The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
Game
Game2017
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
Developer Nihon Falcom
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is a 2013 role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. The game is the sixth installment of the Trails series, itself a part of the larger The Legend of Heroes series, and follows Trails to Azure (2011). It was initially released in Japan for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita before being localized in English by Xseed Games in 2015. A Windows port was also… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
297 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
91
LovedLoved
180 positive · 18 negative
95% range 86–94%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 180 | 18 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 22 | 2 | 50 |
| Mastodon * | 7 | 0 | 12 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 5 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
3,903 of 4,131 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
91% recommend · 177 yes, 18 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 195 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (5,615 of 5,942 positive).
Some warn it is a slow burn with long dialogue and a cliffhanger ending. [1][2][3]
Liked
Representative posts
- [3]
i reached the final chapter, realised that it was going to be another repetitive game loop chapter and decided to just watch the ending on youtube. This game was like 1 or 2, maybe 3 chapters too long. It's a real pity, because I actually did enjoy the characters and the overall story. I thought it was really interesting to have the game run along side the crossbell arc. It was definitely a bold and risky move to …
- [4]
The game which started it all <3. (Played CS1 -> CS2 -> Trails in the Sky 1,2,3 -> Zero, Azure-> CS3 -> CS4) The whole saga is peak, the plot is amazing, the music is so so good, the gameplay is super fun and the characters are really well written. So if you enjoy JRPG's like me, then you definitely should give it a try It became my favorite game franchise. For those who never played a trails game, you have 2 …
- [1]
Let me start off by stating that this is NOT a game for everyone. It is very heavily story based...as in you could very well be looking at an hour and a half of dialogue at times. (before a boss fight...fighting...after a boss fight...next chapter...more talking...finally your character is back in control). But, if you are looking for that type of game, then this is definitely the game for you. I will admit that …
- [5]
☆ 100% Completion Review ☆ Strong recommendation for JRPG fans who love large worlds and ambitious stories. Cautious recommendation for players who like JRPGs but do not like slow burns. Hard avoid for people who do not care about story or dialogue. 100% achievements cleared after 120 hours – 2 playthroughs on normal and nightmare difficulties. + Politically layered story with significant payoffs. + Strong character …
- [2]
WARNING: The game ends on a major cliffhanger. Make plans on also buying the second game in the series to avoid a total meltdown. The first two games also play out in the same time line and events of Trails from Zero and Azure, so they will spoil each other. I am in total awe of the writing staff for the Trails series at Nihon Falcom. The writing gets better and better with every entry in the Trails games up to this …
Summarised from 34 of the 288 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel sits at 91% positive across 198 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic. Famitsu gave the PS3 and PS Vita versions a score of 34/40. PlayStation LifeStyle said it is "a role-playing masterpiece with all the right stuff: Xseed's superior localization, which bypasses anime cliches in favor of real depth; an addictive set of life-sim mechanics, from bonding with the lovable cast to cooking a bevy of dishes; and a combat system that rewards customization and cooperation between party members". Hardcore Gamer said it "is hands down the best JRPG this year" and that if "this is what's in store for us with future Legend of Heroes titles, it's…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 297 · most liked firstSure there's exceptions but the whole discussion was born about "start games wherever" and I pointed out that people told me to start the Legend of Heroes at the Cold Steel series that has an avengers big payoff in the third or fourth game that wont hit for nothin' if I don't know everybody
neutral · AI labelView post →NIS America explains decision to put The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon on Switch 2 Game Key Card and not a full physical release: "we believed it was the most beneficial option for our customers." www.nintendolife.com/features/nev...
neutral · AI labelView post →CAN THEY SAY THIS IN A JRPG THE LEGEND OF HEROES: TRAILS THROUGH DAYBREAK I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH YOUR GAME
neutral · AI labelView post →Intro to Kaze no Densetsu Xanadu II on PC Engine CD-ROM² in 1995. Apparently within the Dragon Slayer universe, which is also in the Legend of Heroes universe? That's too specific for my blood; all I know is that this action role-playing game looks absolutely incredible #gaming #retro #anime 🎮
neutral · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky Remake Coming to PS5, Switch, and PC Worldwide Simultaneously in 2025: Publisher is GungHo, English Voice Acting Confirmed, Fall 2025 Release Stated - noisypixel.net/trails-in-th...
