Mothergamer Plays Ghost Of A Tale

 A friend recommended Ghost Of A Tale to me so I decided to pick it up and try it out. Right from the start I fell in love with the charming character of the little bard mouse Tilo who wakes up in a jail cell. Tilo is set free by a mysterious stranger called S and needs to find out where his wife was taken and how to escape the island outpost he's on. This gives a good introduction into the gameplay and information about the garrison run by rats and a council known as Redpaw. Mice are treated as second class citizens and rats have all the power. This is the medieval fantasy setting for Ghost Of A Tale as you learn about Tilo and the world he lives in.

Tilo the bard. 

The way for Tilo to get around the prison is to not be seen. The game is all stealth which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there were points of frustration for me if I mistimed Tilo's movements and he got seen by one of the rat guards. The only choice Tilo has if he's seen is to run away and hide because all the enemies have a line of sight mechanic so when Tilo would hide in a basket or a closet, they could no longer see him and would walk away. I learned to count how many seconds I had before a guard saw me and when to dash into a hiding spot. The game does give Tilo some tools to help in his journey such as wine bottles which can be used to knock a guard out to steal his keys or sticks that Tilo can throw into the distance making a guard investigate the noise so he can dash quickly behind them. There were moments where I wished Tilo could at least have a sword to fight, but as I played more and more of the game, I realized that this is not who Tilo is and that this was the reason for all the stealth. 

Tilo hiding in a basket. Stealth achieved!

As the story progressed I learned more about Tilo, his life, and the lore for Ghost Of A Tale. I enjoyed that part a lot because it had some interesting insights about the history of that world and gave explanations about how Tilo became a bard. There are even moments where Tilo has to choose a song to sing for certain characters he meets. Exploring the different areas was enjoyable because the environments are beautifully done. My favorite area to explore was the nearby woods because it was so pretty and peaceful. The transition from day to night in the game is impressive because when it is nighttime, it is so dark that you definitely need a lantern so you can see. 

There were a lot of fetch quests in the game, but sometimes there's a lack of clarity as the game would tell me to just get a key for a door, but not really tell me which person had the key so I would have to backtrack all over and try to figure out which NPC had the key. These kind of quests could feel like a chore and detracted from the fun of the game for me. I found myself hoarding items because I never knew if they were going to be needed for a quest, so I figured it was better to just keep everything and be prepared. 

One thing I loved was the costume disguises. Once I was able to steal some Redpaw armor, it made it so much easier for Tilo to get around. Sure he looked silly and adorable as the smallest Redpaw guard, but no one chased him and the guards even called him by his fake name. It was amusing to me how they had no clue the little bard was in front of them and I was able to go places I couldn't before.

Tilo is a Redpaw guard now. 

There are some quests that require different disguises and in order for Tilo to have the complete set, I had to explore the island and look in different spots to find each piece. One thing that helped with this was the blacksmith who for a certain amount of florins would mark the items on Tilo's map. There were a variety of characters that Tilo interacted with that were funny, serious, and all of them had really good back stories. There were notes that helped with the outfits too, telling you what was needed for each set. My favorite costume by far was the Captain Otto Powderkeg pirate outfit because I had a good time with that quest and Tilo as a pirate mouse was the cutest thing ever. 

Tilo as Captain Otto Powderkeg.

I never got tired of playing Ghost Of A Tale in spite of a couple of the issues I had with the tedium of some quests and not always knowing where to go on the map. A big part of it for me was the great writing. Each character always had something different to say and it added a new layer to the story. I wanted to know more about characters like the blacksmith Rolo and the two mice who were thieves just hanging out in their jail cell after they picked the lock waiting for something. I especially loved Tilo. The more I learned about his story and how he came to be on that island, the more I wanted to keep playing the game and see where his journey took him. That's what made Ghost Of A Tale a good game for me, the incredible amount of charm it had with the characters and the story itself. I hope we get to see more of Tilo, because I had a great time experiencing his adventure. 

Tilo says see you at the next adventure!

