Last year’s release of Trials of Mana within the Collection of Mana on the Nintendo Switch and the announcement that the previously Japan-only title would be getting a total remake and international release was one of the biggest surprises for classic JRPG fans in 2019.
The original title, Seiken Densetsu 3, was known to some in the West as the lost Mana game, though it was playable and in English via certain means.
Unlike the Seiken Densetsu 3 on the Super Famicom, the new upcoming Trials of Mana will be a solo excursion. Tossing the original title’s multiplayer capabilities to the side, the remake appears to be even more combat-oriented.
The persistent top-down view has been exchanged for a more dynamic camera, and it appears to be notably faster — a boon considering the original game’s slow, imprecise combat and sluggish menus.
Square Enix has released two character spotlight trailers, one of which released this week. The first, seen below, features two of the game’s playable characters, the reliable Duran and fan-favorite Angela.
The second character spotlight trailer highlights Charlotte and Kevin. Charlotte retains her signature cutsey-speak (thank goodness), and half-beastman Kevin’s introduction story is pretty much laid out in full.
Trials of Mana will breathe new visuals, music, and combat into this classic title, but whether players will have increased control over their other party members has yet to be seen. The question also arises whether we will be able to hot-swap characters mid-combat as in the original Seiken Densetsu 3, but that seems a given.
We’ve still got some time until the game’s April 24 release on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Steam; and we’re due for one more character spotlight trailer to highlight Riesz and Hawkeye before then.
I suppose we can toss the Seiken Densetsu 3 moniker now and just refer to it as Trials of Mana. Are you looking forward to seeing Trials of Mana remade to suit modern tastes? I certainly am since nothing seems amiss so far. Let us know in the comments below and warm up that wallet for the game’s release in just three months.
