Popular Question: Where is Zero no Kiseki?

[Iridium]

Three versions of Zero no Kiseki, hencefore "Trails to Zero" or just "Zero", exist:

-The PSP version: The original version, but unfortunately not feasible because it's a PSP game in what could well be 2018-2019 by the time they get around to it.
-The Vita version: The "Evolution" version, first in a series of somewhat polarizing remakes although not as polarizing as their "Trails in the Sky" counterparts. Not especially feasible either way because it would require a prohibitively expensive Japanese voice-track, a similarly prohibitively-expensive dub, and licensing with several additional companies that may or may not be actively willing to work with Xseed. Might be possible, but they'd probably have to cut VA entirely, so... I expect people would take issue with it.
-The PC version: A Chinese port that Nihon Falcom personally fixed and released in Japan. The most realistic version that we could obtain out of what currently exists, but is not without its own issues. Most pressingly, the fact that there is currently no equivalent PC port for the successor to Zero, Ao no Kiseki (aka "Trails to Azure", the fifth game in the series that is often considered one of the series' greatest.) It would also probably require quite a few additional fixes by Sara to get it working due to its weird origins.

Platform, however, is only one thing keeping Zero back -- there is also its script size. Official estimates place Zero and Ao at having around two million Japanese characters each, which is roughly twice the length of the 3rd (no. 3), a third longer than FC (no. 1) and the Cold Steel games (no. 6/7), and substantially over half as long as SC (no. 2) -- such that localizing both would probably prove to be an even greater challenge than SC in terms of script size alone. Whether or not that translates to actual work-hours remains to be seen.

Xseed has registered "Trails to Zero" and "Trails to Azure", but more than anything else they probably did this as a preventative measure after referring to the games by those names in a development blog -- as it would be unfortunate if someone else were to trademark those names and then attempt to extort them with it. They have said many times not to expect them, and even now their futures are not certain -- they will probably not make any final decisions regarding them until 3rd/Cold Steel II have been completed and the path forward for dealing with them has become more clear. Several employees of the company certainly want to work on it, and I'm sure at least one in particular considers it a dream project -- but that only goes so far.

So if you want to know where Zero no Kiseki is, well, the answer depends on FC, SC, 3rd, Cold Steel, and Cold Steel II. The fate of Crossbell will be woven by everyone: not merely XSEED, but by Nihon Falcom themselves and all English-speaking Trails fans.

[Johannanas]

Hi! I know this is a very late respons, but I'm a game journalist at a swedish gaming site, and I've been having e-mail contact with Xseed and the translation team for some time; and atm as far as we (my job) have gotten responses, we got the reply that there is "not any plans to localize/translate Zero or AO at the moment". This is as much as i know, but imma update my answer if I get any further news.

[Hakuso]

引用自 Phantombeaver：

Hi! I know this is a very late respons, but I'm a game journalist at a swedish gaming site, and I've been having e-mail contact with Xseed and the translation team for some time; and atm as far as we (my job) have gotten responses, we got the reply that there is "not any plans to localize/translate Zero or AO at the moment". This is as much as i know, but imma update my answer if I get any further news.

Yeah, but there were no plans for Celceta either, though I think that had less licensing issues than Zero and Azure do so it was peobably MUCH easier to pull off.

Still, there are two missing games, and a pretty good chunk of story in them. Hopefully someone works out how to bring them to PC...

As long as that someone isn't NIS America.

Sorry, guys. Been a fan of NIS games for a while, but after Ys VIII I hope they never get anywhere near another Falcom game ever again.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

引用自 Phantombeaver：

Hi! I know this is a very late respons, but I'm a game journalist at a swedish gaming site, and I've been having e-mail contact with Xseed and the translation team for some time; and atm as far as we (my job) have gotten responses, we got the reply that there is "not any plans to localize/translate Zero or AO at the moment". This is as much as i know, but imma update my answer if I get any further news.

The pattern I've seen for this sort of stuff is that any claims of stuff happening are necessarily denied until stuff is to the point where it's ready to be presented, anyway. So you're unlikely to get early teases.

unless you're Nial

Tbh, I'd prefer if they were more honest/open about this stuff...but on the other hand I also wish fans wouldn't jump on news like mad rabbits, and it's the latter that is what makes release announcements so risky and makes companies not want to tell people what their intentions are, just in case those intentions don't pan out.

引用自 Waldschatten：

Sorry, guys. Been a fan of NIS games for a while, but after Ys VIII I hope they never get anywhere near another Falcom game ever again.

I'm'a let you finish, but "Archaeozoic Big Hole" is still the funniest area name I've ever heard of.

[Luke]

For anyone wondering you can get Zero no kiseki legally and DRM free by following this guide here:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1372088284

[nonamen]

You could look at the geofront project and then buy the japanese version. This is the best compromise I could thing of.

[Meeg]

I feel like I've been spoiled by the great Xseed localizations of the Trails games. So if they are going to come out with the Crossbell games sometime in the not-too-distant future I'd rather wait for that. It would be great then to know what's in the cards...

I've read articles/interviews where representatives of Falcom and Xseed said they WANT to bring all the Kiseki games to a US/English-speaking audience (which would include Crossbell) but the key word there is want.

It makes sense that the Cold Steel games would take precedence as they're fairly new games (as opposed to Skies FC which came out in Japan in 2004, 1st English edition 2011, or the 3rd which came out in Japan in 2007 and was released in English in 2017). Better to strike while the iron is relatively hot, and Cold Steel I works as an introductory point into the series for new players.

There's clearly a desire by fans of the Sky games for English versions of Zero and AO and I have no doubt there are people at Xseed who would love to put these out. It's a question of devoting the resources (time, money, manpower) into developing the games (also sorting out any licensing issues that might exist) and there may be a lingering question as to profitability (will the Crossbell games appeal to people who started playing CS or will they only appeal to the smaller set of players devoted to the Sky games?).

