Square Enix are on a roll, taking the older Mana games and updating them in nearly every way. After the well received Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana remakes, the latter bringing Seiken Densetsu 3 to the West for the first time, there’s another Mana game on the horizon. This time it’s Legend of Mana that’s getting an HD remake.
Here’s everything you need to know in advance of the Legend of Mana HD remaster’s release.
What is the original Legend of Mana?
The original Legend of Mana was released in 1999 for the PlayStation. It was an evolution of the previous games in the series, with the same approach top-down perspective and action-based combat, albeit with graphical upgrades for the more powerful system.
The main change from the earlier games came in the world generation and the player’s path through the game. Instead of a set world, you would generate a new set of lands by placing Artifacts on a game map. These Artifacts would have all sorts of effects on the world, from different quests, different layouts, to even the strength of magic in each area being weaker or stronger. It meant that the game had a huge amount of replayability inherent in its design, and with crafting and even a home for your character to live in, there was a lot to play in Legend of Mana.
Legend of Mana HD Remake Release Date & Trailer
The remake is coming to Windows, PlayStation 4, and the Nintendo Switch on the 24th of June, 2021. You can check out the announcement trailer below, showing off the remastered graphics and some of the new features adding in this version:
What’s new for Legend of Mana
Like the previous games before it, this remaster borders on a remake with much of the game receiving an upgrade, with new features and more coming to ensure that almost every aspect of the game is enhanced or improved.
Legend of Mana will feature updated graphics, making this twenty-two year old game look up to date for modern expectations. In addition, new features are being added to the game, many of which are being kept quiet by Square Enix but we know at least one is the option to turn enemies off. This option should make it more accessible to everyone, making it possible for any player to run through areas – especially important if you’re running through an area more than once.
As well as new features, some features previously only available to Legend of Mana owners in Japan are being included. This includes “Ring Ring Land”, a minigame that required use of the PocketStation, a peripheral which never saw a release outside of Japan.
Overall, the Legend of Mana HD remaster looks to be another fitting successor to the incredibly popular Mana series of action RPGs, and we can’t wait to get our hands on it on the 24th of June. Which Mana game is your favourite? Head over to our Community Forum and get talking.
