"Should be called "Legend of Mediocrity""

Well, yet again, Square has destroyed yet another excellent series (Let's not mention Final Fantasy VII or Chrono Cross). I won't delve into the particular reasons of why Square seems to be losing ground, but rather, I will review this mediocre game.

Gameplay: (6/10)

This is one part of the game I am sincerely disappointed with. The fun factor lasts several hours, but the repetitiveness is overwhelming. Why didn't Square give you the ability to flee battles? Chrono Trigger gave you that ability, which allowed the player to backtrack without the annoying hassle of battling enemies you killed just minutes ago. Also, the difficulty is a little, well, non-existence?! Okay, so I've heard people tell me things like, ''Wait until you reach Nightmare or No Future mode. Then, it becomes insane!'' Well, I usually don't purchase and begin games with the mentality of ''Well, okay, I'll simply beat the game once to actually gain the challenge.'' I don't mean to be arrogant, but I completed this game without dying once. I have mediocre skills at videogames as I'm sure most people have. However, I must compliment the controls. The techniques and attacks are not spectacular, but they do the job. Also, movements along the screen are definitely reminiscent of Secret of Mana.

Story: (5/10)

The story is rather simple at best and does not have a central purpose. Collecting from what I have learned, your goal is to collect various artifacts and basically complete various quests. There are no plot twists, no real lengthy character development, and no similarities between Secret of Mana.

Audio/Video: (9/10)

Hah! You thought I was going to be negative and pretentious this entire rant? Nope! Although I grudgingly say it, Legend of Mana has some damn good music and beautiful rendering. The music changes excellently between different towns and situations. Not quite memorable for years, but the sounds make you feel as though you are actually a part of the battle or problem. The graphics are 2D, but I don't really care whether the graphics are 2D or 3D, as long as it is nice to look at and creates a nice setting. Legend of Mana does this extremely well and I have to compliment Square on this.

Replayability: (9/10)

If this game didn't have such poor controls, I would definitely play it again. Legend of Mana has tons of options. Dozens of quests, multiple NPCs, and interesting abilities like forging weapons and golems will keep you wanting to complete EVERYTHING. Also, the New Game + feature will give you the chance to complete quests without having to restart entirely. Also, as I mentioned before, there are hidden difficulties to play if you want more of a challenge. Also, one of the best features, in my opinion, the ability to challenge friends! It is really fun to challenge your Level 50 2H sword master against someone's Level 48 Fighting mistress. Also, you can join with friends to complete quests or have others join in your game as NPCs.

Originality: (7/10)

The ability to create Artifacts is very interesting. The placement of Artifacts affects Mana displacement and various events in the game. Also, you can customize just about anything, from pets to weapons. I do not care for the system of dropping items, gold, and experience on the ground because it will not allow people to build their NPCs on their own and it becomes rather annoying when you lose experience simply because you are battling something else. This should have been avoided. Overall, Legend of Mana is a pretty innovative experience for anyone.

Overall Score- 36/50
Rounded Score- 7.2/10

This rant has been a Darthmage Production.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/11/00, Updated 08/11/00