The game that really stick with you often have one thing in common: a world that you enjoy spending time in. Even games riddled with issues can distract you for dozens of hours if you simply want to exist in that world. Even among RPGs, few games can match the sheer joy and whimsy of Trials of Mana — a game that feels like you just stepped into a Ghibli movie. Luckily, the game around exploring that world is actually incredibly good as well. With Trials of Mana finally coming to Xbox Game Pass, players have a rich new RPG that’s perfect for a lazy weekend at home.
Trials of Mana, originally released in 2020, is actually a remake of the third game in the Mana franchise, which released on the Super Famicom in Japan in 1995. Unfortunately, the original version never saw a release outside of Japan, until much later in 2019. But by all regards this remake is practically a different game — fleshing out the characters and story, redesigning the world in 3D, and overhauling the combat system.
One of the most defining traits of Trials of Mana is its multiple protagonists, each of which alter elements of the story. While the overall narrative stays the same, each character has a different opening and can alter things throughout the experience, like dialogue and dungeons. But it’s impressive how well the six different protagonist’s stories weave together, especially considering you’ll be recruiting the character you didn’t pick as your leader.
On top of that, each character has a drastically different combat style — from the mercenary Duran who focuses on heavy offense and sword attacks, to the agile Hawkeye who darts in between enemies to unleash devastating dagger back strikes. The best word to describe Trials of Mana’s combat is crunchy, with each of your attacks feeling weighty and deliberate. Each character feels fantastically varied adding a ton of variety that’s only strengthened by a wide selection of different skills and magic spells.
But what really makes Trials of Mana so special is the sense of adventure you get, coupled with that whimsical world and story. There’s a “Saturday morning cartoon” feel to the entire game, with a simple good versus evil story that lets the characters shine. Voice acting is intentionally over-the-top and hammy, and the world is filled with wonderful little details — the adorable dances that merchants do, the way cute animals in the world interact with each other, smoke rising out of chimneys in quaint hamlets.
The world of Trials of Mana is a delight to explore, you’ll want to talk to every NPC you can find, poke around every alleyway, and delve into every cave. That’s not just because of the new sights and stories you’ll see, but because the game does a great job of giving you tangible rewards as well, like new equipment and rare items.
Trials of Mana never gets overly serious or dark, but that’s just fine for this case. The game’s candy-coated aesthetic and whimsical sense of adventure are its biggest strengths, made even better by the breezy combat system and quick story pacing. It makes the hours fly by, and provides ample reason for multiple playthroughs. Trials of Mana is simply a joyous experience that leaves you with that warm fuzzy feeling that only a good RPG can.
