Square Enix’s remake method Legend of Mana It is an admirable game that retains most of the special features of the original game-even if it will not perform well in 2021.
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Of all the companies that have a large catalog of classic works available for use and abuse, Square Enix seems to be one of the most confident in investing in its old works. We have seen the basic port of the PS2 Kingdom Hearts game, previously unlocalized Japanese versions, such as Final Fantasy 12: Zodiac Age, and of course, the same lore and earth-shattering remake of Final Fantasy 7. The best remake style, for the most ardent nostalgic touches, is likely to be shown in the new HD remake of the PS1 classic legendary mana.
Mana Legend has always been the next obvious mana series revision, because its immediate predecessor, the secret of mana and the trial of mana, have been remade into a 3D game. “Legend of Mana” takes a different approach-retaining the original malicious-based visual effects to preserve fans’ accurate reproduction of it-or at least part of the memory.
The characters, monsters, and other more “active” elements in the game world are cute elves, unfiltered and undisguised their pixelated nature. At the same time, more static elements (such as backgrounds) have been transformed in HD, and everything looks somewhat…smooth. This sounds like a description that has sounded alarm bells-we have seen a lot of bad Vaseline filters in classic games-but these elements look good, with almost no loss of detail. It is essential that the part of the game you care about most will retain its original appearance.
This is a combination that I don’t necessarily consider to be a good combination on paper-but in practice, it works very well. These two styles are not in conflict; although it may feel a little strange at first, they soon intertwine and no longer feel like two separate artistic styles—they complement each other. There is no doubt that the painting backgrounds on modern monitors look better in the original presentation than the original PS1 version, and sprites “pop” in these backgrounds due to their pixelated nature. It works and it looks very beautiful.
Better than the visual effect is the audio, which has also been significantly upgraded. The soundtracks of “Street Fighter” and “Kingdom Hearts” composer Yoko Shimura have been carefully remastered-and arranged, well, slap. There is no other way to express it. However, if they want, those who want to experience it can choose to return to the original PS1 version of the track.
Then there is the game. “Legend of Mana” is an excellent classic Japanese RPG-but it also makes no secret of its modernity. This game can be said to be released before the developers wanted to streamline, simplify and organize the genre to take root. All this is good enough-but with the same warning and understanding, people had to admit it in 1999. There are some very popular quality of life changes-but the more frustrating aspect of the game’s polarization is still present in this re-release, for better or worse. If there are many changes, it is not a magic legend at all.
The battle is the same action-driven fare as the Mana series, although the pace of its form is slightly slower and feels more rigid. It’s easy to master and have immediate fun, but it’s undoubtedly also full of complexity and depth, especially when you get a deep understanding of the details of character growth and development.
The narrative is conveyed with a similar sensibility. This is the story of a broken world. As you progress in the game, the protagonist essentially rebuilds and recreates the world. This progression is non-linear, and players have a large degree of choice in what they are doing and when. This is unique and effective, but it gives a general feeling that sometimes the title is a bit too sluggish for itself.
Perhaps the worst thing I can say about this aspect of the game is: if you are a completionist, without consulting a guide, you will almost certainly not be able to do everything you want in this game. Ten years ago, back from the original version. The original version was released at that time, and such games were no longer accepted at the time-and this re-release did not significantly improve.
However, I do like some quality of life changes. For example, the ability to turn off enemy encounters basically makes it easier for you to explore the next step around the world. Archiving can be done anywhere, it feels fairer and easier, especially for the Switch version.
For a certain type of player, “Mana Legend” is likely to be considered the perfect remake. It modifies the visual effect, but not too much. It changes the quality of life, but retains the original design and difficulty-warts and so on. Some people may find this preservation harmful, because this 20-year-old game shows its age-but it does make this a new way to experience the classics.
The review code provided by the publisher. Test on switch (main) and PC.
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