The Legend of Mana (PS4) Review

Legend of Mana was a weird game when it originally launched in 1999, and it’s even weirder 22 years later. This is an action RPG where you essentially build your own adventure. Right from the start, you’re given next to no guidance on where you are or what you need to do. Most players will find that there’s barely a main story until hours into the experience, and even then, it can appear vague and oddly constructed.

Obviously, though, it won’t be for everyone. It’s one of those old RPGs where you feel like talking to every NPC is a necessity, just in case you miss a quest or a clue as to what you should be doing. And, since towns are split between multiple screens, getting around can be tedious.

Needless to say, you probably won’t be playing Legend of Mana for the plot, but there’s a charm to how carefree the game feels. You’ll stumble across character-driven side quests that open up new paths through the world, and there are loads of different locations to discover and explore. Honestly, it’s a difficult game to explain in just a handful paragraphs, but know that there’s fun to be had in its lack of structure.

But at least it looks nice. The game’s hand-drawn backgrounds have all been updated for this remaster, and they look gorgeous. Pixelated character sprites can look a bit jarring up against such pleasant scenery, but you get used to it.

You’ll have to get used to the combat system as well, which does feel very dated. It’s not bad, but it’s incredibly basic and, by today’s standards, clunky. It boils down to running away from enemy attacks, and then running back into the fray to unleash simple combos. Special moves are available once your super meter is full, but actually landing them can be frustrating, since enemies can waddle out of the way while the animation plays. Again, it’s clunky, but there are a range of weapon types to play around with, and companion characters (who can be controlled by the AI or a second player locally) add spice with their own abilities.

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