports to the PlayStation 3 platform in late 2012,[10] and an updated re-release on the PlayStation Vita in 2015.[11]

Trails in the Sky SC
Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC

The direct sequel was initially released in 2006 for the PC and 2007 for the PlayStation Portable in Japan.[7] In 2013, Xseed Games worked together with Carpe Fulgur in localizing SC, due to all the fan requests after the release of First Chapter.[12] Initially announced for a mid-2014 release, it was later pushed back to late 2014.[13] Carpe Fulgur head Andrew Dice said that progress in translating the game was slowed by his struggles in personal life.[14] Dice handed over his work for Xseed employees to finish up, which, combined with unexpected difficulties during the QA testing of the game, resulted in the game's release being delayed into 2015.[15][16] Like First Chapter, SC had ports for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in the mid-2010s.[17]

Trails in the Sky the 3rd
Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd

Trails in the Sky the 3rd was released in Japan in 2007 for the PC and for the PlayStation Portable in 2008.[7] Due to the massive undertakings of the first two Sky games, Xseed Games did not finish work on it until 2017.[18] The game follows Septian Church secret agent Kevin Graham, who is sent to an otherworldly dimension known as Phantasma. Other characters from the series are similarly summoned to Phantasma, and Kevin works with them to investigate the realm and how to escape it, coming to terms with his past along the way. Sky the 3rd foreshadows several plot elements that are seen in later arcs.

Trails from Zero
Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero takes place in Crossbell, a small country located between two great powers, and follows Lloyd Bannings, a rookie investigator with the Crossbell police, and his colleagues Elie McDowell, Randy Orlando, and Tio Plato, as they try their best to protect their city from both the unscrupulous underground crime rings and an unknown conspiracy that looms the city. Zero no Kiseki was released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable on September 30, 2010.[19] The game was ported to Microsoft Windows for release in China in August 2011.[20] It was released for the PlayStation Vita in 2012 as Zero no Kiseki: Evolution, with improved visuals and more voice acting.[21] An English release by NIS America is scheduled for release on the PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC in September 2022.[22]

Trails to Azure
Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure continues directly following Trails from Zero. It was first released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable on September 29, 2011, later receiving a PC port in China.[19] It was also released for the PlayStation Vita on June 12, 2014, as Ao no Kiseki: Evolution, featuring improved visuals and more voice acting.[23][24] An English release is scheduled to be released by NIS America for PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC in 2023.[25]

Trails of Cold Steel
Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

The game was first released for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in Japan in September 2013. Xseed Games would later localize and publish the game in English regions in 2015. A port for Microsoft Windows was also released in 2017, which included additional English voice acting not seen in the original release. Another port for the PlayStation 4 was released in 2018, and worldwide the following year. A port for the Nintendo Switch and a PC port were made by Clouded Leopard Entertainment for Asian regions.

Trails of Cold Steel II
Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II

The game was released for PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3 in Japan in 2014, and was later localized into English and published by Xseed Games in North America in 2016. A port by Xseed for Microsoft Windows was released in February 2018, while a remastered version for the PlayStation 4 was released in Japan in April 2018 and worldwide in June 2019. A port for the Nintendo Switch and a PC port were made by Clouded Leopard Entertainment for Asian regions.

Trails of Cold Steel III
Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III

The game was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan in September 2017 and worldwide in October 2019. Ports for Nintendo Switch and Windows were also released in 2020. The game was the first in the series to be localized in English by NIS America and not Xseed Games. A 2nd port for the Nintendo Switch and a PC port were made by Clouded Leopard Entertainment for Asian regions.

Trails of Cold Steel IV
Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV

The game is the final entry of the Cold Steel tetralogy. It was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan in September 2018 and worldwide in late 2020, with ports for Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows released in April 2021. A PC port was also released in Asian regions by Clouded Leopard Entertainment.

Trails into Reverie
Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie

The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan on August 27, 2020.[26] It acts as an epilogue to both the Crossbell and Trails of Cold Steel arcs. Versions for Nintendo Switch and Windows, ported by Clouded Leopard Entertainment, are set to be released in Japan and Asia on August 26, 2021.[27][28] An English localization by NIS America will be released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Nintendo Switch in 2023.[29]

Kuro no Kiseki

The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki follows Van Arkride, a Spriggan who can take on any request from anyone as long as it's within their morals, who gets hired by high school girl Agnes Claudel to search for eight artifacts that may hold the key to both Zemuria's truths and the impending "return to nothingness". The game features a new action-based battle system, along with an updated version of the turn-based combat system used in earlier games in the series.[30] Both systems are used in combination for non-boss encounters, while boss fights are exclusively turn-based.[31][32] It was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan on September 30, 2021.[33] A port for the PlayStation 5 and Windows is scheduled for release in Japan and other Asian regions on July 28, 2022.[34]

