Sorry, I disagree. Secret of Mana feels closer to mid tier than high tier games in terms of its spritework.
Secret of Mana Remake gets 30/40 from Famitsu
- Thread starter Wise
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Sorry, I disagree. Secret of Mana feels closer to mid tier than high tier games in terms of its spritework.
Maybe my thinking is rooted too much at the time, it just just seemed like such a leap over Square's previous SNES games and more indicative of what followed. I still think it looks great.
Never looked great right from the start tbh. Not that famitsu scores are any indication how the game is tbf.
It doesn't look bad, but I also don't think the remake looks bad either. I have zero nostalgic ties to this game. The first time I played it was about a decade ago via emulator.
What? Secret of Mana is known for it's high quality spritework.
Same with secret densetsu 3.
Tales of destiny and star ocean are arguably better.
Watching the footage, this remake really is just the original game with a audiovisual sidegrade. The combat mechanics are almost entirely untouched.
EDIT: Okay. I'm noticing a few significant changes. Chobin Hoods can now fire their arrows diagonally. That'll make the Witch's Forest a bit more difficult.
Yeah the hitboxes seem better.
The improvement to running is also nice, though it looks like walking is slower. The walking speed in the SNES version was pretty fast.
EDIT: Okay. I'm noticing a few significant changes. Chobin Hoods can now fire their arrows diagonally. That'll make the Witch's Forest a bit more difficult.
Yeah the hitboxes seem better.
The improvement to running is also nice, though it looks like walking is slower. The walking speed in the SNES version was pretty fast.
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Sidegrade? That's a great way to describe it actually. The hitboxes have been improved though and you can run/dash freely around the entire map now.
The remake looks like ass, but I doubt that's the reason for the medium score.
I replayed the game two months ago after decades and tbh, it's pretty much a mid-tier game. Might be an unpopular opinion around enthusiasts, but nostalgia surely is strong in this one. The only thing that saves the game is the combat system. That being said, 30/40 is a rather fair score by Famitsu.
I replayed the game two months ago after decades and tbh, it's pretty much a mid-tier game. Might be an unpopular opinion around enthusiasts, but nostalgia surely is strong in this one. The only thing that saves the game is the combat system. That being said, 30/40 is a rather fair score by Famitsu.
Was the localization touched up at all? I know it was kind of haphazard when it was released over here originally.
Didn't stop me from playing it dozens of times, but just trying to find some positives for this.
Edit: Ugh. Watched the youtube linked earlier. Primm's hair seems HUGE, these models are way too angular and I feel like the music when they're outside of Gaia's Navel is pitch shifted down a note(around 1:15:00 in the video). Can we please just get a decent Mana game, why are we made to suffer all of this garbage lol.
I wanted to buy it to support the series, but I just don't think I'm going to.
Didn't stop me from playing it dozens of times, but just trying to find some positives for this.
Edit: Ugh. Watched the youtube linked earlier. Primm's hair seems HUGE, these models are way too angular and I feel like the music when they're outside of Gaia's Navel is pitch shifted down a note(around 1:15:00 in the video). Can we please just get a decent Mana game, why are we made to suffer all of this garbage lol.
I wanted to buy it to support the series, but I just don't think I'm going to.
So this doesn't have any kind of online coop right?
Cause if not then i can understand the score cause the game only got good when played with others that control these completely braindead AI controlled party members.
Cause if not then i can understand the score cause the game only got good when played with others that control these completely braindead AI controlled party members.
It's also a game from 93!What? Secret of Mana is known for it's high quality spritework.
Same with secret densetsu 3.
Tales of destiny and star ocean are arguably better.
SD3 is 95
ToS is 97 and Star Ocean is 96!
There were 2 big strength for SoM on release and that was music and graphics.
So the gameplay looks just as slow, boring and clunky as the original. But then again Adventures of Mana was the same. Gameplay is not this series' strong suit.
Eh, I thought it was a fast game. Seiken Densetsu 3 is even slower due to the different combo system.
One weird thing I noticed is that when you strike a downed enemy, it seems to take 1-2 seconds for them to animate being hit and the damage to pop up. Was it always like that?
Yes, it's because programmingwise the game is still a turn-based system, so the enemy's turn has to finish before the "being hit" action is executed.
Yes.
I think the remake might be a little bit slower, but that was one of the quirkier aspects of the original.
.
Too much of a SoM fan to pass up... If only to rediscover my fav game of all time in 3d, as mediocre its execution is.
But boi oh boi am I gonna ReShade the SHIT out of this.
But boi oh boi am I gonna ReShade the SHIT out of this.
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Hey you, I hear you're looking for mana games, step into this dark alley and let me show you the best "mana" game, Secret of Evermore.
i actually own this one, a friend of mine "didn't liked it" and sold it to me for $3
Yea, everybody saying "might as well play the original instead" are probably technically right, but I've played the original so many times at this point that I'm happy for any new treatment given to one of my favorites of all time. The changes between the original in this one are pretty inoffensive across the board, if not outright welcome. Compare this to the slew of cheap cash-in cell phone ports Square has put on PC of the rest of their back catalog (see: all the older Final Fantasy games) and this remake looks so, so much better in comparison. No janky looking UI. No egregious looking updated sprites. Even if this remake doesn't have a super high budget either, it seems way more lovingly crafted than some of that stuff and I'm happy for it.
Also just on a personal level I *NEED* this thing to do well. There's a resurgence of Mana in Square's consciousness right now, the likes of which we haven't seen in over a decade and I'm going to cry actual tears if the bits of it we do get in the west do badly enough to prevent more of it from coming here. We're SO close to getting a localized version of SD3 over here you guys... That alone should light a fire under every Mana fan's ass to support this effort. I preodered my first game since maybe 2003 last week. That's how much I care about this damn franchise.
