I update this page about once a year, it is reasonably current but not up to the minute.
Origin of my Falcom obsession
It all started in the early 90s for me, it was a golden era filled with baggy florescent clothing and the emergence of 16-bit gaming. I was a Sega Genesis fanboy while a good friend translated his summer of mowing lawns into a TurboGrafx-16 CD. I went over to his house one evening and tried something called "Ys Book I&II" on it. In an instant I was drawn in by the soundtrack, storytelling cut-scenes, and simple play control. I had to get this game for myself.
Before long the Turbo Duo was released and I bought it immediately. Ys Book I&II was a pack-in game and I logged many hours on it. Then I went after the sequel, different play style but a spectacular experience all the same. I didn't know much about this Falcom company except that I thoroughly enjoyed the first two games of theirs that I tried. I saw their logo on another game called "Legend of Heroes: Dragon Slayer" and picked it up too. Again it was a different style of game and again it was outstanding.
From that point forward I decided to buy every Falcom game I could find. Little did I know that I would wait years in between new releases. It's not like they weren't making new titles, so very few of them were making it across the ocean in the 1990s.
Being an American fan of Falcom games is difficult. You see new titles launch in Japan and wonder when, or if, you'll ever get to play them in English. They don't have a US division and seem content to live without one. Instead they've relied on an array of different publishers to translate and ship their games. All we can do is hope they choose a competent one who won't butcher things too badly.
This article is an attempt to catalog all the American releases of Falcom games. OK, I suppose Wikipedia has already accomplished that so I'll take this a different direction and add some brief reviews while attempting to explain how these map to original Japanese releases. I won't claim that I'll get everything perfect but I'll do my best.
What's so great about Falcom anyway?
Falcom games are a contrast of complexity and simplicity. They create detailed worlds with well thought out characters and storylines. They pay attention to very small details of the world making it seem alive. They layer a rich soundtrack on top of it all. Every location sports a distinct and often lively tune.
They pair these advanced worlds with minimalist play mechanics. The majority of their games only use 2-4 buttons even on systems with more available. Considering many of their games began as a PC title this shows commitment on their part to keeping things simple. Regardless of experience level, any gamer can instantly master the controls of a Falcom title and start exploring at their own pace.
They also seem to be completely opposed to conventional wisdom. In the 1980s-1990s they only developed PC games and left console adaptations to 3rd party licensees. In the 16-bit era this resulted in ports to the TurboGrafx-16 CD being released before the Genesis or Super Nintendo. That may have been a good idea for Japan but left their games obscure in other regions. On the PlayStation and Saturn there are collections of Falcom games but no new titles. The PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS are two of the highest selling game consoles ever but they have very few Falcom titles, all of which are ports by 3rd parties. The PlayStation Portable though, now there's a system they got behind. They developed over a dozen games for the PlayStation Portable. The PlayStation Portable is the highest selling portable system not made by Nintendo but by choosing it over the PlayStation 2 and DS they passed on a lot of sales. If their Trails in the Sky series was built for the DS I suspect it would have been a massive success. In the 2010s they shifted their focus to build for the PlayStation 4 and again left Switch ports to 3rd parties. They didn't start developing their own Switch ports until late in the console's life. It's as though they'd rather do things their way than make insane amounts of money. I can respect that attitude.
The quality of their games has remained generally high over time. They will likely never produce something that looks like a "Triple A" game. It means they also avoid "Triple A" nonsense like excessive DLC, in-game ads, subscriptions, or games that disappear abruptly when the servers are shut down. They've had some peaks and valleys like any developer. I think their PlayStation Portable to Vita era games are their best, even with one weak title in that set.
Jump to a series
Ys Series
Let's kick things off with Falcom's most recognized series in the United States - Ys. It follows the journeys of Adol Christin across a European-like continent. The games have a continuous story but the plot of each is self-contained so they can be played independently. The only exception would be Ys II which is heavily tied to the first Ys game. In the United States Ys II has typically been packaged with the original Ys so it's not problem for American gamers.
The first game in the series came to the United States in the form of Ys: The Vanished Omens for the Sega Master System and Ancient Land of Ys for DOS. Despite the name differences these are the same story. OK the key word there is "story" because the dungeon layouts aren't completely identical, the graphics vary a bit, and the sound quality on the PC version is rough compared to the Master System. Presentation differences aside, these are both ports of the original Japanese PC-8801 game.
Of the two, the Sega Master System version is easier to obtain. It frequently sells for under $10 on ebay (or did when I wrote this years ago), even less if you buy it as part of a bundle of Master System games. The PC version will take some effort to collect, it apparently didn't sell well and rarely appears for sale. That's alright though because the Master System version is the better of the two.
As noted a second ago, Ys II was not originally available as a standalone game. There are three different Ys I&II collections that were released over three decades. The first was Ys Book I&II for the TurboGrafx-16 CD. This is my sentimental favorite. The soundtrack still blows away nearly every game made after it. It is also the only version to feature voice acting. Not cheesy early CD game voice acting either, good quality voice acting with some known actors. This was also released for the Wii Virtual Console. The emulation isn't perfect, the voice playback cuts off abruptly for example, but it's perfectly passable. There is also a version included on the TurboGrafx-16 Mini. I think the graphics look kind of funky on it for lack of a better description but the audio is fine.
In the TurboGrafx-16 CD version they combined Ys and Ys II into one giant game. The experience points and levels gained from Ys carry right over into Ys II. This lets patient gamers grind to an absurdly high level in the first Ys.
