Trails (series)

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Not to be confused with Tales (video game series) by Bandai Namco.

Trails
Trails 15th Anniversary.png
15th anniversary logo
Genre(s)Role-playing game
Developer(s)Nihon Falcom
Publisher(s)
  • JP: Nihon Falcom
  • WW: Xseed Games (2011–2019)
  • WW: NIS America (2019–present)
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
First releaseThe Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
June 24, 2004
Latest releaseThe Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie
August 27, 2020
Parent seriesThe Legend of Heroes

Trails, known as Kiseki (軌跡) in Japan, is a series of role-playing video games (RPGs) by Nihon Falcom. It is a part of their larger The Legend of Heroes franchise and itself consists of several story arcs, including Trails in the Sky and Trails of Cold Steel. The series was conceived by Falcom as part of a goal to create a narrative lasting decades.

Trails began with the release of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky in 2004 and was released exclusively in Asian markets until the 2010s, with Xseed Games handling its English localizations until NIS America took over in 2019. The series has been noted by critics for its emphasis on character arcs and worldbuilding. By late 2020, Trails had sold over five million copies.

Overview[]

Trails is a series of fantasy turn-based role-playing video games by Nihon Falcom.[1] Later entries in the series, such as the Cold Steel games, introduced more social simulation elements, akin to the Persona series.[2] The series originally began as a numbered entry in The Legend of Heroes series with the release of The Legend of Heroes VI: Trails in the Sky in 2004. Despite that, it had no narrative connection with prior Legend of Heroes games and has since been considered its own distinct franchise.[1][3]

Trails is set on the continent of Zemuria, with the games taking place across several nations, including the Kingdom of Liberl, the city-state of Crossbell, the Erebonian Empire, and the Republic of Calvard.[4] The majority of the games take place within a few years of each other and follow an overarching narrative, with plot elements being foreshadowed across several earlier games.[1][3][4] The series was conceived by Falcom as part of a goal to create a narrative lasting decades.[3][5] Trails features political and social elements, such as war, secret societies, and organized religion, as a part of its setting.[5][6] As opposed to many other RPGs, every non-playable character in the series has a name and their own minor character arcs, with varying degrees of importance to the main plot.[5][4]

Games[]

Trails
2004Trails in the Sky
2005
2006Trails in the Sky SC
2007Trails in the Sky the 3rd
2008
2009
2010Trails from Zero
2011Trails to Azure
2012
2013Trails of Cold Steel
2014Trails of Cold Steel II
2015
2016
2017Trails of Cold Steel III
2018Trails of Cold Steel IV
2019
2020Trails into Reverie
2021Kuro no Kiseki

The series is broken into several distinct story arcs: the Trails in the Sky[a] trilogy, the Crossbell duology, and the Trails of Cold Steel[b] tetralogy.[1] The Trails in the Sky games are set within the Kingdom of Liberl and follow Estelle and Joshua Bright, a pair of "bracers" which are an international guild of hired help that help citizenry in need.[1] The Trails of Cold Steel story arc consists of four games set in the Erebonian empire and follows Rean Schwarzer and Class VII, a specialized group of students at a military academy.[1] The series also has a few spinoffs.

Trails in the Sky / Liberl arc[]

Trails in the Sky[]

Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

The first game in the series was released in Japan in 2004 for the PC.[7] It was shortly afterwards ported to the PlayStation Portable in 2006.[7] Due to its large amount of text, the game was not localized into English until 2011, when it was translated by Xseed Games.[8] The game was also given a high definition port as part of Sony's PSP Remaster line of ports to the PlayStation 3 platform in late 2012,[9] and an updated re-release on the PlayStation Vita in 2015.[10]

Trails in the Sky SC[]

Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC

The direct sequel was initially released in 2006 for the PC and 2007 for the PlayStation Portable in Japan.[7] In 2013, Xseed Games worked together with Carpe Fulgur in localizing SC, due to all the fan requests after the release of First Chapter.[11] Initially announced for a mid-2014 release, it was later pushed back to late 2014.[12] Carpe Fulgur head Andrew Dice said that progress in translating the game was slowed by his struggles in personal life.[13] Dice handed over his work for Xseed employees to finish up, which, combined with unexpected difficulties during the QA testing of the game, resulted in the game's release being delayed into 2015.[14][15] Like First Chapter, SC had ports for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in the mid-2010s.[16]

