Less than a year later its release on PlayStation 4, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is coming to Nintendo Switch. In the absence of the first two titles on the console, it is obvious that we wonder what its place here. However, I think I have part of the answer in my text. However, I hope that those who hold the rights to Cold Steel I & II will follow suit quickly. In short, without further ado, here are my impressions of this portage that I was looking forward to.
Fiche Technique de Trails of Cold Steel III
- Release date : June 30, 2020
- Style : JRPG
- ESRB / PEGI classification: T / PEGI 12
- Developer: Nihon Falcom
- Publisher: NIS America
- Operating language: English or Japanese voicess, texts in French
- Tested on Nintendo Switch Lite
- Also on PlayStation 4 and PC
- Price during the test: 79,99 $ / 59,99 €
- Official site
- Digital version sent by the publisher
Pourquoi Trails of Cold Steel III sur Switch ?
As I mentioned in the introduction, I know exactly who Trails of Cold Steel III is for Switch. For me, The Legend of Heroes is a series for portable console above all. I did the three Trails in the Sky games on my Vita a few years ago and the first two Cold Steel on the same console. So, with the death of the PlayStation portable console, we had to find a new home for those who prefer to play it. on the go.
At this level, it’s no surprise that the game lends itself very well to the format. Of course, visually the series is still stuck in another era which should help. The graphics engine hasn’t changed much since the first Trails of Cold Steel in 2013 on PlayStation 3. So we’re a bit behind on a Dragon Quest XI S or one Xenoblade Chronicles II. But otherwise, the game remains stable and makes no compromises in this version whether in tablet mode or on television.
However, I would like to clarify that I do not recommend that any player start with this chapter. Ultimately, if you don’t have the patience to do the three Trails in the Sky, you should at least start with Cold Steel I. Although in Trails of Cold Steel III, our protagonist Rean Schwarzer goes from student to teacher and joined several new characters, most of our old companions are back. It’s a bit of the magic of the title, so why take the risk? Especially since the scenario follows perfectly then it would be a mistake to start with the three.
The rest of the text is taken from our original test.
From student to teacher, the hero is back
First, the events of Trails of Cold Steel III take place only 1 year and a half after the end of the 2nd title. Now that our hero Rean Shwarzer has graduated from Thor Academy, he returns as a teacher. As if by chance (or not), our hero is in charge of class VII, the same of which he was part. With him there are some familiar characters and several new faces. This adventure marks a new start for our protagonist acclaimed as a hero of Erebonia by many. This suite will therefore resume in the midst of the many conflicts in the kingdom and explore the origins of our young man.
Once again, Trails of Cold Steel III stands out for the quality of its script, its multiple unexpected reversals and the depth of the story. At this level the third chapter is the best of the three in my opinion. In short, although NIS America would like new players to join the franchise, I don’t think that is a good entry point. And, there are very good reasons for this. Starting with the complexity of the story that crosses a huge kingdom and visits many political conflicts. If we haven’t followed the game from the start, we risk missing a lot of details and subtleties of the scenario.
Almost a new distribution
Moreover, more than ever, this 3rd chapter makes links between the Trails of Cold Steel series and Trails in the Sky. Characters like Tita and Agate move from one series to another and all the pieces of two scenarios fall into place. I think that is what best testifies to the depth of the scenario and the complexity of the universe created by Nihon Falcom. It might seem intimidating to a newcomer, but start with Cold Steel I or Trails in the Sky I and everything will be fine.
However, for this sequel, we can still say that it is a kind of “reboot” since the group of Rean will change a lot. This time, he takes care of several students including the mysterious Altina Orion which is part of Class VII. For me, he was one of the most intriguing characters in the script, so I couldn’t wait to learn more about her. Added to it initially, only two other students named Kurt Vander and Juna Crawford who have personalities at odds. It is therefore always very interesting to see them interact and the others who will join them are just as interesting.
Fortunately, the adventure will also allow us to find several former Rean comrades who are now in new positions. All the reunions represent a magic moment for the player and allow us to have a touch of nostalgia. Trails of Cold Steel III serves its fans very well in this regard and it is another proof that it is absolutely necessary to make the other titles.
Some new features
If the series has not improved much visually, that does not prevent the franchise from evolving its gameplay and it starts with Brave Orders. These are orders that we can activate during our turn to give a slight boost to our team. It can be as simple as increasing our attacks by 20% for 10 turns or increasing our defense. What is advantageous is that performing this action is complementary and costs only BP points which can be managed separately. But in short, each character offers various orders that can change the course of a battle. Personally, I find it a good addition that fits well into the combat system without complicating things.
Then Trails of Cold Steel 3 also borrowed a page from the Xenoblade book with its Break. Thus, a new bar has been created next to the enemy life gauge. By bringing it to zero, the enemy becomes in shock which causes several effects. He takes more damage, all his items fall, he loses all his buffs and all attacks unbalance it. So it’s very strategic and for me, it’s the most interesting addition. It’s even more so when paired with enemies that become enhanced and that hurt even more.
Even more mechas
Finally, in my opinion, what was the least exploited so far in the series was the mechas fights. The first arrives at the very end of the first episode and in the second the fights which involve them are quite limited. This time, it’s not just Rean who gets into his Valimar, the other students also have tank soldier to join us. Again, this allows for more strategic combat while being just more fun and engaging. As for example, we must closely monitor which of our teammates is targeted by the opponent to defend themselves well.
The possibilities are also more numerous in terms of their attacks which multiplies our combat options. You always have to be an observer to make the most optimal attack to hurt the enemy, but it’s a little less simplistic. In addition, the Breakis also part of mecha fights which adds an additional layer of complexity. There may not be enough for my taste yet, but it is a huge step in the right direction in my opinion.
Le verdict sur Trails of Cold Steel III
To conclude, Trails of Cold Steel III is an excellent sequel that follows a legendary tale while respecting everything that has been done so far. It’s impressive to see the amount of detail, the depth of the story and the links between the titles. It’s still a good 75 hours of history that stands perfectly and is accompanied by magical moments and epic battles. Despite a visual that does not advance quickly enough, it is still one of my 3 favorite JRPG series. The Trails series is a must for fans of the genre and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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