Secret of Mana

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 129 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 61 out of 129
  2. Mixed: 29 out of 129
  3. Negative: 39 out of 129
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  1. SplitMind
    Apr 5, 2020
    4
    With remakes there comes the opportunity to convert nostalgia into modern-day success without cheaply remaking a near-identical game to the original. Unfortunately, Secret of Mana on the PS4 appears to be latter.
    The graphics are the most noticeable remade feature. They are far from cutting-edge, but their anime style is charming and full of character. The downside is that they are still    With remakes there comes the opportunity to convert nostalgia into modern-day success without cheaply remaking a near-identical game to the original. Unfortunately, Secret of Mana on the PS4 appears to be latter.
    The graphics are the most noticeable remade feature. They are far from cutting-edge, but their anime style is charming and full of character. The downside is that they are still quite minimal; character’s mouths don’t move properly when they talk, and the proliferation of loading screens are a bother, in that going from one room to the next requires a black loading screen, as does entering and leaving every single building. They could have worked to make this more fluid like many modern games.

    The gameplay is where this gets very divisive for me. Each time you swing your weapon there is a little charge bar on your HUD and you’re encouraged to wait until it reaches 100% before swinging again. Failing to do so results in less damage dealt. This is nice in theory, but in practice it slows combat down greatly and builds frustration. Since this makes up a good 80% of the game, if you don’t like it then it’s going to be a massive problem, as it was for me.

    The magic system also has me bewildered, in that just casting two or three spells can often drain my MP, leaving a long stretch until I can get it recharged at the next stop, or a long retreat back to an Inn for a recharge. This seems unbalanced and very monotonous to have to backtrack a lot. The magic was a massive help in counterbalancing the dull combat mechanics, but it falls rather flat instead.

    The enemies are also very strange and unpredictable, in that some of them can wipe you out it just a couple of hits, whilst at other times they will wander around as if you don’t exist even though you’re slaughtering them slowly. Some enemies, particularly bosses, can be very unbalanced and spam a high-damage move randomly, making battles a test of luck as opposed to skill.

    The story and characters are what you’d expect from any JRPG – good, but in this case not outstanding either, which probably is a sign of how old the original game is. It’s a familiar old trop well-established in games like Zelda; visit all the temples and collect all the power needed to wipe out a final boss.

    Unfortunately, this all adds up to make Secret of Mana a rather bland game that sees you tangling with its combat mechanics rather than the game itself. I found myself constantly thinking “hurry up!” as I watched the charge bar reach 100% just so I could swing my sword. This is a common gimmick seen even in SoulsBorne games these days, but it’s not executed well here.

    I got this game because I was eager to play Trials of Mana later this year, however that was a bad choice. Unless you have a very good reason to play Secret of Mana, hold off for Trials of Mana. I’ve played the demo and it seems a lot better. They could have done so much to improve this game but took a lazy and cheap option instead.    … Expand
  2. Kcrik
    Feb 16, 2018
    0
    First of all, I am a massive fan of the SNES game.
    Unfortunately Square proves us they can still easily destroy one of their old IP. The re=orchestrated musics are complete s****, you will end up switching to the original one within a few minutes.
    The english voice acting is real bad. The graphics look like a 5 years old mobile game. The 3d Models are really bad too. As someone else    First of all, I am a massive fan of the SNES game.
    Unfortunately Square proves us they can still easily destroy one of their old IP. The re=orchestrated musics are complete s****, you will end up switching to the original one within a few minutes.

    The english voice acting is real bad. The graphics look like a 5 years old mobile game. The 3d Models are really bad too.

    As someone else said, you can see the budget was really tight, and as much as I do believe did their best probably given this tight budget and most likely 6 months max of dev time overall, the game is still an insult to its original version.

    I won't be buying it because I don't want Square to think they can destroy other SNES games like Chrono Trigger.

    They should have given the game a bigger budget and a proper remake, not this sub-game. This remake will be forgotten quickly.
    I honestly don't understand how any body would give anything above 5/10. I believe many positive critics were bought or made by people who haven't played the original.

    The story is secret of mana, and to be honest, the intro in full 2d is beautiful, but that's the best you will get out of this game.

