No matter how big and intense the recent story arcs, I'll always love the Trails in the sky trilogy. I made a great emotional attachment to it, to the point that I keep on playing these games again, and again, and again.
In my opinion, SKy's just the best arc as a whole. It may not have the most complicated or convoluted story out of the other arcs, but it easily has the best protagonists with more objective character development. Sky's very focused on its character writing, and you get time in FC to learn about all your friends before the big plot stuff happens. In CS and Crossbell, you're immediately thrown in with your new cast, and the writing tends to rely much heavier on anime tropes and cliches to carry them. Not that there's not a lot of development, but Crossbell and CS fit the characterization around the plot, whereas Sky builds its characters first, then writes the plot around those arcs, if that makes sense. Also no optional love interests, Estelle and Joshua's romance is directly woven into the story.
Nitpick at 4:30 when it comes to best version of Crossbell, that would actually be the Geofront fan translation, which is something that should have been mentioned in the video. If a new player has access to both console and PC, I'd usually recommend the PC version for pretty much every Trails game. For Trails in the Sky you get better graphics/turbo mode/auto-saves compared to PSP, and the option to mod the EVO features like voices and portraits (usually just the voices, as I think the EVO OST and portraits are subpar compared to the originals). Same thing for Crossbell, the Geofront patch for Zero is the definitive version, and they are already finishing the Azure translation too. For the Cold Steel arc, the PC and PS4 versions of all games are a bit more similar, and share features like turbo mode, difference on PC would be better performance and mod support.
My recommendation: Start with Trails in the Sky, BUT it's ok to start with Cold Steel I and II, you just have to play the other 5 five before jumping into Cold Steel III.
My thoughts as well. Some ppl might be turned off to start right away with sky's weaker presentation and graphics so cold steel 1 and 2 servers to get ppl hooked in the lore
@@millabasset1710I'm not a graphics snob either but I've noticed that older RPGs tend to have a lot of unnecessary waiting. Not being able to skip animations/cutscenes and high encounter rates can really make an experience rather painful. Does Sky suffer from this?
@@lunastark1060 no thank you 😂 I prefer physical copies always. I'm so happy with my CS collection on PS4. I played crossbell on PC because there wasn't any other option
You can also mod the steam versions of the Trails in the Sky series to include all the stuff from the Vita's Evolution versions. I think this is by far the best way to play the first three games of the series as they have been graphically upgraded and are playable in 1080p
Let’s keep it straightforward. Just like the video says, release order is best. So the Sky Trilogy, then the Crossbell Duology, then the Cold Steel Quadrilogy, followed by Hajimari. Sky: Trails in the Sky FC Trails in the Sky SC Trails in the Sky The 3rd Crossbell: Zero no Kiseki Ao no Kiseki Cold Steel: Trails of Cold Steel 1 Trails of Cold Steel 2 Trails of Cold Steel 3 Trails of Cold Steel 4 Other: Hajimari no Kiseki For both Sky and Crossbell, playing on PC is heavily recommended. The only official localization of Sky the 3rd is on PC, and the whole Sky Trilogy has nice quality of life improvements, while the Geofront’s translation patch for the first Crossbell game is easily of a professional level and the patch for the second should be done in a few months. It’s easily the best way to play the Crossbell games. For Cold Steel, either PS4 or PC are solid choices. PS4 has all of the quality of life improvements added to the PC ports of the first two Cold Steel games, but a powerful PC will still perform better. Plus mods on PC as well. But Cold Steel 4 isn’t out yet on PC, so playing on PS4 might be necessary depending on how quickly you catch up. There’s a way to play Hajimari with a fan translation program using a PS4 and a computer, though it does have some logistical complications with players needing to look through lists to translate attacks and items. It’s still very impressive and usable though. Also, on a quick note, Hajimari is not actually the beginning of a 4th arc, but more a single game dedicated to tying up loose ends from the previous arcs and setting the stage for future storylines. It’s very dependent on knowledge from primarily the Cold Steel and the Crossbell games, since it stars the heroes of those games and ties up those plots in particular (since most of the Sky storyline has long since been tied up with a nice little bow). If you’re concerned about not being able to get into the Sky games because of their dated visuals, it is likely your next best option to start with Cold Steel 1 & 2 to see if the series could catch your interest with slightly more modern games. After finishing CS2, though, it’s highly recommended you use your newfound interest in the franchise to go back and play all of the Sky and Crossbell games before continuing, since Cold Steel 3 and 4 both spoil and are reliant on knowledge of the other arcs to be truly appreciated. This didn’t end up being as straightforward as I intended at the start... A thought I’m sure shared by the developers of these games. Lol
You can actually play the Crossbell Duology or the first two chapters of the Cold Steel Quadrilogy in either order as they are happening at the same time. One thing he did not say is that Crossbell is getting a Steam release in the summer of next year.
@@jonathanmarshall2860 It’s still recommended to play in release order because while one major event from CS2 is spoiled in Ao, basically the entire Crossbell arc is spoiled in CS1&2. Especially if you’re reading newspapers, everything is spelled out to you. Also, I haven’t heard anything about Steam releases for Crossbell next year. I just know about the Switch ports in Asia. Where did you hear about that?
@@Zakemaster To answer your question on the pc port I just happen to come across it on steam's website. The only downside is it will only support Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. As for as spoiling, CS 2 only covers the tree not the whole thing until the end. You have to remember that Crossbell got cut off from the rest of the world for a time. So everything was not made clear what happen unless you played C3.
@@jonathanmarshall2860 I literally replayed CS2 earlier this year. Newspaper articles break down almost every major story beat pre-tree throughout CS1&2, and the Divertesment features multiple direct mentions to events of the Crossbell duology. While, yes, I was being a bit hyperbolic, there are very few twists and turns that you won’t at least have some direct knowledge or strong hints toward. It’s nowhere near the same amount that Crossbell could spoil, since Cold Steel wasn’t even made yet. The Divertesment alone is proof that these games expected you to play Crossbell beforehand, since it’s just weird and jarring without context to just randomly being given control of two characters you’ve never met during the last few hours of a game and to have them at odds with our protagonist. You’re given some context, but not much. Having originally played Cold Steel first, I can tell you that I spent a good chunk of my time during Zero and Ao going “Oh, this is when this is going to happen. Oh yeah, and now this happens.” It just killed a lot of the surprise. I still adored the Crossbell games, but I really wish I’d played them first. As for the Steam news, that’s honestly great. Even if it doesn’t have translations, it makes it much simpler to acquire legal copies of both games, particularly Ao.
Thank you honestly this series looks fantastic but I don't feel like starting from the very beginning I just want to give it a try and have some fun without necessarily spending months before I can play the more recent games. I think I'll start with the 2 first games of the Cold steel part.
@@whitewolf3051 I had never heard of it before this year. Been on a JRPG binge lately cause not much to do quarantined at home. I'm glad I found it though. It's such a great game, great story and characters.
@@financeoholic Well, glad you started on it at all, even though it was late, I know you will like Cold Steel 2 even more, I know I did. I hope to get Cold Steel 3 & 4 for my Switch. By the way, who is your favorite girl in the Cold Steel arc? Mine is Laura, while I hate Alisa.
@@whitewolf3051 I’m probably going to go back and play Trails in the Sky on steam to get the full story before starting on CS2. And yes, Laura is my favorite too. I’ve always had a preference for strong female characters (Esdeath, Lightning, Mikasa).
I agree with Erick. This is my absolute favorite franchise. I started with Trails of Cold Steel I and just finished IV. I am now about 15 hours into Trails in the Sky. If you are new to this series, I recommend starting at the beginning with Sky if you can.
Technically, Hajimari isn't a new Arc, it's more of a "ending game" for the Cold Steel arc, just like how Trials in the Sky the Third is for the Sky arc. The new Arc is still in development and it's rumored to take place in the Republic of Calvard.
@@hafidhadib1062 Arc 1: The love story and some other stuff happens Arc 2: Crossbell is a terrible country Arc 3: Rean suffering and rich people going crazy
I may have missed it, but I didn’t hear you talk about The Geofront’s fantastic PC localization of Trails from Zero and their ongoing work localizing Trails to Azure. These are the definitive western versions of these games right now in my opinion.
@@revolvingworld2676 yes, there is a English fan patch available for the PSP version. A remastered version was just announced for PS4, I think, I dunno if there is any plans to localize that
No need to "plow" through anything friend, just take your time and enjoy it. You don't need to get to the last couple games to get to the good stuff by any means, and Id argue I enjoyed Sky the most. One of my favorite stories told, and I hope you think so too
When it comes to JRPGs, I was usually Dragon Quest or Phantasy Star fan, then I saw and preordered the first Legend of Heroes Trails of Cold Steel, played the heck out of it, and became a fan of the series. I haven’t tried the others in Legend of Heroes yet, but I do like Cold Steel.
@@ZakemasterSpoilers for CS3... Going to the "town destroyed by a landslide" at the end of the first chapter of CS3 would have way more of an impact for someone that played the Sky arc.
@@boltinabottle6307 by no means am I suggesting I recommend this path of playing the games. I’m a diehard proponent of playing in release order, even if that wasn’t how I did it. I’m just pointing out that CS4, in particular, would be a damn nightmare without experiencing the previous arcs.
MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR ALL TRAILS GAMES UP TO CS4 BELOW - WHY ARE YOU HERE IF YOU'RE ON SKY-SC OR CS2? i wasn't attacking your approach to the series at all. Sorry if that was somehow implied. My comment was meant to supplement your statement of how much one would miss out on if they skip the first two arcs. Especially Sky in CS3. Hamel, Agate and Tita, but the biggest one would be seeing the scars of the Hundred Days War from the Liberlian perspective before going to Hamel. I'd say that's up there with the Pantagruel/ Mille Mirage meeting (but not quite as high up) in terms of needed prior knowledge.
