Trials Of Mana is a remake of the classic Japanese RPG title Seiken Densetsu 3. This game originally came out for the Super Famicom all the way back in 1995, only in Japan. It actually took all the way till June 2019 for the original title to come to the West. Released as Collection Of Mana, all three of the original games were ported over to the Nintendo Switch.
The Series’ Resurgence
Secret Of Mana, a remake of Seiken Densetsu 2, actually came out on the PlayStation 4 all the way back in 2018. The Mana series has seen something of a revival over the past few years in general.
Now, with Trials Of Mana right around the corner, Square Enix teamed up with PlayStation Underground to show off a massive chunk of the game. This 20-minute gameplay drop highlights almost all of the game’s systems and mechanics.
Brand New Presentation
The first thing that strikes you is obviously the presentation. The game has gone from 2D Sprites to a vast, 3D open world. Character models and the environment have a lot more detail and higher fidelity. Flying around over the massive map on the back of the adorable Flammie is especially great. You can see the various terrains scattered throughout the map.
Despite this jump to 3D, it still retains the charm of the original sprite designs. The game also has the deep customisation that the original was known for. Players can pick a party of three members. The story itself will play out differently depending on which three members you pick, too.
Deep Combat Mechanics
Additionally, each member has a vast set of abilities and classes you can pick from. Changing a character’s class also changes their appearance. If you happen to like the costume design of one class, but the abilities of another, you can simply pick them however you like.
You can switch out these abilities and classes can be changed anytime you want by visiting a certain area in the game. You may have to make these changes, too, as different bosses require different approaches. This gameplay footage in particular shows off the Fiegmund boss fight.
Changes To Boss Fights And Exploration
In the original, Fiegmund simply jumped around. Now, however, this fight has more verticality. This creature now jumps on the walls or the roof of its cave, launching devastating attacks. Exploring Fiegmund’s ice dungeon is a different experience as well. You now have to jump onto and down from ledges throughout the cave to make your way through.
The game’s day-night cycle gives you further variation. There are certain abilities, enemies and questlines that are available during certain times of the day.
Trials Of Mana comes out on April 24, 2020, for the PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC (via Steam).
