Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 79 | 17 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 95% | 89 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 92% | 86 | 10 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 29 reviews sampled · 19 total reviews in window · weighted 22.1 up / 2 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (51)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 100
“The game is a triumph in world-building and character-driven storytelling, and its combat system is versatile enough to support it through its mammoth eighty-plus-hour runtime.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The repetitiveness of the school life portions is the greatest offender, the game really comes into its own when you’re out of the school environment and exploring Erebonia. Still, if you’ve been on the fence about giving this game a shot, the PC port is easily the definitive version.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“It is a really slow one to get going, but no argument can be made against how much care Falcom has put into building and developing the world and characters throughout the opening stages of Trails of Cold Steel. It very much hits the typical JRPG checkboxes, but with solid and safe customisation, and a great tactical turn-based battle system that adds a little something extra to the standard formula, this is a title that JRPG fans cannot afford to pass on - especially PS Vita owners - and will most definitely last right up until the sequel hits Western shores.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“In the early hours of Trails of Cold Steel, I was skeptical that it could live up to the lofty standards set by Trails in the Sky. However, after my first year spent as a student of Class VII, I can confidently say that it has, and knowing that this is just the beginning of a new series fills me with great anticipation.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Overall, Rage 2 is a fun game. Surprisingly a bit short for an open world experience as I was able to beat it at below 14 hours. But it is still worth playing if you are a fan of Doom.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is one of the chronicles of the "Trails Series" that connects the epic. Although there is a discrepancy in it, but it includes well-defined characters and great battles that make sense.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“From a technical standpoint, the port to PlayStation 4 that supports 4k textures, is excellent; it is smooth (minus the wooden, garbage-like animations), bright, and full of intense colors and detailed hand-drawn textures, but a new paint job is not enough to fix what is wrong with The Legend of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel … and that is that it is old.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“One of the best examples of how good the Japanese RPG can be, even if no single aspect sets the bar for the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Though it can be incredibly slow in both combat and story, the surprisingly active combat system keeps things interesting.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Despite my gripes with the game and the struggle to make it through achingly slow opening chapter, the care and detail that went into the game is clear to see, and I know there are JRPG fans that live to appreciate the kind of meticulous detail that this game contains. Trails of Cold Steel wants you to strap in for the long haul, and as the first of three chapters it’s not afraid to take its time. If you want a JRPG that isn’t afraid to soak you in story until you’re nothing but wrinkles, this is absolutely the game for you.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“In short, the game is really held back by subpar storytelling.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“An ashamedly old school role-player that nevertheless does its best to attract new players and entertain existing fans.”
read full review ↗
RPGamer
Gamer Escape
Cubed3
ZTGD
PlayStation Galaxy
INVEN
Chalgyr's Game Room
The Escapist
MonsterVine
TheSixthAxis
GameSkinny
Metro GameCentral…and 39 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Trails of Cold Steel Version 1.6 Patch NotesNov 5, 2018
- Version 1.5 (Build 2337650) patch notesDec 4, 2017
- Version 1.5 (Build 2337650) patch notesDec 4, 2017
- Version 1.2.1 (Build 2034757) patch notesAug 14, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.2.1 (Build 2034757) patch notesAug 14, 2017
- Version 1.1 (Build 2011989) patch notesAug 4, 2017significant · resets scoring window
- Version 1.1 (Build 2011989) patch notesAug 4, 2017