Kuro no Kiseki II - Crimson Sin

The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki II - Crimson Sin is scheduled to release in Japan for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in late 2022.[35]

Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki: Alternative Saga
Main article: Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki: Alternative Saga

Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki: Alternative Saga is a crossover fighting game featuring characters from Trails and Falcom's Ys series. It was released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable on July 29, 2010. A fan translation was released in October 2021.[36]

The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails
Main article: The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails

The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is the only game in the series to not take place within Zemuria and also differs by being an action role-playing game rather than turn-based. It was first released in Japan for PlayStation Portable in July 2012. A high-definition remaster was released in Japan in June 2021 for PlayStation 4, in December 2021 for Microsoft Windows, and will be released in 2022 for Nintendo Switch. This version is also scheduled for release worldwide in 2023.

Akatsuki no Kiseki
Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Akatsuki no Kiseki

The Legend of Heroes: Akatsuki no Kiseki is an online free-to-play role-playing game. It was developed by UserJoy Technology and first released in Japan as a browser game in August 2016 before being ported to other platforms.

Other media

Several manga adaptations of games in the series have been released.[37][38] Trails in the Sky also received a novelization.[39] Other manga, such as The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Pre-Story -The Ring of Judgment- and The Tale of Loewe: Trails in the Sky Side Story, follow the actions of some of the characters and lead up to the games they appear in.[40][41][42][43]

Several drama CDs also exist, with some being adaptations of the games, and others filling in details glossed over in the games.[44][45][46] The transcripts of the Trails of Cold Steel drama CDs were subsequently translated by Xseed Games and placed on the official website of Trails of Cold Steel II.[47] A musical stage play based on part of Trails of Cold Steel ran in January 2017.[48][49]

An OVA adaptation of Trails in the Sky SC, directed by Masaki Tachibana of Kinema Citrus, was released in November 2011, with a second part releasing in January 2012.[50][51] That same year, the OVAs were licensed by Sentai Filmworks for release in North America.[52] The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War, an anime television series produced by Tatsunoko Production and following an original character named Lavie in North Ambria, is scheduled to begin airing in Japan in early 2023.[53]

Reception and sales

The series has been noted by critics for its emphasis on character arcs and worldbuilding.[1][3][4][6] Nintendo Life compared the series' depth and interconnectedness to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire franchise, saying both series' "came to life brilliantly through well-observed, subtle character interactions",[6] while IGN considered Trails the JRPG equivalent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[5]

In 2019, Falcom president and series producer Toshihiro Kondo stated that they had plans for Trails to last another 20 years.[3] In late 2021, Falcom announced that the series had sold over six million copies.[54]

References
  1. Sora no Kiseki in Japan
  2. Sen no Kiseki in Japan
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  2. Schreier, Jason. "Trails of Cold Steel Is Basically Suikoden Meets Persona". Kotaku. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  3. Wen, Alan (October 6, 2019). "Hot on the Trails of Falcom, Japan's longest-running RPG developer". Eurogamer. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  4. Broadwell, Joshua (June 9, 2021). "Why Nihon Falcom's 'Trails' series has never cracked the West". Input Magazine. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  5. Davis, Justin (July 9, 2021). "How to Get Into the Trails RPGs and What Makes Them So Special". IGN. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  6. Stockdale, Henry (April 7, 2021). "Feature: Nihon Falcom's Trails Of Cold Steel Rivals Game Of Thrones In The Worldbuilding Stakes". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  7. "Hardcore Gaming 101: Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky".
  8. "RPGFan News - The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Trilogy Goes Mobile".
  9. "Ghostlight announce 'Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky' | Blog | Ghostlight Ltd". blog.ghostlight.uk.com. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
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  12. "The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky sequel coming to PC, PSP". Polygon. September 6, 2013.
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  14. "Depression Led to Trails in the Sky SC Delay, Developer Explains Why - Niche Gamer". December 26, 2014.
  15. "Addressing Something Important".
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  44. "クローゼのドタバタ学園生活！？『空の軌跡』第6弾ドラマCD収録レポート！皆口裕子さん、森田成一さん、神田朱未さん、斎賀みつきさん達が、人気ゲームの外伝作品を大熱演！". Animate Times (in Japanese). Retrieved June 30, 2021.
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  46. "ドラマCD | Falcom".
  47. "Trails of Cold Steel Drama CD - Returning Home". trailsofcoldsteel.com. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  48. Pineda, Rafael Antonio. "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel Musical's Cast Shown in Rehearsal Video". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  49. "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel to Receive Musical Production in January 2017 | The Otaku's Study". www.otakustudy.com. September 9, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
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  51. "Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Anime #2 Teaser Posted". Anime News Network. December 12, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  52. "Sentai Filmworks Licenses Legend of Heroes ~ Trails in the Sky". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
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