Thank you NIS America for sending us this game to review!

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure is the fifth game in the Legend of Heroes: Trails series, and the second game in the Crossbell duology, that started with Trails from Zero. It stars Lloyd and the fellow members of the Special Support Section (SSS), and is a direct sequel to Trails from Zero, taking place a few short months after that game’s ending. It should go without saying that you really should play Trails from Zero before starting this game; you can even transfer clear data from that title into this one. I can’t help but spoil some aspects of Zero’s story while discussing this game, so if you wish to avoid spoilers (even if minor), you may want to play that game before reading this review.

For those not aware, Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure were long considered too expensive to properly localize, as the localizers didn’t expect enough of a return on investment on translating these humongous scripts. A dedicated group of fans, who call themselves the Geofront (named after an in-game area) translated and localized these games almost entirely on their own. NIS America licensed this excellent work, polished it a bit, and made sure that English-speaking fans could finally enjoy them. The PC and Nintendo Switch ports also have enhancements based on PH3’s extensive efforts to make the games look as good as possible considering their PSP origins. The PS4 version is not enhanced as much, because that version is more closely based on Falcom’s PS4 version of the ‘Kai’ release of the game, which PH3 subsequently enhanced for the other platforms, but they didn’t work on the PS4 version. It’s unfortunate, but not much you can do – other than buy the PC or Switch versions if you have those platforms available instead. Like Zero, there is excellent voice acting, but only in Japanese.

Trails to Azure starts with Lloyd training with the First Division of the Crossbell Police Department (CPD) after the events that gained them popularity by stopping the D:G cult that was the central focus of Trails from Zero. Randy, Elie, and Tio start off handling other matters before returning to the SSS, so two characters, Noel and Wazy, join the SSS division of the CPD to assist Lloyd and offer their unique strengths to the already tight-knit SSS. They fit in well, and contribute in key ways as the world around them, and the state of Crossbell, slowly descends into more and more chaos.

It’s tricky how much I feel comfortable discussing the plot from here, because while I don’t want to spoil this game, Trails to Azure is partly spoiled by Trails of Cold Steel I and II, while conversely, Trails to Azure also kind of spoils some of the twists in the Cold Steel games. In the original Japanese release order, Trails of Cold Steel came out much later than Zero and Azure, but in the West, it’s the opposite, because Trails of Cold Steel was released in English many years before we finally got Zero and Azure in English these many years later. For perspective, the original PS3 release of Trails of Cold Steel, which I played and reviewed near release, was available in the US in 2015, and Azure has finally been released in 2023. Zero and Azure were originally on PSP in Japan in 2010 and 2011, respectively. If you are a new Trails fan, many of the plot points in Azure (assuming you start from Sky or Zero) will all be new to you. If you’re an old Trails fan like me, many of the big plot points won’t be a surprise at all, but they were when the Cold Steel games revealed them. Such is the fun of a shared world with multiple games taking place in the same timeline.

You see, Trails from Zero takes place mostly before Cold Steel (part of Cold Steel I overlaps), but most of the main events from Trails to Azure also take place at the same time as the latter half of Trails of Cold Steel, as well as much of the first half of Cold Steel II. So, while some plot points were spoiled for me, certainly not all – and how things were resolved, who did what and how, and especially the incredible turmoil that the citizens of Crossbell experienced were all certainly new to me in Trails to Azure. And I’m really glad I finally got to experience them, as getting to know and love these characters in their native habitat was well overdue and worth the time.

Just as in Trails to Zero, we come to see Lloyd and the rest of the SSS grow as people to truly become the heroes they were meant to be. They laugh, struggle, cry, and break down barriers standing in their way. KeA is still adorable and sweet as always, and she plays an unforgettable part in the way Azure’s story plays out. The mysteries surrounding Zeit are revealed, and like Trails in the Sky SC and 3rd, the Septian Church plays a huge role. It’s wonderful to see some returning characters that simply never get enough screen time.

This is the final game to use the Trails in the Sky battle system, where orbments (in this case the Enigma IIs) grant you a large variety of spells by stacking quartz in certain ways. For example, if you equip a quartz that gives you six water elements to get the Tearal healing spell, you also get Tear and Teara, for the require less water elements to unlock. Cold Steel changes this going forward, so it's fun to get to cast all kinds of spells again. This game also adds in the Master Quartz system, where a special kind of quartz fills a large central slot that dramatically changes bonuses to that character and their stats. There are Master Quartz that do everything from giving you bonuses at the start of battle to inflicting abnormal statuses on enemies when attacking to damage up as HP drops. The effects are many and varied, and optimizing quartz is a major part of building your party.

