New to Trails Too? Why You Can Start With Trails of Cold Steel III (+ Why You Should and Shouldn't)

[@buckroger6456]

As a fan of the series and of Falcom in general, I really don't care where people start off at. I'm just happy that they do and even more so when they say how much they like the game. I find that most people that really like rpgs that try the series will be hooked and want to play the rest of the games. I don't care for when fans say you can't play this game you need to play the first 12 games, doing that often just chases away potential new fans.

[@thejonbrownshow8470]

That is a fair point, ironically I got 3 and 1 around the same time (3 for switch, my preferred console) and 3 look awesome tho I'm trying to curb my enthusiasm as I'm live streaming the 1st lol

[@buckroger6456]

@@thejonbrownshow8470 I really liked the first cold steel a lot since it felt pretty different from most jrpgs and just the way it builds out it's world and characters. Oddly enough each game after is great but feels a little to samey with its endless story telling then onto a little bit of game play. Still I like the series and as we draw closer to the 4th game coming out this week my hype is building.

[@buckroger6456]

@@Schwazoom good points. I want to play sky but I'm sort of hoping for a PS4 release 🤞. I do know of a few people that started with CS1 and some that got into because of Falcom's other games like Y's

[@arikari3672]

The "You need to play at least eight games before" its really an awful way of inviting newcomers, especially the ones like me that barely have time and takes a month, or two, to finish games like these. So this review was the thing thta really tempted me and I'm planning of getting crossbell and go from there to the 3-4 of CS, and then with the newest (Reverie).

[@Ejohns1004]

In my opinion this should be in the updated rules of the internet, if they ever do update those rules: Do not allow gatekeepers to stop you from enjoying something that you are interested in simply because you don't do whatever that thing is exactly how they deem necessary.

[@Stoonk]

gatekeeping is good

[@JcHellspawn]

@@Stoonk No

[@Ninjablast360]

As someone who started with Cold Steel 1 knowing people recommend playing the Sky Trilogy first. I think in general with series as long as this, it's better for people to just jump in if they're interested. While they won't have the full lore to enjoy, it could lead to them going back and enjoying it in a different but just as fulfilling way. Thanks for letting people know it's okay if you don't get everything that's happened in the series yet!

[@jasondp3546]

Sweet I’m new to the series? So it is ok to start here nice? Now makes it tough this or Star Wars?? I like all games

[@throwmeaname]

Ninja Blast , this needs to be pinned! Great post.

[@ajordtalks9063]

I started with Trails in the Sky and I'm a dedicated advocate of playing release order, but I'm glad you got into the series with Cold Steel 3 and I like hearing other perspectives of the experience of playing another way.

[@Walamonga1313]

I started with Sky and didn't get into it so jumped to CS1 and 2, then came back to Sky. I'm glad I did (and also watched a summary for Crossbell) before CS3 though, as you can see how everything plays out chronologically. However, I'm also an advocate for just getting people into Trails, and I'll encourage em to try them. "You wanna start with CS4? Prob not the best idea but go ahead" because it'll help get into the series

[@acebreaker7]

As a Fan of the Series, You DON"T need to fully play past arcs but you miss out of past characters development and story and future arcs do reference past games events and sometimes spoils them

[@Tamipriest]

if one would play in full * chronological * order , then for example you would need to play Cold Steel and Crossbell simultaneously and even pause in one Arc and go to another cuz of how the events play out in the Botrh Crossbell and first 2 Cold Steel games

[@acebreaker7]

@@Tamipriest Both Crossbell and Cold Steel spoil each other but crossbell spoils it more so you could either first really playing both at the same time is a bit much

[@Tamipriest]

@@acebreaker7 >.> i would first like them to have an * official * western release >.

[@acebreaker7]

@@Tamipriest you could play CS1&2 and just play the fan translation really there not hard to find and easy to install

[@606hunter1]

The series is very lore dense and you do miss out on a lot of the old character arcs which make old characters maturing feel rewarding. I will say that even if you are good with starting after the 1st game, do not start with cold steel 2. Starting from cold steel 2 would be like only reading the second half of a book. Cold steel 3 is fantastic and I'm personally happy I beat cold steel 1&2 before starting it. Sky 1-3 is next on my list because I never got a chance to beat it. But if you aren't interested in the first two games, go ahead and play cold steel 3. It's likely you'll want to go back to see the story from the beginning

[@markphillips8605]

Most people cite the story and lore as being a reason for starting the series from the beginning rather than jumping in at III. This is a good point but there are plenty of sources to back fill story. For me the main reason to start the series at the least at the first game in the Trails of Cold Steel series is because of the character development. I feel you get to bond and care about the characters more if you have been there since the beginning. This of course is a very personal thing and whatever works for someone, well, works. Glad you got into the series:)

[@devnotes00]

Personally I started with Trails in the Sky but anyone not wanting to slog through all those hours can start with Cold Steel since it's both on PC and PS4 at this point.

[@Dahras1]

I totally agree! I'm a massive completionist, so I went back and started with Trails in the Sky, but play what you're interested in! You really don't *have* to go all the way back if you don't want to and it's better to play one of the games rather than being put off by the massive length of the series. That being said, if you're undecided on where to start, here's a few tips: 1)Try to avoid starting on a "direct follow-up". Trails in the Sky SC and 3rd, Trails of Azure, and Cold Steel 2/4 are all direct follow ups to a previous game. The good news is that most direct follow ups are very similar in terms of graphics, gameplay, and QoL features to their predecessors, so you won't be going back too far to play the previous game. 2) If you want a middle ground between going all the way back to the Sky games and starting with Cold Steel III, a community favorite play path is starting with Cold Steel I+II, and *then* going back to the Sky and Crossbell games, before moving on to Cold Steel III. 3) The Crossbell games (Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki) have amazing fan translations courtesy of Geofront (Ao isn't quite done yet but should be within the month). The translations are basically professional quality, so don't be dissuaded from playing these games! 4) Again, you should play what you want. But it's important to know that Cold Steel IV is kind of like the Avengers: Endgame of the Trails series. Just like Endgame, you don't have to play all the other games to enjoy it, but it is really designed for and rewards the hardcore fans that have. If you start with Cold Steel III and love it, I would suggest playing Cold Steel I and II before IV, if you're feeling up for it.

