The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

The thing with this game is that, you will be engrossed for a while and that is the biggest compliment I can give to the game. If you love Traditional JRPGs and own a PSP, then it’s a must buy game.

92%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, optimization

94% User Score Based on 13,430 reviews

Critic Score 88%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $5.89

Buy NowGet on Steam$19.99

About

The Legend of Herooes: Trails in the Sky follows Estelle and Joshua, young bracers in training, as they adventure across their homeland of Liberl. They investigate a mysterious locket, leading them to uncover a sinister plot that threatens their world. This turn-based RPG features character-driven stories, strategic combat, and a richly detailed world to explore.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky screenshot

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 13,432 reviews

story4.8k positive mentions

grinding646 negative mentions

The game features deep character development and a rich narrative filled with political intrigue and personal growth, creating an immersive world.
The emotional storytelling and well-crafted dialogue resonate with players, leading to heartfelt connections and memorable moments.
The music is exceptional, enhancing the game's atmosphere and emotional depth, with many players praising its memorable and immersive soundtrack.

The pacing is slow, especially in the early chapters, which may deter some players from fully engaging with the story.
The graphics feel dated and lackluster compared to modern standards, which may not appeal to all players.
The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs and crashes, particularly with controller support and optimization on various platforms.

story
12,794 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
60%
3%
The story of "Trails in the Sky" is characterized as a slow burn that gradually builds into a rich narrative filled with political intrigue and personal growth. Players appreciate the depth of character development, with every NPC having their own evolving story that reacts to the main plot, creating a vibrant and immersive world. While some find the pacing tedious, especially in the early chapters, many agree that the payoff in the later stages is rewarding, making it a compelling entry in the JRPG genre.
- “This game has that classic JRPG feel with an engaging story and interesting set of characters.”
- “The last chapter raises the stakes and pacing considerably, offering a long, satisfying conclusion to the immediate plot threads through a rich mixture of political conspiracies and personal dramas.”
- “The characters, world building, and lore are all so incredibly crafted with an insane amount of attention to detail, and this game already sows so many plot seeds for future games, so you're really gonna appreciate it in the long run if you start here!”
- “At the same time, a lot has been said about the series’ more recent drop in quality: how the characters and set pieces keep getting recycled, how the writing seems to lose depth and go for the safest tropes, or how the overarching story becomes increasingly meandering.”
- “The story is a very slow burn at first, with the main story not really getting put into motion until around chapter 2.”
- “The story starts off slow but picks up the pace once it gets to chapter 2.”
gameplay
2,586 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
60%
3%
The gameplay of *Trails in the Sky* is characterized by its traditional turn-based combat system, enhanced by the unique orbment and quartz mechanics that allow for strategic customization of character abilities. While some players find the gameplay engaging and enjoyable, particularly for its tactical elements and character interactions, others criticize it for being somewhat simplistic and repetitive, especially in the context of its heavy narrative focus. Overall, the game offers a solid experience that balances story and gameplay, though it may feel dated compared to modern RPGs.
- “If you're debating whether or not you should wait for the remake, I say don't hesitate to jump in now; the gameplay still holds up just fine and the ending is going to leave you wanting to start playing the sequel immediately after the credits finish rolling.”
- “The gameplay is engaging.”
- “The gameplay is compelling enough to keep you engaged and the characters are interesting, charming, and fun to spend time with.”
- “Plot and gameplay are completely disconnected.”
- “The biggest weaknesses of Trails in the Sky FC, other than how slow it is to start, is that the game is not balanced and certain party members are pretty weak in both gameplay and story.”
- “Honestly, the gameplay of Trails in the Sky FC is just … fine, there are no bad surprises here, but I doubt the game would still be as popular if it wasn’t for the story - there’s simply nothing that really stood out to me in terms of gameplay.”
music
2,582 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
40%
3%
