The RTS genre has always been one of the strongest genres in video games. With a robust number of RTS games released in the past, today, there are more than a few classic RTS games that are still being played. One such game is the action RPG Legend of Mana. The original Legend of Mana was released back in 1999 for the original PlayStation. Since then, the game has had multiple ports, but none were able to replicate the original game.
When Legend of Mana was first released back in 1998, it was a breath of fresh air. The game was a stunning step forward for both the genre and artistry of video games. Fortunately for all of us, the game has been remastered and re-released recently on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and while the new release looks gorgeous, it’s obvious that the Xbox One version is the one you want.
Legend of Mana is a roleplaying video game developed and published by Square Enix. It was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 video game console, and Nintendo 3DS in 2017. The game takes place in the universe of Ivalice, a setting that also appears in other Square Enix games and Final Fantasy titles. In the world of Ivalice, a force called Mana exists as the source of all life.
More than 20 years after its release on PlayStation 1, the world of Legend of Mana has received a remaster from Square Enix. Is the gain in quality of life worth it or does originality still count? Read our review and find out.
Legend of Mana Remaster Overview
At the beginning of Legend of Mana, the player chooses a female or male character, and then a weapon. You are not bound by your weapon choice, but the character is who you will be throughout the game. The world you live in was once home to a great mana tree that spread magic across the world. The tree was burned, and everyone fought for the remaining mana until it ran out. You start the game at a time when the world is empty and you have to rebuild it. Then you leave for a 25 to 30 hour adventure home.
You start with a house and a town, which you place on the map. The objects you place on the map are called artifacts. These can be cities, mines, jungles, lakes and other areas that you will explore. Generally, each new artifact contains a task to complete, and a treasure to find. It’s a strange system because at the beginning there’s no main story to follow, just a series of side missions to complete. The only downside to this system is that you don’t know where to go for the next search. There are no landmarks here, so you’ll often have to talk to everyone you meet until someone gives you an order.
The battles in this game are not turn-based, but use an action-RPG system. They fight and the fight is in real time. This creates a combat system that may or may not be used. You can’t swing up or down, only left and right. You have to move your figure up and down to reach someone above or below you. Hitboxes work the same way: sometimes you hit the target easily, and sometimes your weapon goes through the enemy. However, I was able to completely take out a few bosses by repeatedly performing a two-shot combo in the corner. I love turn-based combat, and this game would have benefited from it.
Legend of Mana also gives players the ability to find monster eggs and breed creatures that travel with you. Like the combat system, the AI leaves a lot to be desired. Your allies are sometimes on the other side of the screen doing nothing while you fight. In other cases, they destroy three enemies before you even have time to charge a special attack. You know what’s cool? Consistency. It’s a very cool thing to have in combat. If you can play with two people, I recommend you do so, but you will also completely dominate the game.
Special attacks can be learned with weapons and by building tools to use magic. During the fight, fill your special field and press one of the buttons to activate your skills. You have to reload a bit before you fire, which often means the enemy has time to move before you strike. I have mostly used large scale attacks to avoid this problem. However, you are invulnerable if you charge the special attack, meaning you can use it to get out of a difficult situation instead of inflicting damage.
If you don’t talk, go home and do some gardening. Here you can forge new equipment, make new tools, seed planets and take care of your monsters. The price of weapons and armor is absurd, so handcrafting is profitable. When I mastered blacksmithing, I switched from an iron axe to a silver axe and saved $3,000. Seeds provide food that can be given to monsters to make them stronger or sold for extra money. Your monsters can join you in your adventure and fight together with you. You can send extra monsters to collect items and gain experience while you’re away.
The mini-monster capture game probably could have been a separate game. You have to find the monster’s egg and catch it; it’s pretty simple. The eggs move when you find them, so you’ll have to lure them with food and wait for them to fall asleep. The problem is that when they see you, they run the other way and ignore the food. Different creatures hatch from each egg, and you can decide whether to keep them, sell them, or put them in your barn. You can only keep five, so the sale will eventually be mandatory. This is a fun little quest you can do during the game. The only downside is that there aren’t many eggs to be found here; or that I missed them.
As for upgrades, you can save anywhere and the game saves automatically. This is a significant improvement, as you can easily be killed at the beginning of a fight. There is no way to speed up the process, but you can disable appointments if you wish. The soundtrack has changed, but you can still use the original music. The PlayStation 4 version used for testing had no bugs, glitches or frame drops.
Legend of Mana Remaster has overdone the combat system a bit, but this RPG is still worth it. Any old school Mana fan will not be disappointed.
This review of Legend of Mana Remaster was conducted on PlayStation 5 with the PlayStation 4 version of the game. The digital code was provided by the publisher.
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From the creative mind behind the iconic film Magic: The Gathering, by Richard Garfield, is published by Abrakam Entertainment in the increasingly popular roguelike genre: The book of thieves. Based onWe are very excited to announce our partnership with Square Enix to bring the beloved classic RPG, The Legend of Mana to the PlayStation 4 as The Legend of Mana Remastered , and that excitement is a mutual one! Fans of Sony’s new console will be able to experience the classic with their friends, whether that’s on the couch with a couple of controllers, or online with a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 Pro. The PlayStation 4 version of the game boasts both English and Japanese audio, and also includes new functions, with the first being the ability to perform an unlimited number of cross-save cross-play between PlayStation Vita, PlayStation TV, and PlayStation 4 versions of the game, allowing friends to get together in the same dungeon, or fight together on the same. Read more about legend of mana ps4 release date and let us know what you think.
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