In 1993, Square Enix captured the imaginations of western gamers with its critically acclaimed Mana series starting with the Super Nintendo game, Secret of Mana. On May 22, 2007, more than ten years since the original debuted, the publisher will release its prequel for the PlayStation 2, Dawn of Mana. This gorgeous action RPG combines traditional role-playing elements with quality story telling and hack-and-slash play, delivering an intriguing adventure that'll (hopefully) do the series justice.

In the game, players control Keldy, a 16-year old boy living on the gorgeous island of Illusia, home of the sacred Mana Tree, which, according to legend, created all things. For whatever reason, monsters spring up about the land, and Keldy sets out to stop them using his whip, among other weapons. Throughout the journey, he explores a wondrous, vibrant land teeming with life, thanks to the game's emphasis on nature and creation. Players will enjoy rolling, grassy plains, fluttering butterflies, flowers, sparkling bodies of water and blue skies, all the while battling equally attractive monsters.

Like in most role-playing games, both Keldy and his adversaries contain a limited number of hit points that, once depleted cause the injured character to die. In this case, instead of engaging enemies via turn based combat, like the Final Fantasy series, players repeatedly attack them in real time, frantically button mashing to defeat the game's horrors. This occurs in one of two ways. Players can run up to an enemy, making sure to defend against oncoming attacks, or they can knock objects into the monsters, which causes the creature go into panic mode, rolling around on its back or aimlessly running about. At the same time, a counter appears over their bodies. Players can get in as many hits as they want before time runs out. Not only does this allow them to attack without the threat of retaliation, but they're rewarded by special items that fly from bodies, making panic mode more than just an easy way to win battles.

This proves especially useful when taking out groups of enemies. For example, pushing a boulder down a hill will, once it hits a group of opponents, sending them all into panic mode, giving players a great opportunity to score even more items.

In order to achieve realistic movement, Square Enix used Havok Physics, the same technology found in today's first person shooters. Rocks and other items react as they would in real life, and gamers should enjoy the slick effects produced from flinging items at monsters and firing Keldy's slingshot.

Whether or not this keeps the game interesting remains to be seen. Although the developers put a lot of effort into creating impressive environments and special effects, the constant button mashing may grow repetitive, especially if the game lacks additional modes. The story, however, may save the game play, providing it doesn't offer a rehashing of Japanese RPG staples. Certainly, RPG fans will be familiar with a mysterious boy, a nature loving and equally strange girl, ridiculously cute pets and an all powerful tree.

With that being said, GameDaily will reserve judgment until the final, boxed copy hits the office. Look for the review close to Dawn of Mana's May 22 release.

Related Links

Dawn of Mana

Dawn of Mana Official Site

Square Enix