    Do yourself a favor, get the SNES mini and play the original, or get a normal SNES and buy the game, or get the Switch Japanese compilation of the 3 first games...you'll thank me for that.    … Expand
  3. darclide
    Feb 23, 2018
    0
    Completely ruining what was meant to be a fan service with horrible translations (why not just keep the original texts? There was no reason to update them) and bad voice acting.

    If you loved the original, better buy yourself a SNES mini (or create something with a Raspberry) and enjoy the original instead of buying this, it will ruin your childhood memories.
  4. adrock_12
    Mar 11, 2018
    0
    I love the graphics, though they definitely could have done waaaaaaaaaaaay better, especially with the textures. But the problem with this game is they fixed none of the original games bugs and even added a whole ton of new ones, like your party members stuck on attacking invisible enemies, the game crashing every 30mins (thank god for auto save). One of my favourite RPG's of all timeI love the graphics, though they definitely could have done waaaaaaaaaaaay better, especially with the textures. But the problem with this game is they fixed none of the original games bugs and even added a whole ton of new ones, like your party members stuck on attacking invisible enemies, the game crashing every 30mins (thank god for auto save). One of my favourite RPG's of all time and they absolutely sh*t the bed with this remake. I don't even know why they bothered upgrading the graphics, maybe to cover up all the bugs they added. Thanks a lot Square Soft, Secret of Mana is now my least favourite game of all time. With FFXV and now this crap ...please just stop making games squaresoft… Expand
  5. Altun
    Feb 19, 2018
    4
    Crashes every hour and a half, most likely due to a memory leak. You will notice that the game starts to have slower response to your hits. Combat is great and just like it was in the older game, but the sound track and voice acting are pretty bad. You can definitely tell that they rushed this out as quickly as possible. Not really much quality of life improvements to the game. Also theCrashes every hour and a half, most likely due to a memory leak. You will notice that the game starts to have slower response to your hits. Combat is great and just like it was in the older game, but the sound track and voice acting are pretty bad. You can definitely tell that they rushed this out as quickly as possible. Not really much quality of life improvements to the game. Also the new inn cutscene system is a bit baffling. With the autosave feature, there's a chance that some players will not see any of them. They might've been better off moving a way to see them into the field.

    Also check out Poipois grandpa if you want to see an... interesting voice acting choice.    … Expand
  6. Renzokuken
    Feb 17, 2018
    4
    I didn't play the original SNES game, so I have no nostalgia glasses with which to view this remake though. Although I did go back and have a look at some gameplay just to have something to compare this to. I went into this game expecting an old school action RPG with a bit of polish to bring it up to 2018 standards without sacrificing the core gameplay and mechanics of the original.I didn't play the original SNES game, so I have no nostalgia glasses with which to view this remake though. Although I did go back and have a look at some gameplay just to have something to compare this to. I went into this game expecting an old school action RPG with a bit of polish to bring it up to 2018 standards without sacrificing the core gameplay and mechanics of the original. Unfortunately that polish is not only non-existent but this remake arguably makes the game worse.

    The remake gives a graphical overhaul to the original but is plagued by significant quality of life issues that should have been dealt with in a modern remake. For a PS4 title the graphics look jarringly low quality, even for a budget title. The music is a huge step back fortunately the ability to switch to the original SNES music is present. Normally I wouldn't complain about every single line in game being voice acted, but the voice acting is incredibly low budget and there's no lipsync. The menu's feel clunky and horrible to use, item descriptions that were present in the manual for the original aren't in the game meaning new players have no idea what anything does until they use it. Equipment shops don't show if an item is an upgrade until after you've bought it. Numerous bugs present in the original game such as sound effect issues at the gaia cliffs are back in this remake (for some reason).    … Expand
  7. HandsomeJack30
    Feb 15, 2018
    0
    Great game, terrible remake.

    Sadly, the remake does almost nothing to improve on the aging game play; and the game was made around 1995. There are things like load screens and characters getting stuck on environments that exist just like the original. I was shocked to see I still had to wait to have your team line up before dialog can start and that I still can not see if equipment i    Great game, terrible remake.

