Legend Of Mana review. Walkthrough Legend Of Mana

Mana Series

Developer: SquareSoft

Publisher: Square EA

Release dates

Plot: It just so happens that this is the weakest point of the game. In fact, there is no main plot here, and the whole game is just a series of side quests. The main characters are completely impersonal, without past, present and future. These kind of dummies and idols with weapons in their hands. But sometimes they will allow you to choose answer options in dialogues. The formal premise is as follows. The mana tree withered again, and bad people, as luck would have it, stole all the artifacts in which at least some power remained. Your task is to collect these relics and revive the tree. The side quests themselves are sometimes interesting, and sometimes not so much. However, you will always have the feeling that you are just some kind of mechanism for carrying out orders from other characters. Here they live, and you only exist...

Gameplay: Not too similar to previous games. At the beginning of the game, there are no locations on the map at all; you must place them there yourself. It's done like this. You go through another side quest, at the end of which you are given an artifact. By placing this artifact on the map, a new location(city or dungeon). All this provides some opportunities for non-linear progression of the game.

The combat system is also somewhat new. At the beginning, you can choose which weapon you will own, and the arsenal there is decent - from a banal sword to nunchucks. Whatever you take, you will wander around with for most of the game, although then you will still have the opportunity to change it. Each weapon has combo attacks, and you can also assign special ones to additional buttons. attacks (their line accumulates during normal attacks), magic or additional movements (jump, defense, etc.). When using magic, there is a pause in the game, and the radius of its action is shown on the screen. As you understand, you shouldn’t expect any special drive and excitement from such a fight. It will be a little more interesting if you give the second joystick to your friend - because... The opportunity to play together in the game is kindly provided.

Also in Legend of Mana there are all sorts of additional tricks designed to diversify the rather monotonous gameplay. For example, you can build a house, plant a tree and grow... a monster. :) And in the future, it will be possible to forge weapons and even create your own golem. Monsters can be upgraded through Sony PocketStation - a kind of portable device that ordinary mortals have only seen in pictures, but now it is available to everyone through an emulator.

Graphic arts: But this, along with the music, is why Legend of Mana is considered one of the masterpieces of the golden era of PlayStation. First of all, these are simply stunning, hand-drawn backgrounds! You very rarely see this in games, but for that time it was a revelation. Specialist. The effects are also done very well, as are the huge beautiful bosses. And the signature art design of the characters gives the game its own unique style.

Music: Gorgeous! This wonderful soundtrack was created by the famous Yoko Shimomura. Almost all her melodies turned out wonderful. The music in Legend of Mana perfectly complements the picture, completely immersing you in the world of a hand-drawn fairy tale. There are wonderful piano solos, fantasy motifs and, of course, fiery boss battle tracks! Even if you were not at all inspired by my story about the plot and gameplay, I recommend listening to this OST in any case.

Plot

The plot in this game is extremely difficult to evaluate, since it is an agglomeration of disparate quests (64 in total). However, not all of them are as disparate as it might seem at first glance. Many quests are very logically connected to each other, forming very clear plot threads, separate, and at the same time intertwined into a real tapestry, in the center of which is the final, decisive quest.
As one would expect from another game in the Seiken Densetsu series, something has happened to the great Tree of Manna once again. Because of this “something,” various dissonances began to occur in the world, and its various corners were inhabited by the creatures that had inhabited the tree for so many years - the Sprotlings. Not dangerous, often even very stupid, you will come across these creatures in any and every location.
Despite the same fragmentation, quests can be very, very interesting. There are quests here for those who like to wave a sword and other types of weapons, which are provided to you great amount to choose from, and for fans of puzzling intricacies.
The game is clearly designed for more than one playthrough. Some of the quests become available after completing others, and some are closed after being missed. Differentiated plot: 8 out of 10

