2020-05-01_Official_PlayStation_Magazine_-_UK_Edition

038

TRIALS OF MANA

A JRPGthatsays‘we’reall in thistogether’

volunteerhertoconducttheritual,

a distressedAngelamanifestsher

first-evermagicalactbyteleporting

away.Almostallthehalf-dozen

protagonistsknowthepainofa

grown-uptheylookuptobeing

manipulatedby a dastardlyvillain.

Inthesnowyoutskirtsofthe

kingdom,Angiehasnothingbutthe

clobberingpotentialofhermagical

stafftoprotectherselffromenemies.

Switchingbetweenlightattackson

eandheavyorchargedattackson

w, webuildupenergyforherspecial

moveono+r.

Beforelong,ourgirlcrossespaths

withtheduty-boundcaptainofthe

Amazons,Riesz,plusthepint-sized,

half-elfprincessoverflowingwith

attitude,Charlotte.It turnsoutboth

Angela and Riesz are desperately

seeking the guidance of the Priest

Of Light, who just so happens to be

Charlotte’s grandfather. Talk about

a fated meeting!

You can play through the story

so far from the support characters’

perspective as a flashback chapter

(though none of the items or treasure

you find will carry over). In our

hands-on the pair join Angela as

AI-controlled companions, exploring

towns, beating back bosses, and saving

the world together. Girl power!

FORMATPS4/ETA 24 APR/PUBSQUAREENIX/DEVSQUAREENIX

FACTRICK

ProducerShinichiTatsuke

saystheremake’snew

camerasystemprevented

theinclusionofco-op.

1.ONE-MANBAND

You can swapbetweenthe

new soundtrackbyHiroki

Kikutaorenjoytheoriginal...

alsobyKikuta!

2.EARWORM

Series producerMasaru

Oyamada says,“Theunique

world and characters[have]

timelessappeal.”

3.FAMILIARFACES

Above Each character has

a special move. Angela’s

proves she doesn’t need

magic to beat baddies; her

allies’ are also spectacular.

“SIX YOUTHS

AFFECTED BY THE

PLIGHT OF THE LAND

COME TOGETHER.”

Choose one of the six

protagonists. Your two

support characters will

be controlled by AI.

Mana is fading from the world and

peace has ended. In a bid to seize

power, a band of Big Bads plot to

free the monstrous Benevodons

from their mana-stone prison. Six

youths are affected by the plight

of the land in different ways but come together to

reach a common goal. How will your story unfold?

You choose your main character, plus two support

characters, from the aforementioned roster of do-

gooders. Each has their own story but they double

up on villains. By the time you read this their

secrets will be well and truly out as a

demo chronicling the start of your heroes’

journey will be available to download. For

our hands-on though, we’re saying “Let’s

go, girls!” and are adventuring with only

the female protagonists.

GIRL’S TRIP

Our leading lady is Angela, a wilful princess

and heir to the throne of a kingdom that

prides itself on magical aptitude. Ironically

poor Angie cannot cast a single spell herself

and this strains her relationship with her

Mother, the ‘true Queen’. Things go from

bad to worse when the Crimson Wizard

rocks up with a plan to forcibly take other

kingdoms’ mana stones and use their

power. And matters come to a head when he not

only gets the Queen on board but it’s revealed that

the spell that harnesses the stones’ power kills the

caster. Upon hearing her mother intends to forcibly