Nihon Falcom Explores New Horizons as Trails Series Nears Completion

Developer Nihon Falcom, renowned for its successful JRPG series Trails, has announced that it is venturing into new project ideas to keep its creative energies flowing. After two decades of considerable success, the studio aims to prevent its team from stagnation by exploring fresh concepts alongside their established franchises.

In a conversation with Gamespot, the studio's president, Toshihiro Kondo, revealed that the long-standing Trails series is "about 80 to 90% complete" after encompassing four different story arcs and a total of 16 games. While maintaining engagement in one continuous story for such an extended period is impressive, Kondo discusses the potential drawbacks of this approach.

For the last 20 years, the Trails series has been a major project for Nihon Falcom, but Kondo acknowledges the challenge in sustaining such a lengthy endeavor. He points out that many individuals have been dedicated to this title for numerous years, and they now yearn for new experiences. They possess new ideas and ambitions they wish to pursue.

Kondo mentioned a unique challenge of working on the Trails series over such an extended period, comparing it to "developing an online game." In this context, the team finds themselves contemplating questions typical of MMO development, such as planning future events and the trajectory of the game's narrative. The pressure of constant content creation can lead to a stagnation of creativity among younger staff, which is why Kondo is encouraging them to innovate with new projects.

Regarding a direct continuation of the Trails series, Kondo notes that there is no specific plan in place beyond the current projects. The studio's immediate focus remains on completing the Trails series. However, Kondo emphasizes that several new IPs are actively being developed in the background. This initiative allows younger members of the team to express their creativity and take on new challenges, fostering stronger developers with fresh perspectives that can enrich the studio's future games.

Amidst these new ventures and the ongoing Ys series, Nihon Falcom recently launched The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak in Europe and North America. Its sequel is already undergoing translation and is expected to release globally next year. For an insight into where the Trails series stands among other top JRPGs, be sure to check our best JRPGs ranking.