Best Trails / Kiseki Games On Nintendo Switch

Best Trails / Kiseki Games on Nintendo Switch
Image: Nintendo Life

The Trails / Kiseki series might be one of the biggest RPG franchises around right now — at least, in terms of size and scope.

This storied JRPG saga takes place on the continent of Zemuria and follows different interlinking arcs, characters, and stories. Everything is carefully interconnected, with events affecting other storylines and characters frequently reappearing in future games. And with a staggering 12 mainline games to follow — with a 13th coming out in Japan later this year — its reputation is nothing short of prolific.

The series has been steadily arriving on Switch since 2020, but which one is the best one? Well, we’ve decided to rely on you, the lovely readers, to rank each of the games. And with The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak — the 11th game in the franchise and the 7th title to release on the console in the West — coming out this summer, now is the perfect time to set a course and ride the Trails train.

Don’t worry, this list isn’t set in Cold Steel — you can click on the star next to the game title below and give the game a rating out of 10, and you may well influence the order. So if you’re not happy with the number one pick, then you might be able to change that. It’s all in your hands.

With that, let’s have a look at the best Trails / Kiseki games on Nintendo Switch:

The Legend Of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV (Switch)

The Legend Of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV (Switch)

Publisher: NIS America / Developer: Nihon Falcom

Release Date: 9th Apr 2021 (USA) / 9th Apr 2021 (UK/EU)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III (Switch)

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III (Switch)

Publisher: NIS America / Developer: Nihon Falcom

Release Date: 30th Jun 2020 (USA) / 30th Jun 2020 (UK/EU)
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails (Switch)

The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails (Switch)

Publisher: NIS America / Developer: Nihon Falcom

Release Date: 19th Sep 2023 (USA) / 19th Sep 2023 (UK/EU)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure (Switch)

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure (Switch)

Publisher: NIS America / Developer: Nihon Falcom

Release Date: 14th Mar 2023 (USA) / 17th Mar 2023 (UK/EU)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie (Switch)

The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie (Switch)

Publisher: NIS America / Developer: Nihon Falcom

Release Date: 7th Jul 2023 (USA) / 7th Jul 2023 (UK/EU)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero (Switch)

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero (Switch)

Publisher: NIS America / Developer: Nihon Falcom

Release Date: 27th Sep 2022 (USA) / 30th Sep 2022 (UK/EU)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many games are there in the Trails / Kiseki series?

At the time of writing this, there are 12 mainline games in the Trails / Kiseki series and three spin-offs. Of the main series in the West, five games are on Switch, plus one spin-off. The next Switch title to launch in the West will be the 11th entry, Trails through Daybreak, which arrives in Summer 2024.

The direct sequel, titled Kuro no Kiseki II in Japan, does not have a Western release date, but launched in Japan on PS4 and PS5 in 2022. A 13th game, Kai no Kiseki – Farewell, O Zemuria, was announced later 2023 and is coming out in Japan in 2024.

What is the best Trails / Kiseki game to start with?

There’s no easy way of saying this, but the best place to start really is the beginning of the franchise, so The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is the ideal place to start.

Of course, that’s not available on Switch, so the next best thing is to start at the beginning of an arc. That means if the Switch is your only means of playing the games, then the best place to start is The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero.

Cold Steel III isn’t the worst place to start, but it casually name-drops and spoils essential events from both the Liberl and Crossbell arcs and plenty of characters from each arc drop in and out of the story. So if you start there, prepare to be confused. Just… maybe don’t start with Azure, Cold Steel IV, or Reverie.

If you’re into action RPGs, though, then The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is largely unrelated to the mainline series, so that’s also a perfectly fine entry point.

Can you play the Trails / Kiseki games in any order?

It’s not recommended, but you definitely can — you just might have a few gaps. The series is known for having a long, interconnected story, and characters and events pop up in multiple games in the series. But only part of the series is available on Switch, so if that’s your only method of playing the series, then you’ll have a few gaps.

Ideally, you at least want to play the respective arcs before moving on to another arc. This fantastic guide from RPGFan does a great job of summarising each entry/arc, but we’ll bundle them together for you here. These are also listed in Japanese release date order:

  • Liberl Arc – Trails in the Sky, Trails in the Sky SC, Trails in the Sky the 3rd (PSP/PC only)
  • Crossbell Arc – Trails from Zero, Trails to Azure (Available on Switch)
  • Erebonia Arc – Trails of Cold Steel, Trails of Cold Steel II, Trails of Cold Steel III, Trails of Cold Steel IV, Trails into Reverie (Cold Steel III, IV, and Reverie available on Switch)
  • Calvard Arc – Trails through Daybreak, Trails through Daybreak II, Kai no Kiseki (Trails through Daybreak out Summer 2024 in West on Switch).

Is The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky coming to Switch?