Trails in the Sky the 3rd[]

Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd

Trails in the Sky the 3rd was released in Japan in 2007 for the PC and for the PlayStation Portable in 2008.[7] In early 2010s XSeed Games got rights from Falcom to release The 3rd in English, but due to the massive undertakings of the first two chapters, they did not actually begin work on translating it at that time, nor would they commit to doing so.[17] Xseed finally released it in 2017.

Crossbell arc[]

Trails from Zero[]

Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero takes place in Crossbell, a small country located between two great powers, and follows Lloyd Bannings, a rookie investigator with the Crossbell police, and his colleagues Elie McDowell, Randy Orlando, and Tio Plato. Zero no Kiseki was released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable on September 30, 2010.[18] The game was ported to Microsoft Windows for release in China in August 2011. This version was released in Japan in June 2013.[19] In 2012, it was released for the PlayStation Vita as Zero no Kiseki: Evolution, with improved visuals and more voice acting.[20] The Evolution version received a remaster for the PlayStation 4, releasing in Japan under the title Zero no Kiseki Kai on April 23, 2020.[21] A port for the Nintendo Switch and a PC port were made by Clouded Leopard Entertainment for Asian regions.[22] An English release was announced for PlayStation 4, PC, and Nintendo Switch for release in Fall 2022 by NIS America.[23]

Trails to Azure[]

Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure continues directly after the end of Trails from Zero. It was first released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable on September 29, 2011, later receiving a PC port in China.[18] It was also released for the PlayStation Vita as Ao no Kiseki: Evolution, featuring improved visuals and more voice acting, where it released in Japan on June 12, 2014.[24][25] The game also received a remaster for the PlayStation 4, releasing in Japan under the title Ao no Kiseki Kai on May 28, 2020.[21] A port for the Nintendo Switch and a PC port were made by Clouded Leopard Entertainment for Asian regions.[26] An English release was announced for PlayStation 4, PC, and Nintendo Switch for release in 2023 by NIS America.[27]

Trails of Cold Steel / Erebonia arc[]

Trails of Cold Steel[]

Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

The game was first released for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in Japan in September 2013. Xseed Games would later localize and publish the game in English regions in 2015. A port for Microsoft Windows was also released in 2017, which included additional English voice acting not seen in the original release. Another port for the PlayStation 4 was released in Japan in 2018, and worldwide the following year. A port for the Nintendo Switch and a PC port were made by Clouded Leopard Entertainment for Asian regions.

Trails of Cold Steel II[]

Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II

The game was released for PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3 in Japan in 2014, and was later localized into English and published by Xseed Games in North America in 2016. A port by Xseed for Microsoft Windows was released in February 2018, while a remastered version for the PlayStation 4 was released in Japan in April 2018 and worldwide in June 2019. A port for the Nintendo Switch and a PC port were made by Clouded Leopard Entertainment for Asian regions.

Trails of Cold Steel III[]

Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III

The game was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan in September 2017 and worldwide in October 2019. Ports for Nintendo Switch and Windows were also released in 2020. The game was the first in the series to be localized in English by NIS America and not Xseed Games. A 2nd port for the Nintendo Switch and a PC port were made by Clouded Leopard Entertainment for Asian regions.

Trails of Cold Steel IV[]

Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV

The game is the final entry of the Cold Steel tetralogy. It was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan in September 2018 and worldwide in late 2020, with ports for Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows also being scheduled for April 9, 2021. A PC port was made by Clouded Leopard Entertainment for Asian regions.

