Do I need to Play Cold Steel 1 first? Or other Legend of Heroes games first?

[Rambo]

I'm new to this series, but I like the graphics of this last installment. Should I start with Cold Steel II or Cold Steel I? Or go back further? Are the games self-contained? Thanks for tips.

[Oostin]

If you just want to play Cold Steel then start with Cold Steel 1 as it was made with new players in-mind, you won't lose much by starting with the Cold Steel and you could always play the older games if you want.
But if you want to start the Trails series chronologically, then start with the Sky games if you want the extra references and the full story and stuff.

[Gearmos]

Bear in mind that Cold Steel I & II and Trails in the Sky & SC are the same game split in two, respectively. In fact, your save file will carry over to the next game.

[Mizufluffy]

If you are new to the series then you might want to check out this guide written by Cold_Steel_IV
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1187195045

I believe it should be able to answer any questions you might have on your mind before jumping into the series.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

The series is broken up into arcs, and you can start at any of them. Yes, each arc ties into the larger overarching story, but ultimately each arc has a self contained story that has a definitive beginning, middle, and end. Each arc thoroughly establishes the setting and the characters, and gives you relevant information without spoiling the big moments of the previous games. At the end of the day, what matters most is that you enjoy what you play. Given that each game is at least fifty to sixty hours long, don't feel like you have to trudge through several "prerequisite games" just to play the game you were interested in in the first place. Start at whichever game appeals to you the most! :)

Trails in the Sky arc: First Chapter -> Second Chapter -> the 3rd
Follows a boy and a girl as they set out to become certified bracers (adventurers). As a very typical JRPG plot structure with a band of quirky sidekicks and ancient evil shenanigans. Has a heavy emphasis on adventure.

The Crossbell arc: Zero no Kiseki -> Ao no Kiseki
Follows a young man who has become a police officer in Crossbell city, a Hong Kong-esque state that is disputed by two rival superpowers. As he tries to crack down on crime, he also comes to become the guardian of a mysterious little girl. Has a heavy emphasis on politics.

The Cold Steel arc: Cold Steel 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4
Follows a young man who has become lost in the world, unable to find happiness or his place in the world. He decides to throw his life away and become an army officer, and enrolls at Thors Military Academy when his life is turned upside down by the political upheaval that soon consumes the country. Has a heavy emphasis on politics.

You can buy the 'Sky arc and the first two games of the Cold Steel arc on Steam or GOG. You can buy Zero no Kiseki using Luke's guide linked below.

How to buy Zero no Kiseki: https://www.reddit.com/r/Falcom/comments/7jee3m/how_to_legally_buy_zero_no_kiseki_trails_to_zero/?st=jg7mt157&sh=de00624b

How to install English translation (very good!) for Zero:
https://imgur.com/a/ra5u4

[Cold_Reverie]

Hello! Apologies for the lengthy post.

Trails of Cold Steel II is a direct sequel to Cold Steel I and you will be completely lost as to who the characters are or what has happened in the story if you start with Cold Steel II.

As for starting with Cold Steel over Trails in the Sky: You can play Cold Steel I and II without having played the Sky Trilogy and still enjoy and understand the games' story for the most part. There will be some references and spoilers for the previous games though.

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.

Basically, this game was made with the knowledge that newcomers may want to trying jumping into the series with it. Cold Steel II is less kind about references and spoilers than CS I, but you can still enjoy and mostly understand the game's main story without having played any previous games, except for the first Cold Steel which you will definitely want to play first.

Trails of Cold Steel III and IV (currently unlocalized), however, will expect the player to have experienced all the previous Trails games.

Since you are new to the series, allow me to, without spoilers, give a bit of info about the series as a whole and how it's structured. I feel it will help to give you a better idea of where this franchise stands and what it's all about. The spoiler free guide/write-up I made that Mizufluffy linked can give you more info if you want to know more after this post.

The Trails Series is a highly interconnected saga of 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. There are currently three Arcs in the Trails Series with more confirmed to be coming in the future:

• The Liberl Arc -- The first Arc in the series. It is comprised of the Trails in the Sky Trilogy.
  
  
• The Crossbell Arc -- The second Arc in the series. It is comprised of the Zero-Azure Duology
  
  
• The Erebonia Arc -- The third and most recent Arc in the series. It is comprised of the Trails of Cold Steel Quadrilogy.

