Wow. In 2016 I started playing all the main line final fantasy games in order. I made it to 10 hours into FF4 before I needed a break from the same style of game. I then jumped to 7 to play that with my brother and kinda lost Interest since I didn't play them in order. I should go.back to 4 though
Where to start ? Start with whichever game you like but know that if you became a fan you're eventually going to return to the titles you didn't play So where to start The definitive best Answer will always be by release order AKA the trails in the sky trilogy
this is the best answer, right here. I started with cold steal played all of them and then when backwards from there. also small thing to note is to go in by the JP release order, over in the west they are out of order
I started with cold steel myself, I didn't feel like I missed out on any information. It felt like a complete experience in itself. (until cold steel 4 at least) I say as long as you start at the beginning an Arc then you'll be okay.
Been going through the series myself over the last two-ish years and I'm at Cold Steel 3 at the moment. I might not have caught up in time for Daybreak but I will for the next one! 😇 It's such an amazing series. Well worth the time to invest!
Exactly, I see some Trails fans constantly tell people "start with Zero, start with Cold Steel, then you can go back and play Sky etc". Why? Don't they know characters, events, and backstories from Sky are spoiled if they start anywhere else.
You either start in a first game in a new arc and then go backwards or look up story summaries. Or you just start from trails in the sky FC. Trails in the sky3rd is not skippable
100% agree with this! I've started with Daybreak and very fast got intrigued by Renne.... Well countless hours later, I can name about 75% of the cast in Hajimari no Kiseki (Trails into Reverie) and have already looked into the story events of Kuro 2 and Kai. Definitely an intriguing overarching plot and mostly well written, lovable characters
I fell into Cold Steel heavily when the pandemic picked up in 2020, 100% cold steel 1-3 but hit major burn out when 4 dropped and still haven't come back. I love the world, and I will come back, but the backlog demon is always growing. Side note, I don't know if you meant to not mention Trails into Reverie, but I believe that's like an epilouge game after everything but before Daybreak. (I still haven't gotten to this one either 😢 )
I didn't go in a perfect order but it mostly worked.. Granted I haven't even finished every game myself if I had to do it over again I'd go Cold Steel 1-4, Sky trilogy, Crossbell duology, Reverie, then Boundless.. I can't comment on Daybreak yet cause hadn't played
I’m in a similar spot, I finally started from Sky 1 about a year and a half ago and when I got to the true final dungeon during the epilogue in Cold Steel 2 (after playing through all of the Liberl & Crossbell arcs) roughly 2 months ago I just wanted that game to be over with so I put it down to take a break & still haven’t gotten back to it😅
I would love a Trails in the Sky port to PS5, Switch, ect .. Something in line with the Crossbell series for the Sky series! Seems how it just passed the 20th anniversary of the first game I think they should do something with that, they must know it would be like printing money!!
Well, I would suggest NOT skipping Sky 3rd personally, despite what David says. It's an epilogue game for the 1st 2, but it also really sets up the rest of the series & is a very good game in it's own right too!
Skipping Sky the 3rd is like skipping the Avenger films, even though you watch Marvel movies. But to a much more significant degree. Sky the 3rd heavily sets up the plot for the next 7 games and on. You will be missing out on much more than that as well. Character development, world building, and playing your Sky trilogy dream team(s) throughout the vast majority of the game. As well as play as characters you didn't get to play as before, like Renne.
From August to December last year, all I played was Trails, from Zero through Reverie. I had watched recap videos of Sky Trilogy, but have since gone back and started the first three. Having beaten SC just last night and prepping to play The 3rd later, I can say that the _entire_ series is a worthwhile investment, and starting with the first game would’ve been better, although Zero was a great starting place with the recaps. Trails has become my favorite game series of all time and I’m happily planning on NG+ of every single game after beating The 3rd until I get to Daybreak - even if that means not playing it at launch!
A good idea for a video. Tropes you hate in video games. The Trails games have a ton too. Every boss battle goes like this... you kick their ass, they weren't trying hard/using all their power so you didn't actually win. They power up and are about to take you out but at the last second somebody shows up to save you and fight them off. The same people eventually join your squad but are for some reason no stronger than you are. Another one is no one is actually ever dead. Also the main characters are oblivious to the opposite sex and at no point even consider doing stuff with a person whose throwing themselves all over them.
Yes. You hear some callbacks to from earlier arcs in the franchise's other regions, but the games do come with a library of important info in the start menu to help get you up to speed with the basic information and world building, plus every arc of games is mostly self contained.
@@nuriko455The games do a good job of telling you all the info you need to know, they also do a good job at hyping up moments you should be hyped about. While the pay off would be better if you played them in a row, it’s not nearly as bad as people would lead you to believe.
Even if they weren't all a connected story, I'd still want to play em all just because they look like a ton of fun. I have started a Sky FC save that I want to get back to soon, though I couldn't resist the Daybreak demo and man, I am already charmed by the characters and setting!
You can start from another arc, but personally, i feel like the overall best experience with the story will be starting from the beginning and working your way through the games. It is a commitment, but it is so worth it.
