While in the frame of mind to try something different, on a whim I decided to try Legends of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel. Little did I know back then what an epic journey that would be taking me on.
Having missed the games initial release during the PS3 era, it was on PS4 that I began my journey, and I quickly became enthralled with growing up with Rean Schwarzer, and in his induction to military school, meeting class VII for the first time.
That first awkward moment with Alisa, the voyage of political shenanigans and self-discovery. And then, some hundred hours of gaming later, the game ended on a cliffhanger…
The second game carried on the story, with Rean, along with his classmates, growing, as did the more refined gameplay mechanics along with a much more in-depth story. Just how far down the rabbit hole do you have to go to uncover the truth?
With more women throwing themselves at Rean than you would find at a Chippendales performance, Rean grew in stature and confidence and started to become noticed, not just by the nobility and the government, but also by their enemies. The game ended with a monumental battle but left the player with questioning what Rean would do next.
Trails of Cold Steel III yet again expanded the gameplay mechanics, toning down how many women threw themselves at Rean this time but embroiling the new class VII in an even deeper conspiracy. They have to uncover what their enemies were up to, but also how they were going to do it.
How could a class of students stop the nation going into an all-out war? Just when you thought you would get closure on this, the game ends quite literally with a bang, setting the scene for the final chapter.
If you have played the first three games, then this journey will have taken you around 350 hours of gameplay to get to this point, and if so, then there is no doubt you are craving to get closure on what has quite simply been an epic adventure.
The seeds of doubt of many subjects have been sown over these games, and so many questions still need to be answered. What is Chancellor Osbourne really up to? Whose side are the witches of the Hexan clan really on? Is Crow really dead? Where is Angelica and is she alive? Most importantly, however, is Rean EVER going to put his own wellbeing first and actually hook up with Alisa? (Hands off Sara Valenstein though Rean, she is MY waifu!)
And so the scene is set.
These and many more pressing questions need answering for those that have taken the journey up to this point. It is tantalizing to know that closure on this thrilling adventure is but a mere couple of days away.
We are playing through the game right now, and will be bringing the full review of the final chapter of this epic saga in the coming days.
Legends of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV releases worldwide on the 27th October 2020, for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