*Ghost Of A Tale is available to play on the following platforms: Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

*Join our community on twitch as we enjoy games and talk about mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

Mothergamer Plays Tokyo Xanadu Ex+

 I had never played the first Tokyo Xanadu so I picked up Tokyo Xanadu Ex+ which is an enhanced version of the game. I looked up what was different from the original and they are: New difficulty, new items, two new playable characters, new content in the main story, and a new after story chapter with a challenging boss. The game is set in an alternate reality where a huge earthquake hit Tokyo in 2005 that took ten years to recover from. So when we start the story it is 2015 and we are introduced to the main character, Kou Tokisaka who lives in Morimiya on the outskirts of Tokyo. Kou lives alone and has a lot of part time jobs. One night after work, Kou sees his classmate Asuka being harassed by a group of boys and tries to intervene. This does not go well for him because he is sucked into a vortex that brings him to a nightmare realm known as Eclipse. Kou runs into Asuka there and they have to fight a monster known as a Greed. Asuka explains that she is a member of a group called Nemesis that is trying to close the Eclipse vortexes permanently. 

Kou and Asuka fight a Greed.

This gives a good introduction into how the battle system works. The tutorial is fairly straightforward explaining that different Greeds have elemental weaknesses and the weapon that each party member has a set element. Characters are able to summon their weapons in the Eclipse from their mobile phone called a Xiphone. Kou's weapon is a combination of sword and whip with the fire element while Asuka's weapon is a rapier and her element is ice. Combat is a lot of fun and you can have three members in your party which means you can switch between the character according to the element you need to fight the different Greeds. The user menu is easy to navigate so you can set up abilities as well as use items for healing or enhancing attacks. 

Explanation of elemental weaknesses.

When not exploring Eclipse dungeons, Kou is a regular high school student and this is where a bit of a Persona element kicks in. The story is set into episodic chapters. Each chapter begins with an introduction with the main story goal that Kou and his friends are supposed to do. Then Kou has free time which allows him to wander the city, talk with people, spend time with his friends to increase his affinity with them, do some side quests, or work at one of his many part time jobs. The game makes it easy to travel just by opening the map and picking the location where you want to go. There is a lot of back and forth in some of the quests and story, but having the fast travel option makes things easier. 

Click on the map and fast travel. 

Each dungeon is fairly linear and has a set elemental theme so it's a good idea to plan your party of three really well for this. One character is active, but you can switch between characters with the press of a button and this is a big part of the strategy in combat so that you can win each battle until the Eclipse dungeon is complete. The game is not too punishing with the battles and gives you the time to adapt and switch things up. The action in the game is a lot of fun and the game allows you to experiment a bit with different tactics for the boss battles. 

Kou explores a dark element Eclipse dungeon. 

The music for the game is great and matches each area very well. The story itself is good and I found myself wanting to keep playing to see what happened next. There are also mini games such as a cooking mini game, an arcade mini game, and a skateboarding mini game. These were a lot of fun and rewarded you with items and accessories for your party members. Tokyo Xanadu Ex+ has a lot of charm because of the story and the characters themselves. It's very easy to dive in and enjoy the game because of the solid gameplay, story, and overall atmosphere. 

A good game overall. 

*Tokyo Xanadu Ex+ is available to play on the following platforms: Playstation 4, PC

*Join our community on twitch as we play games and talk about mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer 

Spiritfarer A Beautiful Journey

 I was intrigued by the concept of Spiritfarer when it was described as a cozy time management game about death. The story introduces Stella with her cat Daffodil who is taking over the job of Spiritfarer from Charon. This means Stella is the new ferrymaster and her job is find spirits and fulfill their last wishes before taking them to the Everdoor, a gate to the afterlife. 

Stella and Daffodil meet Charon. 

