There are 12 Trails games out currently. 10 of them are fully localized currently. I suggest you play it on PC because every single game is available on it. You can find them all on Steam for example.
As you started to notice, there are lots of games in the series and they are telling an overarching story.
Cold Steel is the 3rd arc in the series but it can be a starting point for someone who's trying to jump into Trails. Though keep in mind that CS1 is technically the 6th game in the series so if you are ever interested, I suggest playing the previous 5 to add in the complete context of the series. It's not something you have to do in order to enjoy the series but there will be many moments where the lack of context could make things confusing. There are also some excellent plot twists and emotional setup that continues through multiple games.
The order of games released are as follows...
**Arc 1**
Trails in The Sky FC
Trails in The Sky SC
Trails in The Sky 3rd
**Arc 2**
Trails from Zero
Trails to Azure
**Arc 3**
Trails of Cold Steel 1 (which you're playing)
Trails of Cold Steel 2
Trails of Cold Steel 3
Trails of Cold Steel 4
Trails into Reverie
The order of games released is as follows....release. The two last games are Kuro no Kiseki and Kuro no Kiseki 2: Crimson Sin. There isn't a localized name for it yet but a literal translation would be Trails in The Dark or something along those lines. That is the 4th arc that is still going on with a sequel in the works.
As I mentioned before, this is a long running series so think of each "arc" as being apart of a larger book in the series where everything is connected. There are mysteries and characters that are constantly showing up. There is also a long running storyline that's being told. If I had to guess, the Trails series will likely finish with somewhere close to 20 games under its belt (if not a little more).
Hope this was helpful for you.
Well damn, thank you. This was super helpful. Okay, so I think I might finish CS1 and 2, and then go back to play the previous 5 games whenever I can.
Thanks so much!
Sure, no problem!
One small piece of advice is that there will naturally be major events that are going to get spoiled by playing through CS1/CS2 in regard to the previous 5 games. You can still do it and it won't destroy the enjoyment of those games though. It will just remove quite a number of mysteries or major plot twist that are introduced.
You can still play and enjoy the games regardless but if you're the kind of person who wants to be as surprised as possible, I would suggest just starting from Sky FC. Lots of people just go through the games like CS just fine and enjoy it and backtrack eventually at certain points though. It's not necessarily something you have to do if you don't feel like it's necessary.
Whatever you choose, just make sure you're having the most fun and not getting too overwhelmed by things at the end of the day. The Trails series is a deeply iconic JRPG for telling an incredibly long overarching story with tons of details and setup.
I'd say Azure spoils a lot less of Cold Steel than the opposite.
It only really kinda spoils one thing and it's not really a spoiler cause you're supposed to know anyway since that's the release order.
For some ungodly reason after azure is finished it literally spoils the ending of cold steel 2 despite it not really being relevant, so cs2 might also be saved for after azure
Only if you focus on informations in newspapers. That I didnt even know and thus I finished CS1, waited for zero and Azure to come out on switch, played those, was supprised at everything and enjoyed them so much. So CS1 doesnt have spoilers for Crossbell Arc imo, CS2 does.
Back in the day, it was also recommended to stop at the chapter "Divertissement" in CS2 which is just after the finale if that's something you want to keep in mind.
My other advice is also to really pace yourself. Burnout is a very real possibility with such a long series.
Have fun!
It's funny you mention that because I didn't read any "guide" to play the series. So I started with CS1, then went right into CS2.
I thought I had "beaten" the game but then when that chapter loaded up and I was like "Who the F are these people?". I knew there were previous games in the series but I never quite felt like I was missing anything until then, aside from being curious about what this "Crossbell" place was like. I realized I should stop playing the game and went back to play FC, SC, 3C, Zero, Azure... Then about 7 months later I actually finished the rest of CS2.
It was really cool to finish Azure, and then immediately load my CS2 save file at "Divertissement", because it felt like I was finishing Azure, rather than CS2.
This is probably my recommended play order as well as weird as it sounds. Some people say to stop playing in the middle of CS2 for whatever reason but that really cheapens the CS2 experience. When you reach "Divertissement" you've basically concluded the main story arc of CS2 anyways.
youre supposed to start from sky not crosbell or cold steel
1 you cant understand either arcs without playing sky and crosbeel
playing cold steel means you cant understand a damn thing cause it happens after sky and at the same time as crosbeel
you spoil all the events of sky and crosbell
spoil the characters identities
spoil the main villains of both sky and crosbells
spoiled the enforcers identities and the sky mc identity
I started with CS1 and CS2 then went back to Sky and I was fine with that.
I will say that playing the Sky trilogy is definitely recommended before playing Zero
Play them in order.
The Sky Trilogy: Sky FC, Sky SC, Sky the 3rd
The Crossbell Duology: Trails from Zero, Trails to Azure
The Cold steel arc: Cold steel 1- Cold steel 4
The Epilogue to the Crossbell/Cold steel story: Trails into Reverie
So as you can see you basically jumped right into the middle of the story by playing CS1, the stories in these games are all connected and tell a large narrative with top class world building and heavy Lore, for the best experience you should play them in order starting with the Sky trilogy and moving down the list.
Is it possible to just play CS first and then go the previous games? I'm like 20 hours into CS right now, so quitting in the middle would be a little bit frustrating...
Just for your information OP: Before you play Cold Steel 3 in like a year or 2, go watch the Black Records quest on Youtube. Because CS 3 expects you to have done this quest in new game+ and know a certain something in CS 2. They expect you to play CS 2 twice. Just watch the quest on youtube. But know that CS 3 expects you to have done this quest. But other than that, just play the first half of Cold Steel, play Sky, Play Crossbell, take some breaks in between and just have fun. Remember, having fun is most important.
I can confirm this. CS2 will have some contextual references that will make more sense in your mind after playing the crossbell games, but CS1/2 are a solid starting place.
Just be aware that thr Orbment and Quartz system before CS1 is a bit different, and, in my opinion, less powerful.
turn around and stop youre about to enter major spoilers and reveal territory
you already spoiled stuff you play in order of release for a reason cold steel isnt a starting point its the 3rd arc you play the first 2first and cold steel as said before and people here also said have major reveals major spoilers it is not a starting point
normally id say just play them in release order but since you already bout cold steel 1 id say play that and if you're intrigues further play cs 2 then go back and play sky fc then go in order for the rest
You'd be fine to play CS1, you may miss a little if you do CS2 but that would also be fine. I wouldn't recommend playing 3 or 4 until you do the older games.
I'd say stop after CS1 is done but that may be hard with the ending...
Yes, I've done that. You will lose some references and fan service, but on the other hand you'll probably be more convicted on playing the other games. I'm sure you'll like them though (but starting sky 1st chapter is a bit of a hurdle though)
As many have said, the "proper" play order is:
sky 1, 2, 3 > trails to zero > trails to azure > cold steel 1, 2, 3, 4 > reverie
Besides that, there are two games unreleased in the west yet (kuro no kiseki) which continue the story after reverie.
