*SPOILER FREE* F.A.Q. Everything you need to know about this game.

[Cold_Reverie]

Before we continue, I would like to clarify that this is not an official thread in any way, and is not endorsed by XSEED Games, nor do the opinions within reflect the views of XSEED Games or anyone affiliated with them. This thread is made by a fan that simply wants to inform people about the games and answer people's most frequently asked questions.

This spoiler free thread is intended for those who have never played this entry before and want to know more about it. If you find this post useful, feel free to link it if someone asks about the game. It is my hope that this will provide all the information needed for a newcomer to decide if this game is for them.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II is a traditional story-based RPG made by Nihon Falcom and translated by XSEED Games. It is the 7th game in the ongoing Trails Series of RPGs. It is also the 2nd entry in the Trails of Cold Steel Quadrilogy. As someone who has played though this saga in the order it was localized, I’m making this thread to answer some of the questions new players may ask about the franchise as well as to inform players as to what they can expect from this entry.

I’ll start with the basics: This is a story-heavy, character-driven, turn-based party RPG. It is a slow-paced game with large amounts of text and has a focus on worldbuilding, lore, and dialogue.

This is a PC port developed by XSEED; the games were previously released by Falcom on only PS3 and PS VITA. This version will be able to run at an increased frame rate, where the console versions had noticeable slow-downs at times. This version will also have an increase of 50% extra voiced lines, taking the previously 10,000 voiced lines to 15,000! This PC version also has the 'Turbo Mode' feature and the option for Japanese audio, both of which its console counterparts, barring the upcoming PS4 versions are lacking.

Now I will try to answer what will most likely be the most asked questions, but the first 4 questions will be aimed at those who haven’t played the first Cold Steel, while all the other questions after those 4 will be aimed at those who already have beaten the first Cold Steel:

Q. Is it ok to start with this game?

A. The answer is: No, you cannot start with this game. Trails of Cold Steel II is a direct sequel to “Trails of Cold Steel” (sometimes called “Trails Of Cold Steel I”), and assumes you have already played that game. You will not understand the story or know who any of the characters are without playing Trails of Cold Steel I first. Playing this game before Cold Steel I will also greatly spoil the first Cold Steel. Even the Store Page for this game has spoilers for the previous entry in its synopsis due to this game being a direct sequel.

Trails of Cold Steel II, as the 7th entry in this extremely interconnected game saga, also has more spoilers and references to the Trails in the Sky Trilogy and Crossbell Duology than the first Cold Steel did.

Please read the next 3 questions for additional information.

Q. 7th game? How many other games are there? And how are the games connected?

A. Here is a spoiler free guide I made that explains the franchise itself and details what games are in it: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1573053847 It is spoiler free and is meant to explain the series, a little of its history, what games there are in this saga and what orders the games can be played in. If you want a link to the write-up in thread-form rather than guide-form, you can see here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/538680/discussions/0/1489992080521266147/

To answer the question in this thread: Trails of Cold Steel II is the seventh game in the Trails Series as well as the second entry in the Trails of Cold Steel Quadrilogy. The first game in the Trails Series is Trails in the Sky. The Trails Series is a sub-series of another RPG franchise called The Legend of Heroes.

The Trails Series is a highly interconnected saga of RPG games which take place on the continent of Zemuria and tell an overarching and continuous main story. These games are made by Nihon Falcom and are localized into English by XSEED Games.

Trails games are text-heavy story RPGs with a strong focus on characters, writing, dialogue, and world-building. Hailed as one of the largest, longest and most meticulously detailed turn-based party JRPG series of all time, the ongoing Trails saga has quickly become Ys developer Nihon Falcom's most popular and best-selling franchise in their entire 35+ year history. Introducing people, places, ideas, events and lore that rival in complexity those of even the most highly-regarded fantasy epics in literature, the care and attention given to each and every NPC, location and historical in-game event is what sets The Legend of Heroes: Trails Series apart from its contemporaries.

There are currently nine main entries in the Trails Series with more confirmed to be coming in the future:

• Trails in the Sky -- (Sometimes called Trails in the Sky FC)
  
• Trails in the Sky SC
  
• Trails in the Sky the 3rd
  
• Trails to Zero
  
• Trails to Azure
  
• Trails of Cold Steel
  
• Trails of Cold Steel II
  
• Trails of Cold Steel III
  
• Trails of Cold Steel IV: End of Saga

The games are divided into story "Arcs" with each Arc introducing a new nation and main cast. The entire saga tells one main overarching story spanning all the games, with each Arc telling a piece of that story.

All these Trails games take place on the same continent of Zemuria with the Sky games taking place in one country (called Liberl), the Zero-Azure games in another (called Crossbell), and the Cold Steel games in yet another country (called Erebonia). So far the titles that have seen an official localization in English are:

• Trails in the Sky -- (Sometimes called Trails in the Sky FC)
  
• Trails in the Sky SC
  
• Trails in the Sky the 3rd
  
• Trails of Cold Steel
  
• Trails of Cold Steel II

All 5 of these titles are also available on PC right now. Trails to Zero, Trails to Azure, and Trails of Cold Steel IV have not been localized yet. Trails of Cold Steel III was announced to be localized by NISA and is set to release Fall 2019.

Q. What about Cold Steel III and IV? And what about the Zero and Azure games?

A. Cold Steel III was announced to be localized by NISA and is set to release Fall 2019. Cold Steel IV was only recently released in Japan and since it takes around 2-ish years to localize a Trails game, it'll probably be a little while before we hear an announcement regarding that entry.

The Zero-Azure games (often called the Crossbell games after the name of the state they take place in) have not been announced for localization yet. XSEED only recently localized Trails in the Sky the 3rd in 2017, finished porting Trails of Cold Steel I and II to PC in 2017 and 2018 respectively, and are now localizing the PS4 ports of Cold Steel I and II for an early 2019 release, so let’s give them time; these are very difficult games to localize after all.

