The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III Reviews
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is among one of Falcom's strongest JRPG games yet. The story of Rean Schwarzer heats up while bringing past characters into the present story, setting up an epic conflict across the world of Trails. Coupled with an excellent soundtrack, fun combat system and insane story twists, Trails of Cold Steel III is a shining example for JRPGs going forward.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is a narratively rich role-playing game, with deep and well-drawn characters and stories ranging from epic to tragic, without dwelling too much on stereotypes, an almost physiological element of this genre. Too bad for the absence of the first two chapters in Nintendo Switch's game library. Though exhaustive and rich in detail, in fact, the various summaries in the start screen can not make up for the lack of "playful experience" that only a direct use can return.
Review in Italian | Read full review
All in all, I had a fun time revisiting Trails of Cold Steel III on Switch. I still wonder who this release is even actually for, given how it's hard for me to recommend newcomers play this, and most fans who really wanted this would likely have bought it on PS4 last year. Even with the issues, due to my preferences, I find this to be my favorite way to play the game. I hope there are further balance patches released to iron out any of the issues I found, but given how rare the serious ones were, I still recommend this for those looking to play the latest English Trails release on the go. It’s such a big improvement on Ys VIII’s port, and I wish in hindsight that it could have gotten the same treatment. This port gives me a lot of hope for the upcoming switch releases of Cold Steel IV and Ys IX. Time will tell if Engine Software manages to improve on what they have here, and I’m excited to see where they go from here.
Nihon Falcom are the best at what they do; creating the finest JRPGs. If you've dreamed of recapturing the feeling of JRPGs from the golden days, don't overlook this game. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is everything you want in a JRPG, yet gives you more with great attention to detail. The characters, writing, story, gameplay, and music are all high notes. Even if you must start with this one, then do it. There's no JRPG like Trails of Cold Steel 3. It's a masterclass of its own.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 is an excellent role-playing game of classic style, absolutely unmissable for the veterans of the saga. Everyone else may find themselves overwhelmed by excessive references, compromising the experience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If you've never played a Trails game, this release has everything you need to catch up and dive right in, and stay tuned for the finale of the tetralogy, Trails of Cold Steel 4, coming to Switch in 2021. If two roads diverge in a yellow wood, you better take the trail of cold steel. That will make all the difference.
It doesn’t matter if it’s the first, second, or tenth time that I’m playing this game; my opinion of this game is always going to be the same. Building upon an already impressive legacy, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III continues to live up to—and in many cases—exceed my expectations of what a contemporary JRPG masterpiece aught to be.
GREAT - Trails of Cold Steel III is a lengthy and fun JRPG that’s bound to get lost in the sea of competing titles. It doesn’t help that Switch owners have to jump in with the third in the series, especially since the story and characters are directly connected to the previous games. However, if you stick with it you’ll be rewarded with a fun combat system, endearing characters, and an entertaining adventure.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III may not be a good place to start for the newcomers but it is a great JRPG title nonetheless. The story takes some time to get in a good rhythm but when it really starts it hits the ground running, the visuals may not be the best thing out there but the developers have made some improvements compared to the previous titles in the series and the gameplay is better than it has ever been.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Trails of Cold Steel III is a must for all fans of the series. Despite some improvements on the more powerful systems, the graphics can no longer impress as much as on the small Vita screen, but it is technically solid and again a top RPG in terms of content. But be careful: interested players should definitely play at least the two direct predecessors beforehand, and ideally even the sister series Trails in the Sky. The more you get to know the world and characters beforehand, the more you can enjoy Cold Steel III.
Review in German | Read full review
It has some solid mechanics, tells a great story, and is really well structured. It’s just not for me.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is a large scale classic JRPG with well-designed characters and an interesting storyline, which may seem a bit long with interludes and digressions on the "normal" life of the main characters and political intrigue. This is a small masterpiece that will encourage you to buy the two previous parts of the trilogy and make you look forward to the announcement for the European market of the fourth and final part of the story.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Trails of Cold Steel III is an excellent game that, once again, takes the foundations of the previous ones and builds on them a better, more mature and refined experience. Its main problem is the plot barrier with which you can find yourself if you are new to these leaders. Nothing, of course, that is not solved with a good afternoon of Wikipedia. So, for the third time, I have no choice but to recommend it as strongly as possible. If you like the genre and have no problems with English, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is a game that will have you dozens of hours diving in one of the best built universes and with greater continuity and coherence that I remember. See you, for the third time, at Thors Academy.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Absolutely essential if you're a fan. If you've never played a Trails game before, you might want to consider starting at the beginning. Or reading a lot of plot summaries.
Legend if heroes : Trails of Cold STeel III is a good JRPG with good fights, but the story is like a giant prequel to the fourth episode, with poor main issues, and the graphisms are one generation late.
Review in French | Read full review
Trails of Cold Steel III is one of the best games of the year and a must-play for RPG fans everywhere.
As the third game in a set of direct sequels, tied into several other games set in the same world and timeline, it’s simply amazing those creative juices are still flowing and coherent. It’ll be over soon, but jeez, hell of a run.
Nihon Falcom has delivered yet another stellar entry in the Trails of Cold Steel series. If you're a newcomer, you'll need to start at the beginning to genuinely appreciate the whole package. However, if you're a long-time fan of the franchise, then you'll love every thrilling second of it.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III not only continues the journey of Rean Schwarzer but also that of the iconic series.