Graphic arts

It is somewhat more difficult to evaluate the graphics in this game than other games, even those belonging to the same series, since the game is 95% drawn with pencils and watercolors. The exception is a variety of equipment and items common to the Seiken Densetsu series, such as candies, chocolate, etc. Everything else, including character models, is drawn on paper, scanned and sent directly from the scan to the game. (Of course, the character models were animated, otherwise this creation would have looked rather sparse.) Scanners in secret laboratories Squaresoft, which had not yet merged with Enix, was, of course, better than our pets back then. Landscapes, locations, characters, monsters - everything was drawn by the hands of conscientious artists. As a result, of course, two-dimensional graphics, but... The word “watercolor” in combination with the word “Squaresoft” already gives the brain the opportunity to draw incomparable, brightest pictures. And it doesn’t let you be deceived: the game really came out very bright, saturated with color through and through. Therefore, taking into account the good guys from Square who were not too lazy to do such work, without listening to the already silent voice of conscience, I make my decision:
Saturated with color and clear lines of the skillful, painstaking and hard-working hands of the squarers, the “paper” graphics deserve: 8 out of 10.

Gameplay

So, let's now turn our attention to the gameplay. Actually, character control has changed little and is very similar to character control in other games in the SD family. But due to the graphics we just discussed, the perception of the engine is changing for the better; some may even see some novelty in this parameter of the game. But, looking closely at it, we can easily recognize the core that is familiar to us, albeit well veiled. The controls here, as in the previous parts of the series, are reminiscent of an arcade, battles take place in real time, where the enemy does not sleep, which mixes a good portion of action into the role-playing drink, which is why you get a pleasant-tasting RPG/Action cocktail.
There is nothing particularly bad to say about the controls - the characters run very well, they fight - be healthy too. And the techniques (abilities) look like nothing to sneeze at. Beautifully disguised as a new familiar thing, the good old one: 7 out of 10.

Sound

Let's start with the special effects. Quite recognizable, but a little advanced. The ringing of swords, the whistling of arrows, the sound of footsteps turning into the sound of running legs - everything is very well woven into the game’s graphics. It would even be superfluous if we heard high-quality recordings of natural sounds. Such voice acting is only good for 3D games, where such things are judged very strictly.
As for the music... Well, what can I say - Square doesn't knit brooms and everything is perfect and proportional. Yoko Shimomura did not disappoint - he fired a powerful artillery salvo in honor of the Seiken Densetsu series. You can listen to this music well and for a long time. Someone said that good music should get stuck in your head, but in such a way that you don’t want to kick it out of there. I myself, if it gets into my brain, happily play the music from this game over and over again, savoring every chord. The music for boss battles gives a powerful boost of energy and should really appeal to connoisseurs of good rock. There is a lot of instrumental music here, which, as always, is very beautiful and penetrates the soul. Music gives the game that special, unique dynamics, which, in support of the active engine, makes you not just play, but feel all the beauty of the game, move on, dream...
Sound effects perfectly woven into the graphics and truly magical music by Mr. Shimomura: 10 out of 10.

Originality

Well done from Square, great experimenters indeed! Well, what kind of fly could bite them about making a non-linear plot, so rare for them? What made them painstakingly draw out the whole game world on paper? What devil or muse whispers to them how to twist the game into the Gordian knot, like a work of art that will not be boring to unravel? To come up with plot threads that are woven into this Gordian knot in an unusual and at the same time beautifully woven tapestry, which, moreover, fits perfectly with this very knot! But something tells me that this is not the latest and not the most powerful experiment from Square, something tells me that they will still amaze us with something bold and interesting, so:
A small plot for Picasso “The Gordian knot woven into a tapestry”: 9 out of 10.

Complexity

Low – the game is simple and completing it is not difficult. Walk quickly and easily. The volume of the game is average or below average.
Medium – the game is very balanced and game process very pleasant. With proper persistence, you can go through it quickly enough. If there is insufficient persistence, it can be deleted forever, or started over again. Even if the puzzles cause difficulties, the way out is literally in a couple of seconds or minutes, simple and painless. The most enjoyable difficulty level for gamers.
High – the game is big, literally and figuratively. The walk is long and hard. The gameplay is sometimes very annoying and drives you crazy. The puzzles are difficult and sometimes take days to solve. It takes from 2 weeks to months to complete the game.
I spent a long time choosing between these three categories. It’s very difficult to decide, because on the one hand, it’s basically possible to complete it simply and quickly by making a huge number of passes in quests, but on the other hand, the gameplay is a lot of fun, most of the quests are completed at an average difficulty level, but! On the third hand, and among them sometimes there are those that you can sit on for a day. Therefore, I decided to evaluate this moment as a percentage. According to my vision, Low is approximately 30%, Medium is 60%, and High is 10%.

