The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II

As far as I can tell, I was one of the most ardent supporters of the original The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel, at least where reviews were concerned. I loved the ways that game reminded me of my favorite JRPG franchise, Persona – there’s a lot to compare, from the story centering on a ragtag group of different students at a school (in this case, a military academy called Thors) to a system where relationships could be fostered between said students for advantages in battle (using the “Link” system, echoing the “Social Links” of the Shin Megami Tensei spinoff).

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II might not have seen too many additions over the first game, it offers the same engrossing and highly detailed storyline and character interactions that fans have come to love the title for, making this immense game worth the time investment.

While I can’t say I’d ever want to play through Cold Steel again, the base it created lifts Cold Steel II to a point I can say it’s one of my favorite JRPGs. It doesn’t win out over Trails in the Sky SC, it comes really damn close. The unfortunate fact that you have to slog through the low points of the first game to get to the expansive high here is a bit of a blemish…but I’d say it’s worth a little bit of pain.

Gamers always hope that sequels live up to their predecessors. Thankfully, Trails of Cold Steel II goes above and beyond the first installment so let's go back to school and see what Rean and his pals have been up to.

If you've been keeping up with the series, Trails of Cold Steel 3 is the strongest outing yet, in spite of some issues that hold it back from its full potential.

While not coming to PS4 may scare some gamers away, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold II is most certainly one game worth pulling out the PS3 or PS Vita again to play through.

Sequels like The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II are a rarity these days. This lengthy, incredibly in-depth follow-up to the first game is essentially the second half of the story. Most of the key plot points that were set up in Trails of Cold Steel are fully explored here, with an absolutely massive cast of characters adding significant weight to every twist, turn, and revelation.

If you ask any modern hardcore JRPG fan who is making the best games in the genre today, they are going to rattle off a short list of developers, which will undoubtedly include Atlus and Square Enix. Keep going down this hypothetical list, though, and you’re likely to find one of the Trails games, a criminally underplayed (outside of veterans of the genre) series of staggering quality from Nihon Falcom.

Trails of Cold Steel II on the PlayStation 4 is the definitive edition of the video game. With a rich narrative full of world-building and fleshed out character, it's a journey well worth the time sink.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II stumbles with its pacing in places where the first game doesn't, but it's still an RPG worth playing.

Trails Of Cold Steel II feels less like a sequel, and more like the second half of an incredibly rich JRPG experience. There’s a lot to take in between both these titles, and it can feel like a slog at times, especially with the first game. Cold Steel II does a great job of making that slog worth it, and delivers with an action packed story and a consistently challenging gameplay experience. It’s a hard sell for anyone who wouldn’t normally play a JRPG, but for fans of the genre it’s a cut above a lot of other modern examples, and for fans of Cold Steel I, it’s a must-buy.