Spiritfarer is clearly inspired by the mythology surrounding Charon and the river Styx. Charon's explanation is that he's retiring and it will be up to Stella and Daffodil to sail the sea exploring each island looking for spirits and helping them on their journey to the Everdoor. This begins Stella's journey as a Spiritfarer. One of the first spirits she meets is Gwen who acts as a guide for the tutorial of how to do things on her ship such as building things like a guest room, crafting materials for the ship, or cooking food for spirits. I love Gwen. She is one of my favorite characters in the game because of her fierce sass and quick wit as well as her genuine love and respect for Stella. Gwen's epic take down of a merchant raccoon named Theodore who is clearly trying to rip off Stella is hilarious and the small nod to Tom Nook in Animal Crossing makes it even funnier.

Gwen shows the raccoon who's boss. 

Each spirit that Stella meets has their own unique personality and story about who they were and who they are. They also teach Stella different things like growing crops in a garden and playing beautiful music to make the plants grow faster. Each spirit will also give Stella hints on what kind of food they like and you can click on the character to check their stats. This shows you if a spirit is hungry, their current mood, and what their favorite foods are. I loved the cooking in the game. It was nice creating different recipes, giving the spirits their favorite dish, and seeing how happy it made them. 

Of course as Stella picked up more spirits on each island, they began requesting things such as their own room and workshops. This is where upgrading the ship and building come in. This introduces a shark that loves silly puns and the ship building yard. There are certain materials that need to be crafted, ores to be mined, and certain items to be found in order to get these upgrades. You will also need glims which is Spiritfarer's currency to upgrade the ship. 

Purchasing upgrades for the ship. 

I enjoyed exploring the islands and the areas on the sea. The world of Spiritfarer is beautiful and charming. Each island has its own style and a variety of things that make it stand out. One island had sheep that Stella can put on her ship and she can shear the sheep in order to make wool thread. There are of course ingredients on some of the islands too such as strawberries which Stella can use for cooking. There is fishing that can be done too and I liked having Stella sit down on her ship and catch fish after fish while traveling all over the sea. 

Stella enjoys some fishing. 

There are mini games in Spiritfarer as well that are so much fun. These mini games give Stella materials needed for the crafting in the game. Stella has various abilities that help make it easier to accomplish. Standing outside a storm to catch lightning in a bottle or running around in a meteor shower to get comet rocks add to the whimsical beauty of this game. 

Running around in a meteor shower. 

As the ship gets bigger and as more buildings are added, you can move everything around with the build command. It plays like a game of Tetris moving each building around and stacking them on top of each other. It adds to the happiness of the spirits as well depending on where you put the buildings as well as adding the crafting rooms they ask for such as a lumber mill or a loom. 

Moving buildings around on the ship. 

Exploring the world of Spiritfarer is wonderful because of how detailed each area is with the artwork. The music in Spiritfarer is pretty and fitting for the various places Stella visits. The map is detailed and you can fast travel via a bus stop managed by a cute magical seal named Alex. I preferred sailing because you can find a lot of interesting things and new locations that way, but the fast travel option was convenient when I wanted to get where I was going quickly. 

Checking the map. 

With all of these wonderful things in the game, it's easy to forget that Spiritfarer is about death. We are reminded of it with each conversation that Stella has with the spirits on her ship. Stella doesn't talk so the spirits talk to her constantly and we get to hear their perspective about decisions they made in their lives as well as their hopes and fears. Each spirit is connected to Stella in some way and I appreciated the thoughtfulness that was put into the story of each one. There was one spirit character that reminded me so much of my grandmother it brought a smile to my face remembering her. 

Spiritfarer does such an amazing job of talking about death in a gentle manner showing that while it's understandable to be scared, that it doesn't have to be scary. For one spirit it's about accepting that their life may not have been perfect, but they did everything they wanted to do or for another finding love and peace after a difficult time. Stella is their guide through all of it, being a kind and caring presence during their time with her. I cried many times during Spiritfarer because I genuinely appreciated the beautiful journey that was shown in the story and getting to know the characters. While it is never easy to say goodbye, the lesson that people live on in our hearts and memories is a good one for each of us to learn. I appreciate the love, thought, and mindfulness that went into this game and it was clearly a labor of love for everyone at Thunder Lotus games. Spiritfarer is a true gem of a game. 

