Trials of Mana Reviews
Trials of Mana is pretty much everything you could want from a remake of the original game.
Trials of Mana is a wonderful remake of a classic JRPG that most Westerners never experienced. More than that, it's proof that Square Enix is willing to put in the work and learn from its past mistakes when updating old favorites.
While not perfect, this remake manages to make a 1995 classic fit for modern standards. Respecting its past, Trials of Mana is a fun and highly replayable JRPG action.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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 a lacklustre remake of a masterpiece from another era. It's nothing special, but old-fashioned JRPG fans might appreciate it if you turn a blind eye.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Trials of Mana is a compelling and charming RPG that feels old-school in design, but offers plenty of fun with its action-orientated combat and wonderful world. There’s a fair bit of variety on offer with its character choices and levelling up system too, with players having to play through the game at least three times to see everything it has to offer – this isn’t an RPG you’ll be finished with quickly!
Trials of Mana is a great remake. Albeit the original game never came to the west until last year and most JRPG fans didn't get the chance to play it, this new version of the japanese classic achieves in offering both a classic and fresh gameplay experience, not to mention a nice and colorful visual update.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Overall, Trials of Mana seems like a more focused product for fans of the saga. If you are a well-versed player in JRPGs, it will most likely not pose any challenge beyond the need to have to stop to level up to face enemies.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Trials of Mana may represent a pleasant leap forward compared to the remake of its predecessor, but the end result still remains far from the current quality standards of PlayStation 4.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Trials of Mana is a new version of the classic Super Famicom with a revitalization of the game system that is not bad, being very fun and accessible to everyone, so it could be said that both have only the story in common and the characters, who have been highly respected. Trials of Mana Remake review for Nintendo Switch The unselected heroes will also make their brief appearance in the main story.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
If you've never played Trials of Mana, you might consider checking out the Collection of Mana released last year for the Nintendo Switch. The collection allows you to play the entire Seiken Densetsu trilogy in their original 2D glory. This remake does recreate the world of Trials with a wondrous, effervescent glow, but that doesn't make up for the clumsy presentation. If you've played the game before and are fond of it, or don't mind the remake's storytelling style, this may be an interesting means of seeing the game in a new light. The combat is fun even if the progression system hamstrings it early on, but the update does more to hold the game back than to breathe new life into it.
This is a game that feels decidedly modern and could (and should) appeal to a much broader audience than "existing Trials of Mana" fans.
Fans of the series will still be able to glean some enjoyment from seeing a classic title brought into the modern age, but everyone else won’t have much reason to dive into this flawed remake.
Trials of Mana is a gorgeous and delightful action RPG that's full of imagination and heart. In fact, it's so captivating that it made me fall in love with Seiken Densetsu all over again.
In a lot of ways that is the problem with Trials of Mana. While it looks fine and the story has all the charm you'd expect from a '90s JRPG, it doesn't have much else. Combat is bland, the worlds feel empty, there are tons of cheese and it relies on a large investment to get to the stuff that is actually enjoyable. For some or anyone looking for the original game with a new coat of paint, it's great but if you were looking for something closer to the Final Fantasy VII Remake treatment, expect to be underwhelmed.
Only the most die-hard fans of the Mana series should consider picking up Trials of Mana. While the remake may be faithful to the original, it doesn't make for a good game or a good time.
Even with a dull story and flat characters, Trials of Mana's fun, varied combat makes it easy to recommend to fans of action RPGs new and old.
An exciting remake that recalls a sense of fun by injecting the right amount of "new" into what made the original a classic.
Whether you’ve played the original or not, Trials of Mana should be on your ARPG radar.