Trails (series)

Lore & Background

The continent of Zemuria is the setting for the Trails series, which includes locations like the Liberl Kingdom, the Crossbell city-state, the Erebonian Empire, and the Calvard Republic. Various groups operate across this world, including the Bracer's Guild, the Septian Church, the secret society Ouroboros, and mercenary bands known as Jaegers. The story takes place about fifty years after the discovery of orbal energy, a substance similar to electricity. This discovery sparked a technological shift through Orbments, devices of all sizes that run on orbal energy and power everything from household items to mecha.

Orbal energy also enables the use of magic-like spells called arts, which come in seven elemental types. The narrative explores sociopolitical themes such as imperialism, classism, and immigration. Unlike many role-playing games, almost every non-playable character in the series is named, and many have their own character arcs that tie into the main plot to varying degrees. The series is planned to conclude with its final entry by 2032.

A Continent Woven from Story

The Trails universe unfolds across the continent of Zemuria, a world shaped by the discovery of orbal energy roughly fifty years before the games' events. This power source, analogous to electricity, birthed a technological revolution centered on Orbments—mechanical devices of wildly varying scale that drive everything from household appliances to towering mecha. The same energy underpins a magic-like system called Arts, available in seven elemental forms. The narrative spans four interconnected arcs, each anchored to a different nation: the Liberl Kingdom, the city-state of Crossbell, the Erebonian Empire, and the Calvard Republic.

What distinguishes the series from most role-playing games is its insistence on giving nearly every non-playable character a name and a personal arc, no matter how small their role. Producer Toshihiro Kondo, who also serves as Falcom's president, has described the project as his life's work, with the company's original goal of crafting the most ambitious narrative ever attempted in a video game. The series is expected to reach its final entry by 2032.

Tactical Depth and Evolving Mechanics

Combat in Trails operates on a turn-based, grid-based system where enemies are visible on the overworld rather than appearing through random encounters. Each turn, a character may move a limited number of squares or execute a single ability, with the order displayed on a screen timeline that certain skills can manipulate. Beyond basic attacks and items, the series layers in two distinct ability types.

Crafts are character-specific skills that grow stronger as players level up, while S-Crafts serve as each character's ultimate move, charged by a meter that fills through dealing and taking damage; once ready, an S-Craft can be unleashed at any moment to skip the turn order entirely. Arts, by contrast, are elemental spells whose power and type are determined not by the character but by the specific arrangement of Quartz—gem-like items that function somewhat like the Materia system in Final Fantasy VII. As the series progressed, each new entry introduced fresh mechanics, from Persona-inspired social events in the Cold Steel arc to an optional action-based combat mode in Trails Through Daybreak.

A Studio's Lifelong Commitment

Trails originated as the sixth installment in Nihon Falcom's broader The Legend of Heroes franchise, debuting in 2004 as The Legend of Heroes VI: Trails in the Sky. Despite that lineage, the series carries no narrative ties to its predecessors and stands as its own identity. Nearly all entries are built on Falcom's proprietary Falcom Developer Kit engine, with the notable exception of the Cold Steel and Reverie titles, which run on Sony's PhyreEngine. The project's driving force is Toshihiro Kondo, who holds the dual role of company president and series producer, and who has openly called the work his life's ambition.

Since 2004, the franchise has grown to thirteen main-line entries plus two remakes, all heavily shaped by anime storytelling conventions and character archetypes. The games are set within a compressed timeframe of just a few years, with storylines deliberately overlapping so that events in one title ripple into the next. The entire saga is slated to conclude with a final entry by 2032, capping nearly three decades of continuous storytelling.

From Regional Cult to Global Franchise

For its first decade, Trails was available exclusively in Asian markets. The turning point came in 2010, when Xseed Games secured the rights to localize the Liberl trilogy into English. Although the first title was completed in 2011, the second and third games did not reach Western shelves until the mid-2010s, a delay attributed to communication difficulties during the lengthy localization process. NIS America later joined as a publisher, broadening the series' Western footprint.

By 2025, the franchise had accumulated nine million copies sold worldwide. The cultural footprint extends beyond games: manga adaptations, anime series, and other canonical media have all been produced. In 2025, a full 3D remake of the original Sky title launched for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Windows, with a remake of the sequel scheduled for 2026 on the same platforms. These releases signal a new chapter in bringing the series to a far wider audience than its early years allowed.

Reader's Guide

The combat of Trails is turn-based with tactical elements. Unlike most other turn-based games, the series lacks random encounters as most enemies are visible on the overworld. Combat takes place on a large grid, with characters only able to move across a set number of squares or perform a single ability each turn. Turns are listed on a timeline on the screen, which can be manipulated with certain abilities.

In addition to basic attacks and item usage, every character has abilities known as Crafts and Arts. Crafts are unique to each character and are usually unlocked or strengthened by leveling up. S-Crafts are a character's ultimate ability fueled by a meter that builds as they deal and take damage.

When full, players can use it at any time to bypass the turn order to perform skills such as dealing large amounts of damage or supporting their party with healing and buffs. Arts are magic-like spells that are powerful but take time to cast. Rather than being unique to any specific character or monster like Crafts, Arts are determined by the type and specific arrangement of Quartz, items similar to Materia from Final Fantasy VII. Each successive game usually introduces new gameplay mechanics, such as the addition of Persona-like social events in Trails of Cold Steel or the optional action-based combat system in Trails Through Daybreak.