We played the demo of Trials of Mana for an hour and a half, the remake of the 1995 classic that will hit PC, PS4 and Nintendo Switch on April 24.
Koch Media invites us to their offices to try an extensive demo of Trials of Mana, the remake of the classic 1995 adventure, Seiken Densetsu 3, (in Japan) that garnered quite a number of fans when it debuted in the West with the release of Collection of Mana, for Nintendo Switch. We have been able to play more than an hour and a half to the title to bring you our detailed impressions after discovering the facelift Trials of Mana has received in order to reach the current generation 25 years after its birth. This demo can be played for free from the 18th on all platforms (PS4, PC and Switch).
New features of the remake
Trials of Mana is an all-letter remake of the classic 1995 game. Due to the more than two decades that have passed since Japanese players (and those lucky enough to be able to enjoy it outside Japanese borders) had the original in their possession. In Square Enix they have had to redesign the title from scratch and completely in order to adapt it to the current generation. This means the arrival of renewed 3D graphics, an improved battle system, the inclusion of character voices, a remastered BSO and much more. After being at the controls of the PS4 version, we can assure that we are facing a completely renewed and updated game that, although it has some slight flaws, retains the essence of the original and masterfully adapts it to the current generation.
On the other hand, the title includes an extra chapter that we can play at the end of the game (and we still don't have too many details about it) and a “rag accessory” as a DLC, which we can equip ourselves in the game to get more EXP later from a match up to level 10. This item will be received by those who preorder the game before May 21 on PS4 or Nintendo Switch. We couldn't see it in our in-game test, but it aims to be a useful item for those less experienced players in the Trials of Mana game system. Of course, we warn you that in our case we selected the “Normal” difficulty for the test and we did not have any type of problem to overcome all the obstacles that we could get in the way without dying on any occasion.
A plot loaded with magic
"When the world was plunged into darkness, the Goddess of Mana unsheathed the Sword of Mana to annihilate the eight benevodons, the monsters of destruction. She locked these horrors in the Mana Stones, saving the kingdom from certain destruction. Exhausted after rebuilding the world, the Goddess transformed into a tree and plunged into deep lethargy for years. However, the forces of evil were quick to free the benevodons for the purpose of world domination. They started a terrible war to achieve their goal and destabilize the kingdoms. Peace came to an end. The Mana gradually disappeared from the world and the Mana Tree began to wither… ”, details the official description of the game's plot.
As you can see, it is the same argument as the original title. Despite the fact that it is a simple and predictable plot, it feels somewhat different due to the great facelift that the game presents. We will be able to visit numerous different settings: cities, forests, caves, frozen moors and many more areas in order to discover treasures, face multiple dangers and meet interesting characters.
A wide roster of characters, for all tastes
We have up to 6 playable characters at our disposal to form a group of 3 consisting of a leader and two companions. To begin with, Durán is a proud young Valsena soldier who is proficient in the use of swords and can perform attacks and physically defend himself with excellent shields. Angela is the only daughter of the legitimate queen of Altena and uses a magic staff to cast spells at a distance and against groups. On the other hand, Kevin is the heir to the kingdom of Fierolia and he fights with a clean punch. Therefore, it has a good physical attack and a powerful night transformation.
Charlotte is the granddaughter of Wendel's Priest of Light, has a young girl appearance and masters flail use and healing and support magic. Falco comes from a guild of noble thieves and uses primarily daggers. This is a fast warrior who has the luck attribute uploaded to find objects. Finally we have Lis, the young princess of the mountainous kingdom of Brisia and captain of the famous Amazon guard. He carries a spear as a weapon and can use ranged attacks, support spells, and summons.
As you can see, there are characters for all tastes and play styles. As we level up we will be able to reach higher classes and vary the appearance of our heroes, in addition to their magical powers and the special attacks it can learn. On the other hand, depending on the trio of characters we choose, the story will change slightly and we will have one main antagonist or another (Goremand, Belladonna or the Crimson Magician). This detail adds a point of replayability to the title, since we will have to play it more than once if we want to discover the personal stories of all the protagonists. The ones that we can play in the same game are the beginnings of the history of each one of our companions. We can experience them directly as soon as we meet them through the so-called flashbacks or watch a summary video if we want to avoid losing playing time.
Dynamic combat system, special abilities and more
The Trials of Mana combat system is satisfactory at the controls. It does not present loading screens when we meet the various enemies, but we enter directly into combat and a circle is placed in the battle zone to delimit the combat zone. We can move freely through it in order to avoid enemy attacks and make our own offensive movements to finish off our opponents.
We can perform simple attacks or cast special abilities that consume PM. In addition, when we manage to complete one of the TC bars located at the bottom of the screen, we can deploy a class tactic (definitive attack) that causes a large amount of spout to the enemy that we are facing. Each player has their special attacks, so we recommend you try them all as soon as you have the opportunity to make sure what style of play you prefer.
As this is an RPG you can expect to find new equipment such as weapons, protection and items that help us in combat hidden in chests, as a reward for taking down certain enemies and others. We will also get training points to level up various characteristics such as Strength, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Luck. With this, we will obtain new abilities and attributes for our characters such as increasing the VIT (vitality) by 30 points, for example.
As for the bosses, due to their superior power and longer life bar, we will have to develop a somewhat more complex strategy in order to finish them off. In our game session we were only able to face the first of them, Fullmetal Hugger, a giant crab that launches laser beams and whose weak point is in its eyes. It is a simple system that we will not take long to master and despite the fact that the combat animations are upgradeable, it is pleasant to fight and advance through the various scenarios of the world that Trials of Mana presents.
Colorful graphics, a stable tech section and a remastered BSO
As you can see in the images that accompany this article, the graphic section of Trials of Mana stands out for presenting vivid and attractive colors, which greatly change the appearance of the original title. The character designs are diverse and well-crafted (despite the fact that practically all of the female ones are quite sexualized) and the enemies have also had their own facelift to become even more lovable beings that they will be sorry to defeat.
On the other hand, we did not find any bugs or serious problems, but we must highlight something that could be improved technically: the animations. Both those we see in combat as well as in the dialogues and cinematic scenes present some somewhat static and rigid characters who would appreciate having had a more refined system in order to see and move with more fluidity and naturalness.
Finally, the sound section stands out for presenting the original remastered soundtrack, so we can enjoy the classic tracks with higher quality and careful sound effects to endow the work with nostalgia mixed with current soundtracks. In addition, the characters now have their own voice, so both our protagonist and the other companions and NPC have something to say, for now, in Japanese and English.
Definitely…
Trials of Mana invites us to enjoy the classic installment that many could not play at the time in a current way thanks to a remake that brings to the current generation the work of Square that many keep in their hearts. Playable changes are appreciated and graphically presents a colorful and rewarding 3D look. Although it does not have a very complex plot, its characters and the world we visit are powerful enough elements to invite us to live a new adventure.
We recall that the title will be available on April 24 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PC (Steam) and that it will have a demo soon as long as all those who want to explore the world of Trials of Mana can do so in advance. . It is a simple title, yes, but the magic it gives off is necessary especially in times as strange and dark as the one we have had to live through.