Nothing has been confirmed at the moment, but Nihon Falcom president Toshiro Kondo has spoken multiple times about porting Falcom’s back catalogue to other consoles, including the Switch.

He’s also specifically mentioned previous Trails games. Here’s an extract from an interview from 2022 from Kondo:

“…we’re currently testing out the feasibility of porting the other entries in the Trails series that aren’t represented on the platform to Nintendo Switch. At the same time, we’re evaluating to the degree we might be able to have further entries in the series developed for the hardware. Of course, these discussions aren’t just limited to Trails, and we’re also considering the possibility of releasing our other franchises on the platform.”

So maybe one day we’ll be able to experience Estelle Bright’s adventures in Liberl on the Nintendo Switch. However, the Sky games and first two Cold Steel games were localised by a different publisher to NIS America — XSEED — so there’s no guarantee those will make it to the West if that happens.

What is The Legend of Heroes?

You might be wondering why this list is called Best Trails / Kiseki games when actually, most of the series starts with The Legend of Heroes moniker.

Created by Nihon Falcom, The Legend of Heroes series started as a spin-off to the action RPG series, Dragon Slayer. Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes was the first game in this new spin-off franchise, and it launched on the NEC PC-8801 in Japan in 1989. The first five games in The Legend of Heroes series include two Dragon Slayer spin-offs and the ‘Gagharv trilogy’ — Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch, A Tear of Vermillion, and Song of the Ocean. These were released from 1989 to 1999. Only the Gagharv trilogy is available outside of Japan and Asia on the PlayStation Portable.

After Song of the Ocean, Nihon Falcom developed a new title in The Legend of Heroes series which would become the start of another subseries — The Legend of Heroes VI: Trails in the Sky, which would later be known as simply The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. This is where Trails starts.

Do you need to play The Legend of Heroes games before Trails?

In short, no. The first five games in The Legend of Heroes series are not really connected to the games set in Zemuria — that’s from Trails in the Sky to Kuro no Kiseki II. Both Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes and its direct sequel tell a separate story from the Gagharv trilogy. And the Gagharv games aren’t connected to the Trails / Kiseki games, either.

There are fan theories, of course, and little nods to those previous games — just keep an eye out for fun references if you have played those older games. But otherwise, you’re perfectly safe to play just the Trails games. Phew…


That’s it for now, but if you’re a series fan, then you know we’ll be back adding more games to this in the future — and hopefully, the entire series will reach the Switch one day.

Let us know what your favourite game in the Trails / Kiseki series is in the comments.

Best Trails / Kiseki Games on Nintendo Switch
Image: Nintendo Life

The Trails / Kiseki series might be one of the biggest RPG franchises around right now — at least, in terms of size and scope.

This storied JRPG saga takes place on the continent of Zemuria and follows different interlinking arcs, characters, and stories. Everything is carefully interconnected, with events affecting other storylines and characters frequently reappearing in future games. And with a staggering 12 mainline games to follow — with a 13th coming out in Japan later this year — its reputation is nothing short of prolific.

The series has been steadily arriving on Switch since 2020, but which one is the best one? Well, we’ve decided to rely on you, the lovely readers, to rank each of the games. And with The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak — the 11th game in the franchise and the 7th title to release on the console in the West — coming out this summer, now is the perfect time to set a course and ride the Trails train.

Don’t worry, this list isn’t set in Cold Steel — you can click on the star next to the game title below and give the game a rating out of 10, and you may well influence the order. So if you’re not happy with the number one pick, then you might be able to change that. It’s all in your hands.

With that, let’s have a look at the best Trails / Kiseki games on Nintendo Switch:

The Legend Of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV (Switch)

The Legend Of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV (Switch)

Publisher: NIS America / Developer: Nihon Falcom

Release Date: 9th Apr 2021 (USA) / 9th Apr 2021 (UK/EU)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III (Switch)

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III (Switch)

Publisher: NIS America / Developer: Nihon Falcom

Release Date: 30th Jun 2020 (USA) / 30th Jun 2020 (UK/EU)
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails (Switch)

The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails (Switch)

Publisher: NIS America / Developer: Nihon Falcom

Release Date: 19th Sep 2023 (USA) / 19th Sep 2023 (UK/EU)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure (Switch)

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure (Switch)

Publisher: NIS America / Developer: Nihon Falcom

Release Date: 14th Mar 2023 (USA) / 17th Mar 2023 (UK/EU)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie (Switch)

The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie (Switch)

Publisher: NIS America / Developer: Nihon Falcom

Release Date: 7th Jul 2023 (USA) / 7th Jul 2023 (UK/EU)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero (Switch)

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero (Switch)

Publisher: NIS America / Developer: Nihon Falcom

Release Date: 27th Sep 2022 (USA) / 30th Sep 2022 (UK/EU)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many games are there in the Trails / Kiseki series?

