Spoilers in this video you fine people! So I’ve been getting a lot of people sporadically asking me what, in my opinion, is the best Trails game. That is a very intriguing question, so I decided to tackle it this week and put out my thoughts. No doubt it will differ massively for other fans, but that’s the beauty of opinion, I welcome you all to share your rankings (in a civil matter of course). Have a good weekend!
I feel some people are excited to crap of some of the games in this series and I don't know why. I find it weird when people phrase questions in that way.
Hello again, I know there is not much information on them yet, but would consider a video on the Garden/the Organisation from hajimari and three and nine. If not, maybe something related to swin and Nadia because of hajimari and potentially kuro
i literally somehow agree with every ranking on this list. i do like joachim being this poor guy who was essentially raised into this cursed cult so he really had no choice but to be apart of it especially with mayor crois, mariabella, and the lawyer using him. so i do feel bad for him that he was truly a slave and didnt realize it. other than that difference this list is perfect. and yes, azure is a true masterpiece of the series thats just so epic in every way. thanks for all the vids
I actually played them in order I saw a trailer on steam for trails of the sky and I bought it straight away and once I had a taste of this amazing series I bought all the ones I could buy and managed to play the crossbell titles and I finished trails of cold steel 4 just before Christmas now here I am waiting
The opposite for me. I find it very bad. Poor writing, anime school/magic setting, Poor Persona like bonds, uninteresting characters (Rean the typical light Novel MC, the others aren't really better for me for most of them) and a world building really disappointing.. and 4 years later it was clear. Because there is 5 games before. I try Trails in the Sky and like it, it wasn't incredible but good enough To put me on the Road again. So Cold Steel 1 was the game which almost stop me haha. And today it's my least favorite after playing through the whole series. With cold steel 2 I find those two game really average. I think it's difficult to like it when you have a standard for anime/mangas. I've read a lot of them and CS1/2 dont make a good use of cliché like the others games, still classical but with a better writing. If we except some points of CS4.. which have the worst and the best of the serie. Not here to destroy CS1 but to explain my first impression of Trails Series by discovering CS1
Same bro, CS1 and CS2 hold a special place in my heart for they were the first games I ever played and what got me into the Trails series in the first place. I admit that both of them have shortcomings and obviously almost every other entry is better in every way, but I still like those games very much, and I was happy to revisit them again after tackling this series in order
the first 2 sky games will always be my favorites. joshua and estelle are such great characters, and i like most of the other characters, besides that whiny little bitch tita. i find millium in cold steel to be a way better and more interesting character than tita, tita just literally made me cringe nonstop.
Ah yes, ToCS 3 a.k.a Trails of some key character always watching Rean and friends from somewhere far hidden behind something. (and Rean slightly notices.)
Well, Sky's protagonists deal with Liberl problems and Zero/AO protagnists deal with Crossbell problems, but Rean's fate spreads over the entire Zermuria. I wouldn't be surprised if he still plays an important role in the Kuro No Kiseki (the first game of the Calvard Arc)
@@Rhovanion85 well there's a pretty good reason he's tied to Zemuria as he's tied to a certain someone who has sown or shown his influence through every arc
Cold steel series will always be my favorite because it was the one that got me hook to the whole series but the revelation in Ao no Kiseki about what actually happen in Zero is the most mindf*ck that I ever experience in video games. The send-off in CSIV left me in tears and most people probably feel the same
I love how you explain everything you love and adore about the games you ranked at the bottom of the list, too, not just the top. Obviously we know you're all about Trails, so even the lower ranks are still favorites, which is something a lot of people can forget about when we discuss rankings. Big surprise to see Zero as your best entry point to the series, but I see where you're coming from! Definitely not a common thing, but I wish we could easily find out what percentage of players actually DID start here. Probably a lot higher in Japan, of course. I was pretty sure we'd line up pretty closely here, given how smoothly our podcast discussions went. (Also I KNEW Rixia would be on your Ao title card lol)
Rixia was ALWAYS going to be somewhere on this list mate! Also I think I may have worded that segment poorly, when I said 'Introductory game', I see it as the best introduction to an arc rather than an entry point. I've always been an advocate of not starting with Zero personally. :)
I'm currently playing CS3, Chapter 4, Day 2 in Heimdallr. The best thing about CS3 is Le Guin. An absolute boss, and she flaunts it. I hope I get more of her in CS4.
Storywise, I like the Crossbell arc the most. I've always loved the trails series' use of in-universe politics, and the autonomous state really lends itself to that. Zero was all about the state's internal affairs, showing you the corrupt and/or toothless local politics at work, while Azure focused on Crossbell's role and significance on the international stage. In terms of characters, I still prefer the Liberl crew the most, as slow a start as FC was, it drip fed us characters in a way that we got to know them all one at a time, and none of them ended up sidelined like most of class VII or the SSS, just chilling in the back waiting for their turn. Estelle's also the best protagonist, Lloyd's time is divided between being a good character and being a harem MC, and Rean is essentially Joshua with the serial numbers filed off, handed a mech and made the centerpiece of the story. On that note, while I generally like the execution in the Crossbell duology more, it's pretty blatant how the villains of Zero and Azure are basically copies of Weissman and Colonel Richard, respectively. I don't think noticing the similarities of the professor and the doctor needs much delving into, but when you break them down, Alan and Dieter are no less similar. Both are well-respected individuals in positions of power, seeking political prominence in their countries and to use the power of a local sept-terrion to make their nation a notable actor on the international stage. Both are also mere pawns of other people's machinations at the end of the day.
Another banger of a video from TKN! I haven’t played Hajimari yet but our rankings are nearly identical. Sad to see such a mix reception for CS4 and I understand why it’s not many people favorite but man does hit all the right notes for me.
Sky FC was the first trails game I've played, and I pretty much followed the chronological order through the series. Just finished cold steel 4 a few days ago and the whole game feels like non-stop fan service, if you know what I mean ;) truly a wholesome, fitting end to this epic saga.
Really enjoyed the video! I actually finished CS4 recently(after an year of playing nothing but Trails haha...) but this video still made me feel a bit nostalgic for the series, even though it hasn't been that long. I also don't have any Trails games that I dislike, I really love all of them, but if I have to rank the series: Sky FC
Your commentary on each one was perfect. Love how you set them apart by criteria, no game should be required to be the best at everything. I feel like I'm one of the rare non-doomer CS3 > CS4 people by now, but I think a future replay of the localized CS4-version will go a long way in making me like that one more.
Separating them is very difficult for me, so I tried to look at the best strengths and the more pronounced weaknesses of each one (though there aren't many weaknesses for any of them). Glad the commentary resonated with you!
After reading the comments I'm glad that a lot here also considered Ao to be their best trails, for me the ranking goes Ao > Sky 3rd > Sky SC > CS IV > Zero > Sky FC > CS III > CS II > CS I I know I'm kinda harsh with CS but Sky FC introduced me into the series and imo it's hard to top that experience Now why Ao is the best one? Amazing Story ( Ofc just like the others but a little better for me). The characters in the crossbell arc are more well written and well developed throughout the series. And don't forget they have Combi Crafts!
Thank you for the description time stamps. I’m playing the games in chronological order, meaning I haven’t played anything past Zero no Kiseki until Geofront finishes Ao, but I still wanted to see the ranking without spoiling myself.
@@th3hermit208, play through 3 again while you wait, the Gral of Erebos has a completely different feel when you know what's coming. First time through it pumps you up, second time through is escalating dread.
@@danielfielke3895 while I wait I’m playing every other trails game again and the cold steel ones on nightmare, hopefully a date for pc will be determined by then 😆
Hey mate. Great video! I just did my own ranking video and it was very interesting to see rankings from your point of view. I agree that the top three are clear standouts from the others.
Look, I loved every single entry in this series so it's gonna be difficult to determine which is my absol- Sky SC Cold Steel 1 and 2 Ao Sky FC Cold Steel 3 and 4 Zero Sky the 3rd Waiting for Hajimawari to be localized.
I dunno about you, but one of the reasons why I loved Sky FC was "because" it was slow at the start. It felt so chill that I could enjoy it after a hard day at work and it helped destress me just fine. It even made Rolent feel intimate, like an actual lived-in place, and I loved exploring it and talking to all the people there.
Very interesting list. I don't think I would have any of these games at the same spot you gave them, but its great to see what people enjoy differently in each title. Keep up the great work
I see trails in the sky trilogy as one big game. I love it to death. The people of Liberl are just so quirky, funny, and endearing. Soundtrack has that orchestra feel, and diversity that are progressively getting more scarce in modern Falcom sound team (they're still great though). You will not find this much of a lovable people in Crossbell or Erebonia. The sense of liveliness and characteristics of each town really stands out, and you can feel the culture there. I can totally see how Estelle and Joshua growing up to be bracers while they're living in Rolent. The sense of immersion is something that I wasn't able to experience in any western RPGs. A lot of people just don't realize Falcom CEO's heavy involvement in the Liberl arc made such a huge difference in a sense of how lived in Liberl feels (I'm not saying CEO Kondo wasn't involved in future project). Crossbell has more intricate and higher quality storyline, but I was never able to feel real connection with the people there. Team chemistry was better in Crossbell arc, but in terms of immersion, Liberl arc is unbeatable. I think I feel this kind of immersion more in Ys series now that CEO Kondo is more involved in Ys series. I think I'm just generally a huge fan of CEO Kondo's project.
In a way, Cold Steel 3 was my first. In a way. My friend had been recommending the series for a while, and I finally bit the bait when a demo of CS3 dropped on switch. I liked the combat, the events seemed captivating, but what REALLY sold it for me was the fact that I had no goddamn clue who all those people (the original Class VII) were, and yet somehow that short section in the prologue managed to make me excited for their reunion. At that point, I knew I had something special on my hands, and I went right back to CS1.
Now THAT is a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing this. I've often wondered how those scenes so common to the Trails series would hit for someone coming into the experience at a late point. You're right - this is truly special, and Falcom has succeeded at conveying that at any point in the story. So awesome.
Thanks for watching bud! Yeah I remember you said Hajimari was one of your favourites, I guess it just didn't hit me the same as many others. I'll have to play it again when it gets that English release and see if my opinion shifts at all.
my first ever Legend of Heroes game was A Tear of Vermillion than I played the other 2 games and because of that I got into Trails in the Sky, after that the rest is history xD my favorite cast of characters are the SSS but I dont have a favorite game I love them all.
Me too. A Tear of Vermilion was my first introduction to the Legend of Heroes series. The title was just "Legend of Heroes". Played the other two games in the trilogy. When I heard of Trails in the Sky FC in PSP from the same guy who introduced me to A Tear of Vermilion, I played and got hooked ever since.
@@DCASPER923 only with the other 2 games in the trilogy, so the first one is - Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch, then A Tear of Vermillion and the last one is Song of the ocean. all part of the LoH Gagharv trilogy.
@@Dor_Z ok thank you because I’ve only played tear of vermillion and cold steel 1,2,3 and 4. I’m trying to play the others as we speak just haven’t found a way to play trails of azure and etc in English
Crazy thing and I know a lot of people played cold steel 1 as there first game, my first was actually trails in the sky fc and I fell in love almost instantly idk maybe because i love to read you know
My ranking below. I would definitely say that strong characters are the most important part of the series for me which probably does a reasonable job of explaining my order? Sky SC > Azure > Sky The 3rd > CS3 > Zero > CS4/Sky FC > CS1 > CS2. Having a really hard time separating Sky FC and CS4 because I finished CS4 somewhat recently and also the games are just very different in terms of style and what I enjoy about them. Also haven't played Hajimari which is why it's not here.
Sky 3rd evo (or with the voice patch on pc) is one of the greatest treats on gaming, after beating the first two titles. It is both a fan service story and character wise, that I couldn't wish I had another way.
Ao is definitely my favorite Trails game, it just has so many crazy and heartbreaking moments, and my favorite ending in any of the arcs (this includes Sky’s ending and CS4’s ending)
I'm in chapter 4/Heimdallr in CS3 first playthrough. I've played all the previous titles. All that to say, Principal Le Guin is freaking awesome. Says whatever she wants and massively overpowered. I hope I get more of her in CS4. Anyways, of all the games I've played, Sky SC and Ao No Kiseki are tie for the best in the series. I'm pretty sure CS4 will hijack those spots.