Stella says goodbye. 

*Spiritfarer is available to play on all platforms: Windows, Playstation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo   Switch

*Come join our community on twitch as we enjoy games and talk about mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

The Adventures Of Pirotess: Celebrating Moonfire Faire 2020

 The events in Final Fantasy XIV are always a lot of fun. This year the Moonfire Faire was back celebrating all things Summer. In order to start the quest, your character should be at least level 30 on a melee or mage class. Travel to Limsa Lominsa, Upper Decks and talk to the NPC Mayaru Moyaru to start the A Fish Too Far Quest which sends you to Costa del Sol. 

Pirotess starts the first Moonfire Quest. 

All you have to do is follow the quest markers and talk to the various NPCs. This leads you to the quest Flame On which has you doing a FATE for the event. The FATE is pretty easy to do. You just need to use the two dance moves to strengthen and heal the Bomb as you face off against a giant shark enemy. Once you defeat the enemy you are rewarded with a new emote, the Flame dance and 15 faire vouchers. 

Pirotess and adventurers fighting the giant shark.

The vouchers can be traded for items at the Moonfire Faire vendor in Costa del Sol. The items range from clothing items, to items for decorating your house. Since the FATE is repeatable, you can do it multiple times until you have enough vouchers for everything. 

All the items you can get from the vendor. 

The Moonfire Faire is always a good time with your friends and a nice break from adventuring. The rewards are good offering a new outfit each year, some furniture, and some pretty spiffy fireworks too. If you haven't done the event yet, you still have time since it runs until August 26. Get out there and have some fun! Thanks for reading, see you at the next adventure! 

See you at the next adventure! 

*Final Fantasy XIV is available to play on the following platforms: PC and Playstation 4

*Join our community on twitch as we enjoy games and talk about mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

Ghost Of Tsushima, A Beautiful Samurai Adventure

 *Note: Some spoilers are in this review. 

I had been waiting for Ghost Of Tsushima's arrival because it looked interesting and the game looked beautiful from the trailers shown. I started playing as soon as I got my copy and right from the start I was blown away. The game accessibility is easy to set up. You can adjust the game settings to the difficulty that works for you. For me, I go with the easy setting when first playing a game so I can enjoy the story and have an easier time with the controls due to arthritis in my hands. There is a subtitle backdrop meaning you can add a color background to subtitles so they are easier to read. The game gives you a nice quick overview of the game controls in the menu and you can do a quick save of the game there as well.

Setting up the game before playing is easy. 

 The game setting is the 1274 Mongol invasion of Japan. There is a beautiful opening showing all the Mongol ships on the sea and it is quite an impressive sight, with incredible detail. 

The Mongol ships appear. 

There is a moment with all the samurai and the Mongols which introduces us to the main character Jin Sakai and his uncle Lord Shimura. It seems that there is going to be a great battle, but the Mongols don't fight like the samurai making them unpredictable which leads to the slaughter of the entire samurai army, Shimura being captured by their leader Kotun Khan, and Jin left for dead. This is where Ghost Of Tsushima really starts the game with Jin having to navigate the battlefield while being severely wounded. It also gives you a tutorial going over the combat mechanics of the game. 

Jin fights his way through the battlefield. 

Of course, Jin doesn't die. This is where he meets a thief named Yuna who rescued him from the battlefield and healed his wounds while hiding from the Mongol invasion. She has a brief conversation with Jin stating she believes he can help her. Right from the start, I liked Yuna. She was smart, brave, and a fierce warrior. She agrees to help Jin and asks that he help save her brother Taka who was taken prisoner. Jin agrees to help her brother after he rescues his uncle. 

