Sword of Mana - First Impressions
Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu
Sword of Mana
Here it is at last, folks. Finally putting my hands on the game, I can turn on the system and play the not-so-new installment of the Mana series (Seiken Densetsu). Twelve years passed, and SquareEnix, along with Brownie Brown (Magical Vacation) at last give us some action on the GBA.
Unlike the Final Fantasy games or Magical Vacation, we really are talking about action; because that game doesn't use a turn based system. That's what makes the Mana series special, the ability to walk around the battlefield, or to avoid fights you don't want (with an exception, Legend of Mana, where you can't run from a battle, but the overall easiness more than compensates that flaw). In Sword of Mana, you can fight all around the field, use the field's features to your advantage (cliff-sniping, for example), and run from most of the fights, unless, of course, it's a boss.
Bosses are an example of the great additions SquareEnix put into that game; their size is simply amazing and the design comparable to Legend of Mana's. Some bosses designs come from other Mana games, so the fan can look out for the references to Secret of Mana, to Seiken Densetsu 3 and to Legend of Mana. This game isn't just a remake of Final Fantasy Adventure; it adds more in all the fields: a deeper story, where events left unclear in the original get explanations at last; new characters, meet Trent, Nikita (Niccolo), Lil' Cactus, Watts... new weapons, new magic, new fields, dungeons, and more. Someone once asked ''what's the point?'' The answer is: this isn't just a port to the GBA; it's a brand new game in and of itself. It is just as much for the old gamer who will remember the story and see how much it changed, or the non FFA player who will just enjoy it as a ''new'' Mana game.
SquareEnix and Brownie Brown did an excellent job in the graphics and sound of the game. The music is fitting, which is not surprising: it comes straight from FFA in an enhanced form. The visual quality and style resemble that of Seiken Densetsu 3 and 4. The controls are simple (run, attack, jump, magic, switch the character and the NPC, Ring Menu), although the way magic is handled will surprise people, and one needs some time to get used to it (you don't cast spells a la Secret Of Mana, instead you choose an element, and the spell changes according to the time the button is pressed - short or long - and the weapon carried).
The controls and menus are easy enough for the beginner to find his way through, although the Japanese language will make some parts more unclear, leaving the non-Japanese speaking player unable to use the menu fully. In the same vein, using all the possibilities and finding all the secrets will prove more difficult. The battle system is easy in it’s principle, just move and fight in real time. The only downside is that only four directions are available for the attack (that still is better than Legend of Mana, where you only had two), with some weapons using more than just these four (the bow makes a curve, for instance). Once you get enough exp, the game will let you chose how you level up: each specialty (there are five) gives you different bonuses, which in turn affects your class.
The release in North America should fix the main obstacle so far: the language barrier. The game is quite straight forward, but contains a good bit of dialogue, which, even if you can ignore it and go on for the most part (and find your way), still leaves that frustrating feeling of missing the story. The difficulty could be a bit better balanced: some bosses will barely touch you, and the NPC, who often gets stuck behind you and gets killed while you're running away from a battle, or who will use all his magic against regular monsters, which makes him less efficient during boss battles.
I'd rate that game a ten, but that would be completely biased from me since I'm a Mana fan. However, it deserves and achieves a good mark for the following reasons:
- Simple to access and control (even with the foreign language obstacle) (Accessibility 7).
- Excellent design, good sound. (Gfx 9, sound 7)
- It's a Mana game (Fandom 10).
- The innovations, the additions, the revamping of the classic FFA (Fun 8.5).
Downsides include:
- The difficulty balancing issues
- A counter-intuitive magic system
Overall, that game is a must-have for RPG fans, whether they played FFA or not. It's completely different from Golden Sun and Magical Vacation, and it's good. I rate the game 8.5/10
