Legend of Mana is Back on Nintendo Switch, Ps4: Legend Of Mana Review

Legend of Mana is Back on Nintendo Switch also Ps4, Legend Of Mana Review.

Image: Nintendo

Set out on a trip to retrieve the mythical Mana Tree you saw in a dream, only to find that the globe map is blank! You'll collect rare artifacts along the way; place them wherever you like on the map to bring towns and dungeons to life and advance the plot. 

In the huge realm of Fa'Diel, meet a fascinating cast of characters, fight terrifying monsters, and accomplish quests. Not only has the music been remixed for this remaster, but the new and original soundtracks may now be switched between. Other additions include the ability to disable opponent encounters as well as the never-before-released mini-game "Ring Ring Land."

Legend Of Mana Review 

Though Legend of Mana isn't the most popular game in Square Enix's long-running franchise, it is undoubtedly one of the most unique. It was a very great-looking 2D game in an era when 3D, polygonal characters, and worlds were the norm. It was released in 1999/2000 for the original PlayStation and was an exceedingly nice-looking 2D game in an era when 3D, polygonal characters, and worlds were the norm. Legend of Mana: Remastered, which will be released this week for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC, only adds to the game's visual appeal. The upscaled resolution retains all of the original game's detail, the new 16:9 aspect ratio works nicely, and a few modern conveniences like a new Quick Save function are welcome additions. M2, the company behind this port, continues to dazzle with yet another outstanding release of an older, but perhaps less well-known classic game.

Don't get me wrong: I'm sure there are individuals who adore Legend of Mana, and if you're one of them, I recommend skipping my review and going ahead and pre-ordering the game when it comes out this week. Everyone else should read on a little longer before making a decision.

Image : Legend Of Mana

Whereas the previous Mana games were mainly straightforward action RPGs, Legend of Mana shakes up the format considerably. Yes, there are changes between, for example, Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana, but Legend of Mana tries to accomplish a lot of new things while also failing miserably at explaining practically everything to newcomers. While this port is a fantastic remaster, it isn't a remake, and it doesn't go to great lengths to accommodate modern gamers. As a result, unless you're prepared to follow a guide, which I highly encourage, it'll most likely be a frustrating experience at first.

Somewhere at outset of Legend of Mana, you can choose between a male or female protagonist, a starting weapon, and a large map on which to plot your starting location. You'll be handed an artifact after that, which will allow you to access additional regions to explore throughout the game. Each artifact represents a new territory, which can include minor dungeon areas or new settlements with NPCs, stores, and other amenities. That component of the game is rather simple to grasp, but when it comes to how you advance forward or upgrade your character and equipment, I believe Legend of Mana might do a better job overall. 

You'll spend much of your mission time touring lands and conversing with NPCs. Not all NPCs give missions, and there's no way of knowing which NPC will start a quest. Each quest is essentially its own mini-story, and it can be tough to figure out how everything is connected at first if it is connected at all. There are “main” quests and an overall ending in the game, but if you don't use a guide, you're more likely to miss them. On the other side, there isn't a shortage of material; there are a slew of extra missions and areas to explore, so if you want to see everything Legend of Mana has to offer, you'll be able to do so in a reasonable amount of time. 

Once you begin a quest, you will usually be sent in the direction of the land you must explore, but once there, you may find yourself wandering aimlessly for a while. Unless you're stuck in a big, repetitious location with several branching paths, this isn't a major issue. Because you won't be able to refer to a map in any particular area, you'll have to rely on your memorization or mapmaking skills to keep track of which exit leads were. You may also come across numerous puzzles, which can be difficult to figure out without the aid of a guide. 

Image: Legend of Mana

You'll encounter foes on the map as you explore various locations, which will result in battles. When in combat, you'll be able to freely manage your primary character, while the A.I. will control any party members (which are usually transitory). You'll be able to use both physical and magical attacks, as well as string together basic combos with both normal and power attacks. Combat is adequate, albeit a tad sluggish, and requires some minor acclimatization. Because your character is temporarily defenseless and frozen in place after finishing a combo string, you'll need to learn how to escape opposing counter-attacks and, more crucially, avoid being encircled by many adversaries. Most fights aren't difficult if you're not under-leveled for them, with boss bouts being the most difficult.

Despite a new option in the game to turn off encounters, combat is crucial to participate in. Crystals are obtained by defeating foes, and this is how you get experience to level up. However, using the same weapons or sub-moves like lunge or crouch will unlock other skills that are often more potent than the ones you started with. While the majority of the basic encounters in Legend of Mana are not particularly interesting, it is nevertheless worthwhile to engage in combat. 

Okay, while much of this review makes it sound like I'm critical of the game, I actually enjoy it quite a bit. I just think it's important to inform players who haven't played it before that this is a game that lacks many of the modern conveniences present in most RPGs nowadays. However, it is still a fun, well-designed environment to explore, complete with eccentric NPCs and a plethora of quests, as well as a variety of systems to engage with such as creature collection, weapon manufacturing, and more. 

So, while I can't recommend Legend of Mana to everyone, it's worth a look if you're prepared to put in the effort to learn the game's principles and don't mind a little aimless exploration. Alternatively, if you're like me and already knew what to anticipate, you can rest certain that Square Enix and M2 did an excellent job bringing Legend of Mana to life on modern hardware. 

H/S: Legend Of Mana Official