Jin soon realizes he can not fight the Mongols alone or with the traditional samurai tactics. This is where his journey truly begins as he travels the island looking for allies and learning new fighting techniques and learns the way of the ghost. Through all of it, you see the conflict Jin feels with not following the samurai ways and there are some beautifully emotional flashback scenes with Jin when he was a child and his uncle talking about what it means to be a samurai. These moments show really well the close relationship Jin has with his uncle and how Shimura was a father figure to Jin and gives a better understanding of why Jin is disheartened by what he feels he must do and does not want to disappoint his uncle. 

Shimura and Jin have a conversation. 

Ghost Of Tsushima is an open world game and the world is beautiful. As Jin goes on his adventure there are tons of side quests to do alongside the main quest. This includes side stories for some of Jin's allies known as Tales. There are also legendary tales that give Jin elite weapons and armor. I loved doing these because they added to an already beautiful game and I liked getting to know Jin's friends especially characters like Yuna and Masako because these weren't just women who were there. These were two incredibly fierce warriors who were survivors, intelligent, and equals to Jin. The combat in the game is fantastic. Ranging from cinematic duels to stealth to full melee, the game keeps you on your toes. Switching to different stances gives an edge over certain types of fighters. For example Water Stance is effective against shieldmen and when you do heavy attacks in this stance, you can stagger them and unleash your fury. As Jin levels up he gets points that can be used to unlock more paths in these stances. You can also use these points to unlock more abilities and tools for stealth in the ghost path. 

Combat in the game is a lot of fun. 

There are different armor sets that Jin can wear as well and each armor set gives Jin different abilities such as better aim with an archer's outfit or better melee abilities with a certain type of samurai armor. There is even a set of armor that makes it easier for Jin to navigate the map following the wind. Ghost Of Tsushima also has a photo mode which is a feature I absolutely love. The open world of the island is gorgeous and there is always a reason to stop and admire the area. Just exploring was a good time for me because I would find myself stopping and wanting to take a picture with photo mode because it was so pretty. Being able to take in these amazing views and take photos while doing it was such a smart choice because it added something special to exploring. There is also a very cool setting called Kurosawa mode which allows you to play the game in black and white looking like a Kurosawa film.

A beautiful image taken with photo mode. 

Besides side quests, there are also extras you can find such as hot springs which increase your health, areas where you can sit and write a haiku, or bamboo strikes where you can practice your katana skills and increase your resolve which can be used for special power attacks or to heal your health. There is another extra activity you can do which is my favorite thing in the entire game and that is following foxes to an Inari shrine where you can honor the shrine. Why is it my favorite you ask? Well, one I love foxes. Secondly, in some of the shrine areas after you honor the shrine you can pat the fox. That's right. Ghost Of Tsushima lets you pat a fox and I made it my mission to find every single Inari shrine in the game just so I could pat as many foxes as possible. As you can see from this clip from one of my streams, patting foxes was the best thing ever for me. 

Pat the foxes!

The main story and side stories in Ghost Of Tsushima are well done because they intertwine together beautifully and add more depth to each of the characters. The game is not necessarily historically accurate something that Sucker Punch has said in many interviews. It is set in that time period, but it is clear that they did a lot of research on how the various weapons and samurai armor should look and were very respectful of the culture even creating original fictional characters. In a few scenes it was obvious to me where they had been inspired by the films Seven Samurai and Yojimbo and I loved it. It brought up happy memories of watching those movies with my grandparents and getting to go see those films at the AFI Silver Theater when they had a Kurosawa film festival. I grew up watching Kurosawa films and I love them still. Playing Ghost Of Tsushima reminded me of those times and I felt such joy playing this beautiful game because of those various scenes and moments. 

Jin enjoys a peaceful nap with his horse. 

Ghost Of Tsushima is an absolute gem. The overall story is beautifully told and I loved the fact that the side stories meshed well with the main story. I enjoyed the game so much, I wanted to keep playing and exploring. I did absolutely everything in the game because it was such fun for me to play. The character development is incredible and I found myself truly loving all of them, not just Jin. There were some emotional moments between characters that had me moved to tears which shows just how much thought went into every aspect of the game right down to the tiniest detail. For me, Ghost Of Tsushima was a flawless game and an amazing beautiful samurai adventure. 

