THE LEGEND OF HEROES: HAJIMARI NO KISEKI

94%
Game Brain Score Based on 111 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
THE LEGEND OF HEROES: HAJIMARI NO KISEKI Game Cover
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"The Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kiseki" is the latest entry in the Kiseki series, now on Steam for its 15th anniversary. Following the Great Twilight, three protagonists across Zemuria are brought together by fate. With a cross-story gameplay system, players can switch between characters, viewing the story from separate perspectives within the same timeline, as they navigate the aftermath of the Great Twilight and its effects on Crossbell, the empire, and the looming threat of Ouroboros' Grandmaster.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 111 reviews
story12 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • The game features an intricate narrative that weaves together characters from different arcs, providing a rich storytelling experience that is both emotionally resonant and intellectually stimulating.
  • Gameplay mechanics, including the new Brave Order system and character customization through the Orbment system, enhance strategic depth and allow for diverse party builds.
  • The game is visually appealing with its distinctive anime art style, vibrant character designs, and a memorable orchestral score that complements the emotional highs and lows of the narrative.
  • The large cast of characters can be overwhelming, leading to a sacrifice in character development and making it difficult to manage abilities and equipment effectively.
  • The game suffers from performance issues, including crashes and slow loading times, particularly on certain hardware setups, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • Newcomers to the series may find the interconnected narrative and reliance on prior knowledge from earlier titles to be confusing and challenging to navigate.
  • story59 mentions

    The story of "Hajimari no Kiseki" continues the "Legend of Heroes" series' tradition of intricate storytelling and character development, featuring an ambitious narrative that intertwines the perspectives of three main characters across different regions. While many players praise the emotional depth and innovative "cross story" system, which enhances the narrative's complexity, some express confusion due to the reliance on prior knowledge from earlier titles in the series. Overall, the game is seen as a satisfying conclusion to the first half of the saga, though opinions vary on the pacing and coherence of the story across its multiple routes.

    • “The Legend of Heroes series has long been celebrated for its intricate storytelling, deep character development, and expansive world-building, and 'Hajimari no Kiseki' (Trails into Reverie) continues this tradition with an ambitious narrative that weaves together the threads of Erebonia, Crossbell, and Liberl.”
    • “The writing is rich and multifaceted, delivering a story that's both emotionally resonant and intellectually stimulating.”
    • “Hajimari did a fantastic job at fixing a lot of the issues I had with that and as the end to the first half of the series, it closed off a lot of the character arcs and storylines dating back to Sky and Crossbell, while also setting stuff up for the Calvard arc and beyond which I am really hyped up for.”
    • “I cannot gauge this story as well as I can with the other Trails games, on account that I don't know what the heck is happening.”
    • “The story is a bit lackluster and the game without a doubt has the cheesiest dialogues in all of the Trails games I have played.”
    • “The school setting shown in the screenshots of the game is actually just an episode which is not seamlessly integrated into the main story and has no direct relation to the main story either.”
  • graphics18 mentions

    The graphics of "Hajimari no Kiseki" maintain the series' signature anime art style, though many players feel the visuals are dated compared to more recent titles. While some appreciate the attention to detail, others criticize the lack of graphical innovation and optimization, noting issues like blurriness and poor performance on certain hardware. Overall, the visuals are considered decent but not impressive, with hopes for improvements in future installments.

    • “Visually, 'Hajimari no Kiseki' maintains the series' distinctive anime art style.”
    • “While not pushing the boundaries of graphical fidelity, the art direction captivates with its attention to detail.”
    • “The game series has improved animation graphically.”
    • “Sadly, I felt the visuals have always been the weakest aspect of this franchise, and it is no different here.”
    • “The game visuals have always looked dated to me, and comparing this to recent titles like Tales of Arise or Scarlet Nexus, some might wonder why they keep reusing the same game engine for the past three titles now.”
    • “However, this port is pretty disappointing; optimization for graphics and key bindings is horrible compared to the releases from Xseed and NISA.”
  • gameplay16 mentions

    The gameplay features a classic turn-based combat system enhanced by the new brave order mechanic, adding strategic depth and making battles more engaging. While some players found the gameplay to be somewhat mediocre, many praised its pacing and the overall fun factor, noting that it builds effectively on previous entries in the series. The combination of well-crafted characters and an intricate narrative further enriches the gameplay experience, appealing to both longtime fans and newcomers.

    • “Gameplay retains the classic turn-based combat system with the addition of the brave order system, enhancing strategic depth.”
    • “Great pacing and the gameplay is the best in the Kiseki series so far.”
    • “The gameplay in Haji was quite honestly the most fun I had in the series up to this point; the AI here actually gave me a run for my money at certain points, and the soundtrack was really great.”
    • “The gameplay is still kind of on the mediocre side, but that's not really what you play these games for.”
    • “I had enjoyed my time thoroughly even though some scenes felt cluttered, but it wasn't enough of a hindrance to my overall gameplay experience.”
    • “The gameplay is the same as the Cold Steel games; there are some side quests and lots of conversations with NPC characters.”
  • optimization9 mentions

    Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players report satisfactory performance, particularly on higher-end hardware, others express disappointment with poor graphics, limited optimization options, and occasional performance drops during cutscenes. Many users are calling for patches to address these issues and improve the overall experience.

