exactly where do i even begin? i don't want to miss ANYTHING because i've read how insanely good the lore/world building is in these games, i wanna start from 0 and build my way up
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ERA, let's say i want to get into Trails games...
- Thread starter Mezati99
- Start date
1. Play Trails in the Sky.
2. Accept and make peace with it being 50% story/visual novel and 50% pretty casual RPG. Play it more for the vibes. Run around, talk to people. Play it in a chill way.
3. Abuse the shit out of the fast-forward button.
This is what I did last year and I loved it. The game feels so trope-y and frankly kinda boring at first that I almost fell off it lots of times, but I eventually came to love it <3
2. Accept and make peace with it being 50% story/visual novel and 50% pretty casual RPG. Play it more for the vibes. Run around, talk to people. Play it in a chill way.
3. Abuse the shit out of the fast-forward button.
This is what I did last year and I loved it. The game feels so trope-y and frankly kinda boring at first that I almost fell off it lots of times, but I eventually came to love it <3
one
and
done
if youre being a weeb
sky 1
2
3
zero (good fantranslation done in a couple months)
ao no kiseki (shit translation, youll live)
cold steel 1
2
3
4
nonweeb?
sky 1-3, zero translation if its done, cold steel 1-4
Play the Trails in the Sky trilogy in order:
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Second Chapter
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd
Then you can get into the Trails of Cold Steel games.
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III
If you want to play it in order, it's Trails in the Sky, Trails in the Sky SC, Trails in the Sky the 3rd, Trails from Zero (Zero no Kiseki), Trails to Azure (Ao no Kiseki), and then Trails of Cold Steel 1, 2, 3, 4.
Note that Zero and Azure do not have official localizations, and the only current way to play them is with bad to so-so fan translations. Zero should have a better translation available soon, though, and Cold Steel 1 and 2 take place at the same time as Zero and Azure and can be played before Zero and Azure. It's still advised to play Zero and Azure before Cold Steel 3, though.
Note that Zero and Azure do not have official localizations, and the only current way to play them is with bad to so-so fan translations. Zero should have a better translation available soon, though, and Cold Steel 1 and 2 take place at the same time as Zero and Azure and can be played before Zero and Azure. It's still advised to play Zero and Azure before Cold Steel 3, though.
Begin with the Trails in the Sky trilogy of games on Steam. I'm playing the first game right now in order to catch up for Cold Steel 3 and I'm having a blast.
if you do buy it on Steam let me HIGHLY recommend using the DirectX8 version of the game. You have 2 options DX8 or 9 when you press play on Steam. I had crashing every couple minutes for 2 hours on DX9, switched to 8 and no problems for hours :)
God, I love these games. I should replay them!
..but I'll probably just wait until that Zero translation. I just bought the Japanese version!
And yeah, play the first three on PC, then play the Zero translation since it may be out by then. Then you can decide to play a shitty translation of the next game or skip it and and go straight for the Cold Steel games.
..but I'll probably just wait until that Zero translation. I just bought the Japanese version!
And yeah, play the first three on PC, then play the Zero translation since it may be out by then. Then you can decide to play a shitty translation of the next game or skip it and and go straight for the Cold Steel games.
you start with Trails in the Sky which is 3 games all of which are on steam. After that you have a bit of a decision to make and that decision is, do you play the Crossbell games immediately following 3rd or do you play CS1 and 2. Zero and Ao (the Crossbell games) and CS1/2 take place at the same time. Whichever order you go with is completely fine just be aware that whichever direction you go in will likely spoil the other games you haven't played yet. Playing CS1/2 will spoil Crossbell stuff and the opposite is also the case.
I'd recommend playing CS1/2 before Crossbell personally just because playing Crossbell before then will ruin some of the big twists in CS2, but I will say there's a very big pay off for playing Crossbell before CS1/2. Personally speaking I played Zero and Ao before CS1/2 and while I was bummed about the spoilers there is a very big pay-off for playing Crossbell before CS1/2. Also worth noting that despite Crossbell never getting a localization it did indeed come out before CS1/2 did in Japan so if what you want is to play the games in release order, that's basically the release order.
With that being said, I would absolutely not recommend playing the Zero fan tl that is currently available and waiting until Geofront's work is done. If you decide to play the games in release order which is Sky----->Crossbell------->CS then you might find yourself waiting for Zero after Sky but again if this is an issue and you really want 200 hours more of Kiseki than you can just jump straight into CS. Fortunately the current translation for Ao, while not great is certainly in a much better state than the current Zero tl, so once geofront is done you can just play Zero and from there just jump straight into Ao.
The big thing is you play everything before playing CS3. After Sky, you can play CS and then Crossbell, but from what I've heard and what I've seen playing CS3 and 4 without playing Crossbell is a very bad idea. The same thing could be said for not playing Sky before then as well. Think of CS3/4 as the Avengers Infinity War of the series. There are many returning story arcs that are continued in CS3/4.
