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It took the golden opportunity by buying this game for a 30% discount. Honestly I am not really familiar with this series. I have played a little 1 and 2 which were basically a different genre compared to the latest parts. From what I have seen and read it is a mix of a action and round based RPG, similar to Xenoblade Chronicles I would say. Since it will become a total blind run, it would be helpful for me to get some advices. I try to understand the gameplay as good as I can, but I have questions, then I have to pose them. It took me like 20 hours till I figured out the battle system in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, so I would not be surprised to need lots of time to get used on YsVIII.

(Don't Open the Store Page if you didn't finish Cold Steel 1! Spoilers!) The release date of Trails of Cold Steel 2 PC port was announced today during XSEED's Stream. Steam page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/748490/The_Legend_of_Heroes_Trails_of_Cold_Steel_II/ I couldn't ask for a better Valentine gift. Hype!

https://gematsu.com/2017/11/new-legend-heroes-trails-cold-steel-title-trails-cold-steel-ii-coming-ps4 No spoilers for those of you who've braved Japanese Cold Steel 3 please (if you must do put them in spoiler tags), but we also seem to be getting PS4 remasters of Sen 1 and 2 as well all due in September of next year. I still need to finish Zero & AO before I can even start my Japanese copy of CS3. Oops. Any discussion however may contain spoilers of Trails of Cold Steel's 1 & 2 so be warned.

Retweet for your chance to get it on Valentines day! (Playing CS1 before this is heavily hugely advisable).

http://store.steampowered.com/app/538680/The_Legend_of_Heroes_Trails_of_Cold_Steel/ I did a spoiler free review of sorts back in January about the game as well So whos all ready to play this again or for the first time.

Note: This post will contain open spoilers for both Trails of Cold Steel and Trails of Cold Steel II. If you have not played these games, I seriously suggest turning away now. As the Sky trilogy and the Crossbell duology are not required to understand what is happening during the Cold Steel games, I ask that all posts relating to the Sky trilogy and the Crossbell duology are to be kept under spoiler tags and clearly labelled. With that being said... (Official website) Some screenshots:

Let's just say I got some merch recently...

Welcome to my Spoiler Free Review of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel. Within this longish review, you will find mostly my general thoughts, I will not spoil any serious parts of the plot as this franchise is very much connected to one another through very strict continuity, Cold Steel takes place 1 year after Trails in the Sky Second Chapter in the country of Erebonia, for those of you familiar with Trails in the Sky. I just recently finished this game myself, and i'm waiting for my copy of Cold Steel 2 to come in the mail. What is the Legend of Heroes series? Well, its a long running JRPG series made by Falcom starting in 1997, the creators of other such series as Ys, Xanadu, Brandish, and one off games such as Gurumin, Popful Mail etc. The Legend of Heroes is known for a number of things, one of which being the aforementioned strict continuity, you do not want to pick up a game in a particular arc thats in the middle, you pretty much have to start with the first game in a particular set to fully enjoy the arc in particular, and this is the first game of such an arc. It's also known for having really solid writing & characters overall, the series is actually quite popular on Serenes in particular, so much so I gathered most of them into a Falcom Discord, and fellow members of this forum like @DodgeDusk and @eclipse had a strong hand in getting me into these wonderful games, more than a year ago. I should probably begin with how the game plays, this game is available for both PS3 and PSVita. The battle system would be best described as a Position-heavy, turn-based JRPG that uses a "magic" system similar to FF7's Materia system. Combat On the left is the turn order, you may do one of these actions per characters turn, there are varying factors as to who goes when, a speed stat, whether or not a character has been AT Delayed (Doing actions in general also delays your next turn, but you and the enemy can use certain techniques to change the turn order quite rapidly on top of that). There are also turn bonuses that can appear next to a characters head, these range from HP restoration to guaranteed critical hits. Attack is self explanatory, attack with your current character depending on their weapon they may have slight AoE properties. (Movement is a stat which can also determine if you can reach an enemy in a turn or not). Crafts: These are special moves unique to each character and use "CP" or "Craft Points" which are regained by using certain moves, attacking, getting hit etc, once you have 100 CP an S-Craft (Read super move) can be used if the character has one, when a character has 200 CP their S-Craft becomes even more powerful, however your crafts are very important so just blindly using S-Crafts can actually be detrimental. There is also S-Break which is when you interrupt a turn to use your super, your reasoning could be for various things, this is also a way to steal turn bonuses you may want for yourself. Crafts are very good in this game in particular, quite a number of characters have absolutely ridiculous ones. Arts: Magic, which is determined by what Orbs your character has equipped, and also have a casting time, which is always shown to you before you actively start casting, there is no instant casting unless you get the Turn Bonus "Zero-Arts" and spells range from nuke spells, to buffs, debuffs and other such things. Move: Move to another part of the map, be warned this eats up your turn. Items and Running are self explanatory. Links: Two characters can link up to assist each other in battle, each character has a particular weapon attack type, and if you strike a monster with one they are particularly weak to, it makes it all the easier for a Link attack to display, giving you the ability to have the character linked to the character you attacked with, to do a follow up strike instantly. Among other such bonuses. Swap: Later in the game you tend to have more than 4 people at once, so you have reserve members you can switch out with if you need to. The combat is very fluid, quick and satisfying, The game isn't super challenging (unless you're on Nightmare mode), but you do need to pay attention or you will get blown up every now and again. Also, there is no random encounters, you see enemies in the field. Outside of Combat You travel around, talking to NPCs (I should note Trails NPC's are actually super interesting because they have mini plotlines going as the games go, and their dialog always changes after story events happen, its almost a tradition for most players to constantly talk to most of the NPCs). You generally get a number of quests to do when you have control, or you can freely roam and do stuff you want, typical buying stuff, fishing, find potential hidden quests. Trails games usually aren't very heavy in terms of required quests, however its highly recommended you do every quest you can just to get more enjoyment out of the world at large, because these games are reaaaaaaaaaaaaaally well written and do world building on an A-Tier level. You also have access to quick travel options, if you dislike just running around. Although you also have a quick run button, even in dungeons! Which helps if you want to move the pace along a bit more briskly Speaking of A-Tier Level, the music of this game is spectacular, ranging from the epic to the more calm moments. I'll share a personal favorite track of mine before we continue onward. The World & Relationships Let's touch on relationships of the main group. These 9 characters are your main party, with occasional rotations, so you're most likely using them all at least once. They are all students at a military academy called Thors Academy. I see you already trying to leave, don't worry about this being a "school" setting, beside a few moments it isn't really typical anime fare, Falcom doesn't usually stoop to that, the way this game is structured works a fair bit like the Persona franchise however (more so 3). You have some scattered school segments, but they are few and far between, and you also get the chance to bond with your fellow students & certain NPCs, again like Persona however you don't have the time management to worry about, you just get a limited amount of "Bonding" Points to spend in a particular chapter of the game, to see particular events with characters who may have events that period of time in the game. This helps do more for "Link Attacks" as was briefly touched on earlier. This also goes into some relationship values and unlike most JRPGs this group of games pretty much allows you to decide who Rean is romantically interested in, although it doesn't go too far (As of CS1 that is). But the choice is very appreciated and it actually alters some scenes and I've been told it alters a few things in the sequel as well through transfers. Something I appreciate about this game is that the entire cast doesn't instantly get along, a good chunk of them have issues with people in the party and it takes a decent chunk of time for them to develop and get past those tensions. Lets introduce the main character really quick. Rean: The main character, generally friendly and helpful to most people he comes across, a skilled leader and swordsman. He finds himself at Thors for reasons even he isn't sure of. Wields a Tachi. Jedi's thoughts on Rean: He's a fairly standard RPG protagonist, which gets him flak from a number of Trails fans who really love Sky's protagonist Estelle, but Rean is pretty cool, and has some of the absolute best lines in an RPG i've seen. He's fairly vanilla sure, but he at least has character to him despite that. A very good "PoV" character overall. The other characters shine around him, and the cast isn't very typical besides him, (which is why some people have issues with him). In Combat he's a monster and potentially one of the most broken protagonists I've seen in an RPG, with the right setups you can delay the enemies turns to oblivion. I honestly wish I could go over the writing in general, but I'd be at the risk of spoiling anything in the game, which alone might sour the experience for you. Witty writing abounds however, and every character even the NPCs feel like full out characters, a few examples without any plot related stuff. As mentioned earlier, everyone in the game world always has new things to say or do, while Rean and co are out doing their stuff, the world of Erebonia and as a whole Zemuria are always awesome to learn about. Every chapter brings with it more complications & awesome things with the plot, it'll have you on the edge of your seat by the end. For those of you who have played Trails in the Sky, you will be happy to hear that there are quite a number of references to events that happened in those games, and thats not all. But to say anything more would be criminal and rob you of the chance to experience it yourself. Liberl is not forgotten at all in these games so you can rest easy on that. Visuals Gonna be blunt here, ToCS looks late PS2, and is animated similarly, Falcom has always been fairly low budget, however this did improve in the later games, BUT I have to address it here. While there are some spectacular scenes, attacks and such. It's not anywhere near the quality a typical PS3 game should be bringing to the table, but the games strengths are enough to outweigh its lackluster graphical flare and subpar character animations. The character designs however are top notch, while the main cast generally share a similar school uniform, they all have their unique aspects they bring to em, plus the red jackets are really cool regardless (I've even considered getting one, but damn are they expensive!). The designs aren't like anything too over the top, and are down to earth, which is refreshing in an RPG these days. Pros & Cons of the game Pros Strong Central Storyline - A Trails Staple by this point Strong Worldbuilding - Another Trails Staple Very likable characters Really great combat system, that gives you alot of free reign, while not feeling overly complex. Amazing Soundtrack 60 to 70 Hours await you, and this is just the beginning of this particular trilogy! Along with replay value, due to its NG+ and limited event choices during the chapters Cons Outdated Visuals and Animation A slightly slow start The school setting may turn off potential players 60 to 70 Hours await you, and this is just the beginning of this particular trilogy! Along with replay value, due to its NG+ and limited event choices during the chapters Jedi's Thoughts Trails of Cold Steel now ranks among my favorite RPGs, alongside the two Sky games, I can't wait to play the 2nd game and of course the upcoming 3rd game for the PS4 when it hits, I'm so glad that SF allowed me to get into the glorious ranks of the Falcom fans of the world, so I could experience all the gems it has to offer. Highly recommend the Trails series at large to anyone looking for a really solid experience in both the writing and gameplay departments.