As someone just recently dive into Trails series with CS1 to CS3 and watching the previous and newest games story on YT, getting to this series was something :) Now just waiting CS 4 and Hajimari to play and experience it again hands on XD
Fantastic video, As a Trails fan myself It brings me nothing but Joy see Trails content being put out your love for the series is shown throughout your videos please keep up the great work. But I have to disagree on one little thing this is just my opinion but Old Class 7 is Better than New Class 7
I do agree that New Class VII is better than Old Class VII, but as "A class" Old Class VII is better individually, which is more notable during CS3/4 now that are older and with their own new experience.
Thanks for the kind words bud! If content gets the Series more love, then I'll keep spreading it. Naturally I'll do so for my own personal enjoyment as well. I respect that opinion as well, I know a lot of people will disagree with me on various aspects but that's the beauty of this Series, we can discuss it till we're old and we still won't touch on everything.
Some spoilers ahead... Great video as always. I've skipped Hajimari and Ao no kiseki parts because I have not played. I've finished Zero no Kiseki yesterday and Joachim is probably the most sick villain in the series. I mean beating Weissmann in that aspect is not easy. Cold of steel IV is probably my favourite, one of my favourite scenes was Rean achieving the divine blade level. It shows how much he develops through the games. I will try to start Ao no kiseki this weekend. Still no news for a localization of hajimari?
Agreed, Joachim is a detestable character, but that just shows how well written he is. No news on Hajimari yet, but you can be sure I'll put a video out when it happens (and it's a case of 'when', not 'if' in my opinion).
Your order is very similar to myself and for similar reasons too. Great job man. For me its sky sc that takes the crown followed very closely by azure. What a great series. bring on the rest. keep up the cool content man.
Love your list and even though our rankings are different, I think you and I have very similar criticisms (and lack thereof) of the various titles. I haven't played CSIV or Hajimari, but my ranking excluding those titles is: 8. CSI - you said it all; still a fantastic game, and was not my entry point like so many others. 7. CSII - you again said it all. 6. Sky3 - This is hard for me because I think this game is SO good and has some insane moments through the doors. Also arguably the best gameplay in the entire series honestly, but I was bugged by the dungeon crawler format. Even though the game won me over (I was REALLY miffed at first); it still always rang true to me that this series is the absolute gold-standard of world building. So when you take that world away from me I'm less-than-a-happy camper. I actually hated Kevin in Sky 2. This game corrected me right quick on my assessment. 5. CIII - So solid, but what I've learned about myself is that I really prefer smaller, more intimate main cast. This game again has some fantastic moments, but it just feels spread so thin to me, and it's really hard to give everyone the spotlight they deserve. 4. Ao - This game is so damn good, and the tension during the Orchis Tower conference was a masterclass in good story telling. I'm less of a sucker for mind-f*cks though, so I guess a lot of the stuff deeper in didn't land as home for me. I like the world-building, character building, and political intrigue more than just pure "big". Still a damn.good.entry. 3. Sky 2 - This game is by far my favorite "climax" game. Some huge moments and emotional ones. Estelle and Joshua's reunion was another masterclass - this time in dialogue. 2. Zero - I actually think this might be the best game in the entire series. Even though it's the fourth chronologically - and masterfully works with its source material, it stands curiously well on its own. The cast is intimate, and utterly top-notch. And while the other games have their infamous cliff-hangers, this title has its own resolution. It really is the full package, and I think if I had to try to win a skeptic with one of the three titles, this would be the one I recommend. This game blew me away. 1. Sky 1 - I don't think I'll ever run into a trails fan who puts this game at the tippy-top of the list like I do. My opinion here is probably drenched in bias. This was *my* entry point. But I don't think that's it. Most people hate the slow burn, but I live for the slow burn. I absolutely love it. I bought the game whimsically back in 2014, and I had no idea what to expect. But unlike so many others, the game hooked me immediately. The characters, the music, the gameplay, it all felt nostalgic to me, even when I was experiencing it for the first time. This game is the foundation of everything we love about this series. Strong extremely well-written and developed characters. Who get to freely play off of each other without any interruption of optional dialogue systems (I'm not a fan). I know I'm a weirdo, but I was never a skeptic, I could feel the quality in the game's writing immediately, and I never lost my trust that it was leading me somewhere worth while. And above all the other titles, this one really feels like a journey. Because that's exactly what it is. There's no looping and circling the same places over and over (which is still fine, love the series) but this one really sends you on the full tour of the kingdom. Sky 1 made me fall in love with RPGs again, and moreover this series. For me it, it keeps its place! Nothing else in the entire series hit me like that ending.
Always love hearing your opinion Kiseki Nut. Totally a wonderful and very understandable analysis of all 10 titles. You hit a lot of the fine points I enjoy about each game in the series, citing them as yours as well. Also a big fan of how you started this too saying, "This isn't ranked worst to best, it's less best to most best." Pretty much did the same for the character tier list I did after beating CS4. Their is so much to love about these games and they do so many things better then many other RPGs out there. This series is my personal benchmark for RPG standards and I am excited to hear what you think of the future titles that are coming when we get them!
Glad you enjoyed it mate! And yes, it truly is a Series like no other, and I had to say that because I don't want people getting the impression that I hate some of the games, which couldn't be further from the truth. We've got another great year ahead of us as Trails fans I'm sure!
@@TheKisekiNut still have trouble believing we got another X amount of years left of this. Kondo and friends are crazy people to undertake this kind of journey! Here is hoping the East half is as amazing as the West half is!
Great list. Sky SC and CS IV are my top two - My highest rankings go by how emotional the game got me, along with how satisfying the ending was. That's why I put CS II pretty high for me personally.
As usual another great Trails game by you, my friend. Unfortunately I was only able to watch 80% of it because I haven’t finished Cold Steel 4 and I haven’t started the one after CS4 Hajimari no Kiseki I think it’s called. I HOPE they eventually localize the Crossbell games and put Trails in the Sky 3rd on console because I don’t play PC games unfortunately. Btw, Happy New Year, brother. Looking forward to another good year of you educating me on the Trails series lol. Stay being awesome, brother.
The best summary for Cold Steel 1 I've ever heard is exactly what you said. That it shot it self in the foot several times with making the class too big and unable to see all bonding events on a first playthrough. As for CS2: contradicting the third faction thing they pushed by helping out the Imperial army because of the Noble Alliance hurting the general populace. FUCKING THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT!!! Class VII's goal as a third faction was always helping out classmates whether it'd be friends or family and mainly keeping the war's effects on the general population to a minimum hence the bracer tasks they kept doing. Their goal was never to defeat the Noble Alliance like the Imperial Army's was.
I literally closed my eyes during the Cold Steel 4 part because I'm still waiting for the localized PC Version and now I'm all the more excited to play it!!!
Skipped over the Hajimari and CS4 parts as im currently playing CS4 (as i dont have a PS4) but i have to agree with basically everything you said honestly. I do personally rank Sky FC above CS2 still because i honestly dont mind a game being chill, slow and longwinded - probably because i also didnt really expect anything insane from it as it was the game that introduced me to Trails about 2 years ago, so going in with the perspective that this is probably just a chill adventure across a region with two lovable protags helped me not get impatient with it - but the climactic moments both story and characterwise in the later games that profit BIG off of the long introduction are just even better. One aspect of Azure especially that cements it VERY firmly into my personal Top5 games of all time (possibly a little higher, maybe Top3 even with geofront QOL improvements etc) aside from its already incredible other aspects (i do firmly believe that it has the best orbmentsystem and in general probably mechanically my favourite so far) is also the OST. Azure has one of only 3 or 4 OSTs where i can genuinly just put a playlist of the entire game on random and let it play through my entire workday without a single one of the tracks being one i want to skip because the entire OST as a whole is just THAT incredible.
I have to say that I enjoyed the SC the most followed by AO and next cold steel 3. SC was very well written. I'm in the middle of cold steel 4 atm. Also, I know that there are a lot of Estelle haters, but I enjoyed her journey through liberl.
SO, we all agree that with the right quartz combination Laura is the most broken character in the series right? I broke her so much that by the end of CS4 in Nightmare on 1st run, she was stronger than her father. XD
For me is cs2>cs4>hajimari>cs3>sc>ao>cs>3rd>zero>fc I enjoy cs2 the most finding the classmates you spend so much time in cs and the I remember you song hit hard, all are a really good games but I have a problem with the crossbell arc being a small cast I don't know why they didn't develop further ellie I find her the less develop character in the cast, also have a problem with the villains in both games, ao bonding event are the worst decision in the arc the character past of rixia wazy are in this bonding event you don't know what are you gonna get unless you keep a record of the points to get them. Zero for me was save for being my least favorite game for the renne arc
Excellent analysis; thank you for the top-shelf content. CS4 is the most mixed experience for me. The first 45 or so hours, before rescuing Rean, were unbelievably slow, wandering, and almost pointless feeling. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it, but I stopped playing the game numerous times during that period. Once I hit my stride in the back 2/3rds of the game, though (and also once I dropped it to Very Easy because the immensity of battles felt like a chore; I'm pretty sure this cut over 20 hours off of the total play time), the story hit quite a stride for me. No game in the series, or really any series I've played, has succeeded at achieving the functional scale of this game. We have upwards of 100 (certainly more if you include non-playables/the entire Thors network) very capable characters, and the task set before them pushed them all to their utmost. The planning and execution of the strategies they put into motion was incredible. Their will to overcome, and the power of their bonds (which went in this game more than any other from a nice sentiment to a deeply resonant Truth), was so profoundly on display, it was awe inspiring. These games prove that, when we unite, we are unstoppable. It's hard for me to overstate this point, as CS4 is the only game where I genuinely felt this. I think the whole CS arc, more than any of the other arcs, was about everyone, not just the protagonists (which is one reason I think someone like Rean, a ridiculously capable catalyst and binder of people with a quality-of-self complex, not a spotlight-seeker, was the perfect fit). And Falcom freaking succeeded at conveying that on a gut level. My respect knows no bounds.
I was luckily able to get both CB games patched with geofront before the site took them down and I'm really trying to get back into Zero now. On the old direct translation I go roughly to the auction before giving up, it wasn't a completely illegible translation it just wasn't great. Then, before CS3, I watched the entirety of Lady Virgilia's recap series which, essentially spoiled the entirety of crossbell for me. So as you mention what a great reveal Weissman was in sky fc, I remember how that felt. All I had heard was there was a big cliffhanger, but I went in completely unspoiled and that was what made me invest 100% into this series. I had played both cs1 and 2 at that point but the end of sky fc hooked me for life. Now I'm trying to get thru Crossbell and while I hardly remember most of the finer points, the biggest things about it have already been spoiled. I know who the villains are, I know the ultimate fate of the city, etc, but there was no way to avoid that having played the later CS games. I know I'll enjoy the geofront translated cb games it just sucks those big narrative moments won't pack the punch that they could have.
Playing sky 3rd, I thought the cast/roster was big, but now halfway through CS4, my concepts changed. Damn, it's so refreshing and overwhelming at the same time.
I began this video knowing your number 1 spot. Your not all that secretive about your love for ao no kiseki. However I can't honestly argue with any of your points in between. And I was hard pressed to come up with a rebuttle. In the end, I have to agree with the whole list. But my personal favorite is cold steel 4 instead of ao no. But their pretty much same ranking so yeah. Thanks for the vid!
Yeah, any frequent viewer would know exactly what the number 1 would be, but I have no qualms in putting it there. It will take something special to top Ao!
For me, my #1 is trails in the sky SC. Im also surprised to see cold steel 4 so high when a lot of ppl ive talked to said it was their least favorite. im currently playing through CS4 and enjoy it so far.
A lot of well I don’t want to say toxic fans because they aren’t really, simply just dislike cold steel in general and go after 4 because they believe that it is a compilation of all that’s wrong with the cold steel arc and will post multiple rants about it.
Nice ranking. I have only completed the Sky titles so far and just finished Cold Steel III last weekend. Next week with the Steam release I will finally go for Cold Steel IV \o/ Ranking so far... 1. Sky SC 2. Cold Steel III 3. Cold Steel II 4. Sky 5. Cold Steel 6. Sky 3rd (I think they are all great so far but Sky SC is my most favorite and Sky 3rd my least favorite) Unfortunately the others I haven't played and hope for an official western release...
