Dragon Slayer-Legend of Heroes-TITS series

[Raithos]

Nah I wouldn't skip them in hopes of others being brought over first. They mentioned reasons before why they skipped VII part 1 and 2 (if that's what you're referring too). Cold Steel is really good so far from what I've played. I will get more into it when I get some time off next month. Been too busy to really sit down with an RPG lately.

[AnimeGamer183]

I'll break down the Trails/Kiseki games real quick

Trails in the Sky First Chapter and Second Chapter came out first, they are basically one long continuous story and setup the entire series.

Trails in the Sky The 3rd is the next story, and while it does have alot of returning characters, the main protaganists are different and its another story arc all its own and completes the Legend of Heroies VI collective. Also it sets up many branching story elements going into the Legend of Heroes VII collective.

Trails of Zero (Zero no Kiseki) and and Trails of Azure (Ao no Kiseki) make up the Legend of Heroes VII collective also known as the Crossbell arc (since thats the part of the world these games take place in). Alot like 3rd there are new characters and returning characters and cameos and more interlacing storyline elements that appear in Trails of Cold Steel. I have not played these so im not exactly at liberty to explain much about them other than what I have heard. Also XSEED holds the trademarks and rights to both of these games should they choose to release them.

Then there is the Trails of Cold Steel trilogy that we already know about, they are a side series/continuation of the previous Trails/Kiseki games but are not Legend of Heroes VIII. Cold Steel again has many returning elements character cameos and interlacing story elements from the previous games, especially from the 2 Crossbell arc games LoH VII previously mentioned.

Basically this series is one big cluster fuck of interlacing storylines and characters from The 3rd and beyond lol I have spent a good bit of time on the XSEED forums talking to the guys that already know about all these games (with out spoiling them of course). And boy have these fans been skeptical about the future of the series in the west, many people doubted 3rd would ever come out, not convinced Second Chapter sold enough to warrant the next game (although I saw it as inevitable the whole time), and also the staff working on them at XSEED seem to be pretty fired up about remaining games due to all the hard work and struggle its been to release everything they have done so far, also XSEED stated that the Trails series has sold 350K in the West so far.

Many people are frustrated about the release schedule of the games so far, mainly them jumping into Cold Steel before others, but the general verdict is if this is the only way we will get these games, so be it. But Cold Steel, while a different story from the other games, is technically being release out of chronological order and again there are plenty of references and interlacing storylines from the previous games. Also Falcom themselves asked XSEED to go ahead and localize the Cold Steel series now, probably to try to solidify the series in the west so they can take the west more into consideration when developing these games from here on out.