It's always great to see new fans for the series, and you're absolutely right that it deserves way more attention. I think NISA are doing a good job at the moment in regards to getting the series out there.
Underrated is an understatement. This series jumped to the absolute top of my favorite jrpg series. Ao no Kiseki and CS2 are probably my 2 favorite from the series. It's great to see NisA promoting this series more with CS3. Maybe now the series will get the attention it so rightfully deserves here in the west. Hurts to wonder how new players will get to experience Zero/Ao since those have yet to be localized, but Falcom did hint at porting them to the consoles so I'm sure they'll be alright. Theres also the fan translation to jump to as I did afterall.
I wanted to like this game, but I found it riddled with anime clichés that made it really hard to get through the first hour, and some clunky animation/controls were offputting. Would you recommend sticking with it, or would you say this just isn't for me?
@@Tiger74147 I just finished this game yesterday, and while the characters do start off very tropey, over time I found they each became extremely charming and relatable. You're right that some of the animations and controls are odd, especially when compared to more recent games, but they never really bothered me too much. If you are ok with a story that has a slower build-up than most and focuses on character progression first before all hell breaks loose at the end (the first game is basically a huge setup for the second one), than I'd definitely recommend sticking with it. However, if you need constant big action/drama to stay interested in a game, then maybe it's not for you. Hope this helps!
@@WhoaItsSam Thank you guys for your thoughtful replies. Since it's a very long game, and there's a lot in my list, but because it has a lot of story-rich recommendations, I'll put it on my B-list, which I get to if my A-list in a given year doesn't turn out to be worth it.
@@Tiger74147 the cliche are in the first hour of only cold steel 1, all the other games dont have it. At this point, im pretty sure that falcom ridiculed these cliche thought since they do use these scenes as something that forge the relations of their characters.
Don't forget to check out the Trails in the Sky trilogy and Crossbell duology fan translations. Trails is basically the Marvel Cinematic Universe equivalent of the JRPG world, and you'll want to experience the other games to have more context and even greater appreciation for Cold Steel :D
Indeed, you can find them all on PC in the Steam store, minus the Crossbell duology (I do recommend finding the Japanese PC versions tho so you can get the Geofront fan translations cause those are professional grade; Ao's isn't quite out yet but should be by the end of this year; check out the progress on their YT channel/website).
i started cold steel 1 because i had been looking for a very long time for a good jrpg, the game started slow but i liked it, i always like when games take their time to show you the characters that youll be playing with and their ideals, and when you think you know the story of the game then boom! a very BIG thing happens in the game and you are like "NO WAYYY WTF", i enjoyed it from the get go, my first run took 100 hours on hard and ill replay it when i finish all the games, i have already played cold steel 2 and 3, then i went for trails of the sky and finished the trilogy and now im in the crossbell arc, i love the trails saga so much that, along with kingdom hearts, are the best games i have ever played in my life, i really recommend you try this game and if you like it, go for the entire saga, its marvelous, there are nine games for now, 3 belong to trails of the sky, 2 belong to trails from zero and trails from azure, and the other 4 belong to cold steel, the fourth game is being localized so soon youll be able to play the entirety of cold steel in english, JUST A WARNING, THERE IS A LOT, AND I MEAN A LOT, OF READING IN THE TRAILS SAGA, so be prepared for it
I played trails in the sky fc and sc then jumped to cold steel 1 and 2. I went back and did the others before cold steel 3 and wow does it make a difference to play all of them! It's a way better experience!
Great review. This was also my first trails game and I loved it so much I bought Cold Steel 2 and Cold Steel 3 in a heartbeat. I'm done with those and I'm extremely salivating for the english announcement of Cold Steel 4. I'm done with Trails in the Sky first chapter and currently playing the second chapter. These games are so amazing!
I had heard about this and the other Legends series for many years, as the wife and I do not like or own any hand held gaming device we only got into this series thru word of mouth and it now coming to the PS4. The first is a slow slow burn doing character depth and world building in a big big way, and the 2nd game starting right at the point where the first game ends... and now for the first time EVER the 3rd part is coming over to the west and we can not wait to pre order ours for the PS4 when it is closer to the release date. I can already tell being 2 games in this will be one of the top 5 jrpg franchise for the wife and I it is that good...... and I have even heard shares a world with the other beloved Legends of series which is mind blowing to me. Terrific video glad you loved it as well Joe.
About Voices - actually English cast recorder EXTRA lines. comparatively to original. there ~ 5000 more voiced lines in English version. And yes it is strongly recommended that you play Sky and Crossbell games b4 you start CS3 that will be released later this year. All games happen in the same universe in the span of several years. Sky starts in year 1202 latest cold steel game is 1206. so there are constant references and characters and story lines that appear one after another. Cs1 have the least references since it's good starting point CS2 have medium spoilers to past events. CS3 and up will get just outright confusing without knowledge of all games
Just beat this game a couple of days ago. Awesome world-building, story-rich content. Looking forward to play ToCS 2 next week. And on a side note, with mecha battle at the end, this is the only game in 2 decades that gave me the same excitement as one of my all time favorite game, Xenogears. Not even Xeno prequels did it for me. And without a doubt, Trails series, especially ToCS, claim their place as one of my favorites.
sorry what is the story? Asking for a friend... ;) I mean someone gets killed and civil war starts. That is the story (telling it would take 30mins tops?). And that would have happened even if you were not there at all. 50 hours total are about feeding the cat, fixing lamps on the highway or walking the road in fancy shoes.
I discovered this series a few weeks ago and played through all 4 in a few days 😂 This series is now in my top favorite of all games. And the great part is, they kept on getting better and more sophisticated as they went on, which is rare for a series these days. It has major replayability as well. I'm glad I found and fell in love this series, it's got its place up there with Smt and Persona now, especially with the music.
I played cold steel 1 and 2 then the trails in the sky series . Then cold steel 3 and 4 . Waiting for Trails from Zero(western release fall 2022) and Trails to Azure(western release 2023)
How was it, going back to Trails in the Sky after the first two games of Cold Steel? I really wanna play all 4 games of Cold Steel, but I'm not interested in TitS trilogy.