[@JRPGJungle]

Fantastic comment, thank you :) all great advice!

[@faidou9954]

I still wish the Crossbell Arc would be Localized.

[@devnotes00]

Last time I checked the fan ts is close to complete probably done by next year

[@JRPGJungle]

I wish they would too, I wanna pay the whole way through smoothly :3 (may try the fan one if I don't try it in Japanese though :3)

[@Renegade6ZX]

There's English patches for both Zero and Ao already available on PC. They might not be perfect but they're definitely playable.

[@faidou9954]

@@Renegade6ZX im not playing EITHER until the actual devs own up to their mistakes and release the games to the west.

[@bobbit_the_hobbit]

@@faidou9954 you're missing out man.

[@fishnutz5196]

I started with 3 and then played 4. Until they bring the older ones onto the switch i probably wont go back to play them

[@xalin73]

This year I started with Trails in the Sky. I played all three of those, and now all three cold steel in the west. I also watched a lets play of the crossbell games. It was a full year full of Trails and it was awesome indeed. I am looking forward to cold steel 4

[@jesserivera2043]

I can definitely see this as a good starting point. But I'm glad I started with the first entry in Cold Steel, simply because even the most minor character beats foreshadowed character development down the line. Gaius' proclivity for church, Elliott's musical training being surprisingly useful, Emma's allusions to her grandmother, Fie's tendency to sleep on benches, and Alisha's mechanical skills all inform who they become as adults.

[@jamie9419]

Just finished chapter 0/prologue of Trails in the Sky FC and yeah if it wasn't for the turbo feature I wouldn't be able to do it. I played the demo of Cold Steel III on Switch and then I heard you have to play all of them and I just now got into it enough to start the first game but I would not blame anyone for not starting with it. The first time I did the speed up spell with the ironically like 20 second animation I thought "I can't do this" but luckily there is the turbo button. Its great so far though and I know I'm going to get impatient to get all the way up to the Cold Steel series..

[@Walamonga1313]

It's completely fine to not talk to every npc and do every single quest. Some purists may drill that point into you, but meh if what you want is to experience the story while having fast pace just focus on the main stuff. Use turbo mode as well. I love these games and never get tired of battles, but I would never play thrm without turbo lol. Hell, I've even done NG+ for CS1 and 2 just because turbo exists. So I never feel like I'm wasting my time, I'm just having fun in the world of Zemuria

[@Yokizeshi]

I started with CS1 and played 2 right after. That was in the beginning of 2019; I bought the Sky games afterwards and got halfway through FC but I just gave up at some point; I couldn't get into it at all. I really wanted to play CS3 but there was no way I could play all the other games. Ignored the series until last week I noticed that CS3/4 are both on sale. Finally decided to watch very detailed summaries provided by a lovely youtuber of all the games I didnt play (that took almost an entire day haha.. felt a little like studying for a history exam) and oh boy, after 10h of CS3 I cant tell you how glad I am I did that. Even though I only watched summaries I immediately perk up every time I see a character I know (Randy!!) and my understanding of the world is so much better. Cant wait to finally play through 3 and 4 in good conscience.

[@Rigarazi]

Heck yeah, thank for for this comment solidifying my decision on how to approach the series. The 3rd and 4th game are really the only ones that are attractive to me. And my personal time is very important to me. I'd rather watch video summaries of 1 and 2 because I keep hearing about the slog of the story and boring quests in between everything. - Heh, the vocal fans advocating playing in order are technically correct timeline-wise, but it's a classic Sunk-Cost Fallacy example: if you're not enjoying your time doing something, then quit it and do something else. :)

[@Renegade6ZX]

I personally started with Cold Steel 1 and 2 because they were the games I found appealing and luckily they didn't spoil much either. Afterwards I did some research on Cold Steel 3 and found out it spoils a lot of the previous games and you'd have a sub-par experience so I decided to go back and play all the other Trails games before it released. I'm glad I did now because some of the scenes in Cold Steel 3 hit so much harder than if I didn't such as Hamel and the scene at the end of Chapter 3. I also came across some of the most amazing JRPGs I've played to date (Trails in the Sky SC and Ao no Kiseki being my favourite). Overall I'd say I disagree with starting at Cold Steel 3 just because you're losing out on so much. If you're trying to get into this series and don't have much interest in the older games (Sky and Crossbell) I'd say to try out Cold Steel 1 and 2. By the end of Cold Steel 2 you'll know if you really like the series or not and want to experience it as a whole.

[@MagnetonPlayer_2]

I did begin with CS3, the game does provide context for what you need whenever past characters are mentioned or appear, you can replay the older games and I believe going in blind still gives you a very beautiful experience. I am proudly part of the minority of people that like Leeves more than Trista or New Class 7 more than the old one and it was indeed difficult for me to bond with them when playing CS1 and CS2 specially having someone as close as Altina be now an enemy, but, I proudly announce that I don’t care, Leeves is my home, New class 7 is my family and Rean is my teacher rather than a classmate

[@AaronDriggers]

4 years late to this, but thank you for the video. I'm only recently discovering the series when I leapt in with Trails Through Daybreak after playing & loving the demo. 110 hours later with Daybreak, I was hooked. Absolutely loved it and became my favorite game ever! And with that, I had a problem. I only have a Switch, so I could only go back to Trails From Zero meaning my Trails experience will probably look like: 1. Daybreak Then start a "Prequel" journey of sorts: 2. Zero 3. Azure 4. CS III 5. CS IV 6. Reverie Then catch back up with Van & crew with: 7. Daybreak II 8. Farewell O Zemuria And then maybe, finally, one day, a "Pre-Prequel" journey of how it all began: 9. Sky Remakes 1-3? that feels like a pretty full journey, eh?

