The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II

Lore & Background

The game begins one month after the original Trails of Cold Steel and concurrently alongside the final chapter of Trails to Azure. Protagonist Rean Schwarzer awakens from a month-long coma after being evacuated from Trista by Valimar, making his way to his hometown of Ymir with the assistance of bracer Toval Randonneur. He quickly finds himself and his loved ones caught in the crossfire of a war between the Noble Alliance (backed by the Imperial Liberation Front) and the secretive crime syndicate Ouroboros. Students from Thors Military Academy, including those from Class VII, have been scattered across the country; Rean resolves to find his classmates, end the civil war, and save those he cares about.

After gathering the scattered students and resolving conflicts across eastern Erebonia, Rean leads them in liberating Thors from the Noble Alliance. During their journey, they find parallels between the modern civil war and the War of the Lions, a civil war that took place 250 years earlier. The members of Class VII attack the Erebonian capital of Heimdallr to stop the Noble Alliance and end the war. They succeed, but at the cost of the life of Crow Armbrust, former member of Class VII and leader of the Imperial Liberation Front, who defects to save Crown Prince Cedric from the cursed Divine Knight Testa-Rossa. Chancellor Osborne, believed assassinated by Crow at the war's start, arrives to seize control, revealing his intent to take over Ouroboros's 'Phantasmal Blaze Plan', annex Crossbell State, and that he is Rean's biological father. After the war, the Noble Faction's power is diminished while the Chancellor's is expanded. Before the end of the school year, all Class VII members except Rean choose to graduate early, vowing to improve in their specialties and face the impending turbulent times together.

Reader's Guide

Trails of Cold Steel II is notable as a direct narrative continuation of its predecessor, with gameplay similar to the first game—a traditional Japanese role-playing game with turn-based battles—but no longer tied to a school schedule structure, instead centering on world travel. A completed save file from the prior game affects events and dialogues based on choices and relationships built in the first game. The game uses the PhyreEngine game engine. Its English localization by Xseed Games involved translating approximately 1.45 million characters, taking about a year, and adding around 11,000 lines of English dialogue. The Windows port introduced enhancements such as 4K resolution support and additional English voice acting. The game received 'generally favorable' reviews on Metacritic, with critics praising its story and characters while noting dull dungeon design and uneven pacing. Reviewers agreed that while the story could be enjoyed as a standalone experience, it was better for those who had played the original Trails of Cold Steel due to their direct ties. In its debut week in Japan, the game sold 86,283 physical copies on Vita and 65,498 on PS3; the Vita version placed second among all software sales, and the PS3 version placed fifth. The PlayStation 4 version sold 11,345 copies in its first week, placing tenth.

Did You Know?

• The game sold 86,283 physical copies on PlayStation Vita and 65,498 on PlayStation 3 in its debut week in Japan.
• Xseed Games added approximately 11,000 lines of English dialogue for the English release.
• The Windows port supports 4K resolution and includes additional English voice acting.
• Chancellor Osborne is revealed to be Rean Schwarzer's biological father.