As a new fan of this series that has really bounced all around in the order, I strongly recommend playing them in release order. I originally got interested in the series when Cold Steel came out, so I tried that first and really liked it, but I hit a slower part in the game and real life got in the way and I ended up dropping it for quite some time. Long enough that it felt weird to both pick up where I left off but also not really wanting to replay all I had done. Also I remembered constantly running into scenes where it felt like it was referencing characters I should know from previous games, but didn't since I hadn't played them. So when I restarted the series I went with the first one, Trails in the Sky, and was absolutely hooked on the series by the end of the first game. I had heard it didn't really matter if you played Zero or Cold Steel first, and I was itching to get back to what I remembered in Cold Steel, so I played the first two of them, before then going back to Zero because everyone says you need to be caught up on all games before Cold Steel 3. The Cold Steel series is way ahead of the other two in terms of graphics though, and has updated combat mechanics and such, so going backwards to Zero gave me really big whiplash, and it really took most of the game to get over that. So for that reason I really strongly recommend people play them in order. If you play Cold Steel first it's going to be harder to get into the older games if you play them close together, and trust me, the series is so good with such an interlinked story that you're absolutely going to want to play them all anyway. So play them in release order and save yourself the whiplash of getting use to the more advanced graphics and gameplay first.
I'm mid-way through SC right now and loving it. They're not 10/10 games, but they do recapture my oldschool JRPG love in a way that I haven't experienced for quite a while.
Not sure I agree with them not being 10/10 games. This has really become my favorite video game series, period. I would say the games aren't perfect on their own though. It's more amazing what they do over the course of the series. If you're just looking at one game in a vacuum, I'd say they have some issues. But the series as a whole is incredible. And yeah, it's the same for me. This is really the first old-school style JRPG that I've gotten into a really really long time. I didn't know it was possible for me to still feel this passionate about this style of game.
I was mostly a fan of ys series and started recently with trails of cold steel because I really love falcom . And yes the game is really very very good. Slow start and initially seemed like a persona rip off but it becomes its own think later on . Music ,character development , battle system ,script are all top notch . A paradigm of what a video game company with limited resources but great vision can do
Actually Trails is a spin off of a spin off because all this started with Dragonslayer: The Legend of Heroes which is part of Falcom's first RPG series called Dragonslayer. I would say start with FC and go from there by release date but you can also start from ColdSteel 1 but just to the 2nd game, then play Sky and Crossbell just my opinion.
@@whitewolf3051 Nope. It was released only for Japanese computers like the PC 88, MSX, X68000 and console versions for Super Famicom and Japanese playstation and Sega Saturn with Dragon slayer legend of heroes II and the only international release is the Turbo Grafix 16 version released only in America.
@Maxie Plays RPGs The first two games are pretty lengthy, start on them and hopefully you like them, and I bet things will fall into place for you by the time you are ready to play Trails 3rd ;)
I haven't watched the video yet, but before I do...you need to play all 10, seriously. Sometimes a slow burn but the world-building and character development is worth it.
Started and finished all the trails of cold steel I - IV and reverie is coming out this week. Wanted to finish the first 3 but don't want to wait to play reverie. Someday though.
Great video! I totally agree with pretty much everything said in this video, not only for the (deserved) praise towards this series, but also the recommendation in which order to play this series.
Friend got me hooked on this franchise when he gifted me a copy of Trails of Cold Steel, and ensured my addiction by gifting me Cold Steel II as well. And now I am on a quest to get the entire franchise. Fortunately, it looks like the Crossbell Saga is coming to Steam, though unknown if it will have an english translation or not.
It only gets better from there honestly. Trails in the sky FC is solid, but it doesn't give you anywhere close to the whole picture. Whenever you jump back into SC, I recommend just refreshing yourself on the plot of FC and the building of the story and the characters, because the sequel takes place directly after the ending and everything has more weight if its fresh on your mind. Basically FC and SC are one game honestly
@@killgronia5815 Well I'd recommend playing on PC if possible just for the turbo feature and better graphics if possible (vita version isn't bad at all, those other aspects are just something to consider). If you play on vita instead though, you'd either need to buy the games (they've been localised in the west officially already) or you'd need to run custom firmware and download them that way. The way to do that is pretty straightforward, just make sure you follow a guide's exact directions and its a guide that is up to date to your current Vita's firmware version
@@PantsaBear yeah i was reading all the steps for the vita download and it all sounded way too complicated. The pc seems like the way to go. I just won trials in the sky in a Ebay auction and want to continue the story right away.
@@killgronia5815 It honestly sounds more complicated than it probably is and you only do it once, but yeah I feel you. It's also on steam and pretty much any pc digital storefront if you wanna give it a go. I'm not sure what you meant when you said you won it on auction lol, but yeah you're absolutely gonna wanna play SC right after the first Trails in the Sky, and the 3rd one is actually my favorite I think
I'm kinda bothered that you did not mention the geofront english translation for zero and azurer(still in development) for PC version. Also it has higher quality translation compared to the English patch for the PSP version I believe. Nice video thou even thou I don't necessarily needed it, but to show more love and appreciation to the trails series. I'll take it.
Yeah pretty sure the pc versions are the definitive versions across the board for all of the games (where it's available), but he said otherwise. I'm ok if he prefers playing on a console or handheld, but it just isn't true that those versions are the definitive versions. Even the crossbell games, which have 'enhanced' graphics and music, alot of the old fanbase (and myself) prefer the originals more. I'm not even a 2d is better than 3d guy, but I just think they did a better job animating the 2d sprite expressions in the dialogues than the 3d talking heads do in those versions.
Falcom was mainly a pc developer for years, with Sky being like their first console release back in the day, so I don't really get console junkys with the original trails stuff. I understand being a collector, but Sky and the Crossbell arc are meant to be played on pc honestly, official and geofront versions, and they can run on any modern computer
@@PantsaBear sky was a console port, the original was on pc actually, we just got the psp port in the west first but in Japan the pc version came first. But our pc version has enhanced features like a turbo button, graphical scaling, etc. We also get the bonus psp only content in Sc. My understanding is that were the 2 new playable characters for the final chapter of SC (whom I didnt use anyway)
I played Trails in the sky fc, sc and now i am through the 3rd, and is a so, so great series! with each game you wanna know more, so many great characters, so many mysteries, the world building is so great... wish more people play this in the future so we surely get more games of this series... (sorry for the english)
I don't know I started trails in the sky buy I found it very boring,drop it after a while,I am going to start with cold steel hopefully I will enjoy that one
@@koladearasanmi2005 absolutely understandable FC starts soooooo freaking slow. Even Compared to any other falcom game. (Trails games are all slow, but FC is the slowest) Having played cs 1 and 2 gave me the addiction and patience to play sky.
If i can recommended, you can start from 3 games Sky arc: first chapter Crossbell arc: zero no Kiseki Cold steel arc: cold steel 1 Since this trio is a beginning to know the game you will play and does not need a save clear from other previous (like zero no Kiseki doesn't need you player to have clear save data from sky third). But most important, when you done and entering new arc: they will mention something in the future or past from which perspective MC is (like how liberl is, how Crossbell is and how erebonia is) so that you WON'T felt like did we Miss a pages?
I really don't mind playing older game (Old School in graphics and gameplay), actually I love this type of games as long there is a tremendous story/lore on it + JRPG vibe on it & a vast world to explore.
There's really no game series with as much lore as this one. 10 games in and more still being made with all games building upon the same story, world, and many of the same characters.
The answer you give seems to make a lot of sense to me. You get a strong and relevant experience to build on with that sub-series. I would of course like to start at the beginning but that may be hard to do, especially to commit that kind of time to.
This franchise isn’t the kind of series you dive into half-heartedly, to be honest. While it is a (very large) time commitment, to be sure, no matter how you play this franchise, you’re depriving yourself by not playing every mainline game. If you start with a later arc, you’re deprived of necessary context and investment to fully appreciate the story. If you only want to play a single arc, there are multiple story threads you won’t get closure for and will never see how certain characters’ stories end. There’s no rush for playing through the series, since there is plenty of RPG goodness to enjoy at your own pace. The games are actually built to support this kind of play, since they tend to be more slow-burn stories with lots of world building in the beginning of each arc, really making sure you dive into the lives of the people you meet and really understand the way the world works. The more time and attention you put into these games, the more you get out of them. You could just bust through the games, missing side quests and not talking to townspeople, and still get a pretty solid understanding of the story and love the games, but you wouldn’t, for instance, know the nine game long story of Anton and his quest for love all around the continent. You wouldn’t follow the story of a pair of kids from different social classes come together and find friendship and possibly even the beginnings of love as they bond over surprisingly shared interests. And you wouldn’t be able to fully understand the kind of horror a little girl had to endure just to survive, and why exactly the love of somebody who should be her enemy could be so immensely powerful and transformative. Basically, don’t be afraid of how many games you would need to play to catch up in the series. Instead, be happy as hell that there are currently 10 amazing games that you could play that all exist in the same world and are working together to tell a truly Epic tale, and that you’ll be able to enjoy each one as much as you want. I think it’s better to think of it more as an great opportunity instead of a large commitment.
Hey Erick, I just bought a Vita and a physical copy of the first game to play it! I can't wait till it all arrives in the mail. Thanks for this recommendation.
You should start from the beginning because one of the main appeals to this series is the lore of the world and all the little things about it that they feed you along the way. The banter between characters and watching them grow is what makes these games so good.
To add an additional storyline between Sora no Kiseki and Zero no Kiseki there's a Manga that you can read and title is Eiyuu Densetsu: Rei no Kiseki Play Story - Shinpan no Yubiwa (Zero no Kiseki Ring of Judgement). it only has 1 Volume with 4 chapters, thou they link both Sora no Kiseki and Zero no Kiseki.
I have always loved playing JRPGS since the Gamecube with all the gems like Skies of Arcadia Legends (♡), Baten Kaïtos, Tales of, Fire Emblem, etc. On PS4 I discovered Ys VIII which is excellent. Regarding the Trails series, I started with Trails in the Sky with the beautiful limited edition :P. I really liked this game. Really. Then I decided to give a chance to the Trails of Cold Steel series, and I started with the remastered versions on PS4. I recently finished the 2nd and I enjoyed it more than the very first game! ^^' They added an option to change the difficulty during the game after a loss and another option to make exploration and combats quicker! That was really a good thing. And there is more... action. The only bad thing is that you see many of the environments you have spent so much time in the furst game... So I hope the 3 will be a good surprise and from what I see from the recent 4th game, it looks better technically, finally! ^^'
Thanks for your video ! I was really interested in playgin those games, but I didn't know where to start from ! And now, I know ! :) Thanks again from France ;)
Newbie here) Just started CS3 (because bought with CS4 on EGS sales) and agreed - thats the problem when you started arc in mid, and overall story too. And this is problem, if you see steam sale data you will see there much small amount of people bought 4 then 3. (and i think 3
Just be aware that the best way to play the Crossbell Arc is definitely on PC so you can use the Geofront localization. I call it localization because the quality they put on this game is even better than other publishers localizing JPN games. The games themselves can be run on any PC as they are not performance extensive but Geofront is the way to go for these games
Worth noting they are still translating / modding the 2nd Crossbell game. They've finished the first pass, and are 60% through the second pass of editing. Worth the wait though, as you mentioned, the work they do is phenomenal. You know they're a passionate bunch when they don't accept donations!