Q. So I can’t start with this game, then where do I start?

While Trails in the Sky First Chapter is often considered the most recommended and ideal starting point, there are two other “entry points” that you may prefer over starting with that entry: Trails of Cold Steel is one of them, as is the currently unlocalized Trails to Zero. I will list what are essentially the “pros and cons”, so to speak, of starting with each entry so you can see which you prefer to start with:

Trails in the Sky FC: The first game in the series and starting point of the whole saga. This game is widely considered to be the best place to start.

• Pros: No spoilers for other games. No missed references from other entries. More unique main protagonist. Gives some of the most in-depth explanations for several core elements of the series that later games may not give. English voice acting. Has Turbo Mode feature on PC. Does a great job of introducing the series, world, and setting up the main story of this saga.
  
  
• Cons: Dated gameplay and 2D graphics. Common old-school RPG setting. Slowest paced game in the series. One of the shortest entries in the series. Generally considered to have the least memorable soundtrack. Has very little voice acting, only being present in battle. No Japanese voice acting. Uses more old-school tropes.
  
  
• Other: The game uses common old-school RPG tropes and settings. The game has the oldest graphics out of all the games, but while it is a bit dated, the game has for many of its characters numerous face portraits that ooze personality. The game has the slowest overall pace out of the three games listed here, but it is also by far the shortest at around 40-60 hours on average.
  
  This game has the most simplistic gameplay overall, which can make it harder to get into than the other entries. This can either make it so you will want to play a newer entry first to get more invested in the series before going back to this game, or you may prefer starting here so that all the games afterwards will be further improved. This game is also the most difficult out of the three entry points.

Trails to Zero: The fourth game in the series and second game designed as a sort of entry point. This game is widely considered to be the least friendly entry point out of the three.

• Pros: Generally considered to have the least-used and most interesting setting out of the three entry points. Has a great soundtrack. Currently has Japanese voice acting. Improved gameplay and 2D graphics. Is a longer game. A bit faster paced.
  
  
• Cons: Well... it hasn't been localized yet. Contains a few moderate spoilers and one big spoiler for the Sky Trilogy. Some moments will lose their intended impact if you haven't played through them first. Current lack of Turbo Mode and English voice acting. Very slow start.
  
  
• Other: This entry probably has the most balanced gameplay out of these three games and is a little easier than FC and a little harder than CS I. The game is slow to start, but does pick up its pace and is around 60-80 hours on average, which is a little longer than FC and a little shorter than CS I.
  
  Zero has a number of spoilers and references to the Sky Trilogy along with a big spoiler for those games. Though it is also often considered the least ideal jumping on point out of these three entry points mostly due to particular plot moments expecting the player to have played the Sky Trilogy for, which leads to some scenes losing their intended impact if you haven't.

Trails of Cold Steel I: The sixth game in the series and third game to be considered an entry point. This game is widely considered to be the second best place to jump into the series.

• Pros of starting with this game: Large and varied cast. Further improved gameplay. Has large amount of great voice acting. Has English voice acting. Has Japanese voice acting on PC and PS4. Has a great soundtrack. Is a longer game. A bit faster paced. Has Turbo Mode feature on PC and PS4.
  
  
• Cons of starting with this game: Common modern RPG setting. Dated 3D graphics. Uses more modern tropes. Contains one big spoiler for Trails in the Sky SC and many minor spoilers and references to the Sky Trilogy and Crossbell Duology.
  
  
• Other: The first game in the series to have 3D graphics. The easiest of the three. This entry's setting is that of a military academy. This game uses more modern tropes. The game is a bit faster paced then FC, but is also much longer at around 80-100 hours on average.
  
  When CS I and II where first announced for localization, Xseed wrote a localization blog which you can read here: http://xseedgames.tumblr.com/post/120804314195/the-legend-of-heroes-trails-series-localization where the President of Falcom, Toshihiro Kondo, explains that Cold Steel I is intended as a jumping on point, where people who are new to the series and who are interested in the newest game, can play through and, if they enjoyed it, can go back and play the older ones.

I feel it is important to note that while some of these are more generally recommended that others, each of these games are viable entry points that any newcomer can start with. None of the spoilers or references in these entries will outright ruin your experience of any other game in the series.

It is usually most recommended to start with FC as it is the first game and most intended starting point in the series. CS I is often the next most recommended as it is easy to get into and doesn't contain that many spoilers and references. Zero is often the least recommended due to having the most spoilers and references of the three. That being said, all three games are intended to be entry points and you may find one of them more appealing for various reasons (For example: Zero's setting or Cold Steel's gameplay) then another. And if that's the case, feel free to start with the one you prefer and if you end up enjoying CS I or Zero, you can always go back to FC afterwards.

Anyway, for jumping into Trails there are really two places you can start with right now:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/538680/The_Legend_of_Heroes_Trails_of_Cold_Steel/ This is the first Trails of Cold Steel and it was made as an entry point for newcomers to the series. If you want to know more about it, I made a Spoiler Free F.A.Q. for that game which you can find either pinned on the first game’s Discussion Boards or by clicking this link: http://steamcommunity.com/app/538680/discussions/0/2592234299559789411/

http://store.steampowered.com/app/251150/The_Legend_of_Heroes_Trails_in_the_Sky/ This is the first game in the entire Trails Series. You can start here and play through the rest of the Trails in the Sky Trilogy before getting into Trails of Cold Steel I and II if you want to better understand the story of all the games. If you want to know more about it, I also made a Spoiler Free F.A.Q. for that game which you can find by clicking this link: http://steamcommunity.com/app/251150/discussions/0/1480982338965272722/

Also, as I mentioned earlier, you really won't want to start with any of the sequel games as they will completely assume you have played at least one of the games that came before it. The sequel games being: Trails in the Sky SC, Trails in the Sky the 3rd, Trails to Azure, and Trails of Cold Steel II, III, and IV; you won’t want to start with any of those entries. Hopefully this will help you to decide which entry to start with if you choose to jump into this series.