[@topa4spg]

I haven't play ToCS III. Waiting for PC port, actually. Still playing Zero no Kiseki. And go to Azure no Kiseki and then ToCS III.

[@LeeYikWei]

Finish the game and I can't wait for CS 4. The story is just epic.

[@JRPGJungle]

Nice! We need 4!😭 haha

[@mystery8820]

Me too. I need to get my fix on CS4. Finishing CS3 leaves me wanting for more in CS4.

[@asaka616]

Purists say start from Trails in the Sky. I say, screw the purists. I would recommend starting from the beginning of an arc. If Liberl and Crossbell aren't your first arcs to play, treat them as prequels. Starting from Cold Steel III is a beginning somewhat, so it can be a jumping on point, but like you said, there is some catching up required from the notes section. Just glad more people are beginning to recognise this series and how good it is.

[@Walamonga1313]

Agree. I just urge people to try Trails lol. I don't care which game they play first, as long as they do. They'll want more anyways so they'll play the rest eventually lol

[@ExquisiteTangerine]

I finished the first one and fell in love with the soundtrack. Im planning on playing the second one soon then getting the third one.

[@Kenjitsu419]

I started the series with Trails in the Sky this year and played them nearly in order, only to back track on zero and ao because i finally knew where to get them.

[@simonturner5425]

Personally, I started with CS I & II and I, in fact, own CS III for the switch but during the title cutscene thing, I saw a bunch of characters I recognized from the covers of the other games, so I bought all of Sky and Crossbell and I'm on Ch 4 of Zero at the moment and I am really glad I did, I am also planning on replaying CS I & II when I finish Azure. There is an overarching story you are missing out on if you skip these games as well as a lot of backstory to characters present in CS III & IV (When it comes out).

[@Kruxx26]

I'm glad that people are willing to try this series. As a person who began playing from Sky, the lore is not that complicated. It's just a matter of paying attention (and lots of reading). I won't stop anyone from starting with CS3 but I do recommend playing the older games. You are not just missing out some piece of lore, you are missing out tons of great characters, moments and amazing music. Nihon Falcom has already announced they want to remake the other games in the series. I just hope that makes it easier for people to enjoy these amazing games. (Sorry for the long comment)

[@JRPGJungle]

Great comment, I would LOVE if they remade the other games in the series. I may play them before, but it would definitely make the series more appealing to newcomers :)

[@JcHellspawn]

I bought cold steel 1 a while back but i after i saw so many people saying you should play a lot of other games before it, i felt it would be a waste of time to play this one so i just gave up and never played it again. I didnt want to play the older games because they are just a huge time sink and do not interest me because of the outdated graphics. Your video made me feel a little better about playing just the cold steel games. Thank you. I will pick it up again after i finish some games i have left.

[@JRPGJungle]

Very happy to hear :) the most important thing is that you experience it at all in my opinion (I have similar feelings about the old graphics, so I very much understand!) :) hope you enjoy it ^__^

[@JcHellspawn]

@@JRPGJungle Thank you :)

[@Walamonga1313]

Trust me after you play CS1 and 2, you'll want to play Sky lol. That's what happened to me. Beat the trilogy, watched a summary of Crossbell and then beat CS3. Now I'm probably halfway thru CS4 and I'm 100% sure this is my fav JRPG series by far

[@jaygoet]

I know this video is a few months old now but I'm really glad I watched it, it really helped me get over feeling so intimidated by having to play through each Trails game in the "right" order and just go ahead and try to get into it

[@JRPGJungle]

I'm glad to hear that :D enjoy whichever one you start with ^__^

[@anubhavtitus]

To me the series never felt too complicated to understand in terms of how it connects. Yeah this is coming from a guy who started with sky games knowing nothing about how big the series was. I do believe that falcom has managed to keep the timeline of the series relatively simple despite it's length. The in game year in which each game takes place is as follows for those who need a bit of context. Sky Trilogy: 1202-1203 Takes place in Kingdom of Liberl. Crossbell Duology: 1204 Takes place in the autonomous state of crossbell. Cold Steel 1 and 2: 1204 Takes place in Erebonia Empire. Cold Steel 3 and 4: 1206 Takes place in Erebonia Empire. Another thing I want to say to any newcomer to the series is that don't play they previous games primarily to understand the newer ones or rush through to get to the newest entry, but play them because they are damn good games. These games are designed to be slow paced and slowly ease you into it's world and immerse in it. So pick whichever one you are interested in and go for it after which consider playing the other games in the series if you liked it.

[@mrbig5219]

I've been thinking of getting into the cold steel trilogy since I don't have many jrpgs to play right now. So this video came at a good time for me.

[@amolodchik]

I just don't care about the emotional impact that everyone mentions. I played Utawarerumono starting from the second game, and played a remake of the first game later. And you know what? I got more emotional impact from the first game because I played the second and third before it. This is a unique experience in its own way - to finally learn about the past of all those people who were a mystery to you. And I'm going to play Sky and Cold Steel, skipping Crosbell if I can't wait for the official release.

