The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure explained

Developer:Nihon Falcom
Publisher:NIS America
Director:Toshihiro Kondo
Producer:Masayuki Kato
Artist:Katsumi Enami
Series:Trails
Genre:Role-playing
Modes:Single-player

is a 2011 role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. The game is a part of the Trails series, itself a part of the larger The Legend of Heroes series. Trails to Azure serves as a sequel to Trails from Zero (2010), forming the second and final part of the series' "Crossbell arc".

Trails to Azure released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable in 2011 with no release outside of Asia until 2023, when it was published by NIS America for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. The English release was based upon the work of a fan translation.

Plot

Trails to Azure is set a few months after the ending of Trails from Zero. The Special Support Section (SSS) are joined by new recruits – the Army sergeant major Noel Seeker and the former gang leader Wazy Hemisphere.

Again, unscrupulous figures seek to use KeA as the Sept-Terrion of Mirage, now adopted by the SSS and taking the surname of Bannings, for their own ends. They are led by the mayor, Dieter Crois, who declares Crossbell's independence and seeks to ensure it through the powers of KeA, and his daughter Mariabell, who seeks to use KeA to rewrite history. The SSS have to brave civil unrest and occult intrusions to foil their plans. Both Dieter and Mariabell Crois are defeated; the former is arrested and the latter joins Ouroboros. KeA relinquishes her powers, but all of these events lead to Crossbell's annexation by the Erebonian Empire, which leads into events seen in the Trails of Cold Steel arc.

Release

Ao no Kiseki was released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable on September 29, 2011.[1] It was later ported to Windows for release in China on March 28, 2013.[2] It was also released for the PlayStation Vita in Japan on June 12, 2014, as Ao no Kiseki: Evolution. This version features improved visuals and more voice acting.[3] [4] The Evolution version received a remaster for the PlayStation 4, releasing in Japan under the title Ao no Kiseki Kai on May 28, 2020.[5] It was also released for the Nintendo Switch in China and South Korea by Clouded Leopard Entertainment on April 22, 2021.[6]

Trails to Azure and its prequel, Trails from Zero, were not localized in English by the time of the Japanese release of Trails of Cold Steel in 2013. Falcom subsequently approached Xseed Games, who had previously localized Trails in the Sky, and requested that a localization of Trails of Cold Steel be prioritized instead, resulting in Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure being skipped.[7] An English fan translation was released in 2018,[8] with another one by a team known as the "Geofront" released in May 2021. Geofront's release would serve as the foundation for an official English version by NIS America for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Windows, released in March 2023 in North America, Europe and Australasia.[9] [10] That version was also released in Japan for the Switch by Falcom on August 31, 2023.[11]

Reception

Trails to Azure received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator website Metacritic.

The game was listed as one of the best upcoming games of 2011 at that year's Tokyo Game Show.[12] Along with Trails from Zero, Comic Book Resources highlighted the game's "persistent overarching storyline, immersive and detailed settings, masterful character development [and] unique battle system". They noted that despite the lack of an official localization at the time, the plot and characters were integral to understanding later games in the series.

Notes and References

  1. News: Rawda . Odel . Why Falcom's Trails from Zero & Trails to Azure Deserve a Western Release . May 22, 2020 . CBR . May 6, 2020 . June 2, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200602203951/https://www.cbr.com/falcoms-trails-deserve-western-release/ . live .
  2. Web site: Chinese Ao no Kiseki PC Release Dated for 3/28. November 12, 2012. June 19, 2020. June 22, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200622014507/https://www.esterior.net/2012/11/chinese-ao-no-kiseki-pc-release-dated-for-328/. live.
  3. Web site: Legend of Heroes Ao no Kiseki Evolution's Teaser Video Posted. June 21, 2023. June 10, 2020. June 15, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200615204614/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2013-07-11/legend-of-heroes-ao-no-kiseki-evolution-teaser-video-posted. live.
  4. Web site: A Peek At The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Blue Evolution's Anime Opening. March 27, 2014. June 10, 2020. July 22, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180722125450/http://www.siliconera.com/2014/03/27/peek-legend-heroes-trails-blue-evolutions-anime-opening/. live.
  5. Web site: Romano. Sal. The Legend of Heroes: Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki for PS4 launch April 23 and May 28 in Japan. January 31, 2020. Gematsu. January 31, 2020. November 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211126162506/https://www.gematsu.com/2020/01/the-legend-of-heroes-zero-no-kiseki-and-ao-no-kiseki-for-ps4-launch-april-23-and-may-28-in-japan. live.
  6. Web site: Romano . Sal . The Legend of Heroes: Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki coming to Switch on February 18, 2021 and April 22 in Asia . Gematsu . October 29, 2020 . October 29, 2020 . May 23, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210523085541/https://www.gematsu.com/2020/10/the-legend-of-heroes-zero-no-kiseki-and-ao-no-kiseki-coming-to-switch-on-february-18-2021-and-april-22-in-asia . live .
  7. Web site: Avery . Brittany . The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel - Localization Blog #1 . XSEED Games Official Website . March 16, 2022 . June 5, 2015 . March 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220316034044/https://www.xseedgames.com/2015/06/05/the-legend-of-heroes-trails-series-localization-blog-1/ . live .
  8. Web site: Arshad Khan. Danial. July 7, 2018. The Legend of Heroes: Trails To Azure (Ao no Kiseki) fan translation patch released. July 22, 2018. GearNuke. July 22, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180722095747/http://gearnuke.com/the-legend-of-heroes-trails-to-azure-ao-no-kiseki-fan-translation/. dead.
  9. Web site: June 25, 2021. The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero coming west in fall 2022 for PS4, Switch, and PC. June 25, 2021. Gematsu. November 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211126162456/https://www.gematsu.com/2021/06/the-legend-of-heroes-trails-from-zero-coming-west-in-fall-2022-for-ps4-switch-and-pc. live.
  10. Web site: Romano. Sal. The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure launches March 14, 2023 in North America, March 17 in Europe. October 17, 2022. Gematsu. October 17, 2022. October 17, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221017130159/https://www.gematsu.com/2022/10/the-legend-of-heroes-trails-to-azure-launches-march-14-2023-in-north-america-march-17-in-europe. live.
  11. Web site: Romano . Sal . The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure for Switch coming to Japan on August 31 . Gematsu . April 27, 2023 . 30 August 2023 . August 30, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230830172651/https://www.gematsu.com/2023/04/the-legend-of-heroes-trails-from-zero-and-the-legend-of-heroes-trails-to-azure-for-switch-coming-to-japan-on-august-31 . live .
  12. Web site: Toto . Serkan . Japan Game Awards 2011 At The Tokyo Game Show: Here Are The 10 Winners . . September 19, 2011 . June 11, 2020 . February 2, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240202063720/https://techcrunch.com/2011/09/19/japan-game-awards-2011-at-the-tokyo-game-show-here-are-the-10-winners/ . live .

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