The Legend of Heroes Series - Possibly The Most Underrated JRPG Series

[Done]

Intro:

The Legend of Heroes is a series of JRPGs made by Falcom, and going back in history to the NES days, but its highly likely that the discussion will center around the Trails saga in particular, given their recent surge on Steam.

Should I Play These Games?

I'll answer this question with a series of questions, do you..

1. Like weeb games with anime-style aesthetics?
2. Like games with excellent stories?
   
3. Like games with a vast world and an interconnected lore?
4. Like turn-based JRPGs?
5. Like games with attention to detail?
   
6. Prefer games with long content?

If you answered any of those questions with yes, then yes, you should definitely try out this series.

Here is a great, and spoiler-free guide to the series as a whole, and it answers every question you may have in mind:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1187195045

Also, this series has always had an incredible soundtrack, here are some samplings:

Spoiler

 

[Slap47]

https://twitter.com/NISAinEurope/status/1085901709258428416?s=19

 

[AZ 594]

https://twitter.com/NISAinEurope/status/1085901709258428416?s=19

View attachment 641822

Exclusive to PS4 and localized by NISA. Just like we all wanted.

 

[Slap47]

Exclusive to PS4 and localized by NISA. Just like we all wanted.

At least Resetera is celebrating.

 

[Spoonomancer]

Exclusive to PS4 and localized by NISA. Just like we all wanted.

the first part is also true in Japan, Durante is the reason why we got the other trails games on PC. I'm very optimistically hoping that they don't screw up the game at all, which is a very optimistic thing to say around NISA.

 

[Bongsnake McGee]

Hey, at least NISA translators won't try to off themselves because they fucked up a spreadsheet format?..

I've tried out both Steel and Sky series, and while Sky was borderline too weeaboo, Steel is firmly in the "way too fukken weeb" camp, even for me.

 

[Islamic Creampie]

Dorks internet-wide are crying over the fact that NISA is doing the translation. I'm only familiar with their Ys VIII work which admittedly wasn't great, but people should be happy this is coming out at all. XSEED are a shambling corpse at this point, having lost/fired their most passionate Falcom fans and putting their priority on anime titty junk.

 

[Gingervitis]

Out of curiosity, since I know nothing about NISA. I played through Danganronpa V3, and they weren’t that bad. What’s wrong with them?

 

[AZ 594]

Out of curiosity, since I know nothing about NISA. I played through Danganronpa V3, and they weren’t that bad. What’s wrong with them?

NISA tends to add some "creative liberties" to their games, such as adding jokes which were not present in the original game, changed personalities to characters, and even some outright inaccurate translations at times. Not to mention game breaking bugs like a CPU melting bug at release with Disgaea 2 and having DLC characters not have voices in the PSP version of the same game. Ys 8 was apparently so bad they had to redo everything after release, which is bizarre because they delayed the PC version. This is all stuff off the top of my head, I think there's more examples of their fuckups here and there.

Now, with all that said, Killer 7 was released for PC by them and apparently they did the game justice. NISA's a fairly big localization company with different teams doing different games which explains the varying quality. They got some of Xseed's guys doing QA on this game who state they are there to ensure things remain consistent, though that may just be what they say for PR reasons. I still highly doubt it will go well and really wish Xseed still held the rights to these games, but it's not the first time I seen an IP I like in the hands of someone or some company who (probably) won't do it justice, and won't be the last.

 

[Spoonomancer]

NISA tends to add some "creative liberties" to their games, such as adding jokes which were not present in the original game, changed personalities to characters, and even some outright inaccurate translations at times. Not to mention game breaking bugs like a CPU melting bug at release with Disgaea 2 and having DLC characters not have voices in the PSP version of the same game. Ys 8 was apparently so bad they had to redo everything after release, which is bizarre because they delayed the PC version. This is all stuff off the top of my head, I think there's more examples of their fuckups here and there.

Now, with all that said, Killer 7 was released for PC by them and apparently they did the game justice. NISA's a fairly big localization company with different teams doing different games which explains the varying quality. They got some of Xseed's guys doing QA on this game who state they are there to ensure things remain consistent, though that may just be what they say for PR reasons. I still highly doubt it will go well and really wish Xseed still held the rights to these games, but it's not the first time I seen an IP I like in the hands of someone or some company who (probably) won't do it justice, and won't be the last.

NISA mentioned they got Brittany, the person from XSEED who is a massive Trails fan, as well as Hatsuu, who was very good at making sure the translation stays consistent, as well as another guy who was on XSEED's Trails team, which is why I hope this localization isn't tainted by NISA bullshit.

 

[The Iconoclast]

I downloaded Trails of Cold Steel 1 on my computer but didn't get very far in it, probably because fuck PC controls and fuck controller mapping

I really want to see it on the Switch, but I think I heard somewhere that the company behind the games really don't like the Switch, so a port seems unlikely, which is a real shame.

Maybe one day I'll keep playing it. It really seems like a cool game that I'd like.

 

[Bongsnake McGee]

Ah, so the complaint is about NISA trying to go all Working Designs on their properties, and having bugs. Ok.jpg.

Where's the best place to go read this reeing? I'm a sucker for people whining about localization and translation, because 99.9% of the time it's fucking exceptional bullshit.

