The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV

八叶一刀 无仞剑！

In a lot of ways Trails of Cold Steel IV is very much like Part 2. From the high-level gameplay to how the narrative is structured, playing through it gave me a lot of flashbacks of the great experiences I had when I played Part 2 but with more of the modern conveniences which have become standard with JRPGs. The game hits all top marks, in my opinion, for presentation, gameplay, story, and worldbuilding. As a newbie to this franchise, I really appreciate how the game tries to drop lore from previous games making it feel more familiar even if I haven't played the older games. That said, there were a few more nitpicks I had for this game than the rest of the Cold Steel games which is unsurprising given how ambitious this game is. My biggest problem with this game, and this goes with the previous 3 parts, is how a lot of the tragic events form the preceeding game become almost inconsequential as the story unfolds. Now, I really hate fake deaths as it genuinely destroys all the emotional impact and tension that was built prior. What is even worse, in my opinion, is how the game flimsily explains how the characters survived and how the characters just accept it as if it was nothing. The only exception here is the story for one of the characters of Class VII whose story and "death" was really well done, creating a lot of emotional stake for almost all characters up to the very end of the game leading to such captivating scenes and well-earned character development. The same cannot be said for the rest and I know the game really hypes up these "reveals" with a bombastic set piece and all the pomp, but I can't help but taste a little bit of salt despite it all. Another nitpick I have in terms of the narrative is how there is a noticeably lower level of writing for the dialogue in this game compared to the previous games. Not to say that it is anywhere near bad, but having experienced the previous games, I can't help but feel a little bit disappointed. The ending was also quite abrupt despite being the longest game so far. I wish they took a different direction with how they made the ending---again, far from bad and only a bit disappointing. Finally, I really did not enjoy how the game still tries to give player choice in terms of romancing companions when there is clearly a canon one that the writers wanted you to pursue. What we ended up, I felt, was a game that ironically couldn't commit any one of the relationship choices and thus makes it both meaningless and bland. In terms of gameplay, this game so far has the best combat and systems out of all of Cold Steel. Here, we see the return of expanded quartz slots, lost arts, and a tweaked Break and Order system from part 3. Don't get me wrong, these systems when utilized properly can and will break the game, but at least at the first act you really get to see the game shine with how it provides an fair challenge forcing you to create better builds for your party members. This is why that even playing on Nightmare difficulty, I was able to breeze through all of the second half of the game without even breaking a sweat. Nevertheless, the game is still very much enjoyable and the combat more fluid and fast-paced as ever. Presentation here is the same fare as Part 3 if a little bit better. Though there is always the problem of music and cutscene animations becoming very stale for a game running 100+ hours, I think the game handled it quite well and just narrowly avoids overly using them, at least to the benefit of the more pivotal cutscenes. That said, there really is little to complain in the presentation department considering the resources needed to develop the game and, in my opinion, how the managed to create such an experience is nothing short of amazing. I came upon Part 1 on a whim, having seen it on sale on Steam and one day giving it a try. Here I am almost 500 hours into the saga and I don't regret a single minute of it. These series of games offered some of the best gaming I have had in a long while and I really did enjoy my time despite having little to no knowledge with the older games. If you are looking into getting into a new series, I'd easily recommend playing Cold Steel 1-4 depite all the commentary online saying you have to play the first one. To be honest, I genuinely didn't feel lost, in terms of the story, and the game is quick to explain if something being discussed is vital to this arc's plot. For the most part, a lot of the references are guest appearances and name drops from the previous games and are not as relevant to the main character's story as it is to the wider story of the Legend of Heroes. If you're the type who isn't really bothered with letting some of the story "wash over" you as you play then you will really enjoy this experience. I would put Parts 1-4 alongside all the JRPG classics and a must play if you enjoy games with deep lore and characters and an enjoyable turn-based combat system.