The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV

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The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV
Trails of Cold Steel IV Japanese Cover.png
Developer(s)Nihon Falcom[a]
Publisher(s)NIS America
Director(s)Takayuki Kusano
Producer(s)Toshihiro Kondo
Programmer(s)
  • Toru Endo
  • Nobuhiro Hioki
  • Atsushi Oosaki
Writer(s)Hisayoshi Takeiri
Composer(s)
  • Hayato Sonoda
  • Takahiro Unisuga
  • Yukihiro Jindo
  • Mitsuo Singa
Series
EnginePhyreEngine
Platform(s)
Release
September 27, 2018
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV[c] is a role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. The game is a part of the Trails series, itself a part of the larger The Legend of Heroes series, and serves as the final entry of the Trails of Cold Steel tetralogy. The game was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan in September 2018 and worldwide in October 2020, with ports for Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows and Stadia being released in April 2021. A sequel, The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie, was released in 2020.

Gameplay[]

The gameplay of Trails of Cold Steel IV is similar to the previous Trails of Cold Steel games, being a traditional Japanese role-playing video game with turn-based battles. The game brings back features such as the Order system, Orbment system, mini-games and battle commands being mapped to specific buttons rather than various menus. Each character from the new Class VII in the game has new, unique S-Craft techniques in combat.[1] Additionally, characters utilize Lost Arts (returning from Trails of Cold Steel II), which are significantly more powerful than regular Arts but expend a full EP gauge.[2] Several changes compared to the previous Trails of Cold Steel games include modifications to the Order and Break systems. Some characters were given weaker Orders that are upgradeable by finding treasure chests that lead to "trial" battles with fixed characters that can be used. Enemies now also required "far more" break damage before the Break state can be inflicted.[3] Mini-games between larger battles include blackjack, poker, and other puzzle games.[4]

Synopsis[]

The game is a direct sequel to the prior three Trails of Cold Steel games, set two weeks after the final battle in Trails of Cold Steel III.[5] The events of that game's final chapter have led to a self-coup and threaten to lead to an invasion of the Calvard Republic. Meanwhile, the surviving members of Class VII, reeling from the destruction of the Courageous, Millium's (Michelle Marie and Kotori Koiwai)[6] death, and Rean Schwarzer's (Sean Chiplock and Kōki Uchiyama) capture by his father Giliath Osborne (Michael Sorich and Jouji Nakata)[7][3] are brought to a witch's village to recover, except for Musse (Alexis Tipton and Ami Koshimizu),[6] who is secretly the newly appointed Duchess Cayenne and is rallying other countries to oppose the Imperial Army; Ash (Austin Lee Matthews and Tomoaki Maeno),[6] who was taken into protective custody by Musse's forces during the final battle, but has escaped and ended up in his ruined hometown Hamel; and Crow (Charger Tomlee and Takahiro Sakurai),[8] who has regained his memories but still momentarily remains on the Gnomes' side.

The game features a large roster of characters, including the heroes of Class VII, the heroes of Liberl, and Crossbell’s Special Support Section.[4] The game is largely centered on characters from Class VII.[3] However, several playable characters from older games were made unplayable for this game.[3] Main characters include Rean Schwarzer,[6] instructor of Class VII, among others such as Estelle Bright (Stephanie Sheh and Akemi Kanda),[9] Joshua Bright (Johnny Yong Bosch and Mitsuki Saiga),[9] Renne Bright (Sandy Fox and Aoi Yūki),[9] Agate Crosner (Ben Pronsky and Takayuki Kondō),[9] Tita Russell (Brianna Knickerbocker and Hiromi Konno),[9] Lloyd Bannings (Robbie Daymond and Tetsuya Kakihara),[9] Elie MacDowell (Erica Mendez and Aya Endō),[9] Tio Plato (Kayli Mills and Kaori Mizuhashi),[9] Randolph Orlando (Jonah Scott and Shin-ichiro Miki),[9] and KeA Bannings (Lauren Landa and Rie Kugimiya).[9][10][11][12]

Plot[]

Juna (Erika Harlacher and Nao Tōyama),[6] Kurt (Joe Zieja and Takuya Eguchi),[6] and Altina (Xanthe Huynh and Yui Horie)[6] awaken to find out about Rean's capture.[3] Determined to rescue Rean and put a stop to Osborne's plans, Juna takes charge of Class VII and travels all over Crossbell and Erebonia to figure out Ouroboros and Osborne's plans, while convincing Ash and Musse to rejoin. During their investigation, they discover that the governor-general of Crossbell, Rufus Albarea (D. C. Douglas and Daisuke Hirakawa),[13] had been using his position to find and take possession of the last remaining Divine Knight. The group then locate and successfully rescue Rean. Osborne arrives and explains that since all of the Divine Knights have now been awakened, they can begin the "Rivalries", a ritual that involves the Divine Knight holders battling each other, with the winner becoming the new vessel for the Great One, Ishmelga. Rean resolves to stop Osborne as the group escape.

