Game Freak clearly put their all with this game. I hope that in future games they will expand on this formula because it clearly works.

The noble Pokemon are some of the best bost fights in the series. I beat all the nobles just from throwing balms at them, and you don't need to send out your Pokemon. It's very challenging, but very fun at the same time.

The requests are also very good imo. Sure, a lot of them is to fill out the Pokedex, or bring a certain Pokemon to this person. But I find there to be a nice variety and I felt compelled to finish them whenever I can.

Overall solid Pokemon game. Now time to get up to rank 10 XD

As a newcomer to the series just over a year ago, I became pretty invested in the Mana series. With the third game, Trials of Mana, becoming one of my favorite JRPGs of all time. Both the original and its remake released last year were all very good because they both encapsulated what I was looking for in a game that was good from the past and had something that was refreshing for modern audiences.

It was until I found out that Legend of Mana was coming to modern console, that I wanted to try out the game for myself and see how it compares to the classic 3D titles and the Trials of Mana remake. Let me tell you, you don’t want to sleep on this game. For a spin-off of the main series games, it is that good.

To start off the story, there is no main story. Just 68 quests you can get in the game that revolve around the world you make. You literally create a world yourself with artifacts that transform into the world around you. This is what I like about this world. That you have the freedom to create and mold the landscapes you want to make instead of following the story of a strong protagonist.

That said, there are 3 main story quest lines that hold interest as you are gathering these artifacts. Though I will say, since they are based on different interpretations alone, it would be better to play the quest yourself if you want to get this game. But I will say, one of these quest lines are probably the best story you will ever see in a Mana game.

However, the added complexity of the game’s world does not reward completionists very well. To complete all the quests, you must put each artifact in a specific place while answering a few things correctly from NPCs. It might be frustrating for some, but on my first playthrough I didn’t have this problem. I completed over 80% of the quests without feeling bad about missing some. But I understand that if you want to complete all the quests in the game, you will need to look up a guide on the internet.

The gameplay is awesome. There is so much simplicity that goes on with the battles, yet it has a complicated side for it too. Mainly learning the special techniques that go with each of the 11 weapon types, which come from the abilities you get while battling normally. You must test out each ability for yourself for the weapon of choice and fight a few battles to see if you can get the special technique. Believe me, it is a bit of trial and error, which is pretty much this whole game. But it rewards you greatly once you figure it out. The battles including the boss fights for the most part is really easy as well. So, if you aren’t familiar with ARPGs that well, this should a breeze.

The weapon and armor tempering system is probably one of the craziest things you would find in a JRPG. Especially for its time. Being able to play around with how you want to try to ooze out all your stats in a weapon or armor piece is rather interesting or could be a time waster if you think about it. Same thing goes with the Golem building and instrument tempering system. Even raising a pet or growing a garden in front of a talking tree is a great time waster. All controlled by the player.

I haven’t tried this myself, but it’s really nice to have a second human player play locally (or if you are on PC, remotely) to join you in battle. That is because the AI in this game is dumber than a bunch of bricks. Most ARPGs are known to have dumb AI, but this one feels like a total joke to have. It sucks that you can’t control if they get the experience crystals or not and forces you to give up an armor slot (the forbidden ring) to basically grind your npc or pet up to a good level, so they don’t die a lot. Though I will say, when a second player controls and npc, they will have to give them up when you enter your house or leave you for a bit in an event, which I like to call girlfriend mode.

Gameplay aside, can we appreciate the art of this game. Each area feels like it came straight out of a Disney movie, or like a whimsical fantasy illustration. It’s pretty striking for a 2-D style game. Each character is designed so uniquely that adds to the fantasy vibe of this world instead of feeling very generic. Such as walking teapots and creatures with onions on their heads. Or a hippo with an extremely long tail that boinks you to different places. The music is also fantastic too. Mainly it was originally done by Yoko Shimomura (you all know who she is), but I much prefer the remastered versions, which were also done under her supervision. I also like the opening song by Annika Ljungberg, adding to the feel of being in this world and experiencing it.

The remastered version put in one very important QoL change (and it is not Ring Ring Land). That is the ability to turn off fixed encounters which is a huge benefit not only for speedrunning or just not wanting to fight enemies, but for backtracking very long areas to hunt for monster eggs or the elemental spirits. Also saving anywhere you want and autosaving is a great thing to have as well.

Overall, a very solid game. One of my favorites in the Mana series. I honestly don’t get the hate that surrounds it because it’s meant to be very different from the main games, and I like it for it. It doesn’t have super memorable characters, but the sandbox nature and gameplay wholeheartedly make up for this. Not to mention the awesome music and visuals that have aged rather well compared to today’s modern RPGs. I would recommend giving this one a shot!