Long awaited by fans of the Falcom license, The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero finally arrives with us with this first opus of the Crossbell arc. We recall that the second, The Legend of Heroes : Trails to Azure, is expected for 2023. Considered one of the best tracks in the universe The Legend of Heroes, let’s see if it is still as valuable despite its late arrival in our region. It was first released in 2010 on PSP before returning to Vita in 2012 in an improved version and finally on PS4 in 2020 with a remaster.
Testing conditions: We played the PS4 version of the title. Note that this is somewhat different from the PC and Switch versions for reasons that we mention a little further down in our test.
Do you have to have done all the other opuses?
The Legend of Heroes is a license that can quickly lose us as it extends its universe over several arcs, themselves divided into several games. Although each of them often focuses on a region and a group of characters in particular, one is entitled to wonder how it should be understood in order to avoid misunderstandings or spoilers of all kinds.
First of all, the game takes place some time after the events of The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky: The 3rd. Available from us only on PSP or PC via Steam, it is a pity that the trilogy of Trails in the Sky has not yet been released on the latest consoles in order to make it accessible to as many people as possible, because it is undoubtedly the best gateway to the franchise.
However, we imagine that in France, many people discovered the series with the license Trails of Cold Steel. So you can still easily enjoy The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero. Although you will miss some references and characters (like Estelle and Joshua, the protagonists of the arc Trails in the Sky), the whole adventure can be played like any RPG. Failing to have access to the previously stated opuses, we can possibly advise him for a baptism of fire of the Falcom franchise.
Details, however, the texts are only available in English and that they are also based on the translation of Geofront, a collective of fans. Despite the efforts of NIS America, we are faced with a niche license that has a lot of texts.
Peacekeepers above all
Trails from Zero takes place in the town of Crossbell and we follow the various cases of the SSS (Special Support Section), a branch of the local police freshly created to compete with the Bracer. These are mercenaries who help the population by solving many requests of all kinds. The members of this new group are made up of characters that you have undoubtedly met in the various Trails of Cold Steel games such as Lloyd Bannings, Elie MacDowel or the playboy on duty, Randy Orlando.
Your goal is therefore to help the inhabitants of Crossbell in the manner of the Bracers in order to restore the image of the police. This goes through the resolution of numerous investigations involving the criminals of the city (the gangs and the mafia). Unlike the majority of the other opuses of the license, this one is more refocused on the city of Crossbell. The majority of your playing time will therefore be on site and in the surrounding villages, but this particularity gives it a certain flavor.
It should be noted that Crossbell occupies a special place on the western part of the continent of Zemuria given that it is located between two nations which dispute the control of the territory: the Erebonian empire (where the Trails of Cold Steel) and the Republic of Calvard. Despite everything, the adventure will not be centered on these geopolitical interests although they are mentioned from time to time. This tighter field of action makes it possible to better understand this recurring environment and to become attached to the inhabitants.
The game also gives you the choice of directly linking the main objectives, but it would be a shame to miss out on the many side quests that you can pick up at your leisure to learn a little more about what surrounds you. As usual with the series, expect compelling storytelling and big reveals that are sure to surprise you.
A less well off PS4 version
The Trails always have a thread that forces you to a certain linearity. Between missions, dialogues and fights, Falcom’s RPG is still very well paced. It is always possible to walk around town and outside as you go in order to find chests, fish or even win a little money at the casino.
The construction remains very basic, however we are ahead an extremely solid JRPG for a game originally released on PSP. In terms of the combat system, we find something very similar to the Trails in the Sky. We are on turn-based where each character can use a variety of techniques and magic sometimes determined by the Quartz you equip (a principle similar to the materia of Final Fantasy VII).
Fortunately, the remaster brings a full Japanese dub (some will still regret the absence of an English dub), a welcome facelift and very practical features like a speed-up mode, however we regret a different treatment of the PS4 version compared to the Switch and PC versions. Concretely, the PlayStation version is the same as the one released in Japan in 2020 while the other two benefit from the improvements of modder Durante.
We will therefore obviously recommend the latter two if you have the choice, but we hope that NIS America will correct the situation with an update. Compared to the PS4 version you will have: better textures, better sprites for the characters, the addition of a chat log, options to change the size of interface elements and better framerate stability.
The wait was worth it, The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a JRPG still as addictive and full of qualities despite its age. Even as a fan of the Falcom series, you can find a good breath of fresh air there while keeping what makes the charm of the series. It’s hard to wait for the sequel planned for 2023, but in general we know that the series is difficult to access because of English and puzzle releases with us, however the license is worth investing in. Even having already completed the arc Trails of Cold Steel, you will understand even better the stakes and the recurring characters of Crossbell. We regret despite everything a PS4 version which does not benefit from the same treatment as the PC and Switch versions. You can add half a point to the final grade for these.
