Trails of Cold Steel 3 is PS4 only

[ab4h4r4k1]

As seen on gematsu:

 

Quote

 

Falcom's Trails of Cold Steel series gets a visual upgrade.

 

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III will launch as a PlayStation 4-only title in Japan in fall 2017, Falcom announced during its general meeting of shareholders today.

The game, the first entry in the series for PlayStation 4, will introduce a number of new elements while carrying over the story and strategic command RPG elements of previous works. From graphics to controls and usability, the game has justifiably evolved in every aspect.

Read more at http://gematsu.com/2016/12/legend-heroes-trails-cold-steel-iii-ps4-launches-fall-2017-japan#63yso4IUFz8apB1t.99

 

 

Well, it was bound to happen. I know The Legend of Heroes series deserve more attention and recognition, but this may not sit well with fans who have already played the first two games in either the PS3 or Vita.

Edited December 20, 2016 by ab4h4r4k1

[crimsonidol38]

I haven't played the Cold Steel-games yet but AFAIK they have some savegame transfer to bring over data from the predecessor to the current installment, right?
Now I wonder if CS III won't have such a feature or if they will use another way (or if it's not necessary at all).

 

I'm a bit surprised that the game will be PS4-only but I assume Falcom know what they are doing by not releasing a handheld-version.

[TheVader66]

I wonder how my friend will react to this. Oddly enough he loves the PSVita more than I do and I was the one who introduced to it. His personal favorite games on the PSVita is the Trails of Cold Steel series.

Edited December 20, 2016 by TheVader66

[Dragon-Archon]

6 minutes ago, Crimson Idol said:

I haven't played the Cold Steel-games yet but AFAIK they have some savegame transfer to bring over data from the predecessor to the current installment, right?
Now I wonder if CS III won't have such a feature or if they will use another way (or if it's not necessary at all).

 

I'm a bit surprised that the game will be PS4-only but I assume Falcom know what they are doing by not releasing a handheld-version.

Dragon Age Inquisition also has save transfers and Bioware created a cloud for players to upload their save files from the PS3 games. Something like that could be done for Cold Steel III.

[ab4h4r4k1]

8 minutes ago, Crimson Idol said:

I'm a bit surprised that the game will be PS4-only but I assume Falcom know what they are doing by not releasing a handheld-version.

It just occurred to me that Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana may be a PS4-only game as well when it gets localized if Falcom is serious about letting go of the Vita versions.
As for the save transfer, they have to do something - other than "subscribe PS+ to use your savedata".

[crimsonidol38]

7 minutes ago, Dragon-Archon said:

Dragon Age Inquisition also has save transfers and Bioware created a cloud for players to upload their save files from the PS3 games. Something like that could be done for Cold Steel III.

 

Totally forgot about that possibility. That's surely a way to implement this.

[Sora9427]

Yeah more ignoring the other Consoles that's wonderful knowing even Falcom now is Westernizing itself.....

 

I could understand Ps3, even Persona 5 coming out now it's not that great on Ps3 so better work on one version there but why not on Vita (Neither in Japan, mother of Vita where like every week tons of games and novel come out)  especially here on West where is one fo the most sold games on the Store, bah. Anyway i still have to get the First and second one so for me it's a long road still  heck i don't even know if i'll ever play this saga honestly

[crimsonidol38]

Just now, ab4h4r4k1 said:

It just occurred to me that Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana may be a PS4-only game as well when it gets localized if Falcom is serious about letting go of the Vita versions.
As for the save transfer, they have to do something - other than "subscribe PS+ to use your savedata".

 

I guess that's up to XSeed and I don't think that Falcom wouldn't allow them to port the Vita-version. And given the circumstance that XSeed are even bringing Ys Origins on Vita I would say that it's likely that we will see a western release of the Vita-version of Lacrimosa.