@@nithorias9622 The story for Trails in the Sky was great but they graphics and gameplay mechanics are a big step back(hated Trails in the Sky the 3rd)
@@Acidrain82 I see! I only ask because the majority of fans say that you must play TitS in order to understand and appreciate Cold Steel 3 and 4 more. Btw are the first two chapters of TitS better than the third then?
One of the greatest series that i've ever discovered last year although it's a shame that I i've only experienced the sky and crossbell games through a walkthrough since I only own a ps4, One day i'll get a pc so I could experience it myself but for now im looking forward to CS4
Thank you for reviewing this game. Although I would rank cold steel series as my least favorite in story department(Liberl arc has best the characters and developments, Crossbell arc has best story and character chemistry), this series as a whole creates a living breathing world that really feel lived in. There truly is nothing like it.
Strangely enough the director of the Sky series and overall producer of the entire Trails series actually has gone on record saying that he considers the Sky series to be his weakest work and that the character he was more attached towards was Rean. He did agree that he considers the optional bonding mechanic in general to have not worked as they originally envisioned so I don't think we will see a "waifu" mechanic in the future of the series.
Got cs1 and cs2 on a big in Japan Psn sale for 40$ finished them both and lucked out a few days ago and got cs3 for 30$ on Amazon, loving the cold steel series very fun it deserves more recognition.
It warms my heart to see that lot of people felt the same way I did within my first contact with the series. I'm grateful to this fanbase as they are the reason for companies such NISA bring these titles for us in the west (great english cast btw)
I know it's late and might be somewhere in the many comments but I'll mention it anyway since it is a thing with all the games of the series and others from Falcom. The games come even in Japanese with only certain voice-files and looks for them which means, the localization could record more voice-lines but the games would be unable to play them. Localization would have to actually alter the essential hooks programmed into the game. Since I play with the original voices where possible I am pretty sure the Localization-teams did not miss any of them unlike some other games where there are more voiced texts in Japanese than in the Englisch versions.
Literally just played the demo to Cold Steel 3 last night and it immediately made me want to play the entire series... Only problem is there seems to be a couple of games not yet released in English...
It really is worth going back and playing the previous games. The sky series is sold on Steam and Falcom have been making very positive noises about translating the crossbell arc. It's fairly easy to get the Crossbell arc on PC if you have a little dig around and the Geofont team have done an amazing job on the fan translation. Cold Steel 1 and 2 are good jumping on points but onwards the series assumes youve played all the previous games. I started with CS1 & 2 and started 3, when I realised there was so much I didnt understand I put 3 down and went back to play all the other games and had the best gaming journey of my life.
@@kulvurt8386 Yeah, I just bought Trails In The Sky on Steam two days ago and really enjoying it so far. Probably gonna buy Sky SC and The 3rd once I'm done, unless they go on sale before that...
@@Yet_another_placeholder Glad your enjoying it already, look foward to popping back to see how your getting on :) I'm currently playing through CS2 for the second time after having finshed Sky/Crossbell stuff (just finished my second play through of CS1).
This game reminds me of skies of arcadia for some reason. I have been craving for an rpg that gives me that same feeling as that and vanguard bandits are probably up there as my favorite games of all time. Fingers crossed!
Better than all the final fantasies after X glued together, and it hurts to say it becouse FF was my all time favourite video game franchise 😑. Next to Persona, DQ and Xenoblade this is the best jrpg series today.
The Trails series is still kinda unknown but the fans are usually fanatic, me included lol. Cold Steel 4 will help make it a little bit less underrated, cs4 is like the Endgame of the trails series. My top 4 in the series is Traisl to Azure > Cold Steel 2 > Cold Steel 4 > Sky 2
So... Did you played the rest of the series? Trails in the sky (1, 2 and 3), the Crossbell saga (trails from zero and to azure) and the rest of cold steel games? I'd love to see your appreciations on those games too 👀
They have gotten away from me! I want to! You liked this video? I very much enjoyed this game! I need to get to 2. I do like that 2 has a previous on to help me brush up on one again!
@@joethealternativegamer3935 of course I liked your vid and comments :). I feel you've got what people who recommend these games tried to tell you, and definitely this games are underrated even for some JRPG fans out there. Independently on the personal reasoning, it's one hell of a series that deserves the attention totally. Mostly if you're that kind of gamer that enjoys huge stories intertwining with others, creating a huge one without losing details in between. Plus the music... Oh lala. Try to get the rest of them. I know you won't regret it 😉
Just seen today the first and second one are on the PSN Double Discounts sale, 50% off. I am really considering getting the first one and then maybe the second if I like the feel of playing the first.
patrickinferno 1 bought the first one yesterday and just finished the prologue and I feel like I’m going to really enjoy this game already, I really enjoy the array of different characters. I think I will end up getting the 2nd one too seeing as it’s on sale.
I know this is an older video, but I liked your review very much, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I just played my first JRPG (Fire Emblem Three Houses) and I absolutely loved it. I'd like to check out more of this genre, have you also played Fire Emblem? And do you think this would be a good follow up for a JRPG newbie?
Nice review,I read few reviews,and I want to clear my backlog before buying this game,but after your video I'm really anxious to check this game series. Just can't find physical copy in my country. :( Well I'll manage somehow. Thanks 👍
Played Trails in the Sky or Crossbell yet? As pointed out by others, really enhances the experience. When you play through cold steel again after having played them it will almost be like playing a different game.
@@joethealternativegamer3935 You are in for a fantastic journey. Its a little slow at first and the battle system is less evolved (but still similar) to the Cold Steel series but stick with it and the reward will be worth it, especially on a character and story level. Playing the previous games really helps flesh out the narrative on a larger scale. If i could wipe my brain and play all the Trails games again for the first time, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
they recorded additional content for the english voice casts, so more lines are dubbed in english than in the original japanese version... at least thats true for the PC/steam version and as far as i know, the PS4 Version is a 1:1 Port of that version... anyways: trails really is underrated and deserves so much more attention!
