Faster Localizations Promised for Trails & Ys

NIS America is committed to bringing Falcom's acclaimed Trails and Ys series to Western audiences faster. This article explores their efforts to accelerate localization.

NIS America Speeds Up Localization of Trails and Ys Games

Faster Falcom Games for Western Fans

Good news for JRPG fans! During the recent Ys X: Nordics digital showcase, NIS America's Senior Associate Producer, Alan Costa, announced a commitment to quicker releases of Falcom's Trails and Ys franchises in the West.

While Costa couldn't detail internal changes, he confirmed significant efforts to speed up localization, pointing to Ys X: Nordics (released this October) and Trails Through Daybreak II (early 2025) as examples. Even with Trails Through Daybreak II's Japanese release in September 2022, the early 2025 Western launch represents a substantial improvement on previous timelines.

Historically, Western fans faced notoriously long waits. Trails in the Sky, released in Japan in 2004, didn't reach a global audience until 2011's PSP release. Titles like Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure took twelve years to arrive in the West.

This lengthy process was explained in 2011 by former XSEED Games Localization Manager, Jessica Chavez. She highlighted the massive translation task—millions of characters—with a small team as the major bottleneck. The sheer volume of text in Trails games is a significant challenge.

While localization remains a two-to-three-year undertaking, NIS America prioritizes quality. Costa emphasized the goal of faster releases without compromising quality, stating they are constantly working to find the right balance.

The time-consuming nature of localization, especially with extensive text, is understandable. The one-year delay of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana due to translation issues serves as a cautionary tale. However, Costa's statements suggest NIS America is successfully balancing speed and accuracy.

Trails Through Daybreak's recent release indicates a positive shift, delivering a high-quality localization in a shorter timeframe. Its positive reception from fans and newcomers bodes well for future NIS America releases.

Read our review of The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak below!