It’s easy to see why this was such a polarizing title upon release. There’s a lot to love here, but Legend of Mana can be tiring in how much it likes to play ‘hard to get’. All the ingredients and individual pieces of a strong, impressively innovative RPG are present, but it feels like the developers simply tossed all these ideas in a bag and shook it vigorously, rather than taking the time to lay out all those ideas in a coherent and curated fashion. We’d give this one a recommendation, but only to fans of the genre, specifically those who prefer more experimental titles. If that doesn’t describe you, there’s still a good chance you’ll find something to like about Legend of Mana, but just be aware it may be more of a mixed bag.
Legend of Mana, the fourth entry of Square Enix’s Mana series and one of its most renowned JRPGs, is now available on mobile devices in a reworked version optimized for touch displays. Not only that, but gamers will be able to use gamepads and a cloud storage service to play the same game on many devices.
Nick from DSOGaming writes: "While the colorful worlds, endearing cast, and gorgeous soundtrack are big draws, the painfully clunky combat, maze-like environments, and obtuse quest designs make Legend of Mana an overall drag of an experience."
Twinfinite interviews Legend of Mana producer Masaru Oyamada about the remaster, also trying to catch a glimpse of the future of the series.
