The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is a Unique Title That Borrows Systems From Other Falcom Series

I won’t sit here and act like I know everything about The Legend of Heroes. In fact, I’m still playing through Legend of Heroes Trails of Cold Steel IV. So, I understand why some have been turned off by the many entries of the series and opted to add them to their endless backlog with the intention of one day playing them…maybe.

Anyway, by this point, Falcom has had many years of game releases, but not all of those titles have come west, one of which is Nayuta no Kiseki. Initially released in 2012, this action RPG is coming west named The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails. Although it doesn’t have any connection to the Trails series, it does expand the scope of the universe for players to take their first steps into this fantasy world.

I was able to play through the English build of The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails to get an understanding of the mechanics and localization from publisher NISA. In its early moments, I was glad to know that I didn’t really need any knowledge of the deep history of the Trails series. Instead, I met a new character named Nayuta, whose entire world shifts after meeting a fairy named Noi.

Given the time of this game’s original release, the plot has classic adventure vibes to it, where the daily life of a character is shaken up after a fateful event. I much prefer these types of experiences because you learn about the world alongside the protagonist, who will hopefully share the same curiosity about the world as the player. I mean, at one point in our lives, I’m sure we’ve all felt that urge to leave our hometowns and see what’s out there, and I believe the opening moments of this game provide that nostalgic feeling.

What’s interesting about The Legend of Nayuta is how it borrows from the developer’s other titles, including the well-known Ys series and the niche action series Zwei. In many ways, I’d compare this game to Zwei, where the adventure closely resembles a cartoonish character design with bright colors and a straightforward action system. I think the overall design of the dungeons and narrative make it resemble Ys, but it manages to find its own identity in the developer’s portfolio.

One of the in-game gimmicks allows players to take advantage of the seasons within the levels to get through platforming puzzles and access new magical abilities. This version of the game also includes some updated assets with improved music quality, HD illustrations, and a promise to run at 60fps on PC.

For me, the most significant drawing point is that I don’t need to know the history of Eribonia to jump into this adventure. All action RPG fans are on an even playing field so that we can approach the series together as a collective fanbase. Sure, those hardcore Falcom fans would have likely already played this game, but let’s not forget the casual gamer or the new gamers needed to carry on the popularity of a series.

This is one Trails adventure that I won’t have to play four other games to understand. For that, The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails should be your next action RPG, no matter your knowledge of the Trails series.

The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is coming to PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam in Fall 2023.