A Mana entry unlike the rest, more contemplative than adventurous: you build your own world by placing artifacts on a blank map. The watercolor art stays sublime and the score enchants, though the scattered story asks you to let go.
Your verdict
Category
Action RPG1 player7+
Description
On the continent of Fa'Diel you rebuild the world by placing artifacts that summon towns and dungeons. Published by Square Enix, released worldwide in 2021. A map you shape yourself, real-time action combat, many story threads, restored watercolor art and a remastered score.
Legend of Mana review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Watercolour-painted scenery of rare delicacy: pastel backdrops with melting outlines, fairy-tale creatures and soft light that seem lifted from a picture book. This old-painting aesthetic, carefully restored, lends the world a timeless, fairy-tale charm.
Yoko Shimomura delivers one of her most spellbinding scores here, woven from ethnic textures and melodies of almost unreal beauty. Each piece illuminates this mosaic of a tale like a watercolour in sound, and the whole's nostalgic gentleness makes it an unforgettable travelling companion.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Easy"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Its world assembles from fragments you place yourself: setting artifacts draws the map, and the order of quests belongs to the player. Three great story threads, the legendary weapon forging, gardening, monster raising and material growing weave near-endless side activities. This calm, unhurried freedom stretches the game's life for anyone who loves to wander.
Technical info
💾1,5 GB📅24/06/2021
Published by Square Enix
Legend of Mana (Nintendo Switch) price, value & rarity
Real-time combat laced with an action gauge lets this Mana gem improvise ground combos like a dreamlike beat'em up. The creatures and giants you face often spring from the quests you choose, so each playthrough sculpts its own duels. Legend of Mana's living watercolor wraps these encounters in rare poetry.
