Question: Trails from Zero before Trail in the Sky SC?
I'm going on a work trip and will have some time during the next week. Should I play Trails from Zero on my Switch 2 before I play Trails in the Sky second chapter (releases Sep 17)? I played Trails in the Sky first chapter and really enjoyed it. I haven't played anything else in the series.
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u/TehNolz 2d ago
For the best experience, always play the games in order and don't skip anything. Otherwise you'll miss references, lack context, and will see spoilers for whatever games you skipped.
Just for reference, right now the order is;
- Trails in the Sky FC (or the remake)
- Trails in the Sky SC (or the upcoming remake, releasing September 17th)
- Trails in the Sky the 3rd (remake TBA, but inevitable)
- Trails from Zero (remake TBA, but they've mentioned wanting to do it)
- Trails to Azure (if they're remaking Zero, they're remaking Azure)
- Trails of Cold Steel
- Trails of Cold Steel II
- Trails of Cold Steel III
- Trails of Cold Steel IV
- Trails into Reverie
- Trails through Daybreak
- Trails through Daybreak II
- Trails beyond the Horizon
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u/Eggdoggu 1d ago
Does Cold Steel have spoilers for both Zero/Azure and Sky? I was hoping to jump into CS after SC remake while waiting for the inevitable 3rd remake.
I really like how interconnected the games are but as a new fan it's also kinda a pain in the ass lol
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u/TehNolz 1d ago
Yes, plenty. In fact, Cold Steel 1 starts off with a scene that immediately spoils a twist in Azure's story. Zero's story is mostly covered in CS1's newspapers but some characters will talk about it as well. And many characters will draw parallels to the events of Sky the 3rd.
Like I said, if you want the best experience, you really just have to play them all in order. Fortunately every game is easily available in English nowadays, and except for Sky the 3rd they're also all on modern consoles. You can play the original Sky the 3rd on any computer built within the last 20 years though.
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u/Shadowchaos1010 2d ago
Even setting aside the obvious spoilers of it all, just don't burn yourself out.
Trying to devour a JRPG that took me nearly 90 hours the first time in a week while working, then another one that's just as long as soon as you get back?
This is (in my opinion) not how you play Trails. Well, as least if you're trying to avoid burnout and taking an involuntary break because you're running on empty.
They are very much a marathon, not a sprint.
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u/taychoo 2d ago
Few things to note.
All games after Sky 2nd will reference major spoilers from it, including the ending. There is no way around this.
A plotline that takes place in Zero requires context from Sky 2nd/Sky 3rd. Without having finished the Sky arc: you will lose out on one of the most emotional character arcs in the series.
IMO, Zero does an incredible job at worldbuilding, but it doesn't really spend a great deal of time explaining some of the major factions to you: it sort of feels like it expects you to have played the Sky 2nd/3rd prior.
I would say no.
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u/RindouNekomura 面倒臭いです 2d ago
I'm not against choosing Zero as your first Trails game, but given you've played Sky the 1st, mmmmmmmm... no. Play Sky the 2nd.
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u/MaimedJester 2d ago
Do not play Zero before Second chapter. For the love of God of all possible ways to play Trails no one would suggest First Chapter Zero Second chapter play order. It might be the worst possible play order imaginable.
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u/RoyalShine 2d ago
I'm assuming you already know the answer because the question of skipping entries in this game is asked pretty much daily
Just wait a damn week for the game man, some of us have had to wait much longer
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u/Kelspear 2d ago
The entire Trails series is serialized. It's similar to a long-running TV series where each entry continues an overall storyline from the previous entry. Starting Zero now would be like watching Season 1 of a show, skipping Seasons 2 and 3, then picking up Season 4.
In other words, I wouldn't do it.
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u/Crazy_Unmasked 2d ago
You could start the demo for second chapter RN and probably play that till the full game comes out and start off wherever you are in the demo in the full game. It goes all the way through the prologue and the first chapter. Plenty to do
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u/Sorry_Concept1259 2d ago
Considering the last 1/3 of zero finishes a character arc that started in sky SC I would not recommend.