If I had to rank my list, it would probably be fairly similar but with some moved around. For me, it's probably this: 10. Sky FC 9. Ao 8. Zero 7. CS2 6. CS1 5. Sky SC 4. CS3 3. CS4 2. Sky the 3rd 1. Hajimari. This is a REALLY HARD list for me to make especially with most of the games. Personally the Crossbell duology just did not hit me like Liberl and Erebonia did. I'd be here all day if I explained why I put each game where it is, so I'll just sum it up. My top 3 are CS4, Sky 3rd and Hajimari because of what they do. CS4 I thought was such an amazing end to the Erebonia arc, while giving a few chars from Liberl and Crossbell some closure in scenes and side quests. I also have played the series sort of backwards. Finished the entire Erebonia arc, played Sky, then finally Crossbell due to my limited knowledge and accessibility to the series throughout my journey through it. CS4 brought more emotion to me in the replay after I played Sky. And furthermore replaying again once I get the localized release will be even better! Because of how it wraps it all up in a nice ribbon, its retroactively able to be more enjoyable. This is why Hajimari is my #1 as well. It is a TRUE and full culmination of EVERYTHING up to this point, and really became one of my favorite games of all time. The True Reverie Corridor was also the most fun I've had in any turn based jrpg other than persona 5! Hajimari made me cry more than any other game in the series as well, and showed a lot of vulnerability in characters like the Crossbell cast, which I felt was SORELY missing from the duology. Like I said I'd be here all day so let me go back and talk about 3rd real quick. 3rd. Ah 3rd. The game that spawned the "fan disc"/"skippable" meme. I love it. The 3rd shifted the focus away from Estelle and Joshua, as their story was finished for now, to someone who I felt I really needed to see more of. Kevin Graham. Now, I played Sky with Japanese voice over mods, and it just enhanced the experience. Kevin and Ries just had such an amazing dynamic, I loved the idea of Phantasma; the 3rd has some symbolism in it that I feel still can matter. And kondo has said Kevin's story is not quite over yet :). Kevin and Ries really had a harrowing past together and I felt like I could relate and connect to them a bit more than Estelle and Joshua. Seeing Kevin's transformation from a Heretic Hunter with a demonic Stigma to a true Dominion, a true holy knight, and when his real Stigma manifested, it was all just one of the coolest moments in any jrpg for me. It was also great because Kevin got to give Weissmann the business a SECOND TIME. He's probably still...salty 😜😜😜. So overall I know this was super long and it cant be long enough so I apologize if some of this isnt explained well, but I think we can all agree on one thing. We all love Kiseki and even the lower games on our list have something to love ❤ looking forward to Kuro with stars in my eyes for sure.
Of the seven games I've played so far, my personal ranking is: 1) Cold Steel 3 2) Sky SC 3) Cold Steel 4 4) Sky 3rd 5) Cold Steel 2 6) Cold Steel 1 7) Sky FC Recently bought Zero and looking forward to finally playing that soon (courtesy of the Geofront patch), heard nothing but great things about the two Crossbell games. Hopefully by the time I have finished the Crossbell arc Hajimari will have been localised too.
Ohh, yet another video from my favourite youtuber that covers the Trail series... that I can't watch cuz I'm a pc player still waiting for the release of Cold steel 4. sigh. Don't mind me, I'm just gonna leave a like, a comment and let the video running muted in the background T-T
You can my man. Just skip over the games you haven't played, that's why I've put a ranking template and chapters for each game so you can easily skip over if you need to.
I feel like I'm in such a minority but CS4 just failed on all levels for me. The story, the characters, the romance, the payoff, just about everything. Only thing I liked really were the side quests being solid, Duvalie joining the team, and the combat per usual. Everything about the story was 100% predictable (except the scene w/ Rufus ofc). The game also retroactively made CS3 worse by eliminating Victor, Toval, Olivier, and Millium's deaths. Not to mention Crow getting two more fakeouts. The game had all the worst aspects of the Cold Steel series (and trails to an extent) amplified to 100. Pointless battles? Check. Pointless "villains"? Check. Death fakeouts? Check. Harem? Check. I just don't see how the team that wrote such good character and story writing present in Sky & Crossbell put together this ending and thought it was satisfactory. That is to say that this is my personal opinion on the game, and isn't meant to be a criticism of your take or anyone else's who really enjoyed the game. I still love the series overall and did enjoy seeing all the characters from the past games come together for the sendoff, but the game/story itself just left too many things to be desired for me to think it was overall a good game.
Well I'm personally a huge fan of CS4(My personal favorite Trails game), but there is a reason the game is divisive. I've seen plenty of criticism as well, and I do think there are a lot of things the game could have done better. I think Trails of Cold Steel 4 is a pretty polarizing game, with some saying it's their favorite while other say it's their least ,so you're not alone in your opinion. Me personally I enjoyed the game a lot, I felt that the positives outweighed the negatives but I can totally understand the criticism. Also you have my respect for wording your opinion in a respectful way. I've seen some heated arguments and opinions on this game haha...
@@k.s854 Thanks for the response. I went into it REALLY hoping it'd be my favorite too, so maybe the sky high expectations didn't help. But yeah, even as a critic I try to be respectful and not tell others they're wrong for enjoying something.
I finished my long long LONG marathon through the trails series the other day (except Hajimari), so, the timing of this video was impeccable to me :P My best to BEST-BEST list is quite similar to yours, except: CS IV 3rd, Sky SC 2nd, Ao 1st. CS IV SPOILERS AHEAD: I was wishing for CS IV to blow my mind when I first started it and take 1st place on my top, but, the Osborne true-intentions reveal put me off quite a lot...it made sense and it wasn't bad, but after that, Osborne didn't felt as oppressive to me anymore. In fact, when I fought him at the end, I didn't felt the same thrill compared as to when you fight him the first time which was a big drawback to me. Harem in CS, didn't mind much, but I hope they find a better way to handle romance in future titles if they keep going for it.
Although Sen 4 had some execution issues it is by far my number 1, followed by Sen 3 Ao is a great game and I get why many people have it as their top, but in my opinion it has a huge plot flaw which I consider to be the worst in the series, and that is *spoilers for Ao* Everything involving Grimwood at the end. I honestly consider Grimwood to be the worst antagonist in the series and his “grand” reveal at the end ruined many story elements for me. He ruined the “mastermind” role by being very irrelevant and lacking in depth, he ruined the mystery of Guy’s death by not being important enough to Guy nor evil enough for it to make sense, he also ruined everything that was built up to that point since he easily gave up at the end just because Lloyd gave him the “good guys speech” despite resorting to MURDER to achieve his goals, and worst of all, he didn’t even die at the end. So yeah, great game, but it will never be at the top for me, but that’s just my opinion.
Grimwood was so irrelevant in the end I totally forgot about him... And you're right in everything you described. Who would you have pictured as the big bad villain of this one ? Arios would have been an incredible choice in my opinion...
It's his irrelevance that makes him good, he's just a normal guy who lost everything that mattered. That emotional state allowed him to be dragged into the plan by Mariabell. Ian is an example of how grief can twist a person who doesn't have the support they need to get through it. It's the impact that adopting Pete and working with the SSS had on him after he killed Guy that started to change him, but he was already committed to the plan. His depth is there it's just left to the player to imagine it, to go from cold blooded murderer to what we see in Zero & Ao suggests a great deal of growth happened behind the scenes. Plus being forced to live with the guilt of what you have done is a far more painful punishment than death.
@@RiriSion since you mentioned Arios, Grimwood’s entire backstory was pretty much a carbon copy of Arios, both lost family members and resorted to evil despite being good. The only difference is, Arios pulled off the traitor role much better since he makes you care about him waaaaay more than Grimwood ever could. As for the true “mastermind”, I think Mariabell would’ve been a perfect fit, especially since she’s the only “true villain” among Ao’s antagonists + she’s very manipulative and cunning.
@@danielfielke3895 many stories try to pull off the “irrelevant character being the villain all along” cliche and I personally never found it appealing, Arios’s betrayal had a much bigger impact on me since I actually cared about him, and during both the Crossbell games it was pretty clear to me that they wanted me to care about Grimwood but failed miserably. You might be right about his character development, but I still think if he was made to be more important to the story everything would’ve been better.
@@maddu8437, Arios is definitely the better character, no question. But then he's supposed to be. Ian isn't a cool character but he did a hell of a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes. How could the Crois' have built all the crazy Geofront gizmos and Orchis tower without someone with Ian's skills? I think his reveal is supposed be a muted "no, not you too" pity moment rather than a big "you traitorous bastard" moment. I got the feeling he felt ashamed of his involvement when it was revealed. He's not the mastermind, he's just their legal 'IT' guy. But I could be completely wrong, just trying to present an alternate perspective. Bad writing can become good if you look at it from the right angle.
I just finished CSIV and it was a great experience, my only complaint about the true end is the divine knights don't do the final blow, sure they're out of mana but would be nicer if the whole casts fighting the big bad just to stall it long enough for the Valimar and Ordine to recharge just for a finishing blow. Also the true end boss isn't split to enough parts for the whole casts, they should maybe make it 5 parts instead of 3 just so you could use more characters.
I think thematically it makes sense that the Divine Knights have no power at that point, as it's literally been taken out of them to fuse in to the incomplete Great One. So it's not like their energy is depleted, it's more that their energy no longer exists, and they're working off residue. Despite loving the Knights, I actually prefer that it's the characters who deal the final blow. The Knights did their work in the Rivalry, it's on humanity to finish it off.
@@TheKisekiNut I'm still sad there's no one final attack as a send off for the series since there's no more divine knights after this. Kinda like how all Persona games since 3 have with the final bosses, one exclusive final move that you can't do elsewhere.
So far, I would rank in terms of gameplay enjoymeny for me: #10. Trails of Cold Steel #09. Trails in the Sky #08. Trails of Cold Steel II #07. Trails in the Sky SC #06. Trails of Cold Steel III #05. Trails to Zero #04. Trails of Cold Steel IV #03. Trails in the Sky 3rd #02. Trails to Azure #01. Hajimari no Kiseki
Love the game, but it got docked points because it didn't draw me in at first. I played Cold Steel 1 at the start of 2018, I bought Sky FC at the end of 2014.
Cold Steel 1+2 really sucker punched me. I had never even heard of Kiseki before buying 1 on a steam sale whim. I bought 2 within minutes of finishing 1.
Enjoying all the comments! Great to read thru so many different views in a civilised manner. Spoilers.......ahead...... I played everything except Hajimari and I mostly agree with your list. Though I would rank CS2 slightly higher due to Crow. For me, Sky 3 was the best of the Sky arc, for the story reveals and unique setting. Although of course the series cannot be looked upon and rated singularily from game to game but in its entirety. As for CS arc, CS4 is my fav due to the fact that Crow & Oliviert came back. My absolute fav is Ao, as the story in this arc was so dark and the protags so likeable. I also liked the gameplay and difficulty progression. Gameplay-wise CS4 is pretty much the best overall, given it is the newest addition (except Hajimari, as stated before...can't judge it yet 😖). The way all story ties come together in CS4 is phenomenal. As for the argument that for CS1 the grp was too big, I can't really understand this. In Suikoden II, we had 108 chars and as for me, I liked everyone and loved the fact of customization options for your party. 😉
I'm partial to cold steel 4. I've only watched the sky games and havent played the crossbell ones so hopefully I'll be able to eventually. I'll admit though after cold steel 3 and 4 going through 1 and 2 is really difficult for me. They aren't bad games but I dont know 3 and 4 are just.....better to me. Class 7's overreliance on rean in 1 and 2 especially make the class seem like they cant stand on their own without rean. It's like by the time cold steel 3 comes around the class is FINALLY doing their own thing and yeah they still rely on rean a lot but more as a comrade instead of a messiah I guess
In my opinion FC deserved higher rank. Maybe above Trails of Cold S II. Has got solid history without big flying cities or mecha and i think Alan Richard is really good, underestimated antagonist character (not villain).
I had to dock FC points on my personal list because of those first 10 hours. I love the game, but I played CS1 at the start of 2018 while I've had FC on my computer since the beginning of 2015, it didn't draw me in. It's only because of Cold Steel that I'm a Trails fan in the first place.