Those of you who are into the Ys series or the various Falcom games might have heard of this, coming out worldwide for PS4 and PC You'll not only be playing as Adol, but a party, of shipwrecked folks who are building civilization on an island Ys is an action series, but this one promises to be a bit more plot focused (or so I heard). Ys fans are mixed on this, but with how rad the gameplay is looking I don't think we have to worry Ys usually just focuses on establishing a world that Adol has to traverse through, not alot of details, but enough to get invested, its like an old adventure novel or D&D campaign brought into life in proper game form. The series has been long running, alongside The Legend of Heroes, its probably Falcoms flagship franchise. http://store.steampowered.com/app/579180

http://gematsu.com/2017/06/zwei-ii-plus-pc-coming-west-zwei-ilvard-insurrection-summer At long last. So, apparently XSEED decided to skip Zwei 1 and release the much better sequel already, using a fan translation that has been dead in its tracks for a couple years. I figured I'd do my duty and shill it a little. I found it a pretty nice game, which likeable characters and an all-around solid soundtrack. Thanks for telling me about it, Vincent Story Ragna, an adventurer, crashes his plane in a floating island and is saved from death by the vampiress Alwen, through a blood pact. From that point on, he would be her servant, and would help her reclaim her castle; however, while he agrees to repay her by helping with the castle, he rejects the servant part. Alwen accepts his terms. (While some characters from the first Zwei!! make a return as npcs here, this can very much be played as a stand-alone game.) Gameplay The basic gameplay is reminiscent of Gurumin - you go through dungeons and get ranked based on your performance (though you don't need to go through reversed dungeons this time, and the ranking requeriments are a little different). However, this time you control a two-man team, which actually works like a single character - Ragna attacks with the attack button, while Alwen casts stuff with the magic button. One unusual aspect of this game is the fact that healing items (food) are your only source of experience, and you can combine some of the same item to make more efficient, higher-grade food - like combining 10 beefs that give 10 exp each into 1 steak that gives 120 exp. Choosing between early smaller increments or bigger late boosts will depend on your playstyle. Another thing, you can pollute your screen with gadgets you buy, showing all sorts of silly info. One of them displays ranking objectives, though, so they aren't all useless. Music Come on, it's Falcom we're talking about

There is currently a fan dub project going on with The Legend of Xanadu, and I've decided to audition http://tg-16.com/The_Legend_of_Xanadu.htm I've never really va'd before but I figured this might be fun, i've even done a few first takes, you can enjoy me being utterly silly here. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BzgMTs7udrfzNldEdEtNUzNMOUk I have to learn how to pitch better etc hahaha.

