Back to browse

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold SteelVSXuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament

Which is the smarter buy right now? We crunched all the metrics.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

Quality
89Popularity
30Value
91
KinguinBetter Deal· Kinguin
Historical Low!
Ends in≈1d
-61% $15.50
Buy Now
VS
Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament

Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament

Quality
59Popularity
25Value
69
KinguinBetter Deal· Kinguin
Ends in≈4d
-61% $5.78
Buy Now

Winner

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel wins the comparison based on the metrics. Takes 10 of 14 head-to-head metrics.

The stars are aligning for this one. At this moment, the game is delivering well and the price feels right.

10
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
10 of 14 metrics
Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament
4 of 14 metrics
4

Head-to-Head Metrics

Direct metric-by-metric breakdown · no weights applied

Value
Pricing & Deals
Current Best Price (USD)
$15.50 -
$5.78 Wins
Historical Low Price (USD)
$33.95 -
$2.99 Wins
Best Current Discount
-61%
-61%
Sales Frequency
11 price changes -
47 price changes Wins
Quality
Critical & User Reception
Metacritic
80/100 Wins
N/A -
Steam Review Score
94.5% positive Wins
71.1% positive -
Total Steam Reviews
5.1K Wins
1.3K -
Positive Steam Reviews
4.8K Wins
917 -
Negative Steam Reviews
280 Wins
373 -
Popularity
Community & Activity
Average Concurrent Players (14 days)
95 Wins
4 -
Steam Recommendations
5.1K Wins
1.3K -
Features
Features & Content
Achievements
51 Wins
45 -
Supported Languages
2 languages -
4 languages Wins
Release Date
Aug 2017 Wins
Feb 2016 -
GameValio Recommendation
Worth ItThe Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

The stars are aligning for this one. At this moment, the game is delivering well and the price feels right.

Wait for SaleXuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament

Not the best time to jump in. Prices tend to drop, and this one hasn't hit its sweet spot yet.

Statistics Over Time

Synchronized historical data for both games

Time Range:
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament

Player Count Trends

— Concurrent players over time

Review Score Trends

— Positive review ratio over time

Review Volume Trends

— Total reviews accumulated over time

Price Comparison

Current deals and best prices side by side

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

2 Stores
Kinguin
Kinguin -61% $15.50Buy Now
Steam
Steam +158% $39.99View
Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament

Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament

2 Stores
Kinguin
Kinguin -61% $5.78Buy Now
Steam
Steam +159% $14.99View

Score Breakdown

Side-by-side value analysis for each game

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

Quality

Excellent community reception — players and critics agree on the quality.

94% positive (5,064 reviews) — very positive reception
Metacritic 80/100 — high marks from professional reviewers
5,064 reviews — solid data foundation

Value

Great timing to buy — competitive price for the content offered.

$15.50 — reasonable price
61% off — solid discount
All-time low price — rare opportunity

Popularity

Lost much of its active player base — community is quiet.

-24% minor player decrease
93 concurrent players — niche audience

Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament

Quality

Polarizing title that works well for its target audience but may frustrate others.

71% positive (1,290 reviews) — mostly positive
1,290 reviews — solid data foundation

Value

Average price — a good time if there's an active discount.

$5.78 — very accessible price
61% off — solid discount

Popularity

Low popularity — few active players and little community discussion.

3 concurrent players — niche audience

Game Details

Release information and metadata

Game DetailsThe Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold SteelXuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament
Release Date
August 2, 2017
February 25, 2016
Developers
Nihon Falcom
SOFTSTAR ENTERTAINMENT, DOMO Studio
Publishers
XSEED Games, Marvelous USA, Inc.
SOFTSTAR ENTERTAINMENT, 方块游戏(CubeGame)
Platforms
Windows
Windows
Achievements
51
45

System Requirements

PC minimum and recommended specs

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

Recommended

Recommended:
  • OS *: Windows 7 or later
  • Processor: Intel i3 3 GHz
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Geforce GTX 770 / Radeon R9 280X
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 17 GB available space
  • Additional Notes: 1920x1080 / 60 FPS with high settings

Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament

Recommended

Recommended:
  • OS *: Windows XP,Windows 7,Windows 8 (32 or 64 bit)
  • Processor: Intel Core i5 2.80 GHz or AMD equivalent (or better)
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 or ATI Radeon HD 7970 (1GB or better)
  • DirectX: Version 9.0c
  • Network: Broadband Internet connection
  • Storage: 50 GB available space
  • Sound Card: Direct compatible sound card for audio
  • Additional Notes: Keyboard and mouse are required

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel or Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament?

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel won the comparison against Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.

How is the comparison calculated?

The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table — no weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.

Is The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel worth buying over Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gate of Firmament?

Based on the metrics, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.

Which game has better player reviews?

Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.

Which game offers better value for money?

The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.

Analysis updated: Jun 4, 2026, 02:48 AM UTC

GameValio - Buy now or wait? PC game purchase timing advisorGameValio

Know exactly when a PC game is worth buying

Disclaimer

Data sourced from Steam, Metacritic, and various stores. Not affiliated with Valve Corporation. Scores updated daily to keep recommendations fresh.

Some store links are affiliate links - we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Your purchase helps keep GameValio free, and our recommendations stay 100% independent.

Prices change fast. Always double-check the final price on the store before buying.

© 2026 GameValio. All rights reserved.