Riding the wave of success collected by recent installments, Falcom returns to the origins of the Trails series, historically part of the classic “The Legend of Heroes” brand, to offer a solid starting point for new players. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is, in fact, the inaugural part of a story that recounts a fantasy universe through military tensions seasoned with a dash of political fiction. This intervention is likely a necessary one, considering The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky was originally launched for Asian computers alone back in 2004.
Today, the Trails saga boasts well over ten titles, including sequels and spin-offs, published between 2006 and 2024, with the latest iteration of the franchise, The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon, scheduled for a Western release in early 2026. But where does the appeal of this successful turn-based RPG series lie? Trails undoubtedly shines through its extremely sophisticated approach to dialogue writing, characterisation, and world-building; yet the masterstroke that endears the series to fans and intrigues newcomers is the inspired choice to explore various perspectives across its different episodes. The narrative shifts through time and space to intimately recount the backstories driving the relationships between conflicting kingdoms, with stories evolving within military ranks and exploring distinct cultures.
However, one shouldn’t think that the Falcom series completely detaches itself from the narrative tropes and conventions of the JRPG genre aimed at a young audience, defining itself as a uniquely serious entity within a production normally marked by more lighthearted tones. On the contrary, the Trails saga wholeheartedly embraces all the narrative stylings of coming-of-age tales with young actors from the popular adolescent storytelling landscape, doing so with a genuine tone and without forcing the inclusion of overly complex or mature themes. In this first chapter, the “feel-good” tone with which events are approached certainly makes the experience more digestible, though some might perceive a narrative simplicity ill-suited to the project’s overarching ambitions.
Despite its simplicity, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter perfectly embodies what has been described thus far, centering on the young and energetic Estelle and her mild-mannered adoptive brother Joshua. These two heroes are committed to following in the footsteps of their father, a warrior famous throughout the Kingdom of Liberl. They soon dedicate their time to climbing the ranks of the Bracer Guild, a non-governmental association with branches in every kingdom of the narrative world, founded to maintain peace and protect the weak. This very goal serves as the catalyst for their adventure into the surrounding regions, leading them on a path of personal growth and the discovery of revelations far more shocking than anything they could have previously imagined.