With all that said, the rest of this F.A.Q. will focus on answering questions that players who have beaten the first game may ask regarding this sequel.

Q. Is there any information or supplementary material I should know about before starting this game? Since you have to beat the first Cold Steel to understand this one, are there any other games I have to play before this game? Do I have to play the Sky games first? What about the Crossbell games?

A. For your first question: Yes, aside from the fact that you must beat the first Cold Steel before playing this game, you should also read the Drama CD ‘Returning Home’, which XSEED officially translated on the official website for Trails of Cold Steel II; ‘Returning Home is directly connected to the story in the first game and will be referenced in this game. There is also a manga that provides some extra backstory for a certain character that has a more prominent role in this game than in the first Cold Steel.

First I’ll talk about the Drama CD: The Drama CD is called ‘Returning Home’ and takes place after the beginning of the Final Chapter of Cold Steel. It should not be read until you have beaten the first game or at least until you’ve reached that specific point in the game.

The story of this CD was originally intended to be a part of the game, but had to be cut due to time restraints, but it was important enough for them to want to include it into the story in some way, thus the Drama CD. The events of the Drama CD are referenced early on in Cold Steel II so it is worth a read through.

XSEED, deeming it important enough to buy the rights to and translate the scripts of, have provided an official translation of the 2 Drama CDs for the Cold Steel games (There is one Drama CD for Cold Steel, and another for Cold Steel II) on their Cold Steel II website for free for anyone to read (they were only able to get the rights to the story in text-form, though, so there isn’t any audio). The site itself (excluding the CS II Drama CD) doesn't contain any important spoilers for CS II if you've already seen the trailer, however some people like going in completely blind without seeing anything about the game or even watching the trailer. The link I've provided below links straight to the first Drama CD. As long as you don't browse the site you are in no danger of being spoiled.

Here is the link to the first Drama CD, ‘Returning Home’: http://www.trailsofcoldsteel.com/cs2/memoirs1.html

Make sure you don't read the translation for the first Drama CD if you haven’t gotten to the Final Chapter of CS I, yet. And make sure you don’t read the second Drama CD until you've played CS II. And for anyone reading this who hasn't beaten the first game yet: make sure you don't browse the site until you do if you don't want to be spoiled.

Now as for the manga: There is a manga called 'Ring of Judgment' that takes place either during or after Trails in the Sky the 3rd and serves as a kind of prequel to Trails to Zero, although it also has to do with Erebonia as well. It's also the first time we get to see the character Toval, who appears in Cold Steel I and II.

(As a note: The Ring of Judgment Manga may contain minor spoilers for the currently unlocalized "Trails to Zero")

It was translated by Omgfloofy and proofread by Gu4n and Yotaka. I asked her for permission to provide a link to her site (Endless History) with the download on it, and she was kind enough to allow it! Obviously you should play through the entire Sky Arc before reading it, but here it is for anyone who wants to: https://www.esterior.net/2016/08/translation-wednesday-bonus-ring-of-judgment-complete-download/

That is the link to the page with the completed manga for download. This link will take you to the Prologue of it that also holds a description of the manga as well as links to the other Chapters, should you prefer to download them one at a time, rather than all at once: https://www.esterior.net/2016/01/translation-tuesday-the-legend-of-heroes-zero-no-kiseki-pre-story-the-ring-of-judgment-prologue/

Also from the site: "Though it may be straight forward for most, please remember that this is a Japanese manga and it hasn’t been flipped. As a result, remember to read from right to left!"

If the download links don't work or if there is something wrong with them on the site's side of things, make sure to let Floofy know.

For your second question: You only have to beat Trails of Cold Steel I to understand the story in Trails of Cold Steel II, however, Cold Steel II is far less kind with spoilers and references to the other games than Cold Steel I was. There is a section in this game that will lose its impact if you haven’t played the Crossbell games, and there is also a New Game Plus scene in this game that will lose its impact if you haven’t played through Trails in the Sky the 3rd.

Now for your third question: You do not have to play through the Trails in the Sky Trilogy to understand this game’s story, but this game has many more references and spoilers for the Sky games than the first Cold Steel did. There is also a canonical story scene in this game that you can get in a NG+ playthrough that will lose meaning if you haven’t beaten the Sky Trilogy.

So while it is not mandatory for understanding this game’s story, I would personally recommend anyone, who hasn’t already done so, to play through the Trails in the Sky Trilogy before this game, to fully appreciate it and to avoid getting spoiled on the those games. But ultimately you do not have to in order to enjoy and understand (for the most part) this game and its story. If you do decide to play this entry before all the Sky games, I would recommend you do not watch the NG+ exclusive scene until you have beaten Trails in the Sky the 3rd.

Now, lastly, for you fourth question: This game contains more references and spoilers for the Crossbell games than the first Cold Steel did. Nothing too major is spoiled and both Trails of Cold Steel I and II and Trails to Zero and Azure take place at the same time, meaning that both games reference the events of the other. In the “Additional Notes” you can find towards the end of this F.A.Q. you can find more information regarding how Cold Steel I and II and Zero and Azure are connected.

As a note: Trails to Zero and Trails to Azure have not been localized yet. Trails of Cold Steel III and IV have not been localized yet either. If they become playable in English or if you understand Japanese, I would then highly recommend playing the Crossbell games after Cold Steel II and before playing Cold Steel III and IV, as Cold Steel III and IV fully expect the player to have played all previous games in the Trails Series, including all of the Sky and Crossbell games.