[@mayazimmerman6130]

I personally started with Sky FC and have made it to the second act of Cold Steel II, in order. I would highly recommend this order for people who want the most emotional impact and want to avoid spoilers. Plus, it's a relatively cheap way to jump in, as Sky FC is usually $10 on Steam sale and $20 regularly. For people who don't care as much about that, I would still recommend starting with Sky FC for fans of old-school JRPGs because it really captures the magic of that era of JRPGs. For people who are new to the genre and getting into it from Persona, I think Cold Steel 1 is an excellent starting point, since, while it's a little visually dated at this point, it's no worse really than Persona 4. And of course, if not all the games are available on your platform of choice, it makes sense to start with what you have access to. Currently, for Switch owners, this means Cold Steel 3, but by next year, this means people could start with Crossbell, as Trails from Zero is going to be released on most platforms at that point. While the emotional impact and spoilers are much heavier in Zero than Cold Steel 1, I would also consider it the most solid game that starts an arc overall. Its pacing is much better than Sky FC and Cold Steel 1 and, while Cold Steel 1 looks dated as a 3D game, Zero is a beautiful, extremely polished 2.5D game. Wherever you start, you're in for a treat as the Trails series is, in my opinion, some of the finest JRPGs have to offer and I would say Trails to Azure is probably my favorite game of all time currently. And I don't say this lightly. Chrono Trigger was my favorite game for a good 25 years or so (with Undertale edging in for the last 6 or so). It has a massive advantage of holding immense nostalgia value for me. I've beaten it at least a dozen times and have bought it for every platform it's been rereleased on. The Trails series really is that good, to me, at least.

[@mr.h77799]

The deluxe edition is on sale on psn for 56$ when it is usually 80$ definitely think I am gonna get it before the sale ends.

[@dreamchaser3521]

I actually got into trails of cold steel series when they were rereleasing on the ps4 based on a friend's recommendation. Took the plunge and have been enjoying the series ever since. Currently starting from trails in the sky and then working my way to 3 and hoping 4 will be announced/ released by then. I say I would rather have people experience the series rather than worry too much about order. If they enjoy what they play they will most likely play the others.

[@porkyvonchop6458]

my first LOH is trails in the sky and since then it become one of my top 3 jrpg ip

[@lcdsoundfan8012]

The other two being ... Ys and Dragon Quest?

[@porkyvonchop6458]

@@lcdsoundfan8012 tales and persona. i havent played more Ys game so its not on my fav series yet

[@jmr1415]

I was un/lucky enough to pick up TitS FC back in 2011 almost by chance. The un in that sentence isn't because I disliked FC in any way (I didn't it remains one of my top fave games) it's because this was 2011 and that game, as with nearly half the entries in this series, ended on a huge cliffhanger. Back then there was no Tits SC to buy here, it wasn't translated for another five years: five years of torture. Since then we've been incredibly blessed by multiple releases and I'm one happy Falcom fan. So while I do have a bias towards playing these games in series order, these days I'm just happy when anyone buys and plays a copy of any of them. Partly because I think it's one of the best and deepest game worlds I've ever come across and love seeing others discover it, but mostly so that Falcom will keep on making the damn things.

[@davidhoran5001]

I’m hoping that the switch gets this trigoloy later

[@guruthosamarthruin4459]

Actually, it's a Quadrilogy, if not a Quintology. Cold Steel 4 will likely be localized late 2020, and there's a side game that will be released in Japan late 2020. Not sure if the side game will be called "Cold Steel 5", but it's a side-story to the whole Cold Steel series.

[@davidhoran5001]

Guruthos Amarthruin wow but that doesn’t answer my question

[@guruthosamarthruin4459]

@@davidhoran5001 Falcom has said that they don't have the expertise to port to Switch, and that an external company would have to take on the task. They believe their target audience is on PS4. I'd say Switch ports are unlikely, but not impossible.

[@davidhoran5001]

Guruthos Amarthruin hmm I hope that figure something out, I’ve been watching wishingtikal run on ys 8 and I would like to try ys 9 on switch

[@guruthosamarthruin4459]

@@davidhoran5001 Well, look at that. Trails of Cold Steel 3 was just announced for switch in the U.S. and Europe in Spring 2020. Only the 3rd game, though.

[@drone124]

I just finished Trails in the Sky and loved it. The third act felt dragged out but it was still satisfying. I will def play the first trilogy and hopefully play official versions of the Crossbell Arc. The turn based gameplay is so solid

[@Morbisus]

I've played the previous games in a weird way but I do not feel spoiled that much and hell I do feel excited when they referenced the other Trails games vice versa. I played the Trails games in this order: Sky FC -> Sky SC -> Cold Steel 1 -> Cold Steel 2 -> Sky the 3rd -> Zero & Ao no Kiseki I do agree that it's a different experience when playing the games in order but I still enjoyed and loved the Trails games as much as the other person do.

[@B-Raven]

I have begun with Cold Steel 1 back in the ps3 era. Since then, I've enjoyed this series, and I have played pretty much all the games (Sky 3rd being the only exception unfortunately). Cold Steel 3 was a fantastic experience for me. And now, all I will do about Trails (after platinum 3 in NG+), is to wait for the end of saga.

[@jmporkbob]

I watched this video back when you released it. The series had been on my radar before this, but it was probably the earliest point where I really said "yeah I need to play these." Well about a year ago I finally started from Sky, and just finished CS3 today (with plenty of other games mixed in of course). So just thought I'd rewatch & say "hi" and "thanks" before hopping into 4. 🤗

[@jmporkbob]

Actually, I thought I was commenting on your actual review. But hey I watched both back at release either way, so all the same. 😄

[@FaeRhanX]

I am a main Switch gamer. I started with Ys 8 as my first Falcom game on a whim and really loved the game. Then they released ToCS3 and I assumed must be similar to Ys 8 with ToCS beeing more independent games you can play out of order if they start with the 3rd one. I found out pretty fast also due to online comments that it's better to play the previous ToCS games first and it made absolutely no sense for me why they started in that case with the 3rd game on Nintendo consoles. I stopped playing and started waiting for ToCS 1 and 2. Now they will release them in july and august on Switch, but japan only with no english. Something inside me then even thought about selling that 3rd game. Yes, I can jump over to Steam for the first 2 games and continue on Switch, but I don't like to have a game series all over the place. The feeling would be different if the first 2 were already on Nintendo consoles like the Wii U. At least good to hear that it's not impossible to directly jump into ToCS3, even if I will miss some previous information and character bonding.

