Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

The remake Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a huge success for the traditional Japanese studio Nihon Falcom - and with English voice-overs and German subtitles, it is set to captivate Western markets this time around.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st, also known as Trails in the Sky: 1st Chapter, is a complete remake of the first game in the series, The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC (First Chapter). The original was released in 2004. A Western release on the PSP followed in 2011, and a PC version was released in collaboration with Xseed Games in 2014.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a JRPG set in the Kingdom of Liberl. Players join Estelle Bright and her adoptive brother Joshua as they begin their journey as 'junior bracers', determined to rise through the ranks of their renowned peacekeeping guild. What begins as a straightforward mission to prove their worth quickly evolves into an adventure full of intrigue and peril, as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens their homeland's very heart. The story starts slowly and focuses much more on character development and emotional relationships than many other games in the genre, while maintaining a "down-to-earth" tone throughout. It is an epic yet grounded adventure in which Estelle and Joshua grow from ordinary children into heroes while protecting their homeland. But the other characters also remain memorable and ensure that the game world appears lively. The remake updates the graphics and presentation, with much better cutscenes, animations and character interactions, and transitions between locations are seamless without loading screens. There is a Japanese and English voice-over and even German text translations.

The combat system has been completely overhauled and now offers two familiar systems, depending on the player's preference. What's new is that players can move in real time and actively attack enemies or they switch to classic tactical turn-based combat, with the latter being more useful for boss battles and real-time combat being more worthwhile for quick battles – and yet the battles remain challenging in the remake. However, players are also given more assistance, such as with the Tactical Orbments. In the game, each character possesses a Tactical Orbment. By equipping crystal circuits known as quartz, players can enhance their characters' stats and unlock various orbal arts. There are seven types of quartz, and the optional 'Auto-Equip' feature simplifies the customisation of the orbment for balanced, physical and speed-based builds. Overall, the characters' progression feels well-designed and satisfying. Other accessibility-enhancing elements include the Bracer Notebook, which automatically records details of quests from the guild's bulletin board and key story events, and the Combat Handbook, which automatically registers enemy information when enemies are defeated or stunned in battle.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter was developed by Nihon Falcom Corporation from Japan. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2021, the company is one of the oldest and most influential video game studios in Japan. It is best known for developing the Ys, The Legend of Heroes, Dragon Slayer and Trails franchises for PC at a relatively early stage. Sales of the Trails series have now exceeded nine million units worldwide. In Western markets, the game is published by GungHo Online Entertainment America, and in Asia by Clouded Leopard Entertainment (Sora no Kiseki the 1st). For both publishers, launching on Steam has set a new CCU record (GungHo Online Entertainment America: 4,874; Clouded Leopard Entertainment: 14,295). This also represents a new record for Nihon Falcom, whose previous Steam CCU peak was 2,758 for The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV.

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter was released on 19 September 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Switch.

Conclusion

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a highly compelling and contemporary revival of an absolute JRPG classic! Hopefully, its elaborate English localisation will also mark the start of greater success in the West!