Legend of Mana Reviews

Legend of Mana is ranked in the 56th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8 / 10.0
Jun 22, 2021

Legend of Mana was a game that took a little while for me to truly understand. I went in expecting something, and it gave me something completely different. Heck, so different I can’t recall any game quite like it. It is captivating enough to play for hours on end, but it’s also bite-sized enough that short pick up and play sessions are ideal (hurray for Switch players).  If deep mechanics and JRPG systems are what you want, Legend of Mana will disappoint. If a string of wonderfully crafted fairy tales set in a phenomenally realized world with secrets hidden around every syllable is your cup of tea, then Legend of Mana is an easy recommendation.

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4 / 5.0
Jun 22, 2021

Cleaned up visuals and music are always a plus, but it does little to address some of the biggest issues the game had to begin with, unlike its predecessor.

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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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8 / 10.0
Jun 29, 2021

Legend of Mana fascinate in a remaster that rescues the strengths and weaknesses of the original game. Fa’Diel's magical world captivates with its vibrant locales and interesting characters, and the free progression invites us to explore every corner. Real-time combat has several options of weapons and techniques, which allows for numerous approaches, but the lack of fluidity makes it uncomfortable. Using an open structure is creative, but it's also fraught with problems: it lacks a more consistent main plot, it's easy to get lost, and many mechanics have obscure workings. The remastering updates the atmosphere with high-resolution artwork and new music arrangements, resulting in an even more beautiful game. In addition, some options have been added that make the journey a lot easier, such as being able to save anywhere — it's a shame they didn't take the opportunity to make adjustments to some of the systems. In the end, even after so many years, Legend of Mana remains a beautiful, flawed and remarkable RPG.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

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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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

7.7 / 10.0
Jul 18, 2021

I'm always happy when I hear that remakes or remasters of JRPGs will be released, and Legend of Mana was no exception. After the well-done Trails of Mana, I was in enormous anticipation, but unfortunately it was not satisfied. Legend of Mana is a role-playing game that was innovative in the area of presentation and storytelling 20 years ago. But today it can't keep up these aspects. Is it on the one hand because the style mix of new backgrounds and old sprites really harmonize in my opinion, on the other hand also because of the weak protagonist. With this character, I never felt as if he had a purpose or development in the game. What saves the story, however, are the wonderful supporting characters. The charming characters, were able to keep me glued to the game even over a long period of time. It should also be noted that although the main plot is missing, the short stories were convincing. For gamers who don't have much time to follow a long story, this aspect is convincing. Exciting stories can be experienced again and again in small bites. All in all, you have to have a love for old JRPGs and innovative ideas to like Legend of Mana. But if you get involved, you'll experience a smorgasbord of different stories and loving characters in a good forty hours.

Review in German | Read full review

7.6 / 10.0
Jun 22, 2021

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

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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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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7.5 / 10.0
Jun 30, 2021

I enjoyed this remaster of Legend of Mana. It kept the same feel of the original (almost to a fault), so any fans of this classic adventure will undoubtedly love this remaster. It’s gorgeous to look at and listen to while you enjoy the journey. I really wish there had been quality of life improvements to the combat and better explanations of how to set up the map, though.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jul 1, 2021

Like when it first came out, there are too many ideas here and they are not as deep as they should be to come together as a nice whole but the audio-visual presentation kind of helps to ease the hassle of having to deal with a semi-disjointed progression.

Review in Persian | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Jul 2, 2021

Legend of Mana is a thoroughly enjoyable RPG that has stood the test of time, but a lack of direction might make it rough for genre newbies. I’ve admitted myself that I had to use a walkthrough to get the most out of the game – I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it quite as much if I didn’t. I did though, and it really allowed me to appreciate the intricacy of the world, all of the little zany quests it has to offer, and the enjoyable action-orientated combat mechanics. Legend of Mana does something different with its old-school RPG offering, but it comes together to make for a good time. Just don’t be afraid to look for a walkthrough online when you’re playing.

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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 29, 2021

Legend of Mana is a weighty, yet unique RPG that returns to bring western audiences another look at a forgotten gem.

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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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7 / 10.0
Jul 8, 2021
Legend of Mana (2021) - Easy Allies Review video thumbnail
7 / 10.0
Jun 22, 2021

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

70 / 100
Jun 22, 2021

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.

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JVL
Julius007
Top Critic
14 / 20
Jul 7, 2021

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