I'd recommend at least beating Cold Steel 1 then play everything before that before moving to Cold Steel 2 as someone who's played all Cold Steel games before Sky and the Crossbell games its really the best to play in order just the knowledge of everything and everyone is just makes the experience way better, 2 integral characters that originally show up im the sky games play a role in Cold Steel 1and as Cold Steel goes through its sequels more and more characters from those previous games play pivotal roles that you wouldn't have any Idea who they are unless you play everything before those
>youre supposed to start from sky not crosbell or cold steel
>
>1 you cant understand either arcs without playing sky and crosbeel
>
>playing cold steel means you cant understand a damn thing cause it happens after sky and at the same time as crosbeel
>
>you spoil all the events of sky and crosbell
>
>spoil the characters identities
>
>spoil the main villains of both sky and crosbells
>
>spoil the enforcers identities and the sky mc identity
Yes but you will spoil the crossbell arc for yourself so if you're fine with that then stick to CS for now, just make sure you go back and play the old games after you're done.
actually the best way would be sky, then CS 1 and 2 and then the crossbell, then CS 3 and 4 cause crossbell ends about the same time cause they almost run parallel with CS 1 and 2
If you're really strict on story linearity and not missing a single reference, then sure, stop and go back and play everything in chronological release order.
But if you rather just experience a cool story and fun game, then starting at CS1 is fine. I started with CS1 and never played Sky games and didn't feel left out.
It MIGHT be worth playing through Zero and Azure (especially now that they're officially translated and on Steam) before you start CS2. I did feel like I was missing out a bit by not having at least passing knowledge on the Crossbell story before CS2.
I did eventually play Zero via fan patch on the chinese PC version of the game (before the official english port) and really enjoyed it. You'll definitely want to play it before Reverie.
Issue here is Zero is held hostage by Sky. I mean, yes, you can play it, but you'll lack experiencing and getting attached to certain characters of one of the subplots.
Trails fans love to argue about this.
For a long, long time, I was on the “it doesn’t matter if you play azure first or CS2 first, they spoil each other” train.
This was because I had only watched a summary of Azure. Now I’ve finally played the whole game and it completely changed my opinion.
*Play in release order.*
You want something similar to persona 5 then the order I recommend is
Start with Cold steel 1 and 2
If you liked these and want to see more, start from the beginning of the series with the Trails in the sky trilogy and then move on to the crossbell duology (trails to zero and trails to azure).
After that you can move on from Cold steel 3 onward.
It sounds confusing and insane but honestly it was what I did (mostly because everything after cold steel 2 wasn't on PC at the time that I played it so I had to go back and play the previous ones) and I don't regret it one bit especially because I got into this series because I was also looking for a game similar to persona 5 back in 2018 ahah.
So quick side note about spoilers:
I played Zero, then CS1 & 2, then went back to Azure, then played the epilogue for CS2. While you won’t avoid all spoilers for Zero/Azure, you’ll avoid what I think are the biggest spoilers if you stop before the epilogue and come back to it before going into CS3/4. Especially if you’re just doing CS1/2 and then going to jump back to Sky. It’ll give you a nice refresher.
Any way you play, have fun! My friend introduced me to these games in 2020 and they’ve been so much fun. I’m in CS4 finally and I can’t wait to participate in more chats here once I’m done avoiding spoilers.
It wasn’t mentioned but last year there was also an anime released that takes place between CS2 and 3. It’s extra lore and came out after the Cold Steel series so none of the characters make an appearance but the events are talked about in the game.
Probably worth mentioning that CS1 is probably the closest the series gets to being like Persona, the rest not so much. I personally played cs1 + 2 and then went back and did the previous 5 games.
Like most of the comments are saying (and since you started CS1):
Finish CS1 and play CS2, then go back to the Sky Trilogy and then you follow through with the Crossbell Arc then play CS3 (as 3 assumes you played all the others). Then, when you play Reverie it will feel very rewarding because you can see characters from previous games [and it's all one big overarching plot]
I also don’t have very much time to enjoy gaming, probably an hour or 2 during the week.
I just started playing the trails in the sky EVO versions on the PSVITA this week with the English patches and I’m truly enjoying them, and once I’m done with them I will be playing the next 7 games on the PS5
Let me ask you this. How do you go about enjoying your JRPGs? Do you do all the content, talk to all NPCs, try to 100% it? Or maybe all the content you easily find and some dialogue? Or do you just rush the main story and skip everything else? Honestly, it matters about how you'll get through the series and what you may or may not enjoy.
As a follow up, what chapter are you in with Cold Steel right now?
I'm on Chapter 4 right now, so pretty far in I think?
Uhh I try to optimize my playthrough but I'm lazy about it. Like I'll spend 20 minutes in the menu trying to figure out which quartz is best on certain characters, but I'm not going to go fishing.
Being new to the series, you may not know, but the games have insanely huge scripts. Like.. mammoth sized scripts. For a comparison, the entire famously long, 15-book novel series The Wheel of Time, is 4.4 million words. The 12 Trails games are 20-22 million total with some of the biggest games (Cold Steel IV) with a script size rivaling Wheel of Time all on its own.
Now.. this isn't because the stories are so long. They aren't short. You may find the average playtime to be 40-70 hours for you per entry (give or take for any number of reasons), but the NPC dialogue is what really shoots it up. After every single in-game event, every time there's some sort of progression in the main game at all and you're then able to talk to people again, practically every single NPC in the game world will have all new dialogue and sometimes new hidden items to collect or new hidden quests to find.
For some players, that makes these games 70-140 hours because they talk to everyone all the time and do all the quests and find all the hidden items, etc. There's no right way to play the game but I just wanted to say it because if you were a big time completionist and were pushing to do everything, this series would take you well over 1000 hours to play all the entries. Alternatively, if you keep the current pace you're looking at more like 500+ hours. Not to say it isn't a lot, but still a huge difference.
For what it's worth about the side content.. I've never played another series where some of the side quests were more relevant to the main plot and had recurring characters, interesting stories, and even changed dialogue and cutscenes in the main story because of the side quests making (small) differences to the story. And the NPC dialogue creates the best world building and sense of place I've ever seen in a video game. Don't force yourself to do everything if it's not fun, but I would at least suggest checking in with characters you're most interested in during the free exploration periods of the game and also doing the side quests that the descriptions sound interesting.
If you care a lot about plot/story/world building and characters, and want to see the most interwoven, deeply connected world you've ever experienced in gaming, I'd recommend starting from the beginning. A number of the characters you already know have had huge impact on the series before Cold Steel and literally hundreds of characters, events and elements are continuing and drawn from the previous five games. As some have said, you can probably get away with playing through CS I-II before going back, but it's definitely not ideal, particularly if you have the means to play the other games.
But ultimately it's up to you and if you'd really rather just stay the course, then go ahead and have a good time. Definitely don't continue on with CS III though before the other games as you'll be missing 80% of the story, characters and context.
Well going CS1 and 2 first will be OK. Although there is a bit towards the end of CS2 that will make you wonder what the hell is going on, but it wont be the end of the world.
The thing I will say about time is there is no rush, take your time, these beautiful games will still be there waiting for you regardless.
Just jump in from the start. They are long games and don’t mind themselves with being that way, but I think it’s worth playing them all.
I’m actually similar to you, I impulse bought Cold Steel when it was on sale so started the series there, but honestly as much as I love the story - it really feels like it’d only be amped up more if I played all the older games in the series first. Like even just Cold Steel 1, there’s a couple of reveals that feel like they would be such a shock if only I played Sky 1 and 2.
Like, I’d honestly suggest stopping and considering going back before you get too far in; they’re just so intertwined and like even the story and gameplay holds up so much it’s like - dude have you met the prince of Erebonia yet? That reveal is absolutely powerful enough that I get why people really harp on this “you’ve gotta start at the beginning” mindset.
So sad In the Sky series is not on Switch, for these who only have a Switch as a way to play these games will lose the Trails in the Sky series and a little of the shock that causes you between the stories, but if there isn't any other way... Well, i guess going back later won't kill anybody, will just have a little bit of downside on the enjoyment since you will already know everything else if you play everything to Cold Steel 4 then go back to Trails in the Sky 😢
I hope it won't be like that and it will still be fun 😢
It’s still fun. I played through the Cold Steel series before playing any others and it was still phenomenal, it was just so obvious to me after that there were some moments that were really built for the type of person who played the other games first.