neutral · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie. Done.👍🏻 This series is so special. Play it😭 Peak : Story. New faces/old faces. 🥹 Music. Peak turn based combat. Routes and reverie corridor were a great addition. Easy 9/10. Another banger. Will start next game depending on a announcement later. 😉
positive · AI labelView post →Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, the 3D remake of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, will get a simultaneous worldwide release in fall 2025, with GungHo releasing the game in English.
neutral · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III Done. 🥲 Wont go too in depth about it there's a bunch of moots like 1 game behind me lol Always find myself copy pasting the same thing about these. Peak story. Peak character's, You care. 🔥 Music. Fun side quests. 🔥 Combat lore!!! 8/10
positive · AI labelView post →2 days until the launch of The Legend of Heroes: #TrailsbeyondtheHorizon! Describe this game using only one emoji 👇
neutral · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes Trails to Azure Deluxe Edition / Trails from Zero Deluxe (Switch/PS4) reprints available to order at VGP ($61/$65 US Dollars each or $115/$123 in 2-game bundle - free shipping) buff.ly/JIPRCwY #ad Deals to add with free shipping (sorted by lowest) buff.ly/UrAC7jl
neutral · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st, the newly announced remake for the first Kiseki/Trails game in the series, in Weekly Famitsu No. 1864.
neutral · AI labelView post →Top 10 Video Game Series 1. Dark souls 2. Metal Gear Solid 3. Monkey island 4. Final fantasy 5. The Legend of Heroes 6. Metro 7. Mass effect 8. Silent hill 9. Stalker 10. Monster hunter Honourable mentions: max Payne Farming simulator Fallout
neutral · AI labelView post →Some of my all-time favorite video game franchises: Metal gear solid Hitman Splinter cell Thief Monkey island Final fantasy The Legend of Heroes Mass effect Resident Evil Farming sim Metro Fallout Soulsborne Nioh Silent Hill Battlefield Medal of honor Yakuza Stalker Monster hunter
neutral · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes didn't come out of nowhere. It was Dragon Slayer VI originally, a game that Falcom decided to create because they hadn't made a Dragon Quest-ish title yet, but wanted to show that they could do the Enix and Square thing, too. If you're into old-school RPGs, you'll like this one
neutral · AI labelView post →Nihon Falcom celebrates its 45th anniversary!🎉 One of the oldest dedicated game developers in the business; first starting out with games for PC-8801back in 1982, and eventually making decades long series' across numerous systems like Xanadu, Ys, and The Legend of Heroes!
neutral · AI labelView post →GAME #01 The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Given, I started this all the way back on 22.12. but I finished it - hence the entry! 🙂↕️ Crossbell is sick! I love the people here, and especially the main cast is super cool! Excited to see how it's gonna continue in Azure 👀
positive · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon (2026) may be the first video game to use the term DILF
neutral · AI labelView post →GAME #16 The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak 2 (~130h?! how the hell did that happen) Am i allowed to ignore the Prologue? Yes? Thanks. I don't think I like it as much as DB1, but holy shit, I am far away from being a hater 👀
neutral · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon is now also coming to Nintendo Switch 2 with the PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC versions all launching together in January 2026. The Switch 2 physical release is a Game Key Card: www.rpgsite.net/news/17750-t...
neutral · AI labelView post →「From here, a new "trail" begins.」 The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki has released 5 years ago on PS4. The first title of the Calvard arc and Trails series' second half! ❖ Read more about the game here: falcom.wiki/wiki/The_Leg... #黎の軌跡 #TrailsthroughDaybreak
neutral · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon: Deluxe Edition (PS5 physical game) is $35.99 on Amazon amzn.to/4etRzd4 #ad
neutral · AI labelView post →GAME #15 The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak I fucking love Calvard already, man Can't believe I joked about my Trails journey being my "Road to Calvard" and now i'm here. And it DELIVERED 🥹
positive · AI labelView post →GAME #10 The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 4 (150h) One of the first things i did in this game was put my backloggd review on 5 stars as a half-joke. I am happy to announce that this joke is very much reality now 🙂↕️🙂↕️ PEAK
positive · AI labelView post →Tell me your top 3 fave games for National Video Game Day!!! 1. Death stranding 2 2. Metal gear solid 2 3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
neutral · AI labelView post →GAME #11 The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie (~90?h) They didn't lie. This game goes dummy (and the entire series for that matter) Holy shit.