[@IamYasha10]

I started getting into the franchise by playing TOCS 1. I loved it that i went back and decided to start playing the trails of the sky series. Not playing the game in order is fine imo, play whatever interests you. For me it just motivated me to go back and play the older trails game.

[@techh9171]

I finished trails in the skye first and man it was amazing and I'm going to play in sequence but if you don't want to ig starting from cold Steel 1 should be fine.

[@abandonedwolfe4017]

Found this very helpful, wasn't sure if I wanted to start it or not. I think I'm going to start from the first one though. Thanks a ton.

[@archafromdmc]

start from sky starting from cold steel 3 is like starting the ucm with infinity war you miss EVERY Single little worldbuilding and character building needed for the pay off

[@gabrielike1370]

If u don’t want to play the other watch summaries by lady virgilia they are very good and well done

[@orbitalkao3984]

To be honest I was a bit hesitant on Trails of Cold Steel 1 so I decided to watch a Let's Play and after seeing the ending I got so hyped I ran to the nearest GameStop and bought Cold Steel 2 and spent about 70 hours on it. Then right after played Trails of Zero till finish and a bit of Azure until Trails of Cold Steel 3 came out. So I understand some of the references/call backs and only when it came to the Sky series I was a bit confused but it didn't ruin the enjoyment. All in all I think you'd like the rest of the Trails series when you have the time give it a shot!

[@lcdsoundfan8012]

The most important is to find a way into the series and to not miss out on it, although I think the preferred way to play is to grow along with the characters. But who knows, maybe you'll have more fun playing I+2 because you'll also understand more about 3 when playing the older games. I started with ToCS 1, then played the Sky series. This year I replayed ToCS 1 and played ToCS 2 for the first time on PS4. Now I'm taking a breather with some smaller and different games before diving into ToCS 3. Did you know that Towa is in Tokyo Xanadu too? It's a different universe, but the game is very similar to ToCS. Biggest difference is the action combat system of TX. In a way TX is a good mix of Trails and Ys. Luckily, there are lots of Falcom gems to be discovered.

[@JRPGJungle]

I had no idea Towa was in Tokyo Xanadu! I wanted to play that, but that makes me even more keen, thank you :)

[@throwmeaname]

Glad to hear you’re on board! There’s really no right and wrong way to play. I find that the games are fairly self contained with Easter eggs to reward veteran players; which doesn’t take away anything for those jumping into the series.

[@JRPGJungle]

Well said :))

[@JohnThaDreamer]

ToCS 4 needs to be brought to the West like yesterday!!! I have close to 460 hours of gameplay between the 1st three. This is the greatest RPG that I have ever played. 💯

[@AceWing905]

This is an old video and I'm not expecting a response, but I'm very curious if you still think this way after Cold Steel 4.

[@jiayojames]

In my opinion this series should absolutely be played in order starting with Trails in the Sky. It's up to each person to decide for themselves of course, but at the end of the day there is a grand overarching narrative gradually unfolding throughout all of the games.

[@agidyne9676]

I started with CS 1. I didn’t realize the universe was so large until a big old tree popped up and disappeared with little to no fanfare.

[@Tamipriest]

hmm >.> you can start with Cold Steel 3, stuff is explained and understandable ( to an extent ) , but when you experience the events of the other games it feels much better imo , especially when you played Trails in the Sky games , then you understand stuff in Cold Steel much better with certain stuff , Like the whole Plot about Leonhardt and Hamel, which was a Major thing in the Empire back then and in Trails in the Sky you see it from Liberls point of view , the only thing i wish would happen is that Crossbell gets an * official * western port , i would love to play these games >.

[@ThePughski]

Thank you for this video, very informative! Currently downloading on the Switch!

[@JRPGJungle]

Awesome! Thank you :) Hope you enjoy it ^_^

[@liamminnihan9021]

I'd say 2 good starting points are cold steel 1 and sky fc. I just have a lot of trouble finding any reason for people to jump into such a story heavy series halfway through. It's like when square enix said that kingdom hearts 3 is a perfectly fine game to start with. You need context for specific events or else you will be confused.

[@Mystra]

I do agree that you can. But you'll kinda be lost in terms of how Rean and the old Class 7 got to where they are and why. So I wouldn't say it's the best decision but can work. Just don't start with CS4 that's a no go lol

[@midnightopera]

This is the nudge i needed. Thanks.

[@JRPGJungle]

You're very welcome. Enjoy it! :)

[@gigalagaki]

LOVE how accepting of this video everyone is in the comments :D You guys give Trails fans a great fkn name, keep it up ^.^

[@Yokizeshi]

I played CS1 and 2 and then half of Sky FC but then lost the motivation to keep playing the older games. It made me kinda sad since i really wanted to play CS3 but everyone kept saying to not play it before having played sky zero and ao. This here just gave me hope haha, guess I’m getting it as my next game after all! Or when it comes to Switch maybe.

[@musiclover01ization]

This was a good video. I've known about the Trails series for a while. I am considering trying a game in the series. I might start with the first Trails of Cold Steel.

[@JRPGJungle]

Thank you! Hope you enjoy it if you try it, I'm definitely glad I did :3

[@marc-ap4699]

Really good way to put the Coldsteel3 vs the whole series fight , best review in the entire youtube

[@pite9]

Although it doesn't stop you from enjoying the other games, I wouldn't recommend this as a starting point to anyone. Chapter 2's best scene will go over your head a bit. You will heavily spoil this series' first games and the Sky and Crossbell arcs as well. But starting with CS1 is ok, to test the waters if you're put off by Sky. I did, and then I just had to play Sky. Although I think this game is better than CS1, and starts more interesting, they have the same kind of feeling, so if you can't get into CS1, you may as well give up on the series. The reason why CS1 and 2 together is a good starting point is because they hardly spoil the Sky series at all, and while they spoil Crossbell, the reverse is true and the spoilers are more severe.

