Dawn of Mana

 PlayStation 2
Metascore
57

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 27
  3. Negative: 9 out of 27
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  1. GameCritics
    45
    Plunder-by-panic and slippery experience points are intriguing, but these innovations fall flat without solid, bug-free foundations to support them.
  2. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    45
    By axing most of the series' normal role-playing elements, the developers have effectively devolved Dawn of Mana into a linear adventure-platformer. [June 2007, p.90]
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  3. 1UP
    45
    For nearly 14 years, fans in North America have been waiting for a true follow-up to Secret of Mana. After playing through Dawn of Mana, I can safely say this: It appears that wait will be, quite appropriately, never-ending.
  5. Worth Playing
    45
    Nothing in the game works right, the physics are embarrassing, the gameplay is repetitive and boring, and the only bright spot is the cut scenes, which are simply nice window dressing for a shockingly boring plot.
  6. Gaming Age
    42
    On top of losing everything at the beginning of a chapter, the music in most places of the game sounds like really bad shopping music.
  7. Hardcore Gamer
    40
    Dawn of Mana is a hodgepodge of ideas that range from nonsensical to decent, all smooshed together in a failure of a game. [June 2007, p.54]
    All this publication's reviews
  8. GameSpy
    40
    The game is tolerable if you're really into its style, which is decidedly Japanese (both the art direction and the gameplay). If you are new to the Mana series, this is probably a bad introduction.
  9. Digital Entertainment News
    40
    Dawn of Mana is an extremely beautiful game that is irreparably broken both functionally and conceptually. It may look like a dream, but it’s a nightmare to play.
  10. GamesRadar+
    30
    Nostalgic music and consistent art direction can't save a game from crippled controls, a mulish camera, and painfully tiresome reptition. Dawn of Mana is ultimately remarkable only for being such a bitter disappointment.

Awards & Rankings

83
#83 Best PS2 Game of 2007
55
#55 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2007
13
#13 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2007

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 20
  3. Negative: 4 out of 20
  1. LastResource
    Jan 14, 2023
    10
    worth it and glad to play this game again. so much memories and nostalgia within this spin off game in the series.
  2. CrimsonEye
    Jan 16, 2020
    6
    The games' main gimmick (I believe) is the destructible environment. That is what hooked 10-year old me into the game, but I remember beingThe games' main gimmick (I believe) is the destructible environment. That is what hooked 10-year old me into the game, but I remember being stuck at the boss at chapter 2, and that was what made me put the controller down. After finishing this game 9 years later, here's what I have to say: The story is good, about what you would expect from Square Enix. The soundtrack is amazing, also what you would expect from Square Enix, but that's about it in terms of pros. I've always felt mildly infuriated playing this game. The tight controls, the bouncy physics, the stiff jumping, the awfully bad camera, there was always something I was complaining about, and all of the bad elements of this game are greatly expressed in the final chapter. I was frustrated enough to where I wanted to put down the controller and stop playing, but the story always made me want to know what happens next, and I was ultimately determined to finish this game, and when I did finish the game, I felt so relieved that it was finally over.

    So basically, gameplay is alright, but I'll be listening to that soundtrack a lot.    … Full Review »
  3. TheQuietGamer
    Feb 20, 2011
    3
    The problems with this game are the terrible controls, and the awful camera, the graphics are ok, the sound effects are ok, but the voiceThe problems with this game are the terrible controls, and the awful camera, the graphics are ok, the sound effects are ok, but the voice acting is terrible, and the story is crappy, and to top it all off it has a flawed leveling up system which can make this a pain, this is one I would recommend avoiding.… Full Review »
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