Secret Of Mana Hands-On: The Return Of A Legend
It seemed like just a few days ago when Square Enix confirmed that Secret of Mana, the company’s [...]
It seemed like just a few days ago when Square Enix confirmed that Secret of Mana, the company's other legendary Super Nintendo role-playing adventure (aside from Chrono Trigger, of course), would be coming back with a remake for PlayStation 4, PC and PS Vita. But what shocked me is just how soon it'd be ready to show off. So, obviously, when Square offered me the chance to take it for a test drive, I couldn't resist.
I love the original Mana. It's a highly accessible but deeply involving role-playing adventure with a neat co-op twist, as you can have three people join in a session. I'm happy to report that the PlayStation 4 version works the same way, as you can have a trio of players in your session, at least locally. We're still waiting to hear if you can do it online. But, hey, it's an ideal couch game.
Anyway, Secret of Mana's demo was short but sweet, walking you through the opening scenario of the game where an unlikely hero discovers a sword, and all hell breaks loose with monsters soon after. But he isn't alone, as a couple of friends soon join his journey and help him combat evil, while trying to restore the world to what it once was before.
Changes In The Presentation
The game's new visual style takes a slight bit getting used to, but I'm surprised how well Secret of Mana works in the 3D realm. The game looks absolutely stunning in some places, even if some of the character models are a bit stagnant for their own good. The world itself resembles the one from the classic SNES game, but with a new level of depth that makes it worth checking out again.
Secret of Mana is still rocking a top-down camera, as we've come to expect from the older game. Its 3D design is really something, though, as you now feel like you're walking more through the world. Again, it would've been nice to see a little more variety out of the demo, but thus far, it's very promising.
The audio has gone through some changes as well. The rearranged soundtrack is really great, sounding familiar while, at the same time, presenting something new that fans are sure to love. The voice acting, on the other hand, takes a little bit of getting used to. It's not bad, but if you're used to just reading the text in the previous game, it can be a little startling at first. You'll eventually get used to it, though, and start to grow more with the characters as a result. And if you prefer, you can turn on the Japanese voice acting option, if you feel English may be a bit too jarring.
prevnextFeeling Great
Then there's the gameplay. While Secret of Mana has some more traditional gameplay than most modern role-playing games, it feels terrific, as you hack away at enemies and explore your surroundings. While the demo was a bit confined (again, short), it really provided an idea of how loyal Square Enix is to the series, as it feels just like the original SNES game. The sense of movement is well done, and the combat is still as good as ever. This is a remake done right.
I can't help but wish Secret of Mana to be a trailblazing success. Not only is the game a timeless classic that deserves a new audience, but its heavy sales may inspire Square to revisit other games from their past as well. A remake of Chrono Trigger would obviously be the greatest thing ever, and we wouldn't kick aside the notion of getting Secret of Evermore, for that matter. If they get that ambitious, that is.
For now, though, we're getting Mana, and it's pretty incredible. Hopefully we'll see more of this great world in the months ahead, but it never hurts to track down a SNES copy (or just the SNES Classic, which will have the game in its collection, when it releases later this month) and get warmed up with that version before jumping into this one. It's well worth playing through thus far, and when the full game arrives on February 15th for PlayStation 4, PC and PS Vita, we have a feeling that we'll enjoy the legend being reborn.
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