Tag: Trails
News Trails through Daybreak 2 Is at Least Trying to Get You Caught Up on the Story
Official recap revealed
Both its greatest strength and its most apparent weakness, the Trails series is built on a huge, overarching story spread across 11 games at this point (13 if you're going by Japanese releases). For new players, getting into the franchise can be truly daunting — but Falcom and western publisher NIS America are at least...
Taking a (Day)break
With the release of Trails through Daybreak earlier this year, Ys X: Nordics fast approaching, and Trails through Daybreak 2 arriving in February, we once again got to catch up with Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo at a recent UK press event. We asked Kondo-san all sorts of questions about the Trails series in particular,...
News Trails through Daybreak 2 Adds to an Insane February Release Schedule on PS5
Bear the nightmare
February is looking like an absolutely stacked month for PlayStation fans. Having previously been pencilled in for 'early 2025', Trails through Daybreak 2 now has a confirmed 14th February release date on PS5 and PS4. As the name suggests, this is a direct sequel to this year's Trails through Daybreak — yet another fantastic...
News Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Looks Sublime on PS5
EVA fever
Well, this is looking good, isn’t it? Many would argue Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is Hideo Kojima’s finest work, and while he’s not involved in Konami’s remake of the PS2 classic, this is a beat-for-beat recreation of the original on PS5 hardware. Remember, this game will also be upgraded to take advantage of the PS5 Pro. In...
News Incredible Looking Trails in the Sky Remake Is Real, But PS5, PS4 Players Will Have to Wait
Sky high
Classic PSP RPG Trails in the Sky — the first game in Falcom's now renowned Trails saga — is getting a full-on remake. The surprise reveal was part of yesterday's Nintendo Direct, where the project was afforded a bafflingly short amount of time during a montage of upcoming releases. Trails fans were left rubbing their eyes in disbelief...
News NISA Committed to Bringing Falcom's Trails and Ys Games West at a Faster Pace
Daybreak
It sounds like localisation speed is a key point of improvement for NIS America, as the publisher has reiterated its intent when it comes to bringing Falcom titles West. As you may already know, the American arm of NIS is responsible for translating, marketing, and publishing franchises like Trails and Ys, in place of Japanese developer...
News Trails through Daybreak 2 Gets Surprise Early 2025 Release Date in the West
Breaking
The West is now coming very close to being completely caught up on the Trails series. Trails through Daybreak 2 has just been confirmed for a Western release — and that's crazy, because its predecessor, Trails through Daybreak, only just launched today at the time of writing. It's a seriously impressive turnaround by publisher NIS America...
Guide Best Trails Games Ranked: Which Trails Games to Play and Where to Start
A guide to Falcom's huge RPG series
Over the last few years, the Trails series has started to find some footing in the West, largely thanks to the localisation of the Trails of Cold Steel saga on PS4. And now that publisher NIS America is committed to bringing the franchise overseas, we finally have enough Trails games to warrant a guide like this...
News Trails through Daybreak 2 Leak May Point Towards Imminent Announcement
Daybroke
The first game isn't even out yet here in the West (it releases next week, on the 5th July), but a PSN leak appears to have just confirmed that its sequel is also heading our way — with a suggestion that a localisation announcement could be coming much sooner than anticipated. Trails through Daybreak's sequel is called Kuro no Kiseki 2:...
News Trails through Daybreak Demo Out Now, Progress Carries to the Full RPG
The day breaks
The Trails through Daybreak demo is available to download now on PS5 and PS4, weighing in at 12.7GB. It covers both the game's prologue and its first chapter, meaning that it's a fairly robust offering. What's more, the progress that you make can be carried over to the full release when it launches next month, on the 5th July. Just...
News Big Trails through Daybreak Demo Drops a Month Before Release, Progress Carries Over
A Trails trial
A fully playable demo for Trails through Daybreak will drop on the 4th June, giving eager fans just over a month to test the RPG out before its full release on the 5th July. Daybreak is coming to both PS5 and PS4, but it should be noted that this demo is releasing on PS4 only. We don't exactly know why that's the case, but PS5 owners...
Preview Trails through Daybreak Is Set to Push Falcom's Fantastic RPG Series Forward
Ad-Van-tage
It seems to be a universal rule that whenever we write about the Trails games, there's at least one person in the comments asking where they should begin with Falcom's long-running RPG series. Naturally, the ideal answer to this query is "with the first game", but not everyone has the time — or patience — to play through at least...
The Trails train never stops
We've said it once and we'll say it again: NIS America has been doing an admirable job of bringing Falcom's Trails games to the West — but boy does it sting when you realise just how far ahead the series is in its native Japan. In an age where most Japanese publishers and developers are going out of their way to ensure...