The music in "Trails in the Sky" is widely praised for its exceptional quality, with many reviewers highlighting the memorable and immersive soundtrack composed by Falcom's sound team. While the music enhances the game's atmosphere and emotional depth, some players noted that certain tracks can become repetitive over long play sessions. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The music is delightful, with memorable tunes from various locations and events that will have you humming along.”
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal and on par with any of the acclaimed Final Fantasies.”
- “The music, the worldbuilding, the character growth, and the feels this franchise brings are truly something special.”
- “The music is very similar, the few scenes at the beginning and end (very low budget) definitely draw inspiration from Kingdom Hearts' style.”
- “The background music is repetitive.”
- “The game's OST is (for Falcom standards) forgettable and very boring.”
graphics
1,675 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
63%
8%
The graphics of "Trails in the Sky" are generally considered dated, reflecting its 2004 origins, yet they maintain a certain charm that resonates with fans of classic JRPGs. While some players find the visuals lackluster compared to modern standards, many appreciate the expressive character portraits and the nostalgic art style, which effectively supports the game's storytelling. Overall, the graphics may not impress everyone, but they do not detract from the engaging narrative and gameplay experience.
- “Despite having dated graphics, you can see how much attention to detail Nihon Falcom paid in order to build a world bustling with information and content.”
- “Being an older JRPG, the game isn't a visual masterpiece, but the 'semi-3D' character sprites, cut-in artwork, rare animated cutscenes, and common character sprites are all beautifully done.”
- “The graphics may be a little dated, but old fans of JRPGs won't have an issue with it.”
- “The graphics feel a bit dated, but the character portraits are made with so much feeling and detail that it more than makes up for the rest.”
- “The graphical quality here is pretty low.”
- “The graphics are rudimentary even by 2004 standards (it tells you everything you need to know that this was later ported to the psp, no downgrade required); the setting seems generic; and the combat is pretty standard jrpg fare.”
grinding
704 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
4%
92%
The reviews for the aspect of "grinding" in the game present a mixed perspective. While some players find the game to be excessively grindy, particularly in late-game scenarios and during certain boss fights, many others appreciate the game's design that minimizes the need for grinding through features like experience scaling and a turbo mode. Overall, players note that while some grinding is present, it is often optional and manageable, allowing for a focus on the story and character development rather than tedious level grinding.
- “No grinding, no random encounters, side-quests are unique and funny.”
- “It’s fairly long, with 46 hours for one playthrough, but it requires little to no grinding and didn’t wear out its welcome.”
- “The combat is good and varied enough to stay somewhat interesting throughout the game, and unless you're trying to get all the achievements, there is basically no grinding needed to progress the story.”
- “Combined with the game being grindy, and this is all just such painful game design.”
- “I used the turbo button constantly, cheatengine to get out of some grinding (sepith, exp), and a walkthrough to make sure I didn't miss things and I *still* found the pacing to be slow.”
- “I really wanted to like this game but it felt like 60 hours of side quests; tedious side quests.”
humor
510 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in "Trails in the Sky" is widely praised for its charm and cleverness, with many players enjoying the witty dialogue and character interactions that often elicit genuine laughter. While some humor is described as juvenile or hit-or-miss, the localization team is credited with enhancing the comedic elements, particularly through amusing treasure chest quotes and character banter. Overall, the game balances lighthearted moments with deeper emotional themes, making it a memorable experience for fans of the genre.
- “It effortlessly slips in humorous character interactions in between intrigue and drama without ever missing a step.”
- “The writing is genuinely funny and heartwarming at times.”
- “The banter between Estelle and Joshua is hilarious.”
- “While key plot points are translated faithfully, the English script will often add unfunny jokes not found in the original and tries to 'pep up' the conversations with varying levels of success.”
- “Playing Trails in the Sky is returning to a game you have always played when turning on a JRPG: it makes the players discover a world where there are problems and stuff to solve, but rarely puts them in a spot where there isn’t a handful of warm, good feelings, where the people living in this world won’t smile and help the characters, give some nice trivia, or just crack a light, unfunny joke.”