I've only played Sky FC and SC so far, and for some reason the thing that surprised me most here is seeing that Calvard at 3:20 just has roads and cars and trucks lmao I was not expecting that
I really appreciate this, I have wanted to get into this series but the amount of games and the thought of having to start all the way back with the og psp games has been a big hurdle.
Steam has the three Trails in the Sky games. Honestly I’d recommend playing them. They’re really good games and events and characters are referenced in the later games. Don’t be overwhelmed, take them one game at a time! 😊
I appreciate this! I finished Sky part 1 and started part 2 a while back, but have been a little overwhelmed with the order in which i should start picking up the other games when they go on sale lol
Started with Cold Steel 1-2, went back to Sky and Crossbell, then replayed 1-2 before starting 3. Having those small lore gaps filled in and being more familiar with the world made those replays so enjoyable and refreshing. David is absolutely correct, pick a game that looks really interesting to you and just play it. I literally had Cold Steel on my wishlist because I thought the title and art looked cool, after my friend gifted to me as a b-day present I had no idea the massive hole I was going into nor would it be one of my most favorite games/series. Had I started with Sky, I might've been deterred from the series due to a few poorly aged mechanics.
I also started with Cold Steel 1 and because of the massive cliffhanger I played Cold Steel right after that. Then I dropped it in the epilogue because of you playing those characters I had not heard about before and after that I decided to start from the beginning. So far I played Sky FC and Sky SC and once Sky 3 is on sale on Steam I will get that and continue
YTers really ought to credit the music creators in the videos. "The Adventures of Class VII - A Trails of Cold Steel Medley" from Everything Fantasy if anyone is curious.
I skipped ahead to play the demo of one of the Cold Steel games to see how the series had progressed, and just in the DEMO alone, I got a MAJOR REVEAL SPOILED about one of the main character's secrets. There was this whole big reveal scene in Second Chapter where we are supposed to find out with the other characters... The people who say "start anywhere" are full of it.
@@fabriciofla8019problem is Cold Steel 1 and 2 didn’t release on Switch, so most people played the free demo of Cold Steel 3 spoilt it. I still don’t get why they never released 1 and 2 but 3 and 4 on switch.
I've played through Cold Steel and have Trails from Zero/Azure to go next. The only games I don't have are the Sky trilogy. I really hope these get remastered/remade for current consoles.
This is what I'm hoping to find out. I still need to get the original Trails in the Sky trilogy. I may also need to invest in another Vita Memory Card because the one I have may have some issues.
Hi David! My first Trails game was Trails in the Sky. However, the first Trails game I FINISHED was Trails of Cold Steel . And now, I am currently working through Trails from Zero. So yeah, I am all over the place. 😄Have a blessed day David and everyone commenting!
I started with Trails of Cold Steel as my first Trails game on PS Vita. I tried to get into Sky but unfortunately the remaining games were on PC which I didn’t have at that time and the Crossbell games were not localized yet. Played through Cold Steel 1 & 2 on Vita and 3 & 4 on Switch.
Started from Trails in the Sky when I bought it from GOG. Glad that Sky 2 was already released on GOG by the time I finished the first one. Because if you know the ending.... Played every one since and I'll be ordering the Sky remakes whenever they get announced to complete my physical collection.
I think the Steam Deck is quite honestly the perfect way to play through the series, plus there’s mods which aren’t too difficult to get installed to let you play through the Sky trilogy with voice acting and other improvements from the Evo releases that never came to the West 😁
Bought a Steam Deck a few months ago so that I can play the whole Sky trilogy (since 3 isn’t available on Vita). Playing Star Ocean 1&2 remakes now then thinking I may finally jump down the Trails rabbit hole
I think if you're adamant about playing through the entire series you should start with sky FC, but if you're on the fence I think cold steel 1 is the best starting point (may change my opinion after I play through daybreak)
The more you play the Trails series the more you realize the ongoing theme of newer generations cleaning up the sins of the fathers, and despite multiple conflicts and supernatural events everyone ultimately wants the same thing but has to learn to not to be as myopic as how they started. I think Daybreak will be an excellent starting point, because the protagonist is past that adolescent age and can offer a new perspective on the events going on. If anything, he is a product of stuff that's happened since Sky.
As a purest I would say, start from the beginining, but realistically if you a follow a general rule of starting with any first game in an arc, your ok. So for example, Cold steel 1, Trails from Zero, or Trails in the sky. But never start in the middle of an arc like Trails to azure or Trails of cold steel 3, ect. Since Trails of daybreak is the start of a brand new arc, then it is ok to play that if you want to but don't skip to Fairwell to Zemuria lol
@@tuxb it's the last of the cold steel arc basically cold steel 5 or crossbell final so it would be the absolute worst place to start it's like starting breaking bad from Season 5
Trails series is a personal Top 3 JRPG for me these days. I started with the rerelease of Trails from Zero and got hooked right away!! The order I played in from that point was a little over the place (I was holding out for Trails into the Sky rerelease). After Zero I played Cold Steel 1 and 2 then at that time Trails to Azure re-release came out. After that I played Cold Steel 3, then decided to emulate Trails into the Sky (but want to hold out for a physical release to play the rest). Im currently half way into Cold Steel 4 and have yet to play Reverie despite having bought the limited edition a year ago haha. Ive been taking my time with these games, doing as many side quest as I can. Also talking to NPCs really makes this world feel alive and connected in a way most series dont... so most my play times have been between 90 to 125 hours.