This is by far my favorite series that I've had the honor of playing from the story to the characters the combat system I was so into this game I was so excited to come home so I could continue my walk through of the game it's really been a adventure spanning over 4 games tho I'm still kinda sad that the forth game is the end of saga for reans story (you can tell from my profile pic that's he's my favorite character) tho I hear that he could make an appearance in future games so I look forward to what's next for the series 😁 oh and the ost is a banger some of my favorite osts are blue destination/ tie a link to the Arcus/ and don't be beat by a friend!
I like to watch reviews about Legend of Heroes series, but this one i closed at beginning, when he said "ToCS is focused on combat and exploration"...Open world games are focused on exploration, action games are focused on combat. This game is focused on story telling, world building and character development, not mainly on exploration and combat. On the other side i read, that some ppl play this game with skipping all dialogues, only moving forward and play it like Diablo. Sure however they want, but they missing maybe 80% of the game.
i avoided this game because i thought it wasnt that good. then i played it and i got hooked. currently playing part 3 trying to finish it before part 4 comes out next month
Now I need your review regarding Persona 345 which has High School life to this Trails of Cold Steel 123 which also has School standards (well CS2 isn't really a school standard anymore since it's a fucking Noble War)
@Char Aznable eh they are nice. They do miss sometimes but then later bring some amazing titles so its alright. And yeah Trails is more balanced in quality between its games compared to Tales.
I'm not agree with people saying that it's a good game to start Trails series. It was my first when it was release on ps vita. I dropped it. Because I find it generic and because there were too much informations. And obviously because there is 5 game before this one and they are all connected but I didn't know that . This year because of some friends I learn about how Trails series is composed. I start in the natural order Sky trilogy and Crossbell duology. Then after all this years I try again Cold steel and it was better by fat because you have all the key and you understand well how the world exist. Graphism are still generic and sora series have more soul but the story and world building make more sense. It' by far a better experience for me if people start with trails series !
Going to be honest.. I like it under rated.. it makes it "my" game.. kind of like chrono cross and legend of legaia. And NOT like FF7 that everyone raves on about none stop, to the point I cant even enjoy it. It's similar to GoT. I love watching the show talking to people about it.. but I'm not obsessed with it.. couldnt if I tried.
Trails of cold steel would have been better if it weren't for the overly corny and emotional protagonist. This guy always giving some overly cliche speech. I just fast read through all of those. There's also plenty of cliche stuff in this series like how some characters are overly dramatic about something (I've only played TCoS I and II). I dont think this is a bad game but I wouldnt say its great either. I like the combat at least. And the guy who thought of a built-in turbo mode is a GENIUS. Every JRPG should have it.
I loved symphonia when it came out for the GameCube. Yea I’m old. But ff8 is the one ff game I really couldn’t get into. I love the series but I prefer 13 to 8. That’s how much I dislike it
Ive been playing since around december and only have the fan translated games left to cross off before cold steel 3. Not to insult it, but cold steel 1 may be one of the weaker entries in the series. That is to say, its definitely worth checking out the whole series if you enjoyed this one.
@@joethealternativegamer3935 I'd say class VII isnt quite as strong as other casts, not really a fan of the school setting or uniforms every character wears. Having the player choose which girl to date in this one but feeling like they planned a canon love interest anyway. There are definitely people who had bigger problems with it, but those are my gripes.
I think the reason they went with the school setting was due to their primary market: Japan. The Japanese love these settings and their dating sims. I wasn’t much of a fan of that, but I did love the cast. Playing all the trails games, here is my opinion: Sky games: best characters. nobody comes close to Estelle and Joshua. Crossbell games: best story. The second game’s story is just too damn good. Steel games: best gameplay. It’s fast paced and gets better in later games. Love the S-craft animations. Especially Rean’s final S-craft, so badass.
Underrated? Oh come on guys get it together! What I can give you is that the concept in its size (not quality) is ambitious and on portable we had nothing like that (tho at the time the games were 2 - assuming you could get over Cold Steel 1 which was largely the price to pay for CS 2). Still today xenoblade is not a single story spanning multiple 50 hours games. So sure, unmatched magnitude. Number 3 is better and a little shorter... but getting there....
I wouldn't call it "underrated". Trails series us currently one of the most recommended JRPG series among genre fans. The thing is getting into it is hard because people isn't much into reading. Also, I'd say JRPG are currently underrated as a whole, so... xD
Did you feel you missed out by not playing the previous 5 games? I'm interested in the series but 2 of those 5 games don't have official english translations and the fan ones are meant to be just ok.
This was a good Starting Point. Believe me that this game would make you to play the previous game as hyped as it never has before. I mean if you're new and tried to play it from the first 5 games before, you will get bored fast. Trust me, it works for me.
Cold steel series is also better than anything NIS America publishes like their lame attempt at Fairy Tail RPG, and Neptune games, even the Atelier and Ryza series. I say stay away from GUST, Idea Factory, Compile Heart and anything else published by NIS. I have the games trust me on this. They have below average game programmers, the only good thing about those NIS games is the music and graphics you can say goodbye to game mechanics, storyline, difficulty and gameplay that;s why they suck but not the Cold steel series, I'm shocked that this didn't hit off what a hidden gem!
I've searched everywhere but no luck. Can anyone tell me how to check the Leaders skills? I recall the game telling me but I stopped playing for a while and now I cannot find it for the life of me. I even question wherever the leader of the party does provide a specific leader skill. It's driving me insane. Any help appreciated. Thanks! (I have checked the help menu in game, and FAQS online, nothing) Thanks in advance! Solid review btw! :)
Maybe you're thinking about brave orders? But they're introduced only in CS3. There's only difference between attacks on the field (not in battle). Some give triple advantage, some only double (depends on the enemy) and Millium stuns enemies in the face.
@@ВадимНечунаев-л2о if I remember correctly, attack on the field in 2 previous game can get attack to Triple Advantage as long as you have the same type. But since ToCS3, you can only use Critical Attack to trigger Triple Advantage.
The game is definitely not bad. But it definitely gives me my fair share of questions. Like....what's with this hidden power he has. I've only just finished this game so maybe it'll be elaborated on in one of the other titles. But still. It feels like a plot thread that doesn't get resolved. And that irritates me a bit.