Cold Steel 3 is my favorite. I liked that the main cast was a lot smaller than in the previous two games so they get much more room for development. Plus the combat system is at its best in that game. even though the break mechanic is so easily exploitable... It's still fun.
As obvious as it is it's really mesmerizing to see that different people can like Kiseki in such different ways. My personal list of the nine games I've played being : CS 4 < Sky 1 < CS 2 < CS 1 < Sky 2 < Zero < Sky 3 < CS 3 < Ao.
I didn't like the CS that much too.. CS3 is probably the best one. The new class VII is cool. CS4 is fanservice. The end is so cliché... The cold steel series feels like there's too much characters and candies that suffered the story overall. The skies are probably the most well written I will say Ao is my favorite duh overall.
@@cesarpietrocalathaki9539 No Ao is my favorite, it goes from least favorite to most favorite. If I had to redo it now that I've played most of them twice It would probably be (from least favorite to most favorite) : CS 2 < CS 4 < Sky 1 < CS 3 < CS 1 < Sky 2 < Zero < Sky 3 < Ao. But I'm probably the odd one out, I never really grew attached to the new class 7 (except Altina and I could probably write a few hundred pages as to why ...), so I think it played a huge role into why I do not care for CS 4 that much and why I think CS1 actually holds up better than CS3 (yes I know, unpopular opinion).
Can mostly agree with that ranking (didnt play Crossbell for now sadly D:) but if i had to say what did "annoy" me in the CS series was the choice of making Rean a harem protag ._. Also a friend of mine did complain that in CS4 no1 dies, no1 is rly evil and all are alive at the end of it and everything is the fault of the curse which didnt sit well with him. I myself enjoyed Cs4 alot for the nostalgia and the great finale so im hoping Hajimari will do great^^
My order so far. 1) Trails in the Sky SC 2) Trails to Azure 3) Trails of Cold Steel 4 4) Trails of Cold Steel 3 7) Trails of Cold Steel 1 5) Trails from Zero 6) Trails in the Sky FC 7) Trails in the Sky 3rd 8) Trails of Cold Steel 2 Note that 8 doesn't mean I think the game is bad. It means the others are better. I still liked Cold Steel 2 a lot! (But that battle theme, seriously wtf)
I find a lot of shade thrown at Class VII for getting saved by the supporting cast. But the SSS gets reality changed so they can survive and no one bats an eye...ok.
See I honestly didnt mind that aspect of especially 2. Like they weren't ready to face people like mcburn or xeno and leo so them getting saved made sense. Like you said nobody says one word about keA literally breaking reality for Lloyds group. I.....I dont get it
Those shade throwers need to think it over some more, Class VII are amateurs there'd be no room for growth if they were unstoppable badasses right out of the gate. Power of friendship sometimes needs support from awesome veterans.
The payoff for them always getting saved at the end of CS2 was at the end of CS3 when they stayed behind so everyone else could go ahead. That payoff was fucking worth it I don't care what everyone says.
Idk I just found it pretty lame that Joshua, Estelle and Crew get to clap most of the Ouroboros Gang in SC 2 and Class VII get's to tickle them before they fight with the "real heroes"
@@Realag666, class 7 doesn't have experienced individuals like Schera, Agate, Olivier, Joshua, Kevin, Julia, Mueller & Zin backing them up though. Only Estelle, Josette, Tita & Kloe would be considered equivalent to class 7's average experience level.
Yeah I really wanted to play CS1 as i love the look of it. Having read up on the series I decided to pick up all 3 sky game on pc. Finished the Sky FC the other day and straight onto SC. I'm loving the Sky arc so far. I've ordered Trails from zero and will pick up Trails to Azure when it releases and play them all in order.
Are going to make a video about the best openings, 1 to 10 of the game's? p.s. are you going to play persona 4 golden on pc, to see what came before before persona 5. p.p.s. would be cool to see a opening ranking lore wise. keep up the work, you where one of the youtubers that made me buy the trails in the sky game's (still need to play them, but p4g am i playing right now but after that i'll be play in through the sky game's.) keep doing there good and fun video's.
I haven't played hajimari/reverie or CS4 yet and I'm only halfway through CS3 so I skipped those sections and can't say where I would rank them yet, but otherwise I agree with this ranking almost 100%. I put CS1 slightly ahead of Sky FC but only slightly. I also started with CS1 and then afterwards decided I needed to go back and play all of them too.
@@darknesswave100 poor guy gets caught up into too many misunderstandings and they’re always calling him a playboy when I haven’t seen any kind of evidence to show for it, the only thing I feel he’s at fault is being way too over protective of Elise, she’s a grown young woman and he needs to cut her some slack!
Can't see any issues here. They have done a fantastic job of the 1, 2 punch. The first game in the duo sets you up for a bigger and better game to follow. CS4 is the best out of the CS series, the only issue I have is the airship where you have a couple of hours of solid talking if you are paying attention and it takes the wind out of the sails, but after that it has the best set of battles in the series. I struggled so much on those battles as for the previous 3 games you could cheese the game with Fie and then you have 4 battles with characters you never used before and trying to work out how to use them the best. Playing though the Skies triology at the moment, just finished the tournament at the end of Sky, but agree with you about they sow a lot of seeds but the game is quite by the numbers.
I'm thinking about starting to play the Trails franchise, but I don't know where to start, there are too many titles. not to mention the limiting factor of having the PC as my only gaming platform. Which game would you recommend for a newcomer to the franchise?
I noticed for Cold Steel 2 you mentioned you finally got around to a second playthrough -- did you see the "extra" scene that you can only get during the Epilogue on a NG+? It's not a lot.... but it's a great nod back to Trails in the Sky the 3rd and was one more tiny thing about that game that I loved. If you miss it it's not big deal, the same info is revealed through Cold Steel 3 but might seem like it was an off-screen scene when in fact it's not.
Honestly it's weird to me that many people consider Giliath Osborne and the Curse of Erebonia as hit or miss, one of them is the BEST villain to come out in this series as you said and with a nigh-perfect redemption that rivals even Richard's. And the Curse is horrifying in its sheer magnitude and nearly omnipotent power. An eldritch-like being that eats aways at the human consciousness which prompts them to commit acts of malice throughout the empire across millennia, with its bizarre and abominable true form to boot. CSIV had the perfect ending to this magnificent saga, and honestly it'd be impossible for me to decide on either Ao or CSIV for taking the top spot
Ah I so wanted to watch this but must avoid spoilers as I want to play through the games myself. If you have a video or could make a video helping a newcomer get into the whole franchise it would be fun to watch.
Totally, a very hard list due various factors. From my own opinion, I wouldn't be able to put Liberli and Crossbell too high, as a game in overall due... I don't have fun with the gameplay, but that is mostly due in fact, having less options than CS3/CS4/Haji, specially Haji. Admitelly, I would say the visuals also effect my option.
I've got to say, I really feel Trails of Cold Steel 3 mishandled its cast badly. This is more an issue with the game's flow than the characters themselves. The issue is that they kept Rean as the protagonist, and he already has an existing relationship with the old class 7. Every chapter, you do a segment with the new class 7, then they're rescued by part of old class 7, and you're sent on a new portion of play with old class 7, as new class 7 is unceremoniously tossed because they're too weak. Then Rean takes a trip down memory lane with his old pals, which have the advantage of familiarity to the player. It honestly felt like Falcom was forced to make a new class 7 against their will. When I played Cold Steel 4, Rean was entirely absent from part 1, and it felt like new class 7 finally had a chance to shine. They were available at almost all points in the game, while old class 7 was cycled in and out until they became permanent in part 2. I feel I would have liked new class 7 drastically more if Cold Steel 3 took a similar approach.
i just finished cold steel 2 and haven't played 3 yet, but from the small amount of video i've seen of it, i don't much care for the new art style for the characters. i've only seen a brief amount, so the new look could grow on me, but i like the look of the characters in the first 2 games.
Funny how the only 3 Trails game i have completed are in the bottom 3. I’m playing Sky SC now. Just had to finish Liberl and Crossbell arcs to play Cold Steel III in my case
Funny enough I stopped playing cold steel 1 when I got to the Nord highlands saw one of my friends playing cold steel 4 so I reached out to him and said how the 4th game compares he told me do not hope to a different number title play the games through and I promise you you won't be disappointed I did that and my god.... I've never been so hooked on a world in video games like this since I was a kid
>OBJECTION Got a chuckle out of me Funny The first time I tried Sky 3rd, I hated it and after a couple of hours, skipped it and went over to the Crossbell games I really did not like the fact that they made it a dungeon crawler Felt claustrophobic, if that makes any sense Then after going all the way to CS3 by last year, getting smashed by the nasty cliffhanger at the end, I was left wanting more Trails At that point, I went back to Sky 3rd And oh boy what a ride that was once I learned to put up with its weaknesses And now I'm actually excited for Hajimari, which supposedly follows a similar structure I will most likely pick up the upcoming Japanese Switch version if NISA hasn't announced anything about a localization by that time
Hey man, please help me out, I know how passionate you are about Trails and have to ask, is it possible to only play the cold steel games 1-4 and still enjoy what trails has to offer? I know i would enjoy it more if I played the others, but really dont have the time to go back and play all those other games
You can do it, but it's not recommended. You can play cold steel 1 and 2 just fine, but I can't imagine playing cold steel 3 without playing the other games. It would not be nearly as impactful and enjoyable. I'm sure it'd be a good game, but not incredible. So many characters and locations come back in the very first act.
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Spoilers in this video you fine people!
So I’ve been getting a lot of people sporadically asking me what, in my opinion, is the best Trails game. That is a very intriguing question, so I decided to tackle it this week and put out my thoughts. No doubt it will differ massively for other fans, but that’s the beauty of opinion, I welcome you all to share your rankings (in a civil matter of course). Have a good weekend!
I feel some people are excited to crap of some of the games in this series and I don't know why. I find it weird when people phrase questions in that way.
Hello again, I know there is not much information on them yet, but would consider a video on the Garden/the Organisation from hajimari and three and nine. If not, maybe something related to swin and Nadia because of hajimari and potentially kuro
i literally somehow agree with every ranking on this list. i do like joachim being this poor guy who was essentially raised into this cursed cult so he really had no choice but to be apart of it especially with mayor crois, mariabella, and the lawyer using him. so i do feel bad for him that he was truly a slave and didnt realize it. other than that difference this list is perfect. and yes, azure is a true masterpiece of the series thats just so epic in every way. thanks for all the vids
If not for Cold Steel 1 I would also not be a Trails fan...
I actually played them in order I saw a trailer on steam for trails of the sky and I bought it straight away and once I had a taste of this amazing series I bought all the ones I could buy and managed to play the crossbell titles and I finished trails of cold steel 4 just before Christmas now here I am waiting
The opposite for me. I find it very bad. Poor writing, anime school/magic setting, Poor Persona like bonds, uninteresting characters (Rean the typical light Novel MC, the others aren't really better for me for most of them) and a world building really disappointing.. and 4 years later it was clear. Because there is 5 games before.
I try Trails in the Sky and like it, it wasn't incredible but good enough To put me on the Road again.
So Cold Steel 1 was the game which almost stop me haha.
And today it's my least favorite after playing through the whole series.
With cold steel 2 I find those two game really average. I think it's difficult to like it when you have a standard for anime/mangas. I've read a lot of them and CS1/2 dont make a good use of cliché like the others games, still classical but with a better writing.
If we except some points of CS4.. which have the worst and the best of the serie.
Not here to destroy CS1 but to explain my first impression of Trails Series by discovering CS1
That's the opinion of three quarters of the fandom. Along with "Looking back at it, there are lots of flaws", and you know very well what they are.
Same bro, CS1 and CS2 hold a special place in my heart for they were the first games I ever played and what got me into the Trails series in the first place. I admit that both of them have shortcomings and obviously almost every other entry is better in every way, but I still like those games very much, and I was happy to revisit them again after tackling this series in order
the first 2 sky games will always be my favorites. joshua and estelle are such great characters, and i like most of the other characters, besides that whiny little bitch tita. i find millium in cold steel to be a way better and more interesting character than tita, tita just literally made me cringe nonstop.
The ending to Trails in the sky SC so far has hit the hardest for me. I still tear up when I hear that familiar tune...
Ah yes, ToCS 3 a.k.a Trails of some key character always watching Rean and friends from somewhere far hidden behind something. (and Rean slightly notices.)
