Trials of Mana

Trials of Mana is the best entry in the franchise since 1999's Legend of Mana. More than adapting Seiken Densetsu 3 as it was for a modern audience, the remake consistently expands upon the mechanics and core design of the Super Famicom RPG. Flat but engaging level design now has a layer of verticality, with plenty of secrets to uncover; combat strikes a sweet balance between skill-based gameplay, with even stronger party customisation than the original; and the plot, while simple, never compromises its integrity for modern narrative conventions, resulting in a story that's as classic in tone as it is theatrical in scope. The remake is only held back by issues exclusive to the Switch port - lower frame rate and resolution in comparison to the PS4 build - but even that isn't enough to sour the experience. With an attention to detail that honours its source material as much as it elevates it, this is a new gold standard for video game remakes.

This is leagues above the effort produced for the Secret of Mana remake. [Issue #47 – July/August 2020, p. 72]

Building your characters is fun in Trials of Mana, and experiencing how the story changes with each party makeup ensures replay value. There's something to love for fans new and old alike.

Without a doubt, the Trials of Mana remake is the definitive version of what for many of us was a long-lost classic. If you don’t mind replaying the game with different party configurations to see the minor story differences and unlock more endings, there are dozens of entertaining hours to be found here. For those who want more story depth, side quests, and gameplay variety, Trials of Mana probably wasn’t and still isn’t for you. I found the quick and eye-catching combat to be both satisfying and exciting; you can even earn bonuses depending on how fast you defeat enemies and whether or not you take damage in the process. The character endings I saw felt a little lackluster, but I’m compelled enough by the presentation and the simplicity of the gameplay to run through the adventure again. It might not be the drastic departure that some remakes are, but the Trials of Mana remake is a wonderful RPG palette cleanser for Mana newcomers and veterans alike.

If you’re looking for more of the Mana series with better combat and extra story beyond the original, then Trials of Mana is definitely for you (if you didn’t already get it day one!). For everyone else, this is a neat remake and is the best the series has looked and sounded and is fun to play.

While it may be a little too beholden to its SNES era roots in some ways, Trials of Mana is a solid remake that offers players an alternative way to experience what was not too long ago a Japanese exclusive game.

Overall, I think Trials of Mana is a great remake. Square truly knocked it out of the park on this one. I never thought I’d see a game so faithful to the original recreated in beautiful 3D the way they did with Trials of Mana. Whether you’re a fan of the original, or new to the franchise, the remake is the definitive version to play.

Trials of Mana is the second big remake from Square Enix this year, and it holds its own as a fun and gorgeous gaming experience, even if the story is a little weak where it counts.

Trials of Mana is a great tribute to the original title released 25 years ago. Many innovations are offered and, although there are some areas for improvement, it is certainly a great RPG that is worth discovering or rediscovering.

Time has finally done justice to recognize the relevance of Trials of Mana in the JRPG genre.

Trials of Mana is an exciting new step for the Mana series, breathing new, fully 3D life into a SNES classic that was left inaccessible to English fans for decades. The inventive and memorable story of the original game blends perfectly with the flashy new real-time combat system, and while muddy textures and a lack of co-op prove to somewhat sour the experience, this is still a stellar action RPG remake that anyone can get a kick out of.

Trials of Mana is absolutely charming and does an excellent job keeping what works from the original while upgrading its aesthetics to the modern era. The combat system works well in its new 3D trappings, with a tough but satisfying learning curve. The transition to modern tech has introduced some camera problems, though, and I wish Square Enix had taken this opportunity to flesh out the world with interesting sidequests and to trim out some of the more tedious dialogue. Even so, exploring, battling, and waging war with bosses all remain really fun, and its JRPG tropes come off as charming throwbacks rather than eye-rolling cliches.

Trials of Mana proves itself to be a successful revival of a lost classic, smartly infusing new design and content where necessary while still maintaining the spirit of the original. Multi-threaded storylines, an enjoyable combat system and flexible character progression combine to make this one a fantastic experience from start to finish, even if occasional performance problems hinder the experience somewhat. We’d give Trials of Mana a high recommendation to RPG fans and newcomers alike; there’s plenty here to love for both camps, and we hope that this release could act as a blueprint for future entries in the Mana series.

Overall Trials of Mana 3-D Remake is essentially that a remake, for fans of Secret of Mana I would suggest playing the original version of Trials of Mana which can be found in the Collection of Mana for Nintendo Switch. For anyone who has not played a Mana game before then you really can not go wrong with this version, Square Enix have really done a good job at breathing new life into a 25 year old game whilst keeping to its roots as a 16 bit Classic.

With remakes of classic video games becoming a popular trend over the last few years, Trials of Mana may not stand up as tall as more heralded remakes Final Fantasy VII or Resident Evil 2. However, it’s still a fun action RPG that belongs in the collection of any fan of the Mana series.

A faithful recreation of an SNES classic, Trials of Mana delivers on most fronts, though it botches it's landing in the 21th century in some places.

Trials of Mana on Nintendo Switch is a great way to experience Square Enix's newest remake.

Trials of Mana is a wonderful reimagining of the 1995 classic. It’s an almost endlessly replayable RPG thanks to the roster of characters, class system, and incredible new game plus. However, it’s held back from greatness by a terrible english dub, poor performance on Switch, and the lack of multiplayer especially leaves a large hole in an otherwise enjoyable experience.

Trials of Mana thrives in traditions. The action-packed gameplay remains cool and versatile, but the structure mainly shows the (technical) limitations in game design of the 90s.

Trials of Mana brings the old SNES version of the game to the modern age, but fails to take full advantage of modern possibilities. Graphics have improved but still have odd choices like stiff garments. The balance between very easy random enemies and very tough (mini)bosses is off, requiring more grinding than we want in a modern game. All in all, Trials of Mana fails to fully deliver where its big competitor (FF7) does.

Trials of Mana is a graphically overhauled remake of a SNES classic, but it doesn't quite do enough to reach mythic status.

Trials of Mana is a ton of fun, and if you want to experience a retro JRPG with the updated mechanics of games today then you’ll likely enjoy this a lot. Any of the issues I had didn’t stop me from having fun, and I know I’ll likely return for at least one more playthrough.

Trials of Mana is a nice remake, specially if you liked the genuine game, but the younger gamers may suffer from the dated graphics and the old-school camera.

Twenty five years after its original Japanese release, Trials of Mana stays true to its 16 bit roots, and this 3D remake offers a classic adventure with a strong pace, but filled with rough fights and round-trips all along. With the lack of a local or online co-op mode, you will have to go through the multiple crossed scenarios and quite a few bonuses all alone. The magical spirit of the series is clearly there, but the game still should have deserved a stronger emphasis on its technical side.

Quotation forthcoming.

Trials of Mana stands on the strength of its combat, and the fact that it's how you spend the vast majority of your time. That easy recommendation comes qualified with several elements that don't work nearly as well, from dull and hodge-podge storytelling to bewildering progression systems. Seeing a historical curiosity through the lens of a mostly modernized action-RPG was enough to pull me through the experience despite my quibbles, though, so there's certainly still life in the world of Mana.

All in all, I did not really enjoy Trials of Mana. It feels rushed, cheaply made, and the gameplay just doesn’t engage me. I realize this may be a frustrating opinion for fans of the series (who are very passionate), but this game just isn’t for me and I feel like it is not put together or balanced very well. If you’re already a big fan of the series, you might find this title to be quite enjoyable. As it is, though, I find it to be a bit of a mess.