I have to disagree that Daybreak is separate in the way you state. It starts that way, much like Cold Steel starts in a way where it seems independent of earlier games. But earlier events and characters have a little more relevance in Daybreak II, and based upon the preview material for Kai no Kiseki (Japanese name for the coming 3rd game in the Arc - probably "Daybreak III"), the entire roster of older characters and all storylines throughout the entire series from Sky, Crossbell, & Cold Steel plus Daybreak will all collide & climax here. Daybreak I, much like Cold Steel I, could be a good place to start to see if you want to delve into the series. But if you decide to take it up, it will require going back and playing the older games to avoid getting entirely lost in the future of the series.
I haven't played the series yet, but here is my planned playing order: Cold Steel 3, Sky SC, Reverie, Legends of Heros 2 CS1, CS2, Sky TC, Daybreak, CS4, Sky FC, Zero, and Azure. And if I missed anything I'll throw it on at the end
That is a horrible playthrough order instead of CS3 play CS1, and FC instead of SC, and leave Reverie and Daybreak for the end since Reverie wraps up the Cross bell arc & Cold Steel
@@qrowthebird7496 We'll see how terrible of a play order it is when I get around to it. Who knows, maybe it'll secretly be the ideal way to play. And trust me the more you Kiseki fans tell me no the more determined I am to play in this order.
David--big fan of the channel--I love your videos, but that "ring the bell" sound effect is so grating. For a while, I thought that you needed to change the batteries in your smoke detector and it was beeping while you were filming. Anyways, keep up the good work!
The trails series narrative unfold in 2 plot lines, the main self contain plot within its respective saga , and the larger overarching plot that bridged the series as a whole. As long as you don't jump on in the middle of an ongoing saga, there's no "true" jump on point.
I'm about 10-12 hrs into Daybreak and strongly considering snagging Zero on the sale. I really like Daybreak, but I can't yet explain why. I do like how it does not take place in a high school and does deal with more adult themes. I love the combat so far, but still getting my bearings. Anyway, just watchin through your vids to maybe help my decision. I should just snag it, eh?
Started on cold steel since then played the rest of the franchise and fell in love with kiseki series cant wait for daybreak and imminent announcement of 2
I started with Zero last year, and find that even in EASY mode, I still find myself being badly beaten by the bosses. I'm curious on the rest of them, but not sure on which one I should go after next. Yeah, I'm not that good in RPGs, but I just wanted to enjoy the story, and realized that some parts of game are locked out based on difficulty as well, like some bosses data and items. Still liking the series though. Any suggestions for what's next?
Trails in the Sky. Not even close. You can start with Zero, Cold Steel 1, you can start with Kuro for all I care but it's like picking up during the 4th season of a TV show. 3rd is NOT fucking skippable. It ties up so many story lines or dives deeper into existing ones and sets the stage for the upcoming games while giving you a better idea of the actual powers of the Sept-Terrions and the entire history of the beginning of the world you now live in. If you care at all about the story, you don't skip this. Ffs, with turbo mode, all these games are done pretty in maybe 30 hours each.
Not for nothing but I’m sure this is why Square decided to make final fantasy stand alone games yet connected in some ways. Although being a fan of the trails games, they tend to be too convoluted and intimidating to get into
Trails in the Sky the 3rd "is entirely skippable.". I love David, but this is lies. You do not want to skip any of the Trails games, especially Sky the 3rd. 3rd heavily sets up the events for the next 7 games, to a significant degree. Skipping Sky the 3rd is like skipping the Avenger films, even though you watch Marvel movies. But to an even more significant degree.
I started the Trails demo for Daybreak and want to apologize to all the Trails fans because I didn't believe you about how good the series is. I've only played the demo but dammit if it hasn't already left me wanting more.
Japanese release order, why is this so hard. I feel like this question gets asked so much every time a new game releases is cause they just keep looking for validation from fans to not have to go back and play "ugly old games".
I’m halfway through the Gagharv arc (not featured in this video), and I just love seeing how the games develops, from a rather trash first game (Prophecy of the moonlight witch) with boring combat, really over-the top cute main characters and frankly a horrible combat music theme, to the second game Tears of Vermillion with far more interesting and adult main characters, more side quests, the same combat system unfortunately but now with GOOD music! Thankfully these are short games, but the story and characters always make me want to play “just a little more” to see how it turns out… so I’m loving this series even before it gets trademark “good”, so I’m really looking forward to the rest! I am gonna play them in Japanese release order, just to see how they develops! Some sort of “true chronological order” will have to wait until an eventual replay… ;-)
I think any first part of an ark would work. Of course first Sky game is mostly recommended, but Cold Steel (till II) and Daybreak (I'm assuming) would work well enough too not get spoiled. Zero contains some Liberl lore, but it could work too. I started with Cold Steel because I couldn't get into Sky FC, and I didn't regret it at all.