It's time. Don't be misled by that banner, though; TitS 3rd has a different protagonist, Estelle and Joshua are support characters now. NOTE: DON'T PLAY THIS GAME BEFORE FINISHING FC AND SC Features: - Dungeon crawling - Worldbuild and foreshadowing - Nearly every playable character in SC (guests included), and a little more - Kevin's story - Several sidestories and minigames like: Agate's first encounter with Tita's parents; arena battles against unlikely parties; an ominous Ouroboros meeting; and a quiz game hosted by Campenella in a chinese dress Also, apparently Cold Steel is getting a PC release too. What a time to be alive, etc.

IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED THE FIRST TRAILS OF COLD STEEL, STAY AWAY FROM THIS THREAD. IT'S PRETTY MUCH IMPOSSIBLE TO DISCUSS ANYTHING ABOUT TOCS2 WITHOUT MENTIONING KEY TOCS1 SPOILERS. XSEED delivers once again, ladies and gentlemen. Official site Getmatsu article XSEED's Trails facebook page Apparently the European release is scheduled for November 11th or something. Trails of Cold Steel II (originally Sen no Kiseki II) is a direct sequel to Trails of Cold Steel, much like Trails in the Sky SC was to the first Trails in the Sky. Following the events of the first game, Rean finds himself near his hometown, separated from his friends, after being out cold for a month... yeah, that means you aren't going to school this time. While Trails of Cold Steel 1 worked pretty well as a stand-alone game (cliffhanger ending aside), you absolutely can't say the same of ToCS2. It pretty much assumes you've gone through the first game, and the references to events of the Crossbell arc are even more obvious, as things go wild in the neighboring city-state. Personally I wasn't very fond of the first Cold Steel, but this sequel surprised me very pleasantly. Except for the interlude. That part was terrible, but thankfully it was short too. Notably, ToCS2 does away with ToCS1's repetitive and predictable plot structure, and lets you build your party pretty much freely.

Official site Following XSEED's long lasting tradition of terrible announcement and release dates, Trails of Cold Steel (aka Sen no Kiseki) is now scheduled for this Christmas. Apparently both physically and digitally, for PS3 and Vita (PSTV-compatible). ToCS happens in Erebonia, roughly one year after the events of Trails in the Sky FC/SC and during the same time as Zero/Ao no Kiseki. As the start of a new arc, it mostly focuses on new things, dropping a few nods to past characters and events. A total newcomer could play this and only miss a few references. This time around, we're stuck with a typical high school setting, with a more typical teenage animu character roster. Waifus are a thing. Graphics are fully 3D instead of sprites. Music is your typical Falcom, which is pretty good, if you ask me. Voice acting during the story, though the protagonist is sometimes unvoiced during skits (I doubt this will have dual audio, but I didn't find the original dubbing superlative anyway). Gameplay is similar, but much more craft-focused - the biggest change would be the way quartz work, as they now only give access to specific arts, if any at all; on the other hand, crafts are also far more powerful, abundant and interesting than they were in the first games of the series. Personally I believe this is a strong contender for the weakest entry in the Trails series, but the sequel is pretty good. I like comparing this and ToCS2 to FE11 and 12.

It's finally happening. Rejoice. And prepare to see how broken Agate really is, unless XSEED nerfed him

While Trails in the Sky and Zwei seem to be in a weird limbo, someone decided to put Gurumin, another one of Falcom's action RPGs, on Greenlight. Supposedly, they're going to give a free copy to those who vote yes, join the group and post. Even if it turns out to be an elaborate scam, I suppose it's worth a shot. It's a good game after all. Since I'm bad with threads, I'll just quote esterior's blog post on the matter and call it a day: