The third Mana game’s full remake

Trials of Mana is the 3D remake of a hit action role-playing video game from Japan. Developed by Square Enix, Trials of Mana used to be called Seiken Densetsu 3, released back in 1995 but never introduced to an international audience. It is the third installment to the Mana series and is the sequel to Secret of Mana. This remake has been fully modernized with high-quality 3D graphics, an upgraded battle system, and more remastered features.

Now released worldwide

Seiken Densetsu 3 follows the high fantasy story of six playable characters you can choose from. Long, ago, the Mana Goddess created the game’s world by forging the powerful Sword of Mana and defeating eight monsters of destruction, the Benevodons, with it. She sealed them within eight Mana Stones before turning herself into the Mana Tree and falling asleep. 

Now centuries later, the Mana Stones are in danger and the heroes must find the legendary Mana Sword to stop the Benevodons from being unleashed. There are three lengthy main plotlines followed by two of the playable protagonists each. You can choose one protagonist and two companions from the rest of the remaining characters—and if you choose the other character paired with that protagonist, there will be more interactions regarding their main story. 

The original game had built upon the gameplay of its predecessors and enhanced some of the features. You had a time progression system and day-and-night transitions. Like other RPGs, you can also choose from a wide range of character classes that grant exclusive sets of skills. You can even simultaneously play with another player.

More features added

This time, Trials of Mana brings back all of the good things the original version offered and polishes them even further. First, it gets a major graphical overhaul. It now has revamped 3D graphics, foregoing the original chibi character sprites and completely modeling them in full body. The same goes for the environment and the NPCs, even the enemies. The battle system has also been improved upon, including an ability-centric mechanic. The class-change system has been reworked to reflect the characters’ appearance and the attacks they can do. 

Plus, there’s a new fourth class for each character. For the characters themselves, they’ve been given voiceovers. Due to the freedom of choosing whichever main character and companions you want to take with you, the replayability of the game is quite high as the different combinations mean different ways for the story to progress. Lastly, the soundtrack has been remastered, with new arrangements for a total of 60 music tracks—and you’re even allowed to freely switch between the original and arranged soundtracks. 

Worth the wait

Overall, Trials of Mana is the Mana game that’s overdue for the rest of the world. With its new features and improved graphics, it’s a title worth checking out if you’re interested in the action JRPG genre that makes use of RPG elements but has a real-time combat system.