At the time of writing this, there are 12 mainline games in the Trails / Kiseki series and three spin-offs. Of the main series in the West, five games are on Switch, plus one spin-off. The next Switch title to launch in the West will be the 11th entry, Trails through Daybreak, which arrives in Summer 2024.

The direct sequel, titled Kuro no Kiseki II in Japan, does not have a Western release date, but launched in Japan on PS4 and PS5 in 2022. A 13th game, Kai no Kiseki – Farewell, O Zemuria, was announced later 2023 and is coming out in Japan in 2024.

What is the best Trails / Kiseki game to start with?

There’s no easy way of saying this, but the best place to start really is the beginning of the franchise, so The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is the ideal place to start.

Of course, that’s not available on Switch, so the next best thing is to start at the beginning of an arc. That means if the Switch is your only means of playing the games, then the best place to start is The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero.

Cold Steel III isn’t the worst place to start, but it casually name-drops and spoils essential events from both the Liberl and Crossbell arcs and plenty of characters from each arc drop in and out of the story. So if you start there, prepare to be confused. Just… maybe don’t start with Azure, Cold Steel IV, or Reverie.

If you’re into action RPGs, though, then The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is largely unrelated to the mainline series, so that’s also a perfectly fine entry point.

Can you play the Trails / Kiseki games in any order?

It’s not recommended, but you definitely can — you just might have a few gaps. The series is known for having a long, interconnected story, and characters and events pop up in multiple games in the series. But only part of the series is available on Switch, so if that’s your only method of playing the series, then you’ll have a few gaps.

Ideally, you at least want to play the respective arcs before moving on to another arc. This fantastic guide from RPGFan does a great job of summarising each entry/arc, but we’ll bundle them together for you here. These are also listed in Japanese release date order:

  • Liberl Arc – Trails in the Sky, Trails in the Sky SC, Trails in the Sky the 3rd (PSP/PC only)
  • Crossbell Arc – Trails from Zero, Trails to Azure (Available on Switch)
  • Erebonia Arc – Trails of Cold Steel, Trails of Cold Steel II, Trails of Cold Steel III, Trails of Cold Steel IV, Trails into Reverie (Cold Steel III, IV, and Reverie available on Switch)
  • Calvard Arc – Trails through Daybreak, Trails through Daybreak II, Kai no Kiseki (Trails through Daybreak out Summer 2024 in West on Switch).

Is The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky coming to Switch?

Nothing has been confirmed at the moment, but Nihon Falcom president Toshiro Kondo has spoken multiple times about porting Falcom’s back catalogue to other consoles, including the Switch.

He’s also specifically mentioned previous Trails games. Here’s an extract from an interview from 2022 from Kondo:

“…we’re currently testing out the feasibility of porting the other entries in the Trails series that aren’t represented on the platform to Nintendo Switch. At the same time, we’re evaluating to the degree we might be able to have further entries in the series developed for the hardware. Of course, these discussions aren’t just limited to Trails, and we’re also considering the possibility of releasing our other franchises on the platform.”

So maybe one day we’ll be able to experience Estelle Bright’s adventures in Liberl on the Nintendo Switch. However, the Sky games and first two Cold Steel games were localised by a different publisher to NIS America — XSEED — so there’s no guarantee those will make it to the West if that happens.

What is The Legend of Heroes?

You might be wondering why this list is called Best Trails / Kiseki games when actually, most of the series starts with The Legend of Heroes moniker.

Created by Nihon Falcom, The Legend of Heroes series started as a spin-off to the action RPG series, Dragon Slayer. Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes was the first game in this new spin-off franchise, and it launched on the NEC PC-8801 in Japan in 1989. The first five games in The Legend of Heroes series include two Dragon Slayer spin-offs and the ‘Gagharv trilogy’ — Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch, A Tear of Vermillion, and Song of the Ocean. These were released from 1989 to 1999. Only the Gagharv trilogy is available outside of Japan and Asia on the PlayStation Portable.

After Song of the Ocean, Nihon Falcom developed a new title in The Legend of Heroes series which would become the start of another subseries — The Legend of Heroes VI: Trails in the Sky, which would later be known as simply The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. This is where Trails starts.

Do you need to play The Legend of Heroes games before Trails?

In short, no. The first five games in The Legend of Heroes series are not really connected to the games set in Zemuria — that’s from Trails in the Sky to Kuro no Kiseki II. Both Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes and its direct sequel tell a separate story from the Gagharv trilogy. And the Gagharv games aren’t connected to the Trails / Kiseki games, either.

There are fan theories, of course, and little nods to those previous games — just keep an eye out for fun references if you have played those older games. But otherwise, you’re perfectly safe to play just the Trails games. Phew…


That’s it for now, but if you’re a series fan, then you know we’ll be back adding more games to this in the future — and hopefully, the entire series will reach the Switch one day.

Let us know what your favourite game in the Trails / Kiseki series is in the comments.

      Guidantech
      Logo
      Shopping cart