Twenty years later, yes twenty, Legacy of Ys: Books I&II was released for the Nintendo DS by Atlus. This was a port of the Ys Eternal PC games released in Japan in the late 90s. This one has a few differences from the previous releases.
Unlike the TurboGrafx-16 CD version, Legacy of Ys treats Ys and Ys II as separate games. You are able to plays Ys II without ever playing Ys and nothing you earn in Ys carries over. In the Japanese version of Ys Eternal a new town called Barbado was added at the beginning of Ys which is also present in Legacy of Ys. The play mechanics were modified to offer a more Zelda-like experience. They also added a play mode called "time attack" which is unlocked after winning either game. This version also features multiple difficulty levels and a multiplayer mode.
In 2011 XSEED released Ys I&II Chronicles for the PlayStation Portable. This contains the changes found in Legacy of Ys and offers a bit more. One fun addition is the ability to toggle the soundtrack between the original PC-8801 version, the 1999 Ys Eternal version, and the new Ys Chronicles mix which is the best since the TurboGrafx-16 CD. The graphics on the PlayStation Portable look considerably better than the DS so between that and the new soundtrack this is the best version for most.
Since then, Ys I&II Chronicles has also been released on Steam/GOG and Android & iOS. The mobile phone releases are split into two separate games.
The first two Ys games take place in the same world. Ys III: Wanderers from Ys follows Adol and Dogi (introduced in Ys) as they travel to Dogi's hometown. In Ys III the series went in a different direction by changing from an overhead game to a side-scrolling game. It was originally released in the United States for all three 16-bit systems but by three different publishers - Hudson->TurboGrafx-16 CD, Renovation->Genesis, and American Sammy->Super Nintendo. I detailed these port differences a little bit over here.
The TurboGrafx-16 CD version is my favorite because of the explosive soundtrack and not-completely-corny voice acting. The Genesis and Super Nintendo versions have the same pros and cons as any other game released on both. Since Ys I&II was not released on the Genesis or Super Nintendo it's simply called Wanderers from Ys on those consoles.
Ys III was remade under the title Ys: The Oath in Felghana. It was again ported by XSEED for the PlayStation Portable in 2011 and Steam/GOG in 2012. Oath in Felghana is a remake of Ys III but marketed as a standalone game to make it more accessible to new players. It follows the same story as Ys III but the play style is similar to Ys VI and VII. It also features a new soundtrack mix that is very well done. Like Ys Chronicles, unless you're looking to recreate the retro experience, this is the way to go for most.
The Oath in Felghana itself was remade 12 years later as Ys Memoire -The Oath of Felghana- for Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. The US port was released in early 2025. I played the PlayStation 5 version and it was a good time. It still looks like a PlayStation Portable game which is not a complaint, it felt like a throwback to my favorite era of Falcom games.
In 1993 two different versions of Ys IV were produced but neither have been released outside of Japan. Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys was developed by Hudson for the PC Engine CD while Ys IV: Mask of the Sun was developed by Tonkin House for the Super Famicom.
The Super Famicom version was remade for the PlayStation 2 in 2005, it was another Japan exclusive. The soundtrack for each version of Ys IV is derived from the same source but the storylines are a little different. Hudson took more liberties with the plot and characters which I think resulted in a better game. Hudson also added a New Game+ mode to Ys IV, a first for the series. I've read that technically the Super Nintendo version is considered "canon". There are unofficial translations available for both. The PC Engine CD fan translation even includes a re-dub of the voice acting.
The PC Engine CD version of Ys IV used to be very cheap. I bought it for ~$10 in what seems like a lifetime ago. It looks like people are asking for 5x that amount now. I don't think that's because of the fan translation. It takes some work to rip, patch, and burn a copy playable on original hardware. TurboGrafx-16 CD game prices were absurd for a long time and PC Engine CD imports are catching-up. As Falcom has become just a little bit more popular, prices for their old games have also ballooned. Owning Ys IV for the PC Engine CD, and playing it in English on original hardware, is not an option for most. Luckily, Falcom has an excellent alternative...
Ys IV was remade in 2012 this time under the title Ys: Memories of Celceta and originally released on the PlayStation Vita. A year later the folks at XSEED brought it to the United States. It was built off the Ys Seven engine but with visual upgrades to take advantage of Sony's latest portable hardware. The soundtrack is based off the original version with a bit of a rock remix to it. The player has multiple characters they can use with different abilities that come in handy in specific situations. There are tons of weapon and skill upgrades for each character which reward grinding up multiple team members. It also features a New Game+ mode where you carryover all your levels and items into a new game (which makes it very easy). No prior experience with the series is needed to enjoy this one so it's recommended for newcomers.
Memories of Celceta is also available on Steam/GOG. There was a remaster for the PlayStation 4 released in spring 2020. It looks & feels like a Vita game, it was more of a re-scaling than a full upgrade.
Ys Memoire -Memories of Celceta-, released in 2025 in Japan for the Nintendo Switch, is the latest iteration of Ys IV. As of the last update to this page it has a planned US release in 2026.
Ys V: Kefin, The Lost City of Sand was another Super Famicom game that was later remade for the PlayStation 2. Neither of those have been released in the United States. Maybe we'll get lucky and score a remake one day. Here's a longer piece about my experiences with the fan translated version. The TL;DR version - this is a tough Ys game to churn through. The story and soundtrack meet expectations but the controls are brutal.
Konami brought Ys VI to the United States under the title Ys: The Ark of Napishtim in 2005 on the PlayStation 2. Fans of the series might not like the "VI" being dropped but since it's an independent story it probably appealed to gamers who never heard of the series. It had been more than 10 years since an Ys game was released in the United States and that was the third installment. Starting a series at part 6, or jumping ahead 3 chapters, definitely intimidates some. A year later the PlayStation Portable version was released. The PlayStation 2 version features some enhancements not found in the PlayStation Portable one.