    • “Performance is fine.”
    • “Game is well optimized (utilizes all 10 cores of my CPU).”
    • “In some cutscenes where there's a lot of characters on screen, it can drop performance a bit, but it picks back up immediately after.”
    • “However, this port is pretty disappointing; optimization for graphics and key bindings is horrible compared to the releases from Xseed and NISA.”
    • “Would not recommend for purchase unless CLE releases a patch to fix optimization issues.”
  • music8 mentions

    The music in the game, composed by Falcom's acclaimed sound team, is consistently praised as a standout feature, with many highlighting its high quality and emotional resonance. Reviewers note that the soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience, with specific battle themes and dungeon tracks receiving particular acclaim. Overall, the music is described as a fabulous score that complements the nostalgic elements of the series.

    • “The music, composed by Falcom's renowned sound team, continues to be a highlight.”
    • “Music: a fabulous score, as expected with the whole series.”
    • “The soundtrack in this game, fortunately, I can say on a higher note, was pleasing to listen to and the three main battle themes were very appropriate to their respective protagonist routes.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its over-the-top anime-inspired moments and amusing character reactions, often leading to both laughter and cringe. Players also noted the presence of funny bugs that added to the comedic experience, although they emphasized that the game's overall quality relies more on its story, world, characters, music, and gameplay than on humor alone.

    • “It's so hilarious seeing some boss do some flashy OP anime move and you just see 'reflect reflect reflect reflect' lmao.”
    • “I saw a few funny bugs in my playthrough, but I'm not a graphics person; story, world, characters, music, and gameplay are what makes a good game.”
  • character development3 mentions

    "Hajimari no Kiseki" continues the "Legend of Heroes" series' tradition of intricate storytelling and deep character development, featuring a vibrant cast and an ambitious narrative that connects multiple regions. However, the game's large ensemble cast leads to some sacrifices in character development, as it struggles with the "big cast issue," despite many characters having established backgrounds.

    • “The Legend of Heroes series has long been celebrated for its intricate storytelling, deep character development, and expansive world-building, and 'Hajimari no Kiseki' (Trails into Reverie) continues this tradition with an ambitious narrative that weaves together the threads of Erebonia, Crossbell, and Liberl.”
    • “The character designs are vibrant, and the game successfully balances the charm of its animated characters with the grandeur of its expansive landscapes and cityscapes.”
    • “First of all, since it's a sequel to the Cold Steel series, the cast is very large (and you even play more characters with some you don't expect, and that's great). Like Cold Steel, this game suffers from the 'big cast issue' that sacrifices character development, even though most of them already had their backgrounds completed.”
    • “First of all, since it's a sequel to the Cold Steel series, the cast is very large (and you even play more characters with some you don't expect, and that's great). However, like Cold Steel, this game suffers from the 'big cast issue' that sacrifices character development, even though most of them already had their backgrounds completed.”
    • “The character development feels rushed and superficial, leaving many characters underexplored despite their potential.”
    • “While the game introduces a variety of characters, the lack of meaningful interactions and growth makes it hard to connect with them on a deeper level.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its rich, multifaceted writing and an orchestral score that enhances the narrative's highs and lows, resulting in a memorable and immersive experience. Players appreciate the satisfying conclusion that ties together extensive storytelling while also delivering a touching individual story that hints at future developments.

    • “The writing is rich and multifaceted, delivering a story that's both emotionally resonant and intellectually stimulating.”
    • “The orchestral score complements the emotional highs and lows of the narrative, creating a memorable and immersive experience.”
    • “Such a satisfying conclusion to the hundreds of hours of storytelling, while simultaneously telling a touching individual story that sets up the future.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be both frustrating and rewarding; the extensive gacha system can lead to tedious farming due to a large loot pool, but it significantly enhances replayability by offering numerous unlockable content and rewards. While inventory management can be cumbersome, many adapt to it, appreciating the depth and variety that grinding provides for building their ideal team and progressing through the story.

    • “Well, there is also a gacha system, and it's very grindy and annoying because the loot pool is way too big. The chance of you getting what you want may make you give up on farming for the gacha.”
    • “It's thanks to this area that the replayability value skyrockets tenfold with the amount of things you can unlock, like side stories, mini-games, challenging foes, end-game story continuation, and most of all, grinding rewards for all your end-game dream team needs that you can take with you to the story aspect of the game.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game's replayability is significantly enhanced by a wealth of unlockable content, including side stories, mini-games, challenging enemies, and end-game story continuations, all of which encourage players to grind for rewards and build their ideal teams. This variety ensures that players have ample reasons to revisit the game.

    • “It's thanks to this area that the replayability value skyrockets tenfold with the amount of things you can unlock, like side stories, mini games, challenging foes, end game story continuation, and most of all, grinding rewards for all your end game dream team needs that you can take with you to the story aspect of the game.”
    • “That should sum up what I think about the replay value here.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game's stability has been criticized for not meeting the quality of previous titles, with persistent bugs and glitches remaining unaddressed since launch.

    • “This game is not nearly top quality compared to the previous titles, especially with the bugs and glitches that have remained unfixed since launch.”
    • “The stability issues in this game are frustrating; frequent crashes and performance drops make it nearly unplayable.”
    • “I expected a polished experience, but the constant bugs and server issues have ruined my enjoyment of the game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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