As for whether or not I would personally recommend playing this game before the Crossbell games: If you have already played the first Cold Steel, it’s probably best to play this one next as well.

There is one specific part in this game, however, that does expect the play to have played the Crossbell games for. This part doesn't contain a major amount of massive spoilers, but it does contain one important one and a lot of minor ones. There will also be some stuff that you won't understand and will lose impact without having played Zero and Azure.

There is a way to avoid this part in the game, but to elaborate would involve minor spoilers in regards to where in the game this part is located. In order to keep this F.A.Q. as spoiler free as possible, I will not disclose how to avoid it in this write-up. I will leave a spoiler tagged comment on the second page of comments below this F.A.Q. for those who wish to avoid this part. (It is the 24th comment.)

How do I carry over my Clear Save Data from beating the first game to this one? And what exactly gets carried over?

A. When you go to start a New Game or New Game + on Cold Steel II, the game will automatically detect any Clear Save Data you might have from the first game. All you have to do then is select your Clear Save File.

The things that carry over:

• Your level (to a certain degree): You do not start Cold Steel II at the level you were at when you beat the first game. Instead, your level will determine which of 3 rewards you are given towards the start of Cold Steel II:
  
  1. If you are Level 69 or under, you will receive 100 of each type of Sepith, a Zeram Powder, and an Attack 1 Quartz.
     
     
  2. If you are between Level 70 and Level 79, you will receive 300 of each type of Sepith, a Zeram Powder, an Attack 1 Quartz, and a Soul Blur Quartz.
     
     
  3. If you are Level 80 or above, you will receive 500 of each type of Sepith, a Zeram Powder, an Attack 1 Quartz, a Soul Blur Quartz, and a Saintly Force Quartz.
• Your Academic Rank: If your Academic Rank was high enough in Cold Steel I, it will determine which of 2 rewards you are given towards the start of Cold Steel II:
  
  1. If you reached Rank A1, you will receive the Silver Emblem accessory, which gives you: HP +500 and EP +50
     
     
  2. If you reached Rank A0, you will receive the Golden Emblem accessory, which gives you: HP +1000, EP +100, and STR/DEF/ATS/ADF +10
• Extra NPC dialogue (to a certain degree): There may be a few NPCs who will remember you in this game if you helped them out in the previous game, and will have some small additional dialogue.
  
  
• Who you chose to dance with in the first game, and which characters you had the option to dance with: Any characters you had the option to dance with in the previous game will have extra dialogue for you in this game, and the person you did dance with you will get additional Link Experience for them.
  
  
• Your costume DLC: Any costume DLC that you bought for the first game will carry over to this game.

Q. Are there any additions to the combat from the last game? The battle system is still turn-based, right? Is the general gameplay still the same?

A. Trails of Cold Steel II is still turn-based, yes, as are all the Trails games. This game has an expanded battle system which includes more Divine Knight battles (as shown at the end of the first game), a new ability called “Overdrive”, various new Arts, Crafts, S-Crafts, and Quartz, and new party members throughout the game!

Allow me to briefly go over a couple of these new additions to the battle system:

• The Divine Knight battle system introduced in the first game is expanded more in this game, allowing for more fleshed out battles.
  
  
• Overdrive is a new ability that linked characters can use after meeting certain conditions. Overdrive allows these linked characters to have 3 turns in a row. Using Overdrive will restore a small amount of HP, EP, and CP to your linked characters, and during Overdrive, any Arts used can be cast instantly with no casting time.
  
• In this game your Orbment slots are upgradable! Some Quartz are restricted to a certain Slot Level that you will need to upgrade to with Sepith. Upgrading a character’s Slot will increase the maximum amount of EP your character can have. These upgraded Slots will be able to use higher leveled Quartz, which can increase your Stats and give you access to more powerful Arts.

As for the general gameplay: It is mostly the same as the first game, but there are a couple changes and additions worth mentioning:

• Change of setting: Due to the story events in the first game, Cold Steel II does not primarily take place in a Military Academy like in the first game. You will spend most of the game in a large portion of Eastern Erebonia.
  
  
• Structure: This game has a less rigid structure than in the previous game, which followed the same “Academy ~> Field Study” structure for most of the game. This game has its own structure that changes a few times throughout the game, though, for the most part, this game does have a “Hub ~> Different Location” structure.
  
  
• Less linearity and more freedom: You have much more freedom in Eastern Erebonia in this game. During the later portions of the game you will even be able to walk the roads between towns. You are also granted much more freedom with your party compositions, in that you can change your party members out as you see fit for a good portion of the game.
  
  
• Transportation: You will have multiple methods of travel in this game apart from simply walking. One of which being a horse should you meet the requirements to obtain one.
  
  
• Field Attacks: This game allows you to chain multiple Field Attacks together instead of just repeating the one Field Attack in the first game, which makes getting an advantage on enemies is a bit easier.

Q. How’s the game’s difficulty compared to the first game?

A. Cold Steel II is both harder and easier than the first game in different ways. Cold Steel II is overall harder as they nerfed some of the powerful skills from the first game, and made accuracy a more important stat to manage, but this game also introduces more powerful skills and spells that make overpowering enemies in the late game a bit easier than in the first Cold Steel.

Overall I would say those two things balance themselves out and make Cold Steel II’s difficulty around the same as Cold Steel I’s, or possibly a little easier or harder depending on the player.

As always with Trails games, this game features experience scaling. Meaning you should always be around the expected level for wherever you are in the story, and managing your gear, such as armor, weapons, and quartz, will make a more noticeable difference than just level grinding.

Q. Does this game have controller support? Will we be able to rebind the mouse and keyboard controls? Can I play the game though the game with just the mouse like in the previous games?

