Trails (series)
Trails | |
---|---|
Genre(s) | Role-playing game |
Developer(s) | Nihon Falcom |
Publisher(s) |
|
Producer(s) | Toshihiro Kondo |
Platform(s) | Windows, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 |
First release | The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky June 24, 2004 |
Latest release | The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki September 30, 2021 |
Parent series | The Legend of Heroes |
Trails, known as Kiseki (軌跡) in Japan, is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Nihon Falcom. It is a part of Falcom's larger The Legend of Heroes franchise and began with the release of Trails in the Sky in 2004. Set in various locations on the continent of Zemuria, the series features a large cast of characters and is split into story arcs all following a grand narrative. Trails is commonly praised for its worldbuilding and character arcs.
Trails was conceived as a goal by Falcom to create a long lasting story, with the series taking decades to produce. The games were released exclusively in Asia until the 2010s, with Xseed Games handling its English localization until NIS America took over in 2019. Trails historically features turn-based combat, with some spinoffs and later entries featuring other styles of gameplay. It has also seen anime, manga, and audio drama adaptations.
Overview
Trails is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Nihon Falcom.[1] The series historically features turn-based combat, with later entries in the series, such as Cold Steel, introducing more social simulation elements akin to the Persona series.[2] Trails 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] The series was conceived as a goal by Falcom to create a long lasting story, with it expected to last until the 2030s.[3][4] The games are made using a proprietary game engine by Falcom, with the exception being the PhyreEngine used for the Trails of Cold Steel games.[5]
Trails is set across several locations on the continent of Zemuria, such as the Liberl Kingdom, the city-state of Crossbell, the Erebonian Empire, and the Calvard Republic.[6] The majority of the games follow a grand narrative, with characters and plot elements being shared across games.[1][3][6] Trails features geopolitical and social elements, such as war, secret societies, and organized religion, and commonly uses the narrative techniques of foreshadowing and cliffhangers.[4][7] In contrast with many other role-playing games, every minor non-playable character in the series has a name, with several having their own character arcs with varying degrees of importance to the main plot.[4][6][8]
Games and arcs
2004 | Trails in the Sky |
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2005 | |
2006 | Trails in the Sky SC |
2007 | Trails in the Sky the 3rd |
2008 | |
2009 | |
2010 | Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki: Alternative Saga |
Trails from Zero | |
2011 | Trails to Azure |
2012 | The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails |
2013 | Trails of Cold Steel |
2014 | Trails of Cold Steel II |
2015 | |
2016 | Akatsuki no Kiseki |
2017 | Trails of Cold Steel III |
2018 | Trails of Cold Steel IV |
2019 | |
2020 | Trails into Reverie |
2021 | Kuro no Kiseki |
2022 | Kuro no Kiseki II – Crimson Sin |
Trails is split into four story arcs so far: Trails in the Sky[a] (3 games), Crossbell (2 games), Trails of Cold Steel[b] (4 games), and Kuro no Kiseki (2 games).[1] The Trails in the Sky games are set within the Liberl Kingdom and primarily follow Estelle and Joshua Bright who are members of the Bracer's Guild, a civilian peacekeeping and monster-hunting organisation.[1] The Crossbell arc follows Lloyd Bannings and the Special Support Section, a newly formed police division within the city-state of Crossbell.
Including Trails into Reverie, the Trails of Cold Steel arc is set in the Erebonian empire and follows Rean Schwarzer and Class VII, a specialized group of students attending a military academy.[1] The Kuro no Kiseki arc is set in the Calvard Republic and follows the detective Van Arkride. Trails also has a few spinoffs, some of which feature other styles of gameplay.