Also just on a personal level I *NEED* this thing to do well. There's a resurgence of Mana in Square's consciousness right now, the likes of which we haven't seen in over a decade and I'm going to cry actual tears if the bits of it we do get in the west do badly enough to prevent more of it from coming here. We're SO close to getting a localized version of SD3 over here you guys... That alone should light a fire under every Mana fan's ass to support this effort. I preodered my first game since maybe 2003 last week. That's how much I care about this damn franchise.
I played the original on my SNES Classic last fall. 18 hours (a sizeable chunk of it being grinding for the sake of grinding) well spent. Can't wait ta do it all over again in this much nicer looking version of the game. Any word on if ally AI is less prone to getting stuck/lost?
Damn this game is giving me a hard time. I cancelled my preorder but I also want to play it. The remake do look shitty and good at the same time. I call it Yin and Yang Densetsu.
But what's up with the english dub from hell? These dudes sound like I play one of the first videogames with voicework. It's really bad in a way it's hard to describe for me. Any way to turn off the voices or switch to the japanese ones? Is there even a japanese dub available since the mouth of the characters isn't moving at all. Maybe it was a decision by Square Enix West to include them.
But what's up with the english dub from hell? These dudes sound like I play one of the first videogames with voicework. It's really bad in a way it's hard to describe for me. Any way to turn off the voices or switch to the japanese ones? Is there even a japanese dub available since the mouth of the characters isn't moving at all. Maybe it was a decision by Square Enix West to include them.
Yes JP dialog is an option, as is toggle to the original SNES soundtrack!
Not sure if there's an option to turn the voices off entirely, but if there is that's the way I'm going to play it. I didn't think the JP voices were that good either.
LiQuid!
Thanks for the info. That actually sold me. Of course I prefer the japanese voices, but wasn't sure they included them. If the english dub was the only dub available, well, it is a reason to search for an option where I can turn it off. I ordered the game again at another retailer, already paid it so I can change back thousands of time and saved 5 another five bucks and will receive this silly costume DLC.
Thanks for the info. That actually sold me. Of course I prefer the japanese voices, but wasn't sure they included them. If the english dub was the only dub available, well, it is a reason to search for an option where I can turn it off. I ordered the game again at another retailer, already paid it so I can change back thousands of time and saved 5 another five bucks and will receive this silly costume DLC.
I just watched the gameplay video of someone who got a copy early.
Hooooooo boy the new music and voice acting is absolute hot garbage. I have no idea who messed around with the music, but never would I have expected it to turn out quite like that. It feels like a mish-mash of instruments randomly brought in at different parts of some songs and for no reason. There are some songs I don't even recognize anymore (and I used to play SoM all the time when I was younger). It's very jarring.
Thankfully you can switch to the SNES music. But still......what a complete and utter disappointment. I was hoping for a great remastered soundtrack (something akin to the Seiken Densetsu 25th Anniversary Orchestra Concert soundtrack) but oh man I can't get over how bad the new music is. Don't even get me started on the voices.
Hooooooo boy the new music and voice acting is absolute hot garbage. I have no idea who messed around with the music, but never would I have expected it to turn out quite like that. It feels like a mish-mash of instruments randomly brought in at different parts of some songs and for no reason. There are some songs I don't even recognize anymore (and I used to play SoM all the time when I was younger). It's very jarring.
Thankfully you can switch to the SNES music. But still......what a complete and utter disappointment. I was hoping for a great remastered soundtrack (something akin to the Seiken Densetsu 25th Anniversary Orchestra Concert soundtrack) but oh man I can't get over how bad the new music is. Don't even get me started on the voices.
That might be the lowest score for a main Square Enix RPG game ever. The only recent lower score for a SE game in general I can think of is the 29 that Minna de Wai Wai Spelunker got back in April. But that was not a big release and was a $50 port of a F2P game.
Yeah, the new music is really, really bad. A big disappointment since they did such a great job with Adventures of Mana. They obviously didn't have the budget to go full orchestral (which the music cries out for) but doubling down on the synth just makes it sound cheap. At least throw a few live instruments in there!
My hopes were never high for this remake anyways. The art style is so generic and lifeless. I'm a big Secret of Mana fan too, but I couldn't be less interested in this, unfortunately.
Oh I absolutely agree. This is the perfect game for a full orchestral soundtrack. Here's an example of the terrible music:
Distant Thunder in the remake: https://youtu.be/AGThIpR8b9s?t=1h1m59s
Distant Thunder in the original SNES version: https://youtu.be/mGK3usiX31s?t=11m32s
I LITERALLY can't listen to the remake version of the song. It's grating to my ears.
well, that's a bit reassuring (even if that might be why it got scored this way, haha)
Heh. The original composer for Secret of Mana...is the composer for the remake, or at least, had a helping hand in remaking it.
http://www.mymbuzz.com/2017/11/20/secret-of-mana-remake-interview-sequel-series/
But how about 'gameplay is king'?
Besides the change of artstyle and graphics, it's essentially the same game, right?
Besides the change of artstyle and graphics, it's essentially the same game, right?
Oh maaaaan. Now I'm even more disappointed.
EDIT: Yeah, I'm curious what "helping" means in this case.
From what I can tell, yes, with added quality of life enhancements like having at least two hot keys and better hit boxes. Here's the thing about the better hit boxes: it looks like it makes the game even easier than it already was in the original. In the original, you had to contend with some pretty shitty hit boxes - one of the reasons why charged weapon skills kinda suck due to them missing like 90% of the time - but in the remake, weapons have higher ranges and the hit boxes actually look like they work as intended.
Haven't seen the early players try and abuse magic yet (or they don't know/remember) via chain casting. Curious to see if that can still be done.