Tons of Trials of Mana details and screenshots – story, characters, classes, more

Square Enix has prepared a ton of new details, screenshots, and art for Trials of Mana. Today’s update covers a number of different topics, including the story, characters, and classes. We’ve rounded everything up below, courtesy of Gematsu.

Story

– When the world was shrouded in darkness, the Goddess of Mana drew forth the Sword of Mana to smite the eight Benevodons, monsters of destruction
– She sealed the horrors inside the eight Mana Stones, bringing the realm back from the brink
– Weakened from rebuilding the world, the Goddess changed herself into a tree and fell into a deep sleep for many years
– However, the forces of evil soon sought to free the Benevodons to gain control of the world
– They started a terrible war to further their plot and destabilize the kingdoms
– Peace was at an end
– Mana itself began to disappear from the world and the Mana Tree started to wither

Legendary Creatures

– In the vast world of Trials of Mana, the heroes must travel the endless sea and cross towering mountains to make their way to their next destination
– There are friends somewhere in this world that can help you with this journey difficult by foot alone

Flammie

– Known as the Winged Defender
– Emissary of the Goddess of Mana, said to protect the mountains and sky
– The young dragon can be summoned by the Flammie Drum to fly the party around the map

Vuscav

– The party first met this mysterious ruler of the seas on Beuca Island
– Though he’s usually wary of people, he’s surprisingly helpful

Spirits

– Spirits are beings that will you will encounter on your journey and lend you their power
– Each of the eight spirits has different traits, powers, and a way of speaking

Faerie

– A spiritual seed of the Tree of Mana
– Faerie ventures out of the sanctuary to warn Wendel’s Priest of Light of the fading power of the Mana Tree
– However, she collapses on the way, too weak to complete her journey alone
– The hero finds her and they join forces

Spirits

– Earth: Gnome – A spirit that possesses the power of earth and can manipulate large rocks; beard and green, pointy hat are its trademarks
– Water: Undine – A spirit that possesses the power of water and can make it hail by gathering up cold air; a sentimental spirit, she cannot overlook a person in trouble
– Fire: Salamander – A spirit that possesses the power of fire and wields a fiery spear, attacking with scorching fire and lava; it is a passionate spirit with a burning heart
– Wind: Jinn – A spirit of that possesses the power of wind and can control the wind, clouds, and thunder; its large ears can hear messages carried by the wind
– Moon: Luna – A spirit that has the power to cast a mysterious light and lead peoples’ hearts astray; it is surrounded by four feather-esque wings covered in light
– Wood: Dryad – A spirit that rules over the trees and wields strong mana power; she has lushly green, leaf-like hair
– Light: Wisp – A spirit with the power to cast away evil with its dazzling light; it has deep, theoretical knowledge of light
– Shadow: Shade – A spirit that possesses the power of darkness, which can manipulate shadows and swallow up everything; it has large, black wings and a giant eyeball

Classes

– Another way to strengthen your characters besides leveling up is switching classes
– New classes allow the characters to learn new class strikes and magic spells
– When changing class, you can pick either the “Light” or “Dark” path depending on how you want to develop the character’s abilities
– The Light and Dark classes are proficient in different abilities and attacks
– With a Light class, Duran can learn healing magic and equip a shield, making him a balanced fighter
– With a Dark class, Duran gains lots of attack power and can be unstoppably strong if properly buffed

Duran

– Duran is a proud young soldier from Valsena, Kingdom of the Plains
– Though he comes across as hot-headed and ready for a fight, the whole kingdom acknowledges his skill with a blade
– Duran has nothing but love for his kingdom and respect for the Hero King, a good friend of his departed father, Loki the Golden Knight
– Class 01 – Warrior
– Class 02 – Light: Knight: protector class; knights are proficient at both attack and defense; can use shields, weapons, and healing magic to defend their allies
– Class 02 – Dark: Gladiator: class with high attack; can’t use shields, but possess great power; they can use fire, water, earth, and wind saber magic to deal lots of damage to their foes
– Class 03 – Light: Liege: balanced fighting class with good attack and defense; can also use healing magic to protect their allies and increase the party’s survival rate
– Class 03 – Light: Paladin: stamina-based, defensive class; can learn saber magic to imbue their allies’ attacks with the light element; good for support
– Class 03 – Dark: Duelist: one of the most powerful fighting classes, Duelists learn dark saber magic in addition to having a high attack stat
– Class 03 – Dark: Edelfrei: great at attacking and can learn earth, water, fire, and wind saber magic; excel at fighting techniques, able to strike at enemy weaknesses

