LogFAQs > #906301050

There's 3 arcs in the Trails series currently. They feature a different cast of main characters, but they are all interconnected; there is a story that progresses through each of them; some characters appear in multiple arcs; etc etc. (They all take place in roughly the same time period. in different locations, sometimes with like 1-2 year gaps or something)

Liberl Arc
1. Trails in the Sky FC (or sometimes just "Trails in the Sky)
2. Trails in the Sky SC
3. Trails in the Sky the 3rd

Crossbell Arc
4. Trails to Zero/Zero no Kiseki
5. Trails to Azure/Ao no Kiseki

Erebonia Arc
6. Trails of Cold Steel
7. Trails of Cold Steel II
8. Trails of Cold Steel III/Sen no Kiseki III
9. Trails of Cold Steel IV/Sen no Kiseki IV (unreleased)

The entire Crossbell arc as well as Cold Steel 3 and 4 don't currently have official English releases, which is why I've also listed the Japanese title for those. (4 is not out in Japan either for another month or two.) It is likely that Cold Steel 3 and 4 will get English releases at some point in the future. However, I would not count on the Crossbell games ever being officially translated. There are unofficial translations which are not all that difficult to find, though I believe the ones currently available are still unedited or something?

Otherwise in general there's two entry points, which are Trails of Cold Steel or Trails in the Sky FC. For various reasons I recommend starting with Trails in the Sky, but if you for whatever reason want to start with Cold Steel that wouldn't be terrible either. (Falcom explicitly designed the game with the idea that it could be a reasonable entry point.)

Obviously any individual arc has to be playedin order. In addition, some points of the Crossbell Arc finish some plot threads from the Sky games, which is why I don't recommend starting there.

I haven't played it, but word on the street is that Cold Steel 3 relies somewhat on knowledge from both the Crossbell and Liberl arcs, so it's recommended that you play everything before moving on to Cold Steel III if possible. (Though I may not be doing this in fairness as I have not played the Crossbell games either. I have a strong preference for only playing officially released stuff, and I've already spoiled myself on 90% of the Crossbell games anyways. We'll see what happens)
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