The nine current games make up three Arcs. Each Arc begins by introducing a new main cast and the nation the rest of the Arc will mostly take place in. The beginning of each Arc is relatively stand-alone, but as the Arc continues it will start focusing on the Trails Series' main story and will require knowledge from all the games that came before it.

Whether or not you should start with the first Sky game or the first Cold Steel game is up to you and what you prefer. I will list what are essentially the “pros and cons”, so to speak, of both starting entries:

Trails in the Sky FC (First Chapter): 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. 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.
  
  
• 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 is slower paced, but it is also shorter at around 40-60 hours on average.

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 a great soundtrack. Usually easier to get into.
  
  
• Cons of starting with this game: Common modern RPG setting. Dated 3D graphics. 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. A bit easier than FC. This game uses more modern tropes and settings. The game is a bit faster paced then FC, but is also much longer at around 80-100 hours on average.

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.

That being said, I feel it is important to note that while FC is generally the best some starting point, both of these games are viable entry points that any newcomer can start with. None of the spoilers or references in Cold Steel I (and Cold Steel II to a lesser extent) will outright ruin your experience of any other game in the series.

You may find Cold Steel more appealing to start with for various reasons (For example: Cold Steel's more modern look or QoL improvements), and if that's the case, feel free to start with the there and if you end up enjoying CS I you can always go back to FC afterwards.

Also, all the Trails games on PC, including the Sky games, have a Turbo Mode option that allows you to speed up the game to your liking with the press of a button. There are even different speeds for battles and overworld travel.

If you want more info on either Sky FC or CS I, I made spoiler free FAQs (frequently asked questions) for both games which you can find here for FC: https://steamcommunity.com/app/251150/discussions/0/1480982338965272722/

and here for CS I: https://steamcommunity.com/app/538680/discussions/0/2592234299559789411/

As an aside, a bunch of Falcom games, including all the Trails games, are currently on sale on Humble Bundle. Though with Thanksgiving/Black Friday and Christmas/New Year coming up there will likely be some Steam sales as well.

From what I know, Humble Bundle is a storefront where you can purchase the games and you will get a code to apply on Steam. You can also get the games on GOG through them.

For all the Trails games: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/search?sort=bestselling&search=The%20Legend%20of%20Heroes

For all the Falcom games on sale: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/search?sort=bestselling&developer=Nihon%20Falcom

Just figured I'd let you know in case you wanted to know.

Tl;dr: You definitely should start with Cold Steel I before II. It's perfectly fine to start with Cold Steel I without having to play the Sky games first, but the Sky games do have a Turbo Mode button that can make it easier to get into after having played Cold Steel, so it can be good to play CS first and if you end up liking it, you can go back to Sky afterwards and maybe after getting invested in the world from Cold Steel you'll find it easier to get into Sky, which you'll definitely want to play at some point since Cold Steel III and IV will expect the player to have played all the previous games.

Anyway, apologies for all the text. I hope this post proves helpful in some way.

[Furry Wrecking Crew]

Originally posted by American Rambo:

I'm new to this series, but I like the graphics of this last installment. Should I start with Cold Steel II or Cold Steel I? Or go back further? Are the games self-contained? Thanks for tips.

You can't play this game unless you have beaten Dragon Slayer: Legend of Heroes II.

[Dragon]

For the fullest/best/most fulfilling experience, you should start with Trails in the Sky, then play Trails in the Sky SC, then play Trails in the Sky the 3rd.

Trails in the Sky starts plot lines that continue into the Cold Steel games, and which will not be resolved until the end of Cold Steel IV.

A lot of people will advise you to skip the Sky games, but if you do that, then you will be depriving yourself of a whole lot of epic content and also the full experience.

The Sky games' graphics are a bit obsolete, but I'm you'll be able to get over that once you let yourself get immersed in the world and see how deep its story and character are.

[Cneq]

Yes, it's a absolute must. And further playing Trails in the Sky/SC first will make the game even more rewarding with the added world building. Basically the Trails series is one giant overlapping story that spans Trails in the Sky - Zero/Azure - Cold Steel to the point that even when Trails in the Sky was being worked on the main plot points for Zero/Azure & Cold Steel were already set in stone.

It can look overwhelming at first but I'd say just give the first Trails in the Sky a shot and if you enjoy it rest assured every game after only makes things even more enjoyable and it's one hell of a ride.

[Alex]

- Sora (Sky), all parts (!), is a must, because otherwise you won't understand a lot of things happening. It is basically a world, major factions and interactions setup. Also, it's quite good plotwise.