Well, Sky's protagonists deal with Liberl problems and Zero/AO protagnists deal with Crossbell problems, but Rean's fate spreads over the entire Zermuria. I wouldn't be surprised if he still plays an important role in the Kuro No Kiseki (the first game of the Calvard Arc)
@@Rhovanion85 well there's a pretty good reason he's tied to Zemuria as he's tied to a certain someone who has sown or shown his influence through every arc
Cold steel series will always be my favorite because it was the one that got me hook to the whole series but the revelation in Ao no Kiseki about what actually happen in Zero is the most mindf*ck that I ever experience in video games. The send-off in CSIV left me in tears and most people probably feel the same
I love how you explain everything you love and adore about the games you ranked at the bottom of the list, too, not just the top. Obviously we know you're all about Trails, so even the lower ranks are still favorites, which is something a lot of people can forget about when we discuss rankings. Big surprise to see Zero as your best entry point to the series, but I see where you're coming from! Definitely not a common thing, but I wish we could easily find out what percentage of players actually DID start here. Probably a lot higher in Japan, of course. I was pretty sure we'd line up pretty closely here, given how smoothly our podcast discussions went. (Also I KNEW Rixia would be on your Ao title card lol)
Rixia was ALWAYS going to be somewhere on this list mate! Also I think I may have worded that segment poorly, when I said 'Introductory game', I see it as the best introduction to an arc rather than an entry point. I've always been an advocate of not starting with Zero personally. :)
Difficult question. I love every entry, ive played. But i will always have a stronger connection to the cold steel ark, since i played them first.
Definitely understandable, as I said in this video, it's because of CS1 that I'm a Trails fan.
My personal favorite remains Cold Steel 3. Ao no Kiseki is pretty awsome too!
Good choice! CS3 would of been in my top 3 if it's sequel didn't come out.
I'm currently playing CS3, Chapter 4, Day 2 in Heimdallr. The best thing about CS3 is Le Guin. An absolute boss, and she flaunts it. I hope I get more of her in CS4.
Storywise, I like the Crossbell arc the most. I've always loved the trails series' use of in-universe politics, and the autonomous state really lends itself to that. Zero was all about the state's internal affairs, showing you the corrupt and/or toothless local politics at work, while Azure focused on Crossbell's role and significance on the international stage.
In terms of characters, I still prefer the Liberl crew the most, as slow a start as FC was, it drip fed us characters in a way that we got to know them all one at a time, and none of them ended up sidelined like most of class VII or the SSS, just chilling in the back waiting for their turn. Estelle's also the best protagonist, Lloyd's time is divided between being a good character and being a harem MC, and Rean is essentially Joshua with the serial numbers filed off, handed a mech and made the centerpiece of the story.
On that note, while I generally like the execution in the Crossbell duology more, it's pretty blatant how the villains of Zero and Azure are basically copies of Weissman and Colonel Richard, respectively. I don't think noticing the similarities of the professor and the doctor needs much delving into, but when you break them down, Alan and Dieter are no less similar. Both are well-respected individuals in positions of power, seeking political prominence in their countries and to use the power of a local sept-terrion to make their nation a notable actor on the international stage. Both are also mere pawns of other people's machinations at the end of the day.
Man this would be such a hard list to settle on.
Well done, I am now conpletely caught up I love this series!!
Very difficult indeed!
Finally finished Reverie and now I can watch most of this playlist's video yay
"Worst at being the best to the best"
I'm using this if I ever have children
Do it, don't break their confidence!
Haven't watched the video yet but I'm guessing Ao is gonna be #1
bruh
Wouldn't see why not Ao was seriously an fantastic game
Another banger of a video from TKN! I haven’t played Hajimari yet but our rankings are nearly identical. Sad to see such a mix reception for CS4 and I understand why it’s not many people favorite but man does hit all the right notes for me.
Same here bud! CS4 is a beautiful game!
Sky FC was the first trails game I've played, and I pretty much followed the chronological order through the series. Just finished cold steel 4 a few days ago and the whole game feels like non-stop fan service, if you know what I mean ;) truly a wholesome, fitting end to this epic saga.
Really enjoyed the video! I actually finished CS4 recently(after an year of playing nothing but Trails haha...) but this video still made me feel a bit nostalgic for the series, even though it hasn't been that long. I also don't have any Trails games that I dislike, I really love all of them, but if I have to rank the series: Sky FC
Thanks for watching bud, and glad you're having a solid time with Trails! Agree fully on CS4 too (as you saw).
Your commentary on each one was perfect. Love how you set them apart by criteria, no game should be required to be the best at everything.
I feel like I'm one of the rare non-doomer CS3 > CS4 people by now, but I think a future replay of the localized CS4-version will go a long way in making me like that one more.
Separating them is very difficult for me, so I tried to look at the best strengths and the more pronounced weaknesses of each one (though there aren't many weaknesses for any of them). Glad the commentary resonated with you!
After reading the comments I'm glad that a lot here also considered Ao to be their best trails, for me the ranking goes
Ao > Sky 3rd > Sky SC > CS IV > Zero > Sky FC > CS III > CS II > CS I
I know I'm kinda harsh with CS but Sky FC introduced me into the series and imo it's hard to top that experience
Now why Ao is the best one? Amazing Story ( Ofc just like the others but a little better for me). The characters in the crossbell arc are more well written and well developed throughout the series. And don't forget they have Combi Crafts!
Thank you for the description time stamps. I’m playing the games in chronological order, meaning I haven’t played anything past Zero no Kiseki until Geofront finishes Ao, but I still wanted to see the ranking without spoiling myself.
I'm glad that the stamps were to your benefit, the last thing I want is someone getting spoiled on games they haven't played.
From the way you were describing Cold Steel IV, i truly cannot wait for the PC ports of Cold Steel IV.
I wish I waited a bit b4 I played cold steel 3, the wait for 4 on pc is painful 😫😫
From somebody that's played 4 already I 100% agree with what he said about 4. The wait will be worth it
@@th3hermit208, play through 3 again while you wait, the Gral of Erebos has a completely different feel when you know what's coming.
First time through it pumps you up, second time through is escalating dread.
@@danielfielke3895 while I wait I’m playing every other trails game again and the cold steel ones on nightmare, hopefully a date for pc will be determined by then 😆
I hope you enjoy it! Just know that it a polarising game, my thoughts on it might not echo with you. But I adored it from start to finish.
Hey mate. Great video! I just did my own ranking video and it was very interesting to see rankings from your point of view. I agree that the top three are clear standouts from the others.
Thanks for watching bud, loved the new video you put out as well, it was eye-opening!
Look, I loved every single entry in this series so it's gonna be difficult to determine which is my absol-
Sky SC
Cold Steel 1 and 2
Ao
Sky FC
Cold Steel 3 and 4
Zero
Sky the 3rd
Waiting for Hajimawari to be localized.
I dunno about you, but one of the reasons why I loved Sky FC was "because" it was slow at the start. It felt so chill that I could enjoy it after a hard day at work and it helped destress me just fine. It even made Rolent feel intimate, like an actual lived-in place, and I loved exploring it and talking to all the people there.
Very interesting list. I don't think I would have any of these games at the same spot you gave them, but its great to see what people enjoy differently in each title. Keep up the great work
I see trails in the sky trilogy as one big game. I love it to death. The people of Liberl are just so quirky, funny, and endearing. Soundtrack has that orchestra feel, and diversity that are progressively getting more scarce in modern Falcom sound team (they're still great though). You will not find this much of a lovable people in Crossbell or Erebonia. The sense of liveliness and characteristics of each town really stands out, and you can feel the culture there. I can totally see how Estelle and Joshua growing up to be bracers while they're living in Rolent. The sense of immersion is something that I wasn't able to experience in any western RPGs. A lot of people just don't realize Falcom CEO's heavy involvement in the Liberl arc made such a huge difference in a sense of how lived in Liberl feels (I'm not saying CEO Kondo wasn't involved in future project). Crossbell has more intricate and higher quality storyline, but I was never able to feel real connection with the people there. Team chemistry was better in Crossbell arc, but in terms of immersion, Liberl arc is unbeatable. I think I feel this kind of immersion more in Ys series now that CEO Kondo is more involved in Ys series. I think I'm just generally a huge fan of CEO Kondo's project.
In a way, Cold Steel 3 was my first. In a way. My friend had been recommending the series for a while, and I finally bit the bait when a demo of CS3 dropped on switch. I liked the combat, the events seemed captivating, but what REALLY sold it for me was the fact that I had no goddamn clue who all those people (the original Class VII) were, and yet somehow that short section in the prologue managed to make me excited for their reunion. At that point, I knew I had something special on my hands, and I went right back to CS1.
Now THAT is a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing this. I've often wondered how those scenes so common to the Trails series would hit for someone coming into the experience at a late point. You're right - this is truly special, and Falcom has succeeded at conveying that at any point in the story. So awesome.
I recommend playing trails in the sky and the crosbell games too.
@@mariosmatzoros3553 Oh I did, or at least I'm on my way. Midway through Sky the third at the moment.
I really enjoyed this. Great job, man. Hajimari is higher up the list for me, but Azure easily makes my top 3 with Sen IV and Hajimari.
Thanks for watching bud! Yeah I remember you said Hajimari was one of your favourites, I guess it just didn't hit me the same as many others. I'll have to play it again when it gets that English release and see if my opinion shifts at all.
my first ever Legend of Heroes game was A Tear of Vermillion than I played the other 2 games and because of that I got into Trails in the Sky, after that the rest is history xD
my favorite cast of characters are the SSS but I dont have a favorite game I love them all.
Me too. A Tear of Vermilion was my first introduction to the Legend of Heroes series. The title was just "Legend of Heroes". Played the other two games in the trilogy. When I heard of Trails in the Sky FC in PSP from the same guy who introduced me to A Tear of Vermilion, I played and got hooked ever since.
Does tear of vermillion tie in with the other legend of heroes games
@@DCASPER923 only with the other 2 games in the trilogy, so the first one is - Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch, then A Tear of Vermillion and the last one is Song of the ocean. all part of the LoH
Gagharv trilogy.
@@Dor_Z ok thank you because I’ve only played tear of vermillion and cold steel 1,2,3 and 4. I’m trying to play the others as we speak just haven’t found a way to play trails of azure and etc in English
@@DCASPER923 there is a PC translation for Azure but its BAD but the Geofront Team are working on their own so best wait for that one
Crazy thing and I know a lot of people played cold steel 1 as there first game, my first was actually trails in the sky fc and I fell in love almost instantly idk maybe because i love to read you know
My ranking below. I would definitely say that strong characters are the most important part of the series for me which probably does a reasonable job of explaining my order?
Sky SC > Azure > Sky The 3rd > CS3 > Zero > CS4/Sky FC > CS1 > CS2.
Having a really hard time separating Sky FC and CS4 because I finished CS4 somewhat recently and also the games are just very different in terms of style and what I enjoy about them. Also haven't played Hajimari which is why it's not here.
Sky 3rd evo (or with the voice patch on pc) is one of the greatest treats on gaming, after beating the first two titles.
It is both a fan service story and character wise, that I couldn't wish I had another way.
Ao is definitely my favorite Trails game, it just has so many crazy and heartbreaking moments, and my favorite ending in any of the arcs (this includes Sky’s ending and CS4’s ending)
The game also has best girl Rixia soooooo 😤😤👌👌👌
I'm in chapter 4/Heimdallr in CS3 first playthrough. I've played all the previous titles. All that to say, Principal Le Guin is freaking awesome. Says whatever she wants and massively overpowered. I hope I get more of her in CS4. Anyways, of all the games I've played, Sky SC and Ao No Kiseki are tie for the best in the series. I'm pretty sure CS4 will hijack those spots.
As someone just recently dive into Trails series with CS1 to CS3 and watching the previous and newest games story on YT, getting to this series was something :)
Now just waiting CS 4 and Hajimari to play and experience it again hands on XD
Fantastic video, As a Trails fan myself It brings me nothing but Joy see Trails content being put out your love for the series is shown throughout your videos please keep up the great work. But I have to disagree on one little thing this is just my opinion but Old Class 7 is Better than New Class 7
I do agree that New Class VII is better than Old Class VII, but as "A class"
Old Class VII is better individually, which is more notable during CS3/4 now that are older and with their own new experience.
