The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV

It's taken a long time to get here but The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 4 is a well-rounded experience, brimming with memorable characters, storylines and world-building. Despite a few stumbles in pacing and localization, not to mention performance issues, it's an incredible role-playing experience.

78%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, atmosphere

93% User Score Based on 2,586 reviews

Critic Score 87%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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About

In "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV," players join the heroes of Class VII once more in the aftermath of the Erebonian civil war. The story continues with new allies and the ongoing struggle against the shadowy Ouroboros organization. With turn-based combat and character-driven events, this epic RPG promises a thrilling conclusion to the Trails of Cold Steel saga.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV screenshot

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,589 reviews

story442 positive mentions

grinding55 negative mentions

The game serves as a satisfying conclusion to the Cold Steel saga, tying up many plot points and character arcs.
The combat system is refined and offers a lot of customization options, making battles engaging and strategic.
The return of characters from previous games adds depth and nostalgia, enhancing the overall experience for long-time fans.

The pacing is uneven, particularly in Act 2, which feels bloated and filled with unnecessary side quests.
The writing suffers from clichés and predictable plot twists, undermining the stakes and emotional impact of the story.
The harem aspect and forced romantic interactions detract from character development and can feel awkward.

story
1,489 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
65%
5%
The story of "Trails of Cold Steel IV" is a culmination of a sprawling narrative that spans multiple games, featuring a rich tapestry of characters and plotlines. While many players appreciate the emotional depth and character development, some criticize the pacing, excessive filler content, and reliance on tropes, leading to mixed feelings about its execution. Overall, it serves as a fitting conclusion for long-time fans, though newcomers may find it challenging to fully grasp the story without prior knowledge of the series.
- “Fantastic ending to Rean's story!”
- “The strong characters and engaging plot make this series an easy recommend to any fans of turn-based RPGs.”
- “This story was so jam-packed with heart-wrenching, heartwarming moments and filled with satisfaction that you won't get from previous games.”
- “The whole of act 1 is just reminding us what happened in CS3, act 2 is gathering all the relevant characters by revisiting every previous location, and it's only in act 3 that it feels like the story is actually going somewhere.”
- “So much of this game is filler, and very little contributes to moving the story forward in any meaningful way.”
- “The story makes no sense, not to mention how practically nobody faces consequences for anything.”
gameplay
364 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
66%
3%
The gameplay in "Trails of Cold Steel IV" largely retains the mechanics from its predecessor, offering a familiar turn-based combat system with some refinements and balance adjustments. While many players appreciate the depth and customization options available, some criticize the game for its pacing issues, repetitive gameplay loops, and lack of significant innovation. Overall, the gameplay is considered solid and enjoyable, particularly for fans of the series, but it may feel bloated and unbalanced at times.
- “👍 The well-connected combat mechanics are a joy, especially when everything just clicks together.”
- “Gameplay is excellent; the Cold Steel arc is some of my favorite combat ever in an RPG, and CSIV is no exception.”
- “The gameplay is fun and has great quality of life features, and loads of customization; the cast is lovable, and the world-building is immense.”
- “The gameplay's biggest issue by far is all the bloat.”
- “There is so much meaningless chatter and the gameplay loop repeats over and over again.”
- “The gist of it is that there is a lot of filler, and there are a lot of boss battles that are basically rehashes of past battles with different combinations of the same people, but they don't have any new moves or mechanics, just adjusted stats.”
music
310 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
52%
2%
The music in "Trails of Cold Steel IV" receives mixed reviews, with many praising its emotional depth and ability to enhance gameplay and storytelling. While some tracks are highlighted as exceptional, others are criticized for being forgettable or lacking the complexity of earlier entries in the series. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a solid but uneven contribution to the game's experience, with a few standout pieces that resonate strongly with players.
- “There's great music for all sorts of situations.”
- “The music is still great as always, that has been a consistent thing in each game, in fact there are some remixes in there that sent a jolt up my spine they were that good.”