So I have Daybreak and haven't started it yet, but this video did give me a unique idea to play the series, I'll be switching off between Daybreak and Cold steel 1 on my ps5 and once I finish Cold Steel 1 and 2, I'll jump back in time to Trails of Sky and then the Crossbell Arc, then start CS 3 after that and then obviously 4 and Reverie.
I hope they juat do a Trails in the sky trilogy for switch and playstaion, all on one kart/disc, I dont need them to be remastered just port as they are is fine, all in one package
Im going to have to be honest: i started with CS1 and kept going from there. I finished trails from Zero and i need to finish trails from azure. You can start from any arc and be perfectly fine. Just know if certain characters and plots comr up, you will be confuse. But a simple google search will help with that
i started with cold steel after enjoying tokyo xanadau. now that i stream, i've been going back through sky and crossbell. but id say if you start with the first games of any of the arcs, you should be fine! And then hopefully want to go back and play others like I did!
I found that sky 1 & 2 are their complete story, with 3d being the rap up & foreshadow to tie it all together. then crossbess & cold steel, which I consider a pair of duologies more than a tetralogy, kind of form a story Y, with cs 3 & 4 almost feeling like sequels to crossbell as much as to cs 1 & 2. then reverie is the sky 3rd of the crossbell/erebonia, tying up loose ends & more foreshadowing, though seemingly less foreshadowing than sky 3d itself. or more succinctly, the gospel plan & its cap and the phantasmal blaze plan & its cap. I'm thinking, from the admittedly deliberately very little I know as I've avoided as much as I can, that kai might be daybreak's sky 3rd. could _totally_ be wrong on that, again: deliberately avoiding info on it like I do all trails games so I can go in with as few spoilers as possible
Well, I started with Cold Steel 1 and am now on Act 1 of Cold Steel 2. But I do plan on playing Zero and Azure before Cold Steel 3 and 4. But hopefully the Sky games are re-released by the time I finish Zero and Azure as ideally I want to play Cold Steel 3 and 4 last. Then Reverie and Daybreak and so on.
Get Trails Through Daybreak Here! amzn.to/4cEFSMO
3 years ago I started Trails in the Sky and last month just finished Reverie. I CANT wait for daybreak
Big Ups!
Congrats!
God mode mad respect
Wow. In 2016 I started playing all the main line final fantasy games in order. I made it to 10 hours into FF4 before I needed a break from the same style of game. I then jumped to 7 to play that with my brother and kinda lost Interest since I didn't play them in order. I should go.back to 4 though
Someone’s been busy lol
Where to start ?
Start with whichever game you like but know that if you became a fan you're eventually going to return to the titles you didn't play
So where to start
The definitive best Answer will always be by release order AKA the trails in the sky trilogy
Or they watch TH-cam videos and become tourists.
this is the best answer, right here. I started with cold steal played all of them and then when backwards from there.
also small thing to note is to go in by the JP release order, over in the west they are out of order
I started with cold steel myself, I didn't feel like I missed out on any information. It felt like a complete experience in itself. (until cold steel 4 at least)
I say as long as you start at the beginning an Arc then you'll be okay.
Been going through the series myself over the last two-ish years and I'm at Cold Steel 3 at the moment.
I might not have caught up in time for Daybreak but I will for the next one! 😇
It's such an amazing series. Well worth the time to invest!
I can't say anything else than to start with Trails in the Sky FC, you will get constantly spoiled if you start somewhere else.
Exactly, I see some Trails fans constantly tell people "start with Zero, start with Cold Steel, then you can go back and play Sky etc". Why? Don't they know characters, events, and backstories from Sky are spoiled if they start anywhere else.
You either start in a first game in a new arc and then go backwards or look up story summaries. Or you just start from trails in the sky FC. Trails in the sky3rd is not skippable
100% agree with this! I've started with Daybreak and very fast got intrigued by Renne....
Well countless hours later, I can name about 75% of the cast in Hajimari no Kiseki (Trails into Reverie) and have already looked into the story events of Kuro 2 and Kai. Definitely an intriguing overarching plot and mostly well written, lovable characters
Too be fair, in Sky 3, we're not "introduced" to Kevin. He's playable in Sky 2
I fell into Cold Steel heavily when the pandemic picked up in 2020, 100% cold steel 1-3 but hit major burn out when 4 dropped and still haven't come back. I love the world, and I will come back, but the backlog demon is always growing.
Side note, I don't know if you meant to not mention Trails into Reverie, but I believe that's like an epilouge game after everything but before Daybreak. (I still haven't gotten to this one either 😢 )
playing all from sky, zero, cold steel 1-3 was good and 4 is satisfying but the next series reverie make me burn out lol so many heroesssssss
I didn't go in a perfect order but it mostly worked.. Granted I haven't even finished every game myself if I had to do it over again I'd go Cold Steel 1-4, Sky trilogy, Crossbell duology, Reverie, then Boundless.. I can't comment on Daybreak yet cause hadn't played
I’m in a similar spot, I finally started from Sky 1 about a year and a half ago and when I got to the true final dungeon during the epilogue in Cold Steel 2 (after playing through all of the Liberl & Crossbell arcs) roughly 2 months ago I just wanted that game to be over with so I put it down to take a break & still haven’t gotten back to it😅
@@GrayWolf323 TOCS is like the perfect starting point.. Just the right difficulty too
I would love a Trails in the Sky port to PS5, Switch, ect .. Something in line with the Crossbell series for the Sky series! Seems how it just passed the 20th anniversary of the first game I think they should do something with that, they must know it would be like printing money!!
