Title: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV
Developer: Nihon Falcom
Genre: JRPG
Released: 2018
Rating: 9/10
Erebonia is facing all-out war, Rean has been captured and imprisoned, and a curse has been released and is spreading throughout the continent. But there is the faintest glimmer of hope that remains with Class VII. Will they be strong enough to reclaim their leader and fight back against the weaves of fate?
Pros:
Gameplay improves vs. Cold Steel III
Cold Steel IV definitely added some nice improvements compared to Cold Steel III. There are more side games, better bonding moments, fewer requirements to fight with forced parties, cool lost arts discoveries, and Zemurian ore weapon improvements. But it doesn’t stop there. In Cold Steel IV, you also have epic moments to fight alongside a larger cast of characters like Vita, Randy, Victor Arseid, and Roselia.
Lore and answers
The last game in this arc finally provides some fascinating lore, history, and backstories. The pieces start to come together where you have a greater understanding of what led to this ultimate moment in history. But of course, not all questions are answered and more are introduced leaving you with only one option… to play Trails into Reverie.
Amazing characters
In Cold Steel IV, I had a greater appreciation for some of the characters based on their bonding moments and general conversations. Especially for Jusis whose heartbreak is written so well. But on top of the more sentimental moments, Crow and Ash will always be two of my absolute favorites for their sarcastic, dry, and witty comments. See the bottom of this review for some hilarious screenshots.
Cons:
The longest battle scene
I’ll try to avoid spoilers… One scene is so absurd and long that it should have come with a disclaimer or warning before starting. Seriously… do you have a solid 45 minutes for this one battle scene? And that doesn’t even include the lead up to the battle scene where your party is split and you have to fight your way to the battle scene.
This ridiculous reliance on a 16 year old
Again, I’ll try to avoid spoilers for this one… At one point in the game, Musse is trusted by Le Guin to the point of issuing a very serious order all because Musse can’t see a way out of their situation that, oh by the way, Musse created in the first place. This kid is 16. I don’t care how smart she is (or how smart she thinks she is). Musse simply cannot know everything. And yet Le Guin, a seasoned warrior, an adult, trusted this kid with a potentially catastrophic decision. Which as an adult gamer… this was beyond unbelievable and extraordinarily infuriating. Have this kid as a resource. As one source of knowledge. As one point of reference. But do not, under any circumstances, let a naive, know-it-all child make irreversible decisions. Thank you for attending my Ted Talk.
The ending that never ends
First there’s the “normal ending” that brings you to tears. When suddenly, there’s this option for the “true” ending. But don’t think it’s easy to trigger. No… instead you must go back in time, do a hidden quest, redo the normal ending battles, progress to a final battle, cry again, and then experience the ultimate happy ending. Was it heartwarming and emotional? Yes. Did it go on forever? Also, yes. And where was Wallace Bardias in the end scenes??
Overall…
Cold Steel IV was a great wrap-up to this arc in the Trails series. The characters were well-written, the story was a nice balance of intense and entertaining, and the gameplay improvements were sincerely appreciated. I highly recommend playing this arc.
Caroline’s Library 