 

And like Dragon said a cloud save is a possibility and the way most of these cloud saves work it's separate from the PS+ storage so you can access it without a subscription. At least that's how it works for games like Project Diva F and F 2nd or western games like Sly 4, Motorstorm RC or as a PS3 <--> PS4-example Doki-Doki Universe.

[TheYuriG]

43 minutes ago, Dragon-Archon said:

Dragon Age Inquisition also has save transfers and Bioware created a cloud for players to upload their save files from the PS3 games. Something like that could be done for Cold Steel III.

Same for either Diablo 3 ps3 version to Diablo 3 ROS on PS4.

[Mournblade05143]

Stupid question. I just started Cold Steel 1 for the Vita. Is their something about the saves carrying over that I am not aware of? Love the game and plan on getting 2 and 3 so interested in the importance of the saves.

[ab4h4r4k1]

5 minutes ago, Mournblade05143 said:

Stupid question. I just started Cold Steel 1 for the Vita. Is their something about the saves carrying over that I am not aware of? Love the game and plan on getting 2 and 3 so interested in the importance of the saves.

You can carry your savedata from one game to another and begin the sequel with some bonuses based on your stats and achievements.

[Shadowsnake777]

Damn, I kinda of feel like it's more of a vita series to be honest...It was the perfect game to take with you everywhere instead of having the trails in the couch...

 

 

[Mournblade05143]

1 minute ago, ab4h4r4k1 said:

You can carry your savedata from one game to another and begin the sequel with some bonuses based on your stats and achievements.

Oh ok. Thanks. That sounds like an extra incentive to get it. Now I understand why ppl are concerned about a PS4 only release.

[SnowxSakura]

2 hours ago, Mournblade05143 said:

Oh ok. Thanks. That sounds like an extra incentive to get it. Now I understand why ppl are concerned about a PS4 only release.

Some people just enjoy playing rpgs more on handheld, I played the first 2 on the vita myself.

[yellowwindow7]

4 hours ago, Sora9427 said:

Yeah more ignoring the other Consoles that's wonderful knowing even Falcom now is Westernizing itself.....

 

I could understand Ps3, even Persona 5 coming out now it's not that great on Ps3 so better work on one version there but why not on Vita (Neither in Japan, mother of Vita where like every week tons of games and novel come out)  especially here on West where is one fo the most sold games on the Store, bah. Anyway i still have to get the First and second one so for me it's a long road still  heck i don't even know if i'll ever play this saga honestly

 

I believe I heard somewhere that persona 5 actually is a ps3 game, and they announce a high performance port for the ps4 in the last five minutes in development. don't know if it's true but some says that one of the delays back then is due to the developers trying to finish the works on the ps4 version so they can release both versions at the same time.

[TooruPT]

Well to be honest I saw this one coming. Falcom supposedly had a lot of trouble making Ys8 fit in a Vita cart and had to leave some stuff out (which will be on the PS4 version). Every single game of the Trails series is, well, massive. I imagine they want to finish the Erebonia arc on a high note and move on the final arc to wrap things up so yeah, PS4 is probably the right choice. Even if it won't really be up to par with AAA releases as far as eye candy is concerned.

 

As for the save transfer issue, I can see them dropping the option altogether since the only thing that carried over were affection levels and, to some extent, Rean's level. Apart from Altina the party members they revealed seem to be entirely new characters so I can see Class VII being guest characters this time around, so affection levels would be pointless and character level isn't really an issue IMHO.

 

So yeah, I'm fine with this. Here's hoping it won't take two years to XSEED to bring it over though.

[Satoshi Ookami]

So it happened, huh, Falcom? Why did you fall into the western hands...

There was no need to jump on PS4-only in the middle of the series.

 

This is not just about save data. This is forcing people into buying PS4 if they want to finish the story. This is not how Kiseki should be, Falcom, this is not.

