Review: Children of Mana (NDS)

Sometimes it seems the only thing Square Enix has to do to make even more money is to simply listen to its fans. A remake of Final Fantasy VII here, a Chrono Break there and why not a sequel to Secret of Mana while they're at it? For some reason though, Square Enix does not like this approach and the result is the perpetual state of limbo in which the Seiken Densetsu series (or The World of Mana project as it is now known) resides. Almost twelve years since its European release, fans are still waiting for something that simply is not allowed to exist. Well, if Children of Mana is to be any indication, that is.

Sure, the Rabites are there, so are the Mushbooms. Scarily, there is even a Mana Tree, a Mana Sword, and a follow-up to one of those hyperactive Arabic salesmen from the Super Nintendo instalment. Although he is a mayor and a whole lot more sedate now and goes by the name Moti. But actually, that might exactly describe what is wrong here, because compared to Secret, there is not a lot of classic action going on in Children.

Basically the game is a dungeon-crawling hack 'n slasher. If that has not scared you off, then Gamestyle can only assume you like Blizzard a lot; and with that in mind, the actual structure of Children owes a lot to Diablo and its offspring. Choosing one out of four characters (warrior, archer, mage and whatever a wandering long-eared cat with a hammer tends to be), you start your conquest of dungeons in the rather aptly named Mana Village, receiving quests, sub-quests, and possibly even requests. Next up, you travel to the corresponding dungeon either by foot (the very first time) or by flying a white dragon called Flammie (hoorah!) which you cannot control during flight (boo!). Defeat enemies and maybe even a boss there, return to the Mana Village, stock up on items, configure equipment (which cannot be done during battle) and repeat ad infinitum - literally, as even after completing the main storyline, you are allowed to play on as if that staff-roll capped last bit never happened.

That does not exactly sound all too enticing, and sadly that is correct. But before you realise that, you are probably hours into the game already; because, for all its mundane button-bashing simplicity, it is rather addictive when you start playing it. This is partly due to the well known 'Zen of Grinding' but also to the four available weapons and their impact on gameplay, each one having one or more distinct uses that slowly become apparent. Examples? Well, the sword is excellent for defending yourself against projectiles. While the bow allows you to bridge gaps and defeat enemies safely. The flail can get you out of crowded areas and pick up items and lastly the hammer knocks back enemies making them crash into each other. Coincidentally, that 'crashing into each other' is called the Pain System and is one of the reasons why combat is rather fun in Children. Whenever you send an enemy hurtling, it can bounce off walls, crash into objects or even knock back another enemy which can then do the same. The result is that a single well timed hammer-strike can cause a gigantic domino-effect sometimes rippling throughout the entire dungeon-area (while, more often than not, taking you and your optional multiplayer friends hurtling along for the ride). It is a delightful bit of chaotic fun, but at the same time can be wholly frustrating if enemies use it against you.

Likewise, magic is a bit frustrating. Based upon Secret's octet of elements, you can take one of the associated spirits along to provide an offensive and supportive spell. The problem is that, to actually cast it, you need to hold down the B button for a second to summon the spirit, then you have to wait a few seconds for it to go into an offensive area attack, or touch it within that time frame to receive the supportive effect. This renders offensive magic almost completely redundant, as the delay means deploying them is often too much of a gamble to be really effective. Some of the supportive effects are nice, but Gamestyle quite easily completed the game without ever using magic extensively. Why fiddle around with a well-timed spell if you can just hit enemies more effectively with a sword instead?

And so the magic system more or less damns the game; although there might be four weapons in total, the bottom-line of all of them is hammering the buttons. With nothing to break up the button-mashing, Children turns boring after you have seen all the possible varieties of areas and enemies (you can forget about any touch screen use while you are at it). True, the dungeons themselves have this nice gimmick of separating and hiding each area's exit and its key, but after a while this becomes more of a chore rather than a means to provide much needed variety. And without the ability to save anywhere (only allowing a save every four areas or at the village), you will often think twice before moving on.

The final nail in the proverbial Mana Tree wood coffin is the Gem Frame. Meant to provide a higher level of customisation to your character beyond rudimentary equipment, this little fit-stones-into-shape puzzle only manages to overpower you - Making every enemy, including the bosses, easy to beat and the entire ordeal rather similar and ultimately boring in the process. Which is a real shame as, during the first few hours of play, you think this is going to be the best thing since Secret of Mana. The scary bit being that arguably it is the best thing in the series since Secret of Mana.

Well, until Square Enix starts listening to its fans anyway.

Rating: 5 / 10

Words by Vincent Leeuw