Liberl arc (Trails in the Sky)
Trails in the Sky
The first game in the series, Trails in the Sky, follows Estelle Bright and her adopted brother Joshua on a mission around Liberl to become full bracers. It was released in Japan in 2004 for Windows and for PlayStation Portable in 2006.[9][9] Due to its large amount of text, the game was not localized into English until 2011, when it was translated by Xseed Games.[10] The European PSP release was published by Ghostlight.[11] It was also released as part Sony's PSP Remaster line on the PlayStation 3 in late 2012,[12] and for PlayStation Vita in 2015.[13]
Trails in the Sky SC
Trails in the Sky SC, standing for Second Chapter, continues the story of Estelle and Joshua Bright and their friends. It was released in Japan for Windows in 2006 and the PlayStation Portable the following year.[9] Xseed Games worked together with Carpe Fulgur.[14] The game was met with challenges in localization, with Carpe Fulgur head Andrew Dice saying that progress was slowed due to issues in his personal life.[15] Dice eventually handed over his work for Xseed to finish, which combined with unexpected difficulties during the QA testing phase, resulted in the game's release being delayed from 2014 into the following year.[16][17] Like the first game, SC had ports for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in the mid-2010s.[18]
Trails in the Sky the 3rd
The final part of the Sky arc, Trails in the Sky the 3rd, follows Septian Church secret agent Kevin Graham, who is sent to an otherworldly dimension known as Phantasma. Other characters from the previous two games are similarly summoned to Phantasma, and Kevin works with them to investigate the realm and how to escape it, coming to terms with his past along the way. Sky the 3rd also foreshadows several story elements that are explored in later arcs. It was released in Japan in 2007 for Windows and for the PlayStation Portable in 2008.[9] Due to the massive undertakings of the first two games, Xseed did not finish work on it until 2017.[19]
Crossbell arc
Trails from Zero
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero takes place in Crossbell, a city-state located between the great powers of Erebonia and Calvard, and follows rookie police investigator Lloyd Bannings and the Special Support Section, consisting of himself, Elie McDowell, Randy Orlando, and Tio Plato, as they protect the city from criminal activity and a tense geopolitical situation that looms over it. The game was released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable in September 2010 and for Windows in China in August 2011.[20][21] It was later released for the PlayStation Vita in 2012 as Zero no Kiseki: Evolution, with improved visuals and additional voice acting.[22] An English release is scheduled to be released by NIS America for PlayStation 4, Switch, and Windows in September 2022.[23]
Trails to Azure
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure continues the events from Trails from Zero. It was released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable in September 2011 and received a Windows port in China in 2013.[20] It was also released for the PlayStation Vita in June 2014 as Ao no Kiseki: Evolution, featuring improved visuals and additional voice acting.[24][25] An English release is scheduled to be released by NIS America in 2023 for PlayStation 4, Switch, and Windows.[26]
Erebonia arc (Trails of Cold Steel)
Trails of Cold Steel
Trails of Cold Steel follows Rean Schwarzer and Class VII, a specialized group of students attending a military academy in the Erebonian Empire. 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 Windows was also released in 2017, which included additional English voice acting. Another port for the PlayStation 4 was released 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
Trails of Cold Steel II directly follows the events of the first game. It 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 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.
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.
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 Windows released in April 2021.
Trails into Reverie
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan on August 27, 2020.[27] 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, were released in Japan and Asia on August 26, 2021.[28][29] An English localization by NIS America will be released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Nintendo Switch in 2023.[30]
Calvard arc (Kuro no Kiseki)
Kuro no Kiseki
The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki follows detective Van Arkride and high schooler Agnes Claudel, who hires Van to search for eight artifacts that hold the key to solving an apocalyptic mystery. The arc is considered the start of the second half of the series' narrative. It features a new proprietary game engine by Falcom that replaced the PhyreEngine used in the Cold Steel arc.[31] It also features an action-based battle system, along with an updated version of the turn-based combat system used in earlier games.[32] Both systems are used in combination for non-boss encounters, while boss fights are exclusively turn-based.[33][34]
Kuro no Kiseki was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan on September 30, 2021.[35] A port for the PlayStation 5 and Windows is scheduled for release in Japan and other Asian regions on July 28, 2022.[36]
Kuro no Kiseki II – Crimson Sin
The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki II – Crimson Sin is scheduled to release in Japan for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on September 29, 2022.[37]
Spinoffs
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. A fan translation was released in October 2021.[38]
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails was released in Japan for PlayStation Portable in July 2012. A high-definition remaster was released in Japan in June 2021 for PlayStation 4, in December 2021 for Windows, and will be released in 2022 for Nintendo Switch. This version is also scheduled for release worldwide in 2023. It is the only game in the series to not take place within Zemuria, and also differs by being an action role-playing game rather than turn-based.
Akatsuki no Kiseki
The Legend of Heroes: Akatsuki no Kiseki is a gacha game developed by UserJoy Technology and first released in Japan for browsers in August 2016 before being ported to PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Nintendo Switch.
Trails in the Sky – Kizuna
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky – Kizuna, a card battle game developed by Changyou, was released for Android in Singapore and Malaysia in March 2018.[39]
Reception
Trails has been praised for its strong worldbuilding and character arcs.[1][3][4][7] Nintendo Life compared the series' depth and continuity to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, saying both "came to life brilliantly through well-observed, subtle character interactions",[7] while IGN considered Trails the JRPG equivalent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) due to its grand narrative spanning several titles akin to the MCU's Infinity Stones.[6] Criticism has been directed towards the series' slow pace of localizing in English, with them tending to lag several games behind the original Japanese.[3][40][41]
Characters or other elements from Trails have been featured in crossover promotions with other series, including Monster Hunter,[42] Chain Chronicle,[43] Fantasy Earth Zero,[44] Langrisser,[45] and Utawarerumono,[46] as well as some Japanese mobile games.[47][48][49] Some characters were also featured in a 2019 collaboration event with VREX, a virtual reality game center and café in Japan.[50] As of 2021[update], a list of Trails characters was the largest article on the Japanese Wikipedia at over 440,000 typed characters.[51] In late 2021, Falcom announced that the series had sold over six million copies worldwide.[52]
Other media
An OVA adaptation of Trails in the Sky SC by Kinema Citrus was released in November 2011, with a second part releasing in January 2012.[53][54] That same year, the OVAs were licensed by Sentai Filmworks for release in North America.[55] The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War, an anime television series produced by Tatsunoko Production and following an original character named Lavie in North Ambria, is scheduled to air in Japan in early 2023.[56]
Several manga adaptations of games in the series have been released.[57][58] Trails in the Sky also received a novelization.[59] 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 Gaiden, follow some of the characters and their lead up to the games they appear in.[60][61][62][63]
Audio drama adaptations of the games have also been produced, with some set between the games and filling in details glossed over.[64][65][66] Transcripts of two Trails of Cold Steel dramas were translated by Xseed Games and published online as promotional material for Trails of Cold Steel II.[67] A musical stage play based on Trails of Cold Steel ran in January 2017.[68][69]
References
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- ^ 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.