[Sora9427]

4 hours ago, yellowwindow7 said:

 

I believe I heard somewhere that persona 5 actually is a ps3 game, and they announce a high performance port for the ps4 in the last five minutes in development. don't know if it's true but some says that one of the delays back then is due to the developers trying to finish the works on the ps4 version so they can release both versions at the same time.

 

Yeah i doubt about that we just have to see the Japanese release that is out since September. The game was supposed to come out this year so with Ps4 already out not like 3 Years ago in 2013 with Ps4 still to go out. So the Ps3 Version is the adapted version using the Grapichs and everything that Catherine used on Ps3, the models there if you see are similar.

 

Still there is for who can't afford a Ps4 still can enjoy the game i don't understand why don't make this 3Rd one even there (If not even on Vita), that's just unfair for a fan of the saga that was waiting this and doesn't have a Ps4.... 

[Kishnabe]

Sent a polite message to Nihon Falcom, I don't mind them leaving the Vita/PS3 for future games.

 

TOSC3...should be finished on those platforms as well...to allow ones who won't invest in a PS4 to get their conclusion.

[ab4h4r4k1]

45 minutes ago, Kishnabe said:

Sent a polite message to Nihon Falcom, I don't mind them leaving the Vita/PS3 for future games.

TOSC3...should be finished on those platforms as well...to allow ones who won't invest in a PS4 to get their conclusion.

I agree with you, but lets be honest: other series have moved to new systems and that was not a problem. I can name Kingdom Hearts, God of War and Metal Gear as good examples of stories that began on a console and finished in another.

What caughts my eye in the news is that it was a decision made in a meeting of shareholders. So it may not be a performance issue but simply a profit issue.

[TooruPT]

It is a performance issue, trust me. There's also financial reasons of course seeing as PS3 and Vita are pretty much dead in the water in the West and they won't last forever in Japan, but let's be honest, Cold Steel 2 had times where it ran like a dog on the Vita, pretty much only used existing assets from Cold Steel and that was Falcom struggling with size limitations... in 2014. Meanwhile Ys 8 came out with its fair share of small performance issues and compromises content-wise to be fixed in the PS4 version, so for Cold Steel 3 they probably decided they might as well do the best they can on the PS4 instead of delivering a sub-par product. I respect that.

 

As for forcing people to buy a PS4 for the conclusion goes... Kondo mentioned some time ago with Cold Steel 3 the Trails series will be about 60% done. I won't be surprised if there's a Cold Steel 4 before they're done with Erebonia, and then there's still the Calvard and final arcs on the table, which will be at least four games. They'd have to move to the PS4 eventually and it's unlikely they'll finish it there.

[BlazingCat83]

Wonder how long it'll take to get here. Since the first two Trails of Cold Steel made it here, assuming this one will, too, at some point.

[Mournblade05143]

7 hours ago, SnowxSakura said:

Some people just enjoy playing rpgs more on handheld, I played the first 2 on the vita myself.

I plan on getting the 2nd on Vita. Hopefully it will be on sale soon.

[Saionji]

Good to know, I think its still great they are doing another game from this series because I heard its definitely worth playing and the first game was amazing.

[fisty123]

2 hours ago, Torracat83 said:

Wonder how long it'll take to get here. Since the first two Trails of Cold Steel made it here, assuming this one will, too, at some point.

They said from day one it will depend on sales of the first games of the Trails of Cold Steel saga. If these did not reach their numbers they will not bring it over.
The second possible problem is that they are a small company and some of their translated work takes time so it could be a while away yet. I personally hope its not but I won't be surprised.

As for the whole no Vita debate I recall reading a report that a lot of newer games are just to big to scale down to a vita cartridge and it's taking a lot longer and costing more to do so. I assume Falcom weighed up these options and decided it would not be worth it. While it is a low blow for the vita lovers if it means a bigger game using the full size of a PS4 disk then I welcome it. I played the first two on both using cross save and I enjoyed it on both but found myself enjoying the PS3 version more.