I'd recommend playing CS1/2 before Crossbell personally just because playing Crossbell before then will ruin some of the big twists in CS2, but I will say there's a very big pay off for playing Crossbell before CS1/2. Personally speaking I played Zero and Ao before CS1/2 and while I was bummed about the spoilers there is a very big pay-off for playing Crossbell before CS1/2. Also worth noting that despite Crossbell never getting a localization it did indeed come out before CS1/2 did in Japan so if what you want is to play the games in release order, that's basically the release order.
With that being said, I would absolutely not recommend playing the Zero fan tl that is currently available and waiting until Geofront's work is done. If you decide to play the games in release order which is Sky----->Crossbell------->CS then you might find yourself waiting for Zero after Sky but again if this is an issue and you really want 200 hours more of Kiseki than you can just jump straight into CS. Fortunately the current translation for Ao, while not great is certainly in a much better state than the current Zero tl, so once geofront is done you can just play Zero and from there just jump straight into Ao.
The big thing is you play everything before playing CS3. After Sky, you can play CS and then Crossbell, but from what I've heard and what I've seen playing CS3 and 4 without playing Crossbell is a very bad idea. The same thing could be said for not playing Sky before then as well. Think of CS3/4 as the Avengers Infinity War of the series. There are many returning story arcs that are continued in CS3/4.
NISA is that you?Start with Cold Steel 3, then play the series in reverse order.
If you want the whole, complete story so far and don't care about fan-translations...
Start with Trails in the Sky, SC, and Third.
Then play the fan translations of Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki.
Then Trails of Cold Steel 1, 2, and 3. Then wait for 4 in a year or so.
If you do care about fan-translations, then skip Zero and Ao and read/watch a synopsis of them.
Start with Trails in the Sky, SC, and Third.
Then play the fan translations of Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki.
Then Trails of Cold Steel 1, 2, and 3. Then wait for 4 in a year or so.
If you do care about fan-translations, then skip Zero and Ao and read/watch a synopsis of them.
Controversial Opinion Time: Despite releasing first, I'd recommend only playing the crossbell games (Zero and Ao) AFTER you've already finished Cold Steel I and II. Cold Steel III still comes after that, but while Cold Steel and Crossbell both spoil each other to some extent as they happen simultaneously in universe, I think the context of the spoilers for Cold steel in the crossbell games is much stronger and therefore the spoilers are worse whereas most of the "spoilers" for the crossbell games you find in cold steel are pretty devoid of context and just made me more curious
Sky FC/SC/3rd > Zero/Ao > CS1/2/3
Take your time with Trails in the Sky. It's an amaaaaazing trilogy, but it can be a slow burn. Let yourself soak in the world and characters, the later games will still be here. While you should wait for the Zero no Kiseki fan translation to be released, Ao's current translation is generally serviceable so don't hesitate to use it. But do make sure to play these two- the hype is 100% justified.
One of the series' claims to fame is that basically all of the NPCs have their dialogue updates after each major story event. There's great stuff here, but don't feel pressured to follow these stories. It can be really overwhelming early on when you're coming to grips with everything. One thing that can help is just picking a few NPCs you might be interested in and following them for the course of your playthrough. This will help you get a taste for the NPC dialogue without running you dry.
I think I'd disagree, Crossbell should probably come first for one major reason.
Take your time with Trails in the Sky. It's an amaaaaazing trilogy, but it can be a slow burn. Let yourself soak in the world and characters, the later games will still be here. While you should wait for the Zero no Kiseki fan translation to be released, Ao's current translation is generally serviceable so don't hesitate to use it. But do make sure to play these two- the hype is 100% justified.
One of the series' claims to fame is that basically all of the NPCs have their dialogue updates after each major story event. There's great stuff here, but don't feel pressured to follow these stories. It can be really overwhelming early on when you're coming to grips with everything. One thing that can help is just picking a few NPCs you might be interested in and following them for the course of your playthrough. This will help you get a taste for the NPC dialogue without running you dry.
I think I'd disagree, Crossbell should probably come first for one major reason.
Dieter Crois is a really endearing character and ally for much of the Crossbell duology, to the point where he gives practically the pre-final battle motivation speech to the Zero heroes. I think knowing that he's ultimately deposed and arrested would take away a lot from the tragic arc of his character. Comparatively, it's not tough to figure out a class conflict is coming during CS1, and the Osborne twist isn't given much room to breathe.
Start with Trails in the Sky (FC/First Chapter), and play in release order. Ideally including the fan translations of Zero and Ao no Kiseki. Basically what everyone else recommends, can't go wrong that way.
PC versions of the Sky trilogy are definitive, by far, and 3rd is only available on PC in English. PC versions of Cold Steel 1 and 2 as well, although the PS4 versions are fine and feature most of the PC improvements. By the time you get to Zero the new fan translation could be out and the PC patch is going to offer a lot more than the PSP one. It's aiming for professional localization quality in both translation and features/functionality. For Ao you might need to go PSP due to issues surrounding availability.