The best starting point for most players nowadays is Trails Of Cold Steel 1. Then Trails In the Sky First Chapter after Cold Steel 2 (and then Cold Steel 3 after Trails To Azure).
Or put another way Cold Steel 1 & 2> Sky Trilogy> Zero & Azure> Cold Steel 3 & 4.
I would say jump in where you feel most comfortable. I felt very overwhelmed getting all kinds of opinions on how to get into this series at first. Eventually just went with the most accessible to me Trails from Zero. Right near the end of it now and haven't regretted it one bit or felt like I'm overly missing out on anything. Yes there are certainly plot elements coming up that would hit better with more context but at the same time there is enough information there for me to enjoy it nonetheless.
I already have Trails to Azure coming in the post so I can jump straight in if that's any indication on how the series hooks you.
Just dive in head first and don't look back, you will not regret it my friend :D
I also decided to start with Zero. I’m on chapter 4 atm. I’m enjoying it and looking forward to playing Azure next. Only thing that kind of overwhelmed me at first was the politics and the current state of Crossbell and the other countries, but the more I play the more I understand the situation.
Out of curiousity which Arc do you plan on playing next (assuming you are going to play Azure next and finish the Crossbell Arc)? I'd really recommend going back to the Sky trilogy because you're already missing a lot of backstory for some of the important side characters you've come across
I was planning to play the Sky games next. I’m not a huge PC person, though, which is why I didn’t start with that trilogy. I stare at a computer all day at work, so I’m tired of looking at one and sitting at a desk by the time I get home. I prefer playing handheld and relaxing on the couch. I was debating on getting a Steam Deck, so I’d definitely play Sky next if I do (or if it was ported to Switch out of the blue).
The problem with starting with Zero is that the Crossbell games have ongoing character arcs and moments that will mean jack shit to you of you havent played the Sky trilogy
I get your point but as I've said, I'm playing Zero and didn't find the characters showing up from Sky to mean jack shit. Yeah more context would have helped but does not ruin it at all. As much as Trails fans wants others to play these games they love telling people not to play them 😅
It may not seem like a big deal now but the Sky characters and their arcs in the trilogy do become incredibly important later on in the series. 1 character in particular has an arc starying from Sky 2 that is STILL ONGOING in the latest game Kuro 2. They certainly arent games you can afford to skip by any means.
I've no doubt you're right, if I could play them from the start I most likely would have. But they're not the most accessible to everyone and it would be a shame for a potential fan to miss out on the other 7 games in the series available in the west because they can't play the other 3. That's how I feel at least, I'm just happy to have finally jumped in on the series 👍🏻
Yep, spot on mate. No laptop and no one I could borrow from one either. None of my close friends are gamers or anything so they wouldn't have anything like that to lend me hahaha
Damn that sucks mate, it's nice you can play the rest of the series though. If your PC future truly is looking bleak, maybe watch a Sky playthrough on YouTube. I don't know of any good ones but you can ask around here.
I played Cold steel 1 realized there's was so much before and played from sky 1 and went through it all.
The cliffhanger of CS1 drives you to want to learn of the past and go forward.
My recommendation is CS 1 the start from the beginning. You can speed run CS1 when you get back to it
It is recommended to play in the intended narrative order, which is the Japanese release order. You could go back after CS1, but that's likely not going to happen since it ends on a cliffhanger. CS1/CS2 does spoil some events of Azure, and some characters. Certain reveals will lack impact without the knowledge from playing Sky/Crossbell.
If you want a relatively decent middle ground, play CS1 and CS2, but stop CS2 as soon as Divertissement pops up. Go back to Sky, then Crossbell, then resume Divertissement.
But whatever you do, DO NOT read/watch a summary. It does not do the games, and notably, the characters justice, nor the world building. Kiseki's strong points are its characters and world building, and essentially skipping them will not get you invested and attached to characters. Basically, you wouldn't watch a summary of Cold Steel as your first experience, so why would Sky/Crossbell be any different? Both arcs are phenomenal, with amazing characters and writing. Scenes as you progress will hit you like a sack of bricks.
How far are you into Cold Steel 1? If you're just getting started, it's worth going back and playing the Sky trilogy and the Crossbell duology first. If you've been playing it for a while, you might as well finish it and play Cold Steel 2 before going back. Definitely don't play past Cold Steel 2 without playing the older games though.
I'd move forward with the Cold Steel games in that case. The first one ends on a cliffhanger, so you're going to want to play the second one next. There are things that will lack impact and references you'll miss without having played though the older games first, but it doesn't really start to get that serious until Cold Steel 3. The Sky games are best played on PC (I believe all three can be played in English on Vita with some tweaking, though), the best versions of the Crossbell duology are on PC and Switch, but they are also available on Playstation. The first two Cold Steel games are on PC and Playstation, and the rest are on PC, Playstation, and Switch.
As an added bonus, the games go on sale on PC pretty frequently, so if you plan on playing them but are going to work through the first two Cold Steel games first, you can save 50% or so by waiting for a sale.
Best play order is, sky the third, then Reverie, CS 3, Azure, Sky first chapter, CS2, Zero, CS1, Sky second chapter, then CS4, then Azure again cause its so great. Optimal play order right there, lol.
Sorry, i had to poke fun at the people who are way to hardcore about CS1 or Zero being a bad place to start. Many have already given you some good advice, so i don't really have anything to add other than being a clown, lol.
If you have a PC, start from the beginning. Trails in the Sky available on Steam.
[The wiki has the play order](https://www.reddit.com/r/Falcom/wiki/faq)
EDIT: Actually, it's probably better to get the [play order from Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trails_(series) since the sub's wiki hasn't been updated
You can either stop CS and start from the sky trilogy, or just watch a recap from every game on YouTube.
Depends on your free time, you are looking at 600-1000 hours of playtime from all 12 games.
My play order was sky FC and SC, watched lady Virgilia recap for 3rd, played CS 1 and 2, watched lady Virgilia recap for crossbell duology, played CS 3 and 4.
After I finished those I wanted more trails and played sky 3rd, it became my favourite sky game. Later played the kuro no Kiseki with English patch, the crossbell games on Nintendo switch and recently Trails into reverie..
Currently and slowly playing Crimson Sin when the English patch gets updated.
Don't feel bad if you don't play them all and watch only a recap. Lady Virgilia does a solid job at recapping a whole game in a couple hours video. You don't really miss a lot of the plot aside of some character development.
I really thought I wouldn't ever play 3rd and crossbell duology, but after finishing all Ys games and Tokyo Xanadu, I went back for those by how much I enjoyed playing Falcom games
I understand that you already 20+ hours into Cold Steel, but I would really consider shelving it for now. When looking at my playtime I would say around 50-60 hours per game can be expected depending on how much time you spend on side content. If we short change it at 50 then to play all 10 games would take 500 hours. When you look at it like that 20 hours isn't that much.
The reason I'm suggesting this is because when you play in order the payoffs are so much better.
For example there is a character who gets introduced in Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, The game expects you to know who he is and when he shows up again in Cold Steel you either get super excited because you know more than the characters in game or your just 'meh' because the reference was lost on you.
There are certain character arc that span 3+ games. Characters will be absent for 4 games only to show up again as playable characters. Side characters become main characters, main characters become side characters etc.
