Legend of Mana

🎮 PlayStation ⏳ 35 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Dreamlike Freedom and Choice #

This title is a visually stunning and deeply imaginative action RPG from Square, it stands out for its non-linear storytelling, where players build the world map using an artifact system called the “Land Make” feature. The lush, hand-painted 2D graphics and enchanting soundtrack give the game a dreamlike charm. However, the fragmented narrative and lack of a central plot can feel disjointed. Combat is simple but fun, and there’s a lot of customization. It’s a unique, artistic experience best enjoyed by those who value exploration and atmosphere over traditional structure, this is the best aspect of the game for me since there are lots of different weapons to choose from, and combos to learn.

Systems Over Story #

Though you can quickly become overpowered so the game starts to feel easy, but at least the non-linear story present a lot of side-quests, which are very interesting, since, as already mentioned, there isn’t really an “ultimate main plot”, compared to other more traditional RPGs. Another mechanic that I really enjoy is the pet system, in which you can level up your pet in order to help with the combat, not to mention the secret elements you can try to tame using musical instruments, and at the end of the day, there are no badly implemented mechanics on this game, though at the same time, none of them are outstanding in any way.