[@JRPGforlife]

2019 is my best year in gaming simply because I discovered this amazing series, having played all 3 CS games and watched a walkthrough of both sky and crossbell games I can't wait for CS4. I know it'll be legendary since it's concluding the erebonia arc

[@robertdeffenbaugh9004]

I tried getting into the sky series but it’s very different compared to the Cold Steel series and it’s like I have to use a guide the whole time playing the first game because it’s very hard. I don’t know where to go or what to do once I get to the Farm.

[@rindou97]

I'm fine even if people begin with Trails from Zero, but to be honest... to start with the second half of Erobonia arc is a terrible idea, in my opinion.

[@PloysMaw]

It's real neat that this video has come about; the series has peeked my interest for a while but I've yet to dive in. Both Cold Steel 1 and 'Trails in the Sky' are on my wishlist on steam the later being higher up. Before watching this I haven't know they're connected I just thought they'll made by the same studio or something of the sort but as of now I'm more likely too give them a go. Cheers.

[@SakidoHaru]

As someone who is a fan of story, starting from 3 isn't a bad idea either as even if your new to the series, you get to see the new class VII which I wouldn't mind doing if I didn't have PSVita so I still had that advantage of starting at Cold steel 1. Sure you will be a bit confused about Rean's history with some of the people you meet along the way but that is one way to spark your curiosity of how they all met especially if you think about the technology that were used to create the games since part 3 is pretty brand new, playing 1 and 2 may feel a bit off at first for some players but will be worth your time. Either way, Trails of Cold Steel series is one of my favourite JRPGs to come out and I can't wait for 4 to come out next year. Hopefully, by then I'm caught with the series :D also kudos with the review, its good to see a fellow new comer into the series ^^

[@historian252]

One you should not be playing Cold Steel 3 without 1 and 2. You won't get the whole story involving Liberl and Crossbell but you will understand the story of Erebonia and of Class VII.

[@FuIIDiveVR]

I started with Cold Steel 1. At the end of the game I had tons of questions left unanswered. That said, I researched about the game and discovered that earlier games existed. I really wanted to experience the series properly so I went and downloaded Sky 1. First thing that hit me was the graphics. They were underwhelming and the gameplay was double that. Lesson learned here is that if you experience the newer games first, you will grow impatient to catch back up. Don't do this. Play the games in the chronological release order. Imagine watching Avengers End Game first. You will literally wish you could erase your memory.

[@AliAlslaman]

it has number 3 in it, mostly likely you need to play the other two. honestly, if you take the world building from trails it will be normal JRBG with anime troops.

[@ironysteeth]

I played cold steel1 on the vita and watched the 2nd as a playthrough on KZbin.played 3 and now on 4. I might've cared about the sky series but with the character reset 3 pulled I got super sulky and decided to just get 4 and be done with it.

[@supernepheloidumbra8800]

I wish I could play it just not enough time😭

[@oneofnone7947]

I hope 4 comes soon you will know why

[@JRPGJungle]

I just finished 3 last night and I want 4 soooooo bad ;___; haha

[@oneofnone7947]

JRPG Jungle I know that ending

[@Birnenpopcorn]

The 3rd game is so long but so good. now i´m in the final chapter and playing it for 115 hours !

[@jerrymcmullen410]

I started with trails of cold steel after that i fell in love with the series and then went to trails in the sky a excellent series to play

[@AsakuraEX]

Trails of cold steel 3 is the game that really starts requiring some knowledge of The sky games and even crossbell

[@jakekelly336]

I started with cold steel 1 and even living the storyline I'm not really trying to do trails of sky since it was older and even my fav game of all time final fantasy 7 I cant play the original anymore cause of the gameplay graphics ect.... and after playing cold steel 3 going back to 1 and 2 gameplay can be rough... after 3 your immediately gonna wanna go into 4 since the ending allows nothing less

[@mazinrobox2546]

I actually beat the first one yesterday haha, now going to the second one, amazing ending and great game.

[@DarkPhoenix89]

Great video and I respect your comments, but I always believe that you should start with at least CS1 or better, the Sky and Crossbell arcs. It enhances your overall trails experience because you know the characters and their background. This is essential knowledge in CS3 as there are Sky and Crossbell references. Coming from a dude who has also played CSIV, you need to know the other series IMO to have the optimal experience. You will see why once CSIV hits in the west.

[@sanondail1999]

Got 1 and 2 on ps4, haven't touched either Thinking if I should get this now while it still includes the ost etc. or get it later on when it's cheaper

[@archafromdmc]

starting a 9+game franchise on the ending is like starting the ucm with infinity, as someone who has played up to cold steel 3 this is as simple as i can put it. This series is fucking dense it has amazing world and characters that are thorougly explored in each game, but that's the thing if you haven't played the crossbell games then you won't know why randy and tio have anything to do with the detective dude, if you don't play sky you won't get : the beggining of olivier's arc which is arguably the most important character arc of the whole franchise, the introduction of ouroboros, literally all of liberl. Like if you want to start with cold steel 3 you can do it you just ain't going to apreciate ANY of the payoffs that are in store with these games. Going back to the first sentence this is like starting the ucm on infinity war you miss the best part of the series, the world and the characters

[@archafromdmc]

Oh and THANK YOU for not putting a fat fucking spoiler on the thumbnail, i got spoiled on who C was like that and i was so mad

[@tyrecarmon20]

I started cold steel part 1 and working on part 2

[@JackTwoFingers]