Of course, you can swap characters for much of the game, though at times your favorite might not be around. Like most games, you also have weapons, armor, and equipment/accessories to help customize your character. You can also position your teammates relative to each other from the menu screen to give you an optimal formation at the beginning of battle. Battles are turn-based, and turns are determined based on the speed stat of every character, and the time it took to perform your previous action. It's a straight-forward system that has existed as long as the Trails series has; it’s good fun and has stood the test of time.

Like many Trails games, there are tons of secrets, hidden quests, fishing competitions, and notebook entries to fill out. The game is difficult but not impossible to get everything without a guide, but unfortunately, it's not possible to get 100% of everything the game has to offer in one playthrough. I beat it in just under 120 hours, which is about average length for me for a Trails game. You can easily beat it in half of that if you don't talk to each and every NPC after every cut scene like I did; there is a ton of hidden character growth to discover, if you care to. If not, the game makes clear what your next objective is. But if you want to fully immerse yourself in the wonderful world Falcom has created, then the option is there to do so.

Graphically, Trails to Azure is quite similar to Trails from Zero, and these were only a small step up from Trails in the Sky. The series did not make the leap to 3D until Trails of Cold Steel, the very next game to be developed and released. The characters are sprites, while the backgrounds and environment are a rather simple and primitive 3D; the game was originally released on Sony's original handheld, the PSP, and the polygons used do reflect that. This port is of course upscaled greatly, and you can set the resolution to whatever you like, and use anti-aliasing on top of that, to make this game look as good as its art style allows. Thankfully, this didn't impact their excellent characters, music, and storytelling that the series has remained known for; if you loved it before, Trails to Azure will certainly not disappoint. The Japanese-only voice acting is top-notch.

The PC version is without question the best platform to play the game on if you like games to look as good as they can, and appreciate flexibility. The game runs great on almost anything, and has vanishingly low system requirements. It also plays great in Linux, and is Verified on the Steam Deck. It also supports high refresh rates, adds a fancy-looking moving water shader, improves textures and sprites over the PS4 version, and more. The Switch version keeps most of the improvements, outside of resolution support higher than 1080p. With such low system requirements, I was able to play the game at 4K with AMD integrated graphics, and it performed just fine; playing at 1080p or even higher with a docked Steam Deck is no problem at all.

Just like other Trails games, there are a fair amount of appropriateness issues to contend with. While there are some exceptions, this game largely follows the appropriateness expectations of most entries in this series. Fantasy violence is common in battle, though they are not gory and remain anime in style. The art style being as it is, there aren't a ton of details, so violence isn't nearly as dramatic as it could have been, though occasionally the amount of detail that comes through the sprites can be surprising. There is one woman who is sexually assaulted by a teenager; she grabs her breasts from behind and squeezes. It's a traumatic moment for that woman, and the game simultaneously manages to be respectful of her pain, but also laughs at the absurdity of it. Regardless, the sprites manage to show what is happening in remarkable detail, so the older art style doesn't hide all sins.

Outside of that moment, the sexual themes are relatively light, but that girl along with a few other characters are either hinted at or strongly implied to be homosexual. Some females wear very revealing clothing, but at least some of them are stage performers, where this kind of outfit is expected. There is also a beach scene where everyone is wearing swimsuits. There are also several jokes and comments about a certain man being a ladykiller (despite being oblivious to this reality).

Gambling at a casino, while technically optional, is something players are encouraged to engage in. Several games, from roulette, blackjack, slots, and poker are present and can be played. (Poker has the highest chance of winning, so if you want those prizes, I recommend playing that.) Foul language is also used, with words like 'p*ss', 'd*mn', 'a*s', 'h*ll', 'b*st*rd', and 'sh*t' present.

Magic is present in the orbment system; basically a scientific-like energy source that brings about magic-like effects. You fight humans, magical and mystical creatures, and lots more. There are some demonic enemies, along with some undead. Like most of the Trails series, it's a combination of ancient and modern, natural and supernatural. There is tobacco and alcohol use present.

There is a church called the Septian Church that worships a goddess named Aidios that is a close facsimile to the real-world Catholic church, with priests and sisters well represented. The church plays a major role in this game. It's shown as a positive force in the world, and almost everyone agrees that she exists.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure is a thrilling and excellent conclusion to the Crossbell duology, taking its rightful place after Trails from Zero, and leading well into the events that happen in the Cold Steel quadrilogy. Each Trails arc so far has both concluded and had some form of cliffhanger to the next; Sky has several story arcs that are not concluded until this Crossbell duology, as well as some that come to an end in Cold Steel IV. Zero and Azure are similar; they close some threads, and open others that continue into Cold Steel and even Reverie, the next game in the Trails saga, post Cold Steel IV. Don't make this your first Trails game; it is one of the worst games to start with, without a doubt. Regardless, while not a perfect game (the Horror Coaster mini game drove me crazy), it's certainly a fitting conclusion to what Trails from Zero started, and absolutely recommended for any Trails fan. If you've been following the series to this point, this game is not to be missed.