The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Reviews

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is ranked in the 91st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Cubed3
Top Critic
8 / 10
May 28, 2023

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a very beefy RPG that is way longer if the speed-up functions are never used. The imaginative premise and complex battle system are what makes it stand out. The text can be really long-winded, even for RPG fans, but it all pays off for the diligent reader with patience to parse it all. Regretfully, there is no English voice acting - a first for The Legend of Heroes. While that is initially disappointing, the realization of the voice acting padding out an already very long RPG quells the desire.

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88 / 100
May 8, 2023

Trails from Zero is one of the best games in The Legend of Heroes franchise offering quite a deep and satisfying experience. The story is interesting, the characters are well developed and the interaction with them is very successful. Although it was initially released on PlayStation Portable in 2010 for the Japanese market, the fan translation into English by the Geofront group has allowed NIS America to bring us this interesting title to the West. Any fan of role-playing games in general and Nihon Falcom titles in particular will enjoy it.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Nov 23, 2022

Twelve years after it first released, Trails From Zero finally makes it to western shores. Admittedly, the visual inconsistencies between the PS4 version and the graphically superior Switch and PC versions is a bit of a bummer. Despite being more than a decade old, however, Trails From Zero has aged quite well and remains one of the best JRPGs out there. Gamers who especially like classic JRPGs should definitely pick it up.

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8 / 10.0
Nov 4, 2022

Redeeming a fantasy metropolitan police department is a strangely pedestrian setup for a JRPG. Forgettable plot aside, Zero features some of the best writing and character narratives in the genre.

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GameGrin
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Oct 29, 2022

After 12 long years, Trails from Zero is a classic RPG that was worth the wait. Fantastic characters, world building, and fun combat create another game in the franchise that will appeal to long time fans and newcomers alike.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 22, 2022

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero proves it is just as impressive as recent entries in the franchise and gives longtime fans and even newcomers an amazing RPG that was worth the wait.

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Essential
Oct 19, 2022

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is an amazing JRPG with great combat, writing, and music that shouldn’t be overlooked.

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9 / 10
Oct 16, 2022

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a truly special JRPG. Its focus on characters and worldbuilding set up a smaller, far more personal story. Its highly customisable skill system meant that combat never felt stale. I haven’t felt this way about a JRPG in a long time, and I cannot wait to catch up with Crossbell and its cast of characters again when the sequel launches in 2023. It’s not just one of my favourite games of 2022; it’s among my favourite games of all time.

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Loved
Oct 12, 2022

To anyone looking for a starting point to the frankly intimidating saga that The Legend of Heroes might seem at first, Trails from Zero is as entry level as it can be. And it also provides even more of the rich backstory that those already into series are bound to eat up.

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Oct 11, 2022

While some elements of this entry are a bit dated, there is still a great story and a meaty amount of story to enjoy. If you can't access the original trilogy, this is an excellent way to start your immersion in the series.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 10, 2022

Complete JRPG that emulates the classics of the 90s in several aspects, but providing a world, turn-based combat mechanics and original plots. The protagonists shine with their own light, but it is clear that Trails from Zero is only the starting point for larger-scale installments. Even so, being on a smaller scale, it can tell in much more detail all the stories around Crossbell.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Oct 6, 2022

A great JRPG with an excellent story backed up by a fantastic soundtrack and engaging combat.

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ZTGD
Top Critic
9 / 10.0
Oct 5, 2022

Trails from Zero is a wonderful introduction to Crosbell and the charming members of the SSS, expertly ported to PC with all the bells and whistles one would expect from a modern release. It’s a great sign of things to come for the sequel and an easy recommendation to all RPG fans.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2022

All in all, The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a JRPG good enough to be enjoyed on its own, but whose narrative and storyline take on added weight when there is the context of the Sky and Cold Steel saga behind it. Still, the narrative's focus on a small scale allows it to sell a very personal and intriguing world, with the more 'retro' soundtrack, gameplay and graphics helping the euphony. It is genuinely sad that there are two visually different versions between PS4, Switch and PC, however this is an adventure worth experiencing for fans of the genre regardless of platform of choice.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Oct 4, 2022

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is an outstanding JRPG with a great story, memorable characters, solid turn-based combat, and an absolutely amazing soundtrack. Going back to my question in the beginning, was the game worth the wait? The answer is a resounding yes. While the game’s localization can be a bit rough in some places, this shouldn’t hold you back from experiencing this title. I highly recommend this game to fans of the franchise, JRPG fans, and even newcomers. For the price of $39.99, it is definitely worth it.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2022

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a fun JRPG with a great setting, story, and cast of characters. Since it took so long to come to the west it does show its PSP roots in the visuals and the PlayStation 4 version is inferior to the other versions. Despite those things though this is worth experiencing for anyone who is a fan of the Cold Steel games or those who want to jump in for the first time.

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10 / 10
Oct 3, 2022

Trails From Zero is a wonderful game that offers the very best story telling and world building that gaming has to offer. Its presentation and dialogue heavy gameplay won't be for everyone, but if you love a good story and are looking to get immersed in a brilliant world, look no further.

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8Bit/Digi
Stan Rezaee
9 / 10
Oct 3, 2022

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a unique twist on a classic JRPG formula while also taking players on an unforgettable journey. From its familiar gameplay to its retro-style visuals, it has everything one could ask for in a JRPG.

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 30, 2022

The missing piece in the Legend of Heroes franchise finally makes its way west. Trials of Zero is a great addition to the franchise featuring a great cast of characters and a fantastic strategic combat system. It's just unfortunate that the PS4 version of the game didn't get the same upgrades that it did on other platforms.

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Unscored
Sep 29, 2022

Trails from Zero is a tactical RPG in which we will have to lead the story of a group of young people who makes up the Special Support Section, a Crossbell police unit, in order to recover the popularity of the police. It has an entertaining game system and the variety of quartzs allows us a full role-playing system's exploration. At a graphic level, we can see chiby style and anime designs for portraits. For othe part, the soundtrack remains in the same line of the saga without much to highlight.

Review in Spanish | Read full review