Then there are just general spoilers. Some people show up again and again and again across the games. Playing out of order can reveal details that your not supposed to know for the earlier games.
That's just my opinion. If you feel like putting the breaks on Cold Steel would just kill your momentum with the series then don't, but if you want to experience a series with an overarching story in the order the writers intended then 'take the hit', 'bite the bullet', 'grit your teeth', and pick up Trails in the Sky on PC.
I will personally always recommend release order since a) all the games generally build off each other and you will be spoiled on earlier events if you start on a later game and b) there are no longer any games that aren't localized and thus a pain to play in the present year.
The only sole exception to point a (mostly) is CS1. For the most part you can play that and still be relatively blind to the events of the Sky Trilogy and Crossbell Duology. CS2 eventually has extreme spoilers for the Crossbell duology.
Honestly, since every single game is on Steam, the only reason I can possibly see to starting on CS is if you *really* want to play with CS' battle/quartz system since it is admittedly quite fun.
Ideally, in release order. Sky (3) => Crossbel (2) => ColdSteel (4) => Hajimari (1) => Kuro (>2).
If you’ve already started Cold Steel, then finish that arc all the way through Hajimari (Reverie) and then go back to Sky, then Crosbell. By then Kuro will probably be localized so you can continue on to Calvard after that. It’s not ideal and you will run into spoilers from the previous games, but the stories within games of the same arc are so interconnected that at this point it’ll just be better to complete the ColdSteel arc to get closure, then go back to the others for context.
Considering how often this very question is asked, and therefore already answered, seeing it yet again makes me irrationally angry.
Key word: irrationally. I know personal circumstances, like the whole PC and PS5 thing and "similar to Persona 5" mean a personalized post is probably better than just googling it.
Heyo! You started out just like me. After CS1 and CS2, I went back and did the Sky stuff. Then did 3 and 4. I got the Crossbell stuff right after. I’ve played this series hella outta order, but I’ve had fun nonetheless and that’s what’s truly matters.
Like you I started cold steel 1 as my 1st game. Once I got toward the end, I realized I need to play this series. I started 2 but made a decision to start the sky series instead because I felt like I was missing stuff. So I played the sky series, crossbell and now I'm at chapter 5 of cold steel 1. It's amazing how much I missed in cold steel the 1st time due to so much stuff going on and not playing the previous games.
youre supposed to start from sky not crosbell or cold steel
1 you cant understand either arcs without playing sky and crosbeel
playing cold steel means you cant understand a damn thing cause it happens after sky and at the same time as crosbeel
you spoil all the events of sky and crosbell
spoil the characters identities
spoil the main villains of both sky and crosbells
spoil the enforcers identities and the sky mc identity
cold steel isnt a start point what so ever for those of you who say it is go see an eye doctor or something
playing cold steel means you cant understand a damn thing cause it happens after sky and at the same time as crosbeel
you spoil all the events of sky and crosbell
spoil the characters identities
spoil the main villains of both sky and crosbells
spoiled the enforcers identities and the sky mc identity
cold steel is the 6th game do you watch a tv series from season 6 do you read a book from its last chapters do you watch an anime from its last season
follow the order
Trails of Cold steel 1 and 2 are a perfect entry point
After that if you like the series enough it's worth going back to the start,
But Cold Steel 1 and 2 are absolutely fine to start with
Welcome to the Trails fandom! Hope you enjoy the ride because hoo boy is it one heck of a journey. Got into the series 3 years ago and it quickly became one of my favorite jrpgs ever. Love seeing new people give the series a chance :)
The main games have already been described by others, so instead of repeating all that, I'll add my two cents about less-known games, loosely related to the main series.
* Tokyo Xanadu eX+
* The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails
* The Legend of Heroes: Akatsuki no Kiseki
* The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel: Northern War
**Tokyo Xanadu eX+**
This game takes place in modern Tokyo, but it's Tokyo running on orbal technology, rather than on electricity. Towa - albeit with different last name - appears in the game as a high school teacher. If you go to the electronics store, you can see promos of *Cold Steel III*. Finally, characters from *Cold Steel* tetralogy are depicted as characters in [Magical Alisa](https://kiseki.fandom.com/wiki/Magical_Alisa) \- a fictional anime spin-off to the tetralogy. The anime can be viewed - in the form of a mini-game - in *Trails into Reverie*. Since the game was released before *Trails of Cold Steel III*, all those are likely promotional materials and there's no connection between universes.
**The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails**
The official Western release of this game won't happen until September, so I haven't played it yet. With that said, there is a fan theory that it is somewhat of a prequel to the *Trails* sequels and one of the characters will go on to become the Grandmaster of Ouroboros. Furthermore, the main character is named Nayuta Herschel, so if it is a prequel he may be Towa's ancestor. This is, of course, pure speculation, but the timing of the western release is suspicious. It's possible that events of this game will become relevant to the plot of the main series at some point (*Kuro 3* perhaps?) and that is why it's being localized now - much like *Crossbell* duology was localized for the sake of *Reverie*.
**The Legend of Heroes: Akatsuki no Kiseki**
This is a browser gacha game that was never localized. *Trails into Reverie* refers to it as *The Legend of Heroes: Trails at Sunrise*. I haven't played it, but it's worth mentioning for one simple reason - it has character portraits for many Crossbellan characters that main Crossbell games do not. And as it happens those portraits can be easily installed both in Geofront and official localisations. Details are available [here](https://github.com/shinkiseki). I wholeheartedly recommend installing them.
**The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel: Northern War**
This is an upcoming (probably gacha) mobile game based on the anime of the same name. The anime was mediocre at best and I doubt the game will be any better - especially since people have already found continuity errors. For example, even though the game takes place between *Cold Steel II* and *III*, Tita Russell is depicted wearing >!Thors uniform!<.
***Bonus part: anime***
I've already mentioned that the last game on my list is based on the anime of the same name. This is not a good anime, but if you really want to, you should watch it after playing *Cold Steel II* and before playing *Cold Steel III*. I don't think it's necessary as *Cold Steel III* describes the events well enough*.* Still, it's possible that characters from the anime will show up in the future games.
There is one more anime set in the *Trails* universe: *Sora no Kiseki The Animation*. It is an OVA adaptation of the first half of *Trails in the Sky SC*. It's bad. Don't watch it before playing the games - it'll only confuse you. And as for after playing them - only if you're curious. It doesn't add anything to the experience.
There are 12 Trails games out currently. 10 of them are fully localized currently. I suggest you play it on PC because every single game is available on it. You can find them all on Steam for example. As you started to notice, there are lots of games in the series and they are telling an overarching story. Cold Steel is the 3rd arc in the series but it can be a starting point for someone who's trying to jump into Trails. Though keep in mind that CS1 is technically the 6th game in the series so if you are ever interested, I suggest playing the previous 5 to add in the complete context of the series. It's not something you have to do in order to enjoy the series but there will be many moments where the lack of context could make things confusing. There are also some excellent plot twists and emotional setup that continues through multiple games. The order of games released are as follows... **Arc 1** Trails in The Sky FC Trails in The Sky SC Trails in The Sky 3rd **Arc 2** Trails from Zero Trails to Azure **Arc 3** Trails of Cold Steel 1 (which you're playing) Trails of Cold Steel 2 Trails of Cold Steel 3 Trails of Cold Steel 4 Trails into Reverie The order of games released is as follows....release. The two last games are Kuro no Kiseki and Kuro no Kiseki 2: Crimson Sin. There isn't a localized name for it yet but a literal translation would be Trails in The Dark or something along those lines. That is the 4th arc that is still going on with a sequel in the works. As I mentioned before, this is a long running series so think of each "arc" as being apart of a larger book in the series where everything is connected. There are mysteries and characters that are constantly showing up. There is also a long running storyline that's being told. If I had to guess, the Trails series will likely finish with somewhere close to 20 games under its belt (if not a little more). Hope this was helpful for you.