Thanks for the kind words bud! If content gets the Series more love, then I'll keep spreading it. Naturally I'll do so for my own personal enjoyment as well.
I respect that opinion as well, I know a lot of people will disagree with me on various aspects but that's the beauty of this Series, we can discuss it till we're old and we still won't touch on everything.
Ao is still my best game by far. I love the story, the relationship of charater (Love KeA and Lloyd) and the ending (is so fking good)
Ending = mindblown
Some spoilers ahead...
Great video as always. I've skipped Hajimari and Ao no kiseki parts because I have not played. I've finished Zero no Kiseki yesterday and Joachim is probably the most sick villain in the series. I mean beating Weissmann in that aspect is not easy.
Cold of steel IV is probably my favourite, one of my favourite scenes was Rean achieving the divine blade level. It shows how much he develops through the games.
I will try to start Ao no kiseki this weekend.
Still no news for a localization of hajimari?
Agreed, Joachim is a detestable character, but that just shows how well written he is.
No news on Hajimari yet, but you can be sure I'll put a video out when it happens (and it's a case of 'when', not 'if' in my opinion).
Joachim have a "dramatic" moment at the end, Weissman doesn't have any.
Your order is very similar to myself and for similar reasons too. Great job man. For me its sky sc that takes the crown followed very closely by azure. What a great series. bring on the rest. keep up the cool content man.
Love your list and even though our rankings are different, I think you and I have very similar criticisms (and lack thereof) of the various titles. I haven't played CSIV or Hajimari, but my ranking excluding those titles is:
8. CSI - you said it all; still a fantastic game, and was not my entry point like so many others.
7. CSII - you again said it all.
6. Sky3 - This is hard for me because I think this game is SO good and has some insane moments through the doors. Also arguably the best gameplay in the entire series honestly, but I was bugged by the dungeon crawler format. Even though the game won me over (I was REALLY miffed at first); it still always rang true to me that this series is the absolute gold-standard of world building. So when you take that world away from me I'm less-than-a-happy camper. I actually hated Kevin in Sky 2. This game corrected me right quick on my assessment.
5. CIII - So solid, but what I've learned about myself is that I really prefer smaller, more intimate main cast. This game again has some fantastic moments, but it just feels spread so thin to me, and it's really hard to give everyone the spotlight they deserve.
4. Ao - This game is so damn good, and the tension during the Orchis Tower conference was a masterclass in good story telling. I'm less of a sucker for mind-f*cks though, so I guess a lot of the stuff deeper in didn't land as home for me. I like the world-building, character building, and political intrigue more than just pure "big". Still a damn.good.entry.
3. Sky 2 - This game is by far my favorite "climax" game. Some huge moments and emotional ones. Estelle and Joshua's reunion was another masterclass - this time in dialogue.
2. Zero - I actually think this might be the best game in the entire series. Even though it's the fourth chronologically - and masterfully works with its source material, it stands curiously well on its own. The cast is intimate, and utterly top-notch. And while the other games have their infamous cliff-hangers, this title has its own resolution. It really is the full package, and I think if I had to try to win a skeptic with one of the three titles, this would be the one I recommend. This game blew me away.
1. Sky 1 - I don't think I'll ever run into a trails fan who puts this game at the tippy-top of the list like I do. My opinion here is probably drenched in bias. This was *my* entry point. But I don't think that's it. Most people hate the slow burn, but I live for the slow burn. I absolutely love it. I bought the game whimsically back in 2014, and I had no idea what to expect. But unlike so many others, the game hooked me immediately. The characters, the music, the gameplay, it all felt nostalgic to me, even when I was experiencing it for the first time. This game is the foundation of everything we love about this series. Strong extremely well-written and developed characters. Who get to freely play off of each other without any interruption of optional dialogue systems (I'm not a fan). I know I'm a weirdo, but I was never a skeptic, I could feel the quality in the game's writing immediately, and I never lost my trust that it was leading me somewhere worth while. And above all the other titles, this one really feels like a journey. Because that's exactly what it is. There's no looping and circling the same places over and over (which is still fine, love the series) but this one really sends you on the full tour of the kingdom. Sky 1 made me fall in love with RPGs again, and moreover this series. For me it, it keeps its place! Nothing else in the entire series hit me like that ending.
Always love hearing your opinion Kiseki Nut. Totally a wonderful and very understandable analysis of all 10 titles. You hit a lot of the fine points I enjoy about each game in the series, citing them as yours as well. Also a big fan of how you started this too saying, "This isn't ranked worst to best, it's less best to most best." Pretty much did the same for the character tier list I did after beating CS4. Their is so much to love about these games and they do so many things better then many other RPGs out there. This series is my personal benchmark for RPG standards and I am excited to hear what you think of the future titles that are coming when we get them!
Glad you enjoyed it mate! And yes, it truly is a Series like no other, and I had to say that because I don't want people getting the impression that I hate some of the games, which couldn't be further from the truth. We've got another great year ahead of us as Trails fans I'm sure!
@@TheKisekiNut still have trouble believing we got another X amount of years left of this. Kondo and friends are crazy people to undertake this kind of journey! Here is hoping the East half is as amazing as the West half is!
Great list. Sky SC and CS IV are my top two - My highest rankings go by how emotional the game got me, along with how satisfying the ending was. That's why I put CS II pretty high for me personally.
As usual another great Trails game by you, my friend. Unfortunately I was only able to watch 80% of it because I haven’t finished Cold Steel 4 and I haven’t started the one after CS4 Hajimari no Kiseki I think it’s called. I HOPE they eventually localize the Crossbell games and put Trails in the Sky 3rd on console because I don’t play PC games unfortunately. Btw, Happy New Year, brother. Looking forward to another good year of you educating me on the Trails series lol. Stay being awesome, brother.
Glad you enjoyed it mate, have a great New Year! Here's hoping it's a bit better than the last one.
The best summary for Cold Steel 1 I've ever heard is exactly what you said. That it shot it self in the foot several times with making the class too big and unable to see all bonding events on a first playthrough.
As for CS2: contradicting the third faction thing they pushed by helping out the Imperial army because of the Noble Alliance hurting the general populace.
FUCKING THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT!!!
Class VII's goal as a third faction was always helping out classmates whether it'd be friends or family and mainly keeping the war's effects on the general population to a minimum hence the bracer tasks they kept doing. Their goal was never to defeat the Noble Alliance like the Imperial Army's was.
I literally closed my eyes during the Cold Steel 4 part because I'm still waiting for the localized PC Version and now I'm all the more excited to play it!!!
Skipped over the Hajimari and CS4 parts as im currently playing CS4 (as i dont have a PS4) but i have to agree with basically everything you said honestly. I do personally rank Sky FC above CS2 still because i honestly dont mind a game being chill, slow and longwinded - probably because i also didnt really expect anything insane from it as it was the game that introduced me to Trails about 2 years ago, so going in with the perspective that this is probably just a chill adventure across a region with two lovable protags helped me not get impatient with it - but the climactic moments both story and characterwise in the later games that profit BIG off of the long introduction are just even better.
One aspect of Azure especially that cements it VERY firmly into my personal Top5 games of all time (possibly a little higher, maybe Top3 even with geofront QOL improvements etc) aside from its already incredible other aspects (i do firmly believe that it has the best orbmentsystem and in general probably mechanically my favourite so far) is also the OST. Azure has one of only 3 or 4 OSTs where i can genuinly just put a playlist of the entire game on random and let it play through my entire workday without a single one of the tracks being one i want to skip because the entire OST as a whole is just THAT incredible.
Saw Azure being at the top from a mile away, but that reveal with KeA changing fate was lightning in a bottle, going to be hard to top that.
I have to say that I enjoyed the SC the most followed by AO and next cold steel 3. SC was very well written. I'm in the middle of cold steel 4 atm. Also, I know that there are a lot of Estelle haters, but I enjoyed her journey through liberl.
A lot of Estelle haters? That's news to me - she's one of the best!
I've not really seen any Estelle haters and I personally find her to be my favorite character in the entire series and I've played them all.
SO, we all agree that with the right quartz combination Laura is the most broken character in the series right?
I broke her so much that by the end of CS4 in Nightmare on 1st run, she was stronger than her father. XD
For me is cs2>cs4>hajimari>cs3>sc>ao>cs>3rd>zero>fc I enjoy cs2 the most finding the classmates you spend so much time in cs and the I remember you song hit hard, all are a really good games but I have a problem with the crossbell arc being a small cast I don't know why they didn't develop further ellie I find her the less develop character in the cast, also have a problem with the villains in both games, ao bonding event are the worst decision in the arc the character past of rixia wazy are in this bonding event you don't know what are you gonna get unless you keep a record of the points to get them. Zero for me was save for being my least favorite game for the renne arc
Excellent analysis; thank you for the top-shelf content. CS4 is the most mixed experience for me. The first 45 or so hours, before rescuing Rean, were unbelievably slow, wandering, and almost pointless feeling. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it, but I stopped playing the game numerous times during that period. Once I hit my stride in the back 2/3rds of the game, though (and also once I dropped it to Very Easy because the immensity of battles felt like a chore; I'm pretty sure this cut over 20 hours off of the total play time), the story hit quite a stride for me.
No game in the series, or really any series I've played, has succeeded at achieving the functional scale of this game. We have upwards of 100 (certainly more if you include non-playables/the entire Thors network) very capable characters, and the task set before them pushed them all to their utmost. The planning and execution of the strategies they put into motion was incredible. Their will to overcome, and the power of their bonds (which went in this game more than any other from a nice sentiment to a deeply resonant Truth), was so profoundly on display, it was awe inspiring. These games prove that, when we unite, we are unstoppable.
It's hard for me to overstate this point, as CS4 is the only game where I genuinely felt this. I think the whole CS arc, more than any of the other arcs, was about everyone, not just the protagonists (which is one reason I think someone like Rean, a ridiculously capable catalyst and binder of people with a quality-of-self complex, not a spotlight-seeker, was the perfect fit). And Falcom freaking succeeded at conveying that on a gut level. My respect knows no bounds.
I was luckily able to get both CB games patched with geofront before the site took them down and I'm really trying to get back into Zero now. On the old direct translation I go roughly to the auction before giving up, it wasn't a completely illegible translation it just wasn't great. Then, before CS3, I watched the entirety of Lady Virgilia's recap series which, essentially spoiled the entirety of crossbell for me. So as you mention what a great reveal Weissman was in sky fc, I remember how that felt. All I had heard was there was a big cliffhanger, but I went in completely unspoiled and that was what made me invest 100% into this series. I had played both cs1 and 2 at that point but the end of sky fc hooked me for life. Now I'm trying to get thru Crossbell and while I hardly remember most of the finer points, the biggest things about it have already been spoiled. I know who the villains are, I know the ultimate fate of the city, etc, but there was no way to avoid that having played the later CS games. I know I'll enjoy the geofront translated cb games it just sucks those big narrative moments won't pack the punch that they could have.
Playing sky 3rd, I thought the cast/roster was big, but now halfway through CS4, my concepts changed. Damn, it's so refreshing and overwhelming at the same time.
Yeah I was sad when you meet everyone and then they are all like whelp ok I’m off to do my own thing, I’ll see you in the finale
Personally the Saddest moment for Me is the Death of pater mater forcing Renne to rely on her new family
I began this video knowing your number 1 spot. Your not all that secretive about your love for ao no kiseki. However I can't honestly argue with any of your points in between. And I was hard pressed to come up with a rebuttle. In the end, I have to agree with the whole list. But my personal favorite is cold steel 4 instead of ao no. But their pretty much same ranking so yeah. Thanks for the vid!
Yeah, any frequent viewer would know exactly what the number 1 would be, but I have no qualms in putting it there. It will take something special to top Ao!
For me, my #1 is trails in the sky SC. Im also surprised to see cold steel 4 so high when a lot of ppl ive talked to said it was their least favorite. im currently playing through CS4 and enjoy it so far.
if someone love avenger end game, then they will love cold steel 4. perfect end of an arc
A lot of well I don’t want to say toxic fans because they aren’t really, simply just dislike cold steel in general and go after 4 because they believe that it is a compilation of all that’s wrong with the cold steel arc and will post multiple rants about it.
