The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure | |
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File:Trails to Azure Steam artwork.jpg | |
Developer(s) | Nihon Falcom[a] |
Publisher(s) | NIS America
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Director(s) | Toshihiro Kondo |
Producer(s) | Masayuki Kato |
Programmer(s) |
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Artist(s) | Katsumi Enami |
Writer(s) | Hisayoshi Takeiri |
Composer(s) |
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Series | Trails |
Platform(s) | |
Release | September 29, 2011 |
Genre(s) | Role-playing |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure, known as Ao no Kiseki[b] in Japan, 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 first released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable, with no release outside of Asia until an English release was announced a decade later. Based upon the work of a fan translation, it is scheduled to be released by NIS America for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch in March 2023.
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 the powers of KeA, the SSS's young ward, for their own ends. They are led by the mayor, Dieter Crois, who declares Crossbell's independence and seeks to rule the continent through the powers of KeA. The SSS have to brave civil unrest and occult intrusions to foil his plans. Although Crois is defeated and arrested, his actions lead to Crossbell's annexation by the Erebonian Empire. This leads into the "Divertissement" chapter of Trails of Cold Steel II and the events of the latter half of the Trails of Cold Steel series.
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 released by Clouded Leopard Entertainment for the Nintendo Switch in Asia on April 22, 2021.[6]
Due to a variety of reasons, Trails to Azure and its predecessor, Trails from Zero, were not localized in English by the time of the Japanese release of Trails of Cold Steel. 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 release would serve as the foundation for an official English version by NIS America for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Windows.[9] It is scheduled to be released in North America on March 14, 2023, in Europe on March 17, and in Australasia on March 24.[10]
Reception
Trails to Azure was listed as one of the best upcoming games of 2011 at that year's Tokyo Game Show.[11] 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.[1]
Notes
References
- ^ a b Rawda, Odel (May 6, 2020). "Why Falcom's Trails from Zero & Trails to Azure Deserve a Western Release". CBR. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ "Chinese Ao no Kiseki PC Release Dated for 3/28". November 12, 2012.
- ^ "Legend of Heroes Ao no Kiseki Evolution's Teaser Video Posted".
- ^ "A Peek At The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Blue Evolution's Anime Opening". March 27, 2014.
- ^ Romano, Sal (January 31, 2020). "The Legend of Heroes: Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki for PS4 launch April 23 and May 28 in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- ^ Romano, Sal (October 29, 2020). "The Legend of Heroes: Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki coming to Switch on February 18, 2021 and April 22 in Asia". Gematsu. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
- ^ Avery, Brittany (June 5, 2015). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel - Localization Blog #1". XSEED Games Official Website. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ Arshad Khan, Danial (July 7, 2018). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails To Azure (Ao no Kiseki) fan translation patch released". GearNuke. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
- ^ "The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero coming west in fall 2022 for PS4, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- ^ Romano, Sal (October 17, 2022). "The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure launches March 14, 2023 in North America, March 17 in Europe". Gematsu. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ Toto, Serkan. "Japan Game Awards 2011 At The Tokyo Game Show: Here Are The 10 Winners". Tech Crunch. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
External links
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