Hardcore Droid
  • Home
  • Spotlight
  • Reviews
    • Action
    • Strategy
    • RPGs
  • Most Hardcore
    • Devices
    • Gifts
    • Gadgets
  • About Us
  • Dude where is my beer logo
    Dude, Where Is My Beer? Review
  • online-solitaire-strategy
    Online Solitaire Strategy: How to Improve Your Game and Impress Your Friends
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War 6th anniversary banner
    Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War Celebrates 6th Anniversary with New Mini Game, Events and More
  • Street Brawlers: Tower Defense feature image
    Street Brawlers: Tower Defense Review
  • Android-gaming
    Android Gaming: The Future of Entertainment?
  • Best of the Month feature
    Best Android Games of the Month – May 2023
  • Best Retro Android Games
    Best Retro Android Games
  • B2B Apocalypse load screen
    Bad 2 Bad: Apocalypse Review
  • Honkai: Star Rail Banner 3
    Honkai: Star Rail Review
  • online-backgammon-0
    Online Backgammon: A Brain-Teasing Game That Can Boost Your Mental Health
  • online-solitaire-00
    Five Ways to Play Solitaire Online Just for Fun
  • online-solitaire-22
    Mobile Gaming Phenomena: Unraveling the Latest Trends
  • Raging Bytes RPG android game
    Raging Bytes Launches on Google Play
  • Top-Android-Simulations-0
    The Top Android Simulation Games in 2023
  • apps-vs-browser-00
    Native Mobile Apps vs Browser Apps: Which Is Better?
Hardcore Droid
Hardcore Droid
  • Home
  • News
    • News
    • Spotlight
    • Interviews
    • Consoles
  • Reviews
    • Action
    • Adventure
    • Strategy
    • RPG
    • MMOs
    • Racing
    • Indie
    • Hardware
  • Best Of
    • Top 10 Games
    • Best RPGs
    • Best Action
    • Best Puzzlers
    • Best Strategy
    • Best Indie Strat
    • Best Indie RPGs
    • Most Hardcore
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Game Jobs
    • Archives
    • Attributions
    • Opportunities
  • RPG

Echoes of Mana Review

  • May 16, 2022
  • Daniel DeAngelo
Echoes of Mana header image
Spread the love

Windows to the Past

Square Enix promotes Echoes of Mana as a game for both series veterans and newcomers alike. The first Mana game since 2014, Echoes lets players meet characters from across the series’ long history. And while the game may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s a solid gacha action RPG that works as an excellent introduction to the series.

I should clarify that Echoes of Mana is my first experience with the series. However, if Square Enix hopes it will renew interest in Mana, I can say the action RPG does that effectively.

Heroes of Legend

Echoes of Mana combat

Players take the role of the Mana Swordsman, an amnesiac adventurer in service to the settings mana Goddess. Players choose between a male or female character, with the character they didn’t pick appearing later as a recurring NPC. Echoes of Mana also introduces a few other original characters to fill out the player’s party. However, most are familiar faces recruited via the game’s gacha mechanics.

Every character has a standard attack, two standard Abilities, and a Special Technique. Abilities drain each character’s limited pool of action points. Meanwhile, each standard hit fills up the character’s Special Technique gauge. These Techniques are potent attacks that usually hit multiple enemies at once and often kill weaker enemies with a single strike. The party also shares a single Mega Spirit Magic gauge. Players can tap the icon once the gauge is full to unleash a devastating elemental AOE attack.

Instead of the standard RPG classes, Echoes of Mana characters have an Element and Weapon Type. Each weapon class has a few unique features, such as greater reach from Polearms and Axes having an alternative charged attack. However, two characters may fill different roles while technically carrying the same weapon. Meanwhile, Elements are unusual in that they oppose but do not counter each other. Water, for example, deals additional damage to Fire but also receives it in return.

Combat is quite fun, though managing your party can be difficult. Players can switch between their active party members at any time but can’t command them in battle. Uncontrolled party members attack the nearest enemy and are only mediocre at using their abilities. This works fine with standard engagements but can be a liability during boss fights.

Echoes of Mana boss fight

The Fate of Worlds

After a brief combat tutorial, the player character is whisked away to the realm of the Mana Goddess. She explains that the worlds of the Mana series are disappearing and that she is now too weak to bring them back. However, memories of these lost worlds and people still exist as the fruits of the Mana Tree, which the Goddess personifies. Thus, she sends the player character on a quest to enter these memories and retrieve the legendary Mana Sword. Doing so will restore the Goddess’ fading power to recreate the worlds that were.

