This is yet another case of me being obsessed with Square Enix’s library of games and asking to write another review of yet another Square Enix title! So, here we are again with…Secret of Mana! I actually preordered this on a whim as my memories of the original are vague at best. (The original was released in 1993 and I was born in 1992…) I was already a fan of the Mana series and the music for most of the titles, so it was kind of a case of “why not?” I’ve seen other reviews for this game where people may have not been fond of the look or the mechanics, and, despite having an annoying menu interface, I actually really enjoyed playing this game!

Secret of Mana is about a hero (default named Randi, so let’s call him Randi) who is an orphan in his village. He falls off a bridge and needs to get back home ('cause his friends left him to die down there on his own). Of course, being a JRPG, there are some arbitrary plants that are too tall to walk through, so Randi needs a sharp object to cut them down! Lo and behold, there is a conveniently placed sword that he takes out of the ground, cuts down the plants and gets home. Little does he know, that sword is actually the Mana Sword! His village is suddenly attacked and after saving them with the Mana Sword, Randi is banished despite his good deeds. Luckily, there’s a traveling knight named Jema nearby who encourages Randi to go reawaken the Mana Sword’s power, and the young orphan boy is thrust into a journey to save the world from the evil Thanatos who threatens to destroy it. Randi is later joined by the princess, Primm and the sprite, Popoi, who assist with magic and longer ranged weapons.

The story is pretty straightforward and light considering it's a Square game. The graphical design of the remake isn’t what one would usually expect when they hear “remake.” While many are disappointed that it looks like a mobile game, I was actually okay with the cute aesthetic and maintaining the top-down-esque map view of the original. The action is all real-time combat, like the original and other older games like Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past, which I find to be a lot of fun! The magic system and equipment system is a little wonky though. I wish the player was allowed to carry more items, but apparently, Randi’s pants can only hold so much candy. The player can also freely switch between the characters, which is convenient for when you need a good magic spell since Randi can’t use magic. Magic and weapons level up the more you use them. The game maintains the ring-shaped menu, which is a little complicated to navigate. The more you play, the easier it gets, though. 

Going back to the aesthetic of the remake, I actually really enjoy the look of this game! The art is beautifully colored and appropriate for the setting. There’s an interesting mix between the old and the new that’s simply charming. The mini-map is based on the original pixel designs, which I think is a nice touch. The re-orchestrated music is gorgeous and the game is fully voiced, making it feel even more modernized. It’s very easy to (literally) get lost in the world as the story and characters send you all over the map and into dungeons. But this is a remake of a super old JRPG that is pretty close to the original, so that’s to be expected.

Overall, I enjoyed this game. It’s a different kind of a “remake” that strays from what people are used to, such as the HD releases of Final Fantasy games and the ultra-realistic HD Final Fantasy VII remake that's on the way. It’s fun, energetic and you can easily get lost playing the game for hours. Is it perfect and what people may have been expecting? Probably not. But I think it’s unfair to criticize it based on its “mobile game” appearance. If you like the difficulty of older JRPGs, want a break from modern games that hold your hand throughout the adventure, or just want to play something nostalgic, this should do the trick. 

Hint: This game doesn’t hold your hand at all. You need to pay attention to what all the characters tell you to do. A few days of not playing means you’ll probably forget what you need to do so don’t feel embarrassed if you need to find a guide!

by Marlen First