A. This game provides full controller support. The mouse and keyboard controls will be fully customizable.

As with the first Cold Steel, you will lack the ability to play through the game with only a mouse as was possible in the Sky Trilogy; you will need to use a keyboard with it in cases such as navigating the menu. Here is a quote by Durante (the man who is most responsible for the work on this port): "The menus are only usable with the keyboard (well, you can assign mouse buttons too of course, the point is that you can't point using the cursor). There's just too many menus and too much code not at all built for pointing devices involved to change that with a viable amount of effort."

Q. Does this game have censorship?

A. This game is not censored at all. There is simply nothing in this game that would even need censoring, anyway, as it is a very “T” rated game.

Q. This game is rated "T", right? What kind of content is in this game? Is it appropriate for children or teens?

A. This game was indeed rated "T" by the ESRB. You can read their summary of the content contributing to the rating here: Trails of Cold Steel's ESRB Rating Summary[esrb.org]

As a side note: PC games do not need to be rated by the ESRB so the summary was made for the PS3 and PS VITA versions of the game. That being said, the summary is still accurate for the PC version, as the PC version did not add any new content that would affect the rating in any way.

As for the last question: If you are a parent, I would not presume to know whether or not you should allow your child to play this game. But I would have to agree with the ESRB's "T" rating of this game and would not personally recommend this game to anyone that is not a teenager.

Q. How is the music?

A. The music is, as always with Falcom, amazing! The Falcom Sound Team JDK once again provided another great soundtrack. Cold Steel II has some returning tracks from Cold Steel I, as well as a bunch of new boss themes, travelling music, and atmospheric pieces.

That being said, be very careful if you look up the music for Cold Steel II, as it is possible that the title of some tracks may contain spoilers. Also if you listen to the soundtracks on YouTube, be wary of the comment section, as there may be spoilery discussions being had there.

Q. How is the graphical quality compared to the first game?

A. Trails of Cold Steel II was released one year after the first game, so there are no sweeping visual changes. However some of the animations are redone and look slightly better. And there are several new places you didn’t get to visit in Cold Steel I that you do get to visit in this game. There are also new Arts and Crafts in this game, so there are definitely more visuals, but for the most part, the game looks about the same as its predecessor.

Q. What is the port quality like?

A. This port, just like with the first Cold Steel, is being done by Durante.

This port will be just as good as the first one – if not better! This game comes with all the same additions as the first game (50% extra voice acting, Turbo Mode, and the option for 60 FPS and even unlimited FPS among other additions) as well as a couple additions that are new to this port, such as fully customizable button prompts and an instant resume feature that allows players to launch directly from Steam to their most recent save.

Q. Will this version of the game feature Cross Save functionality? Can I use my saves from my PS3/PS VITA playthrough?

A. Unfortunately not. The PC version of this game does not feature Cross Save compatibility with the PS3 or PS VITA versions.

Q. Which language does the game come in?

A. This game comes with English and Japanese audio options as well as the option for both English and Japanese text.

Note: Only the PC and PS4 versions come with the option for Japanese audio and only the PC version comes with the option for Japanese text. XSEED has stated that they were not allowed to use the Japanese voices for the PS3 and PS VITA versions.

Q. Is the English voice acting good? What about the translation?

A. The English voice acting is not only very good, but even better than in the first game! The voice over perfectly matches each character, and the overall casting was very well done as there isn't a single voice that doesn't fit the character speaking. Each character is voiced naturally and blends together well with the writing to convey the game's believable writing and make the characters seem alive. The voice acting also reaches fantastic heights in this game’s emotional scenes.
As for the translation: XSEED Games is known for doing a great job of localizing games and this game is no exception! As with the previous Trails games, the phenomenal writing quality of Falcom and the great localization by XSEED bring the characters to life. The writing of the game flows naturally and is brimming with humor and life and the translation absolutely conveys that (and even adds to it in some cases).

This game also features the return of the chest messages* from the Sky Trilogy, albeit in a more limited manner. ;)

*For those who don’t know about the chest messages: Check the “Additional Notes” section for more details.

Q. So I’m interested in the game but where can I buy it?

A. The game is available to purchase on Steam, GOG, and Humble Bundle. A Special Edition version of the game will be released on PS4 in the future. It was also released previously on PS3, PS VITA, and is compatible with PS TV, but only the PC and PS4 versions have the 5,000 extra voiced lines, improved graphical quality, Japanese audio, and Turbo Mode.

Q. Is there any DLC for this game? Is any costume DLC I might have purchased for the first Cold Steel game available in this game?

A. The console release of the game had mostly cosmetic DLC; there is no story or essential DLC for the game. All the DLC costumes that you purchase for Trails of Cold Steel I will carry over into this game! The costume DLC for the first Cold Steel is purchasable through Steam, and you can also click this link:
http://store.steampowered.com/bundle/3936/The_Legend_of_Heroes_Trails_of_Cold_Steel__Class_VII_Casuals_Set/ (Note: It may not work in all regions)
to purchase them all at a bundled discount.

To redeem the in-game DLC, go to the DLC tab in the Camp Menu and select the ones you wish to use. Every time you start a New Game or New Game Plus, you can redeem them again. In other words: You can redeem them on each and every one of your playthroughs, even if you already redeemed them on your previous playthrough.

Q. So what if I played the first Trails of Cold Steel game and didn’t like it?

A. All of the Trails games are similar at their core in that they are slow paced with a strong focus on dialogue, world-building, and character interactions, and this game is no exception. Trails of Cold Steel II’s story picks up where the first game left off and has a more prominent focus on story than the previous game did. Trails of Cold Steel I focused on building up a story, and Cold Steel II will provide pay off for that while also building up for the next games in the series.

Story-wise: The story has picked up a little pace after the previous game’s ending. This game does not have a school setting and you will be travelling more while focusing on a more direct plot than in the first Cold Steel.

Character-wise: The characters, while also developing further a little from where they were in the first Cold Steel, are more focused on the plot, instead of on their own day-to-day problems.