What a view! 

*Ghost Of Tsushima is available to play on the following platforms: Playstation 4

*Join our community as we talk about mental health and enjoy a variety of games: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

Mothergamer Plays Detroit: Become Human

I had gotten Detroit: Become Human for free, but never got around to playing it until recently. I had played Beyond Two Souls so had an idea of what to expect with the gameplay. The introduction to the story was interesting because it shows several different android characters that are part of the story, the first being Connor who is a police investigator android, working with a human detective, Hank Anderson who hates androids. They work together to try and figure out why there is an outbreak of deviants, androids who are breaking their programming. Detroit is a slow burn because it is about the story as it switches between the android characters of Connor, Markus, and Kara.

Kara looks out the window. 

There are different scenarios for each character and you have a short time to make a decision for each path of said characters, some of them life or death decisions. It also decides what kind of person each individual will be, based on their choices. The overall idea is the same for each, exploring what it means for these androids to be human and there are several different paths they can take to figure that out. 

Markus is introduced.

The thing is for me personally, I really liked the story path for Markus to a degree. It seems to never bring up Markus's blackness as he leads the revolution demanding equality for androids. Maybe they thought it didn't matter, but it does considering the years of systematic oppression and racism black people have faced, important issues that are shown in Markus's story. It feels ignorant and does a disservice to black culture and history. While I am aware that Detroit: Become Human is a couple of years old, in the wake of Black Lives Matter and the constant issues that black people and people of color face every day, the flaws in this story chapter stand out. There was a moment in the game early in his story that I liked where there was a discussion about art with the man he is a caretaker for and Markus gets to create some beautiful art himself based on the choices picked in his path. It was a simple, beautiful moment exploring what it is to be human and figuring out ones individuality. 

Markus discusses art. 

I admit Kara's story frustrated me a great deal because she is the only female character and the way they just seem to gloss over the fact that she and the child she cares for are victims of domestic abuse is quite troubling to me. In some regards Kara's story path feels rather short and it's disappointing because I liked Kara and her love for the little girl Alice as she did everything in her power to protect her. I felt like the story for Kara should have been stronger, but I did like her and I appreciated what the story was trying to do. Throughout all of these paths, Connor is the one constant because he's working with Anderson to solve this case and there are some areas where he goes that are very pretty and detailed like the garden where he reports his progress to his boss. 

Connor in the garden. 

I love Clancy Brown and I thought he did a good job in the role of Anderson. The interaction between Anderson and Connor as they work together offer some thought provoking conversations about decisions Connor has made and what makes a person human. There is also a great scene where Anderson finally reveals why he hates androids and if certain choices are made Connor and Anderson can eventually become friends. There are a variety of paths you can take based on the decisions you make in the game, but you only have a split second to decide. This is where quick time events come in and frankly I do not like quick time events because sometimes I would mess up and pick the wrong thing and then have to reload my last save and start over. Don't get me wrong. I don't mind quick time events in moderation, but there are so many quick time events in Become Human that it could get a little frustrating. 

Connor and Anderson working together. 

I feel that Connor's story works on many levels because the feelings of being other are handled in a thoughtful and subtle way and Connor's story felt the strongest because of how minimal his interaction with the other androids is. I just wish Markus and Kara had gotten that same thoughtfulness. This does not mean I did not like the game, because I did enjoy the overall story and I appreciated what they tried to do. I also found it interesting that you can replay through each chapter and make different choices which affect the ending for each character. Detroit: Become Human is a solid game, with some great voice acting and good characters. However, I do feel that the discussions about race and bigotry should have been handled better in a way. I am glad I played the game for myself to see what it was all about. 

Markus in the final chapter.