I started with CS1 and CS2 on the PS Vita, loved both games. While waiting for CS3 i played trails in the sky one, trails in the sky SC, and the two games of the Crossbell arc (with the shitty translation), played all this games on my PS Vita. Now that i finished playing CS4 i can say for sure, is very important the back story to fully understand the Cold Steel games, especially CS3 and CS4. CS1 and CS2 are pretty much their own story.
I played sky first but I played cold steel before crossbell and I regret it. I wish I had played crosbell before cold steel 3. I’m in the middle of cold steel 4 atm
Dude nice song choice. Regular+Zanmai Inevitable struggle is my fave trails song! edit: done video.. ooh yeah. I also like the Naughty children version of overwhelming heavenly bliss or whatever the song name is called.. PRETTTYY Sure the steam version is the 'definitive' version of sky though, and has the most refined translation for the Crossbell games (well not steam but PC in that regard).
i just finished Trails in the Sky SC and absolutely agree that this series is amazing! it is far and above my favorite JRPG series now, and I haven't even touched the Cold Steel games yet!
Even though some say you can skip Sky The Third, you should definitely play that one too. The last 3 chapters of that are game are definitely a high point in the series for me personally. Plus it does a good job at priming you for the later 2 arcs.
@@FirstLast-mn4re thanks for the head's up - i am definitely playing the Third!! :) i love that i enjoy these games so much and there are so many of them haha
@@FirstLast-mn4re Gosh, you can't skip the Third. There's a lot of important character info in that that would really lessen the emotional impact of stuff to come. I would warn though that the Third is a very different thing. Don't expect it to be another full game like the first two games. Consider it more an ending chapter, wrapping things up before the series continues on.
i own a couple trails games & the original 3 hold up well on pc. Much better than rpgmaker games & trails of steel elevates character development. i have over 90 hrs in the 1st game & havent beat it yet. Have the 2nd one too. i'm excited for Cyberpunk tomorrow! hoping it's a good rpg with great choice & consequence.
Don't play the vita versions of Zero and Ao. The Geofront is incredibly well written and easily the definitive version. Zero is already out and Ao will be done in a couple months
On Steam there are mods for Trails in the Sky that makes it look like the Vita version, with Japanese voice over and everything ;3 And thank god we're gonna officially get Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure in the next few years
Ok I beat the first Trail's in the Sky but it was rough. Everyone said you have to get past the orphanage part and the story picks up and that's true but if you're new to the series this could put you off. Cause that's like 75% of the first game.
Not all heroes wear capes, some of them play hundreds of hours of JRPGs and give us the roadmap to follow in their footsteps lol. I love Rean Schwarzer and Class 7 but I'm also looking forward to checking out the Crossbell games next.
PSA the PS Vita store is shutting down in August. If you're like me and you don't have a PC but have a Vita, might wanna hop on Trails in the Sky now. I've never played but I've been eyeing Sky and Sky SC
There's a certain plot point in Cold Steel IV that could very well connect Trails to the other games (Nayuta, Gagharv, etc.) Of course, it's all just speculation but I wouldn't discount that there are connections between them just yet.
I played Cold Steel 1 before start with Sky series, now I'm in Zero. There is some HEAVY spoilers of trails series even in Cs 1 (At least for me) and things that happened in sky 2 have long term repercussions for cold steel series.
As far as I can tell: If you like graphics over story you CAN start CS1 and 2, but you should stop just after the final dungeon since the epilogue is a spoiler for the previous games. Then, if you want, you can start the Sky series, you cannot start the Zero/Azure series because it's just not self contained as CS1 and 2. Also, a certain scene in CS2 itself loses a LOT of effect once you see it from the thors perspective, because you SHOULD have seen that same situation from inside first. About the sky series, I don't own a Vita and I'm not into trying to patch a lot of games to translate them but it is possible to have the artwork, intro and voice acting on the Steam version via mods, but you need to use an "old" build of the game via the Beta tab on the Steam property for the game, because they always update the game with the most annoyingly NOTHING useful that always break the mods.ALWAYS. I mean, fixing all the black spots on screen because the games weren't made for widescreen they don't do, but fixing stuff that don't bother anyone they do a LOT. xD The EVOLUTION voice acting just gives the game a new paint and a LOT of personality, since the sky series has the best writing so far, mostly because Olivert and Estelle are just top tier star dialogues through the entire games AND the comedy there is stronger than other games in the series. It is also possible to add the EVO music to the game too, which is awesome.
Would love it if Falcom got their shit together and at the very least released all of the 3rd Saga on one platform in English so we could play them in order without having to jump through so many hoops.
I know the Western publishing rights are probably still split between two publishers, but what this series really needs are box set re-releases of each sub-arc. I know Falcom feels like their audience is on PC/PS, and I wouldn't want to see them left out, but tbh Switch would see like the logical place to start right now. Its general ecosystem is very friendly towards games with lower graphical fidelity, everyone in Japan owns one, and it's been the best selling console in the West two two straight years. it's the inheritor of the Nintendo portable legacy which has a very deep history with jrpgs, has a built-in jrpg audience through flagship series like Fire Emblem, Xeno & Pokemon, and this type of game is perfect for portables to begin with (hence its PSP/Vita success). And of course, the games would be new to that audience.
Good news, Trails fans! NIS is releasing Azure, Zero, Nayuta, and Hajimari to the west! Hajimari is coming in 2023, so the others may be around that time.
Got the English patches for FC, SC, 3rd and Zero on Vita and the patched version of Azure on PSP. Hopefully by the time I get to Azure the Vita patch is out. And hopefully by the time I'm done with Cold Steel 3 that 4 has come out on the Switch. Loving FC so far, so I've gone all-in, damn it.
How you gonna not mention the Geofront translation mod for Zero and Ao? Granted the Ao mod is not finished yet but the Geofront translations will be the definitive version and the best way to play the Crossbell games barring an official translation which may not ever happen given the fact that. NISA will likely (and rightly) prioritize newer titles like Hajimari and Kuro. Even though I started with Cold Steel 1 and 2 I do believe the best way to experience the Trails series is in order. 1. Trails in the Sky (some times referred to as FC for "First chapter") 2. Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter (SC) 3. Trails in the Sky: The 3rd 4. Zero No Kiseki (AKA Trails from Zero) *With the Geofront translation mod* 5. Ao No Kiseki (AKA Trails to Azure) *Geofront translation mod soon to be released* If you can't wait you can use the flame edit translation. 6. Trails of Cold Steel 7. Trails of Cold Steel 2 8. Trails of Cold Steel 3 9. Trails of Cold Steel 4 10. Hajimari No Kiseki (English Title TBD but literal translation is "Trails of the Beginning" no official translation announced as of yet but is highly likely to happen) For the most part the best experience will result from playing the games in this order. You CAN play Cold Steel 1 and 2 really when ever you would like but they do contain some relatively small spoilers (by comparison to what other games spoil about previous games). Both Cold steel 1 and 2 will contain a significant character spoiler for Trails in the Sky FC. Cold Steel 2 will contain a significant yet undetailed event spoiler for Trails to Azure. Cold Steel 2 does also contain a very small spoiler for both Zero and Azure in it's prologue that personally I did not even recognize as a spoiler initially until after playing the Crossbell arc. It should go without saying that Cold Steel 2 will also contain significant spoilers for Cold Steel 1 as it picks up literally minutes of in-game time after the final scene of Cold Steel 1. Out side of those few instances there are no note worthy spoilers so they are relatively safe again by comparison to pretty much every other title most of which will spoil entire plotlines of previous titles. If I could go back and do it over I'd play then all in order instead of starting with Cold Steel 1.
Zero no Kiseki has a translation for pc now, of geofront, which is very very good, they even improve graphics. And these themselves have almost finished another translation for Ao no Kiseki.
You could get away with playing Trails of Cold Steel I and II, although I would not recommend to play that last part of of Cold Steel II after the story climax. There are really heavy spoilers about the Crosbell series, and the revelation of a certain instructor would have far less impact without having played Trails in the Sky Second Chapter. However - New players that start with Cold Steel could be a bit overwhelmed at the start by the info-dump about orbal technology, and the history of the Zemuria continent. And yes - You should NOT EVER start with Trails of Cold Steel III. I have seen TH-cam "walk-throughs" of Cold Steel III from people that clearly have not played the previous games. They where completely emotionless when key figures from those previous games (Sky and Crossbell) showed up at the start of the game. It was really painful to see, and they had clearly not the faintest idea about the impact those appearances had. And that is even more obvious during the rest of the game. If you take that all in consideration then indeed - Starting with Trails in the Sky is really the only option if you want to through the full experience. Way back I started with Trails of Cold Steel I, but even before finishing the first half of the first chapter, I noticed in several posts on the game platform that this was a game in a whole series. So I decided to put CS on hold and started with Trails in the Sky. That was without any doubt the best decision I ever made. I am still grateful to everybody that pointed out Trails in the Sky for me! As a side remark. I am personally convinced that the best to play the whole series is on the PC platform. Not only you get better resolutions, configuration and menu systems for the games, but the games are highly moddable. For instance - You can easily incorporate the (Japanese) voice acting into the game. Especially the Crossbell series have, or get, very nice improvements in that department. The guy's at Geofront did not only gave a superb translation, but also made big improvements to the whole appearance and configuration of the game. And on top of that - You still can add in things like voice acting and background music from the Vita version. They are on their way (and have made very good progress) to do the same for the second part of the Crosbell arc. I truly recommend to use the Geofront upgrades.
