Games Happy

On January 15, 2026, The Legend of Heroes: Trails past the Horizon launches in North America and Europe. Normally, a Falcom title receiving a western launch is not a notable prevalence; however that is not the case this time. After almost 15 years, each entry within the long-running RPG sequence can have been launched within the west; for the primary time, western gamers will stand on equal footing with these in Japan. 

Not too long ago we had the possibility to sit down down and chat with the President of Nihon Falcom Toshihiro Kondo concerning the state of Trails, and the way being the stewards of such a long-running odyssey has impacted Falcom as a complete – how the realities of engaged on greater than a dozen entries in a sequence that now spans someplace to the tune of a thousand hours of playtime necessitates the type of administration that bears extra resemblance to studios creating MMORPGs, reasonably than singleplayer titles, and the way it defines an organization like Falcom with such a storied historical past of different IPs.

When the Trails sequence first started getting localized beneath XSEED Video games in 2011, Kondo did not mince phrases; he did not actually anticipate that there would ever come a time when the complete sequence can be represented on a worldwide scale. He wasn’t certain precisely how widespread a sequence like Trails might find yourself being exterior of Japan, and particularly within the west.

“In truth, once we first began the sequence 20 years in the past – we had the impression that JRPGs, or a minimum of the varieties of video games we make, weren’t as widespread within the west in comparison with Japan. This final decade or so we have seen a degree of appreciation and love of our titles from followers within the west – and it is gratifying to lastly have all of our followers on the identical web page, regardless of the place they reside.” Whereas Kondo and Falcom have been proud of that success and recognition, it was a bittersweet feeling realizing how lengthy gamers exterior of Japan have been left ready for titles. The sheer dimension of the hole was by no means misplaced on the corporate; the truth that sooner or later they could bridge it was a lofty aim they might solely ever aspire to succeed in.

“It is not one thing I believed would ever occur, a minimum of not simply.”

When The Legend of Heroes: Trails past the Horizon launched in Japan final 12 months as Kai no Kiseki -Farewell, O Zemuria-, Japanese talking followers have been greeted with a transparent message; whereas the Trails sequence has been ongoing for 20 years, we’re lastly reaching the endgame. Whereas the lengthy localization waits could quickly find yourself being a factor of the previous, that has seen the gradual rise of a unique drawback that is removed from unique to the west – with 14 video games staring again from behind them, how precisely can they handle juggling the whole lot that is come earlier than? 

Up to now, Kondo had said that Falcom had at all times made efforts to make new arcs be appropriate as beginning factors for gamers to leap in; but, that may solely achieve this a lot when even by their very own admission the narrative calls for a sure degree of interplay between the tales that the sequence has informed earlier than, and the overarching story on the coronary heart of the franchise. Like many issues in relation to Trails, it is a exhausting stability to succeed in – and one they even wrestle with frequently. Particularly with the typical quantity of every launch having trended to longer and longer over the course of the sequence’ chronology.

“On the finish of the day, we’ve to think about the setting. It is Zemuria that comes first and informs the whole lot else; [the way we’ve structured the Trails series] is that we’ve varied international locations in Zemuria, and our aim with every arc is to dig deep and discover the area during which it takes place. Zemuria as a setting, the core of all of it – the framework for the story was determined from the start. Everytime we deal with a brand new arc, everytime we go to a brand new location, that is a possibility for us to essentially discover what every area brings to the larger image. What varieties of characters seem; if it is a later arc, which characters make sense to return, and when?” As Kondo says it, there is a give and take relating to the core of the sequence’ story – what Zemuria is, the place it is heading – and every arc is a chance to refine precisely how the narrative will evolve on the way in which to its inevitable conclusion.

“Bluntly talking, if we tried to place out [a game like Trails beyond the Horizon] at the beginning of the sequence, Trails would’ve by no means existed to start with. The venture would’ve collapsed.” 

Even now, putting that stability is a continuing battle. But at its core, it is only one a part of a seemingly countless battle inside the firm to maintain issues working at a gradual clip. To that finish, Kondo stresses that whereas Falcom has data of the entire areas, characters and terminology of Zemuria – what’s much more beneficial is the employees who in lots of instances have spent over a decade engaged on Trails as a complete. Crucial process Kondo is confronted with? Ensuring that none of Falcom’s invaluable workforce really feel the necessity to go away.

