The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel builds on Nihon Falcom’s The Legend of Heroes franchise, known in Japan as Sen no Kiseki, by improving on the series’ formula while delivering the same sort of expertly told narrative series fans have come to expect. Taking place on the same continent as fan-favorite Trails in the Sky, Trails of Cold Steel is the first game in the series to explore Erebonian soil, giving players a chance to delve deep into the inner political conflicts of this oft-mentioned and powerful empire.

In the game, players take on the role of specially-selected elite military students at a time of great turmoil, enjoying school life and bonding with fellow students to earn new abilities in battle, then utilizing those abilities via speedy, tactical turn-based combat with the newly-developed “ARCUS” system. The standalone story also delves into the expansive lore that has become synonymous with the series. Best of all, the epic storyline can be unraveled with Cross-Save functionality between the game’s PS Vita and PS3 editions, allowing players to play at home or on the go.

In the video, the students of Thors Military Academy’s Class VII display the fruits of their unique education, showcasing special moves unique to each character that prove what makes them worthy of their elite titles.

In addition to highlighting some of their best “Craft” and “S-Craft” attacks, this video also showcases the combining of attacks via the turn-based Combat Link System, as well as a variety of magic-like “Arts.” Rean, Laura, and Jusis lacerate their way to victory with deadly sword slashes, Alisa and Machias provide support from afar with long-ranged attacks, Gaius zeroes in on enemies like a hawk with spear outstretched, the versatile Fie assaults foes both near and far with her twin gunswords, Elliot’s fondness for music is realized with his “Seventh Rhapsody” attack, and Emma -- not to be outdone by Elliot -- utilizes her Orbal Staff to summon the grand Lord Albireon.

Key Features:

• A World Rich in Depth for Veterans and Newcomers Alike — The events of Trails of Cold Steel are expertly told so that longtime Trails veterans and newcomers to the series alike can equally enjoy its detailed, highly nuanced storyline.
• New Link System Adds Depth to Combat — Take advantage of the Combat Link System by bonding with allies throughout the school year, netting a variety of combat benefits including healing, guarding and more.
• A Sleek Update to a Classic Growth Mechanic — Trails of Cold Steel streamlines the classic "Orbment" magic system from previous titles with new "ARCUS" units, allowing for more ready access to abilities and quicker customization.
• Min-maxers' Delight — Each girl in your party has one of five base classes, from which they can spec into one of several sub-classes, which can be further specialized. I.e a Magic User can become a Sorceress, which can specialize into Magical Princess. Each subclass has its own unique skill-set and corresponding armor/outfit, allowing for intricate tweaks for discerning party managers.
• Cross-Save Makes Playing Anywhere Possible — Trails of Cold Steel was developed with Cross-Save for both the PS3 and Vita, allowing players to unravel events within the game from home or on the go.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel will be available for $39.99.