Trails (series)

Trails is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Nihon Falcom.[1] It began as the sixth entry in Falcom's The Legend of Heroes franchise 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 is considered its own distinct franchise.[1][2] The Trails games are set within a few years of each other and follow an overarching narrative, with the events of a few entries crossing over into another.[1][2][3] The series was created as a goal by Falcom to have the most ambitious story in video games, with company president and series producer Toshihiro Kondo considering it to be his life's work.[1][4][5] The games are made using proprietary game engines by Falcom, with the exception being Sony's PhyreEngine used for the Trails of Cold Steel games.[2][6] The series is heavily influenced by anime and features several archetypes and tropes common to it.[7][8][9]

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, among others.[3][10] Zemuria is home to several groups, factions, and organizations, such as the Bracer's Guild, the Septian Church, and the secret society of Ouroboros. Trails begins in the year 1202 and are set half a century after the discovery of orbal energy, an analog to electric power.[4][10] This led to a technological revolution caused by the invention of Orbments, mechanical devices varying greatly in size and scope that run off orbal energy, powering things from everyday appliances to mecha and other weaponry.[4] Trails features sociopolitical elements, with issues such as imperialism, classism, and immigration being causes of conflict in its society.[4][8][11] 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][3][9]

The combat of Trails is turn-based with tactical elements. Shown here are Trails in the Sky (2004, top) and Trails Through Daybreak (2021, bottom).

The combat of Trails is turn-based with tactical elements. Unlike most other turn-based games, the series lacks random encounters as most enemies are visible on the overworld.[7][12] Combat takes place on a large grid, with characters only able to move across a set number of squares or perform a single ability each turn.[9] Turns are listed on a timeline on the screen, which can be manipulated with certain abilities.[12] In addition to basic attacks and item usage, every character has abilities known as Crafts and Arts.[9] Crafts are unique to each character and are usually unlocked or strengthened by leveling up.[9] S-Crafts are a character's ultimate ability fueled by a meter that builds as they deal and take damage. When full, players can use it at any time to bypass the turn order to perform skills such as dealing large amounts of damage or supporting their party with healing and buffs.

Arts are magic-like spells that are powerful but take time to cast.[9] Rather than being unique to any specific character or monster like Crafts, Arts are determined by the type and specific arrangement of Quartz, items cited for its similarity to Materia from Final Fantasy VII.[9] Each successive game usually introduces new gameplay mechanics, such as the addition of Persona-like social events in Trails of Cold Steel or the optional action-based combat system in Trails Through Daybreak.[13][14]

Trails is split into four interconnected story arcs: Trails in the Sky,[lower-alpha 1] Crossbell, Trails of Cold Steel,[lower-alpha 2] and Trails Through Daybreak.[lower-alpha 3][1][13] The series also has a few spin-offs, some of which feature other styles of gameplay or are considered non-canon.

Trails has seen several spin-offs and works in other types of media, including manga, audio dramas, and anime. Ys vs. Trails in the Sky is a crossover fighting game featuring characters from Trails and Falcom's Ys series. It was released exclusively in Japan in July 2010 but received an English fan translation patch in October 2021.[29] The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails was released in Japan in July 2012 and released worldwide in 2023.[30][31] It does not take place within Zemuria and also differs from the rest of the series by being an action role-playing game. The Legend of Heroes: Trails at Sunrise is a Japanese-only gacha game developed by UserJoy Technology. It was first released in 2016 as a browser game before being ported to several other platforms.[32][33]

An original video animation adaptation of Trails in the Sky SC was produced by Kinema Citrus; part one was released in November 2011 while the second was released in February 2012.[34][35] They were licensed by Sentai Filmworks for release in North America that same year.[36] A 12-episode anime series produced by Tatsunoko Production, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War, aired in early 2023.[37][38] The anime will also have its own mobile game, set to release in 2023.[39]

Several manga adaptations of games in the series have been released.[40][41][42] Trails in the Sky also received a novelization.[43] Other manga, such as The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Pre-Story -The Ring of Judgment- and Trails in the Sky Gaiden: The Tale of Loewe, are original works that provide backstory to certain characters.[44][45] Several characters from the series also appeared in Minna Atsumare! Falcom Gakuen, a four-part comedy manga which later saw two short anime adaptations in the mid-2010s.[46][47]

Audio drama adaptations of the games have also been produced, with a few set between the games and filling in details glossed over.[48][49][50] 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.[51] A 2.5D musical based on Trails of Cold Steel ran in January 2017.[52][53] The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Destiny, a tabletop game designed by Promethium Books, is expected to be released in 2024.[54]

Falcom president and series producer Toshihiro Kondo considers Trails to be his life's work.

Trails has been praised for its worldbuilding and character arcs,[1][2][4] with its scope and sense of continuity being compared to the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin,[7][8] the Forgotten Realms setting for Dungeons & Dragons,[11] and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[3] Despite the series' English localization being praised for their quality, their slow release pace has been criticized, with them tending to lag years behind the original Japanese games.[2][10][55][56] The music written for the series by Falcom Sound Team jdk, the company's team of composers, has also been praised.[10][12]

Characters or other elements from Trails have been featured in crossover promotions with other games, including Monster Hunter Frontier G,[57] Chain Chronicle V,[58] Dead or Alive 5,[59] Fantasy Earth Zero,[60] Langrisser Mobile,[61] Utawarerumono: Zan,[62] Valkyrie Anatomia,[63] and a few Japanese mobile games.[64][65][66] Characters from the series were also featured in a 2019 collaboration event with VREX, a virtual reality game arcade and café in Japan.[67] As of 2021, a list of Trails characters was the largest article on the Japanese Wikipedia at over 440,000 characters.[68] As of 2022, the series had sold over seven million copies worldwide.[69]

• Official website (in Japanese)
• NIS America portal
• Xseed Games portal