The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Reviews
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.
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.
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.
Like many, I’ve been waiting for Trails from Zero for years. After falling off hard from Cold Steel due to its insistence of returning to a school setting multiple times, I had high hopes Zero would return the magic of the Trails games I felt from the Sky arc. And not only did it do that, but it went even beyond my expectations. With a tighter focus in both setting and cast, a story that’s quicker to take off, and the refinements to a battle system I already enjoyed, the game in my hands right now may be on its way to my game of the year.
The best version of the best game in the Trails series.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a sensational JRPG from top to bottom, and one that fans can't afford to miss.
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.
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 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.
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.
This long-awaited chapter of the Trails series is absolutely worth your time.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.