For Fans: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV Review

The Legend of Heroes is one of the longest running RPG franchises with many additional game branches, some of which have never left Japan. Therefore, all these complex connections, characters and relationships, worthy of comparison with the epic of George Martin, are completely inaccessible to the Western public. Directly existing within the world The legend of heroes number sequence Trails of cold steel presented in English, and with the release of the fourth part, it has come to its finale.

Trails of cold steel iv continues the story Trails of cold steel iii… After the terrorist attack and the death of one of the key characters, the authors propose a new political conflict. The mysterious Ourobors community enters the scene, joining forces with Chancellor Osborne and capturing Rein Schwarzer, while trying to bring the apocalypse closer. Familiar students from the past, Class VII students will have to save Rin and stop the impending end of the world.

On paper, the developers presented one of the most powerful crises in the history of the local world, but the heroes, instead of active actions, slowly discuss personal problems and undergo tests in endlessly boring dungeons. Several long hours are spent visiting the locations from the previous part, completing dull sidequests and dialogues that are equally extended in time. The second act and the middle of the game simply test the player’s strength with their dullness. It seems that the characters are not going to save the world, but sadly trudge to a school picnic to a distant beach. And all this minor mood with lingering signs of masturbation permeates the passage of Trails of Cold Steel IV.

And if the veterans of the series still hold out on personal sympathy for the characters, then the newcomers will simply yawn and get confused in the tree of intrigues. To showcase the scale and delight the fanbase, by the end of Trails of Cold Steel IV, the authors offer a total of 39 characters, some of whom have dropped in from other games in the main series. It is clear that for people who have not gone through this plot layer for hundreds of hours of real time before, the constant change of squads and the relationship between the characters will be completely incomprehensible. In a separate menu, you will certainly be briefly chewed on the history of old episodes, but this is clearly not enough for a deep dive.

The combat system, which is the pride of the creators of the series, has remained practically unchanged. A turn-based mode with micro-settings of each of the characters, which have their own advantages against certain monsters, provides great opportunities for JRPG lovers. Before the battle, it is important to properly balance the squad and set up connections so that it is as effective as possible.

Compared to the previous parts, the system for stunning enemies has changed. Now it is more difficult to achieve this effect, so you have to better coordinate actions between members of the squad. Brave Orders and links, which served as the key to victory, have also been greatly reduced and no longer do the same damage as in previous parts of the series. Brave Orders points can be accumulated up to seven units, which is enough for joint attacks. As a result, battles at medium and high difficulty have become longer and more exhausting, and serious enemy levels require an enhanced grind, so history buffs should immediately switch to the easiest mode. In important for a series of battles on giant robots “Panzer” other members of the squad can take part, providing you with magical support.