Last updated on January 4th, 2026 at 10:48 pm
Trials of Mana – Roleplaying Game Review
Trials of Mana is a Roleplaying/Action game from SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd., first launched in 15th July 2021.
It’s rated 12+ and currently has 71+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes Trials of Mana Stand Out
“Trials of Mana,” the hit console game with over 1 million copies and downloads sold worldwide…is coming to a smartphone near you!
Fun for longtime fans of the Mana Series and new players alike!
◆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.
Weak from rebuilding the world, the Goddess changed into a tree and fell fast asleep for years. However, the forces of evil 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 to wither…
◆Playable Characters
Players start their adventure by selecting three of the six main characters. The overlapping story of interwoven destinies changes depending on who you choose as your main character and companions!
◆Graphics
See the spectacular world of Mana in full 3D render! Scenes and characters from the original game now in beautifully detailed graphics.
◆Battle System
Use the dynamic fighting system to evade enemies and fight back with aerial and combo attacks. Utilize the signature ring menus of the Mana Series and new shortcut commands.
◆Powering Up Characters
Switch to light or dark classes to strengthen your characters and change their look. In this remake, there’s also a newly added Class 4. With over 300 different kinds of abilities available, there are many different ways to train and power up your characters.
◆Difficulty
You have the option of four difficulty settings: Beginner, Easy, Normal, and Hard. The Beginner setting allows players to resume in the same spot no matter how many times they get a game over. If you find action games hard or want to focus on the story, select this difficulty.
◆Soundtrack
The 60-song soundtrack features arrangements overseen by the original composer, Hiroki Kikuta. Players can switch the BGM to the new version or the SNES version.
◆Voiceover
Full voiceover in English and Japanese! The characters in your party determine which extra conversations happen during your journey.
◆New Game Plus
After you beat the game once, you will unlock new storylines for your party members. You can unlock harder difficulties like Expert and the No Future after playing through the new storylines.
◆New Features
Included in the game is the option to play through flashbacks for each character in your party. You’ll also see a familiar Mana Series face when searching for Li’l Cactus during your adventures. Plus, there are additions like a new type of item seed and the autosave feature.
◆Smartphone-Specific
・Menus are touch-operated. Control characters with the directional pad overlay display.
・Newly added features like auto-target, auto-camera, and auto-battle.
・Graphic quality options available.
・Cloud save compatible.
・Can obtain the starting gear “Rabite Adornment,“ which increases the EXP gained in battle up to level 17 and “Silktail Adornment,” which increases the amount of lucre gained in battle up to level 17.
【App Download】
・This application is approximately 6.7GB in total. Please ensure you have the necessary storage space available on your device before purchasing.
・After starting the game, a large portion of data must be downloaded after defeating the first boss. You can also select “Download” on the title screen to download the entire app at once.
・A Wi-Fi connection is highly recommended when downloading the app.
【Players】
1
【Recommended Devices】
iPhone 7 and above
This Roleplaying game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, Trials of Mana is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 5th March 2025
Recent improvements include:
Support for game pads.
Now supports achievements.
Download & Availability
Trials of Mana is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Get Trials of Mana on App Store
Requirements: Requires iPhone 5s / iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
We bought this game a couple years ago just to have an action JRPG to play on the go. Ive been a fan of the Mana series since we were a teenager. Enjoyed it on our first play through with touch controls and thought it was OK. Playing it again using a game pad (Backbone One), and loving it. SE adding controller support made this even better.
Just throw money at the screen.
Add controller support. Unacceptable for a paid app.
This is a legit 10/10 game on iPhone. Id put it up there with final fantasy tactics as the most engaging, all around fun iOS game. Beautiful graphics, amazing sound, gorgeous landscapes, fun combat, voice acting. It really does have it all. The lack of a controller/backbone support is a huge bummer, but the people that downvoted so harshly are delusional. Its obvious that a ton of work went into this game and considering there are zero micro transactions, its ridiculously harsh to give it 3 stars. This is a borderline perfect game.
Finally a mobile game with beautiful graphics needs to be bundled with rest of mana games hoping for Dawn of Mana to be in mobile. But please support Sony backbone.
We will gladly increase the rating when this oversight has been fixed.
The controls are good Yeah we dont have a problem with it we dont see what everyones complaining about.
We had a great time playing this game, we dont use a controller so we ignore all those negative reviews and for the price we found this game to be fun and well worth the $. We also can see ourselves replaying it more than once because of the ability to change main character and support characters. Great game.
Im enjoying the the game so far! We can see how adding controller support will make this the best adventure/action rpg for iOS. Im used to playing with on-screen controllers (yeah, Im one of the few that doesnt mind) so we adjusted. We had second thoughts about it at first considering its price tag, but after trying it out we immediately immersed ourselves. We recommend playing this on an iPad or the larger iPhones, since the UI can take up lot of space. Also, adding controller support will easily make this a perfect the iOS port. Besides the voice acting, the game is phenomenal. If you prefer Japanese dubbed, theres an option to change it to that. This game for iOS has its flaws, but you can really tell the developer team did their best. 5/5.