The Ark of Napishtim continues to follow Adol and Dogi on their travels, this time to the lushly decorated Canaan islands. This is a very scenic game and you can easily get lost staring at the backgrounds as you journey across the islands. As expected the soundtrack is amazing, worth listening to on its own.
Released in 2010, Ys Seven is the last chapter for the series on PlayStation Portable. It was the first Ys game ported by XSEED who were the unofficial stewards of the Falcom library by then. Rather than subtitle it they kept the original Ys Seven title.
Adol and Dogi take their adventures to the land of Altago which is facing impending doom. Before learning that though you engage in a couple of smaller, seemingly insignificant, quests and meet a tomboy princess named Aisha. It may sound a little cliche but is done well. Along the way you meet a huge cast of characters including several who join your party.
Eight different characters team up with Adol at one time or another, each with their own unique abilities and equipable items. I won't spoil anything only to say that Ys Seven has one of my absolute favorite last boss fights that involves the entire party.
Fans of the Zelda series will find similarities in the form of elemental dungeons. You've got a fire dungeon, forest dungeon, wind dungeon, water dungeon, and so on. Of all the Ys games so far, number seven is the one that new players will likely enjoy the most.
With Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, released in the United States in 2017, the series made its debut on the PlayStation 4. This originally started as a PlayStation Vita game and both versions launched at the same time in the United States. In Japan the Vita version pre-dated the PlayStation 4 version by nearly a year.
The game engine is an evolution of the one used in Memories of Celceta and Ys Seven. Again there are six playable characters with up to three in your party at a time. Mechanically these are very similar games and that's alright.
The new element to the game is a town building mode. Adol & Dogi start on a voyage to the land where Ys Seven takes place (yes, this is a prequel). After being shipwrecked they have to build a castaway village while searching for other survivors. Every person they find brings some new trade to the town and side-quests to enhance their offerings. Along the way they discover ruins of a lost civilization and a larger plot unfolds.
There was some controversy around Ys VIII in the US. This time around NIS America acquired the rights to publish the game and released what was considered to be a terrible translation. It was bad enough that they issued a complete re-translation patch. The later Steam/GOG and Nintendo Switch releases came with the revised translation.
Oh right, the Switch. In the United States, it had been over 25 years since a new Ys game appeared on a Nintendo console. Remember that Ys IV and V were Japan exclusives and Legacy of Ys: Books I&II was a remake. I don't know what Falcom's aversion to Nintendo was but glad to see it's at least indirectly resolved by 3rd parties for now. Ys VIII would also later receive a port to PlayStation 5 with minor visual upgrades. There is also an Ys VIII mobile game in Japan, but that appears to be only very loosely based on the original game.
Falcom released Ys IX on the PlayStation 4 in 2019. It made its English debut in February 2021. There were later Switch & PC ports. These are both again handled by NIS America. There was no drama with this Ys port, the translation and voice acting were well-received the first time. The two-year delay may sound long for the time period but for a Falcom game this is a very swift turnaround.
Being the first Ys game natively designed for the PlayStation 4 it is a big graphical upgrade over previous games. The art style is much darker than the typical sunny outdoor settings. Some many not like this change but there's no argument it is more detailed.
The biggest difference between Ys IX and the rest of the numbered series is the lack of an overworld. The game largely occurs in the city of Balduq. When Adol and friends venture outside it is just to connect the city to a dungeon. All the free exploration occurs in the city with limited things to find in the outdoor areas. Within the city there is a massive prison which accounts for about a quarter of the exploration.
The controls are a more polished version of Ys VIII. The combat is really fun and frantic in Ys IX, definitely my favorite part of the game. It also reuses the town-building mechanic but on a slightly smaller scale. Instead of building a village you are staffing an abandoned bar which doubles as a hideout. It's smaller and feels less organic than Ys VIII. I won't say I was disappointed with Ys IX but it made me appreciate how well Ys VIII was done. For the moment Ys VIII is my overall favorite in the series.
Ys IX is again a self-contained game but is heavy in references to previous games. There are a few passing things in the story you will completely miss if you didn't play Ys VIII, Celceta, or even V (which of course you didn't). That shouldn't discourage anyone from playing Ys IX first though. If you just want to try a single Ys game and prefer the latest one that's OK.
Ys IX, like VIII, also received a slightly upgraded port on the PlayStation 5.
Ys X: Nordics was released in the US in October 2024 on the PlayStation 4/5, Switch, and PC. It is a dual protagonist game, set immediately after the events of Ys II, and with a focus on sailing. Ys X is a tricky one to talk about. The story and gameplay are what would happen if you fed a sophisticated artificial intelligence Ys VIII+IX and asked it to combine them. From a technical and gameplay standpoint it's like a game that came out before both of them. I think there's a good reason.
Since the PlayStation 3 era Falcom developed their games in Sony's PhyreEngine. In the early 2020s they switched to a proprietary engine. Ys X was the first game in the series to use it. In comparing Ys IX to X we're comparing the last game in a mature engine to the first game in a fledgling one. To steal from The Simpsons - it's best not to think about it. If I skipped an Ys game on the Vita and tried it now I'd have zero complaints. Once I accepted that Ys X is more like Ys 7.5 I enjoyed it.