Javarus Leary consider that not a single trails game explains 100% of what it puts under the player's attention, in order to let some space for speculations and most likely to give answers in later games consider also that the cold steel saga as a whole is 4 games long, and cs1 is only the first one, so of course many things are explained later
I wanted to like this game, but I found it riddled with anime clichés that made it really hard to get through the first hour, and some clunky animation/controls were offputting. Would you recommend sticking with it, or would you say this just isn't for me?
I don't think Trails is underrated, in fact, it's way too hyped for a game that hardly offers any new things. The gameplay is the same as any generic turn-based jrpg. The graphical engine is so super outdated and they didn't fix that even in the last ep. I won't say the story is shit and cliche,, but for someone that's watching anime and reading manga, it sort of feels predictable. And though this is a personal opinion, I absolutely got pissed at each episode ends...as a decent writer you ABSOLUTELY DONT DO THIS. I was roaring with anger. SO NO i don't think trails is underrated. Considering its your typical middle of the pack filler game it does a good job but is way to hyped.
Hmm nowdays mediocrity is the new Standard it seems, also squeezing games out to find some sort of meaning because games lost the amount of "secrecy" or hidden details. Would you still recommend it based on the combat system?
@@GottEddy You should honestly just start with trails in the sky first and second chapter. The gameplay is oldschool and a bit outdated for First Chapter but Second chapter fixes most issues. Trails current canon storyline consists of 9 games: trails in the sky FC,SC,3rd, Trails from zero and trails to azure, Trails of coldsteel 1-4. The games are heavily focused on character and worldbuilding and are all connected through one grand story. Characters from sky and zero to azure will reappear in coldsteel. Information provided in later games gives context to past events. Best comparison would be some long series of fantasy novels. The writing kinda dips in coldsteel which is why many people dont like it as much but the first 5 games are all pretty stellar and coldsteel is still worth playing as an arc just to see where the future leads us. Coldsteel isnt the end either. Last year the 10th game released in japan under the title Hajimari no kiseki(Trails of Origin/Beginning) and the 11th game Kuro no kiseki(Trails of Black) has also already been announced. The series is only around 60% done as of right now so we can expect quite a few more games. My recommendation as someone who played all games up to and including coldsteel4 is to just start with sky if you can handle an old rpg and a slow story. Alternatively you can play coldsteel 1 and 2 and then go back to sky after experiencing a more modern entry in the series. Coldsteel 1 and 2 are rather selfcontained and keep references and cameos to a minimum though you will still get some minor spoilers.
my problem is that Persona 5 Aesthethics have Spoiled the shit out me, also Nostlagia for older FF games. Looking at this game on 2020 it looks like a Playstation 2 cheap game (Dragon quest 8 looks great and it was a pS2 game too) So yeah it made me Not trust this series at all. Is a problem that i have develop in current years. There is also the fact That I CANT STAND THE MODERN ANIME LOOK, yes Persona 5 is anime too But it doenst look like this at all. The noses arent fucking triangles, the character have a lot of detail (Sure maybe the writing is better But i am talking about Aesthethics) P5 without all his element would be consider an Okay game at best but all of this combine plus music is what made the game Shine Specially because Freaking MENUS Arent boring too look FUCKING MENUS that should be the most boring shit ever but it isnt.
Atlus have more a western comic (aka america indie comic) style. That may be why you like it more. But you are right that general anime lookalike characters is a problem today.
It's always great to see new fans for the series, and you're absolutely right that it deserves way more attention. I think NISA are doing a good job at the moment in regards to getting the series out there.
It is such a Gem!
Underrated is an understatement. This series jumped to the absolute top of my favorite jrpg series. Ao no Kiseki and CS2 are probably my 2 favorite from the series. It's great to see NisA promoting this series more with CS3. Maybe now the series will get the attention it so rightfully deserves here in the west. Hurts to wonder how new players will get to experience Zero/Ao since those have yet to be localized, but Falcom did hint at porting them to the consoles so I'm sure they'll be alright. Theres also the fan translation to jump to as I did afterall.
Yea I can’t wait to start the sequel!
I wanted to like this game, but I found it riddled with anime clichés that made it really hard to get through the first hour, and some clunky animation/controls were offputting. Would you recommend sticking with it, or would you say this just isn't for me?
@@Tiger74147 I just finished this game yesterday, and while the characters do start off very tropey, over time I found they each became extremely charming and relatable. You're right that some of the animations and controls are odd, especially when compared to more recent games, but they never really bothered me too much. If you are ok with a story that has a slower build-up than most and focuses on character progression first before all hell breaks loose at the end (the first game is basically a huge setup for the second one), than I'd definitely recommend sticking with it. However, if you need constant big action/drama to stay interested in a game, then maybe it's not for you. Hope this helps!
@@WhoaItsSam Thank you guys for your thoughtful replies. Since it's a very long game, and there's a lot in my list, but because it has a lot of story-rich recommendations, I'll put it on my B-list, which I get to if my A-list in a given year doesn't turn out to be worth it.
@@Tiger74147 the cliche are in the first hour of only cold steel 1, all the other games dont have it. At this point, im pretty sure that falcom ridiculed these cliche thought since they do use these scenes as something that forge the relations of their characters.
Don't forget to check out the Trails in the Sky trilogy and Crossbell duology fan translations. Trails is basically the Marvel Cinematic Universe equivalent of the JRPG world, and you'll want to experience the other games to have more context and even greater appreciation for Cold Steel :D
That sounds badass!
Indeed, you can find them all on PC in the Steam store, minus the Crossbell duology (I do recommend finding the Japanese PC versions tho so you can get the Geofront fan translations cause those are professional grade; Ao's isn't quite out yet but should be by the end of this year; check out the progress on their YT channel/website).