Trails in the Sky is indeed a slow burn, but that's sort of the nature of the series. Lots of build up for the bigger events that makes them that much more satisfying.
Edit: All three Trails in the Sky games are DRM free on all PC platforms including Steam AFAIK. Don't remember if Cold Steel 1 and 2 are or not.
PC versions of the Sky trilogy are definitive, by far, and 3rd is only available on PC in English. PC versions of Cold Steel 1 and 2 as well, although the PS4 versions are fine and feature most of the PC improvements. By the time you get to Zero the new fan translation could be out and the PC patch is going to offer a lot more than the PSP one. It's aiming for professional localization quality in both translation and features/functionality. For Ao you might need to go PSP due to issues surrounding availability.
Trails in the Sky is indeed a slow burn, but that's sort of the nature of the series. Lots of build up for the bigger events that makes them that much more satisfying.
Edit: All three Trails in the Sky games are DRM free on all PC platforms including Steam AFAIK. Don't remember if Cold Steel 1 and 2 are or not.
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Start with Trails in the Sky FC. If that trilogy is rad to you or of it isn't your jam either way, give Trails of Cold Steel a try. Just don't start with Trails of Cold Steel first because it'll set your expectations too high for Sky 1-3's combat.
Just to warn you, the start of the series, Trails in the Sky FC & Trails in the Sky SC are basically one 90-hour game split into 2 separate games. FC ends on a huge cliffhanger and SC takes place in mostly the same locations & with mostly the same cast of characters. They're also about 15-years old and weren't particularly high budget even for the time so it might be jarring if you're used to more modern RPGs.
Trails in the Sky the 3rd is a standalone plot with a bunch of references to characters from the previous 2 games plus a lot of worldbuilding.
Zero & Ao are 2 games that haven't been officially localized.
Trails of Cold Steel is the newest sub-series and has 4 games. Only the first 3 are available in English at the moment.
This is not a series for someone who isn't patient. The individual games tend to be long and slow-builders. Like with Trails in the Sky FC, the bulk of the game is exploring the world, meeting new people, and doing basic adventure stuff, and the big plot stuff doesn't really come into play until near the end. And then with SC, it again gets relatively low-key until towards the end of the game when lots of stuff starts happening. The games remind me more of a fantasy novels than your typical RPG.
Trails in the Sky the 3rd is a standalone plot with a bunch of references to characters from the previous 2 games plus a lot of worldbuilding.
Zero & Ao are 2 games that haven't been officially localized.
Trails of Cold Steel is the newest sub-series and has 4 games. Only the first 3 are available in English at the moment.
This is not a series for someone who isn't patient. The individual games tend to be long and slow-builders. Like with Trails in the Sky FC, the bulk of the game is exploring the world, meeting new people, and doing basic adventure stuff, and the big plot stuff doesn't really come into play until near the end. And then with SC, it again gets relatively low-key until towards the end of the game when lots of stuff starts happening. The games remind me more of a fantasy novels than your typical RPG.
For what it's worth this is the series structure in a nutshell. The first game sets everything up and ends in a cliffhanger, the second game resolves most of the plot but still leaves some things to be picked up on later.
Apparently Zero is the exception without a cliffhanger, but I haven't played it to know for sure.
Trails in the sky for PC (or Vita if you have that).
I've started with the Garghav trilogy on PSP (I dont recommend it because the gameplay isnt as good as the Trails in the Sky and later games).
I'm currently playing Trails in the Sky First Chapter and loving it (way more than Garghav Trilogy) - currently 22 hours into the game and barely in Chapter 2 (there's like 5 chapters and the prologue that occurs at the beginning of the game).
Great story telling/character development, decent gameplay system, music and visuals are pleasing. Possibly my most favorite RPG game that isnt Kingdom Hearts I played this year so far.
It also has speed boost so you can grind without clocking hundreds of hours or not worry about taking hours to go back and forth (cause there's a lot of that in this game).
I've started with the Garghav trilogy on PSP (I dont recommend it because the gameplay isnt as good as the Trails in the Sky and later games).
I'm currently playing Trails in the Sky First Chapter and loving it (way more than Garghav Trilogy) - currently 22 hours into the game and barely in Chapter 2 (there's like 5 chapters and the prologue that occurs at the beginning of the game).
Great story telling/character development, decent gameplay system, music and visuals are pleasing. Possibly my most favorite RPG game that isnt Kingdom Hearts I played this year so far.
It also has speed boost so you can grind without clocking hundreds of hours or not worry about taking hours to go back and forth (cause there's a lot of that in this game).
All these threads popping up around the 3rd entry into a long series of its newest subseries. Don't let the hype of longtime fans get to you. Sure, It's one of the best JRPG series IMO but I'd hate to see a batch of "I wasn't ready/I hate it" threads in a few months because they let the hype of one of the hypiest
games in the series get to them.
shutup
Did I mention how hyped I was for CS3?
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