The Dawn of Mana, a.k.a Seiken Densetsu 4 for our Asian comrades, will make its debut for a world wide audience in 2007. The Japanese version, Seiken Densetsu 4, was released on December 21, 2006, and Square Enix is planning some serious Mana for the US this year.  After a long slumber since the last chapter, The Secret of Mana, and a few tries on the Nintendo DS handheld, fans of this glorified 90’s RPG have long awaited the return of the people of Fa’Diel. The Dawn of Mana has experienced a long and adventurous journey to meet us here in 3D and on the Playstation 2 console.
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The Mana series began with the Mana Goddess spreading her love to six Moon Gods. Each Moon would overflow with Mana for her people to enjoy and to live in peace. The planets were comprised of trees, seas, beasts, and flowers for the taking, but in a land so enticing as the Mana Moon’s, the arrogance and spite of the Moon Gods would bring destruction upon the land and its people. Years would past and wars would be fought. To bring an end to this chaos, the Mana Gods would place their Mana essence in the hands of six Flammy beasts for each God. The Flammy then deceived the Moon Gods, and both the Moon Gods and the Flammy would battle for the precious land of Fa’Diel. With the power of Mana on their side, the Moon Gods fought and conquered the Flammy and saved Fa’Diel.
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After the battle there were no sign of the Moon Gods, and Fa’Diel slowly begun to manifest into a new being. The spiritual essence, the only evidence left after the battle between the Flammy and the Moon Gods, began to put its guidance into the Mana Tree which possessed the spirit of the Mana Goddess. The land then began to bring forth fairies and spiritual men and women, and a new dawn unfolded on Fa’Diel. The storyline tells a tale of the Tree, the Sword, and the Goddess of Mana. Throughout the game you will play as Eldy, a mysterious and serene youngster who enjoys the life of his village.  While exploring the world of Fa’Diel you will be greeted by a few fairies that will steer any foe in the other direction with their fairy magic. Eldy will also be accompanied by Ritzia, a priestess who can listen to voices of the earth and guide Eldy away from danger.  Throughout the game Eldy and Ritzia will experience how everyday human beings become engulfed in magic, and use their abilities throughout the world for good. The story will take a turn when the home of Ritzia and Eldy is invaded by a foreign country’s army and must search the land for the people who destroyed his home.
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Weaponry and fighting skills will be a must to battle the foreign armies that have invaded Fa’Diel. With the help of Eldy’s friends, that won’t be a problem. Some of your artillery will include Fairy magic consisting of healing, buffing, and physical attack effects. The fairies will use anything to keep Eldy safe. They can use projectiles weapons which can be shot at targets by using Eldy’s sling shot. Eldy will be in charge of physical attacks and weaponry like the handy whip that can be used as a grappling device. You can use your whip to move, smash open objects, throw things at your enemies, and grab your enemies to launch them into the air for a killer move. You can use a projectile weapon for great precision shooting, a sword, and you can jump on your enemies (double jumps can be used for a massive attack). Also, a handy rock acts as Eldy’s friend and will become very useful throughout the game. You can use rocks to throw at your enemies and for your defense.
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The game will divide into stages that will feature lush environments and graphics that can be considered eye candy. After completing a mission, the board later will be accessible for free play, and deeper into the game you can gain access to a “challenge mode”. The Graphics are looking pretty good and should add a little more for the eye then the previous 2D titles. Falling leaves, swift breezes, and ground movements make the game more interesting and intense for all fans of The Mana series. The game should also features good cinematics and voice features for each character.
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As this world continues to unfold you will find new missions, an in-depth storyline, new characters and killer moves. The Dawn of Mana sounds like another great hit from Square Enix and I know there will be many Mana Gods and Goddesses waiting in line at your local game shop for the return of Mana.