“If an individual have been to give up the corporate who has been engaged on the Trails sequence for therefore lengthy, it might trigger a large amount of injury to the staff and our tasks, having misplaced that invaluable information. So it isn’t a lot simply useful resource administration – sustaining data of key features of the sequence’ lore, the sport world, the encyclopedia of what the Zemuria is. On the finish of the day it is extra like personnel administration. How can I maintain employees motivated, and the way can I maintain them enthusiastic about their work?” It is inevitable that employees will start to really feel burnt-out with out contemplating their inventive wants, particularly when Trails has had almost yearly releases for over a decade.

“Typically I’ve to let employees transfer over to a different venture that is not Trails, to provide them a while to refresh their inventive battery for once they’re actually wanted.” But, on the opposite finish of the spectrum is a totally completely different drawback: “Conversely, since most of the core employees has been engaged on Trails because the very starting – the way in which they have a look at the world is completely different. Typically what they wish to add to a sport may make sense to them, however would not be instantly apparent to anybody else. There have been occasions the place I’ve had them take a step again and contemplate the larger image of who’s enjoying Trails – particularly for video games tailor-made for newcomers.”

The eagle-eyed amongst you’ll have famous a possible difficulty; Trails has change into such an necessary pillar for Falcom, to the purpose the place each choice the corporate makes is completed with the franchise in thoughts. With the sequence getting into its climax – how does Falcom stability each the inventive wants of employees that need different video games to work on, and the inevitable future during which Trails is not Falcom’s essential concern, all alongside the ever-increasing workload that the sequence requires? 

“On the finish of the day, all of it comes all the way down to income.” Trails brings in a sure degree of income, which is clearly necessary to Falcom as a complete. But, maybe much more necessary than the financial returns from the sequence is the pleasure that comes from the video games they work on. “One factor I’ve at all times informed my employees is we wish to make video games with actual worth. Not within the financial sense, however video games which might be valuable to us as a staff. That is the one manner we are able to create works which can resonate with gamers.” 

Per Kondo, he feels that this stability – video games that the staff feels a deep connection to, that’s reciprocated by the gamers – is finest seen with Trails. But they’re nicely conscious that Trails won’t proceed ceaselessly. Kondo has even made statements alluding to his need to complete up the sequence earlier than its thirtieth anniversary, although he now cautions that he cannot make any guarantees that is how issues will end up in the long run. Regardless, the day during which Trails is completed is not some nebulous future date, however an inevitable actuality that the corporate is already getting ready for.

“The Trails sequence will not proceed on indefinitely, nor might it. So, we’ve to seek out the home windows the place we are able to begin constructing as much as what comes after. Alternatives for workers to create video games and IPs that may construct as much as that day when Trails does finish, so we’re ready. Video games that keep that stability between what our employees desires to make, and what gamers would wish to play. Video games like Tokyo Xanadu, and Ys in fact – but additionally different current IPs and new concepts we’re contemplating. We’ve got already deliberate the event of those tasks, in order that we are able to launch them, construct up a fanbase, and finally be ready for the eventual day when Trails is completed.” 

So far as Kondo sees it, putting that stability is his actual job as President. Ensuring that Falcom can proceed releasing video games like Ys, and Trails – whereas on the similar time increase franchises like Tokyo Xanadu, and no matter new and current IPs which might be in retailer for the corporate’s future with out Zemuria. But, even with these plans, there are occasions the place the realities of improvement necessitates flexibility inside video games not tied to new or legacy IPs.

“One side of that balancing act is realizing that employees could have these concepts that they wish to discover, however on the finish of the day – the most recent Trails launch must get completed.” Issues like minigames, and even the books that Trails followers are all too aware of have been alternatives for Falcom to let employees deal with new challenges, and to coach new recruits on the corporate’s instruments in a manner that will not influence core improvement of every sport. If a designer has an thought, these minigames is usually a inventive outlet for them to scratch that inventive itch. It simply so occurs it is a superb technique to prepare new programmers, on the similar time. 

For instance, fishing in Trails by Dawn II and Trails past the Horizon was the work of an at-the-time new employees member, and was initially meant to debut with the unique Trails by Dawn. The identical is true for the writing employees; Books, and in Calvard’s case the film scenes, have been at occasions each an outlet for current writing employees to get their concepts on paper, and for brand spanking new employees to get warmed up. A extra excessive instance of that is really not even Trails, however Ys X: Nordics – whereas the primary story was dealt with by Kondo himself, the sport’s sidequests featured a novel setup. Totally different writers have been assigned to every Island within the sport, and so they have been in control of deciding what occasions would transpire there. In fact, for anybody who has performed Ys X, an apparent query emerges – who dealt with Nanna’s island, which dwarfed each different sidequest by way of scope? Was it a veteran author, or someone new to the staff?