Trails into Reverie[]

Main article: The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie

The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan on August 27, 2020.[28] It acts as an epilogue to both the Crossbell and Trails of Cold Steel arcs. Versions for Nintendo Switch and Windows, ported by Clouded Leopard Entertainment, are set to be released in Japan and Asia on August 26, 2021.[29][30] An English localization by NIS America will be released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Nintendo Switch in 2023.[31]

Calvard arc[]

Kuro no Kiseki[]

The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki will be released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan on September 30, 2021.[32] The game features a new action-based battle system, with an option to switch back to the turn-based style used in previous entries.[33]

Spinoffs[]

Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki: Alternative Saga[]

Main article: Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki: Alternative Saga

Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki: Alternative Saga is a crossover fighting game featuring characters from Trails and Falcom's Ys series. It was released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable on July 29, 2010.

The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails[]

Main article: The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails

The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is the only game in the series to not take place within Zemuria.[34] It also differs by being an action role-playing game rather than turn-based.[35]

Akatsuki no Kiseki[]

Main article: Akatsuki no Kiseki

Akatsuki no Kiseki is an free-to-play online entry in the series. It was developed by UserJoy Technology, and first released in Japan as a browser game on August 31, 2016, before being ported to other platforms.

Other media[]

Manga adaptations of several games in the series have been released.[36][37] Trails in the Sky also received a novelization.[38] Other manga, such as The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Pre-Story -The Ring of Judgment- and The Tale of Loewe: Trails in the Sky Side Story, follow the actions of some of the characters and lead up to the games they appear in.[39][40][41][42] Several drama CDs also exist, with some filling in details glossed over in the games.[43][44] The transcripts of the Trails of Cold Steel drama CDs were subsequently translated by Xseed Games and placed on the official website of Trails of Cold Steel II.[45] A musical stage play based on part of Trails of Cold Steel ran in January 2017.[46][47]

An OVA adaptation of Trails in the Sky SC, directed by Masaki Tachibana at the studio Kinema Citrus, was released on November 25, 2011, with a second part releasing on January 22, 2012.[48][49] That same year, the OVAs were licensed by Sentai Filmworks for release in North America.[50] An anime television series adaptation of Trails of Cold Steel is scheduled to begin airing in 2022.[51]

Reception and sales[]

The series has been noted by critics for its emphasis on character arcs and worldbuilding.[1][3][5][6] Nintendo Life compared the series' depth and interconnectedness to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire franchise, saying both series' "came to life brilliantly through well-observed, subtle character interactions",[6] while IGN considered it the JRPG equivalent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[4]

In 2019, Falcom president and series producer Toshihiro Kondo stated that they had plans for Trails to last another 20 years.[3] In September 2020, Falcom announced that the series had sold over five million copies worldwide.[52]

References[]

