Secret of Mana HD Reviews
A flimsy remake of a flawed 16-bit favourite that exacerbates all the original's problems while failing to recapture its strengths.
The original SNES classic deserves better than this overpriced and undercooked remake, which fails to recreate the original's '90s charm.
Secret of Mana's retelling is full of highs and lows. The colorful world and boss battles still hold their allure, but the overall execution feels average (at best)
The Secret of Mana remake is mostly the same game you know and love, for better and for worse.
It's no secret: This remake disappoints
If someone expressed an interest in playing Secret of Mana, I'd first encourage them to buy a SNES Classic.
You may as well just play the SNES version, even if it's the first time you're ever picking up a Mana game: the original spritework is able to pick up the slack of a few of its inherent shortcomings, which are only exasperated by the swap to 3D.
Unwanted and unasked for, Secret of Mana does the bare minimum you'd expect from a remake, and when you consider the original's beloved status, the fact that it's been given such a lacklustre treatment is stupefying.
It is till an enjoyable classic RPG, with fun coop local multiplayer. But somehow we prefer the classic style better than the new generic 3D models.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The original Secret of Mana was a charming, imaginative adventure that made a considerable impact on a lot of gamers' lives. Any attempt to reinvent that experience implies two things: that the original game had room for improvement, and that modern technology and design can bring about such improvements. Sadly, while the original Secret of Mana was by no means a flawless experience, the remake's attempt to improve upon the formula has resulted in a game that's markedly inferior by comparison.
Secret of Mana's remake doesn't add as much as it could and, if anything, removes some of the magic of the original.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Secret of Mana is a welcomed remake, but doesn't do what's necessary to bring this game to a modern audience, with only slight changes to the original formula.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Secret of Mana is a strange title. On one hand it has so many missteps in its redesign that it's easy to quickly dismiss it, but it remains a rewarding gaming experience upon playing.
Caught right between a needed update and trying to strictly adhere to the original template, Secret of Mana doesn't commit itself enough in either direction to justify owning it above any of the other versions.
The developers kept the physics, systems, and gameplay almost identical to the original Secret of Mana and I'm overjoyed that they did. With Secret of Mana being grouped up by so many gamers as their favorite game of all time, it was important for Square Enix to deliver as close to that same experience for a new generation, and they did that just that. Some features might not have aged well or should have been added in for good measure, but this release of Secret of Mana is the same adventure that I remember, and I couldn't have asked for more.
Secret of Mana is an entirely skippable remake of a game that was the progenitor for a number of JRPG conventions. That's a shame. The greater failing, however, is what happens when fans will inevitably pick this title up in the hopes of recapturing some of the feelings of grandeur the original game contained so much of. They, like me, might end up realizing that a game they had placed on a pedestal for decades is actually rather ordinary by today's standards, and any magic that made it a lasting impression on those who played it has long since been left behind by the cruel, inexorable march of time.
The Secret of Mana Remaster was highly anticipated by a lot of fans and overall manages to capture the experience of playing the original within an all new outer shell of upscale graphics and new sound. It fails to make any revolutionary changes to the gameplay, forgoing an opportunity to improve on one of the all-time classic games, and the changes it does make (particularly the music) are hard to swallow at times. Secret of Mana for the PlayStation 4 is not quite a disappointment, but it does leave a less than satisfying feeling.
Secret of Mana fails with its slew of technical issues and unimpressive graphic design.
Secret of Mana was an amazing game in 1993 and is a "must play" for all JRPG fans. It features diverse world, memorable bosses, dynamic combat system, great atmosphere and a simple, but interesting plot. And it's really sad that remake turned out not so good. Strange innovations, cheap three-dimensional graphics and bugs spoil the final impression. You can still buy it, but at half price or so.
Review in Russian | Read full review