The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV

Although it would have been nice to see a little more innovation from Cold Steel III, this finale to the Erebonia arc is still one of the best JRPGs I've ever played. The world-building and character development are as exquisite as ever, while the gameplay mechanics are still well above average, albeit unextraordinary. Regardless, assuming you have played at least Cold Steel III and know enough about the Trails lore, this latest addition is well worth your time.

Trails of Cold Steel 4 brings the Cold Steel series to a spectacular conclusion with some of the best storytelling in the genre and improvements to every gameplay system.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is an exceptional title in the series. The cast of characters is immense and interesting while the story follows it up with bombshells. An already great turn-based combat system is refined and enhanced. This is a must play for RPG fans who have already played Cold Steel games.

The epic story of Trails of Cold Steel is finally seeing its conclusion and it's one fantastic experience, especially for fans like me.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV pulls off a highly satisfying conclusion to this long running saga but character bloat and lack of improvements hinder the experience.

The opening of Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is so convoluted that it seems to be warning players to not start here. Thankfully, once it decides to get going, this conclusion to the series rarely lets up.Read More

It has been five years since The Legend of Heroes: The Trails of Cold Steel’s saga began in the West. Gradually, we’ve seen the story of Rean Schwarzer, the Erebonian Empire, and even the people and territories adjacent to them and from other The Legend of Heroes games. There are a lot of feelings connected to The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV as a result. A sense of accomplishment is one, since this building conflict is finally going to be resolved. There’s also a sense of relief, since this will all be over. But at the same time, it’s somewhat overwhelming and exhausting. Especia...

Have you played through Trails of Cold Steel III? If not, take our advice and don't even think about trying Trails of Cold Steel IV. Apparently, the two games were originally meant to be just one big instalment in Falcom's long running The Legend of Heroes franchise — but the sheer scope of the saga forced them apart. Put simply, you won't have a clue what's happening in Cold Steel IV if you haven't finished Cold Steel III. And that's just for starters.

Trails of Cold Steel 3 teaches developers how to properly craft multiple sequels and tie it together with a narrative that has a satisfying conclusion.

Cold Steel IV finally ends the "Phantasmal Blaze Plan" arc for the series after nearly a decade, for better or worse.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV has been out in the West since 2020, but only on PS4. I imagine that most Trails fans will have purchased the game without delay on PS4, having had to wait for 2 years for its localisation. If you’re looking to purchase the game on the new PC or Nintendo Switch versions, I can only assume you are one of two types of people: either you’re a diehard fan looking to purchase the game again on a new platform, or a Nintendo Switch owner who has seen...

Does The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV have a great story that's a worthy capstone to a ten-year JRPG saga? No, it doesn't. As a standalone experience, it's an impenetrable mess of fizzled out character arcs and bloated cutscenes. Despite all that, Trails of Cold Steel IV has addictive gameplay, dope music, and gorgeous character designs. If you want a fun and grind-heavy JRPG with a wild amount of options and battles, but don't mind turning your brain off to ignore the story and glaze over poorly-written cutscenes, then this is one's for you.