- “The soundtrack is equally impressive, with a sweeping orchestral score that perfectly complements the game's epic scope and grand themes.”
- “Both the music and aesthetic of it are, in my opinion, inferior to past final dungeons in the series.”
- “The music is extremely hit-or-miss and mostly falls into the miss category.”
- “A portion of tracks are remixes or taken from the previous games, while the newer songs lack the musical complexity of the older games.”
graphics
148 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
69%
3%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their anime art style and stunning character designs, though some reviewers note that they feel somewhat dated, resembling late PS2 to early PS3 visuals. While the graphics have improved from earlier entries in the series, they still do not meet modern standards, leading some players to prioritize the game's compelling story and gameplay over visual fidelity. Overall, the visuals are considered solid but not groundbreaking, with a balance of style and fidelity that appeals to fans of the genre.
- “The graphics and art style of Trails of Cold Steel IV are simply stunning, with a breathtaking aesthetic that perfectly captures the game's sprawling landscapes and intricate character designs.”
- “The graphics are outstanding at maximum settings, and the sound quality is world class, from the voice acting to the sound effects and, of course, the splendid musical score.”
- “Graphics have the right balance of style and fidelity.”
- “Honestly, I don't care about graphics in these games, but I would estimate that this game has the graphics of a game made at least 6-7 years ago.”
- “The graphics are the same as those in Cold Steel III and are generally pretty okay, but still pretty unimpressive by their year of release standard.”
- “The graphics is nothing special; I would say it's a blend between PS3 and early PS4 graphics.”
emotional
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling and character development, particularly highlighting the satisfying conclusion to a long narrative arc that evokes strong feelings of joy and sadness. Players describe the experience as an emotional roller coaster, filled with memorable moments and immersive dialogues that resonate deeply, although some critique the narrative for missed opportunities to enhance emotional depth. Overall, the game successfully delivers a touching finale that leaves a lasting impact on players, often resulting in tears and a sense of fulfillment.
- “This story was so jam-packed with heart-wrenching, heartwarming moments that you won't get from previous games.”
- “Every hardship these characters had to endure throughout the series made me feel like I was part of those struggles and hardships; that's just how much the series was able to touch my heart.”
- “Having the tall task of functioning as the conclusion to the Erebonian saga portion of the series, this game more than delivers by brilliantly cashing in on all the emotional connections that the series has built with players over the years.”
character development
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
73%
11%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some characters receiving satisfying arcs while others suffer from underdevelopment and reliance on anime tropes. The introduction of new characters in Class VII has been praised for their growth, but the handling of romantic subplots has detracted from the depth of existing characters, particularly in the case of the protagonist's harem. Overall, while the game offers moments of strong character development, it is marred by pacing issues and a lack of focus on many characters, leading to a sense of wasted potential.
- “10 games worth of character development, plot setup & world building packaged into one epic finale.”
- “Amazing game, never regretted picking up this game after getting bored from the FF series (I still love it), great story, depth, lore, and character development though.”
- “I got what I consider world-class world building and character development that puts so many other big JRPGs like Final Fantasy and Tales to absolute shame.”
- “The character development is pretty bad, and the storytelling is predictable and not well structured.”
- “Cardboard characters: most of the characters are just anime tropes with not much character development over the course of the series.”
- “They made almost every single female cast member in the game romance-able and consequentially throw away any sort of character development these characters have gotten in the past 3 games and replaces them with a personality revolving around liking Rean.”
grinding
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
12%
85%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and time-consuming, particularly in higher difficulties and for completionist goals. While some appreciate the narrative and character development tied to side quests, others feel that the repetitive nature of grinding for items, levels, and gear detracts from the overall enjoyment. Overall, players suggest that the game requires a significant investment of time for grinding, which can lead to burnout and frustration.
- “There were only a few difficult battles, but no grinding required.”
- “Definitely not grindy.”
- “Extremely grindy for a single player game.”
- “90% of my gameplay time is on grinding.”
