The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero is a role-playing video game developed by Nihon Falcom. It was first released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable in September 2010, and was later ported to Microsoft Windows for release in China a year later. It was also released for the PlayStation Vita in Japan as "Zero no Kiseki: Evolution" in October 2012. This version features improved visuals and more voice acting. The "Evolution" version received a remaster for the PlayStation 4, releasing in Japan as "Zero no Kiseki Kai" in April 2020. It  was also released for the Nintendo Switch in Asia by Clouded Leopard Entertainment in February 2021. About a decade after the initial release, the game received an English fan translation. Soon after, the translation team agreed to cooperate with NIS America on adapting it for an official English version, scheduled to be released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch in September 2022. "Trails from Zero" is a part of the "Trails" series, itself a part of the larger "The Legend of Heroes" series. The game and its direct sequel, "" (2011), form the "Crossbell arc". It takes place in  Crossbell, a city-state located between two great powers fighting for power over it, and follows Lloyd Bannings, a rookie investigator with the Crossbell police, and his colleagues Elie McDowell, Randy Orlando, and Tio Plato. Plot. "Trails from Zero" is set three months after the end of "The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd," in the city-state of Crossbell. Uneasily situated between two great powers – the Erebonian Empire and the Calvard Republic, both of which claim sovereignty over Crossbell – the city is riven by political tensions, corruption and organized crime. The protagonist, Lloyd Bannings, is a  rookie police detective. At the beginning of "Zero", he is assigned to the Special Support Section (SSS), an odd-jobs branch of the city's police department, together with Elie McDowell, heiress to a political dynasty, Randy Orlando, a laid-back ex-soldier, and Tio Plato, a young girl and electronics genius. During "Zero", the SSS investigate the schemes of the city's competing crime syndicates, before stumbling over the plot of a centuries-old cult to raise a young girl, known as KeA, to godhood and, through her, overthrow the continent's church and faith. The SSS defeat and  arrest the cult's leaders and assume guardianship of KeA. Localization. Due to a variety of reasons, "Trails from Zero" and its sequel, "Trails to Azure", were not localized by the time of the Japanese release of "Trails of Cold Steel". Falcom subsequently approached Xseed Games, who had previously localized "Trails in the Sky", and requested that a localization of "Trails of Cold Steel" be prioritized instead, resulting in "Trails from Zero" and "Trails to Azure" being skipped. A fan translation in English was released by a team known as "Geofront" on March 14, 2020. In June 2021, an official  English version based on the fan translation was announced. Published by NIS America, it is set for release for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows in North America on September 27, 2022, and in Europe three days later. Reception. "Trails from Zero" won the User Choice Award at the 2010 PlayStation Awards. Along with "Trails to Azure", Comic Book Resources highlighted the game's "persistent overarching storyline, immersive and detailed settings, masterful character development [and] unique battle system". They noted that despite the lack of an official localization at the time, the plot and characters were integral to  understanding later games in the series.