2:08 this is gonna be my new catchphrase
Nice ranking. I have only completed the Sky titles so far and just finished Cold Steel III last weekend. Next week with the Steam release I will finally go for Cold Steel IV \o/
Ranking so far...
1. Sky SC
2. Cold Steel III
3. Cold Steel II
4. Sky
5. Cold Steel
6. Sky 3rd
(I think they are all great so far but Sky SC is my most favorite and Sky 3rd my least favorite)
Unfortunately the others I haven't played and hope for an official western release...
If I had to rank my list, it would probably be fairly similar but with some moved around. For me, it's probably this:
10. Sky FC
9. Ao
8. Zero
7. CS2
6. CS1
5. Sky SC
4. CS3
3. CS4
2. Sky the 3rd
1. Hajimari.
This is a REALLY HARD list for me to make especially with most of the games. Personally the Crossbell duology just did not hit me like Liberl and Erebonia did. I'd be here all day if I explained why I put each game where it is, so I'll just sum it up. My top 3 are CS4, Sky 3rd and Hajimari because of what they do. CS4 I thought was such an amazing end to the Erebonia arc, while giving a few chars from Liberl and Crossbell some closure in scenes and side quests. I also have played the series sort of backwards. Finished the entire Erebonia arc, played Sky, then finally Crossbell due to my limited knowledge and accessibility to the series throughout my journey through it. CS4 brought more emotion to me in the replay after I played Sky. And furthermore replaying again once I get the localized release will be even better! Because of how it wraps it all up in a nice ribbon, its retroactively able to be more enjoyable. This is why Hajimari is my #1 as well. It is a TRUE and full culmination of EVERYTHING up to this point, and really became one of my favorite games of all time. The True Reverie Corridor was also the most fun I've had in any turn based jrpg other than persona 5! Hajimari made me cry more than any other game in the series as well, and showed a lot of vulnerability in characters like the Crossbell cast, which I felt was SORELY missing from the duology. Like I said I'd be here all day so let me go back and talk about 3rd real quick.
3rd. Ah 3rd. The game that spawned the "fan disc"/"skippable" meme. I love it. The 3rd shifted the focus away from Estelle and Joshua, as their story was finished for now, to someone who I felt I really needed to see more of. Kevin Graham. Now, I played Sky with Japanese voice over mods, and it just enhanced the experience. Kevin and Ries just had such an amazing dynamic, I loved the idea of Phantasma; the 3rd has some symbolism in it that I feel still can matter. And kondo has said Kevin's story is not quite over yet :). Kevin and Ries really had a harrowing past together and I felt like I could relate and connect to them a bit more than Estelle and Joshua. Seeing Kevin's transformation from a Heretic Hunter with a demonic Stigma to a true Dominion, a true holy knight, and when his real Stigma manifested, it was all just one of the coolest moments in any jrpg for me. It was also great because Kevin got to give Weissmann the business a SECOND TIME. He's probably still...salty 😜😜😜. So overall I know this was super long and it cant be long enough so I apologize if some of this isnt explained well, but I think we can all agree on one thing. We all love Kiseki and even the lower games on our list have something to love ❤ looking forward to Kuro with stars in my eyes for sure.
Of the seven games I've played so far, my personal ranking is:
1) Cold Steel 3
2) Sky SC
3) Cold Steel 4
4) Sky 3rd
5) Cold Steel 2
6) Cold Steel 1
7) Sky FC
Recently bought Zero and looking forward to finally playing that soon (courtesy of the Geofront patch), heard nothing but great things about the two Crossbell games. Hopefully by the time I have finished the Crossbell arc Hajimari will have been localised too.
Ohh, yet another video from my favourite youtuber that covers the Trail series... that I can't watch cuz I'm a pc player still waiting for the release of Cold steel 4. sigh. Don't mind me, I'm just gonna leave a like, a comment and let the video running muted in the background
T-T
You can my man. Just skip over the games you haven't played, that's why I've put a ranking template and chapters for each game so you can easily skip over if you need to.
Damn a big hitter this early in the year? Looks like 2021 will be pretty good
ahhhh Good Job, glad you didnt let The graphics decide your number one!
Hell no, while graphics are a factor in my enjoyment, they're significantly lower than the likes of story, characters or world-building.
I feel like I'm in such a minority but CS4 just failed on all levels for me. The story, the characters, the romance, the payoff, just about everything. Only thing I liked really were the side quests being solid, Duvalie joining the team, and the combat per usual. Everything about the story was 100% predictable (except the scene w/ Rufus ofc). The game also retroactively made CS3 worse by eliminating Victor, Toval, Olivier, and Millium's deaths. Not to mention Crow getting two more fakeouts. The game had all the worst aspects of the Cold Steel series (and trails to an extent) amplified to 100. Pointless battles? Check. Pointless "villains"? Check. Death fakeouts? Check. Harem? Check. I just don't see how the team that wrote such good character and story writing present in Sky & Crossbell put together this ending and thought it was satisfactory.
That is to say that this is my personal opinion on the game, and isn't meant to be a criticism of your take or anyone else's who really enjoyed the game. I still love the series overall and did enjoy seeing all the characters from the past games come together for the sendoff, but the game/story itself just left too many things to be desired for me to think it was overall a good game.
Well I'm personally a huge fan of CS4(My personal favorite Trails game), but there is a reason the game is divisive. I've seen plenty of criticism as well, and I do think there are a lot of things the game could have done better. I think Trails of Cold Steel 4 is a pretty polarizing game, with some saying it's their favorite while other say it's their least ,so you're not alone in your opinion. Me personally I enjoyed the game a lot, I felt that the positives outweighed the negatives but I can totally understand the criticism. Also you have my respect for wording your opinion in a respectful way. I've seen some heated arguments and opinions on this game haha...
@@k.s854 Thanks for the response. I went into it REALLY hoping it'd be my favorite too, so maybe the sky high expectations didn't help. But yeah, even as a critic I try to be respectful and not tell others they're wrong for enjoying something.
Giliath Osborne is Paul Von Oberstein even the hair lmao
Ah a man of culture I see........ Overstein was done way better though, but I agree.
I finished my long long LONG marathon through the trails series the other day (except Hajimari), so, the timing of this video was impeccable to me :P
My best to BEST-BEST list is quite similar to yours, except: CS IV 3rd, Sky SC 2nd, Ao 1st.
CS IV SPOILERS AHEAD:
I was wishing for CS IV to blow my mind when I first started it and take 1st place on my top, but, the Osborne true-intentions reveal put me off quite a lot...it made sense and it wasn't bad, but after that, Osborne didn't felt as oppressive to me anymore. In fact, when I fought him at the end, I didn't felt the same thrill compared as to when you fight him the first time which was a big drawback to me.
Harem in CS, didn't mind much, but I hope they find a better way to handle romance in future titles if they keep going for it.
It's a truly special series, well worth binging!
can't wait for joey and Garnt to review these series..... I think The animezone will love this series.
Although Sen 4 had some execution issues it is by far my number 1, followed by Sen 3
Ao is a great game and I get why many people have it as their top, but in my opinion it has a huge plot flaw which I consider to be the worst in the series, and that is *spoilers for Ao*
Everything involving Grimwood at the end. I honestly consider Grimwood to be the worst antagonist in the series and his “grand” reveal at the end ruined many story elements for me.
He ruined the “mastermind” role by being very irrelevant and lacking in depth, he ruined the mystery of Guy’s death by not being important enough to Guy nor evil enough for it to make sense, he also ruined everything that was built up to that point since he easily gave up at the end just because Lloyd gave him the “good guys speech” despite resorting to MURDER to achieve his goals, and worst of all, he didn’t even die at the end.
So yeah, great game, but it will never be at the top for me, but that’s just my opinion.
Grimwood was so irrelevant in the end I totally forgot about him... And you're right in everything you described. Who would you have pictured as the big bad villain of this one ? Arios would have been an incredible choice in my opinion...
It's his irrelevance that makes him good, he's just a normal guy who lost everything that mattered. That emotional state allowed him to be dragged into the plan by Mariabell. Ian is an example of how grief can twist a person who doesn't have the support they need to get through it.
It's the impact that adopting Pete and working with the SSS had on him after he killed Guy that started to change him, but he was already committed to the plan.
His depth is there it's just left to the player to imagine it, to go from cold blooded murderer to what we see in Zero & Ao suggests a great deal of growth happened behind the scenes. Plus being forced to live with the guilt of what you have done is a far more painful punishment than death.
@@RiriSion since you mentioned Arios, Grimwood’s entire backstory was pretty much a carbon copy of Arios, both lost family members and resorted to evil despite being good. The only difference is, Arios pulled off the traitor role much better since he makes you care about him waaaaay more than Grimwood ever could.
As for the true “mastermind”, I think Mariabell would’ve been a perfect fit, especially since she’s the only “true villain” among Ao’s antagonists + she’s very manipulative and cunning.
@@danielfielke3895 many stories try to pull off the “irrelevant character being the villain all along” cliche and I personally never found it appealing, Arios’s betrayal had a much bigger impact on me since I actually cared about him, and during both the Crossbell games it was pretty clear to me that they wanted me to care about Grimwood but failed miserably.
You might be right about his character development, but I still think if he was made to be more important to the story everything would’ve been better.
@@maddu8437, Arios is definitely the better character, no question. But then he's supposed to be.
Ian isn't a cool character but he did a hell of a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes. How could the Crois' have built all the crazy Geofront gizmos and Orchis tower without someone with Ian's skills?
I think his reveal is supposed be a muted "no, not you too" pity moment rather than a big "you traitorous bastard" moment.
I got the feeling he felt ashamed of his involvement when it was revealed.
He's not the mastermind, he's just their legal 'IT' guy.
But I could be completely wrong, just trying to present an alternate perspective. Bad writing can become good if you look at it from the right angle.
I am about half way through Cold Steel IV so out of what I've completed, Cold Steel III is my favorite.
I just finished CSIV and it was a great experience, my only complaint about the true end is the divine knights don't do the final blow, sure they're out of mana but would be nicer if the whole casts fighting the big bad just to stall it long enough for the Valimar and Ordine to recharge just for a finishing blow.
Also the true end boss isn't split to enough parts for the whole casts, they should maybe make it 5 parts instead of 3 just so you could use more characters.
I think thematically it makes sense that the Divine Knights have no power at that point, as it's literally been taken out of them to fuse in to the incomplete Great One. So it's not like their energy is depleted, it's more that their energy no longer exists, and they're working off residue. Despite loving the Knights, I actually prefer that it's the characters who deal the final blow. The Knights did their work in the Rivalry, it's on humanity to finish it off.
@@TheKisekiNut I'm still sad there's no one final attack as a send off for the series since there's no more divine knights after this.
Kinda like how all Persona games since 3 have with the final bosses, one exclusive final move that you can't do elsewhere.
So far, I would rank in terms of gameplay enjoymeny for me:
#10. Trails of Cold Steel
#09. Trails in the Sky
#08. Trails of Cold Steel II
#07. Trails in the Sky SC
#06. Trails of Cold Steel III
#05. Trails to Zero
#04. Trails of Cold Steel IV
#03. Trails in the Sky 3rd
#02. Trails to Azure
#01. Hajimari no Kiseki
Sky FC: 9th place!
.... Who hurt you? =/
Love the game, but it got docked points because it didn't draw me in at first. I played Cold Steel 1 at the start of 2018, I bought Sky FC at the end of 2014.
Cold Steel 1+2 really sucker punched me. I had never even heard of Kiseki before buying 1 on a steam sale whim. I bought 2 within minutes of finishing 1.
You never go back when you get hooked in!
Enjoying all the comments! Great to read thru so many different views in a civilised manner.
Spoilers.......ahead......
I played everything except Hajimari and I mostly agree with your list.
Though I would rank CS2 slightly higher due to Crow.
For me, Sky 3 was the best of the Sky arc, for the story reveals and unique setting. Although of course the series cannot be looked upon and rated singularily from game to game but in its entirety.
As for CS arc, CS4 is my fav due to the fact that Crow & Oliviert came back.
My absolute fav is Ao, as the story in this arc was so dark and the protags so likeable. I also liked the gameplay and difficulty progression.
Gameplay-wise CS4 is pretty much the best overall, given it is the newest addition (except Hajimari, as stated before...can't judge it yet 😖).