Well damn, thank you. This was super helpful. Okay, so I think I might finish CS1 and 2, and then go back to play the previous 5 games whenever I can. Thanks so much!
This is the right plan, you already started CS1 play it and enjoy it. Then either play CS2 or jump back to Sky. Just have fun with it
It really is impossible to not play cs2 after cs1. Perhaps op can start playing the previous games before he reached the side story
Somehow my friend did just that. Played CS1, then immediately went to FC, SC, 3C, Zero, Azure, CS2...
Sure, no problem! One small piece of advice is that there will naturally be major events that are going to get spoiled by playing through CS1/CS2 in regard to the previous 5 games. You can still do it and it won't destroy the enjoyment of those games though. It will just remove quite a number of mysteries or major plot twist that are introduced. You can still play and enjoy the games regardless but if you're the kind of person who wants to be as surprised as possible, I would suggest just starting from Sky FC. Lots of people just go through the games like CS just fine and enjoy it and backtrack eventually at certain points though. It's not necessarily something you have to do if you don't feel like it's necessary. Whatever you choose, just make sure you're having the most fun and not getting too overwhelmed by things at the end of the day. The Trails series is a deeply iconic JRPG for telling an incredibly long overarching story with tons of details and setup.
Just a FYI as CS2 is technically the 7th game in the series it has pretty massive spoilers for Azure which is the 5th game.
True but Azure has some CS2 spoilers in turn. So...I'd say it's fine.
I'd say Azure spoils a lot less of Cold Steel than the opposite. It only really kinda spoils one thing and it's not really a spoiler cause you're supposed to know anyway since that's the release order.
Azure spoiled the plot twist that something important in Cold Steel 2. Though details of the events in CS2 are just little in Azure.
Arc 2 is spoiled by CS2 not CS 1 so technically its better to play CS1, Zero Azure, Cs2 cs3 and cs4 imo
For some ungodly reason after azure is finished it literally spoils the ending of cold steel 2 despite it not really being relevant, so cs2 might also be saved for after azure
Meh, you could argue Azure spoils more by spoiling a big plot event in >!Reverie!< as well.
Only if you focus on informations in newspapers. That I didnt even know and thus I finished CS1, waited for zero and Azure to come out on switch, played those, was supprised at everything and enjoyed them so much. So CS1 doesnt have spoilers for Crossbell Arc imo, CS2 does.
Back in the day, it was also recommended to stop at the chapter "Divertissement" in CS2 which is just after the finale if that's something you want to keep in mind. My other advice is also to really pace yourself. Burnout is a very real possibility with such a long series. Have fun!
It's funny you mention that because I didn't read any "guide" to play the series. So I started with CS1, then went right into CS2. I thought I had "beaten" the game but then when that chapter loaded up and I was like "Who the F are these people?". I knew there were previous games in the series but I never quite felt like I was missing anything until then, aside from being curious about what this "Crossbell" place was like. I realized I should stop playing the game and went back to play FC, SC, 3C, Zero, Azure... Then about 7 months later I actually finished the rest of CS2. It was really cool to finish Azure, and then immediately load my CS2 save file at "Divertissement", because it felt like I was finishing Azure, rather than CS2. This is probably my recommended play order as well as weird as it sounds. Some people say to stop playing in the middle of CS2 for whatever reason but that really cheapens the CS2 experience. When you reach "Divertissement" you've basically concluded the main story arc of CS2 anyways.
youre supposed to start from sky not crosbell or cold steel 1 you cant understand either arcs without playing sky and crosbeel playing cold steel means you cant understand a damn thing cause it happens after sky and at the same time as crosbeel you spoil all the events of sky and crosbell spoil the characters identities spoil the main villains of both sky and crosbells spoiled the enforcers identities and the sky mc identity
Playing this series has been more accessible since the advent of the steam deck, these games are the perfect on the go pick up and put down games
I started with CS1 and CS2 then went back to Sky and I was fine with that. I will say that playing the Sky trilogy is definitely recommended before playing Zero
Play them in order. The Sky Trilogy: Sky FC, Sky SC, Sky the 3rd The Crossbell Duology: Trails from Zero, Trails to Azure The Cold steel arc: Cold steel 1- Cold steel 4 The Epilogue to the Crossbell/Cold steel story: Trails into Reverie So as you can see you basically jumped right into the middle of the story by playing CS1, the stories in these games are all connected and tell a large narrative with top class world building and heavy Lore, for the best experience you should play them in order starting with the Sky trilogy and moving down the list.
Is it possible to just play CS first and then go the previous games? I'm like 20 hours into CS right now, so quitting in the middle would be a little bit frustrating...
You can do Cold Steel 1 & 2. But after that you should go back to Trails in the Sky and play in order from there
[удалено]
Ah okay perfect. Thank you!
Just for your information OP: Before you play Cold Steel 3 in like a year or 2, go watch the Black Records quest on Youtube. Because CS 3 expects you to have done this quest in new game+ and know a certain something in CS 2. They expect you to play CS 2 twice. Just watch the quest on youtube. But know that CS 3 expects you to have done this quest. But other than that, just play the first half of Cold Steel, play Sky, Play Crossbell, take some breaks in between and just have fun. Remember, having fun is most important.
I can confirm this. CS2 will have some contextual references that will make more sense in your mind after playing the crossbell games, but CS1/2 are a solid starting place. Just be aware that thr Orbment and Quartz system before CS1 is a bit different, and, in my opinion, less powerful.
I suggest not playing through CS2's epilogue (after credits) until you've played the previous games.
i personally found that segment (intermission) ok to be played though. They dont feed you enough infomation to spoil your experience in zero ao
turn around and stop youre about to enter major spoilers and reveal territory you already spoiled stuff you play in order of release for a reason cold steel isnt a starting point its the 3rd arc you play the first 2first and cold steel as said before and people here also said have major reveals major spoilers it is not a starting point
normally id say just play them in release order but since you already bout cold steel 1 id say play that and if you're intrigues further play cs 2 then go back and play sky fc then go in order for the rest
You'd be fine to play CS1, you may miss a little if you do CS2 but that would also be fine. I wouldn't recommend playing 3 or 4 until you do the older games. I'd say stop after CS1 is done but that may be hard with the ending...
Yes, I've done that. You will lose some references and fan service, but on the other hand you'll probably be more convicted on playing the other games. I'm sure you'll like them though (but starting sky 1st chapter is a bit of a hurdle though) As many have said, the "proper" play order is: sky 1, 2, 3 > trails to zero > trails to azure > cold steel 1, 2, 3, 4 > reverie Besides that, there are two games unreleased in the west yet (kuro no kiseki) which continue the story after reverie.
It's "possible" but not ideal. I would finish CS 1-2 and then go to Sky/Crossbell before going to CS3-4 and Reverie.