But sadly the crossbell games are not in english yet:(
So its a watered down universe then
I already finished the Crossbell Duology in PSP! They already have english patch. Check it out in CDRomance site
i started cold steel 1 because i had been looking for a very long time for a good jrpg, the game started slow but i liked it, i always like when games take their time to show you the characters that youll be playing with and their ideals, and when you think you know the story of the game then boom! a very BIG thing happens in the game and you are like "NO WAYYY WTF", i enjoyed it from the get go, my first run took 100 hours on hard and ill replay it when i finish all the games, i have already played cold steel 2 and 3, then i went for trails of the sky and finished the trilogy and now im in the crossbell arc, i love the trails saga so much that, along with kingdom hearts, are the best games i have ever played in my life, i really recommend you try this game and if you like it, go for the entire saga, its marvelous, there are nine games for now, 3 belong to trails of the sky, 2 belong to trails from zero and trails from azure, and the other 4 belong to cold steel, the fourth game is being localized so soon youll be able to play the entirety of cold steel in english, JUST A WARNING, THERE IS A LOT, AND I MEAN A LOT, OF READING IN THE TRAILS SAGA, so be prepared for it
I played trails in the sky fc and sc then jumped to cold steel 1 and 2. I went back and did the others before cold steel 3 and wow does it make a difference to play all of them! It's a way better experience!
Great review. This was also my first trails game and I loved it so much I bought Cold Steel 2 and Cold Steel 3 in a heartbeat. I'm done with those and I'm extremely salivating for the english announcement of Cold Steel 4. I'm done with Trails in the Sky first chapter and currently playing the second chapter. These games are so amazing!
Have you played Cs 4 yet?
I had heard about this and the other Legends series for many years, as the wife and I do not like or own any hand held gaming device we only got into this series thru word of mouth and it now coming to the PS4. The first is a slow slow burn doing character depth and world building in a big big way, and the 2nd game starting right at the point where the first game ends... and now for the first time EVER the 3rd part is coming over to the west and we can not wait to pre order ours for the PS4 when it is closer to the release date. I can already tell being 2 games in this will be one of the top 5 jrpg franchise for the wife and I it is that good...... and I have even heard shares a world with the other beloved Legends of series which is mind blowing to me. Terrific video glad you loved it as well Joe.
I love this first one and I think it deserves more attention!
@@joethealternativegamer3935 far far far more attention
About Voices - actually English cast recorder EXTRA lines. comparatively to original. there ~ 5000 more voiced lines in English version. And yes it is strongly recommended that you play Sky and Crossbell games b4 you start CS3 that will be released later this year. All games happen in the same universe in the span of several years. Sky starts in year 1202 latest cold steel game is 1206. so there are constant references and characters and story lines that appear one after another. Cs1 have the least references since it's good starting point CS2 have medium spoilers to past events. CS3 and up will get just outright confusing without knowledge of all games
Well is the Trails of Sky games on PS4?
No. you can get them on PSP i guess? but PC versions are the best ones out there.
@@MarioSonicDKPokeFAN originally on psp but you can play on vita and steam as well
Just beat this game a couple of days ago. Awesome world-building, story-rich content. Looking forward to play ToCS 2 next week.
And on a side note, with mecha battle at the end, this is the only game in 2 decades that gave me the same excitement as one of my all time favorite game, Xenogears. Not even Xeno prequels did it for me. And without a doubt, Trails series, especially ToCS, claim their place as one of my favorites.
sorry what is the story? Asking for a friend... ;) I mean someone gets killed and civil war starts. That is the story (telling it would take 30mins tops?). And that would have happened even if you were not there at all. 50 hours total are about feeding the cat, fixing lamps on the highway or walking the road in fancy shoes.
I discovered this series a few weeks ago and played through all 4 in a few days 😂 This series is now in my top favorite of all games. And the great part is, they kept on getting better and more sophisticated as they went on, which is rare for a series these days. It has major replayability as well. I'm glad I found and fell in love this series, it's got its place up there with Smt and Persona now, especially with the music.
3 games later* yep totally worth it
Well there trail of the sky/cold steel.
Part 3 early release on 9-22-19 @ GameStop! Mine is already ordered!
Thank you Joe for the review! I love this game series with my full heart.
You’re welcome! Count me a fan as well :)
I can’t believe an entire sequential trilogy is out now on PS4 and basically nobody knows 😳
I plan on covering all of them :)
Please do 👍🏻
I just bought 1 today!
I played cold steel 1 and 2 then the trails in the sky series . Then cold steel 3 and 4 . Waiting for Trails from Zero(western release fall 2022) and Trails to Azure(western release 2023)
How was it, going back to Trails in the Sky after the first two games of Cold Steel? I really wanna play all 4 games of Cold Steel, but I'm not interested in TitS trilogy.
@@nithorias9622 The story for Trails in the Sky was great but they graphics and gameplay mechanics are a big step back(hated Trails in the Sky the 3rd)
@@Acidrain82 I see! I only ask because the majority of fans say that you must play TitS in order to understand and appreciate Cold Steel 3 and 4 more. Btw are the first two chapters of TitS better than the third then?
@@nithorias9622 There will be references and characters from Trails in the Sky but is not necessary
Just now got into the series this week. And the tails of games this past month. Definitely gonna have my hands full the remainder of this year!
Well that and every NPC basically has new dialogue and an ongoing storyline as the game progresses :)
One of the greatest series that i've ever discovered last year although it's a shame that I i've only experienced the sky and crossbell games through a walkthrough since I only own a ps4, One day i'll get a pc so I could experience it myself but for now im looking forward to CS4
I love this one and I am slowly going through 2 :)
@@joethealternativegamer3935 It's amazing man I hope you enjoy your CS2 experience
Started it and I’ve been impressed so far
Thank you for reviewing this game. Although I would rank cold steel series as my least favorite in story department(Liberl arc has best the characters and developments, Crossbell arc has best story and character chemistry), this series as a whole creates a living breathing world that really feel lived in. There truly is nothing like it.
Strangely enough the director of the Sky series and overall producer of the entire Trails series actually has gone on record saying that he considers the Sky series to be his weakest work and that the character he was more attached towards was Rean. He did agree that he considers the optional bonding mechanic in general to have not worked as they originally envisioned so I don't think we will see a "waifu" mechanic in the future of the series.
Got cs1 and cs2 on a big in Japan Psn sale for 40$ finished them both and lucked out a few days ago and got cs3 for 30$ on Amazon, loving the cold steel series very fun it deserves more recognition.
:)
your channel is underrated man am gonna buy it on steam now thanks to u
:)
It warms my heart to see that lot of people felt the same way I did within my first contact with the series. I'm grateful to this fanbase as they are the reason for companies such NISA bring these titles for us in the west (great english cast btw)
I know it's late and might be somewhere in the many comments but I'll mention it anyway since it is a thing with all the games of the series and others from Falcom.
