Square Enix’s classic action-RPG remake Trials of Mana has been pretty well-received among critics, and much of that is due to the game’s combat, which can make the game a good challenge to beat. Apparently, though, many players didn’t find it challenging enough, because Square has announced that it’s adding a few new difficulty options in a new update set to come out on October 14.
The 1.1.0 update that the publisher revealed today will introduce a “Very Hard” difficulty option, as well as the game’s most formidable challenge yet: “No Future.” This New Game+ mode will make the game even tougher by adding a time limit to Trials of Mana's boss battles, preventing some abilities from being used in battle, and limiting item usage to three per battle. Worse still, the mode forces players who’ve already beaten the game to start from level 1 all over again.
It sounds like it will be quite the ordeal, but if players can somehow beat it, they’ll receive Rabite Slippers for their trouble. A pair of slippers might not sound like a fitting reward for beating the No Future mode, but then again, it will allow players to run around Trials of Mana’s world in rabbit-shaped footwear.
Alongside the new difficulty options, the new update will add to Trials of Mana's chain abilities with two new abilities, one that will grant 1 HP to party members who lose all their health, and an upgraded version that will fully restore all members’ health when a battle is won. The game will also receive quality-of-life improvements like being able to skip the game's class change cutscenes and end credits, as well as new Goddess statues to find on the map and a number of bug fixes.
Trials of Mana is available for PC, PS4, and Switch.
Source: Square Enix, NintendoSoup