The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
A 2014 JRPG continuing the Trails of Cold Steel saga.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II is a role-playing game from 2014, developed by Nihon Falcom. It marks the seventh entry in the Trails series, which falls under the broader The Legend of Heroes franchise, and serves as a direct sequel to 2013's Trails of Cold Steel. The game launched in Japan on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, with an English localization by Xseed Games arriving in 2016. A Windows version came out in February 2018, followed by a remastered PlayStation 4 release in Japan in April 2018 and worldwide in June 2019. An Asian Nintendo Switch port appeared in 2021. The next chapter, Trails of Cold Steel III, followed in late 2017.
In terms of gameplay, Trails of Cold Steel II retains the traditional turn-based combat of its predecessor. However, it abandons the school schedule structure, instead focusing on world travel. Players who have a completed save file from the first game will see altered events and dialogue based on their earlier choices and relationships.
The plot picks up one month after the original game, concurrent with the final chapter of Trails to Azure. Rean Schwarzer wakes from a month-long coma after being evacuated from Trista by Valimar. With help from bracer Toval Randonneur, he reaches his hometown of Ymir, only to find himself and his loved ones caught in a war. His enemies include the Noble Alliance, backed by the Imperial Liberation Front, and the secretive crime syndicate Ouroboros. Students from Thors Military Academy, including Class VII, have scattered across the country. Rean resolves to reunite them, end the civil war, and protect 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. Along the way, they discover parallels between the modern war and the War of the Lions, a civil war from 250 years ago ended by Dreichels the Lionheart, the former Awakener of Valimar who became emperor. Class VII attacks the capital of Heimdallr to stop the Noble Alliance and end the war. They succeed, but at the cost of Crow Armbrust's life—a former Class VII member and leader of the Imperial Liberation Front, who defects to save Crown Prince Cedric from the corrupted Divine Knight Testa-Rossa, transformed into the Vermillion Apocalypse. Chancellor Osborne, believed assassinated by Crow at the war's st
- Developer
- Nihon Falcom
- Release Year
- 2014 (Japan)
- Platforms
- PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
- Genre
- Role-playing video game
- Series
- Trails (part of The Legend of Heroes)
- English Localization
- Xseed Games (2016)
Quick Facts
- Title
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
- Developer
- Nihon FalcomPorted to the Nintendo Switch by Clouded Leopard Entertainment.
- Publisher
- Xseed Games
- Director
- Takayuki Kusano
- Producer
- Toshihiro Kondo
- Programmer
- Nobuhiro Hioki · Toru Endo
- Writer
- Hisayoshi Takeiri · Aichiro Miyata · Syuuji Nishitani
- Composer
- Hayato Sonoda · Takahiro Unisuga · Saki Momiyama · Yukihiro Jindo · Toshiharu Okajima
- Series
- Trails
- Engine
- PhyreEngine
- Platforms
- PlayStation 3 · PlayStation Vita · Windows · PlayStation 4 · Nintendo Switch
- Genre
- Role-playing
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game begins one month after the original Trails of Cold Steel and concurrently with the final chapter of Trails to Azure. Rean Schwarzer awakens from a month-long coma after being evacuated from Trista by Valimar. With the help of bracer Toval Randonneur, he reaches his hometown of Ymir but soon finds himself and his loved ones caught in the crossfire of a civil war. His opponents include the Noble Alliance, backed by the Imperial Liberation Front, and Ouroboros, a secretive crime syndicate. Rean resolves to find his scattered classmates from Thors Military Academy, end the civil war, and save those he cares about.
After gathering the students and resolving conflicts across eastern Erebonia, Rean leads them in liberating Thors from the Noble Alliance. They discover parallels between the modern war and the War of the Lions, a civil war 250 years earlier ended by Dreichels the Lionheart, former Awakener of Valimar. Class VII attacks the capital Heimdallr to stop the Noble Alliance, succeeding at the cost of Crow Armbrust's life. Chancellor Osborne, believed assassinated, 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 diminishes while the Chancellor's expands. Before the school year ends, all Class VII members except Rean choose to graduate early.
Reader's Guide
Trails of Cold Steel II is significant as a direct sequel that expands the narrative of the Trails series, deepening the political and personal conflicts introduced in the first game. Its gameplay retains the traditional turn-based JRPG style but shifts from a school schedule to world exploration, and it carries over save data from the prior game to alter events and dialogue. The game was well-received critically, with reviewers praising its story and characters while noting dull dungeon design and uneven pacing. It sold strongly in Japan, with over 150,000 physical copies in its debut week across PS Vita and PS3. The English localization by Xseed Games added approximately 11,000 lines of dialogue. The game's legacy includes multiple ports and a remaster, and it directly sets up the sequel Trails of Cold Steel III. For fans of the series, it is considered an essential chapter that rewards prior knowledge of the first game.
Did You Know?
- The game was first released in Japan on September 25, 2014, for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.
- Xseed Games added approximately 11,000 lines of English dialogue for its English release.
- The Windows port, released in February 2018, supports 4K resolution and includes additional English voice acting.
- The game sold 86,283 physical copies on PS Vita and 65,498 on PS3 in its debut week in Japan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Trails of Cold Steel II?
It is a 2014 turn-based role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom, acting as the direct sequel to Trails of Cold Steel and the seventh entry in the Trails sub-series of The Legend of Heroes franchise.
What platforms can I play Trails of Cold Steel II on?
The title debuted in Japan on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2014, later expanded to Windows in 2018, received a remastered PlayStation 4 edition in 2019, and got an Asian Nintendo Switch port in 2021.
What is the main plot of Trails of Cold Steel II?
Rean Schwarzer and his Class VII students at the Thors Military Academy investigate escalating attacks across the Central Empire, ultimately confronting the Black Tortoise organization and the ancient Ouroboros power hidden beneath the nation's history.
How does Trails of Cold Steel II fit into the larger Trails series?
It is the second chapter of the Cold Steel arc, picking up immediately where the first game left off while weaving in the Seven Stars mythology and the broader narrative threads that span the entire Trails sub-series.
Who handled the English release of Trails of Cold Steel II?
Xseed Games provided the English localization, bringing the PlayStation 3 and Vita version to Western markets in 2016.
More in Trails 1-21
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