Written By : Dea the Nanman

Legend of Mana
* Adviсe.
* When on the menu screen, enter the equip menu. Select the item at your discretion, select the status of the item, click the button X twice. The Name Creatio Screen will appear and you can enter the name of this item.
* Most often, monster eggs appear in the places where you fought bosses and when you enter the area where you recently fought a boss, you will see that there are no monster eggs there. Leave this room and return after a while. It will probably appear there. When you find such an egg, don’t stop there, find on the map the places where you most often encountered bosses, and place some food in each place. Unfortunately, you can only have 5 servings of this food at a time.
* As the game progresses, your characters will often find themselves short of funds (lucre). In this case, you need to go to SSBucaneer. Once you are there, go down to the lower deck, go through the next door at the bottom of the screen and you will find yourself on the forecastle, i.e. in the bow cockpit. Here and in the next room you will find the so-called Polter Box. These are boxes that are very reminiscent of treasure chests. Here you can often find three very valuable crystals at once. Sun and Moon crystals can be sold for 750 Lucre each. And the red-hot crystal (Glow crystal) is even more expensive - for 1000 lucre. You can enter and exit the cockpit as many times as necessary. If you haven't made it to SSBucaneer, then go to the 2nd floor of the Bone Fortress and fight the dragon master Kid Dragon. He will drop Dargon Steek, which costs 1000 lucre. In addition, it will drop Dragon Breath, which is very useful for tempering swords, and can be sold for 300 lucre.
* To return to the select screen, press the buttons simultaneously Start + Select + R1 + R2 + L1 + L2.
* When fighting bosses, pay close attention to how they attack. Most often, if you follow this advice, you will be able to dodge their attacks. Try to fully use your abilities and special techniques. You can pause during combat to see the enemy's level.
*After you complete the 5th adventure The Lost Princess, Pink Boink will be able to teleport you to a new place - Mekiv Caverns. There are a lot of enemies here, and you can easily earn a large number of experience points.
* When you are in Bejeweled City, enter the room where you will find a diamond. Now you can enter and exit this room, and each time you will find a boss, for defeating whom you will receive 900 experience points.
* Experienced players Those who manage to successfully complete the game automatically turn on the game again and get a choice of two options: high EXP mode (Nightmare Mode) - a very difficult, simply nightmare mode in difficulty, or an easier low EXP Mode (Normal Mode).
* When trying to catch a monster egg, approach it as slowly as possible so as not to scare it. Put some food in front of him, he will start eating it, and you wait until he falls asleep and then you will catch him. Most often, eggs can be found in places where you fought bosses, or where bosses should be. In addition, in these places you can find various elements, coins, etc.
*Special Techniques.
Special techniques are actually very powerful techniques. They are not at all easy to use, but if you manage to do this, the enemy will have a hard time. These techniques can only be used when the Power Bar is flashing. This indicator is located just below the HP indicator, and its level rises when you attack enemies or use special abilities in battle.
* Synchro Effects.
This is an additional bonus for fighting with friends. When you find yourself near your comrade in arms, lightning flashes between your Gems. You'll see this next to your HP meter as a percentage (%). This means that the synchro effect is activated. It helps you restore your HP level, and if you stand next to each other more often, almost shoulder to shoulder, you will constantly raise your HP level.
* Secret sword.
Remember the game SaGa Frontier 2 on the same memory card that you use when playing Legend of Mana. Enter the Save Screen, highlight the SaGa Fortress file, then exit this screen, now go to the Bone Fortress, go to the bridge where you fought the Death Bringer, and you will see two skeletons. Approach them, fight DeathBringer 2, and for your victory you will receive the most powerful sword from SaGa games Frontier 2. .
*Get Chocobo.
To get Chocobo and make him your pet and comrade, write down the memorized Final game Fantasy VIII to the same memory card that you use in the game Legend Of Mana. Enter the Save Screen, highlight the file Final Fantasy VIII, exit this screen, you can find a bird egg in the eastern section of Domina, and then hatch a Chocobo from it.