The moveable ring for movement real helps during long hours of play.
We wanted this game for a while now and because Im a mobile gamer we thought Id see how close to the console version they would get. First thing we noticed is the music in this game is some of the best ive heard in a game period. The gameplay is simple enough to control without too much frustration even though we could fully maneuver with our right thumb pressing more than one button on accident. We got over it and Im glad we did. It plays very fluid, voice acting was bearable (Id rather have it then not) auto save is great, graphics ported well, leveling system paced well, large world to explore, new game plus lets you take all of your earnings in to a new game. We only knew that because it was so good with unique storylines we played through twice and for us that says alot (once we beat it we delete it) Overall its a very fun game that if you can get over the controls its worth it.
Is there anyway to unlock 60 framerate.
Im enjoying the game, love hows theres a NG+ mode. Only thing is that theres camera bugs that make the camera shake, especially in Beuca Island. There hasnt been an update in over a year, so dont expect these bugs to get fixed anytime soon. SquareEnix and their teams need to stop neglecting their AAA games, not worth paying $20. Unless you find it at discount for half off, then you may want to consider it. Youll definitely put a lot of hours into it if you dont mind the touch screen controls.
This game is really good, but like the title says, please add controller support.
We love everything about this game but it would be so nice if it had controller support for the backbone.
We seriously love this game and it runs great on mobile. However, it would be SO MUCH better if it had controller support. This game is a port of a console game after all. Please Square-Enix, add controller support for this game.
The game is really fun but you should add like updates as a new characters leaves and spells also you should add multiplayer ill give it a five star can you add sound like extra stuff like updates you characters multiplayer its a lot Like The consul version if you see this please add these updates.
Please add controller support aka MFI for this game. Everything else is amazing just that issue. Graphics and story are amazing and sound is spot on. Just please add MFI controller support to the game we rather play with our Xbox One controller.
They fix the loading issue dosnt take as long to load as before seem to be more stable to dont over heat as fast. This game needs controller support.
This is a great port. Please add full controller support.
The game itself is fine, not a lot of complaints there. Its fun and enjoyable. The main issue is the lack of controller support. Previously we would have only knocked this for one star but the landscape has changed. With Apple now pushing as a gaming platform, not having controller support is unacceptable.
This is a really fun game but you wouldnt be able to tell from this port because you can attack or turn but not both at once without a controller. This game was designed with controllers in mind but this port doesnt let you use one. Fun game worth grabbing outside of iOS though.
Have no clue why the game has no controller support tbh and the devs aint even update it thats insane.
Without controller support, you don't really get the console experience.
This would be a great port of a great game if only it supported gamepads like the Backbone One. If only Square would go the last 1%. The game is difficult to play with only onscreen controls.
For the amount of reflexes required to beat Loki in No Future mode, controller support is absolutely the main reason most people dont pull it off. Timing multiple things by the millisecond is close to impossible with just a screen to tap on.
The game itself is great, but omitting controller support is just pointless. Would love to be able to use the Backbone controller with this.
Great game. Why on earth would you lack controller support.
This game is fun and the graphics on the iPhone 12 Pro are surprisingly good but it doesnt get 5 stars because the lack of controller support. There is literally no excuse not to add it these days. We will say the touch controls are alright.
We recently bought 5 Square-Enix games(3 of which are Mana) for our iPhone. What we cant make sense of is, 4 of those games are old titles and STILL compatible with a controller except this ONE crispy game that came out 2 years ago dude, come on we spent like $25 on this game(most expensive out of the 5 we bought). You just GOTTA update this.
We love the mana games and was very excited to get this on iOS but we cant understand why it does not have controller support.
First off. The voice acting is game breakingly bad. To the point where you rather skip the story to avoid closing out the app. There needs to be an option for text only. Whoever was in charge of the voice acting, must really hate their job. Second the combat is very clunky, its still possible to beat the harder difficulties and challenge fights with ease. However you need to be aware of your hand placement, depending on which version of the phone you have, if your hand is in anyway touching the screen, your command inputs will not register. Monster hunter freedom unite actually had the controls on point so, we know its possible to have a more sensitive and responsive touchscreen control setup. To where if your hand is touching one section of the screen, it wont lock out other commands. This copy pasta of the game was executed very poorly. We recommend just getting an emulated version of the game or downloading it for the consoles. Not worth the price tag for what you get. At most we would pay $5 for this game, the way its been put together for the IOS release, leaves much to be desired.
We were having fun but then we lost our progress. The save slot available took us back to the beginning. Not sure what happened.