positive · AI labelView post →today in The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon • game likes to crash at save screen. crash counter: 3
negative · AI labelView post →The big video game everyone is talking about today is The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak
neutral · AI labelView post →today in The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon • doggos • game padding
neutral · AI labelView post →Weekly Japanese Game Releases: The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki - Farewell, O Zemuria, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, more www.gematsu.com/2024/09/week...
neutral · AI labelView post →✅ Dragon Slayer The Legend of Heroes VII Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter beaten An great remake of a top tier game. This version supersedes the original for me in every way. Loved it start to finish. If you wanna dip your toes in Trails, FC and SC remake are a great starting and end point. 🙂↔️💕
positive · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon demo is available now on Switch, PS4/PS5, and Steam: bit.ly/3EayRHE progress carries over to full game
neutral · AI labelView post →Shift lead at the long game factory hungrily eyeing the five first entries in the Legend of Heroes series bc she hasn’t played them yet and technically only started at Trails
neutral · AI labelView post →sure why not ^^ Top 10 Video Game Series Ys Brandish Xenoblade Final Fantasy Kingdom Hearts The Legend of Zelda The Legend of Heroes Xanadu Wild Arms Tales of can probably switch some out with others… not definitive… I’m hoping to get more into xak and play the last couple star ocean games soon :D
neutral · AI labelView post →Today is 10 years since the western release of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC. The game, known for its mammoth localisation effort, picks up immediately after the events of the first game as Estelle Bright continues her adventures in the kingdom of Liberl. #RPGanniversary
neutral · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon Deluxe Edition NSW, NSW2 [Game Key- Card] PS5 and PS4 is now shipping at VGP! $79.99 / 59.99 USD SRP 👉 tinyurl.com/39zc86ym [Free Shipping]
neutral · AI labelView post →50. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 it feels weird playing a Trails game that was made for a home console LMAO. This one took a bit to grip me compared to previous entries, but I found myself enjoying it a lot even though some areas were a bit padded. Onto the finale!
neutral · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero / The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 [Game-Key Card] are now in stock and pre-orders are now shipping at VGP! $99.99 / 72 USD *Free Shipping* 💿 tinyurl.com/yv9wnfd7
neutral · AI labelView post →The game which started it all <3. (Played CS1 -> CS2 -> Trails in the Sky 1,2,3 -> Zero, Azure-> CS3 -> CS4) The whole saga is peak, the plot is amazing, the music is so so good, the gameplay is super fun and the characters are really well written. So if you enjoy JRPG's like me, then you definitely should give it a try It became my favorite game franchise. For those who never played a trails game, you have 2 options: you can start playing Trails in the sky 1 or CS1 like me. Both are valid…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i reached the final chapter, realised that it was going to be another repetitive game loop chapter and decided to just watch the ending on youtube. This game was like 1 or 2, maybe 3 chapters too long. It's a real pity, because I actually did enjoy the characters and the overall story. I thought it was really interesting to have the game run along side the crossbell arc. It was definitely a bold and risky move to make and imo they managed to do it well. But then you have the never ending…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The 6th Trails game, and the first game that takes place in the empire of Erebonia. This is also the first completely "3D" trails game, originally made for the PS Vita. This game also introduces everyone's favorite Trails lead, Rean. FAQ: "Can I start with this one? Someone on reddit said I can start with this one." No. These games are one long story, go back to Sky FC/1st.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Today is the 15th anniversary of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky's North American debut on PSP. The game, also later released internationally on PC, is the first title in the interconnected Trails series and follows Estelle and Joshua Bright as they aim to become Bracers. #RPGaniversary
neutral · AI labelView post →The original Xanadu was also the second game in the Dragon Slayer series, which eventually spun off into the Legend of Heroes series and therefore the Trails series.
neutral · AI labelView post →the best game i played this year was The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak, or perhaps The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
positive · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon gets a delay but also a Switch 2 version!
neutral · AI labelView post →Edia announces Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes 1 & 2 for Nintendo Switch, Psikyo Memories and Toshinden Collection for Switch 2.