- “Not interesting fights, boring characters, too long and tedious story that you get bored of soon enough, plain jokes that are not funny - nothing is epic about this game as people say.”
character development
428 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
49%
2%
The character development in "Trails in the Sky" is widely praised as a masterclass in the JRPG genre, with a focus on slow-burn storytelling that allows for deep, meaningful growth of both main and supporting characters. Players appreciate the nuanced writing and well-crafted dialogue that enriches character relationships, particularly between protagonists Estelle and Joshua, while also noting that the game prioritizes character development over fast-paced action. Despite some criticism of pacing and occasional reliance on tropes, the overall consensus is that the game excels in creating a richly detailed world and compelling character arcs that resonate with players.
- “The level of character development and world building are a cut above most role playing games - the beginning chapters of the game lull you into a false sense of following traditional RPG tropes.”
- “From the richly detailed world-building to the nuanced character development, this game is a shining example of what makes the genre so beloved.”
- “Overall, Trails in the Sky is a game with the deepest character development I've ever seen in an RPG, a fun and simple battle system, and one hell of an epic storyline that will board you on the feels train all the way to the very end.”
- “The game is very hesitant to leave these tropes to explore any kind of character development.”
- “I will be blunt on one thing, most of this game is just world building and character development, not too much major happens in the story until near the end.”
- “Character development feels very forced, and usually devolves to one character listing off their personality traits in a conversation.”
emotional
406 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with many players expressing deep connections to its well-developed characters and heartfelt storytelling. Reviewers frequently mention crying during pivotal moments, particularly the impactful ending, which leaves a lasting emotional resonance and a desire for the sequel. The game's blend of humor, warmth, and poignant themes creates a rich emotional experience that resonates with fans of the JRPG genre.
- “This well-written, heartwarming JRPG combines a great story with charming characters and fascinating lore.”
- “The ending completely destroyed me, a heart-breaking experience that you realize is one of the best emotional moments in gaming.”
- “With this kind of depth to the interactions and development of the characters, Falcom is able to create moments of emotional resonance throughout this trilogy that are almost impossible to find elsewhere in the gaming industry.”
- “Boring story with dialog bloat and filler speech bubbles to drag out how long it takes to finish the game, terrible anime writing.”
- “The dialog is about 90% useless gibberish and 10% boring storyline.”
- “Not interesting fights, boring characters, too long and boring story that you get bored of soon enough, plain jokes that are not funny - nothing is epic about this game as people say.”
atmosphere
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
50%
2%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its laid-back, immersive quality, enhanced by excellent music and detailed world-building. Each town and area features its own distinct ambiance, contributing to a cozy and heartwarming experience that invites exploration and interaction with richly developed characters. Overall, the atmosphere serves as a strong foundation for the storytelling, making it a standout element of the game.
- “The way that the world and setting is able to suck you in, with all the various small stories of even the most minor of NPCs and how they all have names really creates an atmosphere and feeling that the main characters are just people in a larger, grander world instead of what the world revolves around.”
- “The atmosphere is perfect; the game does an excellent job of capturing the feeling of an adventure of discovery, and while the story is slow-paced up until the second half, it's fitting for the tone of the game.”
- “The atmosphere and world-building was fantastic, the characters were all enjoyable, and it was a relatively relaxing game to play.”
- “Still, it feels like it has succumbed to time, but the ambient sounds adapt to the atmosphere.”
- “The general atmosphere is relaxing and heartwarming, if only to prepare you for the dark times and heartbreak coming later.”
- “While it starts out fairly tame, with a bit of a slice-of-life atmosphere as you take on various sidequests from the bracer guild, it slowly becomes evident that something is happening within the kingdom, as numerous incidents and weird coincidences occur starting from an airship hijacking, which escalates into a full-scale conspiracy.”
optimization