Enable controller support via update, add the Control Settings to customize buttons and shortcuts (especially for the touch screen), and place Dash On/Off Modes on the touch screen. Add Hint display On/Off settings (Hint is annoying for pro players). Add Time of day display On/Off settings (Lumina Time 07:00 – 18:59, Shade Time 19:00 – 06:59). When time changes between Lumina and Shade, make the time cycle turn counterclockwise instead of clockwise (it's flowing backwards as it is). Plus, we just don't want to be surprised when time changes in caves/dungeons without warning. Character voices with gratitudes when healed/enhanced by another character. Play "Good Night Theme" while resting at the Inn (Main Character should sleep on the middle bed, Companion 1 on the left bed, and Companion 2 on the right bed). Play "Positive" with full music without stopping when defeating each and every boss, not just for Fullmetal Hugger and Grapplevine. Play "And Other" with full music without stopping when recruiting Faerie, Companion 2 and six elementals, not just for Companion 1, Lumina and Dryad. Add Jadd Stronghold castle map icon (above Jadd Stronghold town map icon) and Ghost Ship dungeon map icon to World Map Menu. Add a new feature to reorganize Move Ring Menu manually (regardless of shortcuts). And most importantly, please bring back Accelerate, Impediment, Beak Scale and Needlion Eye just for movement and attack speed (NOT Dexterity) in battle. The remake of this RPG just doesn't feel the same without them. Regardless of the impossible, please do this, it's not too late. Accelerate (wind magic) & Beak Scale (yellow scale item). Boosts ally's movement and attack speed (2x speed rate). Let Riesz learn Accelerate as a Valkyrie (9 SPRT Points), and Accelerate + as a Starlancer (21 SPRT Points). Make Needlebeak drop Beak Scale, and let the Night Market have Beak Scale in stock for 200 lucre. Ladeeb, Queeneeb and any wind bosses with Accelerate move. Random Buff and Soul Swallow abilities with Accelerate effect at random. Oracle ability with added Accelerate effect. Evil Sword's Gust with Accelerate effect. Impediment (earth magic) & Needlion Eye (magenta eye item). Decreases enemy's movement and attack speed (0.5x speed rate). Let Riesz learn Impediment as a Rune Maiden (9 SPRT Points), and Impediment + as a Fenrir Knight (21 SPRT Points). Make Needlion drop Needlion Eye. Hobgoblin, Gobfiend and any earth bosses with Impediment move. Random Debuff ability with Impediment effect at random. Dirt Diversion and Dark Curse moves, Shadow Eye item and Shadow Zed's Sneakspeak with added Impediment effect. Ghoul's Heal Hazard, Silkspitter's Spider Web and Needlion's Iron Needle with Impediment effect.
How does this have no gamepad support in 2023.
How does this have no gamepad support in 2022.
We will gladly increase the rating when this oversight has been fixed.
This is one of the best RPGs on the App Store, but no support for controllers is a huge omission that needs to be fixed. This game is difficult to play without game controller support.
We like the flow of battles very much. And the voice acting is good. It is a premium game and iOS should have more titles like this. We do hope more and more publishers will follow the lead. Thank you guys. We hope you can add controller support and iCloud sync so we can continue enjoying this game on our iPad while we are at home and on our phone while we are in commute. Would be also super awesome if you bump resolution of frames for M1 iPads.
Good game. Story keeps you going. Would like to have the ring right side to be able to customize the position. Currently fixed on middle right screen on a IPad Pro 12.9.
Really? The port of the game is good, great actually. Would be five stars otherwise.
Get it together Square. We played this on PC. Its a good game but again.. No controller support. Id refund this if we could. Runs great on the new M1 iPad Pro at least.
Was looking forward to having a new full fledge AAA rpg to play on our phone. Im running an iPhone 12 Pro Max and am only getting what looks to be less than 30fps and no controller support. Gotta give it a 3 star unfortunately. Great game just not a great port IMO.
No controller support, lengthy load times, and part of the screen is cut off during cutscenes. Definitely go for the console version if you can.
This game on Switch is 10 dollars more and has full controller support. No controller support = 2 stars. Come on Squenix, catch up to modern mobile gaming.
Seriously? Controller support is the number one must have feature. Automatic 3 star deduction. To release a game that was originally made for controllers, without controller support, is just ridiculous.
In this day and age to have controlling your character a complete nightmare makes you wonder if the developer even tried playing it. Even the auto cam is terribly slow and buggy. It might be a good game but got so frustrated trying to play we gave up quickly.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 1.0.4
- Size: 3,385.54 MB
- iOS: 13.0 or later
- Languages: EN, FR, DE, JA, KO, ZH, ES, ZH
- Content Advisory: Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References, Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence, Infrequent/Mild Profanity or Crude Humor, Infrequent/Mild Horror/Fear Themes
- Developer: [SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.]()
Last updated: 5th March 2025 | Genre: Roleplaying, Action | Developer: SQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.