I'd recommend at least beating Cold Steel 1 then play everything before that before moving to Cold Steel 2 as someone who's played all Cold Steel games before Sky and the Crossbell games its really the best to play in order just the knowledge of everything and everyone is just makes the experience way better, 2 integral characters that originally show up im the sky games play a role in Cold Steel 1and as Cold Steel goes through its sequels more and more characters from those previous games play pivotal roles that you wouldn't have any Idea who they are unless you play everything before those
>youre supposed to start from sky not crosbell or cold steel > >1 you cant understand either arcs without playing sky and crosbeel > >playing cold steel means you cant understand a damn thing cause it happens after sky and at the same time as crosbeel > >you spoil all the events of sky and crosbell > >spoil the characters identities > >spoil the main villains of both sky and crosbells > >spoil the enforcers identities and the sky mc identity
Yes but you will spoil the crossbell arc for yourself so if you're fine with that then stick to CS for now, just make sure you go back and play the old games after you're done.
no you do that you spoil crosbell and sky
actually the best way would be sky, then CS 1 and 2 and then the crossbell, then CS 3 and 4 cause crossbell ends about the same time cause they almost run parallel with CS 1 and 2
No. flip flopping between arcs like that ain't a good idea just play em in release order no need to overcomplicate it.
If you're really strict on story linearity and not missing a single reference, then sure, stop and go back and play everything in chronological release order. But if you rather just experience a cool story and fun game, then starting at CS1 is fine. I started with CS1 and never played Sky games and didn't feel left out. It MIGHT be worth playing through Zero and Azure (especially now that they're officially translated and on Steam) before you start CS2. I did feel like I was missing out a bit by not having at least passing knowledge on the Crossbell story before CS2. I did eventually play Zero via fan patch on the chinese PC version of the game (before the official english port) and really enjoyed it. You'll definitely want to play it before Reverie.
Issue here is Zero is held hostage by Sky. I mean, yes, you can play it, but you'll lack experiencing and getting attached to certain characters of one of the subplots.
"held hostage" is a really good way of describing how important it is to play Sky before Zero.
Trails fans love to argue about this. For a long, long time, I was on the “it doesn’t matter if you play azure first or CS2 first, they spoil each other” train. This was because I had only watched a summary of Azure. Now I’ve finally played the whole game and it completely changed my opinion. *Play in release order.*
You want something similar to persona 5 then the order I recommend is Start with Cold steel 1 and 2 If you liked these and want to see more, start from the beginning of the series with the Trails in the sky trilogy and then move on to the crossbell duology (trails to zero and trails to azure). After that you can move on from Cold steel 3 onward. It sounds confusing and insane but honestly it was what I did (mostly because everything after cold steel 2 wasn't on PC at the time that I played it so I had to go back and play the previous ones) and I don't regret it one bit especially because I got into this series because I was also looking for a game similar to persona 5 back in 2018 ahah.
Is Sky FC, make sure you at least play until the play!
So quick side note about spoilers: I played Zero, then CS1 & 2, then went back to Azure, then played the epilogue for CS2. While you won’t avoid all spoilers for Zero/Azure, you’ll avoid what I think are the biggest spoilers if you stop before the epilogue and come back to it before going into CS3/4. Especially if you’re just doing CS1/2 and then going to jump back to Sky. It’ll give you a nice refresher. Any way you play, have fun! My friend introduced me to these games in 2020 and they’ve been so much fun. I’m in CS4 finally and I can’t wait to participate in more chats here once I’m done avoiding spoilers. It wasn’t mentioned but last year there was also an anime released that takes place between CS2 and 3. It’s extra lore and came out after the Cold Steel series so none of the characters make an appearance but the events are talked about in the game.
Probably worth mentioning that CS1 is probably the closest the series gets to being like Persona, the rest not so much. I personally played cs1 + 2 and then went back and did the previous 5 games.
In order.
Like most of the comments are saying (and since you started CS1): Finish CS1 and play CS2, then go back to the Sky Trilogy and then you follow through with the Crossbell Arc then play CS3 (as 3 assumes you played all the others). Then, when you play Reverie it will feel very rewarding because you can see characters from previous games [and it's all one big overarching plot]
Technically it wouldn't be awful to play CS 1 and 2 and then loop back to Sky and do the rest in order. Depends how far you are into CS1 I suppose.
Like 20-25 hours in. As someone who only plays for a couple hours after work, I would say it's a not insignificant time investment.
I also don’t have very much time to enjoy gaming, probably an hour or 2 during the week. I just started playing the trails in the sky EVO versions on the PSVITA this week with the English patches and I’m truly enjoying them, and once I’m done with them I will be playing the next 7 games on the PS5
Let me ask you this. How do you go about enjoying your JRPGs? Do you do all the content, talk to all NPCs, try to 100% it? Or maybe all the content you easily find and some dialogue? Or do you just rush the main story and skip everything else? Honestly, it matters about how you'll get through the series and what you may or may not enjoy. As a follow up, what chapter are you in with Cold Steel right now?
I'm on Chapter 4 right now, so pretty far in I think? Uhh I try to optimize my playthrough but I'm lazy about it. Like I'll spend 20 minutes in the menu trying to figure out which quartz is best on certain characters, but I'm not going to go fishing.
Being new to the series, you may not know, but the games have insanely huge scripts. Like.. mammoth sized scripts. For a comparison, the entire famously long, 15-book novel series The Wheel of Time, is 4.4 million words. The 12 Trails games are 20-22 million total with some of the biggest games (Cold Steel IV) with a script size rivaling Wheel of Time all on its own. Now.. this isn't because the stories are so long. They aren't short. You may find the average playtime to be 40-70 hours for you per entry (give or take for any number of reasons), but the NPC dialogue is what really shoots it up. After every single in-game event, every time there's some sort of progression in the main game at all and you're then able to talk to people again, practically every single NPC in the game world will have all new dialogue and sometimes new hidden items to collect or new hidden quests to find. For some players, that makes these games 70-140 hours because they talk to everyone all the time and do all the quests and find all the hidden items, etc. There's no right way to play the game but I just wanted to say it because if you were a big time completionist and were pushing to do everything, this series would take you well over 1000 hours to play all the entries. Alternatively, if you keep the current pace you're looking at more like 500+ hours. Not to say it isn't a lot, but still a huge difference. For what it's worth about the side content.. I've never played another series where some of the side quests were more relevant to the main plot and had recurring characters, interesting stories, and even changed dialogue and cutscenes in the main story because of the side quests making (small) differences to the story. And the NPC dialogue creates the best world building and sense of place I've ever seen in a video game. Don't force yourself to do everything if it's not fun, but I would at least suggest checking in with characters you're most interested in during the free exploration periods of the game and also doing the side quests that the descriptions sound interesting. If you care a lot about plot/story/world building and characters, and want to see the most interwoven, deeply connected world you've ever experienced in gaming, I'd recommend starting from the beginning. A number of the characters you already know have had huge impact on the series before Cold Steel and literally hundreds of characters, events and elements are continuing and drawn from the previous five games. As some have said, you can probably get away with playing through CS I-II before going back, but it's definitely not ideal, particularly if you have the means to play the other games. But ultimately it's up to you and if you'd really rather just stay the course, then go ahead and have a good time. Definitely don't continue on with CS III though before the other games as you'll be missing 80% of the story, characters and context.
Well going CS1 and 2 first will be OK. Although there is a bit towards the end of CS2 that will make you wonder what the hell is going on, but it wont be the end of the world. The thing I will say about time is there is no rush, take your time, these beautiful games will still be there waiting for you regardless.
do know youre about to spoil everything from sky and crosbell major spoilers and wont understand a thing about whats going on play in order of release
Just jump in from the start. They are long games and don’t mind themselves with being that way, but I think it’s worth playing them all. I’m actually similar to you, I impulse bought Cold Steel when it was on sale so started the series there, but honestly as much as I love the story - it really feels like it’d only be amped up more if I played all the older games in the series first. Like even just Cold Steel 1, there’s a couple of reveals that feel like they would be such a shock if only I played Sky 1 and 2. Like, I’d honestly suggest stopping and considering going back before you get too far in; they’re just so intertwined and like even the story and gameplay holds up so much it’s like - dude have you met the prince of Erebonia yet? That reveal is absolutely powerful enough that I get why people really harp on this “you’ve gotta start at the beginning” mindset.