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing smooth performance and high frame rates, particularly on PC, while others report issues like stuttering and crashes, especially when switching between monitors. Although the PC port includes enhancements and quality-of-life improvements, certain aspects, such as controller layouts and graphical options, could be better optimized. Overall, while many players find it runs well, there are notable inconsistencies that may require workarounds.
- “This game is extremely well optimized for PC and I haven't had a single issue so far in my hours of play.”
- “The version available on Steam is the original PC version with additions from the PSP version, performance enhancements, and quality of life improvements such as a turbo mode, making it the definitive version to experience the game.”
- “Overall, it's a very good JRPG with optimization (60fps+) and fixes for the PC port.”
- “I've heard this version is not optimized well.”
- “I could go on and on, I could talk to you about the bad soundtrack, the awful control schemes (neither keyboard nor gamepad are any good) or the fact this game is so poorly optimized it has several maps where it stutters even on a recent computer... but I'm done wasting your time.”
- “I also had severe stuttering and skipping during parts of the game, mostly in towns and dungeons.”
replayability
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
73%
4%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising the new game+ mode, customizable systems, and engaging characters that encourage multiple playthroughs. However, others note significant restrictions tied to the story and a lack of different endings, leading to a perception of limited replay value for those who complete the game fully on their first run. Overall, while there are elements that enhance replayability, such as side quests and difficulty options, many players feel that the game may not warrant extensive replays beyond achievement hunting.
- “The replayability of unlocking more content in a new game+, customization of the orbal system to find new magic that can sometimes be game-breaking, and the wonderful cast of characters with their unique personalities, charm, and impactful dialogue definitely make this one of the best JRPGs to play.”
- “The game also has high replay value due to different difficulty options and the possibility of seeing events in a different light by making different choices.”
- “With plenty of side content, and replayability thanks to a customizable new game+ mode, Trails in the Sky has the potential to entertain you for well over 50 hours.”
- “Overall, I don’t find this game to be replayable for anything else than an achievement run because there are way too many restrictions and most of those restrictions are based on the story alone.”
- “Fun game, but sadly little to no replay value.”
- “The only downside of the game is probably that there is little replay value once you cleared the game once.”
stability
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
3%
88%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and glitches, particularly with controller support and the user interface. While some users noted improvements due to ongoing patches, others experienced significant issues that hindered gameplay, such as freezing and visual glitches. Overall, while the game runs well on certain platforms like the Steam Deck, it remains prone to instability, especially on different hardware configurations.
- “This game runs great on the Steam Deck.”
- “+Runs great, I don't really recall any technical trouble, except maybe once or something in 50 hours.”
- “Except for that, the graphics are nice and the game seems to be not buggy at all.”
- “It freezes and ends the game at random.”
- “So regardless of gameplay, story, characters, nostalgia, love of RPGs, here's the reality of this game: controller function barely, if at all, works, the game freezes and crashes, and it just won't advance the game.”
- “This is a decent game that has fatal glitches a couple chapters in; it will be unplayable.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The game's monetization strategy is praised for its lack of microtransactions, contributing to a sense of completeness and integrity in the experience. Reviewers appreciate that the game feels like a genuine product rather than a cash grab, although some mention the presence of cosmetic DLC and advertisements for sequels. Overall, the absence of aggressive monetization tactics enhances the game's storytelling and world-building.
- “Despite some microtransactions and cosmetic DLC, this game is still worth buying.”
- “This game and the rest of the series is a testament to the amazing stories and worlds game developers can create when not blinded by greed and monetization.”
- “This game wasn't a cash grab; this game isn't shovelware.”
- “I kid you not, the closing movie is an advertisement for the sequel, and it's not semi-episodic like the golden age was.”

88%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

Buy The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

46h Median play time

65h Average play time

40h Main story

65h Completionist

20-76h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 156 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

96%2.3kreviews