This is mostly what I'm waiting on. I want to hop in but I'm not starting late, and the Sky trilogy just isn't available where I want to play it.
Trails in the Sky remake just got announced, no word on a PS5 version yet sadly.
I just finished trails in the sky FC and SC and was looking for where to go next, thanks David this was extremely well timed for me.
Well, I would suggest NOT skipping Sky 3rd personally, despite what David says. It's an epilogue game for the 1st 2, but it also really sets up the rest of the series & is a very good game in it's own right too!
Skipping Sky the 3rd is like skipping the Avenger films, even though you watch Marvel movies. But to a much more significant degree.
Sky the 3rd heavily sets up the plot for the next 7 games and on. You will be missing out on much more than that as well. Character development, world building, and playing your Sky trilogy dream team(s) throughout the vast majority of the game. As well as play as characters you didn't get to play as before, like Renne.
Thanks for this! I’ve been wanting to try trails for some time.
The villains and the doors.. the video played when discussing that. If you know, you know .
From August to December last year, all I played was Trails, from Zero through Reverie. I had watched recap videos of Sky Trilogy, but have since gone back and started the first three. Having beaten SC just last night and prepping to play The 3rd later, I can say that the _entire_ series is a worthwhile investment, and starting with the first game would’ve been better, although Zero was a great starting place with the recaps. Trails has become my favorite game series of all time and I’m happily planning on NG+ of every single game after beating The 3rd until I get to Daybreak - even if that means not playing it at launch!
A good idea for a video. Tropes you hate in video games. The Trails games have a ton too. Every boss battle goes like this... you kick their ass, they weren't trying hard/using all their power so you didn't actually win. They power up and are about to take you out but at the last second somebody shows up to save you and fight them off. The same people eventually join your squad but are for some reason no stronger than you are. Another one is no one is actually ever dead. Also the main characters are oblivious to the opposite sex and at no point even consider doing stuff with a person whose throwing themselves all over them.
Thank you so much for this fantastic video, man! 😄 Saved my life, I was super lost on where to start
Glad I could help!
Trails time with David I feel you can start anywhere but honestly play from the beginning of the series with any game sounds good also
Just finished liberl arc on vita..taking a break now before starting the crossbell arc so i wont burnout..😅..
Start at the beginning then work your way up to the newest Trails for maximum enjoyment 🤩
Yes. You hear some callbacks to from earlier arcs in the franchise's other regions, but the games do come with a library of important info in the start menu to help get you up to speed with the basic information and world building, plus every arc of games is mostly self contained.
No, you get huge spoilers for the earlier games. You know that scene with all the tanks and the air ship? Cold Steel ruins that surprise.
@@R3GARnator that what i am afraid of.
@@nuriko455The games do a good job of telling you all the info you need to know, they also do a good job at hyping up moments you should be hyped about. While the pay off would be better if you played them in a row, it’s not nearly as bad as people would lead you to believe.
@Amoreline11 it worse or same as being told about the red wedding
@@nuriko455 About in the middle. They still make you feel the weight of these moments. They emphasize how important they are.
Even if they weren't all a connected story, I'd still want to play em all just because they look like a ton of fun. I have started a Sky FC save that I want to get back to soon, though I couldn't resist the Daybreak demo and man, I am already charmed by the characters and setting!
Playing the demo as I watch this! Never played trails, but you and just the gems have inspired me to check it oit
Great video! You should add though that Reverie tacks on at the end of the Cold Steel arc and kinda closes it and Crossbell out.
Good call!
Amazing video though! The best I’ve seen on where to start. Keep it up!
You can start from another arc, but personally, i feel like the overall best experience with the story will be starting from the beginning and working your way through the games. It is a commitment, but it is so worth it.
These are basically the video game equivalent of a long running shounen jump adventure series
Just starting looking for more info as to where to start in this series and I knew my boy woulnt let me down 💪🏻
I've only played Sky FC and SC so far, and for some reason the thing that surprised me most here is seeing that Calvard at 3:20 just has roads and cars and trucks lmao I was not expecting that
I really appreciate this, I have wanted to get into this series but the amount of games and the thought of having to start all the way back with the og psp games has been a big hurdle.
Steam has the three Trails in the Sky games. Honestly I’d recommend playing them. They’re really good games and events and characters are referenced in the later games. Don’t be overwhelmed, take them one game at a time! 😊
I appreciate this! I finished Sky part 1 and started part 2 a while back, but have been a little overwhelmed with the order in which i should start picking up the other games when they go on sale lol
I just started Sky FC recently and while I’m a little intimidated I’m SO excited to start.