At this point even NISA (localization team) is showing the middle finger to Falcom with their slow localization for this particular game series on PURPOSE and I can't even be mad at them tbh! Ys games are selling better, I wonder why?😒 (falcom Logic: Western fans do like ARPG's more.. My logic: Well, for Ys games people don't have to play 1000 games before to understand a damn thing about their newest game and getting insulted by 100 gatekeepers on reddit by just asking a simple question there..) What this series or Falcom in particular are needing is a fresh restart or even a brand new IP without to many sequels. Other developers have learned from this and releasing games which are belonging to a series but aren't connected to each other, like Persona, Tales games, FF games etc.. only Falcom wants to stay niche for the rest of their lives. Its 2020/21/22 and so on and Falcom's upper head's are still flewing somewhere in the late 90's. People nowadays dont have time to sink 1000+ hours into a game series until they can actually play the newest and hottest one with the most QOL changes, new engine etc, graphical advantages etc. And its really disheartening to see this because for me their one of these developers that can handle characters and plots sometimes better than many other big players, even ATLUS.. but they are really digging their own grave with this and their lates financial report is exactly showing this.. RIP Falcom 2023/4. my guess but I hope im wrong.

[@user-yi9qv4th5m]

so, i bought long ago, trails 1 2 and 3, on disc, but i really dont feel like playing all the other games, can i just play trails 1 2 3 4, without being confused, i see many say yes, but i see many say, you won't understand 3 and 4, or the fun of those games will be close to nothing

[@plebugen9659]

I started with CS 1 and 2. After that I came back to the older games. The kiseki games have an amazing story that gets new layers with every new game and its worth playing them all but its also ok to stat with the newer games if that gets you into the series. Btw most kiseki games are about 45-50h for a standard playtrough so its not like they are such a large timesink when compared to other jrpgs

[@menacoleman8149]

I started with the first trails of cold steel I am not done with the second game yet and I haven't bought the third game yet

[@thejonbrownshow8470]

Honestly, I got 3 on the switch but never tried it yet, so I got 1 and 2 (even doing a blind live stream of 1 atleast, on the first field study currently, delightful game for sure), and despite the character interaction that pulled me in, with the switch, I really want to and probably gonna end up playing both 1 on camera and 3 off since I can't get enough of this world i know nothing about lol that's how good the first dungeon of 1 solidify my new found desire to jump into the series lol. Just curious, if you play and beat 3 than play the other 2, can't you just interpret them as prequel games lol? I'm against playing stuff out of order, unless it's potentially 100 hour long jrpgs we're talking about xD

[@senzetion]

@JRPG Jungle do you think it will play nicely on the Switch?

[@JRPGJungle]

It should IMO! They may reduce the frame rate or something, but otherwise it's not the most graphically crazy game, so I can't see why it wouldn't :)

[@CleverNameTBD]

Meh. I'm interested in this and I have the previous games on vita but not trails in the sky. I played every Kingdom Hearts game except a few, including chain of memories. For the ones I either couldn't stomach playing (CoM) and some of the others or ones not released here, I just watched the lore catchups/cutscenes online. It's not the same, but I got a good idea of how to piece everything together. So I imagine I can just watch the sky cutscenes/lore explainers as well and just focus on the main series. Gatekeeping how to enjoy a series is silly. These are games. They're meant to be fun

[@Tvdiet]

And now comes the long but hopefully not too long wait for Cold steel 4 I’m hoping for either a late 2020 or summer 2021 but after that ending I’m really hoping for the former Glad to hear you really enjoyed the game and even if your now pretty much finished if you have any lingering questions about any game mechanics and whatnot feel to ask and i will answer to the best of my ability Ps Laura best girl

[@uluairi]

Do NOT play Cold Steel III without having played I and II first. Just do NOT do that. Trust me.

[@MrValgard]

well i want start with Cold Steel but someone say to me i should play Trails in Sky first, i tried and after 1h i wasn't hooked. Mechanics are very clucky and i haven't any idea what to do and where to go xD

[@JRPGJungle]

I understand that, the trailers of Sky only appeal to me now after 3 :3 if you think Cold Steel looks good, I think you'll get more out of it and hopefully enjoy Sky more after :33

[@MrValgard]

@@JRPGJungle so I don't need to play it in order? Then I will start with cold steel :D

[@DerWonga]

@@MrValgard Its totally fine if you start with Cold Steel. It wont ruin the game for you at all.

[@JRPGJungle]

You'll get a different experience however you play, but I think you'll get plenty out of the series from Cold Steel. :3 I still need to play the first two, but I just finished three and would now try Sky cause I'm invested :3 important thing to me is enjoying it and getting into it ^__^

[@YamaDolll]

I have about 10 hours in sky 1 after trying the cold steel 3 demo but ultimatelly it felt too dated for me. im glad this video exist since im now planning on jumping directly to cold steel 1 since it feels alot more modern

[@JRPGJungle]

That's awesome :) Hope you enjoy Cold Steel! :))

[@Berguna645]

I am prepurchase Cpld Steel 3 on switch, while waiting, i did my homework by watch utuber playing 1 and 2 I recommend Malik Card channel coz he got 1 and 2 complete playlist

[@giliathandtio]

If you played from Trails in the sky, impact of the events iin CS3, would be much much bigger. Especially with events near the end of the game on Courageous. Certain character who was there is with us since the very first game and I love him, so I was heartbroken to see the events in CS3. And that's just tip on the iceberg.

[@felipefarias3285]

Just see a recap whenever you have doubts on something and be happy. It's not likely someone would be standing to start a 500h series just because gatekeepers. If you enjoy it, then why not search for some of the old games

[@archafromdmc]

Ok but why?, trails is a series who is built on it's characters and world why skip it all on a power point presentation just to get to the finale?. I can asure you as someone who played from sky to cold steel 3 it is completely and totally worth it every single game of the franchise (except cold steel 1) had me jumping out of my fucking seats on the finales. This is more of a netflix series where each chapter is a whole ass game but honestly that's what i love about it. Take your time bask yourself in this expertly crafted world and enjoy your time in zemuria

[@RainhartYT]

I know someone who started with Cold steel 4. I'm like wtf you doing bru?

