Trials of Mana (remake)

Trials of Mana, fully titled Seiken Densetsu 3: Trials of Mana and alternatively titled Trials of Mana 3D or Trials of Mana HD, is a 2020 remake of the 1995 game of the same name and the third game in the Mana series produced by Masaru Oyamada for Square Enix. Following on the surprise release and localization of the original title in 2017 and 2019, the 2020 edit is an enhanced remake that preserves and expands upon the story and lore of the original. Several gameplay mechanics have been completely overhauled or otherwise reworked for the transition to a 3D world, built from the ground up using Epic Games' Unreal Engine v4, adding full voice acting and detailed cutscenes to an already robust game. Developed by Square Enix with assistance from xeen, Inc., the game was first released for both PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in late April 2020, and then for iOS/iPadOS and Android in mid-July 2021.

Development and release
The Trials of Mana remake began to take shape almost as soon as it was announced in the same 2019 news conference that featured the Collection of Mana. The early spring presser set the release of the new anthology for June 11 of the same year. While it remains unclear exactly when the development process was started, an early demo had been circulating on the Internet for some time. A more refined demo version was released by Square Enix for various trade shows over the later spring and summer months; by that time, the company was projecting a release date of February 2020. But, instead of confirming the projected date, Square Enix released a statement in September 2019 that the remake would be pushed back to a final date of April 24, 2020 so that the team working on it could deliver a quality game. A full demo version—the same as was offered in the prior trade shows—was published to Steam, Sony and Nintendo digital stores in March of 2020, ironically as the COVID-19 pandemic began taking hold across the globe. However, events of the time did little to impact what was already being planned as a digital-first title. Players who pre-ordered the game would receive exclusive access to any of several system customizations as well as a DLC accessory designed to assist new players: the Rabite Adornment. The offer continued through May for other early adopters.

Unfortunately, the published demo also had a dangerous loophole for Steam users that also involved hacked copies of the full game, which in turn forced Square Enix to pull back the demo for several more weeks in order to correct said loophole. The issue has since been resolved.