The Nintendo Switch has no shortage of quality JRPGS. Whether you’re carefully calculating your next big boss fight in Octopath Traveler, managing your army in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, or hacking and slashing your way through Xenoblade Chronicles 2, there’s a little something for everyone. With the arrival of The Legend of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel III to the library, the Switch has a new worthy contender in its lineup.
Originally released on the PS4 in October 2019, and later on Steam in March 2020, Trails Of Cold Steel III is a complex combination of all the JRPG aspects fans have come to know and love. Meaningful sidequests, a deep and intricate plot, tactical and engaging combat – it’s truly a love letter to the genre. Within the game, you follow the story of Rean Schwarzer, a recent military academy graduate who’s known as the “Ashen Chevalier”. Discovering a dark plot that threatens his homeland, Rean must gather his allies and fight for what he loves. Throughout his journey, he encounters a rotating cast of characters, some new and some from previous games. The Switch version is slightly lowered in frame rate and resolution, in order to accommodate its smaller specs compared to the PS4, but the game still looks amazing, both in handheld mode or docked onto your television.
Every part of Trails III feels carefully and lovingly designed, from the gorgeous Erebonian countryside to the unique combat system, boasting new features like Brave Order and the Break System, to even the minigames and sidequests. The amount of reading can feel daunting at times, and even with the well-designed interactive introduction, you might be a bit lost at parts if you haven’t played through the other two games. But with this release’s portability – courtesy of the Switch, it’s a great opportunity to pick up the other games and get into one of the best and richest JRPG series since Fire Emblem.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel III is available on the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. You can check it out here.