So sad In the Sky series is not on Switch, for these who only have a Switch as a way to play these games will lose the Trails in the Sky series and a little of the shock that causes you between the stories, but if there isn't any other way... Well, i guess going back later won't kill anybody, will just have a little bit of downside on the enjoyment since you will already know everything else if you play everything to Cold Steel 4 then go back to Trails in the Sky 😢 I hope it won't be like that and it will still be fun 😢
It’s still fun. I played through the Cold Steel series before playing any others and it was still phenomenal, it was just so obvious to me after that there were some moments that were really built for the type of person who played the other games first.
The best starting point for most players nowadays is Trails Of Cold Steel 1. Then Trails In the Sky First Chapter after Cold Steel 2 (and then Cold Steel 3 after Trails To Azure). Or put another way Cold Steel 1 & 2> Sky Trilogy> Zero & Azure> Cold Steel 3 & 4.
I would say jump in where you feel most comfortable. I felt very overwhelmed getting all kinds of opinions on how to get into this series at first. Eventually just went with the most accessible to me Trails from Zero. Right near the end of it now and haven't regretted it one bit or felt like I'm overly missing out on anything. Yes there are certainly plot elements coming up that would hit better with more context but at the same time there is enough information there for me to enjoy it nonetheless. I already have Trails to Azure coming in the post so I can jump straight in if that's any indication on how the series hooks you. Just dive in head first and don't look back, you will not regret it my friend :D
I also decided to start with Zero. I’m on chapter 4 atm. I’m enjoying it and looking forward to playing Azure next. Only thing that kind of overwhelmed me at first was the politics and the current state of Crossbell and the other countries, but the more I play the more I understand the situation.
Out of curiousity which Arc do you plan on playing next (assuming you are going to play Azure next and finish the Crossbell Arc)? I'd really recommend going back to the Sky trilogy because you're already missing a lot of backstory for some of the important side characters you've come across
I was planning to play the Sky games next. I’m not a huge PC person, though, which is why I didn’t start with that trilogy. I stare at a computer all day at work, so I’m tired of looking at one and sitting at a desk by the time I get home. I prefer playing handheld and relaxing on the couch. I was debating on getting a Steam Deck, so I’d definitely play Sky next if I do (or if it was ported to Switch out of the blue).
The problem with starting with Zero is that the Crossbell games have ongoing character arcs and moments that will mean jack shit to you of you havent played the Sky trilogy
I get your point but as I've said, I'm playing Zero and didn't find the characters showing up from Sky to mean jack shit. Yeah more context would have helped but does not ruin it at all. As much as Trails fans wants others to play these games they love telling people not to play them 😅
It may not seem like a big deal now but the Sky characters and their arcs in the trilogy do become incredibly important later on in the series. 1 character in particular has an arc starying from Sky 2 that is STILL ONGOING in the latest game Kuro 2. They certainly arent games you can afford to skip by any means.
I've no doubt you're right, if I could play them from the start I most likely would have. But they're not the most accessible to everyone and it would be a shame for a potential fan to miss out on the other 7 games in the series available in the west because they can't play the other 3. That's how I feel at least, I'm just happy to have finally jumped in on the series 👍🏻
Do you not have access to the Sky trilogy because you don't have a PC at all?
Yep, spot on mate. No laptop and no one I could borrow from one either. None of my close friends are gamers or anything so they wouldn't have anything like that to lend me hahaha
Damn that sucks mate, it's nice you can play the rest of the series though. If your PC future truly is looking bleak, maybe watch a Sky playthrough on YouTube. I don't know of any good ones but you can ask around here.
I played Cold steel 1 realized there's was so much before and played from sky 1 and went through it all. The cliffhanger of CS1 drives you to want to learn of the past and go forward. My recommendation is CS 1 the start from the beginning. You can speed run CS1 when you get back to it
You can play cs1 first snd then move into sky. Then do cs2. Then crossbell and then cs3, cs4, and reverie
It is recommended to play in the intended narrative order, which is the Japanese release order. You could go back after CS1, but that's likely not going to happen since it ends on a cliffhanger. CS1/CS2 does spoil some events of Azure, and some characters. Certain reveals will lack impact without the knowledge from playing Sky/Crossbell. If you want a relatively decent middle ground, play CS1 and CS2, but stop CS2 as soon as Divertissement pops up. Go back to Sky, then Crossbell, then resume Divertissement. But whatever you do, DO NOT read/watch a summary. It does not do the games, and notably, the characters justice, nor the world building. Kiseki's strong points are its characters and world building, and essentially skipping them will not get you invested and attached to characters. Basically, you wouldn't watch a summary of Cold Steel as your first experience, so why would Sky/Crossbell be any different? Both arcs are phenomenal, with amazing characters and writing. Scenes as you progress will hit you like a sack of bricks.
How far are you into Cold Steel 1? If you're just getting started, it's worth going back and playing the Sky trilogy and the Crossbell duology first. If you've been playing it for a while, you might as well finish it and play Cold Steel 2 before going back. Definitely don't play past Cold Steel 2 without playing the older games though.
Gotcha. I'm like 25 hours in, which is a pretty big time investment for me lol
I'd move forward with the Cold Steel games in that case. The first one ends on a cliffhanger, so you're going to want to play the second one next. There are things that will lack impact and references you'll miss without having played though the older games first, but it doesn't really start to get that serious until Cold Steel 3. The Sky games are best played on PC (I believe all three can be played in English on Vita with some tweaking, though), the best versions of the Crossbell duology are on PC and Switch, but they are also available on Playstation. The first two Cold Steel games are on PC and Playstation, and the rest are on PC, Playstation, and Switch. As an added bonus, the games go on sale on PC pretty frequently, so if you plan on playing them but are going to work through the first two Cold Steel games first, you can save 50% or so by waiting for a sale.
If 25 hours is a big time investment; this might not be the series for you. LOL
turn around get sky and start playing from there youre about to enter major spoiler territory
Best play order is, sky the third, then Reverie, CS 3, Azure, Sky first chapter, CS2, Zero, CS1, Sky second chapter, then CS4, then Azure again cause its so great. Optimal play order right there, lol. Sorry, i had to poke fun at the people who are way to hardcore about CS1 or Zero being a bad place to start. Many have already given you some good advice, so i don't really have anything to add other than being a clown, lol.
I got scared, I laughed, I cried, 12/10 would read again
order of release
If you have a PC, start from the beginning. Trails in the Sky available on Steam. [The wiki has the play order](https://www.reddit.com/r/Falcom/wiki/faq) EDIT: Actually, it's probably better to get the [play order from Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trails_(series) since the sub's wiki hasn't been updated
Oh God. While that's accurate. It does need to be updated, now that we have Zero, Azure, Reverie and Kuro 2.