The thing Ys X does best is exploration. The game is set at sea, it's similar to Wind Waker. There are many islands and side quests to discover. The main story isn't the longest but there are so many optional things to do, more than any of the previous games. This was my favorite part of Ys X. Sailing around, looking for new places to check out, is something I enjoy. Also there are hidden events, a staple of Falcom games. Revisiting locations often yields new interactions that either expand on the plot or explore a character's backstory. That’s something I really enjoy in games too.
The one negative on Ys X is the soundtrack. The quality is all over the place. The town and sailing themes stand out, they're as strong as any previous Ys game. On the flipside... the worst song I've heard in an Ys game is in Ys X. There's a very wide contrast between the ambient themes and the action themes. It jumps from chill to disjointed electric guitar chaos often. The soundtrack would be better if it was cut in half, reduced to the best tracks. I know this is all subjective and for others this could be their favorite soundtrack in the series.
Meanwhile, there is already an enhanced version called Ys X: Proud Nordics planned for a July 2025 release on the Switch 2 in Japan. I expect this to have a US release too.
In 2006 Falcom created a prequel to the entire Ys series called Ys Origin based on the engine from Oath in Felghana. Nearly six years later it was released in the United States on Steam/GOG. I'm not a fan of retro-active prequels because usually the story feels forced. No one at Falcom presumably had this story in mind before developing Ys and it shows. The game reinvents the final dungeon of Ys I into something much larger and more complicated.
I initially felt letdown by this installment but it's grown on me. As usual the soundtrack was amazing but I thought it was a relatively shallow dungeon crawler otherwise. The original Ys isn't any longer though and I still play through it every year or two.
One plus of this game is there are two storylines based on which character the player chooses, with a third that is unlocked by completing the first two. Cynically one could say this was done to pad a relatively short game. Each of the three storylines takes ~10 hours to play through.
Ys Origin was originally localized on the PC by XSEED. Dotemu handled later ports to the PlayStation 4, Vita, Switch, and Xbox One. The folks at Limited Run games did a limited (obviously) physical printings of all these except the Xbox One version. Is this the only Falcom game on a Microsoft console? I believe it is.
This the official chronological order of the Ys games:
I wouldn't recommend playing them in this order though.
That leads us to the question of - what's the best way to play through the Ys series in America?
This is my recommended experience:
If you go this route you need to be aware of some continuity errors. In Ys on the TurboGrafx-16 you meet a character named Colin who is Dogi in the other games. That is fixed in Ys Chronicles. You also meet someone named Rasta in Ys who reappears in Ys: The Ark of Napishtim under the moniker Raba.
The easier route for most will be Steam or GOG which have some version of every Ys game except for V.
Ys Origin can be played anywhere in either of these routes. Playing it before Ys I&II isn't a great idea because like most prequel games knowledge of the original game is required.
I wasn't sure which section Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga belonged in so it's halfway between the two series. It was originally a PlayStation Portable game released in Japan only. It's a fighting game based on the Ys Seven engine. There is a remake due in 2025 for the Switch, PlayStation 4/5, and Steam. This time the localization work is being handled by Refint/games, this is their first Falcom project. As of the last update to this page there is very little information about it. It was originally scheduled for summer 2025 but now has an undefined release date. This is not disappointing as Falcom fans have come to expect this.
Legend of Heroes Series
The first Legend of Heroes game carried the Dragon Slayer brand but it was dropped after the second installment. Dragon Slayer was an umbrella title for a series of RPG-adjacent games developed in Falcom's early days. Few of these games were published outside of Japan, those that were are discussed further on. All the games in the Legend of Heroes series are traditional JRPGs that are confusingly sometimes sequels and sometimes not. This a tough series to follow in the United States because not all games were ported and those that were didn't come out in the right order. Rather than go at these in release order, I'll take them in the series order.
The first game in the series is The Legend of Heroes: Dragon Slayer which was released for the TurboGrafx-16 CD. Like their other CD games the soundtrack is amazing. The voice acting has drawn some criticism but I don't think it's bad at all. This is one of my favorite games on the system. There are many early reoccurring characteristics of the series in it. Unfortunately this is a tough game to acquire. It was released on the Virtual Console in Japan but not in the United States. Your only option is ebay and it's not cheap. There are also Sega Genesis and Super Famicom versions in Japan but those aren't any help here.
In terms of gameplay, The Legend of Heroes: Dragon Slayer is similar to Dragon Warrior. The difficulty is very high compared to the newer games in the series or modern RPGs in general. It's consistent with other games of the era. It's easier than something like Cosmic Fantasy 2 but more difficult than something like Phantasy Star III.
Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes II was never released in the United States. I would consider it highly unlikely that it ever will be. There are not any fan localizations and it looks tough to pull off. There are versions for the Mega Drive, Super Famicom, and PC Engine CD.
I suppose there's always a remote chance of a remake for both of these.
In the mid to late 90s Falcom released the Gagharv Trilogy, three Legend of Heroes games that take place in the same world but are independent stories. There are some plot points that somewhat intersect but a new gamer can play any one of these out of order and not be confused.
That's good because in the United States we didn't get them in the correct order. All three games in the series were ported to the PlayStation Portable in the mid zeros. Namco Bandai handled the translation and publishing but had a little fun with the release order. I won't complain because I'm just happy to get them at all.
The original release order was:
And in the United States we got:
So if you want to play them in the original order in the United States you need to play them out of the numerical order we actually got.
I would describe the Gagharv Trilogy as being "lite RPGs". They have all the structure of an RPG but are relatively easy and don't require any level grinding. There are no random battles in these games, enemies can be seen in the overworld and easily avoided. They're focused more on story than on battling enemies and gaining levels. Each game features a wide cast of playable and non-playable characters.