Don't forget about the ability to speed simulation, makes fighting a lot more fun.
is the only way to play it on PC. as a console only person I am stuck.
Still feels like homework trying to piece this series together lol
Better than trying to understand the kingdom hearts series lol
It’s just easier to play the first KH and call it a day
Japanese release order, there I did your homework for you.
Started with Cold Steel 1-2, went back to Sky and Crossbell, then replayed 1-2 before starting 3. Having those small lore gaps filled in and being more familiar with the world made those replays so enjoyable and refreshing.
David is absolutely correct, pick a game that looks really interesting to you and just play it. I literally had Cold Steel on my wishlist because I thought the title and art looked cool, after my friend gifted to me as a b-day present I had no idea the massive hole I was going into nor would it be one of my most favorite games/series. Had I started with Sky, I might've been deterred from the series due to a few poorly aged mechanics.
I also started with Cold Steel 1 and because of the massive cliffhanger I played Cold Steel right after that. Then I dropped it in the epilogue because of you playing those characters I had not heard about before and after that I decided to start from the beginning. So far I played Sky FC and Sky SC and once Sky 3 is on sale on Steam I will get that and continue
YTers really ought to credit the music creators in the videos. "The Adventures of Class VII - A Trails of Cold Steel Medley" from Everything Fantasy if anyone is curious.
I skipped ahead to play the demo of one of the Cold Steel games to see how the series had progressed, and just in the DEMO alone, I got a MAJOR REVEAL SPOILED about one of the main character's secrets. There was this whole big reveal scene in Second Chapter where we are supposed to find out with the other characters... The people who say "start anywhere" are full of it.
Well, if people are skipping the game that was spoiled, what's the problem? They are not going to play it anyway, no harm done.
I started with Cold Steel and have absolutely ZERO want to play the others before it.
@@fabriciofla8019problem is Cold Steel 1 and 2 didn’t release on Switch, so most people played the free demo of Cold Steel 3 spoilt it. I still don’t get why they never released 1 and 2 but 3 and 4 on switch.
@@Joerpg84 xseed did the localization of cs 1 and 2 before nis took over. hence no re-releases.
@@fabriciofla8019 I like how you think starting later in the series means you're like, forever skipping over earlier entries. Real smoothbrain logic.
The old guy from 11:02 which game is he from?
In my case I started with Trails in the Sky Trilogy....I spent an entire my entire summer vacations (1 month)
I've played through Cold Steel and have Trails from Zero/Azure to go next. The only games I don't have are the Sky trilogy. I really hope these get remastered/remade for current consoles.
This is what I'm hoping to find out. I still need to get the original Trails in the Sky trilogy. I may also need to invest in another Vita Memory Card because the one I have may have some issues.
Thank you for the overview. This was helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
unless i missed it Trails into Reverie wasnt mentioned. is it a standalone? i thought it goes before daybreak?
Sky FC.
There is no other answer
What about reverie? Which arc is that? Is it after zero and azure?
Hi David! My first Trails game was Trails in the Sky. However, the first Trails game I FINISHED was Trails of Cold Steel . And now, I am currently working through Trails from Zero. So yeah, I am all over the place. 😄Have a blessed day David and everyone commenting!
Very cool! The key is to just start!
David def needed a Xanax after explaining this😂
Man, that series has been clugging my backlog for so long, I'll need to start on the Sky trilogy after Dawntrail!
I started with Trails of Cold Steel as my first Trails game on PS Vita. I tried to get into Sky but unfortunately the remaining games were on PC which I didn’t have at that time and the Crossbell games were not localized yet.
Played through Cold Steel 1 & 2 on Vita and 3 & 4 on Switch.
Started from Trails in the Sky when I bought it from GOG. Glad that Sky 2 was already released on GOG by the time I finished the first one. Because if you know the ending....
Played every one since and I'll be ordering the Sky remakes whenever they get announced to complete my physical collection.
Thank you I'm trying to start the series❤😅
your videos are answering the questions I'm asking as I'm diving into this new hobby of jrpg's LOL
I've played some before but this time is different
So I’m new to the series.. where does reverie fall into this?
reverie is the last game of the 3rd arc which makes it the 10th game
@@StrammerBursche Thanks for the reply!
I think the Steam Deck is quite honestly the perfect way to play through the series, plus there’s mods which aren’t too difficult to get installed to let you play through the Sky trilogy with voice acting and other improvements from the Evo releases that never came to the West 😁
Best JRPG page on the Tube, Happy Pride brother and Play on Playa 💪🏽
Much appreciated!
I'm playing trails through the sky right now and loving it, im happy to hear I can play Daybreak without missing much
Hey! Thank you for making this, as I've been curious to get into this series and had literally no way of telling what was what!
Bought a Steam Deck a few months ago so that I can play the whole Sky trilogy (since 3 isn’t available on Vita). Playing Star Ocean 1&2 remakes now then thinking I may finally jump down the Trails rabbit hole
I think if you're adamant about playing through the entire series you should start with sky FC, but if you're on the fence I think cold steel 1 is the best starting point (may change my opinion after I play through daybreak)
The more you play the Trails series the more you realize the ongoing theme of newer generations cleaning up the sins of the fathers, and despite multiple conflicts and supernatural events everyone ultimately wants the same thing but has to learn to not to be as myopic as how they started.