* Get the Fastest Wheel.
Complete the quest "Catchin Lilipeas" in the Chocobo Racing game, write it to the memory card you are using in the Legend Of Mana game, then enter the Save Screen, highlight the Chocobo Racing file, exit this screen. Head to Polpota Harbor. You will see Skippy on the map screen. A big strange creature with huge ears, which you probably met in quests such as Catchin Lilipeas and Huntin" Du" cat. He will give you an item in the form of a wheel called Fastest Wheel.
* Minigame Shadow Zero.
Successfully complete the following quests in "Jewel hunter": The Lost Princess, The Flame of Hope, Drowned Dreams, The Looking-Glass Tower, The Lucky Clover, Cosmo, Two Pearls, Alexandrite, Flourite and Tear Drop Crystal). Then, when these events are completed, go to the bar in Domina on Salamander day. Here you will see Shadow Zero standing at the counter, talk to him and play a mini-game.
* Minigame Land Warreg.
Make sure that the "9 lands" are clearly visible on the world map. It will resemble a slightly inclined tic-tac-toe board. Then hold down the L1 button for about 4 seconds and the starting screen for the Warreg Land minigame will appear.
* A new game with some additions (New Game + feature).
Successfully complete the game, then then load the game that is next to the music symbol and get a new option (New Game " + " feature). Thanks to this, you will be able to save your old level, items, features and all kinds of tools, and when you start in your own house, go to the studio (in the room located downstairs near the stairs), where you will find an encyclopedia and you can find a forgotten volume (Forbidden Tome).
* While on the menu screen, enter the equip menu, select the item as you wish, then select the status of the item, press the button X twice on that item and the Name Creation Screen will appear, where you can rename the item by entering a name of your choice.
* Items with meaning.
If during the game you discover that the financial capabilities of your character (Lucre) are very small, go to SS Bucaneer. Once you're there, go down to the lower deck and enter the first door at the bottom of the screen. You will find yourself on the forecastle. Here and in the next room you will meet "special" enemies (Poltar Box enemies). They resemble chests in which treasures are often stored. These enemies, when you defeat them, leave behind various very valuable crystals.
Sun crystal and Moon crystal can be sold for 750 Lucre, and Glow crystal can even be sold for 1000 Lucre. Go into the room, deal with the enemy, then leave the room, and when you return back, the enemies will be in place. Repeat this procedure as many times as you like until you feel like you have restored your balance of payments. If for some reason you cannot get on this ship, then go to the second floor of the fortress (Bone Fortress) and fight the Kid Dragon. He will also drop special item Dragon Steak, which costs 1000 Lucre. In addition, it will drop Dragon Breath, which will be very useful for customizing swords, and can be sold for 300 Lucre.
* Duel between two players.
If you want to duel your buddy, go to Geo, go to the highest point, enter the building, go past Sotherbee and straight into the basement. Go down as far as you can and talk to Garlic Guy. Now you can fight either with your friend or with an NPC.
* Monster eggs.
Most often, monster eggs appear in places where you fought bosses. If you enter a recent battle area and there is no monster egg there, then leave that team, come back, and they will probably appear there. Sometimes you will have to log in 2-3 times, but this should not upset you. When you find an egg, remember this place, monsters may appear here often, so it is advisable to leave a few pieces of meat to lure them. Please note that you can only leave 5 pieces of food at a time.
* Mystic Power Cards.
Mystic Power Cards work best if you use three of them at a time. One card (Cleric Card) has even a slight negative effect on your attack power, while three cards greatly increase it. The God of War Card only slightly increases your power when used, while three such cards increase your power by 10 points.
* Weapon attacks.
Weapon Plunge Attacks can be modified in a very interesting way. For example, the Sun Crystals Card will change your plunge attacks to the Sunlight attack, which, although it deals fairly average damage to enemies, is extremely effective against the Undead. Some items allow you to change the power of damage dealt (from medium to huge). Remember the game before you experiment, as you may end up with unsatisfactory results. But when the experiment is successful, remember it and use it in the future.