Soon after, Rean defeats Crow in the first Rivalry, resulting in Valimar absorbing Ordine's power. With Crow's life bound to Ordine, Rean forces Valimar to instead turn the Azure Knight into a retainer.[citation needed] As Rean and his friends, including a much-alive Angelica (Kimberly Brooks and Naomi Shindō)[8] - who George (Matthew Mercer and Takeshi Mori)[8] managed to convince the chief of the Gnomes to brainwash rather than kill - and George - who is eventually convinced to abandon his Copper Georg persona and defect from the Gnomes - regroup, it is also revealed that Millium had survived, having taken the form of the sword Valimar now wields. In addition, it emerges that, due to external intervention, Prince Olivert (Matthew Mercer and Takehito Koyasu)[8] survived the destruction of the Courageous and now commands its successor, the Courageous II. Rean decides to proceed with the Rivalries, defeating both Rutger (David Craig and Hōchū Ōtsuka)[13] and Arianrhod (Cherami Leigh and Aya Hisakawa).[13] Rutger refuses to be saved and peacefully passes away; Arianrhod is murdered by Rufus, but frees Valimar and Millium from the Curse, allowing Valimar to speak again and Millium to manifest a ghost-like form. Meanwhile, the Curse begins to take hold over all of Erebonia, and the entire country begins to mobilize for war against the Calvard Republic. Black Alberich (Armen Taylor and Hiroki Yasumoto),[13] Osborne and Ouroboros raise a massive floating fortress, awaiting Rean's arrival.[citation needed]

After his friends and allies disable the fortress' defenses, Rean and both the new and old Class VII board it and fight their way through its defenders, defeating Lechter (Phillip Reich and Masakazu Morita),[7] Claire (Rachel Kimsey and Ami Koshimizu),[7] Shirley (Amber Lee Connors and Ayana Taketatsu),[13] Mariabell (Dawn M. Bennett and Rie Tanaka),[13] Campanella (Zach Aguilar and Kanae Itō),[13] Alberich, and McBurn (Allen Lee and Junichi Suwabe).[13] Rean then defeats Cedric (Quinton McBeard and Naomi Shindō)[7] and Rufus in Rivlaries, leaving him and Osborne as the final Divine Knight holders. It is revealed that Osborne is in fact the resurrected form of Dreichels, an ancient hero who was instrumental in the formation of Erebonia who had taken the Curse within himself and arranged events as Chancellor as part of his plan to permanently destroy the Curse. Rean and Osborne then face off in one final battle, with Rean being victorious.[citation needed]

In the game's normal ending, with Osborne's defeat, Rean inherits the Curse but is not strong enough to contain Ishmelga. Instead, he, Crow, and Millium sacrifice themselves to destroy Ishmelga, freeing Erebonia of the Curse at the cost of their own lives.[citation needed] In the game's true ending, which is unlocked by clearing the game once, Rean successfully separates Ishmelga from his soul and frees himself from the Curse. As Ishmelga physically manifests, Rean and all of his friends, allies, and followers work together to defeat Ishmelga and the Curse for good. Rean has one final farewell to the spirits of Osborne, Rutger, and Arianrhod. With their duty fulfilled, the Divine Knights use the last of their power to restore Crow's body and the sword containing Millium's soul before disappearing. The Emperor recovers from his wounds and retakes control of Erebonia, War with the Calvard Republic is averted and Rufus is arrested, Claire and Lechter return to their respective roles within the Intelligence Division and the Railway Military Police respectively, and Cedric escapes with Shirley and joins Ouroboros to avoid facing his family. Crossbell wins independence, Erebonia is stabilized, and Millium's soul is transferred to a backup body prepared by the Gnomes, resurrecting her, albeit without her memories as a sword. Later, Rean and his friends attend Prince Olivert's and Scherazard Harvey's (Michelle Ruff and Yuka Shioyama)[9] wedding and celebrate.[citation needed]

In a post-credits scene, the remaining Ouroboros members meet with their leader, the Grandmaster, who assures them that despite the setbacks Ouroboros suffered, events are still going as planned. She estimates that Rean's efforts have given the world three more years before its end, and declares the beginning of the "Eternal Recurrence Plan".[citation needed]

Development and release[]

Plans for a fourth Trails of Cold Steel game were revealed in an interview with Nihon Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo in November 2017. In the interview he stated that Trails of Cold Steel III was originally intended to conclude the story arc but they found it difficult to satisfactorily wrap up the story without a fourth entry.[14] Like the previous Trails of Cold Steel entries, it was developed using the PhyreEngine game engine.[15] The Nintendo Switch version was ported by Engine Software[16] and the Windows version by PH3 Games.