Also, no indication this is actually in the cards but I read a suggestion in another forum that they could potentially develop "remastered" versions of Zero and AO in English with 3D graphics as apparently a lot of Crossbell assets were created for CSII and III.

Anyway I'm relatively optimistic these games will come out eventually. Xseed did surprise us all with Trails the 3rd which was released at almost the same time as Cold Steel I. I don't think an official statement that its not currently being translated says anything because the companies are, rightfully, cautious about making an announcement when its not certain its going to happen.

[Ceriss]

引用自 Meeg：

I feel like I've been spoiled by the great Xseed localizations of the Trails games. So if they are going to come out with the Crossbell games sometime in the not-too-distant future I'd rather wait for that. It would be great then to know what's in the cards...

I've read articles/interviews where representatives of Falcom and Xseed said they WANT to bring all the Kiseki games to a US/English-speaking audience (which would include Crossbell) but the key word there is want.

It makes sense that the Cold Steel games would take precedence as they're fairly new games (as opposed to Skies FC which came out in Japan in 2004, 1st English edition 2011, or the 3rd which came out in Japan in 2007 and was released in English in 2017). Better to strike while the iron is relatively hot, and Cold Steel I works as an introductory point into the series for new players.

There's clearly a desire by fans of the Sky games for English versions of Zero and AO and I have no doubt there are people at Xseed who would love to put these out. It's a question of devoting the resources (time, money, manpower) into developing the games (also sorting out any licensing issues that might exist) and there may be a lingering question as to profitability (will the Crossbell games appeal to people who started playing CS or will they only appeal to the smaller set of players devoted to the Sky games?).

Also, no indication this is actually in the cards but I read a suggestion in another forum that they could potentially develop "remastered" versions of Zero and AO in English with 3D graphics as apparently a lot of Crossbell assets were created for CSII and III.

Anyway I'm relatively optimistic these games will come out eventually. Xseed did surprise us all with Trails the 3rd which was released at almost the same time as Cold Steel I. I don't think an official statement that its not currently being translated says anything because the companies are, rightfully, cautious about making an announcement when its not certain its going to happen.

I started this series with Steel and because of Steel I played the Crossbell and Sky arc.

I don't think there's any question it would be profitable to new fans.

The way that the story is set up, if you're the type of gamer that plays Trails games, then you're the type of gamer that will simply be incapable of walking away satisfied just having played a single arc.

Crossbell also plays really well. Zero no Kiseki is probably the most balanced of the series without being too slow or difficult and without being easy.

Ao no Kiseki is a bit unbalanced but not as crazy as Cold Steel.

Zero doesn't have Master Quartz but it's the first game where you can attack monsters on the field. So other then that it's pretty similar to Cold Steel.

Zero is when we start seeing a larger emphasis on using delay tactics for example.

Ao plays very similarly to Cold Steel and is the introduction of the crazy broken Evasion tank and the first version of Master Quartz. Even if you play perfectly though, you'll never get close to the crazy evasion stat of Fie Clausell in Steel though.

As expected, if you're looking to break the game like you did Cold Steel, it's not incredibly difficult.

However, if you choose to play normally it's actually relatively difficult with some of the scariest boss fights in the series.

[Hat8]

引用自 nonamen：

You could look at the geofront project and then buy the japanese version. This is the best compromise I could thing of.

Consumers have to do two things.

They have to buy the western versions to encourage western localizations and buy good localizations to discourage Falcom from ruining the series with half-hearted/sjw translations.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

引用自 Matt66：

引用自 nonamen：

You could look at the geofront project and then buy the japanese version. This is the best compromise I could thing of.

Consumers have to do two things.

They have to buy the western versions to encourage western localizations and buy good localizations to discourage Falcom from ruining the series with half-hearted/sjw translations.

lol Archaeozoic Big Hole

well, XSEED seems to be the go-to team for getting a translation done and done well, and then continuing to support the product and growing the fanbase organically very effectively, so yeah.

[Hat8]

引用自 Quint the Wolf on the Roof：

引用自 Matt66：

Consumers have to do two things.

They have to buy the western versions to encourage western localizations and buy good localizations to discourage Falcom from ruining the series with half-hearted/sjw translations.

lol Archaeozoic Big Hole

well, XSEED seems to be the go-to team for getting a translation done and done well, and then continuing to support the product and growing the fanbase organically very effectively, so yeah.

Falcom already gave a few of their games to NIS.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

引用自 Matt66：

引用自 Quint the Wolf on the Roof：

lol Archaeozoic Big Hole

well, XSEED seems to be the go-to team for getting a translation done and done well, and then continuing to support the product and growing the fanbase organically very effectively, so yeah.

Falcom already gave a few of their games to NIS.

Which ones?

[nonamen]

引用自 Quint the Wolf on the Roof：

引用自 Matt66：

Falcom already gave a few of their games to NIS.

Which ones?

Ys VII (there's that one Ys)

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

引用自 nonamen：

引用自 Quint the Wolf on the Roof：

Which ones?

Ys VII (there's that one Ys)

Ys Seven is being handled by XSEED.
Ys VIII is being handled by NISA.

Also that's the only NISA-handled Falcom game I was aware of. Are there others?

[nonamen]

引用自 Quint the Wolf on the Roof：

引用自 nonamen：

Ys VII (there's that one Ys)

Ys Seven is being handled by XSEED.
Ys VIII is being handled by NISA.

Also that's the only NISA-handled Falcom game I was aware of. Are there others?

I forgot the number haha hence the parenthesis, so it was 8 hahaha