Legend of Mana (1999)
- Developer
- Square Product Development Division 2
- Publisher
- Square, Square Electronic Arts, Square Enix
- Platforms
- PlayStation 3, PlayStation, PlayStation Portable
- Genres
- Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure
- Rating
- 4.0 of 5, 45 player ratings
How it feels
A soft, painterly adventure where you piece together a fairy-tale world at your own unhurried pace, discovering stories tucked into every corner you choose to build.
whimsicaldreamlikenonlinearleisurelycreativevibrantgentleexploratory
About
While incorporating action role-playing game elements from the three games which preceded it, Legend of Mana has its own distinct style of gameplay. Most notably, it gives the player the ability to shape the game's world of Fa'Diel according to his or her desires, a system which was incorporated through the use of "artifacts," which are gained as the player progresses through the game. The player uses the artifacts to create different towns, dungeons, etc., called "Lands", to venture to and explore. This creates a non-linear gameplay, since the game is driven by a series of what would be considered side-quests in other games. Legend of Mana features three different plots which can occur simultaneously, and which do not necessarily need to be completed for the player to finish the game. Legend of Mana was a financial success in Japan. While the game garnered considerable praise for its graphics and presentation, many critics and fans were turned off by the game's lack of a main storyline.
What players say
A gorgeous, free-form action-RPG with a hand-painted dreamlike world and quirky cliche-subverting writing, beloved as a cult classic for its bold artistry even as its sluggish combat and lack of direction divide players. Wandering its open-ended world feels meditative to fans, aimless to detractors.
Trailer
Screenshots
More games like this
- SaGa Frontier 2 (1999)
- The Legend of Dragoon (1999)
- Adventures of Mana (2016)
- Shenmue (1999)
- Dungeons & Dragons Collection (1999)
- Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes (2003)
- Purumui Purumui (1999)
- Warriors of Might and Magic (2000)
More by Square
- FINAL FANTASY IX (2016)
- Chrono Trigger (1995)
- Parasite Eve (1998)
- Final Fantasy VII (1997)
- Final Fantasy III (1994)
- FINAL FANTASY VIII (2013)
- Final Fantasy X (2001)
- Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (1995)
Featured in: PS1 RPGs beyond Final Fantasy