Trials of Mana is a stellar remake that manages to bring one of the most elusive Square Enix RPGs to the West in an impressive and colorful way. Though the story isn’t especially memorable, the gameplay, visuals, music, and world of Trials of Mana make it a more than worthwhile trial.
Trials of Mana
Developers: Square Enix
Price: $50
Platforms: PS4 (reviewed,) Nintendo Switch, and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PS4 code for review
Among their very many RPG franchises, Square Enix’s Mana series has never had the Western popularity that sister series Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest have found over time. It’s a shame, as the titles all have a uniquely whimsical charm to them that is hard to find elsewhere. Trials of Mana is no exception, and though Trials may not have gotten its due in the West originally, the remake makes up for it and then some.
The story of Trials of Mana is serviceable, though it’s primarily the character backstories and implementation of the plotlines that are interesting, rather than the overall narrative itself. Upon starting Trials, you’re told to choose three out of the six main characters to make a party out of. Each character has their own backstory, goal, and antagonist that comes in and out of the story in a natural way. The story is at its best when it explores these backstories, as they’re often the most emotionally heavy and intriguing part of the story.
Though each character starts the quest with their own goals, they eventually put their personal interests aside in order to save the Goddess of Mana and the mythical Mana Tree. I found the final bosses to be a bit of a disappointment, as they’re only briefly mentioned by other villains for the most part. This is especially apparent when compared to the villains that make up most of the story. The adaptability of the plot is the most compelling part of the story, as your chosen main character and party will change who the story’s primary antagonist is. Between the separate plot-threads and various antagonists, the replayability of Trials of Mana is one of its strongest attributes, even with its 25+ hour length.
Trials of Mana has an incredibly fun battle system that melds real-time combat with RPG tactics and skills. There are no turns or waiting, as you can hack and slash away at your enemies in real-time. Hitting your foes charges your Class Strike meter, which lets you use bombastic special attacks that can do some real damage while hitting multiple enemies. Each character has vastly different playstyles, depending on the weapon-type they have, which makes swapping between party members in battle a refreshing experience.
“You can swap between the original SNES game’s soundtrack and the newly remastered soundtrack, both of which are excellent in their own right and worth listening to.“
The leveling and Class systems are quite detailed, allowing you to customize each character depending on which role you want them to serve. Characters can equip abilities that are earned through using Training Points to power-up specific stats, or found through character interactions and dialogue. You can make some beastly loadouts with these skills, which help to make each party member a better fit for whatever role you want them to play. Changing classes gives you more ability slots, which adds a satisfying sense of progression to your party throughout the entire game.
Each character can upgrade their class up to three times depending on whether they choose the “dark” or “light” classes. Each class has its own strengths, weaknesses, and costumes to make each character’s progression feel gradual. The process of advancing to a new class (after the first upgrade) is a bit more convoluted than it needs to be, as you need to find specific “class items” from enemy drops or specific chests. Finding these can be a pain, especially if you find the wrong one and have to continue grinding in order to upgrade a specific character to the class of your choice. It’s definitely worth the time to upgrade your class, I just feel that the process could have been streamlined a bit in the remake.
Trials of Mana is a beautiful game to look at and listen to, as its environments teem with lively colors and mellow music at every step. The characters are all distinct, with designs that tell you everything about their personalities. You can swap between the original SNES game’s soundtrack and the newly remastered soundtrack, both of which are excellent in their own right and worth listening to.
The Final Word
Trials of Mana is an excellent RPG that overcomes its average story with its deep progression system, enjoyable combat, stellar visuals and music, and its vast replay value. A couple of small mechanics could be improved upon, but Trials of Mana is largely a fantastic remake that will appeal to any JRPG fan.
MonsterVine Review Score: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
