Trials of Mana

a great action JRPG remake game with laughably bad animation reuse and VAs and a campy and simple story. Worth playing if you don't mind the low budget with the acting.

Mana is Love As someone who grew up with the Mana series, I see it as my sacred duty to tell the world why I love this remake. First of all, this remake was announced as part of the Collection of Mana for the Switch and was released later the same year as Final Fantasy 7 Remake. While the collection was ports of the classic games from the Gameboy and SNES eras, this is a fully fleshed-out remake of the third part of the series, also known as Seiken Densetsu 3. Particular focus was placed on a more modern combat system and general accessibility for a modern audience. The game can be accused of being too colorful and too child-friendly. But that's exactly what the series is about. A slightly different approach to the RPG genre from Japan, which otherwise seemed rather old-fashioned with Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. There were no turn-based random battles in the Mana series, the progression system was a mixture of the classic level system and the weapon classes, which all played differently. While you could still freely switch between the weapon classes in Secret of Mana, Trials of Mana also introduced a focus on the combat system in the original, which was even more action-oriented than in its predecessor. The Game: At the beginning we can choose 3 of 6 characters who define our party for the game. Everyone has a backstory that we can either actively play and experience ourselves, or watch as a summary in a short film. The choice of characters affects the later course of the story, as we define the archenemies based on the background story of the chosen characters. This allows us to visit different places, experience different scenarios and fight different bosses. We can play through the game up to three times and always have different elements in the story that keep it fresh. At the beginning, each character corresponds to a basic class, which we later define in more detail through class advancements. The fighters can choose whether they want to have an offensive or more defensive style; elemental properties, spells, healing, and certain types of armor are tied to this development. So what at first glance looks like a cute, friendly adventure contains comparatively deep character development. Themes such as revenge, love, despair, and farewell are just as much a part of the whole thing and unfold a surprisingly deep plot that you wouldn't otherwise expect from this game. Fast-paced battles and strategic character development are just as much a thing here as in many other games of this type. I would recommend this game to EVERYONE to familiarize themselves with the elements of the Mana series. Now Visions of Mana is FINALLY coming out in a few days, and for an introduction and first impression, or for people who are experiencing Mana for the first time and want to see what else is available, this game is a clear purchase recommendation. I've already played it on the Playstation and got the platinum trophy after about 60-70 hours of playing time :D And it didn't even feel like work. On the contrary, I think it's bursting with energy and fun, especially because of the combat system and the "rather light-hearted story".