[@pianissimo7121]

I was watching a lp for fate sn. I saw that the youtuber had a lot of views for trails games compared anything else. As a fate fan i couldn't accept something was more popular that it. So i asked him how to start and lept into tits fc(omg now i know why people write tis) i went the full release route and actually hated cs 1and cs2. Because i missed the charm of tis pixalted graphics and art and the charm of the bad graphics in crossbell arc. Cold Steel 1 and 2 didn't have much charm because of the low budget 3d graphics. Which were neither good nor had any artistic value. Add to that the boring protagonist and ugh. Cold Steel 3 and 4 were really good. I realised that the charm was never the graphics but the characters. Cs 1 ,2 had so so so many characters it ruined the game. Bonding points were fun but it meant there weren't too many meaningfull interaction. None of the classmates interacted with each other apart from 2 pairs. I really wished they locked the romantic intrest like tis and instead cut some of the interactions.

[@ravus9935]

4:40 This is why you shouldn't title your video to be something so decisive and why so many Trails fans advocate for playing in order. You're just confusing newcomers at this point and sorry, but without having played any other Trails games (or having finished CSIII), your perspective is not exactly an informed one. People don't usually realize what they've missed until they actually play the rest of the series. Cold Steel III spoils so much of the Liberl and Crossbell arcs that it can outright dampen or even ruin the experience of playing those games for a lot of people. There's honestly no reason to not start with Sky FC or Cold Steel 1. If you like one of them, you'll definitely like the rest of the series. If you don't enjoy one or both of the two, you probably won't enjoy the series. Trails is not necessarily for everyone and there's nothing wrong with skipping out on the series if you're not into it. All I'm trying to say is that while fun can still be had by starting with Cold Steel III, you miss so much of the experience without context. Imagine how much better your first playthrough could've been. Your argument makes about as much sense as if someone would advocate for watching Return of the Jedi as your first Star Wars movie. Sure, you could still enjoy it, but you would've liked it much, much more if you had context. So by declaring you can start with CSIII, yeah, of course you can. But you can also start Lord of the Rings with Return of the King, Harry Potter with The Deathly Hallows, Star Wars with The Last Jedi, the MCU with Infinity War, or Downton Abbey with the movie and still enjoy each series. It would just be a much better experience for the vast majority of people if they had read, watched, or played those stories in order. I'm glad Cold Steel III got you and some others into the series, but I've seen even more people who left the game with a bad taste in their mouths due to confusion, lack of investment, misunderstanding, and frustration with the storytelling all because it was their first (and only) Trails game. Telling your story and sharing your perspective is great, but suggesting to newcomers that CSIII (the 8th Trails game) is a fine starting point for the series in the title of the video and throughout is quite misguided imo. With that logic newcomers to literally anything should be told it's fine to jump in at Season 6, Book 8, Episode 9, Chapter 3, etc. As I said before, considering you have yet to play the other games in the series, you don't know what you're missing by starting with Cold Steel III. Free will is a thing and I'm not suggesting it isn't, but newcomers should be informed of the full extent of what they're getting themselves into by starting here. Your limited knowledge and experience with the series unfortunately didn't leave you with the proper tools to explain the situation in full imo. This was a well made video and if it brings more people into the series, that's great, but I very much disagree with the title of the video and many of the points you made. I apologize for the lengthy criticism and in the end, it all comes down to the individual as to the decisions they make. Myself and others just want to make sure newcomers are making an educated and well-informed decision while keeping strong recommendations in mind.

[@syahminazuhan]

As someone new to the series, I agree with her. I am not going to waste hundred of hours playing old games with outdated graphics and mechanics. Telling new fans to start playing from Trails of the Sky is a bad advice cause not everyone got the time to do that especially with more new JRPGs being released all the time. And I don't think Famicom would want their series to remain as niche as it is simply because it's own fans are gatekeeping people from jumping into the series. I would rather read an online summary of the past games and be done with it.

[@ravus9935]

@@syahminazuhan It is not gatekeeping. You simply don't understand how much of Trails is reliant on having an understanding and connection to previous games. You're not wasting hundreds of hours by playing some of the best JRPGs the genre has to offer, but if you think that way, it's your loss. Even looking up summaries won't get you far, as you will lack investment in the world and characters. Fun can obviously still be had, but I don't think you realize just how much you'd be missing out on. This isn't Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy. The author of this video has yet to finish a single game in the series and you trust her opinion on where to start? Good luck to you; I've done all I can. Don't come crying back to me if you're disappointed with CSIV and Hajimari.

[@lol-nc3tz]

@@ravus9935 It is gatekeeping.

[@ravus9935]

@@lol-nc3tz Great argument have a nice day. Did I not just write several paragraphs explaining why it isn't? Are you seriously arguing there's little to no benefit in experiencing a series in order? I'm not trying to tell you that you can't do it and also have fun that way; but it will most likely be a significantly better experience if you actually have investment in the world and characters. Not a single fan who played the series in order from Sky FC regrets doing so in that order. People who played out of order (like myself actually, starting with Cold Steel 1) do tend to regret it when they discover the rest of the series and recognize the missing pieces. I made a mistake and didn't get the ideal experience. I simply don't want others to end up regretting their first experience with the series. Investment in the world and characters is incredibly vital to the enjoyment of Trails as a whole. Cut any single game out of the mix and you're only doing yourself a disservice.

[@joed5150]

@@syahminazuhan TF are you on about? The graphics for CS 1 and 2 look great. Skipping the first 2 games in a extremely story drive series where all the games in the current arc are connected is dumb. Might as well go read the final books in the the Lord of God Rings and Harry Potter franchises too