The Super Famicom cult classic hit Seiken Densetsu 3 is a few months away from celebrating its 25th anniversary, and Square Enix went all out for the festivities by giving the game the full remake treatment. Fans have been asking for this one, and now Trials of Mana—the remake's rebranded title—has hit the streets, and reviews are coming in.
For the longest time, the only way for many fans outside of Japan to play the Super Famicom version of Trials of Mana was through an English fan translated ROM. The game was praised among fans at the time for improving on the battle system found in Secret of Mana and for the branching character classes that made every playthrough feel different. Players were also able to choose their main character, out of the six heroes, resulting in different narrative beats for each. These features are still in Trials of Mana, so fans need not be worried about that. These elements, as well as the excellent late-SNES-era sprite work, made the title a favorite in the Mana series.
This has been a month of heavy-hitting remakes. Resident Evil 3's remake plays pretty similarly to the original, with its action-oriented focus and tight pacing. Final Fantasy 7's remake completely overhauls its source material, breathing new life into Midgar. If reviews are to believed about Trials of Mana, it falls into the former camp, skewing closer to the game on which it is based. Fans' mileage may vary depending on what they are looking for. The game is steeped in 90's JRPG tropes, making it seem a bit narratively tired, but the battle system makes it an enjoyable romp.
Noisy Pixel (Azario Lopez)
Trials of Mana is unapologetically traditional and, yet, still makes itself accessible to all JRPG fans, both new and old. The dedication that the developers show as they retain the fantasy appeal of this classic title with updated systems is what ultimately shines during every moment of this adventure. There’s plenty here to explore with one campaign taking me around 20 hours to complete, with things to do that I missed, which had me jumping right back in for more.
Score: 9/10
ScreenRant (Bryan Lawver)
Trials of Mana’s high point is still its battle system. At the beginning, it’s extremely simplistic. Players can take control of any character in the party during combat and everyone from warriors to mages has a light and heavy attack, a dodge, and a “class skill” that powers up as they fight, allowing them to unleash a powerful attack that can turn the tide of a battle. Enemies tend to telegraph their attacks pretty clearly and red circles on the ground show where and when their most devastating moves will land, so even the frailest character can dodge their way out of danger. It makes for incredibly fun, active battles, even though every character performs almost identically for the first few hours.
Score: 8/10
RPGSite (George Foster)
If you’re in a conversation about the most influential classic RPGs of all time, there’s no doubt that the Mana series will come up. Despite the third game being so hard to come by, the original Trials of Mana (known in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 3) is still regarded as one of the best RPGs of all time. People liked it so much that it didn’t really even matter that a fan translation was the easiest way to play it for a good while... ...Is it still as genre-defining as it once was? No, but it’s an excellent game nonetheless. Whether you’re a complete newcomer like me, or a seasoned Mana player, Trials of Mana is absolutely worthy of your time.
Score: 8/10
IGN (Seth Macy)
These days, the term “remake” can mean anything from a borderline remaster that simply aim to recreate the original game scene-for-scene in a new engine to a complete reimagining of the old game’s themes, like an XCOM: Enemy Unknown or a Resident Evil 2. Trials of Mana’s remake is on the extremely loyal side of that spectrum, and just about everything plays as it did in the ‘90s. The ring menus of the original are here, used in much the same way, and they're a great solution to juggling spells and items mid-combat. Plus the sounds they make are like old-school ASMR.
Score: 8/10
Worth Playing (Chris "Atom" DeAngelus)
For a long time, Trials of Mana (AKA Seiken Densetsu 3) was one of the golden "lost" games of the SNES era. The sequel to cult classic Secret of Mana, it was bigger and more complex. In 2019's The Collection of Mana, Trials of Mana was officially translated into English. Less than a year later, we're also getting a full 3-D remake. For those of us nostalgic for the SNES version, this is a dream come true. For newcomers, this is an excellent game with a few flaws.
Score: 8/10
Game Informer (Kimberley Wallace)
It may look more modern, but Trials of Mana is a faithful remake outside of its combat tweaks – and that isn’t necessarily a good thing. But as a fan of the original, parts of this game are still charming. I adored the combat and boss fights (when my A.I. cooperated), and even with some of its repetitive nature and horrible voice acting, I didn’t want to put the game down. It’s a decent remake but not the fantastic one it could have been. This series has so much potential, I’d just love to see it fully realized.
Score: 7.75/10
Push Square (Robert Ramsey)
It may be a full 3D remake of a classic action RPG, but Trials of Mana sticks rigidly to the structure of the original game. As a result, its storytelling and characters are one-note and largely forgettable -- hampered further by awkward cutscenes and dodgy English voice acting -- but its nicely paced gameplay feels surprisingly fresh in a time when modern RPGs have a tendency to drag on for hundreds of hours. What's more, its simple but smooth and effective combat system makes for some moreish action. All in all, Trials of Mana is a delightful throwback.
Score: 7/10
PlayStation Universe (Eric Hauter)
Trials of Mana isn’t an awful game, but it isn’t a particularly good one either. It might have been a bit improved by different character work, but in the end, it is a basic RPG that would be good for newcomers to the genre. Though its release is something of an event in the US, players should be aware that this is not an epic retelling of a classic story. Rather, it is a serviceable game that is lightly enjoyable. Proceed accordingly.
Score: 6.5/10
It took nearly 25 years for the game originally known as Seiken Densetsu 3 to make its way West, and giving the game the remake treatment shows that Square Enix is aware of the game's cult status. This game is most certainly for the fans, though fans of the original may have already been satiated when the that game was released with an English translation as part of the Collection of Mana last year. Original fan or newcomer, the reviews generally show that there is an enjoyable game to be had here for both camps.
Trials of Mana is available now for PC, PS4, and Switch.
