Falcom has released a new set of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III information and screenshots detailing the game’s “Break” system and “Enhanced” state, as well as revealed its standard and limited edition packaging for Japan.

Get the details below.

■ Break / Break Gauge

In The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III, enemies have a parameter separate from their standard HP known as the “Break Gauge.” (It is the blue bear beneath the HP Gauge.) When the Break Gauge is reduced to zero during battle, the enemy will enter a “Break” state, allowing the player to proceed the battle with the following advantages:

Increases damage to the target.

Items drop when a “Break” occurs.

Cancels all ability-increasing state changes.

The success rate of an enemy losing their posture becomes 100 percent.

The Break Gauge is of high importance when fighting against more difficult enemies, and can also result in enemies dropping rare items.

—A regular battle.

—Break triggered.

—An enemy in the Break state.

How to Effectively Lower the Break Gauge

By dealing damage to the enemy, you can lower the Break Gauge at a fixed rate, but by using Crafts with a high Break rate and Arts with an attribute that hits the enemy’s weak point, the rate at which the Break Gauge is lowered will increase.

There are enemies with Break Gauges higher than their actual HP. Even by just using normal attacks, the enemy’s HP will drop to zero before its Break Gauge. But if you can make these enemies enter the “Break” state, they may even drop rare items…

■ Special State: “Enhanced”

Some of the more difficult enemies, such as monsters and high-level Jaegers, can enter an “Enhanced” state. When an enemy is in the Enhanced state, all of its attacks are Critical, the damage it receives is lowered, and it can perform an S-Break, which allows ti to trigger an S-Craft at any time, regardless of turn order.

—Enemy Shirley Orlando in the regular state.

—Enemy Shirley Orlando in the Enhanced state.

—Enemy Shirley Orlando using an S-Break.

How can you defend against the enemy’s Enhanced state?

The Enhanced state gives the enemy an overwhelming advantage—all of its attacks are Critical, the damage it receives is lowered, etc.—but by making the enemy enter the Break state during battle, you can cancel the Enhanced state.

Additionally, the amount of Break Damage dealt to the enemy is increased when it is in the Break State, allowing players to survive the critical situation by assertively targeting their Break Gauge.

■ S-Break

An S-Break is a special action that allows the user to use an S-Craft (special move) at any time, regardless of turn order, when more than 100 CP (Craft Points) have been amassed.

While this was only possible for party members in previous titles, in The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III, enemies in the Enhanced state may also use an S-Break.

Since the order will not be displayed in the AT Bar, which shows the turn order for party members and enemies, it may be difficult to solidify your defenses in preparation of the attack beforehand. Battles against formidable enemies will offer a previously unseen challenge.

■ Standard Edition Box Art

Here is the box art for the standard edition of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III:

It costs 7,800 yen.

■ First-Print Limited Kiseki Box Packaging

Here is the packaging for the First-Print Limited Kiseki Box of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III:

It costs 9,200 yen. As previously detailed, it includes: