Image Credit: Nihon Falcom
Playtime: ~45 – 110 hours
Completion: Finished main story
Platform: PC (Steam)
Genre: JRPG, Turn-Based, Story-Rich
Played/Reviewed: 2024 (Played) / September 2025 (Reviewed)
Final Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (8.0/10)
🧠 First Impressions
After wrapping up the Sky trilogy, diving into Trails from Zero felt like stepping into a new chapter of Falcom’s saga while still carrying familiar echoes of the past. This is the first game in the Crossbell arc, and instead of following bracers like Estelle and Joshua, you step into the shoes of Lloyd Bannings, a rookie detective and leader of the Special Support Section (SSS).
It’s an immediate shift in perspective. You’re not saving kingdoms or unraveling ancient prophecies this time — you’re a rookie cop in a city riddled with corruption, mafia syndicates, and political pressure from neighboring superpowers Erebonia and Calvard. That grounded setup makes Zero feel distinct, even while sharing Falcom’s trademark slow-burn pacing.
The blend of new characters (Lloyd, Elie, Randy, Tio) with familiar faces from Liberl gave me the best of both worlds. Seeing Estelle and Joshua again, but in a supporting role rather than center stage, was like bumping into old friends while making new ones.
⚙️ Gameplay & Progression
Falcom really sharpened their JRPG formula here.
- Combat (10/10): This is easily the best the series has felt so far. The turn-based grid system remains intact, but the pace is faster, animations cleaner, and abilities more impactful. The orbal system — the heart of customizing magic and skills — has been revamped, letting you shape each character’s strengths with more flexibility. Chain attacks and combo crafts give fights a cinematic flair.
- Party Balance: Each SSS member brings something unique. Lloyd is a balanced frontline fighter, Elie brings range and support, Randy smashes enemies with heavy attacks, and Tio provides arts and tech support. It felt great to experiment with setups rather than just default to one strategy.
Image Credit: Steam Store
- Exploration: The city of Crossbell is the real star. Unlike the sprawling towns of Liberl, Crossbell feels alive — bustling NPCs, shady alleyways, political headquarters, and vibrant districts all add personality. The density of the city made me want to revisit locations just to see what new dialogue NPCs had.
- The Missing Haze System: One gripe — the absence of the Haze mechanic (from Sky) means you can’t just sneak past enemies. That forces you into more encounters than you might want, and fleeing can break the flow. It’s a small but noticeable step back in quality of life.
Image Credit: Steam Store
Despite that, the gameplay loop is addictive: patrol, investigate, fight, return to HQ, and watch your little police squad slowly grow into something formidable.
🎵 Music, Art, and Atmosphere
This is where my feelings are a bit mixed.
- Music (6/10): Don’t get me wrong, the soundtrack is fine — but after Sky’s unforgettable tracks, Zero’s OST just didn’t stick. It supports the mood but rarely shines. No single theme got stuck in my head the way “Silver Will” or SC’s battle theme did.
- Atmosphere: Where Zero absolutely nails it is Crossbell itself. Falcom clearly wanted the city to be more than a backdrop — it feels like a living, breathing character. Between the nightlife, seedy underworld, and NPC chatter, I found myself more invested in the place than I expected.
- Visuals: The art style stays consistent with the series but gets a polish. Character sprites are sharper, combat animations smoother, and environments more detailed. Crossbell’s mix of high-tech and old-world design makes it stand apart from Liberl’s countryside aesthetic.
✍️ Story & Dialogue
The story earns an 8/10 from me. While it shares the slow pacing of Sky, the focus on politics and crime gives it a new flavor. Instead of chasing down mysteries of ancient civilizations, you’re digging into mafia activity, corrupt officials, and the tug-of-war between Erebonia and Calvard.
- Twists: For a smaller-scale narrative, the twists landed surprisingly hard. I thought I had things figured out, but Zero still managed to pull the rug out from under me a few times.
- Characters: Lloyd is more grounded than Estelle — he’s thoughtful, almost detective-like in his approach — while Elie, Randy, and Tio balance him out with their quirks and backstories. By the end, I genuinely cared about the SSS as a team.
- Returning Faces: Estelle and Joshua’s appearances were perfect. They’re not shoved into the spotlight, but their presence adds continuity for Sky veterans and lets you see them from a fresh angle.
📝 Category Breakdown
- Story: 8/10 — Political, grounded, with surprising twists.
- Music: 6/10 — Functional but forgettable compared to Sky’s soundtrack.
- Combat: 10/10 — Fast, refined, and the best system yet.
- Game: 8/10 — Strong overall, but missing features (like Haze) are noticeable.
✅ Final Verdict
Trails from Zero is a fantastic kickoff to the Crossbell arc. It’s more intimate than the Sky trilogy, but no less engaging. Where Sky felt like an epic adventure across Liberl, Zero zooms in on one city and asks you to care about its people, politics, and problems — and it works.
Can you start here without playing the Sky trilogy? Yes, absolutely. It spoils very little and tells a complete story of its own. But you’ll definitely appreciate the cameos, callbacks, and emotional payoffs more if you’ve been along for the ride since Liberl.
If you’re into JRPGs that feel like a long-form anime, this is one of the strongest entry points Falcom has ever put out.
🔥 Clay’s Take
Compared to the first three games, Zero feels like a leap forward. The combat is tighter, the story structure more grounded, and the character dynamics as good as ever. Lloyd might not have Estelle’s energy, but he brings a different kind of leadership that fits the SSS perfectly.
I do wish the soundtrack grabbed me more, and the missing Haze system made dungeon crawling a bit clunky, but none of that took away from how much I enjoyed it.
Score: 8/10 — A strong, surprising, and essential chapter in The Legend of Heroes saga.
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