Good luck man, these games CAN be pretty long. Erick beat them in 50-60 hours just in the main story, but I didn't want to stop playing cold steel 3 so I put 230 hours in to platinum, but I've flirted with 100 hours in the first 3 cold steel games, and am about halfway done with 4 and I'm pushing 70 hours. Plan accordingly. You can do it!
Yeah, I’m with you, AkiraX. It was really easy to consider Nayuta out of canon until that bombshell near the end of CS4... now it may be a very important piece of the puzzle.
I really wish I liked Moonlight Witch more than I did. I just found it really tropey and way too slow. I greatly preferred Tear of Vermillion and Song of the Ocean. And I love every single one of the Trails games more than any of those three, so it’s all uphill from there, my friend.
@@Zakemaster I knew it was the weakest entry but im planning to play all the games from this point onword. this is my first legend of heroes game but already have the trails in the sky series for pc and later will get the trails of cold steel too.
Trails zero is already translated you need the original Japanese files for both the azure patch is 60% done geofront.esterior.net/category/trails-to-azure/updates-trails-to-azure/
I tried Cold steel 3 demo on switch and felt like I'm supposed to know what happened before. So now I'm waiting for cold steel 1 and 2. (heard it will be on switch around summer 2021)
That's correct but I wonder if the ports will come over to the west. I asked both XSEED and Marvelous who have the translation rights and they told me that they don't intend to release them in the west. I hope NIS America can help out.
@@DerTendou Hey! you just stepped on my hope. Maybe the Asian version will have eng subs. If so, there is possibility, it will appear in Europe. But lets hope they will release it in west.
@@noxmadness7342 let's hope they change their minds because Trails becomes more popular every day. The Crossbell games come also to the Switch in february in Japan and it would make sense to bring all the games over because the Switch is still hot.
I picked up the Sky trilogy on GOG just a little while ago, and I have CS 1 on my PS4. I'm hoping for a big sale to pick up the other CS games, but I don't know if I want to buy the PC versions of Ao and Zero and get the fan translations, or wait and pray for a western release announcement.
The Erebonian Arc (Cold Steel) is currently the best in the Trails series, in my view. I'd start with that one. Sky's gameplay is antiquated for most young jrpg players (but I'm used to jrpgs of old). Pay no mind to what is the correct canon order - it's irrelevant.
I think you’re partially right. The die hards who say you HAVE to start with the Sky Trilogy I think are wrong. Casual players can start with Cold Steel and be fine, but if you are someone who is really looking to get the full experience while being prepared to sink 50+ hours into every game then starting with Sky is the ideal choice. That’s what I did and I have played up to chapter 3 of Cold Steel 1 so far and it has payed off. A lot of people think the Sky games are the best of the bunch, but I tend more to agree with you. They have been my least favorite arc so far. Crossbell surpasses them in every way in my opinion and CS1 I like better so far as well.
I remember Mother's Basement made a video about the world building in the trails games. I haven't played any, if it's a quality rpg I'll probably play at least one game in the series some day, but it doesn't really seem that unique to me. It kind of looks like a more generic FFVIII, but with multi-kingdom conflicts.
The uniqueness of the Trails series is on the micro level, and not the macro level. Big picture, there’s nothing in these games you haven’t seen before. Ancient dead advanced civilization. Fantasy world with monsters and magic. An empire that really loves conquering other nations. It’s in the minutia and the long-form story telling that the series truly feels alive and special. Every part of the world building in Trails is carefully considered. Okay, well, there was an ancient civilization with advanced technology. How would that affect the world today? How would the world treat technology from that civilization? How would the survivors of that fallen civilization have started to rebuild society after they lost their connections to the technology that nearly destroyed them? What power structures and organizations would be created as a result of this new vacuum of power? Since people now fear the power of the ancient technology of the dead civilization, how would they respond to new advancements that start to replicate the power they once lost? How does the advent of magical power transform a world’s development? Basically, nothing in this world is just done because it’s an easy choice. Everything has an explanation and a motivation behind why it exists. Everything operates under consistent logic. It’s a world that has a ton of thought behind every person in every town in every country. And it’s up to the player how deep or shallow they experience that immersion. The other thing that truly makes the series unique is what the effects of telling a single overall story over the course of multiple games and arcs truly end up being. There are plot threads that span over the course of multiple games, questions that may be brought up in one game and answered in another years later. You follow some characters as they mature and grow from constant struggles, going from naive kids to accomplished adults that are now mentoring the next generation of heroes. You come to know this world and it’s people so damn well that as all of the pieces of the puzzle slowly start to come together, it feels like every revelation and answer is something that you’ve earned. The story of the Trails series is truly Epic in its most literal definition. And though each game and arc on its own is a great JRPG with a well told story and lovable characters, it’s as a fraction of the whole where each entry really shines. There really hasn’t been a game series like this before, but only playing a single one of its games won’t allow you to properly appreciate exactly what it brings to the table. There is the story of a character, a young girl, told over four different games in two different arcs, that is one of the most emotional, disturbing, and powerful character arcs I’ve ever experienced in any media. And it wasn’t ever the main focus of any of the games. Because when you’re telling a story over such a long period of time, you’re free to be able to let stories organically develop over a long period of time. And it’s truly something to behold. So yeah, these games may seem generic on the surface, but they’re really anything but. I promise you that.
@@Zakemaster I appreciate the time and effort you put into that reply. I have a better idea what the appeal is. However, from the outside looking in, something I am always wary of is if you have to play multiple entries (or an entire series) for it to seem special. Because there are plenty of other games that stand on their own well and elevate each other by playing more.
@@urmanascrewed hey, I can totally understand that. And this series isn’t for everyone. These games are an experiment in truly long-term, epic storytelling in video games. Each arc stands up fine on their own and are very enjoyable, but the only way to truly appreciate what it’s doing is by diving in to the entire franchise. Is that a limitation of the series? Yes. But it’s also it’s greatest strength, and is basically the only example of its kind in the industry to this degree. There are plenty of other games that you can dive in as stand alone experiences, but Trails is pretty one of a kind at what it offers. It definitely isn’t a series to dive into if you’re just looking to play a quick game or two. These games are long and dense. They very much appeal to only a specific niche of RPG fans. And if you don’t think that’s for you, then realistically, it probably isn’t. No shame in that.
Recommending fan-translated VITA versions of Trails in the Sky needs to add an important fact: You must own a hacked PSVITA. You can't permanently hack your PSVITA if it is on the latest firmware. You must re-install the hack every time you reboot your system. Although it's doable it doesn't add to the comfort of playing.
I think it's pretty obvious where to start - Falcom released Trails in the Sky trilogy in English first and note that it's very text heavy therefore hard to translate, even inside games it's mentioned in several chests that translation was a nightmare for localization team 😂 Also I heard Falcom thinks about re-release of TitS cause it's important entry point for entire series. I mean PSP and Vita are dead now, and you can currently play TITS only on PC or PS3.
Hajimari isn't an arc, it's a standalone game that symbolizes the aftermath of cold steel 4 and what happened to essentially everyone after the game Not a new arc, the new arc was already confirmed to be on a new engine and situated in the Eastern Zemuria (most likely Calvard) Also are you completely unaware of the Akatsuki no Kiseki title?
![[TH] VALORANT Champions Seoul - Grand Final - EDG vs TH](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/WvObMc9VelI/mqdefault.jpg)
Start that shit from the beginning. It's worth it. Trails in the Sky SC is low key one of the best games I've ever played.
I want to man
I love the "where to start" series you're doing. I hope you keep these up.
I wish I had seen this video before jumping in lol.
No matter how big and intense the recent story arcs, I'll always love the Trails in the sky trilogy. I made a great emotional attachment to it, to the point that I keep on playing these games again, and again, and again.
In my opinion, SKy's just the best arc as a whole. It may not have the most complicated or convoluted story out of the other arcs, but it easily has the best protagonists with more objective character development. Sky's very focused on its character writing, and you get time in FC to learn about all your friends before the big plot stuff happens. In CS and Crossbell, you're immediately thrown in with your new cast, and the writing tends to rely much heavier on anime tropes and cliches to carry them. Not that there's not a lot of development, but Crossbell and CS fit the characterization around the plot, whereas Sky builds its characters first, then writes the plot around those arcs, if that makes sense. Also no optional love interests, Estelle and Joshua's romance is directly woven into the story.
Nitpick at 4:30 when it comes to best version of Crossbell, that would actually be the Geofront fan translation, which is something that should have been mentioned in the video. If a new player has access to both console and PC, I'd usually recommend the PC version for pretty much every Trails game. For Trails in the Sky you get better graphics/turbo mode/auto-saves compared to PSP, and the option to mod the EVO features like voices and portraits (usually just the voices, as I think the EVO OST and portraits are subpar compared to the originals).
Same thing for Crossbell, the Geofront patch for Zero is the definitive version, and they are already finishing the Azure translation too. For the Cold Steel arc, the PC and PS4 versions of all games are a bit more similar, and share features like turbo mode, difference on PC would be better performance and mod support.
Do you know where I can download the fan translated version?
@@zaki6548 google: name game + torrent
@@ilyauu7968 ok thanks
My recommendation: Start with Trails in the Sky, BUT it's ok to start with Cold Steel I and II, you just have to play the other 5 five before jumping into Cold Steel III.
My thoughts as well. Some ppl might be turned off to start right away with sky's weaker presentation and graphics so cold steel 1 and 2 servers to get ppl hooked in the lore
@@johnz3535 I will start with Sky, I'm 28 years old, I'm not a graphics snob.
@@millabasset1710I'm not a graphics snob either but I've noticed that older RPGs tend to have a lot of unnecessary waiting. Not being able to skip animations/cutscenes and high encounter rates can really make an experience rather painful. Does Sky suffer from this?
@@zake64 Yeah but pc version has turbo
@@zake64 story is a big part in this series though, not just sky
a collection of all trails titles would be nice to see next year for those who are interested and want the simplest way in
That will never happen man so it's just play the games between pc and consoles, that's what I did and I'm happy with my decision
@@METALGAMERS1 you can play all on pc
@@lunastark1060 no thank you 😂 I prefer physical copies always. I'm so happy with my CS collection on PS4. I played crossbell on PC because there wasn't any other option
@@METALGAMERS1 there won't be an option for sky sadly.
