Anyone that’s been paying attention to Phenixx Gaming is well aware that we’re no strangers to Nihon Falcom or the Legend of Heroes franchise. We’re big fans of the Trails of Cold Steel games in the Legend of Heroes series as well. I covered Trails of Cold Steel IV on PlayStation 4 just a few months ago in fact. However, I’m always happy to see games I love coming to the Switch, and it is always a gamble. Let’s be real here, some games just don’t play well on the platform.

In The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV, the continent of Erebonia has been engulfed by the flames of war. After the events of Trails of Cold Steel III, dark forces are at work, attempting to bring about large-scale war, among other worse things. It is up to Class VII (both old and new) to fight back and bring Erebonia back to a state of peace, with the help of some familiar friends.

As usual, typical combat mechanics from the Trails series have come back into play. Things like Orbal arts, combat linking, Craft/S-Craft abilities, and Orders have all made a comeback. There are a few new things here and there, including some adjustments to the “Knight battles” (mech battles) from previous games. However, if you’re a fan of JRPGs or a returning franchise veteran, you’ll feel right at home.

In fact, with the number of difficulty options available, any player of any skill level should be able to enjoy the game. There are five difficulty levels, ranging from a story-focused Very Easy, all the way to Nightmare, for those truly masochistic players. The Instructor Rank from Trails of Cold Steel III returns with a subtle change.

It is now called the “Thors Unity Rank” and represents reconnecting with members of the Thors Military Academy, who are now scattered across this chaotic, strife-ridden Erebonia. The Thors Unity Rank also goes up as you do side quests for people, restoring people’s faith in the members of the academy. As always, you’ll spend a lot of time exploring as well as playing mini-games like fishing and Pom Pom Party.

Pom Pom Party is a Mean Bean Machine-esque puzzle game. The first time you beat a player, you’ll enrich your relationship with them. This is just one of many ways to bond with your party members and other NPC’s, adding another layer of depth to the game.

Nihon Falcom’s tendency for in-depth world-building continues, and as I mentioned in the PlayStation 4 review, there is over a decade’s worth of lore and history built into it. That is if you count the events of the Trails in the Sky franchise. That doesn’t mean you have to play every single game in the series to enjoy this one mind you. However, it does mean that if you do, your experience will be enriched.

With the Nintendo Switch version specifically, you get quite a bit of DLC, mostly cosmetics. I’ll be honest; some of the costumes are heavy on fan service to the game’s detriment. However, there are some costumes in there that are quite pretty and well done. If you like customizing your party visually, it’ll definitely get you started.

With so many possible party members, I really do wish the developers had figured out a six-member party layout. I think it would have really allowed for some interesting combinations and much less party shuffling for people who don’t use a set party. That’s a pretty small complaint though considering the combat is absolutely fantastic.

It blends strategy, effective party composition, and planning, all with multiple sets of mechanics and progression systems that are simple to learn, but difficult to master fully. I love an RPG that really lets me sink my teeth in and play around with mechanics. Plus, the later difficulties will really test your understanding and mastery of these mechanics and systems.

Also, you should know that technically Trails of Cold Steel IV has a true ending, along with several others. Because of that, the already 50-80 (conservatively) hours of gameplay you’re going to get, could very well be doubled if you want to dig deep for New Game Plus. The Switch version also lets you take it on the go, which is very convenient.

Overall, I 100% recommend Trails of Cold Steel IV to anyone that loves JRPGs or the Trails franchise. The music and the voice acting are well done. The visuals and level designs are fantastic too, with a lot of visual variety. Other than slightly longer load times on Switch, I can’t really tell the difference between the versions either.

It is also important to know, that Japan is getting a Switch release for the first two Trails of Cold Steel games in July, so we should see a port around October or November. It’ll be great for people to be able to play the entire set and experience Rean’s journey in full. As it stands, the conclusion to this chapter of his story is fantastic.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV was provided by NIS America for this review.

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The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV

$59.99 USD

9.5

Score

9.5/10

Pros

• Beautiful Visuals
• Fantastic Combat Mechanics
• Lots of Lore and Story Content
• Fun Mini-Games
• Huge Roster of Characters

Cons

• A Six-Member Party Would be Great