From here on out all the games build on the battle system of the Gagharv Trilogy. It is a turn-based system on a grid. Each character/enemy has attacks that hit a certain range and shape. Everyone can move around the grid but some characters/enemies move much farther than others. Spells can target a single character/enemy or a space on the grid. Each character/enemy has a speed statistic that impacts how often their turn comes around.
There are no other ports of these games outside of Japan. If you want to play them you'll need a PlayStation Portable and a lot of luck on ebay.
This leads to the "Trails" series which retains the Legend of Heroes branding but changes the numbering scheme. I will again cover these by the story order instead of the US release order.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky for PlayStation Portable was the next installment of the series to be released stateside. It was ported by XSEED. This is a very story-heavy RPG. Some RPGs pad out time with endless random battles, Trails in the Sky does it with dialog. That's not bad because the characters and story are interesting.
Like the Gagharv Trilogy, battles can be avoided and you have an assortment of characters to choose from. The characters all have their own personalities and abilities. Some are close-range combat experts while others are proficient with long-range weapons or magic. The magic system gives you a number of ways to enhance characters or ensure you always have some support healers in your group. The soundtrack is downright delightful and makes traveling the world fun.
Without giving away any specific spoilers, I'll just say that the ending of Trails in the Sky will have you rushing to start the sequel.
Trails in the Sky establishes New Game+ as a standard for the series. I average about one New Game+ playthrough every year of one game in the series.
With the overall Trails series gaining popularity in the States it is now absurdly expensive to own a physical copy of Trails in the Sky. Luckily it is on Steam/GOG and frequently goes on sale (though it is already a bargain at list price).
In late August 2024 Falcom announced a remake of Trails in the Sky for 2025. The few seconds of trailer footage make it appear to use the same engine as Kuro no Kiseki/Trails through Daybreak. This time localization is being handled by GungHo who promises a day one release in the US. This would be a first for any Falcom game.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC (Second Chapter) picks-up immediately after the ending of the previous game. Do not try to play this as a standalone game, it won't make sense. It's almost completely identical to the first game from a play standpoint. I have to believe they started as one absurdly long game. There is even more dialog than the first so be prepared for a lot of reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed Trails in the Sky SC but felt it dragged a bit at times because the player is revisiting all the locations from the first game. There are only a couple new pieces of scenery. Perhaps if I played them years apart as they were originally released I'd feel differently.
Trails in the Sky SC can only be purchased virtually in the US. It was released as a download game for the PlayStation Portable and also works on the Vita. The entire Trails in the Sky series is available on Steam/GOG as well.
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd was originally a PlayStation Portable game that was not released in the US. A decade after its original Japan release XSEED ported the PC version which is available on Steam and GOG.com. Trails in the Sky the 3rd is a combination prologue/epilogue to the first two games. Again, trying to avoid spoilers I'll say that Trails in the Sky SC wraps-up the main storyline at the end. It also hints at events that will occurs in the next Trails story arc. Trails in the Sky the 3rd explores what the various characters were doing before & after the main story. There are two new lead characters, one who is also in SC with the other being completely new. Many characters from the first two games are playable with a final cast of 16 at your disposal.
At the risk of making new enemies I'd say Trails in the Sky the 3rd is skippable if you're pressed for time. Most of the prologue revelations were known events that didn't need more explaining. Similarly the important epilogue events are explained in other games. I think this is really a game for people who enjoyed the battle system of the previous two games and want to try it with a much larger cast of characters. That was my favorite aspect of the game at least.
There are three other PlayStation Portable games in the Trails series: Zero no Kiseki, Ao no Kiseki, and Nayuta no Kiseki. None received a US release in their original form. Same for the crossover Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki: Alternative Saga which is noted in the Ys section. I guess the PlayStation Portable just wasn't popular enough in the US to justify large translation projects for these. There are a fan translations if you're willing to import the game and apply patches. However, all are playable in remake form.
The original PlayStation Portable releases of these games may be a lost cause but the remasters all have US releases. In fall 2022 NIS America released Trails from Zero (Zero no Kiseki) on PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC. The PlayStation 4 version is a straight translation of Falcom's remaster with no changes. The PC version contains some game play and graphical improvements. Since Falcom never made a Switch version of the game, NIS America used the PC version as the base for the Switch. This means the Switch version is actually superior to the PlayStation 4 version, something definitely unexpected.
Playing Trails from Zero on the Switch just feels right anyway. The remake retains the look of the original portable version. It's possible to connect a PlayStation Portable to a TV, I wouldn't recommend it. This is a game designed for the small screen. I'll repeat a previous thought and wonder how this would have fared on the Nintendo DS.
The Switch doesn't have an achievement system like the PlayStation but Trails from Zero includes a built-in trophy system. Some goals can only be achieved in a New Game+ playthrough. Earning these trophies at unlocks artwork and mini-games. Like previous games there is adjustable difficulty if you find the main game too difficult or New Game+ too easy.
The immediate sequel Trails to Azure (Ao no Kiseki) followed in 2023 on the same systems with the same note about the superiority of the Switch port.
In terms of story - Zero+Azure are a duology that is connected to the rest of the Trails/Kiseki series. Some events of the story are referenced in the Cold Steel games and a few characters make guest appearances. Zero plays about the same as the three Sky games. In Azure the battle system received some updates that I think were intended to speedup game play. The actual result is battles are much easier than previous games. Difficulty is again adjustable if this is a problem.
