I didn’t think I would be returning to Falcom’s premiere turn based series so soon, but it seems there is more work to be done. Before we get started I need to give thanks to the folks over at Nippon Ichi Software of America for sending me a review code so that I can talk to you guys about Trails of Cold Steel 3 and 4. However I have a disclaimer: this will not be a full analysis of the game’s story, production, gameplay, and presentation like I usually do. The time for that will come later.

                What I will be doing is examining the recently announced PlayStation 5 ports to see if they are worth your time and money. This is the start of a new segment at TaylorTalksEntertainment. But let us wait no longer to dive into this Portside analysis!

Release & Background

        As many Falcom fans are likely aware, this was not the initial localized release for either Cold Steel 3 or 4. The games were released in Japan in 2017 and 2018 as Sen no Kiseki 3 and 4 respectively with the localized releases coming two years later in 2019 for the likes of Cold Steel 3 and in 2020 for Cold Steel 4. The translation of Sen 3 marked the first time that the series’ localization was helmed by now long-runner Nippon Ichi Software of America or Nisa for short. This change came after the collapse of the long-term contract between Xseed Games, owned by Marvelous Entertainment, and the series creators Nihon Falcom.

                Putting aside the public and critical response of the fanbase to this change in production, this was a big shift for Western audiences as changing publishers no doubt raised many questions about the series’ presence in the West going forward. To their credit, Nisa made noticeable marketing efforts to convince fans that they would treat the series with care, going so far as to create consistency by bring back nearly the entire voice cast from the previous English productions of Cold Steel 1 and 2 as well as bringing on several translators who had worked on the previous games in the series who had since left Xseed Games.

                This brings us to today. The localized release has now spread to PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, and eventually to PlayStation 5 today. Now the big question is whether or not this is worth players’ time and money, I pose this question to both newcomers who’ve never played the game as well as series fans who likely have already bought the previous versions of the game. I think this is a fair question: what does this version have over the others?

Technical Qualities

        So, if you’ve already bought either Cold Steel 3 or 4 this is kind of a hard sell. Both of these games are backwards compatible for play on both PS4 and PS5 whether you physically or digitally own the game. True, another game gives you a new trophy list to earn the trophies of both games for a new system. But this is not a selling point for many, and the trophy list is the exact same one from the PlayStation 4 version.

                These are simple ports and as such offer no additional content for players to experience. Nisa promoted the cosmetics bundle add-ons, but these are present in every version, and are included in the package at no extra cost. The downloadable content list also remains the same and is consistent with other versions. Many would have likely preferred a free PS5 upgrade or to pay a nominal upgrade fee as opposed to paying market value for a pair of games that have been out for nearly 4-6 years now.

                Before we dive into the technical aspects of what is different I can acknowledge the fact that this release appeals more to those who never acquired this pair of games when they made the rounds years ago. Naturally, as a smaller company working on a franchise that is admittingly niche, physical copies of Cold Steel 3 and 4 have become rarer and rarer. This release at least guarantees a new supply of copies, which means those looking to purchase the game for the first time won’t have to deal with after-market scalpers charging two and a half times market value for games that are several years old.

                Much like the PS4 ports of Cold Steel 1 and 2, there are some nice visual updates if you get these versions. Again, this is a more difficult sell if you have already bought the game. The PS4 versions of Cold Steel 3 and 4 can be played in 4k resolution if you possess a PS4 Pro. If you only own a base PS4 this is an upgrade if you jumped straight from a base PS4 to the PS5. This is the most visually impressive version of the game if we exclude the PC version from our discussion. But on consoles this will be the most visually appealing release of these games.

                Having not played the PS4 versions of this pair on the PS4 Pro, I’m going to take a moment to praise some of these extra visual details. Cold Steel 3 was a better foray into the world of 3D gaming than its predecessors in the likes of Cold Steel 1 and 2 as the animations and model work were much improved. These improvements are only enhanced in this version of the game. And thanks to that enhanced resolution I was able to take in some additional details that I could never quite appreciate on consoles.

When Rean first gets off the train at the start of Cold Steel 3 you see a billboard out of the corner of your eye that shows a town map. This map is fully rendered and actually the fast travel map. Similarly, Falcom extended vast amounts of detail to minor scenes that the average person won’t notice. When Rean helps some kids find their playing cards he picks up a card and it’s fully rendered despite being on screen for less than two seconds. True, you can experience this on a PC as well but when it comes to consoles this is the most detail we’ll see from Cold Steel 3 and 4. It’s amazing how far Falcom went with these minute little details, and I likely wouldn’t have noticed had I not taken the time to revisit these games for this article.

The performance was stable and continually maintained 60fps even with my recording software running. True, you can play with uncapped frames on a PC but this remains the most visually impressive version of these games on consoles. The game, while lacking any additional content, brings some visual flair to help differentiate it from previous versions and I don’t feel my time was wasted by revisiting it. An additional benefit of picking up this version as opposed to earlier versions is that you won’t have to sit through the copious amounts of bug, and translation fixes that both of these games required at release.

Conclusion

        So, do I think this version is worth replaying if you’ve already experienced other versions? Well unless you enjoy these small details being given more attention I would say no. But at the end of the day this release isn’t for me and people who have already experienced these games. This port largely exists for those who for whatever reason have never played the likes of Cold Steel 3 and 4. As far as ports go, it is technically sound and you really can’t go wrong. If you have never picked up these games I can’t recommend them enough. Thanks again to the folks over at Nisa for sending us a review code! Trails of Cold Steel 3 and 4 arereleased for PlayStation 5 on February 16, 2024.

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