Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Co-Op and weapon kit promotional image from Treyarch and Raven Studios

    Sharing Gunsmith Builds in Black Ops 7 Is About To Get Much Easier

    08/19/2025
    EA Sports Madden NFL 26 Head Coach But Why Tho 5

    Dear EA Sports, Why Can’t I Make A Hot Coach?

    08/14/2025
    Blade in Marvel Rivals Season 3.5

    Blade Can Shut Down The Other Team In Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 If You Know How

    08/08/2025
    John Cena and Cody Rhodes during Summerslam 2025

    The SummerSlam 2025 Main Event Was A Fever Dream We All Needed

    08/08/2025
    Street Fighter 6 Sagat

    Sagat Brings Depth And Approachability To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    08/07/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Previews » DEMO REVIEW: ‘Trials of Mana’ Is A Light Hearted Adventure (Switch)

DEMO REVIEW: ‘Trials of Mana’ Is A Light Hearted Adventure (Switch)

Charles HartfordBy Charles Hartford04/06/20205 Mins ReadUpdated:02/06/2024
Trials of Mana
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Trials of Mana is an action RPG developed and published by Square Enix. With the Mana Tree fading and the balance of the world teetering toward ruin, three heroes must set out to restore the balance of the world. But with many foes ahead of them, and each with their own personal goals, they have plenty of challenges to face before they can save their world.

When I booted up my demo, the first thing that stood out was that classic 90’s JRPG energy. The aesthetic here is bright and lighthearted. And while it isn’t the only game to deliver this style of visual I’ve played recently, it’s always a welcome sight. And since Trials of Mana is a 3D remake of the original 1995 release, it only makes sense that this style of design is present.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

The first novel thing to catch my eye as I prepare to start my adventure is the character selection screen. Out of the six possible characters, the player selects three to be in their party. One is the main character, while the others are supports. I chose the Amazon princess Reiz as my main character, with the classic warrior-looking type, along with the only character designated as a healer for my group, simply from the descriptions given. However, it sounds like the parties could vary wildly in play style. This would be an opportunity to increase replayability if the game turns out to be deserving of that much attention.

With my party set, my adventure begins in a mountaintop castle with Reiz. A quick combat training moment provides me with a short but effective tutorial for surviving battle. Once this was complete, I set off to find my younger brother, with whom I had a training session planned. But finding him proves difficult. My search is momentarily sidetracked by my character’s memories of her childhood. The death of her parents and her subsequent raising of her brother on her own do a respectable job of establishing the characters and their connections. When the castle is attacked and my brother is taken, I’m off on my quest to save him.

During the next few hours, I meet up with the other two members of the party. They are placed into the story in a fairly organic fashion, and the player is given the option of playing through their introductions if they wish to learn why they are off-advising. Once I reach the Holy City of Wendel my party is informed of the greater danger to the world. Not only that, but through saving the world the various goals of the characters can be fulfilled. Giving everyone a convenient reason to go adventuring together.

Trials of Mana

The combat mechanics in Trials of Mana are what one would likely expect. With light and heavy attacks and a dodge maneuver form the basis of combat. A special superattack is slowly charged over time, and through leveling, party members can acquire new abilities. Overall, the combat lands right where I like it. Difficult enough that I have to pay attention, but not so complex that I feel burdened with memorizing combos or other intricate gameplay aspects. While I found combat enjoyable, the leveling system looks the most interesting to me.

Each character’s stats are put into five categories. Investing points in these aspects will increase stats and unlock abilities. And the way a character plays appears wildly customizable. Take the warrior in my party. While I could invest in strength and increase his damage-dealing potential, I instead opt to give him more hit points and provoke an ability. This is largely due to my party’s makeup. Since he is my biggest frontline fighter, I decided it was most important for him to pull enemies off the rest of the party. If my party had been different, I’d definitely level him differently.

Giving players lots of choices can be a difficult proposition in a video game. Too much can be overwhelming. Or even worse, the choices can be so numerous no single one can feel meaningful. But with so much of the gameplay and choice tied to the player’s initial decision of who they have in their party, it looks like Square Enix may have found a way to give the player plenty of meaningful choices while managing not to overwhelm them.

The only thing really negative I have to say about my five-hour demo with Trials of Mana comes in the voice work. A few of the characters are downright obnoxious. Particularly my healer. The way they chose to have her talk was downright annoying to the point where if I get a chance to play the full game, I will most likely start over and elect not to have her in my party. While I can see her dialogue design potentially being cute in the game’s original release before you had to listen to her, it does the game no favors now.

But with that one qualm aside, I really enjoyed my time with Trials of Mana. The gameplay was smooth and fun. It has a leveling system that has me interested and a narrative that is enough to get me out the door. Whether or not these elements will keep the game going through a full playthrough will have to wait till its full release.

Trials of Mana is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Anno 1800’ Brings in Policy With its “Seat of Power”
Next Article PAX EAST 2020: ‘Phogs!’ is a Must Have Game
Charles Hartford
  • X (Twitter)

Lifelong geek who enjoys comics, video games, movies, reading and board games . Over the past year I’ve taken a more active interest in artistic pursuits including digital painting, and now writing. I look forward to growing as a writer and bettering my craft in my time here!

Related Posts

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Co-Op promotional image from Treyarch and Raven Studios

It’s All Co-op! How Black Ops 7 aims to keep the squad together

08/19/2025
Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hope video game from Alt Shift

Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes Is A Sim That Puts You Up Against Cylons

08/19/2025
Battlefield 6 promotional image from EA and Battlefield Studios

We’re So Back With ‘Battlefield 6’ Multiplayer

07/31/2025
Still from Story of Seasons Grand Bazaar

‘Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar’ Could Be The Perfect Cozy Game To Close Out The Summer

07/30/2025
King of Meat

King of Meat Create Mode Bolsters Player Creativity In Our Hands-On Impressions

06/24/2025
Lumines Arise

Hands-On With ‘Lumines Arise’ Put Me In The Perfect Flow State

06/19/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

By Sarah Musnicky08/16/2025Updated:08/17/2025

It is understandable how Shin Godzilla succeeded at the box office nearly a decade ago. The strength of its story still stands today.

Botanical Bliss Update Palia But Why Tho 5 News

Palia’s New Botanical Bliss Update Brings New Flora, Decorations, And Quest Mechanic

By Matt Donahue08/18/2025Updated:08/18/2025

The Botanical Bliss update adds new event, more plushes, and a host of quality-of-life improvements and more to celebrate 2 years of Palia.

BOOTS Netflix First Look promotional images News

First Look at Coming-of-Age Story BOOTS, Coming to Netflix This October

By But Why Tho?08/17/2025

Netflix is reporting for duty this fall with the new eight-episode series BOOTS, a comedic drama starring Miles Heizer and Vera Farmiga

Nuestra Magia Secret Lair Art Interviews

EXCLUSIVE: How The ‘Nuestra Magia’ Secret Lair Found Its Identity And Raised Over $1M

By Kate Sánchez08/15/2025Updated:08/15/2025

We spoke with Ovidio Cartagena about Magic: The Gathering’s Nuestra Magia Secret Lair drop, its impact, and the real treasure within.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here