I think Daybreak will be an excellent starting point, because the protagonist is past that adolescent age and can offer a new perspective on the events going on. If anything, he is a product of stuff that's happened since Sky.
My starting point was CS1 to 2, but I did go back to play the whole series and I am caught up on the series up until reverie.
As a purest I would say, start from the beginining, but realistically if you a follow a general rule of starting with any first game in an arc, your ok. So for example, Cold steel 1, Trails from Zero, or Trails in the sky. But never start in the middle of an arc like Trails to azure or Trails of cold steel 3, ect. Since Trails of daybreak is the start of a brand new arc, then it is ok to play that if you want to but don't skip to Fairwell to Zemuria lol
Hey David!
Have you ever played Denpa men?
Alright, calling 3rd skippable is a cap.
Huh?
@@davidvinc It means trolling
I'm still on trails FC, so i dont want any spoilers or anything. Just here to like and comment!
The start….. (shocker)
Wait, where does "Trails into Reverie" fit in?
@@tuxb it's the last of the cold steel arc basically cold steel 5 or crossbell final so it would be the absolute worst place to start it's like starting breaking bad from Season 5
I started with trails in the sky. Great games. Love the legend of heroes.
Trails series is a personal Top 3 JRPG for me these days. I started with the rerelease of Trails from Zero and got hooked right away!! The order I played in from that point was a little over the place (I was holding out for Trails into the Sky rerelease). After Zero I played Cold Steel 1 and 2 then at that time Trails to Azure re-release came out. After that I played Cold Steel 3, then decided to emulate Trails into the Sky (but want to hold out for a physical release to play the rest). Im currently half way into Cold Steel 4 and have yet to play Reverie despite having bought the limited edition a year ago haha. Ive been taking my time with these games, doing as many side quest as I can. Also talking to NPCs really makes this world feel alive and connected in a way most series dont... so most my play times have been between 90 to 125 hours.
I have to disagree that Daybreak is separate in the way you state. It starts that way, much like Cold Steel starts in a way where it seems independent of earlier games. But earlier events and characters have a little more relevance in Daybreak II, and based upon the preview material for Kai no Kiseki (Japanese name for the coming 3rd game in the Arc - probably "Daybreak III"), the entire roster of older characters and all storylines throughout the entire series from Sky, Crossbell, & Cold Steel plus Daybreak will all collide & climax here.
Daybreak I, much like Cold Steel I, could be a good place to start to see if you want to delve into the series. But if you decide to take it up, it will require going back and playing the older games to avoid getting entirely lost in the future of the series.
I haven't played the series yet, but here is my planned playing order:
Cold Steel 3, Sky SC, Reverie, Legends of Heros 2 CS1, CS2, Sky TC, Daybreak, CS4, Sky FC, Zero, and Azure.
And if I missed anything I'll throw it on at the end
That is a horrible playthrough order instead of CS3 play CS1, and FC instead of SC, and leave Reverie and Daybreak for the end since Reverie wraps up the Cross bell arc & Cold Steel
@@qrowthebird7496 We'll see how terrible of a play order it is when I get around to it. Who knows, maybe it'll secretly be the ideal way to play. And trust me the more you Kiseki fans tell me no the more determined I am to play in this order.
David--big fan of the channel--I love your videos, but that "ring the bell" sound effect is so grating. For a while, I thought that you needed to change the batteries in your smoke detector and it was beeping while you were filming. Anyways, keep up the good work!
The trails series narrative unfold in 2 plot lines, the main self contain plot within its respective saga , and the larger overarching plot that bridged the series as a whole. As long as you don't jump on in the middle of an ongoing saga, there's no "true" jump on point.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm playing Sky FC instead of Daybreak as of now anyway though.
I'm about 10-12 hrs into Daybreak and strongly considering snagging Zero on the sale. I really like Daybreak, but I can't yet explain why. I do like how it does not take place in a high school and does deal with more adult themes. I love the combat so far, but still getting my bearings. Anyway, just watchin through your vids to maybe help my decision. I should just snag it, eh?
I bought them all physically for switch. So naturally, I’m waiting until Sky Trilogy is available on modern consoles.
Started on cold steel since then played the rest of the franchise and fell in love with kiseki series cant wait for daybreak and imminent announcement of 2
I started with Zero last year, and find that even in EASY mode, I still find myself being badly beaten by the bosses. I'm curious on the rest of them, but not sure on which one I should go after next. Yeah, I'm not that good in RPGs, but I just wanted to enjoy the story, and realized that some parts of game are locked out based on difficulty as well, like some bosses data and items. Still liking the series though. Any suggestions for what's next?
Started with Zero ❤ Never missed the first ARC.