    Sadly, the remake does almost nothing to improve on the aging game play; and the game was made around 1995. There are things like load screens and characters getting stuck on environments that exist just like the original. I was shocked to see I still had to wait to have your team line up before dialog can start and that I still can not see if equipment i might want to purchase is any different than what I already have. Even the small glitches (like not being able to see bosses clearly or listening to attack animations from enemies off screen) plague the experience. Each of these game play issues should have been addressed in a remake. I actually like the new music and graphics, but those areas of the original that needed the least amount of effort. I just want to see the remake give this beloved game the TLC it deserves.

    I adore the game, this was just a terrible remake.    … Expand
  8. Ploppy0
    Feb 19, 2018
    3
    It's a shame to make money on people Nostalgia, specially when it ruin our best game memories...
    The game is ugly, the color are washed out, the remix music is beyond amateurish, the 3D engine is barely at the level of 5 years old mobile games !
    I feel betrayed, i feel like Square-Enix just spit to my face while charging me for max money, i loved the 1994 game and as a Fan(and not a    It's a shame to make money on people Nostalgia, specially when it ruin our best game memories...
    The game is ugly, the color are washed out, the remix music is beyond amateurish, the 3D engine is barely at the level of 5 years old mobile games !

    I feel betrayed, i feel like Square-Enix just spit to my face while charging me for max money, i loved the 1994 game and as a Fan(and not a blinded consumer) i will never buy another Square-Enix product.
    You done **** it up!    … Expand
  9. Tounsim
    Feb 19, 2018
    0
    - Are the graphics worthy of a 2018 game? No
    - Is the graphics worthy of a **** 2018 game ? No! (A shame, everything is plated and badly done)
    - Are the graphics worthy of a 1998 game (Dreamcast)? No; 1994 (Playstation)? No; 1991 (Super Nes)? No - Have the musics been reorchestrated correctly? No - Are the animations good? No; Correct? No; Crappy? Oh yeah... - Has the magic of the    - Are the graphics worthy of a 2018 game? No
    - Is the graphics worthy of a **** 2018 game ? No! (A shame, everything is plated and badly done)
    - Are the graphics worthy of a 1998 game (Dreamcast)? No; 1994 (Playstation)? No; 1991 (Super Nes)? No
    - Have the musics been reorchestrated correctly? No
    - Are the animations good? No; Correct? No; Crappy? Oh yeah...
    - Has the magic of the game been kept ? No (it's become ****ty)
    - Given all the previous points, is the scenario well transcribed and allows to (1) understand the importance of it and (2) make the adventure wonderfull? No
    - Did the game deserve a quality remaster to be like an "Uncharted 4" game ? Yes; or at least "Zelda BOW"? Yes

    So, is this a **** remaster? Yes.
    Poor Square Enix...    … Expand
  10. Steignov
    Aug 23, 2020
    0
    Of all my 300-400 games, this game is the biggest pile of crap. Studio should be shut down, all employess blacklisted in the industry. WTF?!
  11. Kratarias
    Sep 2, 2018
    3
    As a diehard fan of the original, i cant help but say im truly disappointed in the game for many reasons. Other than the graphics being improved the game is actually way worse than the SNES version. And i completed the game and actually close to the platinum trophey since its rather easy to get.

    The fighting is extremely inconsistant on all levels. The "misses" in the game are    As a diehard fan of the original, i cant help but say im truly disappointed in the game for many reasons. Other than the graphics being improved the game is actually way worse than the SNES version. And i completed the game and actually close to the platinum trophey since its rather easy to get.

    The fighting is extremely inconsistant on all levels. The "misses" in the game are ridiculous. I have actually tallied up how many hits i get out of 100 regular strikes at full 100 percent power on 10 different occasions. On average it was 42-47 hits leaving me to believe you will miss more than half the time you try and attack. At times i have tallied hits as rare as 1 out of every 7 attempts and that includes powered up strikes that were saved to at least level 3 or level 4. I honestly never waited to get to level 6 or higher with any of the weapons attacks due to the fact that they miss more than 50 percent of the time. Waiting for the powerful attacks at level 5 or higher just meant taking damage with very small chance to actually strike back.