  1. ^ Sora no Kiseki in Japan
  2. ^ Sen no Kiseki in Japan
  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Clay, Scott. "So you want to get into The Trails Series..." RPGFan. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  2. ^ Schreier, Jason. "Trails of Cold Steel Is Basically Suikoden Meets Persona". Kotaku. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Wen, Alan. "Hot on the Trails of Falcom, Japan's longest-running RPG developer". Eurogamer. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Davis, Justin. "How to Get Into the Trails RPGs and What Makes Them So Special". IGN. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Broadwell, Joshua (June 9, 2021). "Why Nihon Falcom's 'Trails' series has never cracked the West". Input Magazine. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c Stockdale, Henry. "Feature: Nihon Falcom's Trails Of Cold Steel Rivals Game Of Thrones In The Worldbuilding Stakes". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Hardcore Gaming 101: Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky".
  8. ^ "RPGFan News - The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Trilogy Goes Mobile".
  9. ^ "The Legend Of Heroes: Trails In The Sky PSP Vs. PlayStation 3". Siliconera.
  10. ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Evolution debut trailer, screenshots - Gematsu". Gematsu.
  11. ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky sequel coming to PC, PSP". Polygon.
  12. ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC pushed to late 2014". Polygon.
  13. ^ "Depression Led to Trails in the Sky SC Delay, Developer Explains Why - Niche Gamer".
  14. ^ "Addressing Something Important".
  15. ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Second Chapter - Localization Blog #2".
  16. ^ "Xseed "Looking Into" PS3 Version Of Trails in the Sky SC". Siliconera.
  17. ^ "The Legend Of The Heroes: Trails In The Sky Takes Flight In March". Siliconera.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b Rawda, Odel (May 6, 2020). "Why Falcom's Trails from Zero & Trails to Azure Deserve a Western Release". CBR. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  19. ^ Romano, Sal. "The Legend of Heroes: Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki coming to Switch on February 18, 2021 and April 22 in Asia". Gematsu. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  20. ^ ""Zero no Kiseki: Evolution" for(PS Vita)". Falcom. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b Romano, Sal (January 31, 2020). "The Legend of Heroes: Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki for PS4 launch April 23 and May 28 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  22. ^ Romano, Sal (March 9, 2020). "The Legend of Heroes: Zero no Kiseki PC fan translation mod launches March 14". Gematsu. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  23. ^ Romano, Sal (June 25, 2021). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero coming west in fall 2022 for PS4, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  24. ^ "Legend of Heroes Ao no Kiseki Evolution's Teaser Video Posted".
  25. ^ "A Peek At The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Blue Evolution's Anime Opening". March 27, 2014.
  26. ^ Arshad Khan, Danial. "The Legend of Heroes: Trails To Azure (Ao no Kiseki) fan translation patch released". GearNuke. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  27. ^ Romano, Sal (June 25, 2021). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure coming west in 2023 for PS4, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  28. ^ Romano, Sal. "The Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kiseki to add PlayStation VR mode post-launch, Traditional Chinese and Korean versions launch August 27". Gematsu. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  29. ^ Romano, Sal. "The Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kiseki coming to Switch, PC in summer 2021 in Japan and Asia". Gematsu. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  30. ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kiseki for Switch, PC launches August 26 in Japan and Asia". Gematsu. April 27, 2021.
  31. ^ Romano, Sal (June 25, 2021). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie coming west in 2023 for PS4, Switch, and PC". Gematsu.
  32. ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki launches September 30 in Japan for PS4". Gematsu. May 25, 2021.
  33. ^ Stenbuck, Kite. "Kuro no Kiseki Will Let You Toggle Between Battle Systems". Siliconera. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  34. ^ https://rpgamer.com/game/nayuta-no-kiseki/
  35. ^ https://rpgamer.com/2021/03/nayuta-no-kiseki-kai-gets-new-trailer/
  36. ^ "英雄伝説 空の軌跡１". Falcom Official Website. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  37. ^ "英雄伝説 閃の軌跡（1）". Falcom Official Website. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  38. ^ "英雄伝説 空の軌跡１ 消えた飛行客船". Falcom Official Website. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  39. ^ "英雄伝説 零の軌跡 プレストーリー-審判の指環-". Falcom Official Website. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  40. ^ "空の軌跡外伝 レーヴェ物語１". Falcom Official Website. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  41. ^ "空の軌跡外伝 レーヴェ物語２". Falcom Official Website. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  42. ^ "空の軌跡外伝 レーヴェ物語３". Falcom Official Website. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  43. ^ "クローゼのドタバタ学園生活！？『空の軌跡』第6弾ドラマCD収録レポート！皆口裕子さん、森田成一さん、神田朱未さん、斎賀みつきさん達が、人気ゲームの外伝作品を大熱演！". Animate Times (in Japanese). Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  44. ^ "英雄伝説 空の軌跡６". Falcom Official Website. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  45. ^ "Trails of Cold Steel Drama CD - Returning Home". trailsofcoldsteel.com. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  46. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio. "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel Musical's Cast Shown in Rehearsal Video". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  47. ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel to Receive Musical Production in January 2017 | The Otaku's Study". www.otakustudy.com. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  48. ^ "Eiyu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki RPG Gets Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  49. ^ "Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Anime #2 Teaser Posted". Anime News Network. December 12, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  50. ^ "Sentai Filmworks Licenses Legend of Heroes ~ Trails in the Sky". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  51. ^ Romano, Sal (March 9, 2021). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel TV anime project announced". Gematsu. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  52. ^ Romano, Sal. "The Legend of Heroes: Trails series sales top five million". Gematsu. Retrieved September 29, 2020.

External links[]

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