News Trails through Daybreak Release Date Set for July on PS5, PS4
The day breaks
NIS America has given Trails through Daybreak a confirmed release date. Previously, the Falcom RPG was simply slated for 'summer 2024', but now it's locked in for the 5th July. The title also has a new English trailer, which you can watch above. In Japan, Trails through Daybreak is known as Kuro no Kiseki — and it first launched...
News Trails through Daybreak Stream Will Showcase First English Gameplay Next Week
Falcom's RPG gets a release date...?
NIS America, the publisher in charge of bringing Trails through Daybreak — and all of Falcom's other RPGs — to the West, has announced that it'll be hosting an "early look" livestream of the game next week. NISA's partnering with speedrun charity RPG Limit Break, and the broadcast will air through its Twitch...
News A New Trails Game Will Launch in Japan Next Year as the West Continues to Catch Up
Kuro 3 all but confirmed
Falcom's latest financial report reveals that a new Trails title is set to release before September 2024. It's highly likely that it'll end up being the third game in the series' latest saga, following on from Kuro no Kiseki and Kuro no Kiseki 2: Crimson Sin. The latter hit Japan in 2022, as Falcom focused on Ys X: Nordics...
The next Trails saga begins
Known as Kuro no Kiseki in Japan, publisher NIS America has confirmed that it'll be bringing the RPG westwards in the summer of 2024. Its official English name is Trails through Daybreak, and it's coming to both PS5 and PS4. This new beginning in Falcom's Trails saga first released in 2021, but over the last 18 months or...
News Trails of Cold Steel 3 and 4 Double Pack Coming to PS5 in Early 2024
Steel yourself
NIS America will re-release excellent JRPGs Trails of Cold Steel 3 and Trails of Cold Steel 4 as a PS5 duology in 'early 2024'. The two games are currently available separately on PS4, but the publisher now has a history of porting Falcom titles to Sony's current-gen console. Ys 8 and Ys 9 are two such examples. The bundle, which is...
News PS4 JRPGs Trails of Cold Steel 3 and 4 Are Getting PS5 Versions, It Seems
Hot Steel
According to newly registered ESRB ratings, it looks like Falcom's excellent JRPGs, Trails of Cold Steel 3 and Trails of Cold Steel 4, are coming to PS5. The two sequels, which released on western PS4s in 2019 and 2020 respectively, are published by NIS America outside of Japan — and we all know how much that company loves its PS5 ports...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Trails into Reverie?
The beginning and the end
Calling all Trails fans: we need your help. As regular readers may know, we have our own Best Trails Games guide, which ranks each title in Falcom's RPG series, and it's all user rated. With that in mind, we need some ratings for the latest game, Trails into Reverie — and that's why we've constructed this poll. Now,...
News PS4 Action RPG The Legend of Nayuta Charms in New English Gameplay
The legend continues
Due out in just a couple of months on PS4 (on the 19th September in the US and the 22nd September in Europe), The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails has picked up a new gameplay trailer which is quite simply packed with charm. For those out of the loop, Nayuta is kind of a Trails series spin-off, although it has nothing to do...
Interview Falcom Boss Talks Everything Trails, Reverie, Importance of Western Fans, and More
Also answers our dumbest questions
Trails into Reverie's long-awaited release is just days away at the time of writing, and with the series finally ramping up here in the West, we wanted to reach out to developer Falcom in order to organise our biggest interview with the company yet. Luckily for us, Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo has been kind...
News Kuro no Kiseki Localisation News Coming 'As Soon as Possible', Falcom Hopes
The Trails saga looks set to continue
Originally released in 2021 in Japan, Kuro no Kiseki marks the beginning of a whole new story arc in Falcom's long-running The Legend of Heroes: Trails series. Western fans have been waiting on a localisation announcement for close to two years at this point, but it's yet to happen. To be fair, though, the...
News Trails into Reverie Gameplay Builds Anticipation Ahead of Next Month's PS5, PS4 Launch
A tale long in the telling
The long wait for Trails into Reverie is finally drawing to a close, and we have the gameplay trailer to prove it. Whereas previous showings of the epic JRPG had detailed the cast of characters appearing, randomised dungeons and various minigames, today, we got a look
News Trails-Style Action RPG The Legend of Nayuta Slashes to PS4 in September
Boundless Trails await
NIS America has revealed the release date for upcoming action RPG The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails. It's coming to PS4 on the 19th September in North America, and the 22nd September in Europe. For those totally out of the loop, The Legend of Nayuta was originally a 2012 PSP title that was never released outside of...