You can also mod the steam versions of the Trails in the Sky series to include all the stuff from the Vita's Evolution versions. I think this is by far the best way to play the first three games of the series as they have been graphically upgraded and are playable in 1080p
Agreed
Well said.
there's also an HD textures and sprites mod for Sky
Let’s keep it straightforward.
Just like the video says, release order is best. So the Sky Trilogy, then the Crossbell Duology, then the Cold Steel Quadrilogy, followed by Hajimari.
Sky:
Trails in the Sky FC
Trails in the Sky SC
Trails in the Sky The 3rd
Crossbell:
Zero no Kiseki
Ao no Kiseki
Cold Steel:
Trails of Cold Steel 1
Trails of Cold Steel 2
Trails of Cold Steel 3
Trails of Cold Steel 4
Other:
Hajimari no Kiseki
For both Sky and Crossbell, playing on PC is heavily recommended. The only official localization of Sky the 3rd is on PC, and the whole Sky Trilogy has nice quality of life improvements, while the Geofront’s translation patch for the first Crossbell game is easily of a professional level and the patch for the second should be done in a few months. It’s easily the best way to play the Crossbell games.
For Cold Steel, either PS4 or PC are solid choices. PS4 has all of the quality of life improvements added to the PC ports of the first two Cold Steel games, but a powerful PC will still perform better. Plus mods on PC as well. But Cold Steel 4 isn’t out yet on PC, so playing on PS4 might be necessary depending on how quickly you catch up.
There’s a way to play Hajimari with a fan translation program using a PS4 and a computer, though it does have some logistical complications with players needing to look through lists to translate attacks and items. It’s still very impressive and usable though. Also, on a quick note, Hajimari is not actually the beginning of a 4th arc, but more a single game dedicated to tying up loose ends from the previous arcs and setting the stage for future storylines. It’s very dependent on knowledge from primarily the Cold Steel and the Crossbell games, since it stars the heroes of those games and ties up those plots in particular (since most of the Sky storyline has long since been tied up with a nice little bow).
If you’re concerned about not being able to get into the Sky games because of their dated visuals, it is likely your next best option to start with Cold Steel 1 & 2 to see if the series could catch your interest with slightly more modern games. After finishing CS2, though, it’s highly recommended you use your newfound interest in the franchise to go back and play all of the Sky and Crossbell games before continuing, since Cold Steel 3 and 4 both spoil and are reliant on knowledge of the other arcs to be truly appreciated.
This didn’t end up being as straightforward as I intended at the start...
A thought I’m sure shared by the developers of these games. Lol
You can actually play the Crossbell Duology or the first two chapters of the Cold Steel Quadrilogy in either order as they are happening at the same time. One thing he did not say is that Crossbell is getting a Steam release in the summer of next year.
@@jonathanmarshall2860
It’s still recommended to play in release order because while one major event from CS2 is spoiled in Ao, basically the entire Crossbell arc is spoiled in CS1&2. Especially if you’re reading newspapers, everything is spelled out to you.
Also, I haven’t heard anything about Steam releases for Crossbell next year. I just know about the Switch ports in Asia. Where did you hear about that?
@@Zakemaster To answer your question on the pc port I just happen to come across it on steam's website. The only downside is it will only support Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
As for as spoiling, CS 2 only covers the tree not the whole thing until the end. You have to remember that Crossbell got cut off from the rest of the world for a time. So everything was not made clear what happen unless you played C3.
@@jonathanmarshall2860 I literally replayed CS2 earlier this year. Newspaper articles break down almost every major story beat pre-tree throughout CS1&2, and the Divertesment features multiple direct mentions to events of the Crossbell duology. While, yes, I was being a bit hyperbolic, there are very few twists and turns that you won’t at least have some direct knowledge or strong hints toward. It’s nowhere near the same amount that Crossbell could spoil, since Cold Steel wasn’t even made yet. The Divertesment alone is proof that these games expected you to play Crossbell beforehand, since it’s just weird and jarring without context to just randomly being given control of two characters you’ve never met during the last few hours of a game and to have them at odds with our protagonist. You’re given some context, but not much. Having originally played Cold Steel first, I can tell you that I spent a good chunk of my time during Zero and Ao going “Oh, this is when this is going to happen. Oh yeah, and now this happens.” It just killed a lot of the surprise. I still adored the Crossbell games, but I really wish I’d played them first.
As for the Steam news, that’s honestly great. Even if it doesn’t have translations, it makes it much simpler to acquire legal copies of both games, particularly Ao.
Thank you honestly this series looks fantastic but I don't feel like starting from the very beginning I just want to give it a try and have some fun without necessarily spending months before I can play the more recent games. I think I'll start with the 2 first games of the Cold steel part.
I just started CS 1. This is such a good series! Wish I started this journey earlier this year while stuck in quarantine.
By CS, you mean Cold Steel? If so, why just now? I started that game when it first came out and played it multiple times.
@@whitewolf3051 I had never heard of it before this year. Been on a JRPG binge lately cause not much to do quarantined at home. I'm glad I found it though. It's such a great game, great story and characters.
@@financeoholic Well, glad you started on it at all, even though it was late, I know you will like Cold Steel 2 even more, I know I did. I hope to get Cold Steel 3 & 4 for my Switch. By the way, who is your favorite girl in the Cold Steel arc? Mine is Laura, while I hate Alisa.
@@whitewolf3051 I’m probably going to go back and play Trails in the Sky on steam to get the full story before starting on CS2. And yes, Laura is my favorite too. I’ve always had a preference for strong female characters (Esdeath, Lightning, Mikasa).
@@Morbisus Hey, you're using Laura, the best girl of Cold Steel, as your avatar. Please don't ever change it somewhere down the line.
I agree with Erick. This is my absolute favorite franchise. I started with Trails of Cold Steel I and just finished IV. I am now about 15 hours into Trails in the Sky. If you are new to this series, I recommend starting at the beginning with Sky if you can.
Technically, Hajimari isn't a new Arc, it's more of a "ending game" for the Cold Steel arc, just like how Trials in the Sky the Third is for the Sky arc.
The new Arc is still in development and it's rumored to take place in the Republic of Calvard.
@TheOutkast4ever Exactly. English isn't my native language so some words are always out my reachn when I try to translate them inside my head.
Thank you, at least not another rean suffering
@@hafidhadib1062
Arc 1: The love story and some other stuff happens
Arc 2: Crossbell is a terrible country
Arc 3: Rean suffering and rich people going crazy
I may have missed it, but I didn’t hear you talk about The Geofront’s fantastic PC localization of Trails from Zero and their ongoing work localizing Trails to Azure. These are the definitive western versions of these games right now in my opinion.
3:52 When you check when your final paper is due
"Let's for forget about Nayuta for now" yes let's forget the absolute best Trails game (it's spin off but still damn this game is amazing)
Is there a way to play it in english?
@@revolvingworld2676 yes, there is a English fan patch available for the PSP version. A remastered version was just announced for PS4, I think, I dunno if there is any plans to localize that
@@Tenpouin There is! NIS's channel released videos about it recently.
I just started with trails in the sky fc on my vita this weekend. Here's hoping I can plough through all of them someday :/
is a wonderfull adventure,hopefully u can have the same experience as i am
Amazing game. SC is one of my favorite games of all time. Only thing I'd say is playing on PC is easier due to Turbo mode.
No need to "plow" through anything friend, just take your time and enjoy it. You don't need to get to the last couple games to get to the good stuff by any means, and Id argue I enjoyed Sky the most. One of my favorite stories told, and I hope you think so too
The Crossbell arc is finally getting an official release! Woo!
When it comes to JRPGs, I was usually Dragon Quest or Phantasy Star fan, then I saw and preordered the first Legend of Heroes Trails of Cold Steel, played the heck out of it, and became a fan of the series. I haven’t tried the others in Legend of Heroes yet, but I do like Cold Steel.
Hahaha. Same here. The first time I played one of these games I was very surprised about this new JRPG's series. Simply apotheosic !!
i completed cold steel 1-3 without playing the previous games and i did get a good understanding about many new characters
I think the real problem is 4. I can’t fathom appreciating Cold Steel 4 without playing the Sky and Crossbell games. It’s just too dependent on them.
@@ZakemasterSpoilers for CS3...
Going to the "town destroyed by a landslide" at the end of the first chapter of CS3 would have way more of an impact for someone that played the Sky arc.
@@boltinabottle6307 by no means am I suggesting I recommend this path of playing the games. I’m a diehard proponent of playing in release order, even if that wasn’t how I did it. I’m just pointing out that CS4, in particular, would be a damn nightmare without experiencing the previous arcs.
MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR ALL TRAILS GAMES UP TO CS4 BELOW - WHY ARE YOU HERE IF YOU'RE ON SKY-SC OR CS2?
i wasn't attacking your approach to the series at all. Sorry if that was somehow implied. My comment was meant to supplement your statement of how much one would miss out on if they skip the first two arcs. Especially Sky in CS3. Hamel, Agate and Tita, but the biggest one would be seeing the scars of the Hundred Days War from the Liberlian perspective before going to Hamel. I'd say that's up there with the Pantagruel/ Mille Mirage meeting (but not quite as high up) in terms of needed prior knowledge.
Love me some Trails of games. Just finished Cold Steel 4 and it was amazing!
As a new fan of this series that has really bounced all around in the order, I strongly recommend playing them in release order.
I originally got interested in the series when Cold Steel came out, so I tried that first and really liked it, but I hit a slower part in the game and real life got in the way and I ended up dropping it for quite some time. Long enough that it felt weird to both pick up where I left off but also not really wanting to replay all I had done. Also I remembered constantly running into scenes where it felt like it was referencing characters I should know from previous games, but didn't since I hadn't played them.
So when I restarted the series I went with the first one, Trails in the Sky, and was absolutely hooked on the series by the end of the first game. I had heard it didn't really matter if you played Zero or Cold Steel first, and I was itching to get back to what I remembered in Cold Steel, so I played the first two of them, before then going back to Zero because everyone says you need to be caught up on all games before Cold Steel 3.