neutral · AI labelView post →WARNING: The game ends on a major cliffhanger. Make plans on also buying the second game in the series to avoid a total meltdown. The first two games also play out in the same time line and events of Trails from Zero and Azure, so they will spoil each other. I am in total awe of the writing staff for the Trails series at Nihon Falcom. The writing gets better and better with every entry in the Trails games up to this point. Cold Steel 1 is a slow burn. It introduces you to the cast and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →New release: The Legend of Heroes IV: Akai Shizuku (1996 - Win/PC-98) - https://www.myabandonware.com/game/the-legend-of-heroes-iv-akai-shizuku-yxg #abandonware
neutral · AI labelView post →Let me start off by stating that this is NOT a game for everyone. It is very heavily story based...as in you could very well be looking at an hour and a half of dialogue at times. (before a boss fight...fighting...after a boss fight...next chapter...more talking...finally your character is back in control). But, if you are looking for that type of game, then this is definitely the game for you. I will admit that this game took me longer to get "hooked" than Trails in the Sky. It took about…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Want to try something new (for me). After finishing The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky on PSP a while ago, I want to give a mini review with likes and dislikes. I didn't like the game as much as I wanted to. Trails is the favourite franchise of many, so I had high expectations. Spoilers ahead!
negative · AI labelView post →As the press release says, Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes is the 6th game in the series but like the previous games, it got its own spin-offs. The Legend of Heroes 3-5 make up what's known as the Ghargav Trilogy while The Legend of Heroes 6 would later be rebranded as Trails in the Sky.
neutral · AI labelView post →Love me a game with some [ 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕝 ] (Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes)
positive · AI labelView post →Just came back after playing Cold Steel 4 to warn people. Don't bother. Boring slog. Extremely childish anime tropes. Also, embarrassing "harem" trope throughout the whole 4 games. Story ends up being one of the most nonsense narratives ever. Not even kidding. It is just "I planned your every move" trope exaggerated to an incredibly absurd degree. That's the whole plot. Again. Laughably bad story. Don't waste hundreds of hours. You have been warned.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Having now completed all four Cold Steel games, I do not recommend. This lost the charm of the first five games, maybe partially from the new engine, but mostly I think they just have way too many characters for too little story. There aren't the cool plot twists or anything of the previous games that made them great. I think there are some, mostly for characters from the other games, but overall, this wasn't worth all the time you have to put into it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of my favorite video game romances takes place in the Legend of Heroes: Trails series. When first described on paper in a quick summary, it's something some people might roll their eyes at, but it's built very well. Something that had to be nailed down early about it was, it really couldn't be *optional*, based on "relationship score", or even happen on its own time. One of the best scenes in this duology centers around a huge character reveal, which puts forward the confession of love all…
positive · AI labelView post →☆ 100% Completion Review ☆ Strong recommendation for JRPG fans who love large worlds and ambitious stories. Cautious recommendation for players who like JRPGs but do not like slow burns. Hard avoid for people who do not care about story or dialogue. 100% achievements cleared after 120 hours – 2 playthroughs on normal and nightmare difficulties. + Politically layered story with significant payoffs. + Strong character writing and bonding events create meaningful relationship…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Trails through Daybreak is a game about hanging out. I wrote about why sickos love The Legend of Heroes: www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/tr...
neutral · AI labelView post →The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero, Trails to Azure launch trailer - pair of classic RPGs on Nintendo Switch 2. Good news, but honestly I'm still slowly working my way through the Trails of Cold Steel sub-series.
neutral · AI labelView post →So, I'd seen those DLSS 5 videos, but I had no idea what games they were supposedly from. This is a comparison of shots from a game called The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie. One is DLSS5, one is not. Can you tell the difference?
neutral · AI labelView post →To be frank, this game is not as good as Trails from Zero or Trails to Azure. That does not mean this is bad by any means. Zero, from the moment you press start, narratively has you by the throat for 40 hours straight. It's amazing. This game is a mega slow burn, with a lot of new characters and political set up happening over the course of many, many hours. It's still good, still fun. But it does feel like a step backward. Play Zero instead if you haven't already.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I finally reached the first Cold Steel game. Coming into it I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did, because it seemed it was low ranked for many people who are into the Trails series. Having finished it now, I can safely say I do not agree with a lot of things those people say. What's more, I legit don't even understand how you can rank this game low, unless I'm missing something coming in the future. The amount of improvements in gameplay over the previous 5 games is insane, so much…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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