- Zero may be safely skipped, it is mostly a grinder filler with utlimately dull plot and no really important stuff. Although, it does set up some (not very important) premise for Ao, so do it at your discretion. Ao would be found lacking a start point without it, but still tolerable.

- Ao is better played before Sen, because otherwise it would be hard to grasp some of (political) developments. Also, Ao is terribly good compared to Zero, I'd say it's on par with any game of Sora series. And the scene of reunion with Tio at the Ursula hospital already makes it totally worth playing just by itself.

[Stabbey]

Playing Cold Steel 1 is an absolute must, you won't be able to understand what's going on in Cold Steel 2 at all otherwise. Playing the Sky trilogy is not required to specifically understand Cold Steel, but there are references to the Sky games in Cold Steel and experiencing the Sky games will help give a good deal of context to the world.

[Hat8]

Originally posted by American Rambo:

I'm new to this series, but I like the graphics of this last installment. Should I start with Cold Steel II or Cold Steel I? Or go back further? Are the games self-contained? Thanks for tips.

The games are not self-contained. You need to play part 1 to understand part 2.

[Alex]

Originally posted by Stabbey:

Playing the Sky trilogy is not required

I strongly oppose that.

You won't understand what Bracers are and why this military class 7 is so close to Bracers style of doing things without playing Sora 1. Without playing Sora 2, you will lose the whole Ouroboros camp and most of the prince affairs. Without playing grinder paradise aka Sora 3, you'll be dumbfounded at Church stuff (it's not very important for Sen though, but it's a good story, and it's very important for Ao). The Sora series do the whole world setup and building, and skipping it would make your Sen gameplay feel like walking totally in the dark.

And without playing Ao you won't understand the Crossbell issue, you will stumble at tricky politics here and there without understanding, and you'll miss out the whole deal of Garrelia fortress disappearance, and along with Sora it also gives a firm setup on a certain redheaded person.

Ao can be played before or after Sen though, it does not matter actually, it just adds another side of the story (because both Zero/Ao and Sen 1/2 happen at approximately the same time). But skipping Sora is definitely no-go.

Even Zero, being a dull grinder filler, sets up a decent bit of the Ao premise (plus character growth and relationships) so it's still good to be played before Ao.

---
PS. I tried to keep spoiler tags at the bare minimum, so decided to just hide actual points of application of the statements. For those who played everything: if I am still revealing something bad accidentally and this should be embraced with spoiler tags, please let me know.

[Stabbey]

Don't get me wrong, Playing the Sky games is strongly encouraged, but it's not as strictly required to understand Cold Steel 2 as it is to understand Cold Steel 1.

For instance, Bracers in Cold Steel 1 are first mentioned in the context: "The field study we just did in Celdic reminds me of the way Bracers operate.", and the game explains what Bracers do a few times.

I'm also not going to say that Crossbell is required to understand Cold Steel because both duologies spoil the other in some way, so spoilers are unavoidable, but largely because Crossbell is only available in Japanese right now which not everyone speaks.

[Alex]

Originally posted by Stabbey:

because Crossbell is only available in Japanese right now which not everyone speaks

Officially, yes. But well, there are even no signs about possibility of official English releases for Crossbell arc, so there are unofficial options out there.

For Crossbell, I don't yet know if it's best to play it before or after Sen. For me personally, playing it after seems more appealing (mostly 'cause it spoils a bit of Sen - i.e. our monster chancellor being shot - too badly), but I know it's basicaly a downshift of visuals so... :)

Originally posted by Stabbey:

the game explains what Bracers do a few times

Yeah, but strictly speaking, just explaining it is not enough. Having played Sora, you quickly start to feel Class VII duties are certainly inspired by the Bracers guild way of doing things at the very very beginning, and then when you see the prince as supporting director, you immediately understand why (with 'Aha! I knew it!') and guess you will be deeply involved with him in the future. Without playing Sora, the presence of Olivert will have almost no hidden meaning.

[Ghaleon]

Start with Sky FC/SC/3rd, then do cold steel 1, then 2. While I do not recommend skipping sky, you can if you are absolutely unable to tolerate the age of the game. If you can't enjoy older games, no point forcing yourself to start t here only to likely quit after a few hours.

Also be aware that these games start off slow for many people. I personally think it's a good thing rather than a bad thing. Starting off slow and mundane makes the character growth and progression feel more believable and significant. You're not going to be blasting tanks, rescuing princesses, and sabotaging nuclear reactors in Chapter 1 for these games.