The games come even in Japanese with only certain voice-files and looks for them which means, the localization could record more voice-lines but the games would be unable to play them. Localization would have to actually alter the essential hooks programmed into the game. Since I play with the original voices where possible I am pretty sure the Localization-teams did not miss any of them unlike some other games where there are more voiced texts in Japanese than in the Englisch versions.
Literally just played the demo to Cold Steel 3 last night and it immediately made me want to play the entire series... Only problem is there seems to be a couple of games not yet released in English...
It really is worth going back and playing the previous games. The sky series is sold on Steam and Falcom have been making very positive noises about translating the crossbell arc. It's fairly easy to get the Crossbell arc on PC if you have a little dig around and the Geofont team have done an amazing job on the fan translation. Cold Steel 1 and 2 are good jumping on points but onwards the series assumes youve played all the previous games.
I started with CS1 & 2 and started 3, when I realised there was so much I didnt understand I put 3 down and went back to play all the other games and had the best gaming journey of my life.
@@kulvurt8386 Yeah, I just bought Trails In The Sky on Steam two days ago and really enjoying it so far. Probably gonna buy Sky SC and The 3rd once I'm done, unless they go on sale before that...
@@Yet_another_placeholder Glad your enjoying it already, look foward to popping back to see how your getting on :)
I'm currently playing through CS2 for the second time after having finshed Sky/Crossbell stuff (just finished my second play through of CS1).
This game reminds me of skies of arcadia for some reason. I have been craving for an rpg that gives me that same feeling as that and vanguard bandits are probably up there as my favorite games of all time. Fingers crossed!
The best JRPG!!
It is one of the best! I really need to beat 2 lol
@@joethealternativegamer3935 there is 6 other games localized and one more coming, hehe.
ok you convinced me..im getting this game. I was going to wait for a sale.
I hope you enjoy it!
Ah, and so a new fan embarks upon his journey. Now, go forth. Relentlessly. Without looking back!
The 4th game has been announced and I cant wait to play it
It has??? 😱
Vlog do Maminha the 3rd game is coming to the switch while the 4th game is coming out this year
You're in for quite the journey if you'd like to check out the rest of the Trails series~
I look forward to this journey :)
@@joethealternativegamer3935 Awesome! *cue Silver Will*
Better than all the final fantasies after X glued together, and it hurts to say it becouse FF was my all time favourite video game franchise 😑. Next to Persona, DQ and Xenoblade this is the best jrpg series today.
The Trails series is still kinda unknown but the fans are usually fanatic, me included lol. Cold Steel 4 will help make it a little bit less underrated, cs4 is like the Endgame of the trails series. My top 4 in the series is Traisl to Azure > Cold Steel 2 > Cold Steel 4 > Sky 2
So... Did you played the rest of the series? Trails in the sky (1, 2 and 3), the Crossbell saga (trails from zero and to azure) and the rest of cold steel games? I'd love to see your appreciations on those games too 👀
They have gotten away from me! I want to! You liked this video? I very much enjoyed this game! I need to get to 2. I do like that 2 has a previous on to help me brush up on one again!
@@joethealternativegamer3935 of course I liked your vid and comments :). I feel you've got what people who recommend these games tried to tell you, and definitely this games are underrated even for some JRPG fans out there. Independently on the personal reasoning, it's one hell of a series that deserves the attention totally. Mostly if you're that kind of gamer that enjoys huge stories intertwining with others, creating a huge one without losing details in between. Plus the music... Oh lala. Try to get the rest of them. I know you won't regret it 😉
@@soloudandclear oh man, the music is wonderful!
I’ve heard of these games but never tried them. I recently saw them on PSN and have been considering trying the series out.
I loved this game!
Just seen today the first and second one are on the PSN Double Discounts sale, 50% off. I am really considering getting the first one and then maybe the second if I like the feel of playing the first.
Patrick Wan really? Thank you for telling me! I bought the first one and enjoyed what I’ve played so far. I’ll probably grab 2 while it’s on sale now
patrickinferno 1 bought the first one yesterday and just finished the prologue and I feel like I’m going to really enjoy this game already, I really enjoy the array of different characters. I think I will end up getting the 2nd one too seeing as it’s on sale.
I know this is an older video, but I liked your review very much, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I just played my first JRPG (Fire Emblem Three Houses) and I absolutely loved it. I'd like to check out more of this genre, have you also played Fire Emblem? And do you think this would be a good follow up for a JRPG newbie?
Probably! My first fire emblem was the first one on the gameboy advance! Wonderful game and I’d imagine the rest of the series is good too :)
If you are seeing this every game in the series(and developer) is 50% off right now! I just got Cold Steel 1-4 for $60
Nice review,I read few reviews,and I want to clear my backlog before buying this game,but after your video I'm really anxious to check this game series. Just can't find physical copy in my country. :(
Well I'll manage somehow. Thanks 👍
Thank you! Yea maybe they didn’t do many physics copies, try an online retailer
@@joethealternativegamer3935 I will do, thanks.
Great review! Love this series to death.
Also, Laura best girl.
Yea! What a gem!
That's a weird way of spelling Millium
That's a weird way spelling Jusis
Just beat the third. Bought the game randomly to play and boom, Now I have a Massive amount of games to figure out the story knowing some spoilers
Yea I need to beat the second!
Thanks, good summary of the battle mechanics.
Thank you
I want to get into this series but it's such a pain to track down copies for the ps4. They sell out so fast.
well, a cheap pc can run them. that and they cost less than 20 us even digital when on discount... maybe try there instead?
Great video as always! Looks like I have another RPG series to check out!
:)
Played Trails in the Sky or Crossbell yet? As pointed out by others, really enhances the experience.
When you play through cold steel again after having played them it will almost be like playing a different game.
I have not! I want to!
@@joethealternativegamer3935 You are in for a fantastic journey. Its a little slow at first and the battle system is less evolved (but still similar) to the Cold Steel series but stick with it and the reward will be worth it, especially on a character and story level. Playing the previous games really helps flesh out the narrative on a larger scale.
