Legend of Mana has to be one of the reasons why you should own a PlayStation back in the late 90s. Released in 1999, this Japanese RPG was nothing less than stellar. With its remaster coming soon in 2021, fans are definitely going to shed tears of joy while those that missed out on the original will have a chance to experience it in full HD glory.
Why Legend of Mana is One of the Greatest J-RPGs Ever
Legend of Mana is one of the best RPGs ever made to this day. No, seriously, it’s that good. Legend of Mana’s formula was nothing new, especially during the golden age of turn-based J-RPGs. This was the time when Final Fantasy VIII and Pokemon on the Gameboy Color came out and people were so far up in those.
However, true RPG connoisseurs know about Legend of Mana. It was also from Square Enix (formerly Squaresoft) so anybody who knows them can expect they’re in for a wild ride just like Square’s other flagship game, Final Fantasy.
The active gameplay, the deep and enriching storyline, AMAZING music, characters, and the world-building—all of these are bundled up in this masterpiece.
Personal Insight
Legend of Mana came during my joyful childhood days in 1999. During that time, I wasn’t quite sure about the game as well. All I know was that my parents just thought it would be my kind of game just because it had some artsy anime cover slapped on it (which is a very beautiful artsy anime cover, mind you). With skepticism, I opened up the game. It didn’t sink into me for the first two hours and went out by the fourth hour… The moment the main story started to really begin.
The next thing I knew, I was already playing the game for hours, exploring every depth and town I could. However, while I did enjoy the game, I sadly didn’t finish it. 20 years later, I decided to play the game once again on the PS emulator. The ending left me with great satisfaction. Now that the game is getting a remaster, am I going to buy it? Of course, I would. I want to see the new sprites and worlds.
What to Expect in the Remaster
Expect to have the same good story as the original. The developers have promised not to tamper with the original characters, story, and world-building because they know these are the selling points of the game.
As for gameplay, they will add in some bits of improvements for the sake of quality of life changes. But, for the OG players, you can always switch the style to classic.
The game will also be presented in full 4K HD and full-scaled resolutions, so expect the classic looks to get spiced up in this one. The music will also have a combination of old and new with the option to choose either of them in the menu.
If you have never played this game before, it is highly recommended that you do. This is one of the first games that hooked many players into turn-based Japanese RPGs. And if you’re into that, then this is worth looking back.