The Cold Steel series is way ahead of the other two in terms of graphics though, and has updated combat mechanics and such, so going backwards to Zero gave me really big whiplash, and it really took most of the game to get over that. So for that reason I really strongly recommend people play them in order. If you play Cold Steel first it's going to be harder to get into the older games if you play them close together, and trust me, the series is so good with such an interlinked story that you're absolutely going to want to play them all anyway. So play them in release order and save yourself the whiplash of getting use to the more advanced graphics and gameplay first.
I'm mid-way through SC right now and loving it. They're not 10/10 games, but they do recapture my oldschool JRPG love in a way that I haven't experienced for quite a while.
Not sure I agree with them not being 10/10 games. This has really become my favorite video game series, period.
I would say the games aren't perfect on their own though. It's more amazing what they do over the course of the series. If you're just looking at one game in a vacuum, I'd say they have some issues. But the series as a whole is incredible.
And yeah, it's the same for me. This is really the first old-school style JRPG that I've gotten into a really really long time. I didn't know it was possible for me to still feel this passionate about this style of game.
I was mostly a fan of ys series and started recently with trails of cold steel because I really love falcom . And yes the game is really very very good. Slow start and initially seemed like a persona rip off but it becomes its own think later on . Music ,character development , battle system ,script are all top notch . A paradigm of what a video game company with limited resources but great vision can do
Actually Trails is a spin off of a spin off because all this started with
Dragonslayer: The Legend of Heroes which is part of Falcom's first RPG series called Dragonslayer.
I would say start with FC and go from there by release date but you can also start from ColdSteel 1 but just to the 2nd game, then play Sky and Crossbell just my opinion.
Is there a way to play Dragonslayer The Legend of Heroes on current systems?
@@whitewolf3051 Nope.
It was released only for Japanese computers like the PC 88, MSX, X68000 and console versions for Super Famicom and Japanese playstation and Sega Saturn with Dragon slayer legend of heroes II and the only international release is the Turbo Grafix 16 version released only in America.
@Maxie Plays RPGs No computer at all? Trails 3rd will run on any computer.
@Maxie Plays RPGs The first two games are pretty lengthy, start on them and hopefully you like them, and I bet things will fall into place for you by the time you are ready to play Trails 3rd ;)
@@IkeSan Drat, I wanted to play that after seeing footage of it in one of Eric's other video.
I haven't watched the video yet, but before I do...you need to play all 10, seriously. Sometimes a slow burn but the world-building and character development is worth it.
I have made about 100 hours in Sky fc+sc (on Steam) and I love the story so far! 🥰
ok I'm gonna start the first one today.
Enjoy it and have patience 💚♥️
I started Sky this past February, I'm on Cold Steel 1 now. Its been a hell of a journey so far. Hope you enjoy your own journey.
@@FirstLast-mn4re haha, I’m on the same path you are. Started Sky FC before the pandemic started and am now in chapter 3 of Cold Steel 1
thank you for the this video, im currently on chapter 3 of the first game
Started and finished all the trails of cold steel I - IV and reverie is coming out this week. Wanted to finish the first 3 but don't want to wait to play reverie. Someday though.
Great video!
I totally agree with pretty much everything said in this video, not only for the (deserved) praise towards this series, but also the recommendation in which order to play this series.
Coming back and hearing "next year if we are lucky" regarding Hajimari is funny as fuck
Friend got me hooked on this franchise when he gifted me a copy of Trails of Cold Steel, and ensured my addiction by gifting me Cold Steel II as well.
And now I am on a quest to get the entire franchise.
Fortunately, it looks like the Crossbell Saga is coming to Steam, though unknown if it will have an english translation or not.
Finaly! I have those games and wanted to start them soon.
I picked up Trails in the Sky in the recent Humble sale. Not sure when I’ll get to it but looking forward to playing it
I've only played the first Trails in the Sky on PS Vita last year. It was actually pretty great but I haven't had time to jump into SC.
It only gets better from there honestly. Trails in the sky FC is solid, but it doesn't give you anywhere close to the whole picture. Whenever you jump back into SC, I recommend just refreshing yourself on the plot of FC and the building of the story and the characters, because the sequel takes place directly after the ending and everything has more weight if its fresh on your mind. Basically FC and SC are one game honestly
Where can I download all of them into my vita? Im new to all of this
@@killgronia5815 Well I'd recommend playing on PC if possible just for the turbo feature and better graphics if possible (vita version isn't bad at all, those other aspects are just something to consider). If you play on vita instead though, you'd either need to buy the games (they've been localised in the west officially already) or you'd need to run custom firmware and download them that way. The way to do that is pretty straightforward, just make sure you follow a guide's exact directions and its a guide that is up to date to your current Vita's firmware version
@@PantsaBear yeah i was reading all the steps for the vita download and it all sounded way too complicated. The pc seems like the way to go. I just won trials in the sky in a Ebay auction and want to continue the story right away.
@@killgronia5815 It honestly sounds more complicated than it probably is and you only do it once, but yeah I feel you. It's also on steam and pretty much any pc digital storefront if you wanna give it a go. I'm not sure what you meant when you said you won it on auction lol, but yeah you're absolutely gonna wanna play SC right after the first Trails in the Sky, and the 3rd one is actually my favorite I think
Just finished crosbell duology with geofront translation, wonderful game
I completed all three Trails in the Sky recently. The games are just great.
I'm kinda bothered that you did not mention the geofront english translation for zero and azurer(still in development) for PC version. Also it has higher quality translation compared to the English patch for the PSP version I believe. Nice video thou even thou I don't necessarily needed it, but to show more love and appreciation to the trails series. I'll take it.
Eric is realy not a fan of pc gaming.
Yeah pretty sure the pc versions are the definitive versions across the board for all of the games (where it's available), but he said otherwise. I'm ok if he prefers playing on a console or handheld, but it just isn't true that those versions are the definitive versions. Even the crossbell games, which have 'enhanced' graphics and music, alot of the old fanbase (and myself) prefer the originals more. I'm not even a 2d is better than 3d guy, but I just think they did a better job animating the 2d sprite expressions in the dialogues than the 3d talking heads do in those versions.
Falcom was mainly a pc developer for years, with Sky being like their first console release back in the day, so I don't really get console junkys with the original trails stuff. I understand being a collector, but Sky and the Crossbell arc are meant to be played on pc honestly, official and geofront versions, and they can run on any modern computer
@@PantsaBear sky was a console port, the original was on pc actually, we just got the psp port in the west first but in Japan the pc version came first. But our pc version has enhanced features like a turbo button, graphical scaling, etc. We also get the bonus psp only content in Sc. My understanding is that were the 2 new playable characters for the final chapter of SC (whom I didnt use anyway)
I played Trails in the sky fc, sc and now i am through the 3rd, and is a so, so great series! with each game you wanna know more, so many great characters, so many mysteries, the world building is so great... wish more people play this in the future so we surely get more games of this series...
(sorry for the english)
I don't know I started trails in the sky buy I found it very boring,drop it after a while,I am going to start with cold steel hopefully I will enjoy that one
@@koladearasanmi2005 absolutely understandable FC starts soooooo freaking slow. Even Compared to any other falcom game. (Trails games are all slow, but FC is the slowest)
Having played cs 1 and 2 gave me the addiction and patience to play sky.
This is my favorite RPG series
I think you can start with every arc, and play the past games as a prequel later
This was so helpful. Thank you.
If i can recommended, you can start from 3 games
Sky arc: first chapter
Crossbell arc: zero no Kiseki
Cold steel arc: cold steel 1
Since this trio is a beginning to know the game you will play and does not need a save clear from other previous (like zero no Kiseki doesn't need you player to have clear save data from sky third). But most important, when you done and entering new arc: they will mention something in the future or past from which perspective MC is (like how liberl is, how Crossbell is and how erebonia is) so that you WON'T felt like did we Miss a pages?
I really don't mind playing older game (Old School in graphics and gameplay), actually I love this type of games as long there is a tremendous story/lore on it + JRPG vibe on it & a vast world to explore.
There's really no game series with as much lore as this one. 10 games in and more still being made with all games building upon the same story, world, and many of the same characters.
The answer you give seems to make a lot of sense to me. You get a strong and relevant experience to build on with that sub-series. I would of course like to start at the beginning but that may be hard to do, especially to commit that kind of time to.
This franchise isn’t the kind of series you dive into half-heartedly, to be honest. While it is a (very large) time commitment, to be sure, no matter how you play this franchise, you’re depriving yourself by not playing every mainline game. If you start with a later arc, you’re deprived of necessary context and investment to fully appreciate the story. If you only want to play a single arc, there are multiple story threads you won’t get closure for and will never see how certain characters’ stories end.
There’s no rush for playing through the series, since there is plenty of RPG goodness to enjoy at your own pace. The games are actually built to support this kind of play, since they tend to be more slow-burn stories with lots of world building in the beginning of each arc, really making sure you dive into the lives of the people you meet and really understand the way the world works. The more time and attention you put into these games, the more you get out of them. You could just bust through the games, missing side quests and not talking to townspeople, and still get a pretty solid understanding of the story and love the games, but you wouldn’t, for instance, know the nine game long story of Anton and his quest for love all around the continent. You wouldn’t follow the story of a pair of kids from different social classes come together and find friendship and possibly even the beginnings of love as they bond over surprisingly shared interests. And you wouldn’t be able to fully understand the kind of horror a little girl had to endure just to survive, and why exactly the love of somebody who should be her enemy could be so immensely powerful and transformative.
Basically, don’t be afraid of how many games you would need to play to catch up in the series. Instead, be happy as hell that there are currently 10 amazing games that you could play that all exist in the same world and are working together to tell a truly Epic tale, and that you’ll be able to enjoy each one as much as you want. I think it’s better to think of it more as an great opportunity instead of a large commitment.
One of my favorite jrpg, why so underrated, sky sc still my favorite
Hey Erick, I just bought a Vita and a physical copy of the first game to play it! I can't wait till it all arrives in the mail. Thanks for this recommendation.
You should start from the beginning because one of the main appeals to this series is the lore of the world and all the little things about it that they feed you along the way. The banter between characters and watching them grow is what makes these games so good.
To add an additional storyline between Sora no Kiseki and Zero no Kiseki there's a Manga that you can read and title is Eiyuu Densetsu: Rei no Kiseki Play Story - Shinpan no Yubiwa (Zero no Kiseki Ring of Judgement). it only has 1 Volume with 4 chapters, thou they link both Sora no Kiseki and Zero no Kiseki.