Like Trails in the Sky SC, Azure doesn't add much in terms of new locations. You'll see this repeat with future Trails games. When a new main location is added there will be a sequel that re-explores it. You can call this lazy but even Nintendo did it with Tears of the Kingdom. The Trails games are more about the story than exploring new locations. It's a little odd how all the treasure chests opened in the first game are magically filled with new items again. It's a game, no big deal.
Somewhat surprisingly (to me at least) The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails (the HD remaster of Nayuta no Kiseki) was also released in the US in 2023. This was released in Japan in 2021 making it one of the fastest Falcom ports. It's lighter in dialog & lore than the other Trails game so much less to translate.
Other than bearing the series name, this has little connection to the other Legend of Heroes games. It plays much more like a PlayStation Portable Ys game.
The combat for sure is based on the Ys and Zwei games. Nayuta uses a notebook and cooking system that works more like the Sky games. The setting doesn't appear to be the same world as the Trails games but I don't think that's been confirmed or denied. Falcom lists it as part of the Trails franchise so I'm not sure what to make of it. I won't spoil the plot but if it's in the same world as the rest of Trails it can't be in the same timeline.
I said the PlayStation Portable to Vita era is my favorite for Falcom games. If I had to rank all the games of that era this would be toward the bottom. That's sort of a compliment. Nayuta is a fun game in a interesting setting with another great Falcom soundtrack. I've seen speculation that the soundtrack to Nayuta contains many leftovers from the previous Trails games. To put a positive spin on that, it means it is the same sound team members that produced several outstanding scores.
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is available on the Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC without significant differences between them.
Set in the same universe as Sky, but in a different kingdom, Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is the first installment of the next series in the franchise. In the US we lucked out this time around and received ports of every* version released in Japan. The original PlayStation 3, PC, and Vita versions are all available - albeit several years after their original release. In 2019 a remaster for the PlayStation 4 and PC was released. All these were handled by XSEED. It took decades but the late 2010's was finally a good time to be a Falcom fan in America. Between these and Ys VIII I never felt more optimistic about seeing future games ported to English.
* = OK, fine, there are a Switch ports for the first two Cold Steel games in Japan and China. There is no news on whether that will be localized for the United States yet. It seems doubtful since XSEED presumably holds the rights and appears to be out of the Falcom business now.
The game introduces Class VII, a group of students with diverse backgrounds and special abilities who attend Thors Military Academy. The combat system is an evolution of the one used in Sky with more flexibility. For example, in Cold Steel characters can learn any art (the Trails term for "spell") while in Sky there were restrictions on who could learn what.
Over the next four games there are refinements to the combat but they all look & play roughly the same. Compared to Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior the Trails series has very frequent releases, the slow pace of change is a big factor. This also means that if you enjoy Trails of Cold Steel you are certain to enjoy the sequels as they are roughly the same game.
The sequel, Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II was also released in the US for all the same systems as the first, including a 2019 PlayStation 4 remaster.
There are virtually no differences between the first two games in terms of play or setting. Like Trails in the Sky SC, Trails of Cold Steel II revisits all the locations from it's predecessor. I think the similarity is a feature and not a bug. It adds a new town and surrounding area, the home town of the lead character. Toward the end of the game it also adds a randomly-generated dungeon that can be replayed before confronting the final boss. This allows leveling-up the party to where the last battle is too easy. That's a choice not a requirement.
For the first two Steel games I'd recommend the upgraded PlayStation 4/PC version over the originals. The graphics aren't improved much but it adds the ability to fast-forward scenes which is handy in New Game+ mode.
The rights to the rest of the series changed from XSEED to NIS America in 2019. Since then NIS America ported parts III and IV to the PlayStation 4 and PC. They also released to ports of both on the Nintendo Switch marking the first time any game in the Trails series appeared on a Nintendo system outside of Japan. Part III was released in early summer 2020 with IV a little over a year after that.
People who start this series on the Switch will likely have a difficult time understanding parts of the story. Trails of Cold Steel III starts in a new location and at first appears disconnected from the previous games. It feels like it's transitioning the story from the lead of parts I&II to a new generation of characters. Then it jumps back into locations from parts I&II and introduces characters from them without any context. It's sort of like trying to watch Return of the Jedi first. It's clear a few hours in that they are not at all transitioning the story to a new set of characters, they are adding new characters to an already crowded world.
They included summaries of the first two games to help a little. Even to experienced players, Trails of Cold Steel III can be hard to follow because it merges storylines from the previous Trails arcs including games that were unreleased outside of Japan at the time. I am not trying to discourage people from starting this series. I thoroughly enjoyed these games and think other JRPG fans would too. You can't think of them like Final Fantasy games where the major numbered games are all separate worlds. You don't have to start all the way back with Trails in the Sky to understand Trails of Cold Steel, it helps but you'll get through Trails of Cold Steel just fine either way.
There are two major upgrades in Trails of Cold Steel III. The first is graphical. The previous games began life as PlayStation 3 & Vita games, III was developed for the PlayStation 4. The other upgrade is getting a ton of new scenery. Most of the locations in Trails of Cold Steel III are new.
A word of caution.. the Switch port of Trails of Cold Steel III is horribly buggy and crashes often. If you choose to play that version be ready to hit save a lot.
Trails of Cold Steel IV wraps-up the main story and includes many playable characters from the other Trails games. I thought it was a very good conclusion to the series. It would be nearly impossible to follow the story without playing part III first so don't try that. It occurs mostly in places already visited in III, you may notice a pattern by now.
The story is also a little tough to follow without playing the prior Sky/Zero/Azure story arc. The first playable character in the game is the lead of the Zero/Azure duology which was not available in the US when Cold Steel IV was published.