The Japanese release was initially scheduled for late 2018 for the PlayStation 4.[17] It was released in Japan for the PlayStation 4 on September 27, 2018.[18] A limited edition was also sold in Japan.[19] Localization into English was handled by NIS America.[20][21] It was released for the PlayStation 4 in North America and Europe on October 27, 2020, and November 6 in Australia and New Zealand. A port for the Nintendo Switch was released in Japan on March 18, 2021,[22] April 9, 2021 in North America and Europe, and April 16, 2021 in Oceania.[23] Ports for Microsoft Windows and Stadia were released worldwide on April 9, 2021.[24][25]

Reception[]

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic. Frontline Gaming Japan reviewed the Japanese PlayStation 4 release and said "the Kiseki series is a pinnacle of modern Japanese RPGs, and Sen IV does not fail to live up to the series’ legacy".[3]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Nintendo Switch version ported by Engine Software. Microsoft Windows version ported by Engine Software and PH3 Games.
  2. ^ Nintendo Switch version published by Nippon Ichi Software in Japan.
  3. ^ Japanese: 英雄伝説 閃の軌跡IV -THE END OF SAGA-, Hepburn: Eiyū Densetsu: Sen no Kiseki Fō -The End of Saga-

References[]

  1. ^ Romano, Sal (July 5, 2018). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV details Ironbloods, new S-Crafts". Gematsu. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  2. ^ Wallace, Kimberly (April 1, 2020). "Exclusive Interview: Five Fast Questions And Answers On Trails Of Cold Steel IV". Game Informer. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Johann C. K. (February 10, 2020). "Review- Trails of Cold Steel IV". Frontline Gaming Japan. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Sal Romano (July 14, 2020). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV 'Character' trailer". Gematsu. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  5. ^ Sitzes, Jenae (August 10, 2020). "Trails Of Cold Steel 4 Pre-Order Details: Release Date, Special Edition, And Where To Buy". GameSpot. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Nihon Falcom. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV. NIS America. Scene: Ending credits, 10:46.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Nihon Falcom. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV. NIS America. Scene: Ending credits, 11:21.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Nihon Falcom. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV. NIS America. Scene: Ending credits, 10:55.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k Nihon Falcom. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV. NIS America. Scene: Ending credits, 11:04.
  10. ^ Romano, Sal (July 12, 2018). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV details three more characters". Gematsu. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  11. ^ Romano, Sal (May 24, 2018). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV details Special Support Section characters, Japanese limited edition". Gematsu. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  12. ^ Romano, Sal (May 10, 2018). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV details Septian Church and former Class VII characters". Gematsu. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Nihon Falcom. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV. NIS America. Scene: Ending credits, 11:20.
  14. ^ Sato (November 20, 2017). "Falcom Originally Wanted To End With Trails of Cold Steel III; Hopes To Release Next Part In 2018". Siliconera. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  15. ^ Wen, Alan (October 6, 2019). "Hot on the Trails of Falcom, Japan's longest-running RPG developer". Eurogamer. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  16. ^ "Game Details - Engine Software BV". Engine Software. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  17. ^ Romano, Sal (December 20, 2017). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV ~The End of Saga~ announced for PS4, launches fall 2018 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  18. ^ Romano, Sal (May 22, 2018). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV launches September 27 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  19. ^ Rafael Antonio Pineda (May 24, 2018). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV Game Launches on September 27 in Japan". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  20. ^ Wallace, Kimberly (April 1, 2020). "The Legend Of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV Announced For North America". Game Informer. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  21. ^ Romano, Sal (April 1, 2020). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV coming west for PS4 this fall, Switch and PC in 2021". Gematsu. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  22. ^ Romano, Sal (December 16, 2020). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV for Switch launches March 18, 2021 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  23. ^ Romano, Sal (January 12, 2021). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV for Switch launches April 9 in North America and Europe". Gematsu. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  24. ^ Lada, Jenni. "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV PC Will Appear in April". Siliconera. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  25. ^ Lada, Jenni (March 25, 2021). "Trails of Cold Steel and Ys Stadia Debuts Dated". Siliconera. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  26. ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  27. ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  28. ^ Vogel, Mitch (29 August 2021). "The Legend Of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV Review (Switch)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  29. ^ Rudek, Jordan (29 August 2021). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV (Switch) Review". . Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  30. ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV Review | Aces high". . 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  31. ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV Review (PS4) | Aces high". Push Square. 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  32. ^ Bowling, Audra (29 August 2021). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV". . Retrieved 29 August 2021.


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