The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III – Early Enrollment Edition
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III – Early Enrollment Edition
Platform: PlayStation 4
Year: 2019
Region: PAL
Trails of Cold Steel III is part of the Legend of Heroes RPG series by Nihon Falcom. Unlike the previous two episodes in this series, this one was not released on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, but PlayStation 4 instead, in 2017 in Japan and 2019 in the west. It also came to other platforms in the following years.

In the US and Europe, the standard (non-collector’s edition) physical copy came in the form of a special version titled the Early Enrollment Edition. This is not some sort of large collector’s box but rather a normal game case with some extras included.

One of those extras is a soundtrack CD with five tracks from the game on it. It is titled Anthems of the Thors Branch Campus, and the tracks are Brave Steel, Start Line, Pancake on the Way Home from School, Sword of Biting Gale and Proud Grudge.

The other item is a small, softcover artbook. It actually feels more like the instruction manuals of old, but filled with artworks in this case. There are four sections, with character illustrations, key visuals, concept art and location art.
The game also has a reversible cover, with two different artworks on either side of the case once reversed.


In conclusion, this edition feels more like a regular physical version with some small bonus items. Still, considering it carries the same price tag as a regular game, this not a complain per se. In fact, it’s the sort of treatment that would be cool to see for more physical games.