The Switch version of Trails of Cold Steel IV doesn't crash often like III did. I made it through the entire game with zero crashes. It is still seriously lacking in the QA department though. There is some very important missing text that should have been found before release. If I hadn't played it on PlayStation 4 first I would have been very confused at one point in the game. This is a long-running problem for Falcom. Since they don't handle their own ports their reputation is harmed by other companies making bad mistakes.
There is also an upgraded version of Trails of Cold Steel III & IV sold as a combo pack for PlayStation 5.
In 2020 Falcom released Hajimari no Kiseki in Japan which is like an epilogue to the Trails of Cold Steel series. It was released in the US as Trails into Reverie in 2023 on the PlayStation 4 & 5, Switch, and PC. Although I don't know NIS America's motivation for sure, they published it after the Zero/Azure ports. This makes sense in that it follows the release order in Japan and the overall story arc of the series.
Trails into Reverie takes place after the conclusion of Trails of Cold Steel IV. The main story is one of the weaker in the series. It introduces just three new characters and brings back 48 others who are playable. If that sounds overwhelming, well, it can be. During the story your party is limited to the plot-relevant characters. Most of the game play occurs outside of the main story though.
Reverie is anchored around a large randomly generated dungeon where every character is playable. It's based on the final dungeon from Trails of Cold Steel II, with many similarities to Trails in the Sky the 3rd too. This was a my favorite part of the game. Although I tended to only use the same few characters when exploring the dungeon. This is a game where it is very easy to grind and create an overpowered party. The main story bosses are pushovers if you've strengthened the right characters.
In 2021 the next Trails arc (Kuro no Kiseki) was released in Japan with a direct sequel appearing about a year later. In the US they were re-branded Trails through Daybreak. The first game was released in July 2024 with the sequel following in early 2025. In Japan these were released on PlayStation 4/5. In the US it was also ported to the Nintendo Switch by NIS America.
This is a pretty big change to the series. It adds an action combat system for field battles. In prior Trails games enemies were viewable on the grid and could be surprised by attacking them with an action command. That led directly to a turn-based battle. In Daybreak it's possible to continue fighting the enemies in an action battle. The combat isn't as refined as an Ys game but is very easy to master. At any point the battle can be switched into turn-based mode. From there it uses a grid system similar to the earlier games. The battle system was the highlight of the game for me.
Trails through Daybreak occurs in the same world as the prior games but in a new country. A small number of characters from previous Trails games make guest appearances. Despite that, someone totally new to the series could in theory start with Daybreak. There will be dialogs that don't make any sense but the story is independent enough.
As is the case with previous even numbered sequels, there are not many new locations in Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak II. It adds a randomly generated semi-optional dungeon that is similar to the one in Trails through Reverie. I say "semi" because I believe you can finish most of the main story without visiting, although your party will be under-leveled constantly. In easy mode maybe this is OK.
A few new playable characters are added but the entire cast size is tiny compared to the last games in the Steel arc. The action battle system was updated to include magic attacks (arts).
If the previous game was a little accessible to new players this one is not. A significant portion of the plot revolves around the backstory of a character from earlier Trails games. It is explained briefly but that comes across more like a "last week on the show" refresher for people who already played the previous games. This is similar to Trails of Cold Steel III & IV. It initially feels like a mostly independent arc only to merge with previous storylines. Most of the storyline crossover is with the earlier Sky arc. The Daybreak games reference events from the Steel arc and even include some characters from it. It's the Sky arc that is more closely linked though. That appears to change in the next game.
The possible final entry in the Trails series is The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki -Farewell, O Zemuria-. It was released in Japan in 2024. The title obviously implies it is the final game. The promo art features characters from multiple previous story arcs. This hints at something similar to Reverie. The US localization is titled The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon. It is being handled by NIS America and has been delayed to 2026. The original game was released on PlayStation 4/5, in addition NIS America is porting it to the Nintendo Switch. There are plans for Switch 2 version in 2026 as well.
Finally, there is also a loosely-connected mobile game called Akatsuki no Kiseki that I would not expect to ever see outside of Japan.
Dragon Slayer Series
The Dragon Slayer series is immediately confusing because it's not really a series. "Dragon Slayer" is used as a brand by Falcom but the games have no connection to each other. The previously mentioned Legend of Heroes series is technically part of Dragon Slayer series. A comparison could be made to the Final Fantasy series except the Dragon Slayer games typically don't even share common gameplay elements. The series is a mix of traditional RPGs, action/adventure games, and even strategy games.
Legacy of the Wizard was a 1989 NES release, this time by Broderbund. The original title in Japan was Dragon Slayer IV: Drasle Family, smart move to change it. This is a side-scrolling game with a hint of RPG flavor. You control the seven members of a family, including their pet dog, as they battle their way through a complex dungeon. It's an odd game that I'm not sure is right for many.
The fifth installment of the Dragon Slayer series is Socerian for DOS which was released in the United States in 1990 by Sierra. There is also a Mega Drive port without an official localization. I tracked down a copy of the PC version but haven't played it, or a fan translation of the Mega Drive version, yet.
Xanadu Series
Now if you want to be thoroughly confused consider that the Dragon Slayer series is the parent of both the Legend of Heroes and Xanadu brands. See back in 1984 Falcom made a game called Dragon Slayer. That spawned a sequel called Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu which lead to several Xanadu-branded games that dropped the "Dragon Slayer" name. Years later they released Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes, as you now know that name was flipped in the US and "Dragon Slayer" was dropped from the future installments.