Amazing games, hope more people get into the trails series
I have always loved playing JRPGS since the Gamecube with all the gems like Skies of Arcadia Legends (♡), Baten Kaïtos, Tales of, Fire Emblem, etc.
On PS4 I discovered Ys VIII which is excellent.
Regarding the Trails series, I started with Trails in the Sky with the beautiful limited edition :P. I really liked this game. Really.
Then I decided to give a chance to the Trails of Cold Steel series, and I started with the remastered versions on PS4. I recently finished the 2nd and I enjoyed it more than the very first game! ^^'
They added an option to change the difficulty during the game after a loss and another option to make exploration and combats quicker! That was really a good thing. And there is more... action. The only bad thing is that you see many of the environments you have spent so much time in the furst game...
So I hope the 3 will be a good surprise and from what I see from the recent 4th game, it looks better technically, finally! ^^'
Thanks for your video ! I was really interested in playgin those games, but I didn't know where to start from ! And now, I know ! :)
Thanks again from France ;)
Newbie here) Just started CS3 (because bought with CS4 on EGS sales) and agreed - thats the problem when you started arc in mid, and overall story too. And this is problem, if you see steam sale data you will see there much small amount of people bought 4 then 3. (and i think 3
well now we know exactly when we get the crossbell arc games.
Just be aware that the best way to play the Crossbell Arc is definitely on PC so you can use the Geofront localization. I call it localization because the quality they put on this game is even better than other publishers localizing JPN games. The games themselves can be run on any PC as they are not performance extensive but Geofront is the way to go for these games
Worth noting they are still translating / modding the 2nd Crossbell game. They've finished the first pass, and are 60% through the second pass of editing. Worth the wait though, as you mentioned, the work they do is phenomenal. You know they're a passionate bunch when they don't accept donations!
I started with CS1 and CS2 on the PS Vita, loved both games. While waiting for CS3 i played trails in the sky one, trails in the sky SC, and the two games of the Crossbell arc (with the shitty translation), played all this games on my PS Vita.
Now that i finished playing CS4 i can say for sure, is very important the back story to fully understand the Cold Steel games, especially CS3 and CS4. CS1 and CS2 are pretty much their own story.
One of my top best JRPG games series.
I played sky first but I played cold steel before crossbell and I regret it. I wish I had played crosbell before cold steel 3. I’m in the middle of cold steel 4 atm
Dude nice song choice. Regular+Zanmai Inevitable struggle is my fave trails song!
edit: done video.. ooh yeah. I also like the Naughty children version of overwhelming heavenly bliss or whatever the song name is called..
PRETTTYY Sure the steam version is the 'definitive' version of sky though, and has the most refined translation for the Crossbell games (well not steam but PC in that regard).
Nayuta has no connection currently BUT SPOILER
There is a theory that Ouroboros's Grandmaster is actually a character from this spinn-off.
I've just finished trails of cold steel II. Such a good game.
i just finished Trails in the Sky SC and absolutely agree that this series is amazing! it is far and above my favorite JRPG series now, and I haven't even touched the Cold Steel games yet!
Even though some say you can skip Sky The Third, you should definitely play that one too. The last 3 chapters of that are game are definitely a high point in the series for me personally. Plus it does a good job at priming you for the later 2 arcs.
@@FirstLast-mn4re thanks for the head's up - i am definitely playing the Third!! :) i love that i enjoy these games so much and there are so many of them haha
@@FirstLast-mn4re Gosh, you can't skip the Third. There's a lot of important character info in that that would really lessen the emotional impact of stuff to come.
I would warn though that the Third is a very different thing. Don't expect it to be another full game like the first two games. Consider it more an ending chapter, wrapping things up before the series continues on.
i own a couple trails games & the original 3 hold up well on pc. Much better than rpgmaker games & trails of steel elevates character development. i have over 90 hrs in the 1st game & havent beat it yet. Have the 2nd one too. i'm excited for Cyberpunk tomorrow! hoping it's a good rpg with great choice & consequence.
Don't play the vita versions of Zero and Ao. The Geofront is incredibly well written and easily the definitive version. Zero is already out and Ao will be done in a couple months
Wait so is it just a patch and if so which version of the game should I get for the patch?
@@weebmaster6950 It's an English patch you pur onto the Japanes version. Go to Geofront.esterior.net and it should tell you what you need.
yeah it baffles me that he's reccing the older translations over geofront's
just started playing after watching this video!!!!
On Steam there are mods for Trails in the Sky that makes it look like the Vita version, with Japanese voice over and everything ;3
And thank god we're gonna officially get Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure in the next few years
Ok I beat the first Trail's in the Sky but it was rough. Everyone said you have to get past the orphanage part and the story picks up and that's true but if you're new to the series this could put you off. Cause that's like 75% of the first game.
Not all heroes wear capes, some of them play hundreds of hours of JRPGs and give us the roadmap to follow in their footsteps lol. I love Rean Schwarzer and Class 7 but I'm also looking forward to checking out the Crossbell games next.
Been waiting for more Trails content!!!
PSA the PS Vita store is shutting down in August. If you're like me and you don't have a PC but have a Vita, might wanna hop on Trails in the Sky now. I've never played but I've been eyeing Sky and Sky SC
I'm finishing up trails in sky
Nice I was thinking about asking this under the most time spend on an RPG vid you did!
Imma just play CS 1-4 just finished the second one. Even if i don't know the characters from the older games then
I started last week on Cold Steel 1
I really need to get my hands on Trails in the Sky.
There's a certain plot point in Cold Steel IV that could very well connect Trails to the other games (Nayuta, Gagharv, etc.) Of course, it's all just speculation but I wouldn't discount that there are connections between them just yet.
IM about to start
I played Cold Steel 1 before start with Sky series, now I'm in Zero.
There is some HEAVY spoilers of trails series even in Cs 1 (At least for me) and things that happened in sky 2 have long term repercussions for cold steel series.
Now you make me want to buy all the series ....
As far as I can tell: If you like graphics over story you CAN start CS1 and 2, but you should stop just after the final dungeon since the epilogue is a spoiler for the previous games.
Then, if you want, you can start the Sky series, you cannot start the Zero/Azure series because it's just not self contained as CS1 and 2.
Also, a certain scene in CS2 itself loses a LOT of effect once you see it from the thors perspective, because you SHOULD have seen that same situation from inside first.
About the sky series, I don't own a Vita and I'm not into trying to patch a lot of games to translate them but it is possible to have the artwork, intro and voice acting on the Steam version via mods, but you need to use an "old" build of the game via the Beta tab on the Steam property for the game, because they always update the game with the most annoyingly NOTHING useful that always break the mods.ALWAYS.
I mean, fixing all the black spots on screen because the games weren't made for widescreen they don't do, but fixing stuff that don't bother anyone they do a LOT. xD
The EVOLUTION voice acting just gives the game a new paint and a LOT of personality, since the sky series has the best writing so far, mostly because Olivert and Estelle are just top tier star dialogues through the entire games AND the comedy there is stronger than other games in the series.
It is also possible to add the EVO music to the game too, which is awesome.
Would love it if Falcom got their shit together and at the very least released all of the 3rd Saga on one platform in English so we could play them in order without having to jump through so many hoops.
I know the Western publishing rights are probably still split between two publishers, but what this series really needs are box set re-releases of each sub-arc. I know Falcom feels like their audience is on PC/PS, and I wouldn't want to see them left out, but tbh Switch would see like the logical place to start right now. Its general ecosystem is very friendly towards games with lower graphical fidelity, everyone in Japan owns one, and it's been the best selling console in the West two two straight years. it's the inheritor of the Nintendo portable legacy which has a very deep history with jrpgs, has a built-in jrpg audience through flagship series like Fire Emblem, Xeno & Pokemon, and this type of game is perfect for portables to begin with (hence its PSP/Vita success). And of course, the games would be new to that audience.
Good news, Trails fans! NIS is releasing Azure, Zero, Nayuta, and Hajimari to the west! Hajimari is coming in 2023, so the others may be around that time.
I really appreciate these videos. Very helpful, also 500 likes with 1 dislike, i bet it was a misclick
Got the English patches for FC, SC, 3rd and Zero on Vita and the patched version of Azure on PSP. Hopefully by the time I get to Azure the Vita patch is out. And hopefully by the time I'm done with Cold Steel 3 that 4 has come out on the Switch. Loving FC so far, so I've gone all-in, damn it.
How you gonna not mention the Geofront translation mod for Zero and Ao? Granted the Ao mod is not finished yet but the Geofront translations will be the definitive version and the best way to play the Crossbell games barring an official translation which may not ever happen given the fact that. NISA will likely (and rightly) prioritize newer titles like Hajimari and Kuro.
Even though I started with Cold Steel 1 and 2 I do believe the best way to experience the Trails series is in order.
1. Trails in the Sky (some times referred to as FC for "First chapter")
2. Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter (SC)
3. Trails in the Sky: The 3rd
4. Zero No Kiseki (AKA Trails from Zero) *With the Geofront translation mod*
5. Ao No Kiseki (AKA Trails to Azure) *Geofront translation mod soon to be released* If you can't wait you can use the flame edit translation.
6. Trails of Cold Steel
7. Trails of Cold Steel 2
8. Trails of Cold Steel 3
9. Trails of Cold Steel 4
10. Hajimari No Kiseki (English Title TBD but literal translation is "Trails of the Beginning" no official translation announced as of yet but is highly likely to happen)
For the most part the best experience will result from playing the games in this order. You CAN play Cold Steel 1 and 2 really when ever you would like but they do contain some relatively small spoilers (by comparison to what other games spoil about previous games). Both Cold steel 1 and 2 will contain a significant character spoiler for Trails in the Sky FC. Cold Steel 2 will contain a significant yet undetailed event spoiler for Trails to Azure. Cold Steel 2 does also contain a very small spoiler for both Zero and Azure in it's prologue that personally I did not even recognize as a spoiler initially until after playing the Crossbell arc. It should go without saying that Cold Steel 2 will also contain significant spoilers for Cold Steel 1 as it picks up literally minutes of in-game time after the final scene of Cold Steel 1. Out side of those few instances there are no note worthy spoilers so they are relatively safe again by comparison to pretty much every other title most of which will spoil entire plotlines of previous titles. If I could go back and do it over I'd play then all in order instead of starting with Cold Steel 1.
