The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Reviews
Trails from Zero is a game that’s been out for over 10 years already, thus even a remaster won’t be able to fully transform the old school looks to something we’d expect in a modern game. Positively speaking, it still generates a retro feel JRPG with classic control schemes. Compared to its other titles, this particular Trails series has the smallest world and the protagonists are not as ‘heroic’ as we’d expect, rather close to an average joe, while they still go though all the rough adventures like any other hero would. This unique plot kind of makes them the most realistic heroes they’d ought to be, and they also never split apart during their journey and keep as a tight knit unit until the end. It’s inevitable that there are some nit picks to be found but if you’re into any other 2D JRPGs, Trails from Zero will keep you entertained as much as any other JRPGs would.
Review in Korean | Read full review
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is yet another solid game in Falcom’s rich legacy of RPGs. Issues like the lack of an English dub, slow game speed, and the strange sidequest system add up and do bring the experience down somewhat. Despite these issues, Trails from Zero is a game that manages to successfully and smartly craft an experience that stands out from its contemporaries.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a great game with a fantastically told well-paced detective story that features a memorable cast of characters. It's shame that the PlayStation 4 port is inferior to both the Switch and PC versions.
Though Trails' usual splendor of combat options here should come as no surprise, what's striking with this year's remastering is how well this once portable-only entry has translated across to more modern-day portable screens alike.
Nihon Falcom and NIS America give us yet another larger-than-life adventure in Trails from Zero. The Legend of Heroes is slowly climbing the ranks of my list of favorite JRPGs, and this one adds important pieces of the puzzle. The quality-of-life improvements that come with the Switch and PC versions would deserve the name of remastered. In short, if you want a JRPG with an emotional story, very enjoyable old-school visuals, and solid combat, give this one a chance.
Review in French | Read full review
The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero is a very bad remaster of a very good game. While the story of the SSS and the journey through Crossbell must be played by any fan of the series and the gameplay holds up surprisingly well even today, the PS4 version leaves so much to be desired that it is only recommended for those who can't afford to play it on another platform.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Trails from Zero is the total package, an incredibly well written story, a cast of characters that you’ll fall in love with, and a wonderfully complex battle system that’s a joy to master.
A porting with some nice improvements to keep up with the times, but still dedicated to a nostalgic audience of classic JRPGs.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Fortunately, Lloyd and the rest of the SSS make for likable characters that you can't help but root for. The dialogue-heavy second half of the game can drag a little bit, but the cumulative experience is still a positive one that I would recommend to RPG fans. With Trails to Azure coming in 2023, the stable of Falcom titles on Switch continues to grow, and there's Zero reason to be unhappy about that.
Trails from Zero has been well worth the wait. This is a classic Falcom RPG - an engrossing, crime-fighting adventure through one of the property's greatest settings. The experience as a whole does get bogged down in tedious side content and some poorly aged design, but fantastic characters and fascinating story beats hold everything together. Based on our time with Zero, we can't wait for Trails to Azure in 2023.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero puts together a politically engaging story, fun gameplay, and likable heroes into one epic RPG.
It's a shame that NIS and Falcom both decided to bring Trails from Zero in Europe only after the vastly superior Trails of Cold Steel series. This way a very solid if formulaic JRPG as this does not get the attention it deserves, due also to a lazy remastering process.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a sensational JRPG from top to bottom, and one that fans can't afford to miss.
In a series renowned for its stellar writing, twisting plots, and wonderful characters, The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a stand-out RPG. Narrowing the focus of its story to one state, and honing in on a smaller cast of characters, makes for a fantastic and engrossing adventure that is about both intimate relationships and huge, secretive scandals. The fact that this is just one half of a duology means that, while the story wraps up nicely here, we have tons of questions that we're itching to get answers to in Trails to Azure. If you haven't played Trails, it's time to overcome that barrier, because there's no better place to zero in on this fantastic series than in Crossbell.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Hero is one of the best titles in the franchise and an incredibly well-made RPG overall. Experiencing the tale of the Special Support Section has never felt better, be it in terms of combat, writing, or presentation.
Trails from Zero is one of the most captivating RPGs, whose thoughtful use of setting and skillfully balanced storytelling make it a peer to the classics from the genre's golden age.
This long-awaited chapter of the Trails series is absolutely worth your time.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is another excellent Trails JRPG with a memorable cast of characters and an engaging narrative. The game stays true to the identity of the Trails series while foreshadowing implications for subsequent games. A strong and well-rounded JRPG awaits in Crossbell following the success of the Trails in the Sky trilogy.
All in all, The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a unique experience. If you love worldbuilding, modernizing fantasy worlds, and urban fantasy, you should check it out. If you’re allergic to long cutscenes and extraneous infodumps, you should avoid it. Love it or hate it, Trails from Zero clearly knows what it is and what it’s doing. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go buy all of Trails of Cold Steel so I can find out what happens in Zemuria next.
Trails from Zero may have been outdated in some aspects, such as the technical plot or some design decisions, but it is still a small RPG gem to discover, thanks to its superb story and dialogues, which marry with a very interesting world. If you overcome its slow start and repetitive tasks, you will enjoy a great adventure.
Review in Spanish | Read full review