The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Reviews
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a solid entry into the Legend of Heroes series. It has superb sound design, art, and storytelling. It has a really good detective oriented main character that pays off quite well in the end.
The only real issue with Trails From Zero is one that most other games in the series have, too - sometimes, exposition dumps can feel a bit tedious and some scenes overstay their welcome. Even with a story and characters as great as these, some parts just feel longer than they should be. Regardless, The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero is fantastic and continues Trails' trend of setting the bar incredibly high for character-driven narratives. It's also a wonderful feeling to finally have the Crossbell arc localized, but it was worth the wait.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero finally comes west in a great edition that the fans who followed the series so far will enjoy a lot. Unfortunately, the PS4 version doesn't have the same benefits of the PC and Switch editions, but to JRPG fans who have access to the non-Sony systems, the title is an excellent choice. Expectations are high for Trails to Azure also getting a high quality port in 2023.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The best version of the best game in the Trails series.
Trails From Zero might be late to the scene but even now, Nihon Falcom's JRPG remains one of the best Trails games yet.
Nihon Falcom’s The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero was worth the wait and I’m happy that NIS America Inc. have localized both it, and the upcoming Trails to Azure in 2023 for us. Well paced and well written storytelling is only ever elevated by the characters that you’ll get to adventure with as they establish what the Special Support Section is all about as they trek through and around the city of Crossbell solving problems big and small.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a great entry in the series that builds upon legacy gaming mechanics and combat systems.
Trails From Zero is an exceptional JRPG that feels like it’s cut from the same cloth as the golden era of the genre when games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VII were released. Its deep and complex narrative has a strong sense of mystery and isn’t afraid to dive into tough topics, all of which make the setting of Crossbell feel that much more realistic. An integral part of this experience is the translation work from the fan group The Geofront, and it’s easy to see how the success story of Trails From Zero could serve as a blueprint for bringing even more forgotten JRPGs to the West.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero takes us back to the formation of the SSS, an organization Switch gamers will know from the Trails of Cold Steel games. It also takes us back to a relatively simpler system that's perfectly sized for JRPG adventuring on the go.
In the end, Trails from Zero delivers exactly what it promises: a unique opportunity to visit a story arc most western The Legend of Heroes fans never got to experience. Those who are looking to fill in the notable gap in the series will delight in discovering a plenitude of characters getting their fifteen minutes of fame.
Trails from Zero is kind of a miracle in its own right, the fact that we got a Western release after so many years, and that Trails from Azure is right around the corner, still feels surreal. But, for all its strengths, this is still a game from more than a decade ago, that was originally designed for the PSP. If you can get past that, then Trails from Zero won’t disappoint, and whether you are a series veteran or a newcomer, it provides a wonderful world in which you can truly lose yourself for hours at a stretch.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a superb entry in the long-running franchise that made me pumped for Trails to Azure as well as Trails into Reverie and the inevitable release of the Kuro no Kiseki series. There sure are a lot of these games but I still can't get enough.
As one chapter in something that is almost experimental for video games – a genuine epic, spanning decades of game development, a half dozen consoles, and a dozen titles – Trails From Zero is a very fine entry indeed. The rich complexities of the narrative engage the brain, while the charming writing and characterisation also make for an entertaining experience. The story is everything to this series, so it’s just as well that is spot on, though thankfully the combat is enjoyable in its own right, and it’s all backed by excellent aesthetics. If you are new to The Legend Of Heroes, this isn’t a bad place to start. If you’re a veteran of the series you must surely love how one of the best games in the series has finally got the full localisation it always deserved.
Western fans of The Legend of Heroes can finally officially experience this amazing lynchpin entry of the series and how the Special Support Section came together!
Even after more than a decade, The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero is an RPG well worth the time of fans of its series and newcomers alike. A great cast of characters and an interesting story, along with a ton of quality of life improvements, make this still feel as modern as anything coming out today. While the main plot could have come into focus a bit sooner, and I do wish that the return of some beloved characters hadn’t come at the expense of our core cast, I’m already excited for the next chapter, Trails to Azure, which is set to release next year.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is an excellent JRPG and a perfect entrypoint to Falcom's franchise, which yearly renovates its ambition to be the biggest and best story of the genre. Its release on the west, even if late, shows that some things are worth waiting; and a good adaptation to Switch makes this adventure practically perfect on Nintendo's hybrid system.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Trails from Zero is a fantastic and unmissable story that lays the groundworks for the Crossbell Arc. We can't deny the game aged poorly, and we probably wouldn't even recommend it to a series novice. However, for those who have already flown the skies of Liberl, Falcom's "new" title is definitely an important part of the journey to Zemuria thanks to its incredible story and wonderful settings.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Legend of Heroes : Trails From Zero is an excellent, and I reiterate, excellent RPG title for fans. Being associated with a saga helps in that respect, because we always want more, and the Trails saga gives us more. It takes some patience to endure the slow but interesting development of the plot, where the care taken to unite these four characters and their different personalities is palpable, making us immerse ourselves in the story that is presented. This charisma, allied to the captivating strategic combats, makes this creation a title to take into account even today.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
As a franchise newcomer, I found my entry point with The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero utterly fascinating, tantalising, and enjoyable. Within are some of my favourite blending of mechanics and tidbits within turn-based combat I've seen yet. It's a comfy RPG that you can lose plenty of time to, sinking into the moving character narrative, all set within the colourful world of Crossbell. Character models will occasionally show their age and menus are a little funky. Still, it's easy to forgive and just hang out with Lloyd and friends, saving the better part of humanity. Team SSS forever.