If i could wipe my brain and play all the Trails games again for the first time, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
they recorded additional content for the english voice casts, so more lines are dubbed in english than in the original japanese version...
at least thats true for the PC/steam version and as far as i know, the PS4 Version is a 1:1 Port of that version...
anyways: trails really is underrated and deserves so much more attention!
This is by far my favorite series that I've had the honor of playing from the story to the characters the combat system I was so into this game I was so excited to come home so I could continue my walk through of the game it's really been a adventure spanning over 4 games tho I'm still kinda sad that the forth game is the end of saga for reans story (you can tell from my profile pic that's he's my favorite character) tho I hear that he could make an appearance in future games so I look forward to what's next for the series 😁 oh and the ost is a banger some of my favorite osts are blue destination/ tie a link to the Arcus/ and don't be beat by a friend!
I know I just started and I love what I have played so far!
@@joethealternativegamer3935 glad to see that more people are playing the game can't wait to see your thoughts on the 2 3 and 4 cold steel game
I like to watch reviews about Legend of Heroes series, but this one i closed at beginning, when he said "ToCS is focused on combat and exploration"...Open world games are focused on exploration, action games are focused on combat. This game is focused on story telling, world building and character development, not mainly on exploration and combat.
On the other side i read, that some ppl play this game with skipping all dialogues, only moving forward and play it like Diablo. Sure however they want, but they missing maybe 80% of the game.
Just got into this series via cold steel on Vita, now I'm hooked. It already beat persona series storywise imo
One of the best video game series I’ve ever played!
And yasss! I started off with FF8 myself :)
i avoided this game because i thought it wasnt that good. then i played it and i got hooked. currently playing part 3 trying to finish it before part 4 comes out next month
Good video you earned my sub bro
:)
Now I need your review regarding Persona 345 which has High School life to this Trails of Cold Steel 123 which also has School standards (well CS2 isn't really a school standard anymore since it's a fucking Noble War)
A Tales of and Trails fan. Good day.
@Char Aznable eh they are nice. They do miss sometimes but then later bring some amazing titles so its alright. And yeah Trails is more balanced in quality between its games compared to Tales.
Fucking crazy! I started my JRPG journey with that ff8 demo disk!!!
Small world!
@@joethealternativegamer3935 played that demo then went to Legend of Legaia , then Xenogears
Besides Pokemon Blue, I started With FF8, but the full game. Though, it was at my friend's place, so I never got far into it at all.
I'm not agree with people saying that it's a good game to start Trails series.
It was my first when it was release on ps vita. I dropped it. Because I find it generic and because there were too much informations.
And obviously because there is 5 game before this one and they are all connected but I didn't know that .
This year because of some friends I learn about how Trails series is composed.
I start in the natural order Sky trilogy and Crossbell duology.
Then after all this years I try again Cold steel and it was better by fat because you have all the key and you understand well how the world exist.
Graphism are still generic and sora series have more soul but the story and world building make more sense. It' by far a better experience for me if people start with trails series !
Does anyone know how much more English voice acting they added in the PS4 version?
Cold Steel 2 drags on BUT the final act is amazing. Trails of cold Steel 3 so far is hands down the best atm
Going to be honest.. I like it under rated.. it makes it "my" game.. kind of like chrono cross and legend of legaia. And NOT like FF7 that everyone raves on about none stop, to the point I cant even enjoy it. It's similar to GoT. I love watching the show talking to people about it.. but I'm not obsessed with it.. couldnt if I tried.
This game is fantastic, I love it
Does the ps3 version hold up rather try it on ps now before I commit to spending more $
Trails of cold steel would have been better if it weren't for the overly corny and emotional protagonist. This guy always giving some overly cliche speech. I just fast read through all of those. There's also plenty of cliche stuff in this series like how some characters are overly dramatic about something (I've only played TCoS I and II). I dont think this is a bad game but I wouldnt say its great either. I like the combat at least. And the guy who thought of a built-in turbo mode is a GENIUS. Every JRPG should have it.
I loved symphonia when it came out for the GameCube. Yea I’m old. But ff8 is the one ff game I really couldn’t get into. I love the series but I prefer 13 to 8. That’s how much I dislike it
I like the 13 trilogy
Ive been playing since around december and only have the fan translated games left to cross off before cold steel 3.
Not to insult it, but cold steel 1 may be one of the weaker entries in the series. That is to say, its definitely worth checking out the whole series if you enjoyed this one.
What makes the others better and what makes this one not as great?
@@joethealternativegamer3935 I'd say class VII isnt quite as strong as other casts, not really a fan of the school setting or uniforms every character wears. Having the player choose which girl to date in this one but feeling like they planned a canon love interest anyway.
There are definitely people who had bigger problems with it, but those are my gripes.
I think that's just based on opinions. I loved this cast and they only got better.
I think the reason they went with the school setting was due to their primary market: Japan. The Japanese love these settings and their dating sims.
I wasn’t much of a fan of that, but I did love the cast.
Playing all the trails games, here is my opinion:
Sky games: best characters. nobody comes close to Estelle and Joshua.
Crossbell games: best story. The second game’s story is just too damn good.
Steel games: best gameplay. It’s fast paced and gets better in later games. Love the S-craft animations. Especially Rean’s final S-craft, so badass.
Underrated? Oh come on guys get it together! What I can give you is that the concept in its size (not quality) is ambitious and on portable we had nothing like that (tho at the time the games were 2 - assuming you could get over Cold Steel 1 which was largely the price to pay for CS 2). Still today xenoblade is not a single story spanning multiple 50 hours games. So sure, unmatched magnitude. Number 3 is better and a little shorter... but getting there....
I wouldn't call it "underrated".
Trails series us currently one of the most recommended JRPG series among genre fans. The thing is getting into it is hard because people isn't much into reading.
Also, I'd say JRPG are currently underrated as a whole, so... xD
For me it's hard to get into reading dragged-on very corny dialogues
@@supalognon And for me they add lots of world building and characterization and and also are fun, so whatever.
@@rindou97 They Are Underrated Unless You're Final Fantasy, Persona Or Xenoblade
@@Next-xm2dh Basicly
damn this game is good. i love all the casts
Can't wait to play Trails Of Cold Steel 3 this Oct. 😁
Same! Once I beat 2!