*Detroit: Become Human is available to play on the following platforms: Playstation 4, PC

*Join our community on twitch as we play games and discuss mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer

*Here are all the ways you can help Black Lives Matter: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

Mothergamer Plays Trials Of Mana

I had played the original Trials Of Mana long ago and I was looking forward to playing the remake. The first thing I noticed when I started the game is how crisp and pretty everything is. The music for the game is great as well and you can switch between the modern soundtrack or the original game soundtrack. When you start the game you have six main characters to choose from. You can choose a main character and then two companion characters. Each one has their own fighting style so it's a good idea to pick a balanced team based on what you want for your fighting style. There are many different combinations of teams to choose from and depending on who you choose for your team you will get different origin stories, villains, and relationships between the characters. This gives you a lot of great replay for the game so you can see all the different paths. I personally went with Hawkeye as my main character, then picked Riesz and Kevin as my companions to round out my party.

Hawkeye was my main character. 

Once I had my party chosen, I was ready to start the adventure. Hawkeye is on his own at first so you can see his origin story and get an introduction to the villain of the story. He meets the other two companions later and when this happens, they share their origin stories. You get to play as the companions, but you don't really get to keep the items that you find during those chapters. It's essentially just for the purpose of getting to know your companions.

Riesz shares her story. 

Combat in Trials Of Mana is a lot of fun. Instead of the top down of the original, the remake has everything fully 3D and you can see enemies on the map so that you can attack them and enter battle. You have light and heavy attacks which you can chain together leading you to build up enough attack points for special ability area attacks. There are magic spells too of course for healing and attacks as well as items that can be used for healing, upping your defense, or increasing your attacks. Battles are fun and level grinding doesn't feel like a chore at all. Boss battles are epic and make you plan out your strategy and tactics. Another nice thing during battles is that you can switch freely between the characters in your party so you can unleash their special abilities or heal everyone in a pinch. My only real complaint was with the camera. The camera doesn't follow you and you have to spin it around so you can see and sometimes this gives you some really weird angles. That is one thing I wish I didn't have to worry about while I'm in the middle of a hectic fight with a boss. Saving your game is pretty easy with angel statues in various areas of the map and the game has an autosave feature too. 

Saving the game at a statue. 

The maps in Trials Of Mana are fairly linear and there's really not too much exploration in the towns. It's pretty much the main story quest and not a lot of side quests which isn't too big a deal because the game itself is charming and I found myself invested in the main story. It's simple and feels like a fairy tale, but sometimes simple is what works and with Trials Of Mana it works quite well. At level 18 you can change your job class and then you can change it again at level 38. You have the option between a light and dark class. Depending on what you want for your character and party you can decide which one you want. Each class has its own unique skills and abilities and when you decide their armor changes as you upgrade. 

Choose between light or dark class. 

There is one fun little mini game throughout the game involving a creature called Li'l Cactus who is a little cactus with a flower on its head. The challenge is to find it in various areas on the map and every time you find it you receive a stamp proving that you found it. After a certain number of stamps you receive a reward such as extra items or discounts at the shops in town. I became obsessed with finding Li'l Cactus on every map because often it was in the last place you would think to look. It's weird, but I always felt excited every time I found this cute cactus and was having fun searching everywhere. 

Oh look! I found Li'l Cactus!

There's no fast travel in the game which can make traveling back and forth a bit tedious, but that changes once you get tools you can use for summoning various creatures to help you get around faster by sea or air. The story in Trials Of Mana is essentially the same as the original, just with updated gameplay and graphics. There is a new game plus which gives you all your abilities, points, and items. If you pick the same party that you started with you get some extra chapters with them and they're at their current levels, but if you pick an entirely new party all your items carry over. It adds to the replay factor and the game leaves it entirely up to you to decide. Trials Of Mana is a good game and it's fun to play because of it's JRPG charm and some smart choices on updating the game with a modern feel. It appeals to us older gamers who remember the first one and introduces the next generation of gamers to a new story that is interesting and a game that offers some solid gameplay. 

Flying around the world on a dragon. 

*Trials Of Mana is available to play on the following platforms: Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC

*Come join our community as we enjoy games and talk about mental health: https://www.twitch.tv/mothergamer