The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV[lower-alpha 3] is a role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. The game is a part of the Trails series, itself a part of the larger The Legend of Heroes series, and serves as the final entry of the Trails of Cold Steel tetralogy. The game was released for the PlayStation 4 in Japan in September 2018 and worldwide in October 2020, with ports for Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows and Stadia being released in April 2021. A sequel, The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie, was released in 2020.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV
Developer(s)Nihon Falcom[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)NIS America
Director(s)Takayuki Kusano
Producer(s)Toshihiro Kondo
Programmer(s)
  • Toru Endo
  • Nobuhiro Hioki
  • Atsushi Oosaki
Writer(s)Hisayoshi Takeiri
Composer(s)
  • Hayato Sonoda
  • Takahiro Unisuga
  • Yukihiro Jindo
  • Mitsuo Singa
Series
EnginePhyreEngine
Platform(s)
Release
September 27, 2018
  • PlayStation 4
    • JP: September 27, 2018
    • NA/EU: October 27, 2020
    • AU: November 6, 2020
  • Nintendo Switch
    • JP: March 18, 2021
    • WW: April 9, 2021
  • Microsoft Windows, Stadia
    • WW: April 9, 2021
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay

The gameplay of Trails of Cold Steel IV is similar to the previous Trails of Cold Steel games, being a traditional Japanese role-playing video game with turn-based battles.

Gameplay is based on that of Trails of Cold Steel III, with many features returning.[1]

Lost Arts from Trails of Cold Steel II, which are significantly more powerful than regular Arts but expend a full EP gauge, also return.[2]

Several changes compared to the previous Trails of Cold Steel games include modifications to the Order and Break systems. Some characters were given weaker Orders that are upgradeable by finding treasure chests that lead to "trial" battles with fixed characters that can be used. Enemies now also require more break damage before the Break state can be inflicted.[3]

Mini-games include blackjack, poker, and other puzzle games.[4]

Plot

The game is a direct sequel to the prior three Trails of Cold Steel games, set two weeks after the final battle in Trails of Cold Steel III. The events of that game's final chapter have led to a self-coup and threatens to lead to war with the Calvard Republic. Meanwhile, the rest of Class VII escape to a secret village of witches, and they proceed to work towards rescuing Rean and trying to stop the war.

Development and release

Plans for a fourth Trails of Cold Steel game were revealed in an interview with Nihon Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo in November 2017. In the interview he stated that Trails of Cold Steel III was originally intended to conclude the story arc but they found it difficult to satisfactorily wrap up the story without a fourth entry.[5] Like the previous Trails of Cold Steel entries, it was developed using the PhyreEngine game engine.[6] The Nintendo Switch version was ported by Engine Software[7] and the Windows version by PH3 Games.

The Japanese release was initially scheduled for late 2018 for the PlayStation 4.[8] It was released in Japan for the PlayStation 4 on September 27, 2018.[9] A limited edition was also sold in Japan.[10] Localization into English was handled by NIS America.[11][12] It was released for the PlayStation 4 in North America and Europe on October 27, 2020, and November 6 in Australia and New Zealand. A port for the Nintendo Switch was released in Japan on March 18, 2021,[13] April 9, 2021 in North America and Europe, and April 16, 2021 in Oceania.[14] Ports for Microsoft Windows and Stadia were released worldwide on April 9, 2021.[15][16]

Reception

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic. Frontline Gaming Japan reviewed the Japanese PlayStation 4 release and said "the Kiseki series is a pinnacle of modern Japanese RPGs, and Sen IV does not fail to live up to the series’ legacy".[3]

Notes
  1. Nintendo Switch version ported by Engine Software. Microsoft Windows version ported by Engine Software and PH3 Games.
  2. Nintendo Switch version published by Nippon Ichi Software in Japan.
  3. Japanese: 英雄伝説 閃の軌跡IV -THE END OF SAGA-, Hepburn: Eiyū Densetsu: Sen no Kiseki Fō -The End of Saga-

References
  1. "システム | 英雄伝説 閃の軌跡Iv -The End of Saga-".
  2. "戦闘／騎神戦 | 英雄伝説 閃の軌跡Iv -The End of Saga-".
  3. Johann C. K. (February 10, 2020). "Review- Trails of Cold Steel IV". Frontline Gaming Japan. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  4. "ミニゲーム | 英雄伝説 閃の軌跡Iv -The End of Saga-".
  5. Sato (November 20, 2017). "Falcom Originally Wanted To End With Trails of Cold Steel III; Hopes To Release Next Part In 2018". Siliconera. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  6. Wen, Alan (October 6, 2019). "Hot on the Trails of Falcom, Japan's longest-running RPG developer". Eurogamer. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  7. "Game Details - Engine Software BV". Engine Software. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  8. Romano, Sal (December 20, 2017). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV ~The End of Saga~ announced for PS4, launches fall 2018 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  9. Romano, Sal (May 22, 2018). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV launches September 27 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  10. Rafael Antonio Pineda (May 24, 2018). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV Game Launches on September 27 in Japan". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  11. Wallace, Kimberly (April 1, 2020). "The Legend Of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV Announced For North America". Game Informer. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  12. Romano, Sal (April 1, 2020). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV coming west for PS4 this fall, Switch and PC in 2021". Gematsu. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  13. Romano, Sal (December 16, 2020). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV for Switch launches March 18, 2021 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  14. Romano, Sal (January 12, 2021). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV for Switch launches April 9 in North America and Europe". Gematsu. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  15. Lada, Jenni (5 March 2021). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV PC Will Appear in April". Siliconera. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  16. Lada, Jenni (March 25, 2021). "Trails of Cold Steel and Ys Stadia Debuts Dated". Siliconera. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  17. "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  18. "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  19. Vogel, Mitch (29 August 2021). "The Legend Of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV Review (Switch)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  20. Rudek, Jordan (29 August 2021). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  21. "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV Review (PS4) | Aces high". Push Square. 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  22. "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV Review | Aces high". RPGamer. 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  23. Bowling, Audra (29 August 2021). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV". RPGFan. Retrieved 29 August 2021.


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