    The next inconsistency is the effect the armor seems to have when upgraded to the max for what ever area youre in. Example: When equipped with the best armor money can buy in the game, (vestguard, needle helm, vambrace) griffen hands hit me for 25-60 hitpoints on average sometimes more depending on if it was a critical hit or not. Then i found a watcher ring which is higher in defense and magic defense by 3 points each. Soon after equipping it griffen hands began destroying me for 130-150 hitpoints with regular attacks consistently. I actually unequipped the watcher ring and put on the vambrace again and the griffen hands only hit me for about 60 or so again. I also experienced the same inconsistency in Kakkara Desert with the chest guard and gold mail. Robin foots killed me quickly with the gold mail.

    The final inconsistency i experienced was how little i would consistantly hit for with my regular attacks. Example: Randi at level 54 with 62 strength and attack power of 105 with the gigas sword equipped, hit steelpions and metal crawlers as low as 5 hitpoints sometimes a "0" would appear over them with full 100% regular attacks. Randi at level 1 with 5 strength and 11 attack power with the rusty sword equipped never once hit that low against the weakest of all enemies, the rabbite. Even kid goblins took more damage from the rusty sword than steepions took from the gigas sword on a consistant basis.

    Considering the fact that this game offers no open world exploration, no real challenging puzzles, and the story moves faster than a sit com, fighting is where the original game was in its purity. Saving your attacks to level 5 and higher to watch how they would decimate every enemy in front of you was the highest point this game has to offer. With the constant misses and inconsistent power behind high levels acquired in both characters and weapons, i feel like the best part of the game is nowhere near as present as it was in the SNES version.

    I would like to dully note that none of the "experiments" i did with the fighting were done until i could acquire shade and use dispel when an enemy boosted their attack or defenses. I figured it was the best way to get accurate data on the "regular" attacks.    … Expand
  12. Zequila
    Jan 4, 2020
    4
    A game with totally broken gameplay, milions of bug and glitches, an awful graphic and unplayable in all of the aspects. One of the worst game ever played...
  13. neko555
    Sep 6, 2021
    2
    Pésimo remake, lleno de Bugs, cuelgues que te sacan del juego, se han cargado completamente el sistema de batalla y ahora se ha vuelto muy aburrido y lleno de fallos, tantos que recibes más castigo que incentivo, y un largo etc que no voy a contar porque no creo que lo merezca si quiera. Es una pena que a un gran juego como es el de snes le hayan hecho esta bazofia.
    Dicen que trials of    Pésimo remake, lleno de Bugs, cuelgues que te sacan del juego, se han cargado completamente el sistema de batalla y ahora se ha vuelto muy aburrido y lleno de fallos, tantos que recibes más castigo que incentivo, y un largo etc que no voy a contar porque no creo que lo merezca si quiera. Es una pena que a un gran juego como es el de snes le hayan hecho esta bazofia.
    Dicen que trials of mana si es un buen remake, ya veremos...    … Expand
  14. LordBarco
    Nov 20, 2021
    3
    SECRET OF MANA REVIEW
    Reviewed on PlayStation 5
    When a beloved franchise is revived but you know that even if you love that game, there are so many elements you hate, you would have expected the developers would only enhance your experience… but unfortunately and regrettably this is a copy/paste of the 1993 game with enhanced visuals which lack any improvements that we needed.    SECRET OF MANA REVIEW
    Reviewed on PlayStation 5

    When a beloved franchise is revived but you know that even if you love that game, there are so many elements you hate, you would have expected the developers would only enhance your experience… but unfortunately and regrettably this is a copy/paste of the 1993 game with enhanced visuals which lack any improvements that we needed.

    SETTING
    In the world of Secret of Mana, filled with high fantasy elements, you will immerse in the role of an unlike trio which is sometimes too funny and cute for the ruthless quest they embark on. You will fight mythical creatures, fight a lot of cute baddies, and travel the world to save it from the clutches of the evil empire seek in finding the long-forsaken Mana fortress.