Did you feel you missed out by not playing the previous 5 games? I'm interested in the series but 2 of those 5 games don't have official english translations and the fan ones are meant to be just ok.
Not at all! I heard this was a good starting point!
This was a good Starting Point. Believe me that this game would make you to play the previous game as hyped as it never has before. I mean if you're new and tried to play it from the first 5 games before, you will get bored fast. Trust me, it works for me.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, my review of..."
SkillUp much?
He invented that!?
You missed out on the tales games on ps1.
Cold steel series is also better than anything NIS America publishes like their lame attempt at Fairy Tail RPG, and Neptune games, even the Atelier and Ryza series. I say stay away from GUST, Idea Factory, Compile Heart and anything else published by NIS. I have the games trust me on this. They have below average game programmers, the only good thing about those NIS games is the music and graphics you can say goodbye to game mechanics, storyline, difficulty and gameplay that;s why they suck but not the Cold steel series, I'm shocked that this didn't hit off what a hidden gem!
Anyone else having frame rate issues with ps4?
I LOVE THE SERIES!!!!
I want to try this game but they stay so expansive
I've searched everywhere but no luck. Can anyone tell me how to check the Leaders skills? I recall the game telling me but I stopped playing for a while and now I cannot find it for the life of me. I even question wherever the leader of the party does provide a specific leader skill. It's driving me insane. Any help appreciated. Thanks! (I have checked the help menu in game, and FAQS online, nothing) Thanks in advance! Solid review btw! :)
What do you mean by Leader skill? Give me example
Maybe you're thinking about brave orders? But they're introduced only in CS3.
There's only difference between attacks on the field (not in battle). Some give triple advantage, some only double (depends on the enemy) and Millium stuns enemies in the face.
@@ВадимНечунаев-л2о if I remember correctly, attack on the field in 2 previous game can get attack to Triple Advantage as long as you have the same type. But since ToCS3, you can only use Critical Attack to trigger Triple Advantage.
@@bimoprakoso2820 Yep, that's right. Other than that there is no difference in party leader.
The game is definitely not bad. But it definitely gives me my fair share of questions.
Like....what's with this hidden power he has. I've only just finished this game so maybe it'll be elaborated on in one of the other titles.
But still. It feels like a plot thread that doesn't get resolved. And that irritates me a bit.
Yea there are a bunch of unfinished threads but there are more sequels! If the sequels do not answer them then I’d be mad
Javarus Leary consider that not a single trails game explains 100% of what it puts under the player's attention, in order to let some space for speculations and most likely to give answers in later games
consider also that the cold steel saga as a whole is 4 games long, and cs1 is only the first one, so of course many things are explained later
Oh it absolutely gets elaborated on xD.
One of the best
I wanted to like this game, but I found it riddled with anime clichés that made it really hard to get through the first hour, and some clunky animation/controls were offputting. Would you recommend sticking with it, or would you say this just isn't for me?
I would recommend giving it a few more hours to see if it is your cup of tea!
I don't think Trails is underrated, in fact, it's way too hyped for a game that hardly offers any new things. The gameplay is the same as any generic turn-based jrpg. The graphical engine is so super outdated and they didn't fix that even in the last ep. I won't say the story is shit and cliche,, but for someone that's watching anime and reading manga, it sort of feels predictable. And though this is a personal opinion, I absolutely got pissed at each episode ends...as a decent writer you ABSOLUTELY DONT DO THIS. I was roaring with anger. SO NO i don't think trails is underrated. Considering its your typical middle of the pack filler game it does a good job but is way to hyped.
Hmm nowdays mediocrity is the new Standard it seems, also squeezing games out to find some sort of meaning because games lost the amount of "secrecy" or hidden details. Would you still recommend it based on the combat system?
@@GottEddy You should honestly just start with trails in the sky first and second chapter. The gameplay is oldschool and a bit outdated for First Chapter but Second chapter fixes most issues.
Trails current canon storyline consists of 9 games:
trails in the sky FC,SC,3rd,
Trails from zero and trails to azure,
Trails of coldsteel 1-4.
The games are heavily focused on character and worldbuilding and are all connected through one grand story.
Characters from sky and zero to azure will reappear in coldsteel. Information provided in later games gives context to past events.
Best comparison would be some long series of fantasy novels.
The writing kinda dips in coldsteel which is why many people dont like it as much but the first 5 games are all pretty stellar and coldsteel is still worth playing as an arc just to see where the future leads us.
Coldsteel isnt the end either.
Last year the 10th game released in japan under the title
Hajimari no kiseki(Trails of Origin/Beginning) and the 11th game Kuro no kiseki(Trails of Black) has also already been announced.
The series is only around 60% done as of right now so we can expect quite a few more games.
My recommendation as someone who played all games up to and including coldsteel4 is to just start with sky if you can handle an old rpg and a slow story. Alternatively you can play coldsteel 1 and 2 and then go back to sky after experiencing a more modern entry in the series. Coldsteel 1 and 2 are rather selfcontained and keep references and cameos to a minimum though you will still get some minor spoilers.
cold seal lol
Cold Steel 1 😴😴
my problem is that Persona 5 Aesthethics have Spoiled the shit out me, also Nostlagia for older FF games. Looking at this game on 2020 it looks like a Playstation 2 cheap game (Dragon quest 8 looks great and it was a pS2 game too) So yeah it made me Not trust this series at all. Is a problem that i have develop in current years. There is also the fact That I CANT STAND THE MODERN ANIME LOOK, yes Persona 5 is anime too But it doenst look like this at all. The noses arent fucking triangles, the character have a lot of detail (Sure maybe the writing is better But i am talking about Aesthethics) P5 without all his element would be consider an Okay game at best but all of this combine plus music is what made the game Shine Specially because Freaking MENUS Arent boring too look FUCKING MENUS that should be the most boring shit ever but it isnt.
Atlus have more a western comic (aka america indie comic) style. That may be why you like it more. But you are right that general anime lookalike characters is a problem today.
It may not be a AAA RPG by the likes of FF or Tales of, but gameplay and music wise is where CS1 truly shows its colors.
its not underrated.