Gameplay-wise: The game is less linear and more open than the previous game, and you are offered more freedom when choosing your party members and where you can travel to. There are also a few extra additions to the gameplay in its battle system and in how you travel.

So while you may find this game more enjoyable than the previous, this game is still at its core the same type of game that Cold Steel I was. And while Cold Steel II does develop its story and some of its characters more, Cold Steel II is still only the second game in a four game Arc and the seventh game in the Trails Series, so there will still be some focus on building up to future games, and this game, while having faster story pacing than the previous, is still a slow paced game as also the rest of the franchise is.

Q. I’m not new to the franchise, but I haven’t had the chance to play this entry until now. I played and enjoyed all the previous game (or just the first Cold Steel), but how is this one? Should I play it? How does it compare to the other games? Is it just as good?

A. If you played and enjoyed the previous games you should absolutely play this game.

This game is of the same quality as previous entries, but it is worth remembering that while this game focuses on its story a bit more than its characters, this is still only the second game in a four part Arc and the seventh game in the Trails Series, so it will still leave you with unanswered questions.

This Arc is only at its halfway mark with this game and, as you know, Trails games start paying off with story and character developments.

While one could say that Cold Steel II is the “Second Chapter’” to Cold Steel I’s “First Chapter”, I would instead say that, due to this Arc’s massive scale and scope, it is more like Cold Steel I and II are the “First Chapter” to Cold Steel III and IV’s “Second Chapter”, with CS II being the second half of a pay off game. This is just my personal opinion, though. All the Trails games ask and answer questions. Cold Steel II is a fantastic entry in this series and I personally think it’s even better than the first game, just don’t expect the game to answer every question and wrap up all the story and character developments as you’re only halfway through at this point! ;)

Q. Where's the best place to get news on the franchise? And how will I know when more games come out?

A. One of the places to watch for Trails related news is all Social Media run by XSEED Games. That currently includes their Twitter and Facebook Page[www.facebook.com]. They even have a page dedicated solely to The Legend of Heroes: Trails Series[www.facebook.com]. Since NISA has localized Ys VIII and will be localizing Trails of Cold Steel III as well, here is a link to their Twitter as it may be a good idea to keep an eye on that in case of more announcements regarding those entries or future Falcom localizations.

The best place for news regarding The Legend of Heroes, Trails, and all other Falcom games is Endless History[www.esterior.net]. Endless History was created, is owned, and primarily handled by Omgfloofy. Endless History is a site dedicated to Falcom and has all the latest news, reliable sources, and even translated interviews! Endless History also hosts various fantranslations of some of the supplementary material that Falcom has made for a few of their IPs (intellectual properties). You can also follow Endless History and even Nihon Falcom themselves directly on Twitter. Here is Endless History's Twitter and Nihon Falcom's Twitter (It's important to note that Falcom will often promote their most recently released and upcoming games, meaning they might post pictures that can spoil you on previous games in the franchise).

Q. If someone has a question about the game that's answered in this thread, can I copy portions of this thread to show them?

A. Of course! Anyone and everyone is free to use portions of this post as they see fit. If you wanted to copy and paste this entire post and post it elsewhere, you are fully free to do so. You do not even have to credit me. I made this thread for the purpose of helping people to learn about this franchise. As long as it helps, that's good enough for me!

Well, with that, I think that's all of the questions and answers that I can think of.

There are still some additional notes, credits, and some closing words that may interest you below, but let me take the time to say this now: If you are reading this, then allow me to thank you! It is my hope that this thread will inform others about these amazing games!

Whether you read this whole post or just skimmed through it, I hope this thread proved helpful to you in some way.

Additional Notes:

One of the neat things Xseed Games added to the Trails in the Sky Trilogy, when they localized the games, is chest quotes! If you interact with an already opened treasure chest you will get a funny/amusing line of dialogue. In the original version of the game each treasure chest merely said “This chest is empty” for every chest, but since each “This chest is empty” message was its own line of text, Xseed decided to have some fun with it.

Almost every chest message is unique, though there are a handful of duplicate messages. So make sure you check every chest in the Sky Trilogy twice if you don’t want to miss any of them!

For Trails of Cold Steel, however, Falcom had improved their coding so there was no opportunity to insert the phrases in those entries. That being said, Xseed did find a way to slip them in, in an albeit more limited way, for Trails of Cold Steel II. ;)

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The timeline of the games so far are: Trails in the Sky FC comes first starting in the year 1202 of the Septian Calendar. Sky SC takes place shortly after FC during parts of 1202 and 1203. Sky the 3rd takes place a few months after SC during 1203.

Zero is set during 1204 and takes place shortly after 3rd. Cold Steel starts shortly after Zero begins and the 2 games happen at the same time but in different countries.

Azure starts shortly after Zero but also runs concurrently with CS I. CS I ends during Azure and Cold Steel II starts shortly after, also taking place at the same time as Azure. Azure ends in 1204. Cold Steel II ends in 1205 shortly after Azure.

Cold Steel III is set in 1206 about a year after CS II. Cold Steel IV starts shortly after Cold Steel III.

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Another fact worth mentioning: Originally Falcom's plan was to go straight to Erebonia after the Liberl Arc before going to Crossbell, but changed their mind and decided to make Trails to Zero after Trails in the Sky SC. While they were working on Zero, however, they felt they needed to introduce more lore and do more world-building before that. So they stopped work on Zero and went back and made Trails in the Sky the 3rd, which has a large amount of lore and world-building and provides a lot of backstory for some of the series' characters as well as introduces plot points for later games in the saga.

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As an added note for those interested: the Japanese release order of the games so far is: Sky FC 2004, Sky SC 2006, Sky the Third 2007, Zero 2010, Azure 2011, CS I 2013, CS II 2014, CS III 2017, CS IV 2018. There are currently more games in development as well with the next release likely being 2-3 years after CS IV’s release.