Poll We Need You to Rate the Trails Games
Be a hero
Over recent years, Falcom's long-running Trails series has gained a lot of traction here in the West. We're still a few games behind at the time of writing this article, but publisher NIS America has hit a steady stride in releasing title after title. And thankfully, we're now at a point where there are enough Trails games on modern...
News Trails from Zero, Trails to Azure Exceed Falcom's Sales Expectations in the West
Special support
Falcom, the Japanese company behind the Trails and Ys games, has published its latest financial report — and it makes for positive reading if you're a Western fan. The report (as spotted by @AvengerMags and verified by Noisy Pixel) shows that the developer is in good health, and that its financial position has been bolste
News Trails into Reverie Revels in Randomised Dungeons and Delightfully Dumb Minigames
Extracurricular activities
This is something that we didn't really know about Trails into Reverie: it's actually got a wide range of optional content, ranging from challenging dungeon delves to minigames. Obviously the upcoming RPG's main draw is its story, which basically acts as an epilogue to the Trails of Cold Steel series, but Falcom's clearly...
Poll Are You Playing Trails to Azure?
Feeling blue
The second game in Falcom's 'Crossbell' duology has finally been officially released in the West, and existing fans will know how much of a big deal that is. Trails to Azure is the explosive sequel to Trails from Zero, and these two titles feed directly into the Trails of Cold Steel series. What a time to be alive! If you're a fan of...
News Complete the Crossbell Arc in Trails to Azure and Get Some Closure on PS4
Sending out an SSS
Trails to Azure is out today, and we couldn't be more excited. The eagerly anticipated follow-up to epic JRPG Trails from Zero, Azure concludes the Crossbell arc of the larger Trails of Heroes story, an incredibly intricate tale of political machinations, JRPG battles and boarding school hijinks. For those of you already on the...
News Trails to Azure Pays Touching Tribute to Localisation Star Scott Tijerina
Special support section
It's taken a long, long time, but Trails to Azure is officially available outside of Japan. The excellent RPG was originally a PSP title, but its PS4 re-release is out today (in North America, at least — Europe has to wait until the 17th March). Anyway, you may not know this, but Trails to Azure was fully translated by...
News The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails Is a Falcom Action RPG to Watch in Fall 2023
Lost and found heaven
Publisher NIS America has released a new trailer for upcoming action RPG The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails, which is set to release for PS4 this autumn / fall here in the West. For those who don't know, Nayuta was originally a 2012 PSP title. It's also something of a Trails series spinoff (with Ys-esque gameplay), although...
News Trails into Reverie's Truly Gigantic Cast Teased in New Character Trailer
A small army
And you thought Trails of Cold Steel IV had too many characters! Upcoming RPG Trails into Reverie is basically an all-star game. Not only is it something of an epilogue to the aforementioned Cold Steel series, it also wraps up the Crossbell arc, acting as a final chapter for Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure. As such, you can expect...
News Trails from Zero on PS4 Misses Out on New Improvements Coming to PC, Switch
PS4 players ditched again
At this point it feels like PS4 players are being well and truly screwed over, doesn't it? You may remember that when Trails from Zero finally arrived here in the West last year, PC and Nintendo Switch users were treated to an enhanced version of the release. Meanwhile, PS4 players got a no-frills localisation of the...
News Trails from Zero PS4 Update Teased
Coming "soon"
Trails from Zero hasn't had an update on PS4 since its release back in September — and that's because it hasn't really needed one. The game runs perfectly fine on Sony's last-gen system, but as noted in our Trails from Zero PS4 review, it's a shame that additional improvements — upgrades available on PC and Nintendo Switch,...
News Trails into Reverie Concludes the Cold Steel Saga in July 2023 for PS5, PS4
Rean Schwarzer ready for action
Update: NIS America has now confirmed to us that the upgrade path from PS4 to PS5 for Trails into Reverie will be a free one. You'll be able to upgrade both physical and digital copies bought on PS4. Original story: The JRPG master Nihon Falcom has attached a 7th July 2023 release date to the upcoming Trails into...
News Trails into Reverie Has an Upgrade Path from PS4 to PS5, But Saves Won't Carry Over
Bonuses and VR also detailed
Trails into Reverie is due out in the summer of 2023 for both PS5 and PS4, acting as an epic epilogue to a number of series storylines, including the Trails of Cold Steel saga. It first released in Japan in 2020, but back then, there was no PS5 version. As such, the game's Western publisher, NIS America, has clarified...