The way all story ties come together in CS4 is phenomenal.
As for the argument that for CS1 the grp was too big, I can't really understand this. In Suikoden II, we had 108 chars and as for me, I liked everyone and loved the fact of customization options for your party. 😉
I'm partial to cold steel 4. I've only watched the sky games and havent played the crossbell ones so hopefully I'll be able to eventually. I'll admit though after cold steel 3 and 4 going through 1 and 2 is really difficult for me. They aren't bad games but I dont know 3 and 4 are just.....better to me. Class 7's overreliance on rean in 1 and 2 especially make the class seem like they cant stand on their own without rean. It's like by the time cold steel 3 comes around the class is FINALLY doing their own thing and yeah they still rely on rean a lot but more as a comrade instead of a messiah I guess
In my opinion FC deserved higher rank. Maybe above Trails of Cold S II. Has got solid history without big flying cities or mecha and i think Alan Richard is really good, underestimated antagonist character (not villain).
I had to dock FC points on my personal list because of those first 10 hours. I love the game, but I played CS1 at the start of 2018 while I've had FC on my computer since the beginning of 2015, it didn't draw me in. It's only because of Cold Steel that I'm a Trails fan in the first place.
Starting CS4 now. Well, I'm coming back to it after I played 8 hours of it. Here's to another 85 hour journey 🍻
Looking Forward to watch this Video after I Played Cold Steel 4! Currently on Chapter 4 in Cold Steel 3.
Enjoy the rest of the arc!
Cold Steel 3 is my favorite. I liked that the main cast was a lot smaller than in the previous two games so they get much more room for development. Plus the combat system is at its best in that game. even though the break mechanic is so easily exploitable... It's still fun.
As obvious as it is it's really mesmerizing to see that different people can like Kiseki in such different ways.
My personal list of the nine games I've played being :
CS 4 < Sky 1 < CS 2 < CS 1 < Sky 2 < Zero < Sky 3 < CS 3 < Ao.
It really is, there's just a bunch of differing opinions, and if we can discuss them respectfully then I don't see an issue having content like this.
I didn't like the CS that much too.. CS3 is probably the best one. The new class VII is cool. CS4 is fanservice. The end is so cliché... The cold steel series feels like there's too much characters and candies that suffered the story overall. The skies are probably the most well written I will say Ao is my favorite duh overall.
Ao is the worst for you?
@@cesarpietrocalathaki9539 No Ao is my favorite, it goes from least favorite to most favorite.
If I had to redo it now that I've played most of them twice It would probably be (from least favorite to most favorite) :
CS 2 < CS 4 < Sky 1 < CS 3 < CS 1 < Sky 2 < Zero < Sky 3 < Ao.
But I'm probably the odd one out, I never really grew attached to the new class 7 (except Altina and I could probably write a few hundred pages as to why ...), so I think it played a huge role into why I do not care for CS 4 that much and why I think CS1 actually holds up better than CS3 (yes I know, unpopular opinion).
@@benn1720 We have similar tastes :p
Cs1
Can mostly agree with that ranking (didnt play Crossbell for now sadly D:) but if i had to say what did "annoy" me in the CS series was the choice of making Rean a harem protag ._.
Also a friend of mine did complain that in CS4 no1 dies, no1 is rly evil and all are alive at the end of it and everything is the fault of the curse which didnt sit well with him. I myself enjoyed Cs4 alot for the nostalgia and the great finale so im hoping Hajimari will do great^^
My order so far.
1) Trails in the Sky SC
2) Trails to Azure
3) Trails of Cold Steel 4
4) Trails of Cold Steel 3
7) Trails of Cold Steel 1
5) Trails from Zero
6) Trails in the Sky FC
7) Trails in the Sky 3rd
8) Trails of Cold Steel 2
Note that 8 doesn't mean I think the game is bad. It means the others are better. I still liked Cold Steel 2 a lot! (But that battle theme, seriously wtf)
I find a lot of shade thrown at Class VII for getting saved by the supporting cast. But the SSS gets reality changed so they can survive and no one bats an eye...ok.
See I honestly didnt mind that aspect of especially 2. Like they weren't ready to face people like mcburn or xeno and leo so them getting saved made sense. Like you said nobody says one word about keA literally breaking reality for Lloyds group. I.....I dont get it
Those shade throwers need to think it over some more, Class VII are amateurs there'd be no room for growth if they were unstoppable badasses right out of the gate.
Power of friendship sometimes needs support from awesome veterans.
The payoff for them always getting saved at the end of CS2 was at the end of CS3 when they stayed behind so everyone else could go ahead. That payoff was fucking worth it I don't care what everyone says.
Idk I just found it pretty lame that Joshua, Estelle and Crew get to clap most of the Ouroboros Gang in SC 2 and Class VII get's to tickle them before they fight with the "real heroes"
@@Realag666, class 7 doesn't have experienced individuals like Schera, Agate, Olivier, Joshua, Kevin, Julia, Mueller & Zin backing them up though. Only Estelle, Josette, Tita & Kloe would be considered equivalent to class 7's average experience level.
Yeah I really wanted to play CS1 as i love the look of it. Having read up on the series I decided to pick up all 3 sky game on pc. Finished the Sky FC the other day and straight onto SC. I'm loving the Sky arc so far. I've ordered Trails from zero and will pick up Trails to Azure when it releases and play them all in order.
Are going to make a video about the best openings, 1 to 10 of the game's?
p.s. are you going to play persona 4 golden on pc, to see what came before before persona 5.
p.p.s. would be cool to see a opening ranking lore wise.
keep up the work, you where one of the youtubers that made me buy the trails in the sky game's (still need to play them, but p4g am i playing right now but after that i'll be play in through the sky game's.)
keep doing there good and fun video's.
I do indeed have P4G on my radar. I'm gradually eating through my backlog, and I'll get to it eventually I'm sure.
I haven't played hajimari/reverie or CS4 yet and I'm only halfway through CS3 so I skipped those sections and can't say where I would rank them yet, but otherwise I agree with this ranking almost 100%. I put CS1 slightly ahead of Sky FC but only slightly. I also started with CS1 and then afterwards decided I needed to go back and play all of them too.
Trails of cold steel 4 so far has my best vote!
Sky 3rd or Cold Steel 4 is mines
Same. Cold steel 3 and 4 are so much better than 1 and 2 just because class 7 isn't attached to reans hip the whole time
@@darknesswave100 oh hell yes I know what you mean!
@@darknesswave100 poor guy gets caught up into too many misunderstandings and they’re always calling him a playboy when I haven’t seen any kind of evidence to show for it, the only thing I feel he’s at fault is being way too over protective of Elise, she’s a grown young woman and he needs to cut her some slack!
It's one of those special games that does everything I wanted!
0:00 what a way to start the video.
Thanks for the content!
In all seriousness, it was an interesting question so I thought it would be cool to do a video.
Can't see any issues here. They have done a fantastic job of the 1, 2 punch. The first game in the duo sets you up for a bigger and better game to follow.
CS4 is the best out of the CS series, the only issue I have is the airship where you have a couple of hours of solid talking if you are paying attention and it takes the wind out of the sails, but after that it has the best set of battles in the series. I struggled so much on those battles as for the previous 3 games you could cheese the game with Fie and then you have 4 battles with characters you never used before and trying to work out how to use them the best.
Playing though the Skies triology at the moment, just finished the tournament at the end of Sky, but agree with you about they sow a lot of seeds but the game is quite by the numbers.
I'm thinking about starting to play the Trails franchise, but I don't know where to start, there are too many titles. not to mention the limiting factor of having the PC as my only gaming platform. Which game would you recommend for a newcomer to the franchise?
I noticed for Cold Steel 2 you mentioned you finally got around to a second playthrough -- did you see the "extra" scene that you can only get during the Epilogue on a NG+? It's not a lot.... but it's a great nod back to Trails in the Sky the 3rd and was one more tiny thing about that game that I loved. If you miss it it's not big deal, the same info is revealed through Cold Steel 3 but might seem like it was an off-screen scene when in fact it's not.
I've seen it my man, I'd be a failure as a Trails TH-camr if I didn't. :)
Honestly it's weird to me that many people consider Giliath Osborne and the Curse of Erebonia as hit or miss, one of them is the BEST villain to come out in this series as you said and with a nigh-perfect redemption that rivals even Richard's. And the Curse is horrifying in its sheer magnitude and nearly omnipotent power. An eldritch-like being that eats aways at the human consciousness which prompts them to commit acts of malice throughout the empire across millennia, with its bizarre and abominable true form to boot.
CSIV had the perfect ending to this magnificent saga, and honestly it'd be impossible for me to decide on either Ao or CSIV for taking the top spot
Ah I so wanted to watch this but must avoid spoilers as I want to play through the games myself. If you have a video or could make a video helping a newcomer get into the whole franchise it would be fun to watch.
Good choice! I couldn't feasibly do a video like this without spoilers, but you can always come back once you've played them yourself!
I’ll see you back on this video in a good few years then 😂
Totally, a very hard list due various factors.
From my own opinion, I wouldn't be able to put Liberli and Crossbell too high, as a game in overall due...
I don't have fun with the gameplay, but that is mostly due in fact, having less options than CS3/CS4/Haji, specially Haji.
Admitelly, I would say the visuals also effect my option.
For me it's:
1- Cold steel 2
2- Sky SC
3- Cold steel 3
4- Ao
5- Cold steel 1
6- Sky FC
7- Zero
8- Sky 3rd
I've got to say, I really feel Trails of Cold Steel 3 mishandled its cast badly. This is more an issue with the game's flow than the characters themselves.
The issue is that they kept Rean as the protagonist, and he already has an existing relationship with the old class 7. Every chapter, you do a segment with the new class 7, then they're rescued by part of old class 7, and you're sent on a new portion of play with old class 7, as new class 7 is unceremoniously tossed because they're too weak. Then Rean takes a trip down memory lane with his old pals, which have the advantage of familiarity to the player. It honestly felt like Falcom was forced to make a new class 7 against their will.
When I played Cold Steel 4, Rean was entirely absent from part 1, and it felt like new class 7 finally had a chance to shine. They were available at almost all points in the game, while old class 7 was cycled in and out until they became permanent in part 2. I feel I would have liked new class 7 drastically more if Cold Steel 3 took a similar approach.
i just finished cold steel 2 and haven't played 3 yet, but from the small amount of video i've seen of it, i don't much care for the new art style for the characters. i've only seen a brief amount, so the new look could grow on me, but i like the look of the characters in the first 2 games.
Funny how the only 3 Trails game i have completed are in the bottom 3. I’m playing Sky SC now. Just had to finish Liberl and Crossbell arcs to play Cold Steel III in my case
Funny enough I stopped playing cold steel 1 when I got to the Nord highlands saw one of my friends playing cold steel 4 so I reached out to him and said how the 4th game compares he told me do not hope to a different number title play the games through and I promise you you won't be disappointed I did that and my god.... I've never been so hooked on a world in video games like this since I was a kid
>OBJECTION
Got a chuckle out of me
Funny
The first time I tried Sky 3rd, I hated it and after a couple of hours, skipped it and went over to the Crossbell games
I really did not like the fact that they made it a dungeon crawler
Felt claustrophobic, if that makes any sense
Then after going all the way to CS3 by last year, getting smashed by the nasty cliffhanger at the end, I was left wanting more Trails
At that point, I went back to Sky 3rd
And oh boy what a ride that was once I learned to put up with its weaknesses
And now I'm actually excited for Hajimari, which supposedly follows a similar structure
I will most likely pick up the upcoming Japanese Switch version if NISA hasn't announced anything about a localization by that time
On my end:
9)- Sky FC
8)- CS1
7)- CS3
6)- Sky SC
5)- Sky the 3rd
4)- Zero
3)- CS2
2)- CS4
1)- Azure
Hey man, please help me out, I know how passionate you are about Trails and have to ask, is it possible to only play the cold steel games 1-4 and still enjoy what trails has to offer? I know i would enjoy it more if I played the others, but really dont have the time to go back and play all those other games
You can do it, but it's not recommended. You can play cold steel 1 and 2 just fine, but I can't imagine playing cold steel 3 without playing the other games. It would not be nearly as impactful and enjoyable. I'm sure it'd be a good game, but not incredible. So many characters and locations come back in the very first act.