Angela

– Angela is the only daughter of the True Queen of Altena, the snow-covered kingdom of magicians
– Because Angela’s mother hardly spent any time with her as a child, the princess was prone to act out to get attention, wearing gaudy clothes and playing pranks on people in the castle
– Despite this, her love for her mother runs deep
– Angela never got the hang of casting magic spells, a problem that plagues her to this day
– Class 01 – Magician
– Class 02 – Light: Sorceress: class with a variety of spells; can use different types of elemental magic to attack their enemy’s weakness; can also take a hit with their high endurance
– Class 02 – Dark: Mysticist: hard-hitting magic class; deal a lot of damage thanks to their high intellect stat; proficient with dark spells and good at saving MP
– Class 03 – Light: Archmage: can use the elemental powers at their disposal for a variety of powerful attacks; know a powerful non-elemental spell called “Glitter Dust”
– Class 03 – Light: Grand Diviner: can cast a powerful “Doppelganger” spell to split themselves and attack; can cause lots of damage to enemies
– Class 03 – Dark: Magus: hard hitting class; an cause massive damage with their wide array of magic attacks; one of their most potent attacks is “Ancient Curse”
– Class 03 – Dark: Rune Seer: can cause status effects to petrify, freeze, or change their enemies in battle; know powerful magic that can destroy an enemy instantly

Kevin

– Kevin is heir to the throne of Ferolia
– His father is the king of the beastmen, but his missing mother was a human woman
– Kevin’s father raised him to be a fighting machine, which affected his social skills
– He is unused to conversing with humans, which can make him hard to understand at times
– The ice around the young boy’s heart only began to melt after making friends with Karl the wolf pup
– Class 01 – Grappler
– Class 02 – Light: Monk: balanced warrior class; good at both healing magic and fighting, Monks can support both themselves and their allies during battle
– Class 02 – Dark: Brawler: class that relies on brute strength; they do a lot of damage and are good with many weapons when they go forth in battle
– Class 03 – Light: Divine Fist: can use their class strikes in quick succession to do lots of damage;can also learn magic spells for recovery and more
– Class 03 – Light: Warrior Monk: can absorb MP from enemies when they attack; also learn wood saber magic; have high attack, defense, and healing powers for a balanced warrior class
– Class 03 – Dark: Fatal Fist: powerhouse warrior class; unbeatable attack class;can use their class strike “Seiryu Strike” and cause lots of damage in the area of effect
– Class 03 – Dark: Enlightened: can boost their own HP by stealing that of their enemies; perfect as a front line fighter with their high attack power and moon saber magic

Charlotte

– Granddaughter of Wendel’s Priest of Light
– She looks much younger than she is thanks to the elfin blood in her veins
– Perhaps because of this, she has always been coddled by the people who raised her in the temple
– Charlotte’s bright and outgoing personality can be both an asset and a hindrance
– Though curious, she’s superstitious and a bit of a scaredy-cat
– Class 01 – Cleric
– Class 02 – Light: Priestess: supportive healing class; have a high spirit stat that increases their healing powers; can use fire, water, earth, and wind saber magic to help their allies with more than just recovery magic
– Class 02 – Dark: Enchantress: class for a fighting healer; In addition to healing, Enchantresses can learn attack magic; they can weaken their enemies before taking them down
– Class 03: – Light: High Cleric: super support class; can learn many kinds of healing and recovery magic to save their allies
– Class 03: – Light: Sage: strong support class that can get rid of status effects and use saber magic on the whole party
– Class 03: – Dark: Necromancer: balanced class; know powerful summoning magic for undead monsters; can learn “Dark Curse” to lower an enemy’s stats
– Class 03: – Dark: Warlock: class that is good at weakening magic, Warlocks can also attack their enemies with the strong “Fetid Breath” spell

