The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II is a stellar continuation of the Trails series by Nihon Falcom, delivering a deep, narrative-rich JRPG experience that masterfully builds on its predecessor while expanding the world, characters, and gameplay in meaningful ways. Picking up immediately after the events of the first game, it throws players back into a politically charged and emotionally complex story, where the stakes are higher and the consequences of past actions ripple through every interaction. This installment succeeds not only as a sequel but as a standalone epic, combining intricate storytelling with refined mechanics to create one of the most memorable entries in modern JRPGs. The narrative in Trails of Cold Steel II is impressively ambitious, weaving together themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and resistance against oppressive forces. Players once again follow Rean Schwarzer and his allies as they navigate the turmoil engulfing the Erebonian Empire, with new alliances fo...
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
- Release Date:
- Feb 14, 2018
- Metacritic:
- 81
- Developer:
- Nihon Falcom
- Publisher:
- XSEED Games, Marvelous USA, Inc.
- Platforms:
- Windows
Game Tags
About This Game
In the wake of the Noble Faction’s occupation of Heimdallr, civil war has broken out across Erebonia. The provincial armies, loyal to the aristocracy and the Four Great Houses, have claimed many of the nation’s great cities in the name of the Noble Alliance. The Imperial Army, called back from the four corners of the Empire, has only just begun its sweeping counterattack.
After Rean managed to escape Trista with Celine and Valimar, he awakens in the mountains near his hometown uncertain what fate befell his friends, who bravely threw themselves in harm’s way to buy him time to flee.
Though the road will not be an easy one, Rean decides to take up his sword again, journeying across Erebonia with his Divine Knight, Valimar, in search of his friends from Class VII and a way to end the conflict before its price becomes far too dear…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taking place on the same continent as the fan favorite Trails in the Sky offshoot of Nihon Falcom’s storied The Legend of Heroes franchise, Trails of Cold Steel II (Sen no Kiseki II in Japanese) is a direct sequel to Trails of Cold Steel, picking up one month after the decisive collision that changed the fate of the entire nation of Erebonia. The speedy, tactical turn-based combat with the newly-developed “ARCUS” system returns with all the bells and whistles together with the new Overdrive mode, new means of transportation both across the land and sky, new allies, new dangers, and a renewed sense of hope as Rean tirelessly works to right the wrongs that have led the country to disarray.
KEY FEATURES
- A Direct Sequel that Remembers the Past
Clear data from Trails of Cold Steel carries over into Trails of Cold Steel II, granting players bonuses, and most importantly, remembering the many relationships cultivated during time spent at Thors Military Academy, allowing for more personalized conversations throughout the story. - Take to the Land and Sky in New Modes of Transportation
Fast travel isn’t just for Trista anymore; a personalized airship now allows players to swiftly choose and descend upon both familiar and foreign destinations alike—and on land, horseback riding not only returns, but players can now customize and utilize Angelica’s orbal bike for fast transportation across the map. - The Link System Returns with a new Overdrive Mode
Bonding with allies continues to pay off with the Combat Link System, netting a variety of combat benefits including healing, guarding, and more, and the new Overdrive mode allows linked characters to attack up to three turns in a row for new strategic battle options. - Experience the Game as Never Before
50% more lines of English voice-overs have been added to the PC release, bringing a fresh experience to even those who have played it before on console. New features for this release include ultrawide aspect ratio support, turbo mode, and an instant resume feature that allows players to launch directly from Steam to their most recent save.
Screenshots
User Reviews
People like to rag on my man Dean Schwarzer because he's a relatively flat-arc'ed do-gooder, but the oscilating curve of moral crisis vs clever and unexpected resolution that highlights Japanese values... mmm *chef's kiss* If Kiseski isn't your current favorite JRPG series, we disagree on that. Don't start with this one, its just the second half of 1.
Perfect!
Cold steel 1 is a necessary prologue that gets you familiar with Erebonia and its characters and what you know is coming if you played Zero/Azure. Cold steel 2 throws you right into that conflict. War is the focus of this one, with character moments in between important battles of the civil war. The mech combat felt off in the final battle and in this one I’m glad to say it ended up being a feature I actively enjoyed and looked forward to. Valimar was fun and it was cool to learn how to operate and forge a weapon unique to Rean. Story wise I enjoyed my full almost 70 hours. There was a guest appearance from older games that was cool and felt not shoehorned in. Overall I’m really enjoying this arc and I’m immediately starting 3.
YES YES YES YES YES, GOD TIER. BEST RPG SERIES OF ALL TIME. PLAY THROUGH THE SERIES. PLAY THROUGH IT AGAIN. IT WILL STICK WITH YOU AND NEVER LET YOU GO. <3
Beautiful sequel, but it's very lonely. Still, on to the next!
Pretty fun game that continues the story of Class VII. I enjoyed the change of pace from school to travelling the country, although the reuse of a lot of locations, enemy types, and even the final boss of the previous game was a little much. Overall, worth your time if you are making your way through the trails series.
A good conclusion on Erebonia Civil War Arc. My only complain about this game is..... I really hope I can play Rean when he is fight in Crossbell. I mean WTF, suddenly he become Erebonian Hero without me even playing him at all. :/
System Requirements
Minimum
- OS *: Windows 7 or later; 64 bit OS required
- Processor: Intel Atom x7-Z8700 2.4 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Shader Model 5 (GeForce 400 / Radeon HD 5000 / Intel post-2012 series)
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 19 GB available space
- Additional Notes: 1280x720 / 30 FPS with portable settings
Recommended
- OS *: Windows 7 or later; 64 bit OS required
- Processor: Intel i3 3 GHz
- Memory: 6 GB RAM
- Graphics: Geforce GTX 770 / Radeon R9 280X
- Storage: 19 GB available space
- Additional Notes: 1920x1080 / 60 FPS with high settings
FAQ
How much does The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II cost?
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II costs $39.99.
What are the system requirements for The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II?
Minimum: Minimum: OS *: Windows 7 or later; 64 bit OS required Processor: Intel Atom x7-Z8700 2.4 GHz Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: Shader Model 5 (GeForce 400 / Radeon HD 5000 / Intel post-2012 series) DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 19 GB available space Additional Notes: 1280x720 / 30 FPS with portable settings Recommended: Recommended: OS *: Windows 7 or later; 64 bit OS required Processor: Intel i3 3 GHz Memory: 6 GB RAM Graphics: Geforce GTX 770 / Radeon R9 280X Storage: 19 GB available space Additional Notes: 1920x1080 / 60 FPS with high settings
What platforms is The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II available on?
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II is available on Windows PC.
Is The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II worth buying?
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II has 94% positive reviews from 17 players. Metacritic score: 81/100.
When was The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II released?
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II was released on Feb 14, 2018.
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