Zero no Kiseki has a translation for pc now, of geofront, which is very very good, they even improve graphics. And these themselves have almost finished another translation for Ao no Kiseki.
You could get away with playing Trails of Cold Steel I and II, although I would not recommend to play that last part of of Cold Steel II after the story climax. There are really heavy spoilers about the Crosbell series, and the revelation of a certain instructor would have far less impact without having played Trails in the Sky Second Chapter. However - New players that start with Cold Steel could be a bit overwhelmed at the start by the info-dump about orbal technology, and the history of the Zemuria continent. And yes - You should NOT EVER start with Trails of Cold Steel III. I have seen TH-cam "walk-throughs" of Cold Steel III from people that clearly have not played the previous games. They where completely emotionless when key figures from those previous games (Sky and Crossbell) showed up at the start of the game. It was really painful to see, and they had clearly not the faintest idea about the impact those appearances had. And that is even more obvious during the rest of the game.
If you take that all in consideration then indeed - Starting with Trails in the Sky is really the only option if you want to through the full experience. Way back I started with Trails of Cold Steel I, but even before finishing the first half of the first chapter, I noticed in several posts on the game platform that this was a game in a whole series. So I decided to put CS on hold and started with Trails in the Sky. That was without any doubt the best decision I ever made. I am still grateful to everybody that pointed out Trails in the Sky for me!
As a side remark. I am personally convinced that the best to play the whole series is on the PC platform. Not only you get better resolutions, configuration and menu systems for the games, but the games are highly moddable. For instance - You can easily incorporate the (Japanese) voice acting into the game. Especially the Crossbell series have, or get, very nice improvements in that department. The guy's at Geofront did not only gave a superb translation, but also made big improvements to the whole appearance and configuration of the game. And on top of that - You still can add in things like voice acting and background music from the Vita version. They are on their way (and have made very good progress) to do the same for the second part of the Crosbell arc. I truly recommend to use the Geofront upgrades.
CS3 spoilers...
Yeah anyone that started from the beginning would have freaked out about going to Hamel for the first time.
There's something in Nayuta that makes me think it's connected to the main series after playing CS4.
Good luck man, these games CAN be pretty long. Erick beat them in 50-60 hours just in the main story, but I didn't want to stop playing cold steel 3 so I put 230 hours in to platinum, but I've flirted with 100 hours in the first 3 cold steel games, and am about halfway done with 4 and I'm pushing 70 hours.
Plan accordingly. You can do it!
Yeah, I’m with you, AkiraX. It was really easy to consider Nayuta out of canon until that bombshell near the end of CS4... now it may be a very important piece of the puzzle.
I began with the first Trails of Cold Steel on PS4 and don't have problems to understand the whole Story
Agreed
right now im playing prophecy of the moon light witch; planning on play all of legend of heroes.
I really wish I liked Moonlight Witch more than I did. I just found it really tropey and way too slow. I greatly preferred Tear of Vermillion and Song of the Ocean.
And I love every single one of the Trails games more than any of those three, so it’s all uphill from there, my friend.
@@Zakemaster I knew it was the weakest entry but im planning to play all the games from this point onword. this is my first legend of heroes game but already have the trails in the sky series for pc and later will get the trails of cold steel too.
Trails zero is already translated you need the original Japanese files for both the azure patch is 60% done
geofront.esterior.net/category/trails-to-azure/updates-trails-to-azure/
I tried Cold steel 3 demo on switch and felt like I'm supposed to know what happened before. So now I'm waiting for cold steel 1 and 2. (heard it will be on switch around summer 2021)
That's correct but I wonder if the ports will come over to the west. I asked both XSEED and Marvelous who have the translation rights and they told me that they don't intend to release them in the west. I hope NIS America can help out.
@@DerTendou Hey! you just stepped on my hope. Maybe the Asian version will have eng subs. If so, there is possibility, it will appear in Europe. But lets hope they will release it in west.
@@noxmadness7342 let's hope they change their minds because Trails becomes more popular every day. The Crossbell games come also to the Switch in february in Japan and it would make sense to bring all the games over because the Switch is still hot.
If have a ps4 you can buy them on the store
@@koladearasanmi2005 Yeah sure, you can also buy the first two games on the PS3, PSP or Steam.
thx
I picked up the Sky trilogy on GOG just a little while ago, and I have CS 1 on my PS4. I'm hoping for a big sale to pick up the other CS games, but I don't know if I want to buy the PC versions of Ao and Zero and get the fan translations, or wait and pray for a western release announcement.
While western release isn't out of the question, I wouldn't expect it anytime soon (also, the azure patch should release this march, so...)
The Erebonian Arc (Cold Steel) is currently the best in the Trails series, in my view. I'd start with that one. Sky's gameplay is antiquated for most young jrpg players (but I'm used to jrpgs of old). Pay no mind to what is the correct canon order - it's irrelevant.
I think you’re partially right. The die hards who say you HAVE to start with the Sky Trilogy I think are wrong. Casual players can start with Cold Steel and be fine, but if you are someone who is really looking to get the full experience while being prepared to sink 50+ hours into every game then starting with Sky is the ideal choice. That’s what I did and I have played up to chapter 3 of Cold Steel 1 so far and it has payed off. A lot of people think the Sky games are the best of the bunch, but I tend more to agree with you. They have been my least favorite arc so far. Crossbell surpasses them in every way in my opinion and CS1 I like better so far as well.
I remember Mother's Basement made a video about the world building in the trails games. I haven't played any, if it's a quality rpg I'll probably play at least one game in the series some day, but it doesn't really seem that unique to me. It kind of looks like a more generic FFVIII, but with multi-kingdom conflicts.
The uniqueness of the Trails series is on the micro level, and not the macro level.
Big picture, there’s nothing in these games you haven’t seen before. Ancient dead advanced civilization. Fantasy world with monsters and magic. An empire that really loves conquering other nations. It’s in the minutia and the long-form story telling that the series truly feels alive and special.
Every part of the world building in Trails is carefully considered. Okay, well, there was an ancient civilization with advanced technology. How would that affect the world today? How would the world treat technology from that civilization? How would the survivors of that fallen civilization have started to rebuild society after they lost their connections to the technology that nearly destroyed them? What power structures and organizations would be created as a result of this new vacuum of power? Since people now fear the power of the ancient technology of the dead civilization, how would they respond to new advancements that start to replicate the power they once lost? How does the advent of magical power transform a world’s development?
Basically, nothing in this world is just done because it’s an easy choice. Everything has an explanation and a motivation behind why it exists. Everything operates under consistent logic. It’s a world that has a ton of thought behind every person in every town in every country. And it’s up to the player how deep or shallow they experience that immersion.
The other thing that truly makes the series unique is what the effects of telling a single overall story over the course of multiple games and arcs truly end up being. There are plot threads that span over the course of multiple games, questions that may be brought up in one game and answered in another years later. You follow some characters as they mature and grow from constant struggles, going from naive kids to accomplished adults that are now mentoring the next generation of heroes. You come to know this world and it’s people so damn well that as all of the pieces of the puzzle slowly start to come together, it feels like every revelation and answer is something that you’ve earned.
The story of the Trails series is truly Epic in its most literal definition. And though each game and arc on its own is a great JRPG with a well told story and lovable characters, it’s as a fraction of the whole where each entry really shines. There really hasn’t been a game series like this before, but only playing a single one of its games won’t allow you to properly appreciate exactly what it brings to the table. There is the story of a character, a young girl, told over four different games in two different arcs, that is one of the most emotional, disturbing, and powerful character arcs I’ve ever experienced in any media. And it wasn’t ever the main focus of any of the games. Because when you’re telling a story over such a long period of time, you’re free to be able to let stories organically develop over a long period of time. And it’s truly something to behold.
So yeah, these games may seem generic on the surface, but they’re really anything but. I promise you that.
@@Zakemaster I appreciate the time and effort you put into that reply. I have a better idea what the appeal is. However, from the outside looking in, something I am always wary of is if you have to play multiple entries (or an entire series) for it to seem special. Because there are plenty of other games that stand on their own well and elevate each other by playing more.
@@urmanascrewed hey, I can totally understand that. And this series isn’t for everyone. These games are an experiment in truly long-term, epic storytelling in video games. Each arc stands up fine on their own and are very enjoyable, but the only way to truly appreciate what it’s doing is by diving in to the entire franchise. Is that a limitation of the series? Yes. But it’s also it’s greatest strength, and is basically the only example of its kind in the industry to this degree. There are plenty of other games that you can dive in as stand alone experiences, but Trails is pretty one of a kind at what it offers. It definitely isn’t a series to dive into if you’re just looking to play a quick game or two. These games are long and dense. They very much appeal to only a specific niche of RPG fans. And if you don’t think that’s for you, then realistically, it probably isn’t. No shame in that.
@@Zakemaster it is not an only example :) Rance series is another. 10 games - huge lore and interconnection. 30 years of development.
Recommending fan-translated VITA versions of Trails in the Sky needs to add an important fact: You must own a hacked PSVITA. You can't permanently hack your PSVITA if it is on the latest firmware. You must re-install the hack every time you reboot your system. Although it's doable it doesn't add to the comfort of playing.
I think it's pretty obvious where to start - Falcom released Trails in the Sky trilogy in English first and note that it's very text heavy therefore hard to translate, even inside games it's mentioned in several chests that translation was a nightmare for localization team 😂 Also I heard Falcom thinks about re-release of TitS cause it's important entry point for entire series. I mean PSP and Vita are dead now, and you can currently play TITS only on PC or PS3.
Hajimari isn't an arc, it's a standalone game that symbolizes the aftermath of cold steel 4 and what happened to essentially everyone after the game
Not a new arc, the new arc was already confirmed to be on a new engine and situated in the Eastern Zemuria (most likely Calvard)
Also are you completely unaware of the Akatsuki no Kiseki title?
Trails of CS 4 is so frigging expensive on PS right now, i'll wait for Steam release...
I got it for 35$ on amazon November.
Discounts were clutch
@@spiritualsoul2711 Shipping to Russia negates all saving from Amazon unfortunately :(