- “If you want to get the full achievement, prepare to waste dozens of hours grinding a stupid mini-game called 'pom pom party' that is a cheap knockoff of Tetris.”
humor
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Trails of Cold Steel IV" is a mix of weak anime tropes and situational comedy, often eliciting laughter through absurd character interactions and exaggerated scenarios, such as the ease of defeating supposedly powerful bosses. While some characters and moments are genuinely funny, others come off as forced or annoying, particularly in the portrayal of certain characters like Juna. Overall, the humor is hit-or-miss, with some players finding it entertaining while others criticize its execution.
- “It made me laugh when they tried to push Juna as this 'leader' type who gets everyone together when all she does is whine, complain, ask stupid questions, or cry during all of Cold Steel 3 and now this game.”
- “And all of the villains spouting nonsense about how they are unbeatable while all of Class 7 is present and looks clearly outnumbered, and how easy it is to defeat them despite being on nightmare difficulty is just hilarious.”
- “It is kind of funny when you completely obliterate a boss who is canonically super powerful and the post-battle cutscene makes it seem like it was a hard fight when they actually hardly got a turn.”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
56%
17%
The optimization of the game varies significantly between platforms, with the PC version receiving praise for its superior performance and lighting, particularly when run on high-end hardware like the RTX 3080. While some users noted decent overall performance, there were mentions of performance issues during busy scenes and battles, indicating that optimization could still be improved in certain areas.
- “The PC version has much better performance and lighting, so the game looks better too.”
- “Overall, the performance and quality of the PC port is excellent.”
- “Hella more optimized.”
- “Well, as Cold Steel III, the game is poorly optimized (it's not like it's a graphical marvel), haha, but on my PC it runs fine just because of my RTX 3080's brute force.”
- “Performance issues in some of the busier scenes and battles.”
- “Overall; decent performance.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
64%
21%
The atmosphere of the game is described as predominantly dark and depressing, with a mix of tension and moments that feel out of place, such as lighthearted side activities that detract from the overall tone. Critics note that the writing and acting contribute to a confusing atmosphere that struggles to balance serious themes with whimsical elements. Overall, the setting and execution seem to undermine the potential of the darker narrative, leaving some players feeling disconnected from the intended emotional impact.
- “So much of the atmosphere of the game so far is depressing, doom, gloom, and people trying to shake themselves out of that as they go on to try and clear things up for the better.”
- “Just so you know, I came from the Sky and Ao/Zero series; I am used to the wholesome old school RPG-like atmosphere even though some people might be evil or twisted like Weissman, but at least they never made forced and pointless jabs using vulgar words.”
- “The acting is cheesy, the writing is edgy, and the game's atmosphere can't decide if it is war and peace or Alice in Wonderland.”
- “I don't quite feel the same about Cold Steel though; I guess the setting really dampens the atmosphere for me.”
- “The excellent base plot, which is quite darker in nature, is going to be wasted in such an atmosphere.”
replayability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The replayability of the game is considered decent, primarily due to its extensive cast of around 40 characters, which adds variety to gameplay. However, many players express a tendency not to revisit JRPGs after completing them, indicating that while there are elements that encourage replay, it may not be compelling enough for repeated playthroughs.
- “The selling point of this game is probably its huge cast of characters; not that all of them are playable all of the time, but you do end up using quite a few, up to around 40.”
- “One of the reasons why I played this 'badly planned' game to the end is that I got to know the characters of 'Trails in the Sky' are playable.”
- “Replay value is decent, but I tend not to go back to a JRPG recently after beating it once.”
- “Replay value is decent, but I tend not to go back to a JRPG after beating it once.”
- “- Replay value: it’s a Trails.”
- “The selling point of this game is probably its huge cast of characters, not that all of them are playable all of the time, but you do end up using quite a few, up to around 40.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability with no major crashes or significant glitches reported. However, players have encountered some minor bugs, including wall clipping and occasional teleportation issues during combat, which can disrupt gameplay. Despite these issues, the game is generally considered to run smoothly.
- “So far the game runs great, with no glitches or grammar issues.”
- “Some minor bugs and glitches such as wall clipping and object placement on certain actions. Once, my entire party was teleported through the floor during a fight and remained floating in void space, unable to attack or move except for casting arts or using items.”