The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (2017)

Developer

Nihon Falcom

Publisher

XSEED Games, Marvelous USA, Inc.

Platforms

Windows

Genres

RPG

Rating

4.7 of 5, 5,880 player ratings

Typical playtime

about 70 hours

Where to get it

Steam

How it feels

A slow-paced, character-driven JRPG where you explore a detailed fantasy world through turn-based battles and casual school life, with a strong emphasis on dialogue and relationship building.

story richslow burncharacter driventurn basedwholesomeanimetheatricaltactical

What players say

Players warn this is a poor starting point for the Trails series, calling it a prologue that builds slowly toward a payoff in later games. The combat gets praise even when the story is dismissed as cringe or silly. Some miss the older, more complex quartz system, and a few reviewers call it the weakest entry in the saga.

Trailer

Screenshots

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More by Nihon Falcom

• The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero (2022)
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure (2023)
• Sora no Kiseki the 1st (2025)
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC (2015)
• Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter (2025)
• Ys I & II Chronicles+ (2013)
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd (2017)
• The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie (2023)