The English release order so far has been: Sky FC 2011, Sky SC 2015, CS I 2015, CS II 2016, Sky the Third 2017.

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If you are wondering whether it is okay to play the Cold Steel games before the Sky games since they take place after Sky: You can play Cold Steel I and II first, but it isn’t usually recommended as Cold Steel I has a major character spoiler for one of the Sky cast that is casually revealed in the game, while it is kept a secret until Second Chapter in the Liberl Arc. In Cold Steel II you have far more spoilers for Sky FC and SC as well, including a major story spoiler, along with many major character spoilers.

There are also some references to the Liberl Arc, although they are not important to the main story of Cold Steel I (Cold Steel II’s main story is less nice about this as it expects you to know certain things from the Sky Arc and won’t explain them). All that being said, CS I and II are able to be played and enjoyed even without the Sky games, and there have been times where a new comer to the series was motivated to play the Sky games after playing the Cold Steel games. I would recommend someone to start with Cold Steel if they were hesitant to play an older game, like Sky, or if they want to see if the series is for them before deciding to jump into the franchise.

So yes, while it's not ideal, you can play the Cold Steel games before the Sky games if you really wanted to and it might even help encourage you to play through the Sky games if you were having trouble getting into them initially. And while it's best to start with Sky, the first 2 Cold Steel games are still solid RPGs that can be enjoyed without the Sky games, although they are even more enjoyable after having play the Sky Arc. Also, this is in regards to Cold Steel I and II. Cold Steel III and IV will expect you to have played through both the Sky Arc and the Crossbell Arc and will spoil nearly everything about those two Arcs along with making constant references to all the previous entries.

If you are wondering whether it is okay to play the Cold Steel games before the Crossbell games since the games take place at the same time: You can play Cold Steel I and II before the other games and it will not ruin the experience of the Crossbell games. But it bears saying that the games do overlap each other at points where an event will happen in one country and will be talked about in the other, this is one of the things the saga is most known for and does best: creating an over-arching story taking place in a living, breathing world.

As for whether or not you will be spoiled on events in one game by playing another first, the games keep the details about what is happening in other countries to a minimum and is told in such a way that the characters of one Arc are just as curious about what’s going on as you are. It is told in a way that whichever Duology you play first will give you a different perspective on the events of the other games, so while it will be a different experience to play Zero/Azure after CS I/CS II then if you had played Zero/Azure before CS I/CS II, it is not a worse experience.

Falcom President, Toshihiro Kondo, has even stated, when they asked XSEED to localize CS I and II, that the first Cold Steel game was made knowing newer players may want to jump into the franchise with it. Thus it was intended as a sort-of ‘jumping in’ point for newer players. Here is XSEED's blog post about it: the blog that was written by XSEED when Cold Steel I and II where first announced for localization. [xseedgames.tumblr.com]

Though in the case of Trails to Azure, it will expect the player to have played through Trails to Zero and the Trails in the Sky Trilogy, and in the case of Trails of Cold Steel III and IV they will expect the player to have played through every previous game including Trails of Cold Steel I and II, the Sky Trilogy and Zero-Azure Duology.

For much more detailed explanations regarding this and how the franchise itself is structured, check out this spoiler free guide to the Trails Series: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1573053847

It is spoiler free and is meant to explain the series, a little of its history, what games there are in this saga and what orders the games can be played in. If you want a link to the write-up in thread-form rather than guide-form, you can see here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/538680/discussions/0/1489992080521266147/

Credits:

Thanks to Durante for your amazing work on this port. Special Thanks to Omgfloofy for bringing the ‘Ring of Judgment’ manga to the English speaking Trails communities through your site, Endless History, and for all your translation efforts. And Thanks to Gu4n, Yotaka, and Endless History as a whole, for the help they provided in making this manga available to be read.

And of course, the highest thanks to Nihon Falcom and XSEED Games for the creation and localization of this amazing franchise. Please continue providing us with an enjoyment only you can bring.

All of you have this fan’s most heartfelt thanks. <3

Closing Words:

Nihon Falcom has been around since 1981 and has made some of the best RPGs out there. Whether you’re a Falcom newcomer or a longtime fan, I hope you will enjoy this game as much as I do!

Apologies for any formatting errors in this thread. If any new information comes out I will try to update the info in my post, also if there is any inaccurate info or info I may have left out, please feel free to let me know in the comments. And if you have any questions about the game that I didn’t answer feel free to ask them in the comments. I will do my best to answer any that I can, and I’m sure others will be able to help you out, too. And for those who comment: remember to be polite in your discussions and no name-calling! Let’s make sure we can be there to help anyone who needs it. :)

Happy gaming all!

[Illusion]

Wow, great job! Helped to answer a few questions I had in mind for the game. While I knew the person you danced with had additional dialogue, I was not aware that if you had other characters available for the dance option were included in it too. Glad I won't have to scurry around to find out all of their individual extra dialogues.

[Oostin]

Nice, hopefully this thread will get pinned as well.

[nooblet]

Nice!!!! I didn't know about the drama cd XD, and thx to your advice back when christmas sale is going on that I decided to buy this game XD.

[jlawleraz]

Mods, please pin this thread like the one for the first Trails of Cold Steel game.

Q. How many characters can Rean bond with compared to the first Trails of Cold Steel game?

[pibedetorres]

My only concern, right now: will we be able to import not only CS1's DLC costumes but also the in-game ones we were able to unlock in CS1 as NG+ content? I'm asking because I'd love to see Rean wearing his pajamas for the whole game when I finish CS2 and need to replay it for missing achievements and bonding events.

Also, thank you once again for your amazing FAQs!

[That's ich!]