 

[Spoonomancer]

Ah, so the complaint is about NISA trying to go all Working Designs on their properties, and having bugs. Ok.jpg.

Where's the best place to go read this reeing? I'm a sucker for people whining about localization and translation, because 99.9% of the time it's fucking exceptional bullshit.

Falcom/XSEED discord's and 8ch's Falcom general is the biggest bet

 

[Slap47]

NISA mentioned they got Brittany, the person from XSEED who is a massive Trails fan, as well as Hatsuu, who was very good at making sure the translation stays consistent, as well as another guy who was on XSEED's Trails team, which is why I hope this localization isn't tainted by NISA bullshit.

Hatsu posted something along the lines of "its a bit too late..." and then deleted it.

Ah, so the complaint is about NISA trying to go all Working Designs on their properties, and having bugs. Ok.jpg.

Where's the best place to go read this reeing? I'm a sucker for people whining about localization and translation, because 99.9% of the time it's fucking exceptional bullshit.

Resetera has a good mix of shills and broken hearted fans.

Out of curiosity, since I know nothing about NISA. I played through Danganronpa V3, and they weren’t that bad. What’s wrong with them?

Bad memes, bugs and feminism. The standard translator stuff.

 

[Done]

I downloaded Trails of Cold Steel 1 on my computer but didn't get very far in it, probably because fuck PC controls and fuck controller mapping

I really want to see it on the Switch, but I think I heard somewhere that the company behind the games really don't like the Switch, so a port seems unlikely, which is a real shame.

Maybe one day I'll keep playing it. It really seems like a cool game that I'd like.

I never had any issues with that. Trails of Cold Steel I/II have excellent PC ports.

You can use the launcher, choose the controller input, and even choose which button prompts you want (HEXBOX/PS4), save the settings and you're all done..

NISA mentioned they got Brittany, the person from XSEED who is a massive Trails fan, as well as Hatsuu, who was very good at making sure the translation stays consistent, as well as another guy who was on XSEED's Trails team, which is why I hope this localization isn't tainted by NISA bullshit.

I hope this is true, really don't want this series to lose its luster. The translation work has been top-notch throughout the Trails series.

 

[Animewasamistake]

sure is a great series. it is almost astounding how much dialogue with total randoms there is.

i had no idea XSEED was a walking corpse now. its a shame.

 

[Done]

Well, at least we don't have to worry too much about the translation quality, officially announcement is here:

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel I and II localization staff working on III

The newly announced English localization of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III will feature a few key members of the localization staff that worked on Trails of Cold Steel I and II, publisher NIS America announced during its PAX South 2019 panel.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is the first entry in the series to be localized by NIS America. The first two titles were localized by XSEED Games.

The announced returning localization staff is as follows:

Ryan Thomson (@Disgaeamad)

• Role in Trails of Cold Steel III: Translator (and proofing)
• Previous Works:
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Translator
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II – Translator

Brittany Avery (@hatsuu)

• Role in Trails of Cold Steel III: Localization Producer / Freelance Editor
• Previous Works:
  • Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim – Project Manager, Sole Editor, Graphic Text Localizer, Quality Assurance, Marketing Assistant
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky – Project Manager, Assistant Editor, Graphic Text Localizer, Quality Assurance, Marketing Assistant
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC – Project Coordinator, Assistant Editor, Graphic Text Localizer (PC), Quality Assurance
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Project Manager, Marketing Assistant, Voiceover Director, Quality Assurance, ESRB Handler
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II – Project Manager, Lead Editor, Marketing Assistant, Quality Assurance, Graphic Text Localizer, ESRB Handler
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd – Project Manager, Sole Editor, Marketing Assistant, Quality Assurance, Graphic Text Localizer, Steam Assets Designer
  • London Detective Mysteria – Localization Producer – Project Manager, Lead Editor, Linguistics Researcher, Quality Assurance, English Logo Designer, Graphic Text Localizer, Ratings Handler

Kris Knigge (@krisknigge)

• Role in Trails of Cold Steel III: Editor / Consultant
• Previous Works:
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Localization Editor
  • The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II – Localization Editor
  • BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle
  • Yo-kai Watch
  • DanMachi: Memoria Freese

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is due out for PlayStation 4 in North America and Europe this fall.

Source: https://gematsu.com/2019/01/the-leg...el-i-and-ii-localization-staff-working-on-iii
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Now we need a PC version lol.

 

[ForgedBlades]

Well, I can't really add much to the thread right now except to say:

• Kiseki is love, Kiseki is life
• If you have never played these games you need to take a sabbatical from whatever you are doing in life and play them immediately
• I have 100%'d all of the games multiple times on multiple platforms
• I've imported close to $1,000 worth of Kiseki merchandise from Japan; nearly every inch of wall in my tiny one bedroom apartment is covered by a Kiseki wallscroll
• Fie is best girl
• The Sen 3 announcement was the second best day of my adult life next to Trump winning
• 

 

[ForgedBlades]

 

[ForgedBlades]

Trails of Cold Steel Definitive Edition launched on PS4 today.

4K/60 FPS
All DLC included on disc
Expanded voice overs
Other gameplay improvements

Go buy it.