Legend of Mana Reviews
A beautiful modern rendering of a PlayStation classic, Legend of Mana retains both the charms and the problems from its initial release.
All these years later it’s a treat to revisit the world of Legend of Mana in any form, much less through an HD modern lens. It’s still unlike just about anything else out there.
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.
The remastering process didn't address the shortcomings of the gameplay of Legend of Mana. Yet, its vibrant world, full of memorable characters drawn to life by astonishing visuals and new orchestral scores, is as good as ever.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
While it feels like Legend of Mana's issues could've been easily ironed out with a low budget remake rather than a remaster, the game was still a delight to play through and is still the hidden gem of the Mana series.
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.
On the surface, this game has all the ingredients to make a great RPG. The graphics are gorgeous, the soundtrack is infectious, the combat is approachable yet complex, and there’s a ton of replay value. Unfortunately, the disparate pieces don’t hang together quite right. Without a strong central narrative, you’re left bouncing around for the whole playthrough. And without a comprehensive walkthrough, you’ll be doing so for quite a long time. There’s a serious barrier to entry, but I still managed to enjoy myself in spite of all this. If you read all that and still want to dive in, then don’t hesitate to do so. Despite all the strange roadblocks, Legend of Mana has a lot to offer any action RPG fan with a little patience and perseverance.
A timeless classic marred by conflicting visual identities and a disjointed formula, Legend of Mana is an experimental PS1-era title that planted the seed for many of Square's greatest RPGs to come in future years.
Legend of Mana is back on modern consoles after more than 20 years, and it's still quite enjoyable despite some gameplay wrinkles.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
You'll have to get used to the combat system as well, which does feel very dated. It's not bad, but it's incredibly basic and, by today's standards, clunky. It boils down to running away from enemy attacks, and then running back into the fray to unleash simple combos. Special moves are available once your super meter is full, but actually landing them can be frustrating, since enemies can waddle out of the way while the animation plays. Again, it's clunky, but there are a range of weapon types to play around with, and companion characters (who can be controlled by the AI or a second player) add spice with their own abilities.
Legend of Mana returns twenty years after its initial release, without much having really changed for those who had the chance to try it at the time We have a game still as beautiful now adapted to current standards, an immediate grip and beautiful music. In addition, this is the first time it has been released in Europe. Too bad, however, that the absence of a real scenario is felt, as well as some features that today smell of dust.
Review in French | Read full review
For the most part, the changes that the new HD remaster brings are welcome ones. Not only because these changes add and improve upon what makes Legend of Mana a good game, but because they also make the game accessible to both new and returning players. Not only that, the game also gives you the choice to play it however you'd like, be it the orthodox way using no autosaves, or by utilizing the new QoL changes. These changes are more important than any other combat system revamping, or inclusion of a new skill system because, at the end of the day, Legend of Mana's strength isn't in its combat or game systems. It's in the characters, the locations, and the stories that it's been telling, and will tell for years to come.
This Legend of Mana remaster features beautiful visuals, amazing music from Yoko Shimomura, and a lot of quirky old-school weirdness. Mileage will vary with its over-designed mechanics, but the game is charming, unique in its storytelling, and offers some solid quality-of-life additions.
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.
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
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.
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