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Legend of Mana Review

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Following the enjoyable experience I had with Trials of Mana, I decided to continue my exploration of Square Enix’s action RPG catalogue with Legend of Mana. Originally released in 1999, this title has been remade for Xbox and is available on Game Pass.

As a former PlayStation enthusiast who fondly remembers Square’s classic titles, I’m delighted to see these games finding new life on Xbox. I eagerly await the arrival of Final Fantasy 7 Remake! 

But for now, let’s focus on Legend of Mana. Can it match the success of Trials of Mana, or should it have remained in the ’90s? Let’s grab our broadswords and embark on this adventure!

Legend of Mana Review 1
Legend of Mana – leaning on the retro

The game’s presentation leans towards a retro aesthetic, but the art style is beautifully executed. The character designs, including both playable characters and enemies, are charming and expressive, with life radiating from every pixel; they convey a surprising amount of emotion through their stances and animations. The backgrounds, rendered in a hand-drawn style, are equally appealing. As is the way the sprites glide across these backgrounds, providing a nostalgic reminder of classic ’90s RPGs. 

The story is conveyed through cutscenes and text windows, forgoing voice acting, which, in my opinion, suits the game’s overall style. The soundtrack is delightful, featuring catchy tunes and familiar battle sound effects. Overall, the presentation is a strong point, with no noticeable drawbacks.

Describing the story of Legend of Mana is a bit tricky, as it’s fragmented into 68 distinct chunks. You can tackle these chunks in any order, and while completionists might strive to experience them all (there’s even an achievement for doing so), finding them can be challenging. Typically, you must travel to specific locations on the world map and interact with NPCs to trigger these mini-missions. Furthermore, the game offers minimal guidance on how to complete the missions. I had to consult a walkthrough from the original release a couple of times to figure out my objectives, highlighting the faithful nature of this remake.

Legend of Mana Review 2
A bit of combat

Gameplay is divided into two main components: your home base and the world map. Initially, the world map is blank. As you complete missions, you’re occasionally rewarded with Artefacts (yes, capitalised). These Artefacts can be placed on empty nodes on the world map, transforming them into new locations filled with NPCs and additional missions, which in turn lead to more Artefacts, and so on. Gradually, the world map expands, offering a wealth of places to explore and characters to meet.

Discovering new missions becomes addictive, but it’s important to revisit your home base regularly. In the upstairs room, you’ll find Lil Cactus, who diligently records your adventures in a diary. This diary tracks your progress and provides summaries of completed missions. Your home base offers other activities as well, such as feeding seeds to a talking tree in the backyard. These seeds grow into unusual fruit that can aid you in your quests. You can also choose a pet to accompany you (hatched from monster eggs found in the world), craft new weapons and armour in a workshop, and engage in other activities.

Combat is the final piece of the gameplay puzzle. Legend of Mana is an action RPG with straightforward combat mechanics. Pressing A performs a light attack, which can be chained into combos. X executes a powerful attack, leaving you momentarily vulnerable. Each weapon type has unique Special Techniques (ST) that you can learn and equip. These are mapped to the shoulder buttons and can only be activated after charging, running a lengthy wind-up, making it crucial to ensure your target remains in range. As you gain strength and learn new moves, you can inflict more damage and withstand more punishment. 

Legend of Mana Review 3
A wealth of content to explore

The difficulty of Legend of Mana ramps up quickly, and I admit I struggled with the third boss until I resorted to using a bow for ranged attacks. At certain points, a second character joins you, enabling local cooperative play. If you’re playing solo, the AI controls this companion.

Legend of Mana is an enjoyable throwback to the ’90s, but its unconventional structure might not appeal to everyone. I personally prefer RPGs with a more linear and cohesive narrative, rather than a disjointed collection of missions. However, it’s still a fun game with a wealth of content to explore. 


Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, Legend of Mana, and Trials of Mana Launch on Xbox – https://www.thexboxhub.com/final-fantasy-pixel-remasters-legend-of-mana-and-trials-of-mana-launch-on-xbox/

Buy Legend of Mana on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/legend-of-mana/9P2S2QVRB97N

SUMMARY

Pros:
  • Charming pixel art style
  • Unique world map system
  • Engaging combat
  • Abundant content and activities
Cons:
  • Disjointed narrative lacking a clear flow
Info:
  • Massive thanks for the free copy of the game, TXH
  • Formats - Xbox Series X|S (review), PC
  • Release date and price - 26 September 2024 |£24.99
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<b>Pros:</b> <ul> <li>Charming pixel art style</li> <li>Unique world map system</li> <li>Engaging combat</li> <li>Abundant content and activities</li> </ul> <b>Cons:</b> <ul> <li>Disjointed narrative lacking a clear flow</li> </ul> <b>Info:</b> <ul> <li>Massive thanks for the free copy of the game, TXH</li> <li>Formats - Xbox Series X|S (review), PC <li>Release date and price - 26 September 2024 |£24.99</li> </ul>Legend of Mana Review
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