Originally posted by pibedetorres:

My only concern, right now: will we be able to import not only CS1's DLC costumes but also the in-game ones we were able to unlock in CS1 as NG+ content? I'm asking because I'd love to see Rean wearing his pajamas for the whole game when I finish CS2 and need to replay it for missing achievements and bonding events.

Also, thank you once again for your amazing FAQs!

Swimsuits or bust!

[Cold_Reverie]

Originally posted by nooblet:

Nice!!!! I didn't know about the drama cd XD, and thx to your advice back when christmas sale is going on that I decided to buy this game XD.

No problem! :D

Originally posted by pibedetorres:

My only concern, right now: will we be able to import not only CS1's DLC costumes but also the in-game ones we were able to unlock in CS1 as NG+ content?

I don't believe any of the NG+ costumes carry over. I'm not 100% sure, but I think you can still get them if you unlock them again with this game's NG+ Carry Over Points.

Originally posted by jlawleraz:

Q. How many characters can Rean bond with compared to the first Trails of Cold Steel game?

It's been while since I last played, so I can't give any definitive numbers, but I think you overall have a little more people you can bond with in this game. Not all of them have a Final Bonding scene, though, since some of the characters you can bond with might be NPCs.

Similar to the first game, you will start out with only a few people you can bond with, but it will increase as the story advances. Not all characters will be available for bonding at all times; you will have various new characters you can bond. For the most part, you should be able to bond with the main cast, mostly similar to the first game, for most of the later 'Free Days' (I'm not sure if they are called 'Free Days' in this entry.).

[Tonton]

For the bonding, in the first part of the game you can bond with a select few characters when possible and there are three new characters only available at that part of the game that don't get final bonding events at the end of the game (but you get a bonus from the one you have the highest bond when they leave) while the second part everyone will be available when bondings are available and there is one new character to bond with.
Only one character doesn't return from the first game for bonding events.

Also i believe, unlike the first game, it should be possible to remap gamepad controls this time. Ah i think i saw this in the port section instead of the controller support one

[pelthis]

Just passing by to tell you once again "thank you" for putting so much time and efforts in making these (:

[That's ich!]

is there a way to tell a mod to pin this?

[Ru]

I don't mind minor spoilers, so besides that NG+ scene, are there any other spoilers in CSII that are significant enough to ruin any part of the Sky games for me? I already own the trilogy, but I'm still playing the first game and haven't gotten too far into it yet.

[SandyBoi]

Doesn't Bleublanc talk about (CS2 spoilers) Joshua and Renne when they are at Watchtower in Nord Highlands when Sharon appears to save the cast from his "Shadow Stitching" or whatever its called?
That's one.

I believe Bleublanc also talks about Liber Ark with Rean, though only for a tiny bit during the Intermission.

[Cold_Reverie]

Originally posted by Nui:

I don't mind minor spoilers, so besides that NG+ scene, are there any other spoilers in CSII that are significant enough to ruin any part of the Sky games for me? I already own the trilogy, but I'm still playing the first game and haven't gotten too far into it yet.

If you've already started Sky First Chapter, Cold Steel II will have a moment in the first half of the game which contains an important character spoiler at the end of FC. There is also information given in CS II which spoils certain reveals and fates of two important characters in Sky Second Chapter. There is also one important plot spoiler for Second Chapter halfway through CS II.

If someone hadn't started the Sky games, I would say it's probably okay to play CS II before them because the player would likely not understand the spoilers in CS II, so by the time they went back to the Sky games, they would most likely not remember those details in Cold Steel II. But since you've already started the Sky games, you would at least get spoiled on a couple things.

Ideally, I'd say it's best to finish FC and SC before playing CS II if you've already started FC, but I also wouldn't say that there is anything in CS II that could totally "ruin" your experience with the Sky games, so it depends on how adverse you are to the spoilers I mentioned above.

EDIT:

Originally posted by SandyBoi:

Doesn't Bleublanc talk about (CS2 spoilers) Joshua and Renne when they are at Watchtower in Nord Highlands when Sharon appears to save the cast from his "Shadow Stitching" or whatever its called?
That might be one.

(Trails of Cold Steel II and Trails in the Sky SC Spoilers) Yep. It reveals that both characters were Enforcers and that neither are still with Ouroboros at the time.

[Ru]

Originally posted by Cold_Steel_III:

If you've already started Sky First Chapter, Cold Steel II will have a moment in the first half of the game which contains an important character spoiler at the end of FC. There is also information given in CS II which spoils certain reveals and fates of two important characters in Sky Second Chapter. There is also one important plot spoiler for Second Chapter halfway through CS II.

If someone hadn't started the Sky games, I would say it's probably okay to play CS II before them because the player would likely not understand the spoilers in CS II, so by the time they went back to the Sky games, they would most likely not remember those details in Cold Steel II. But since you've already started the Sky games, you would at least get spoiled on a couple things.

Ideally, I'd say it's best to finish FC and SC before playing CS II if you've already started FC, but I also wouldn't say that there is anything in CS II that could totally "ruin" your experience with the Sky games, so it depends on how adverse you are to the spoilers I mentioned above.

I see. Thanks. In that case, I'll try to get to SC before the release of CS II. I should at least be able to finish FC by then, anyway. For the SC spoilers though, how far into SC would I have to progress in order to get to the point where I wouldn't be spoiled in CS II?

[Cold_Reverie]

Originally posted by Nui:

I see. Thanks. In that case, I'll try to get to SC before the release of CS II. I should at least be able to finish FC by then, anyway. For the SC spoilers though, how far into SC would I have to progress in order to get to the point where I wouldn't be spoiled in CS II?

You would have to beat SC. Two of the important SC spoilers in CS II are end game spoilers.

As an aside, while FC is long and SC are longer, both were a bit shorter to play through than Cold Steel I and II, at least for me, so hopefully it won't take too long for you to beat them.