Faxanadu for the NES was released in 1989. It was published by Hudson Soft in Japan but by Nintendo in the United States. It's a spin-off of Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu which was only released in Japan. I guess if it was released now they would have called it Xanadu Gaiden. Anyway, it's a side-scrolling action game with some RPG elements. It's not a stretch to compare it to Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The game takes place inside a giant tree that houses many towns and dungeons. It sounds weird but I enjoyed the setting. Faxanadu was available on the Wii Virtual Console and is not especially pricey in physical form.
In 2005 Xanadu Next was released for the N-Gage. Like Faxanadu it's a it's a spin-off of Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu. I'll probably never buy an N-Gage so I'll miss out on trying it.
On the PlayStation Vita there's Tokyo Xanadu which Americans had to wait nearly two years for. That's not bad by Falcom standards. It's an action RPG that I feel plays a lot like Ys VIII. I suspect they're using a good portion of shared code. I can't really say how it's connected to the other Xanadu games if at all. It's definitely nothing like Faxandu which is the most recent installment in the series for me. I suppose games made 30 years apart by completely different development teams won't have much in common.
Tokyo Xanadu takes place in a modern (2015) setting where a team of high school students have to balance the challenges of teen drama and fighting demons in a parallel world. That bad review doesn't really do it justice, I'll just say that if you enjoy Ys games you'll probably like this too. It borrows some characters & themes from Trails of Cold Steel too. Clearly it is heavily inspired by the Persona series.
Tokyo Xanadu received an upgrade in the form of Tokyo Xanadu eX+ on the PlayStation 4. Similar to Ys VIII, the jump from Vita to PlayStation 4 featured higher definition graphics and additional content. This was released in the US a little more than a year after the Japanese version. As usual, this version is available on Steam/GOG too.
Tokyo Xanadu contains a ton of fan-service references to the Trails of Cold Steel series. If you play that series first (at least the first two games) you'll appreciate them. Not playing Trails of Cold Steel first, or ever if turn-based RPGs aren't your thing, will not detract from Tokyo Xanadu at all though. Just if you plan to play both, go with Trails of Cold Steel first.
In 2023 Tokyo Xanadu eX+ was ported to the Switch. It was released in English in the US roughly a year later. The translation was tweaked and it includes a number of in-game bonus items. This is my recommended way to try it.
I typically only read negative feedback about Tokyo Xanadu. I enjoyed this game a lot but mostly because of all the fan references. Tokyo Xanadu is basically a Falcom fan game that happens to be made by Falcom.
Other Games
Falcom created many games outside of their major franchises, several made it across the ocean.
The first was Tombs & Treasure for the NES which was published by Infocom. Of all the various companies that have published Falcom games in America, this is the most out of place. Infocom was legendary for their text adventures but this was their only venture into the NES marketplace. This is a point and click adventure along the lines of Shadowgate but with an overworld to explore. I enjoyed this game enough to write a walkthrough for it. Unfortunately it's not a common cartridge and hasn't been re-released in download form.
The Brandish series saw a four releases in Japan but only the original for the Super Nintendo was released in the United States. Koei published it which is something like the 400th different company we've talked about here. It hit the shelves the same time as the PlayStation and Saturn which probably didn't help it out that much. Brandish is a dungeon crawling game somewhat along the lines of their earlier Xanadu release.
A remake of the original Brandish, titled Brandish: The Dark Revenant was released for the PlayStation Portable in Japan in 2009. Six years later XSEED brought it overseas as a downloadable title making it one of the last PlayStation Portable games released. It is compatible with the PlayStation Vita which is likely the system they were really targeting.
Popful Mail: Magical Fantasy Adventure for the Sega CD was ported by Working Designs. This game is like a marriage of Ys III and Legacy of the Wizard. Based on the cover art one would expect an RPG but it's really an action game filled with cinematic cut-scenes. This might be the most expensive game to track down on this entire page. I would recommend trying this regardless of how you obtain a copy.
In 2004 Falcom relased Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure for the PlayStation Portable in Japan. Three years later Mastiff Games brought it over to the United States. An improved version was released on Steam/GOG and Nintendo 3DS. When the 3DS store was officially shut down that version was lost to future Falcom fans. I have it saved on a 3DS that hopefully doesn't break. It's not a huge improvement over the PlayStation Portable version. The graphics are a little crisper. Although there's not any uniformity to Falcom games this one has the least in common with the rest if that makes sense. This is essentially a 3D dungeon crawling game filled with exceedingly cartoony characters.
Zwei and Zwei II are a pair of PC games that are like more advanced versions of Gurumin. Since I rarely play PC games I haven't gotten to these yet and can't say too much. Both Zwei games are available on Steam and GOG.com.
Engrossing Game Gallery (EGG)
Starting in 2024, PC-8801 versions of Falcom games began appearing on the EGG Console collection for Nintendo Switch. This service is comparable to the original Wii Virtual Console where emulated versions of games are sold individually. The publisher (D4 Enterprise) so far is focused on releasing original versions of classic PC-8801 games. They're even releasing all these gems in the US. There's a catch though...
These games are very original. The onscreen help is in English but otherwise these games are entirely in their original Japanese text. If you can't read Japanese these are going to be tough. The selection is great so far: Ys, Ys II, Ys III, Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes, Dragon Slayer IV, Xanadu, Xanadu Scenario II, Revival Xanadu II, Lord Monarch, Popful Mail, and Sorcerian. I expect more to come.
I doubt there will be translated versions of these on the Switch. Many don't have fan translations of the PC-8801 versions today. I suspect that's a tougher effort than it sounds. Despite that, some of these can be managed if you know the US versions well enough. I tried the first three Ys games and didn't experience much difficultly, other than the actual higher difficulty of these versions.
Related