This sets up the basic structure of the plot. Players enter a memory of the lost worlds, encountering people and places from various installments in the Mana series. They meet up with returning characters and join them on a short adventure. Repeat as needed until the hero finds the Sword.

The way developer Wright Flyer Studios uses the memories has the side effect of robbing the story chapters of any real connectivity. The player character isn’t searching for the Mana Sword so much as randomly jumping between memories until they find it. The story’s reason is that the player character doesn’t know what each memory contains until they get there, but I didn’t personally find it very satisfying. I suppose it’s a decent excuse to show off bits and pieces of the existing series. However, it contributes to robbing the protagonist of any real agency. This gives the impression they are just along for the ride instead of an active participant in the plot.

Echoes of Mana dialogue

An Easy In

Echoes of Mana also doesn’t have time to show players much about the worlds they are visiting. However, it’s pretty good at characterization and conveying that players are only seeing a small part of a much grander story. At times, the writing can come across as a bit like fan fiction, with established characters instantly befriending the mostly mute protagonist. However, Echoes of Mana at least got me invested enough to consider checking out the series’ earlier games.

In addition to the single-player story, there are a variety of optional quests and even a co-op multiplayer mode. Unfortunately, there was a problem with matchmaking, and I never successfully found a co-op partner.

Ultimately, I think Echoes of Mana succeeds at its primary goals. The game offers returning players an excuse to revisit their favorite characters and is a great entry point for the Mana series. Gameplay is fun and exciting, and the writing is overall pretty good. There are certain things that I think developers could have done better, but it’s still a great mobile action RPG.

Is It Hardcore?
4.5

Yes!

While not perfect, Square Enix and Wright Flyer Studios’ Echoes of Mana is an excellent action RPG and a great introduction to the Mana series.

Related Topics
  • Android Role-Playing Games
  • Free Android Games
Daniel DeAngelo

Hardcore Droid's editor-in-chief, Daniel DeAngelo has been gaming since he was old enough to reach the keyboard and has a Bachelor's Degree in Writing from the University of Tampa.

Previous Article
Disney Mirrorverse Official Game Cover
  • Hardware
  • Miscellaneous
  • News

DISNEY MIRRORVERSE Coming To Android This Summer

  • May 11, 2022
  • James Bell
View Post
Next Article
best-minecraft-texture-packs
  • Most Hardcore

The Best Minecraft Texture Packs

  • May 17, 2022
  • Ajax Moroni
View Post
You May Also Like
Best Retro Android Games
View Post
  • Adventure
  • Best Of
  • RPG

Best Retro Android Games

  • Jack Brassell
  • May 21, 2023
B2B Apocalypse load screen
View Post
  • Adventure
  • Indie
  • Reviews
  • RPG

Bad 2 Bad: Apocalypse Review

  • Mayra Reynoso
  • May 19, 2023
Honkai: Star Rail Banner 3
View Post
  • Reviews
  • RPG

Honkai: Star Rail Review

  • Michael Licon
  • May 19, 2023
Raging Bytes RPG android game
View Post
  • News
  • RPG

Raging Bytes Launches on Google Play

  • Tamanna Chandel
  • May 16, 2023
Albion Online Title Card
View Post
  • Adventure
  • MMOs
  • News
  • RPG

Albion Online Launches Major “Knightfall” Content Patch

  • Allison Van Oirschot
  • May 13, 2023
Witch Arcana title
View Post
  • RPG
  • Strategy

Witch Arcana – Magic School Review

  • Daniel DeAngelo
  • May 8, 2023
View Post
  • News
  • RPG

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Celebrates 5th Anniversary

  • Caleb Jackson
  • May 7, 2023
Play Together feature image
View Post
  • News
  • RPG

Play Together Celebrates Its 2nd Anniversary With Special Event

  • Dave Weber
  • May 7, 2023
The Latest
  • Dude, Where Is My Beer? Review
  • Online Solitaire Strategy: How to Improve Your Game and Impress Your Friends
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War Celebrates 6th Anniversary with New Mini Game, Events and More
  • Street Brawlers: Tower Defense Review
  • Android Gaming: The Future of Entertainment?
  • Best Android Games of the Month – May 2023
  • Best Retro Android Games
  • Bad 2 Bad: Apocalypse Review
  • Honkai: Star Rail Review
  • Online Backgammon: A Brain-Teasing Game That Can Boost Your Mental Health
Meta
  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Hardcore Droid
  • Reviews
  • Spotlight
  • Hardcore
Core Gaming on the Android OS

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

x
x