Legend of Mana Reviews

Legend of Mana is ranked in the 56th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Jun 22, 2021

Legend of Mana is a competent port of an odd little game, which is honestly an achievement for Square Enix. The fun of the original is intact, and small quality of life additions help ease the grind of '90s JRPG design. Ring Ring Land doesn't add much, but it doesn't take away either. The Mana series has gotten a lot of love from both fans and Square Enix recently, and this Legend of Mana remaster keeps the brand growing strong.

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IGN
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Jun 22, 2021

A beautiful modern rendering of a PlayStation classic, Legend of Mana retains both the charms and the problems from its initial release.

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Jun 22, 2021

Legend of Mana is an experimental game, with lots of ideas and concepts mixed together in one product. The lack of a proper tutorial, as well as a number of smaller annoyances, make it an overall frustrating experience. There are some interesting and fun moments in Legend of Mana, but they can get lost in a product that tries to do too many things at once.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 22, 2021

Legend of Mana is all about the memories you make from the moment you start playing to the credits. Every new area created is a new adventure waiting, and every character met provides a unique perspective on storytelling. Its non-linearity allows it to stand out in the series, but it comes at the expense of a few confusing quest lines. The remastered backgrounds, improved loading and attack animations, and additional options make it such a charming RPG to play over and over.

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Unscored
Jun 22, 2021

Whether you are fervent followers of the Mana saga or not, playing this Legend of Mana Remastered is almost mandatory, especially if you like old-style action RPGs, playing it is an opportunity that should not be missed. The game will not leave you unmoved, only because of its elaborate artistic section or because of how entertaining it is to play.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Jun 22, 2021

Square Enix’s Mana series, like the SaGa series, is finding new life and respect in recent years, what with the Secret of Mana remake, Collection of Mana localization, and Trials of Mana remake. It’s an opportunity for new appreciation. Fortunately, that means Legend of Mana is getting its own moment on the Switch, PS4, and PC with a remaster. While it doesn’t exactly address every issue present in the original game, it looks amazing and includes some features that might ease frustrations.

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No Recommendation / Blank
Jun 22, 2021

The Legend of Mana remaster, unfortunately, shines light on its most dilapidated parts rather than complimenting its innate strengths.

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75 / 100
Jun 23, 2021

The Legend of Mana Remaster plays things a bit too safe with its combat system, but this action RPG still proves to be a worthwhile experience. Any old-school Mana fan will not be disappointed.

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6 / 10
Jun 23, 2021

This HD Remaster of Legend of Mana is a strange experience, somewhere in-between : with beautiful and wide landscapes, and a brilliant musical score, the game also offers some old and sometime repulsive gameplay mechanics, especially for newcomers. Legend of Mana is still a good '90s game, but it clearly needed more reflexion to match today's standards.

Review in French | Read full review

GameSpew
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Jun 23, 2021

It’s hard to fully condemn Legend of Mana Remastered, because the original game’s choices are unusual, and some players will certainly find merit in its hands-off approach to steering the gameplay. Others, however, will undoubtedly find the lack of direction infuriating. So, Legend of Mana Remastered won’t be for everyone then. Its combat and lack of engaging narrative holds it back, but its soundtrack – both the original and rearranged version – is truly a standout feature.

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6 / 10
Jun 23, 2021

It's easy to see why this was such a polarizing title upon release. There's a lot to love here, but Legend of Mana can be tiring in how much it likes to play 'hard to get'. All the ingredients and individual pieces of a strong, impressively innovative RPG are present, but it feels like the developers simply tossed all these ideas in a bag and shook it vigorously, rather than taking the time to lay out all those ideas in a coherent and curated fashion. We'd give this one a recommendation, but only to fans of the genre, specifically those who prefer more experimental titles. If that doesn't describe you, there's still a good chance you'll find something to like about Legend of Mana, but just be aware it may be more of a mixed bag.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jun 23, 2021

Overall, I think the appeal here is how explorative Legend of Mana is. You stumble upon nearly everything the game needs to progress. By exploring, trying new things, talking to people, flagging various events and stories is how to make this game tick. It requires a certain mindset, but if that’s your wheelhouse then you’ll have a great time exploring this world one Artifact at a time.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2021

Legend of Mana: Remastered is a difficult game to love. It's opaque, the plot needs to be pried from its hiding place, and it makes you struggle to enjoy it. If that works for you, it'll work extremely well. There's a lot of depth and replay value buried deep within the cloudy depths. You must want to dig, instead of the more instantly accessible and enjoyable gameplay of Trials of Mana or Collection of Mana. If you're looking to get a feel for the franchise, you should start with one of those other games instead. I'm fond of Legend of Mana, but that fondness is born of nostalgia for the PS1 era. Newcomers need to be willing to put up with all of its flaws and foibles to see the delicious treats beneath.

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7 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2021

For better or for worse, Square Enix wanted to make sure the Legend of Mana HD remaster was as close to the original as possible. Thankfully a beautiful world and good story help make up for the lack of guidance or varied combat. It may not be the most welcoming to newcomers, but fans of the original are in for a wonderful trip down nostalgia lane.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 25, 2021

Legend of Mana's Remastered is a golden opportunity to rediscover one of the lesser-known episodes of the historic Square-Enix series. Although certain playful and narrative elements show the signs of the time, there is no denying some intriguing ideas that have made it live up to the name it bears: the possibility of shaping the game map at will through the Artifacts and a far from linear adventure process leave the player the freedom to approach the game as he sees fit , discovering little by little the many stories, secrets and great battles that this fantastic world has to offer.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Jun 26, 2021

Legend of Mana Remaster is a great game that goes against the traditional forms of storytelling to create a unique adventure. With the monster taming and variety within the Land Make system, completing this game is a colossal feat and will require a couple of playthroughs to see everything. The addition of two-player modes makes this a must-have for JRPGs fans and newcomers alike.

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Alex Donaldson
Top Critic
Jun 27, 2021

To a certain type of player, Legend of Mana is likely to be considered the perfect remaster. It touches up the visuals, but not too much. It makes quality-of-life changes, but preserves the original design and difficulty – warts and all. Some may find that preservation detrimental, with this twenty year-old game showing its age – but it does also make this the new definitive way to experience a classic.

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7.8 / 10.0
Jun 27, 2021

Legend of Mana is a beautiful game that anyone who appreciates creative gaming experiences will absolutely love. Those who prefer more structured adventures may be put off by it but there's no denying just how gorgeous of a game it is on nearly every level.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 28, 2021

It might be a bit obtuse, but Any fan of 2D JRPGs must experience Legend of Mana. It was released when they were at their zenith, a time when it seemed like every month Square Enix was dropping a new banger. Hopefully, if these continue to do well, we’ll see games like Threads of Fate and (dare I say it) Chrono Chross get another chance to shine. These remasters are a way to go back to one of the golden ages of gaming, and they can keep them coming.

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7.7 / 10.0
Jun 28, 2021

It won't certainly please veryone due to a peculiar storytelling style and worldbuilding mechanics, but Legend of Mana is still a unique, gorgeous and replayable JRPG that deserved a second chance on modern consoles. Give it a chance if you'd like to try something different.

Review in Italian | Read full review