News Trails into Reverie Brings an End to Cold Steel's Story in Summer 2023 on PS5, PS4
Deluxe and Limited Editions revealed
NIS America has confirmed that Trails into Reverie will release in the summer of 2023, for PS4 and PS5. Previously, the game had only been announced for Sony's last-gen console. We assume that the PS5 version will feature improved performance. For those who may not know, Trails into Reverie essentially acts as a...
News Trails, Ys Announcements and More Coming This Week
NISA's having a week of Falcom
NIS America, the publisher that brings Falcom's Trails and Ys games West, has announced that this week will play host to "announcements, activities, sweepstakes, and more" from the Japanese developer. It kicked things off earlier today by confirming a release date for Trails to Azure, and revealing that Ys IX: Monstrum...
News Trails to Azure Arrests March 2023 Release Date on PS4
The SSS returns
Trails to Azure, the direct sequel to Trails from Zero, will release in the West for the first time ever next year. The Japanese RPG, which many fans claim is one of the best entries in Falcom's long-standing series, launches on the 14th March in North America, and the 17th March in Europe. Again, Azure follows on from the events of...
News Falcom's Trails Series Tops 7 Million Sales
The legend grows
Falcom has announced that its Legend of Heroes: Trails franchise has now topped 7 million sales. The RPG series has been around for close to two decades, and it's always been somewhat popular in its homeland of Japan — but in recent years, the property has also started to catch on here in the West. 7 million is a respectable...
News Trails from Zero on PS4 Is Graphically Inferior to Nintendo Switch, PC Ports
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
If you were looking forward to playing The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero on PS4, you may want to keep your expectations in check, as it looks like PlayStation players will be saddled with a graphically inferior version of the game compared to the one releasing on PC and Nintendo Switch. There are a few...
News Trails from Zero Gameplay Trailer Shows Off Its Team-Based Combat System
SSS Rank
Anticipated JRPG Trails from Zero has a new gameplay trailer, mostly showcasing its turn based — and team-based — combat system. If you're already familiar with the Trails from Cold Steel games then you'll feel right at home here, although given that Zero originally released for the PSP back in 2010, it's fair to say that the system as...
News The Legend of Heroes Overall Story Is 'About 60-70%' Finished, Says Falcom
That's a lotta games
If you didn't already know, Falcom's long running The Legend of Heroes franchise includes a lot of games — and all of them contribute to a huge overall story. The property's popularity has increased significantly over the last several years here in the West, with the Trails of Cold Steel series introducing loads of new players...
News Trails to Azure Confirmed for Early 2023, Character Trailer Kickstarts the Hype
Sequel could arrive just months after Zero
Okay, first things first, Trails to Azure is the sequel to Trails from Zero, which is actually yet to release here in the West (it's locked in for September 2022). But that hasn't stopped publisher NIS America from kickstarting Azure's marketing campaign. It's been given a character trailer — embedded...
News Falcom on Bringing Kuro Trails Games West: 'Of Course We Intend To'
An update from Kondo himself
By now, Trails fans know all too well that it can take a long time for the latest entries Falcom's RPG series to come West. Publishing partner NIS America appears to be trying its best to bring the games over as quickly as it can, but colossal scripts mean that the localisation process is particularly gruelling. As...
News PS Plus Extra in Japan Gets Almost Every Trails Game on PS4
And Ys!
If you're a fan of 100-hour long Japanese RPGs and you happen to have a Japanese PlayStation account complete with PS Plus Extra, then you've just struck gold. The new PS Plus tiers, Premium and Extra, have just launched in Japan, and the Extra option includes almost every Falcom RPG available on PS4. (You can find a complete list of the PS...
News Trails from Zero Character Trailer Is Packed with Charm
The SSS is here
Trails from Zero isn't out for another four months or so, but that won't stop NIS America from reminding us that it's coming. The RPG's got a new trailer that introduces its main cast of characters, otherwise known as the SSS — the Special Support Section. A ragtag group of peacekeepers, they're led by Lloyd Bannings — the game's...
First Impressions Trails from Zero Is Going to Be a Must-Play for JRPG Fans
From Zero to hero
Originally a 2010 PSP title, Trails from Zero was never officially released in the West, despite its incredibly positive reputation amongst hardcore Trails fans. Indeed, many would tell you that this is one of the best entries in Falcom's long, long running The Legend of Heroes franchise — and that's saying a lot. Thankfully, NIS...
News The West's Already Huge Wait for the New Trails Games Just Got Even More Painful
First details on Kuro no Kiseki II are here
We're very thankful that, over the last decade or so, Japanese companies have finally grown accustomed to releasing their games outside of Japan in a timely manner. Publishers like SEGA are actually going all-in on worldwide release dates, which is a massive step in the right direction when you consider...