Trails in the Sky. Not even close. You can start with Zero, Cold Steel 1, you can start with Kuro for all I care but it's like picking up during the 4th season of a TV show. 3rd is NOT fucking skippable. It ties up so many story lines or dives deeper into existing ones and sets the stage for the upcoming games while giving you a better idea of the actual powers of the Sept-Terrions and the entire history of the beginning of the world you now live in. If you care at all about the story, you don't skip this. Ffs, with turbo mode, all these games are done pretty in maybe 30 hours each.
Not for nothing but I’m sure this is why Square decided to make final fantasy stand alone games yet connected in some ways. Although being a fan of the trails games, they tend to be too convoluted and intimidating to get into
Trails in the Sky the 3rd "is entirely skippable.".
I love David, but this is lies.
You do not want to skip any of the Trails games, especially Sky the 3rd. 3rd heavily sets up the events for the next 7 games, to a significant degree.
Skipping Sky the 3rd is like skipping the Avenger films, even though you watch Marvel movies. But to an even more significant degree.
Love this! never played any of them I want to see the what the hype is about.
I started the Trails demo for Daybreak and want to apologize to all the Trails fans because I didn't believe you about how good the series is. I've only played the demo but dammit if it hasn't already left me wanting more.
I started on ToCS, I’m on Part 4.
I have to finish Azure and Zero.
I own Reverie , I got Daybreak coming in the mail.. UGHH lmfao 😅
Japanese release order, why is this so hard. I feel like this question gets asked so much every time a new game releases is cause they just keep looking for validation from fans to not have to go back and play "ugly old games".
I’m halfway through the Gagharv arc (not featured in this video), and I just love seeing how the games develops, from a rather trash first game (Prophecy of the moonlight witch) with boring combat, really over-the top cute main characters and frankly a horrible combat music theme, to the second game Tears of Vermillion with far more interesting and adult main characters, more side quests, the same combat system unfortunately but now with GOOD music! Thankfully these are short games, but the story and characters always make me want to play “just a little more” to see how it turns out… so I’m loving this series even before it gets trademark “good”, so I’m really looking forward to the rest! I am gonna play them in Japanese release order, just to see how they develops! Some sort of “true chronological order” will have to wait until an eventual replay… ;-)
Love from Belgium 🇧🇪♥️
I think any first part of an ark would work.
Of course first Sky game is mostly recommended, but Cold Steel (till II) and Daybreak (I'm assuming) would work well enough too not get spoiled.
Zero contains some Liberl lore, but it could work too.
I started with Cold Steel because I couldn't get into Sky FC, and I didn't regret it at all.
So I have Daybreak and haven't started it yet, but this video did give me a unique idea to play the series, I'll be switching off between Daybreak and Cold steel 1 on my ps5 and once I finish Cold Steel 1 and 2, I'll jump back in time to Trails of Sky and then the Crossbell Arc, then start CS 3 after that and then obviously 4 and Reverie.
I hope they juat do a Trails in the sky trilogy for switch and playstaion, all on one kart/disc, I dont need them to be remastered just port as they are is fine, all in one package
Im going to have to be honest: i started with CS1 and kept going from there. I finished trails from Zero and i need to finish trails from azure. You can start from any arc and be perfectly fine. Just know if certain characters and plots comr up, you will be confuse. But a simple google search will help with that
i started with cold steel after enjoying tokyo xanadau. now that i stream, i've been going back through sky and crossbell. but id say if you start with the first games of any of the arcs, you should be fine! And then hopefully want to go back and play others like I did!
So, it's like the Skywalker Saga? Except more cohesive & more self-contained.
yes you can best new start point afert trail in the sky
I still need to finish Trails from Azure. Omg this series is like the One Piece of video games lol.
I found that sky 1 & 2 are their complete story, with 3d being the rap up & foreshadow to tie it all together. then crossbess & cold steel, which I consider a pair of duologies more than a tetralogy, kind of form a story Y, with cs 3 & 4 almost feeling like sequels to crossbell as much as to cs 1 & 2. then reverie is the sky 3rd of the crossbell/erebonia, tying up loose ends & more foreshadowing, though seemingly less foreshadowing than sky 3d itself. or more succinctly, the gospel plan & its cap and the phantasmal blaze plan & its cap.
I'm thinking, from the admittedly deliberately very little I know as I've avoided as much as I can, that kai might be daybreak's sky 3rd. could _totally_ be wrong on that, again: deliberately avoiding info on it like I do all trails games so I can go in with as few spoilers as possible
Never played trails , probably should though
I started on the psp
Finishing up CS4 now and even though I have Reverie, I was planning to skip it for Daybreak. Really just burnt out on the cast and ready for a change.
Don't start trails until 2035 when the Sky trilogy remake is made as a single game...
oh sorry, I meant 2038 when the English translation comes out
I'd say pick an arc and play. You can't go wrong! Ultimately, you will want to play them all to fully appreciate the amazing story.
Well, I started with Cold Steel 1 and am now on Act 1 of Cold Steel 2. But I do plan on playing Zero and Azure before Cold Steel 3 and 4. But hopefully the Sky games are re-released by the time I finish Zero and Azure as ideally I want to play Cold Steel 3 and 4 last. Then Reverie and Daybreak and so on.