- ^ Romano, Sal. "Falcom developing proprietary game engine". Gematsu. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Davis, Justin (July 9, 2021). "How to Get Into the Trails RPGs and What Makes Them So Special". IGN. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ^ a b c Stockdale, Henry (April 7, 2021). "Feature: Nihon Falcom's Trails Of Cold Steel Rivals Game Of Thrones In The Worldbuilding Stakes". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ^ "Review: Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (PC)". Hardcore Gamer. August 6, 2014. Archived from the original on August 6, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Hardcore Gaming 101: Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky".
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- ^ "Addressing Something Important".
- ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Second Chapter - Localization Blog #2".
- ^ "Xseed "Looking Into" PS3 Version Of Trails in the Sky SC". Siliconera.
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- ^ 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.
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- ^ ""Zero no Kiseki: Evolution" for(PS Vita)". Falcom. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
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- ^ "Legend of Heroes Ao no Kiseki Evolution's Teaser Video Posted".
- ^ "A Peek At The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Blue Evolution's Anime Opening". March 27, 2014.
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- ^ Romano, Sal (May 27, 2020). "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.
- ^ Romano, Sal (December 20, 2020). "The Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kiseki coming to Switch, PC in summer 2021 in Japan and Asia". Gematsu. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
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- ^ Galizio, James. "Kuro no Kiseki ushers in a new dawn for the Trails series | RPG Site". www.rpgsite.net. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki launches September 30 in Japan for PS4". Gematsu. May 25, 2021.
- ^ Romano, Sal (April 28, 2022). "The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki coming to PS5 on July 28 in Japan and Asia, PC in Asia". Gematsu. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
- ^ Romano, Sal (June 8, 2022). "The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki II -CRIMSON SiN- launches September 29 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ "Ys Vs. Trails In The Sky: Alternative Saga Geofront English Fan Translation Patch Releasing This Week; Trailer Revealed - Noisy Pixel". Noisy Pixel. October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
- ^ Romano, Sal. "Card battle RPG The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky: Kizuna announced for smartphones". Gematsu. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
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- ^ "『MHF-G』の新モンスター・金塵龍(きんじんりゅう)"ガルバダオラ"が公開! 『閃の軌跡II』とのコラボも決定". Dengeki Online (in Japanese). July 18, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ Moore, Joshua. "Trails In The Sky Characters Are Powerhouses In Chain Chronicle V". Siliconera. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ Sato. "Square Enix's Fantasy Earth Zero Stays Alive With A Trails Series Collaboration". Siliconera. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ Lopez, Azario. "Mobile SRPG 'Langrisser' Launches Collaboration With Trails in The Sky". Noisy Pixel. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ Sato. "Trails of Cold Steel IV And Utawarerumono Zan Are Getting Collaboration Costumes On October 25". Siliconera. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
- ^ "『碧空のグレイス』と『英雄伝説 空の軌跡』のコラボ企画が本日よりスタート! ヨシュアやエステルの限定アバターを公開". Dengeki Online (in Japanese). April 16, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ "『ロードラ』×『閃の軌跡』のコラボスタート! 限定ユニットを入手しよう". Famitsu (in Japanese). September 17, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ Lada, Jenni. "The Legend of Heroes Brave Nine Event Begins". Siliconera. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ Sato. "Here's A First Look At The Trails Series' Wacky Café Bar VREX Collaboration VR Party Game". Siliconera. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ Renadette, Brian. "Trails Series Characters Represent Japan's Longest Wikipedia Article". Tech Raptor. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ Romano, Sal (November 11, 2021). "Falcom to release new Trails title in Japan by September 2022". Gematsu. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ "Eiyu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki RPG Gets Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
- ^ "Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Anime #2 Teaser Posted". Anime News Network. December 12, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
- ^ "Sentai Filmworks Licenses Legend of Heroes ~ Trails in the Sky". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
- ^ Romano, Sal (January 31, 2022). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War anime produced by Tatsunoku Production, delayed to early 2023". Gematsu. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
- ^ "英雄伝説 空の軌跡1". Falcom Official Website. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
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- ^ "英雄伝説 空の軌跡1 消えた飛行客船". falcom.co.jp. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
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- ^ "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.
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- ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel to Receive Musical Production in January 2017 | The Otaku's Study". www.otakustudy.com. September 9, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
External links
- NIS America portal
- Official website (in Japanese)