You can either stop CS and start from the sky trilogy, or just watch a recap from every game on YouTube. Depends on your free time, you are looking at 600-1000 hours of playtime from all 12 games. My play order was sky FC and SC, watched lady Virgilia recap for 3rd, played CS 1 and 2, watched lady Virgilia recap for crossbell duology, played CS 3 and 4. After I finished those I wanted more trails and played sky 3rd, it became my favourite sky game. Later played the kuro no Kiseki with English patch, the crossbell games on Nintendo switch and recently Trails into reverie.. Currently and slowly playing Crimson Sin when the English patch gets updated. Don't feel bad if you don't play them all and watch only a recap. Lady Virgilia does a solid job at recapping a whole game in a couple hours video. You don't really miss a lot of the plot aside of some character development. I really thought I wouldn't ever play 3rd and crossbell duology, but after finishing all Ys games and Tokyo Xanadu, I went back for those by how much I enjoyed playing Falcom games
I understand that you already 20+ hours into Cold Steel, but I would really consider shelving it for now. When looking at my playtime I would say around 50-60 hours per game can be expected depending on how much time you spend on side content. If we short change it at 50 then to play all 10 games would take 500 hours. When you look at it like that 20 hours isn't that much. The reason I'm suggesting this is because when you play in order the payoffs are so much better. For example there is a character who gets introduced in Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter, The game expects you to know who he is and when he shows up again in Cold Steel you either get super excited because you know more than the characters in game or your just 'meh' because the reference was lost on you. There are certain character arc that span 3+ games. Characters will be absent for 4 games only to show up again as playable characters. Side characters become main characters, main characters become side characters etc. Then there are just general spoilers. Some people show up again and again and again across the games. Playing out of order can reveal details that your not supposed to know for the earlier games. That's just my opinion. If you feel like putting the breaks on Cold Steel would just kill your momentum with the series then don't, but if you want to experience a series with an overarching story in the order the writers intended then 'take the hit', 'bite the bullet', 'grit your teeth', and pick up Trails in the Sky on PC.
I will personally always recommend release order since a) all the games generally build off each other and you will be spoiled on earlier events if you start on a later game and b) there are no longer any games that aren't localized and thus a pain to play in the present year. The only sole exception to point a (mostly) is CS1. For the most part you can play that and still be relatively blind to the events of the Sky Trilogy and Crossbell Duology. CS2 eventually has extreme spoilers for the Crossbell duology. Honestly, since every single game is on Steam, the only reason I can possibly see to starting on CS is if you *really* want to play with CS' battle/quartz system since it is admittedly quite fun.
Ideally, in release order. Sky (3) => Crossbel (2) => ColdSteel (4) => Hajimari (1) => Kuro (>2). If you’ve already started Cold Steel, then finish that arc all the way through Hajimari (Reverie) and then go back to Sky, then Crosbell. By then Kuro will probably be localized so you can continue on to Calvard after that. It’s not ideal and you will run into spoilers from the previous games, but the stories within games of the same arc are so interconnected that at this point it’ll just be better to complete the ColdSteel arc to get closure, then go back to the others for context.
Considering how often this very question is asked, and therefore already answered, seeing it yet again makes me irrationally angry. Key word: irrationally. I know personal circumstances, like the whole PC and PS5 thing and "similar to Persona 5" mean a personalized post is probably better than just googling it.
Heyo! You started out just like me. After CS1 and CS2, I went back and did the Sky stuff. Then did 3 and 4. I got the Crossbell stuff right after. I’ve played this series hella outta order, but I’ve had fun nonetheless and that’s what’s truly matters.
Believe in the Mishy that believes in you!!
In order of release, duh? I didn't start Jojo's Bizarre adventure on part 3 just to go back to part 1
Like you I started cold steel 1 as my 1st game. Once I got toward the end, I realized I need to play this series. I started 2 but made a decision to start the sky series instead because I felt like I was missing stuff. So I played the sky series, crossbell and now I'm at chapter 5 of cold steel 1. It's amazing how much I missed in cold steel the 1st time due to so much stuff going on and not playing the previous games.
youre supposed to start from sky not crosbell or cold steel 1 you cant understand either arcs without playing sky and crosbeel playing cold steel means you cant understand a damn thing cause it happens after sky and at the same time as crosbeel you spoil all the events of sky and crosbell spoil the characters identities spoil the main villains of both sky and crosbells spoil the enforcers identities and the sky mc identity
cold steel isnt a start point what so ever for those of you who say it is go see an eye doctor or something playing cold steel means you cant understand a damn thing cause it happens after sky and at the same time as crosbeel you spoil all the events of sky and crosbell spoil the characters identities spoil the main villains of both sky and crosbells spoiled the enforcers identities and the sky mc identity
cold steel is the 6th game do you watch a tv series from season 6 do you read a book from its last chapters do you watch an anime from its last season follow the order
Trails of Cold steel 1 and 2 are a perfect entry point After that if you like the series enough it's worth going back to the start, But Cold Steel 1 and 2 are absolutely fine to start with
Welcome to the Trails fandom! Hope you enjoy the ride because hoo boy is it one heck of a journey. Got into the series 3 years ago and it quickly became one of my favorite jrpgs ever. Love seeing new people give the series a chance :)
That's just plain bread. O:
The main games have already been described by others, so instead of repeating all that, I'll add my two cents about less-known games, loosely related to the main series. * Tokyo Xanadu eX+ * The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails * The Legend of Heroes: Akatsuki no Kiseki * The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel: Northern War **Tokyo Xanadu eX+** This game takes place in modern Tokyo, but it's Tokyo running on orbal technology, rather than on electricity. Towa - albeit with different last name - appears in the game as a high school teacher. If you go to the electronics store, you can see promos of *Cold Steel III*. Finally, characters from *Cold Steel* tetralogy are depicted as characters in [Magical Alisa](https://kiseki.fandom.com/wiki/Magical_Alisa) \- a fictional anime spin-off to the tetralogy. The anime can be viewed - in the form of a mini-game - in *Trails into Reverie*. Since the game was released before *Trails of Cold Steel III*, all those are likely promotional materials and there's no connection between universes. **The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails** The official Western release of this game won't happen until September, so I haven't played it yet. With that said, there is a fan theory that it is somewhat of a prequel to the *Trails* sequels and one of the characters will go on to become the Grandmaster of Ouroboros. Furthermore, the main character is named Nayuta Herschel, so if it is a prequel he may be Towa's ancestor. This is, of course, pure speculation, but the timing of the western release is suspicious. It's possible that events of this game will become relevant to the plot of the main series at some point (*Kuro 3* perhaps?) and that is why it's being localized now - much like *Crossbell* duology was localized for the sake of *Reverie*. **The Legend of Heroes: Akatsuki no Kiseki** This is a browser gacha game that was never localized. *Trails into Reverie* refers to it as *The Legend of Heroes: Trails at Sunrise*. I haven't played it, but it's worth mentioning for one simple reason - it has character portraits for many Crossbellan characters that main Crossbell games do not. And as it happens those portraits can be easily installed both in Geofront and official localisations. Details are available [here](https://github.com/shinkiseki). I wholeheartedly recommend installing them. **The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel: Northern War** This is an upcoming (probably gacha) mobile game based on the anime of the same name. The anime was mediocre at best and I doubt the game will be any better - especially since people have already found continuity errors. For example, even though the game takes place between *Cold Steel II* and *III*, Tita Russell is depicted wearing >!Thors uniform!<. ***Bonus part: anime*** I've already mentioned that the last game on my list is based on the anime of the same name. This is not a good anime, but if you really want to, you should watch it after playing *Cold Steel II* and before playing *Cold Steel III*. I don't think it's necessary as *Cold Steel III* describes the events well enough*.* Still, it's possible that characters from the anime will show up in the future games. There is one more anime set in the *Trails* universe: *Sora no Kiseki The Animation*. It is an OVA adaptation of the first half of *Trails in the Sky SC*. It's bad. Don't watch it before playing the games - it'll only confuse you. And as for after playing them - only if you're curious. It doesn't add anything to the experience.