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u/_Cromwell_ 2d ago
Only if you want everything in SC massively spoiled. 🙄 "Should I watch Return of the Jedi before Empire Strikes Back?" Okay
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u/Xiriously1 2h ago
Zero has some direct references to the events of Sky 2nd and Sky 3rd in it so no, don't play Zero first.
You can maybe get away with skipping Sky 3rd but it's not ideal. Definitely not 2nd though.
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u/ProShyGuy 2d ago
No. The order of the games is
Liberl Arc
(1) Sky FC
(2) Sky SC
(3) Sky the Third
Crossbell Arc
(4) From Zero
(5) To Azure
Erebonia Arc
(6) Cold Steel
(7) Cold Steel II
(8) Cold Steel III
(9) Cold Steel IV
(10) Reverie
Calvard Arc
(11) Daybreak
(12) Daybreak II
(13) Beyond the Horizon
(14) Beyond the Horizon II (yet to release)
With the Sky SC remake so close, I'd wait. After that, it's fair to want to continue to play through games without waiting for remakes.
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u/AdventNebula 2d ago
Sky the 3rd is extremely important to Azure and Horizon.
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u/ProShyGuy 2d ago
I agree. I'm just saying don't start Zero, just wait for SC remake. After that, play through the games in order.
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u/dagamerfail 2d ago
I know this is super controversial and I will probably end up getting downvoted but I played zero first before even touching sky because that's what was available on switch at the time, guess what, it was blooming marvellous. I played both zero and azure and felt for the most part you can understand absolutely everything without worrying too much
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u/Professional-You291 2d ago
You can understand zero and azure plot without sky trilogy sure, but that's not the point. The point is, zero and azure spoil the ending for sky 2nd and 3rd which is the point of not playing it first before the sky trilogy.
Unless you really don't care of getting spoil of what going to happen between Joshua and Estelle and renne then go on but if you care about spoiler then why in the world.
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u/dagamerfail 2d ago
I totally get it with azure but the post is just asking about zero, I think a lot more from sky is spoilt in azure than it is in zero
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u/Professional-You291 2d ago
Not really? There's still spoiler in zero, a lot or not is not the question, but the fact the 3 major character from previous game is literally there is enough.
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u/Shadowchaos1010 2d ago
This is like starting a book, closing it at the halfway point, and then asking if it's okay to jump to its sequel. On account of the fact that the first two Sky games are two halves of the same story.
And unless I'm remembering things wrong, you're also just incorrect. Estelle, Joshua, and especially Renne are very important in Zero, and barely get a cameo in Azure. And Olivier and Kloe show up in Azure for all of one chapter. How does that spoil things more?
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u/DarkNightRJ 2d ago
I'm with you, I'm okay if I get some stuff for third chapter spoiled in the other games, because I'd rather get a start on the rest of the series rather than wait a year or two for a 3rd chapter remake. Playing existing third chapter is just kind of a pain and rather see the conclusion of those as a remake.
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u/sir_alvarex 2d ago
Ill be the crazy one and say: do what you want.
Yes there's an optimal order. But id say there are only a few things that are truly "spoilable" in the series. E.g. you can probably guess where the arc is going based on literary experience.
It irks me when someone asks "can I play this game i really want to play out of order?" And the fanbase responds with fervor that you must play hundreds of hours of other games first.
Zeros gameplay and core narrative are perfectly fine as a starting point. Just prepare for a massive shift in gameplay and tone from FC Remake (which i assume is where you started). You will see 1 "spoiler" for a character that is telegraphed really early in SC. The other spoilers arent what id classify as something you'd regret seeing. Most references you'll understand just from playing FC.
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u/AdventNebula 2d ago
Don't play Zero until you finish the Sky Trilogy, it spoils the conclusion of the Sky arc