    MECHANICS
    •Combat:
    I never liked the combat in Secret of Mana almost 30 years back. But I grew to love it as my main character was building up power and the secondary characters were attacking everyone, and as I was ready to unleash my level 8 charged attack, I would expect all of the foes to fall behind with this powerful charged blow…. But wait, no! you get the “miss” instead of a satisfying and gratifying “hit number” above your enemies, and after filling up the attack gauge for almost 2 minutes you realize the game is using an accuracy system which does not care for your current status. I never liked it, but I still played the game, even though I did not enjoy that, I would have loved to see a revamped combat engine in this remaster, but no, the repeated the same obnoxious unrewarding combat experience. At least the magic system was not bad back then, it is not bad now.
    You will repeat this endless cycle as you battle through hordes of foes, and I did not like it at all. Boss battles are good as the visuals enhance the experience, but they do not justify this copy/paste boring gameplay.

    •Exploration:
    Secret of Mana was always too linear and that was not a bad thing. The initial area of the game is the most expansive as you travel from Gaia’s Navel to the city of Pandora. But once you get to travel in the cannon center, you will practically be teleported anywhere and the new areas even though they are somewhat expansive, are short. This is not bad at all, but as a grounded ARPG experience, you do not get to explore to find treasure, for instance, you explore to get from point A to point B. A major flaw of this game is how characters “disappear” when you are in a corner. I mean, the original game was top view, but in this game the top view was replaced by a semi-top view in which your characters are almost all the time not seen and replaced by white marks. Why did they not consider a full 3D approach? Beats me, I did not like this either

    •Menus:
    The ring menu was “original” at the time, and although it has been enhanced with visuals, it is ridiculous how you cannot access your other character actions if they are performing an attack… it is so annoying and frustrating that many times I got beaten by bosses and I thought that the game was broken, but no, it is because the system was done that way! What were they thinking? At least the put on some quick action buttons to access certain items without the need to go to the whole menu

    VISUALS
    The visuals are great, and the characters are enhanced with super cute graphics which sometimes make me feel that I was playing a childish game. I did not like this either! I mean, even in the original game, rabites were super cute, but the main characters were not that cute, but in here, is like if everyone was given a cuter touch to make it fell less appealing to the people who played this game almost 30 years ago. Why did they do this? I cannot say, but nostalgia was not the main reason, as I did not like the main character models… their super cuteness was not well received.
    Enemies are great and retain the same moves as with the original, and animations are now done in 3D, not the infamous sprites of old. I liked the animations and enjoyed the boss battles regardless of the unenhanced and boring combat system.

    SOUND
    The best part of the game is that you can hear the original soundtrack of the game, or the newly enhanced soundtrack. Secret of Mana has one of the best soundtracks of any videogame, and I loved to stroll the fields and sley foes hearing the music in the background.

    FINAL VERDICT:
    My final Verdict is 3.0 for the game.
    This the perfect example of how NOT to recreate a masterpiece of old. Square-Enix has always surprised me with their games, but this was to me, rushed, and not well thought. This game deserved a revamped combat system, as nowadays players do not like to see their attacks missing hits, even charged attacks. The “dice approach” in videogames which was so popularized in PC RPGs is outdated, they should have changed the combat to make it more appealing.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

64
#64 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2018
78
#78 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
63

Mixed or average reviews - based on 59 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 59
  2. Mixed: 45 out of 59
  3. Negative: 6 out of 59
  1. Worth Playing
    Oct 1, 2018
    78
    Despite Secret of Mana's technical blunders, this new version is a faithful re-creation with a lot of reverence for its source material. For those who may have missed out on Secret of Mana the first time around, it also serves as a solid introduction to a classic from the Golden Age. At a time when local co-op is difficult to find on most current-gen consoles, it gives a fresh option for those wanting to play with others. Secret of Mana's remaster offers a magical, vivid tale for the current-gen library.
    Read full review
  2. Eurogamer Italy
    Apr 11, 2018
    60
    Secret of Mana was an outstanding jRPG back in 1993 and this remake is a true love letter to fans. Unfortunately, besides upgraded graphics, a couple of cut-scenes and a brand new local co-op multiplayer, this new release does not add anything really worth to the core experience, and all the weakness of the original title are still there and sometimes they feel even worse.
    Read full review
  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Apr 3, 2018
    80
    The biggest change is the new edition's complete graphical overhaul. [Apr 2018, p.80]
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