Hawkeye

– Hawkeye hails from the desert fortress of Nevarl, home to a guild of noble thieves
– He was raised as the orphaned ward of Flamekhan, the leader, together with Flamekhan’s own children, Eagle and Jessica
– Hawkeye comes across as a laid-back and charming young man, making it hard to tell when he’s being serious
– At his core, Hawkeye is a fiercely loyal friend
– Nothing gets past his honed senses and quick wit
– Class 01 – Thief
– Class 02 – Light: Ranger: cunningly versatile class; can use magic that causes status effects, as well as attack enemies with traps; befuddle their foes with tricky moves
– Class 02 – Dark: Ninja: technique-based, debuffing class. Ninjas use ninja moves and other special attacks that hinder their enemies. They excel at weakening their foes.
– Class 03 – Light: Nomad: can learn a wide variety of support magic to help their party come out on top in battle
– Class 03 – Light: Rogue: can learn powerful trap attacks; specialties are versatile, meaning they can attack enemies at any range
– Class 03 – Dark: Ninja Master: have advanced ninja moves; can cause damage in an area to turn the tide of battle
– Class 03 – Dark: Nightblade: can learn “Weapon Smack,” as well as “Needle Shower” that can silence enemies and nullify their attacks; their brilliant attacks can blow away the enemy

Riesz

– Young princess of the mountainous kingdom of Laurent and captain of the renowned Amazon guard
– She has a will of iron and down-to-earth manner
– Though some might call her stubborn, Riesz is always there to lend a hand to those who need it
– She lost her mother as a child and since then has tried to help raise her little brother Elliot
– Her topmost priorities are her father, brother, and kingdom
– Class 01 – Amazon
– Class 02 – Light: Valkyrie: strengthening support class; can boost all stats to help their allies; they help cover the party’s weaknesses by bolstering their strengths
– Class 02 – Dark: Rune Maiden: debuffing support class; can weaken an enemy and make it easier for the party to win
– Class 03 – Light: Vanadis: support class with great stamina; Vanadis are a solid presence in the party; can learn the summoning spell “Freya”
– Class 03 – Light: Starlancer: balanced class that can support the party by strengthening them in battle; can learn magic to boost stats and have their own fair share of stamina
– Class 03 – Dark: Dragon Master: can learn to decrease an enemy’s stats and summon “Jormungandr” to deal lots of damage and sometimes poison their opponent
– Class 03 – Dark: Fenrir Knight: Fenrir Knights can impede enemies by decreasing their stats; can lead their party to victory.

Crimson Wizard

– A talented magician with untold dark power
– As the True Queen’s right-hand man, the Crimson Wizard orders the forces of Altena, the Kingdom of Magicians, to attack Valsena
– He seeks to release the energy of the Mana Stones for an unknown, wicked purpose

Goremand

– A demonic devourer of human souls
– Goremand dresses in a jester’s tunic and wields a twisted scythe
– He may seem playful, but he is no fool
– After unexpectedly appearing in Kevin’s home, the kingdom of Ferolia, Goremand gains favor with the king and pushes the beastmen to invade Wendel

Belladonna

– Faithful servant of his Dark Majesty
– Belladonna’s monstrous beauty and enticing countenance bewitched Flamekhan, the leader of the Nevarlan thieves’ guild
– With the forces of Nevarl at her command, Belladonna sets out to claim Riesz’s homeland of Laurent for the sake of her dark kingdom

New Feature: Prologue Play

– When one of the heroes meets a new friend, you can play the prologue for the character you just meet and retrace their past
– It is a system designed to more deeply convey each character’s resolve for going on their journey
– Prologue experiences are optional, meaning they can be skipped if you prefer not to play it
– If you choose not to experience a character’s prologue, you can watch the prologue movie for the character you met

Map Mechanics

– There are various challenges to overcome in dungeons and on the field
– If you are unable to successfully solve these, you will not be able to move forward
– Moving across locations where fire erupts and lava flows can deal damage to your party
– The improved graphics of the remake makes these sorts of field mechanics easier to notice