Choose The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV
Choose The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 1,467 Steam reviews back the pick.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV vs Chained Echoes
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV and Chained Echoes both land in RPG on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are RPG games on Steam. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV (2021) is 1 year older than Chained Echoes (2022). The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV scores higher on Steam reviews (92% positive) than Chained Echoes (90.2% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Chained Echoes
Choose Chained Echoes if you want an Indie experience. On Steam, it's currently about 58% cheaper on the Steam Store. 4,511 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV and Chained Echoes sit in RPG on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (92% vs 90.2% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV |  Chained Echoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Genres | RPG | Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Verified |
| Price | 59.99 USD | 24.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92% positive (1,467 reviews) | 90.2% positive (4,511 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Nihon Falcom, Engine Software BV, PH3 GmbH | Umami Tiger (Matthias Linda) |
Side by side
- Both are RPG games on Steam.
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV (2021) is 1 year older than Chained Echoes (2022).
- The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV scores higher on Steam reviews (92% positive) than Chained Echoes (90.2% positive).
- Chained Echoes is currently ~58% cheaper on Steam than The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV (24.99 USD vs. 59.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is Deck Playable, Chained Echoes is Deck Verified.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV vs Chained Echoes — FAQ
- Which is better, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV or Chained Echoes?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV sits at 92% positive (1,467 reviews), Chained Echoes at 90.2% (4,511). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV or Chained Echoes first?
- If you want chronology, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV (2021) came out before Chained Echoes (2022). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV and Chained Echoes similar?
- They overlap on RPG on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.