‘Secret of Mana’ Remake is Just Plain Perfect

Alexa Ray Corriea
Games
Games

When friends approach me about wanting to “get into classic JRPGs,” my instant recommendation is 1993 SNES title Secret of Mana. But for many, the unexpressive sprites are a deal-breaker. Something about the lack of detail and the janky movement of the sprites in more dramatic moments is a turn-off for gamers who didn’t grow up with anything more granular than polygons running around their screens. Now, they have no excuse.

A complete 3D remake and faithful re-enactment of the beloved classic, Square Enix’s Secret of Mana remake for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Steam is where I’ll be pointing them from now on. The classic story hasn’t aged a day, and watching it played out in more detailed 3D environments with characters sporting more expressive faces is an absolutely delight.

Same game, stylish new look

Players still navigate the world as they did in the original, an angled top-down view that allows them to view most of the character and the surrounding environment. As hero Randi, players will run around hacking and slashing at random enemies hopping around the environment — such as demonic-yet-cute looking rabbit creatures and not-so-cute more bug-like critters. Story missions have a familiar ending, the ever-welcome boss battle challenge, and afterwards you’re rewarded with a bit more cutscenes and story.

Additionally, the game features some pretty cute voice acting for the first time and an entirely remastered soundtrack. There’s also a multiplayer component that will allow players to team up with three friends sitting in the same room as them, to take on the adventure as a group. While I didn’t get a chance to experience much of the latter, it’s that part that excites me the most about playing Secret of Mana again.

Yes, Secret of Mana, coming in 2018, is narratively and functionally (the pause menu even keeps the whooshing, swirl-in effect) the same as the 1993 original. But it is, admittedly, much prettier, and something those friends of mine who don’t aren’t into playing with sprites have no excuse to avoid. For fans of the classic, this retelling is a brand new visually experience. And for those who have never been privy to the joy and wonder that is Secret of Mana before, now is the perfect time to get on the bandwagon. This kind of heartfelt remake is a great move on Square Enix’s part for fans like me, hungry for more of these classic experiences updated for the more modern era.

Alexa Ray Corriea
Alexa Ray is Fandom's Senior Editor for Games, with a borderline unhealthy interest in Kingdom Hearts (she literally wrote the book on it) and all JRPGs, with a more healthy affinity for the anime. When she's not gaming, she's obsessing over Star Wars, all things Disney, and Taiwanese glove puppets.