“Truly… Nicely, my secretary wrote that one.” With a dry chuckle, Kondo beams with pleasure. “Whereas I gave her some directions about writing composition, she received actually into it! So unintentionally, it morphed into this grand thought. So now she’s a secretary, and in addition a author.” Unsurprisingly, each in Japan and overseas her Island has rapidly change into a fan favourite.  If the chance presents itself, and it is her need, he’d love to provide her an opportunity to contribute to writing once more. If nothing else, her expertise is what he at all times hopes for when employees are given these alternatives,

“So far as I see it, giving employees possession of one thing distinctive in a venture is the perfect – it offers you the motivation to pour your all into creating that a part of the sport, to not point out when it got here to Ys X it saved me the workload of writing further tales for sidequests on prime of my work on the primary narrative. When reception is so constructive, equivalent to on this case, it energizes everybody on the staff going ahead.”

Whereas the realities of Trails restrict the scope of comparable duties, it is no secret that most of the characters initially began life inside the in-universe books. Many occasions it seems that they have been impressed by actual people who present up as characters, some even social gathering members, in later video games. Surprisingly sufficient; this was by no means straight the staff’s intention, however reasonably a pure results of concepts that began in books turning into accepted, and refined after enter from the remainder of the staff. Surprisingly sufficient, Kondo sees it as a cultural artifact of types that has been handed down all through the years he is been on the firm.

“This actually is not one thing that even began with Trails, however reasonably the entries in The Legend of Heroes franchise that have been launched straight earlier than Trails, the Gagharv Trilogy. In [The Legend of Heroes III: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch], there was a novel a couple of expert swordswoman, and everyone liked it. After that, she later appeared in [The Legend of Heroes IV: A Tear of Vermillion] as a personality. It set a precedent.”

Kondo has by no means shied away from the truth that when he began on the firm, it was as a fan of the Gagharv Trilogy, and he is removed from the one one on employees with the same love of the video games. In that vein, the present staff has borrowed that ingredient of the video games they liked, and made it a customized of their very own tasks – discovering methods to introduce characters, even when they have been by no means actually supposed to be a part of Trails to start with. It is this similar love and respect for the video games they’ve labored on, and their very own experiences as prior followers of the corporate, that has in flip made the staff internalize the burden of constructing certain that Trails ends in a manner that everybody will be happy with.

To that finish, they’re slowing issues down. This 12 months in Japan, as an alternative of a follow-up to Trails past the Horizon, Falcom is releasing an upgraded Ys X -Proud Nordics- and a ground-up remake in Trails within the Sky 1st Chapter. That Trails past the Horizon heralds the start of the sequence’ last stretch is extra than simply instinct from followers, and Falcom desires to provide every sport going ahead the time and care {that a} sequence like Trails deserves. “Up till now, we have been working on inertia. Now, as we attain the top, we wish to take issues extra slowly.” They wish to give themselves the possibility to be extra cautious when deciding how the story proceeds from right here. “Even when the sequence finally ends up reaching 20 interconnected video games, which is unprecedented for the gaming trade – we wish to take issues significantly.”

Whereas Kondo can solely converse for Falcom, he notes that the staff intends for video games to be launched at a slower tempo transferring ahead. One might simply learn between the traces and see new releases and remakes maybe dropping on staggered years; in any other case, video games just like the beforehand introduced Tokyo Xanadu sequel or the alluded further tasks could take their spot. Maybe a mixture of each. Whereas which means that followers must wait longer between every launch, Kondo a minimum of foresees a silver lining; the longer waits between entries ought to hopefully afford the localization groups they accomplice with extra leeway to launch Falcom’s video games nearer to their Japanese launch, very similar to how Trails within the Sky 1st Chapter is about to launch internationally on the identical date.

On the finish, all of it comes again to the identical core fact – Trails as a sequence has gone on for over 20 years, throughout 14 completely different video games. With the ending now seen within the distance, the staff understands that now could be the toughest and most important work of their careers. They can not afford to mess it up. Or, as Kondo states bluntly: “If we spoil the ending, then it might as nicely change into the worst sequence on the planet. There is not any getting back from that.”

For each Trails, and Falcom as a complete, they’ve crossed the occasion horizon. What awaits sooner or later all relies on the alternatives they’ve made, and the execution. This may increasingly nicely find yourself being the corporate’s best problem, and can decide Falcom’s legacy; but one thing tells me issues might be simply high quality. The staff has already achieved the not possible, and if anybody can stick the touchdown, I wish to consider it is them. For now, although, we’ll simply have to attend and see.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails past the Horizon launches in North America and Europe on January 15, 2026 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Change, Nintendo Change 2 and PC (Steam).