Secret of Mana is a bonafide 16-bit classic, but if the thought of tracking down a SNES Classic to play it again was giving you cold sweats, Square Enix recently dropped some good news in the form of a full 3D remake. With ten minutes of footage having come out of PAX West, we now have a better look at exactly what shape that remake will take.
Secret of Mana is already one of the best RPGs of all time, but will the remake join the ranks of the best RPGs on PC?
It’s still an energetic and colourful take on action-RPGs, and even if the new 3D work doesn’t quite have the timeless quality of the SNES art, it’s still a super charming look. Despite the changes, the layout of the levels sticks pretty close to the original, as evidenced by the game’s use of the original pixel art for an on-screen minimap.
The game still features its signature three-player co-op, but that option is limited to local players only, which is probably the biggest missed opportunity of this remake. Also confounding is the game’s price, with the Steam page currently taking pre-orders at $39.99 / £29.99 / €39.99. Hey, at least it’s less than the collector’s prices for the SNES cart on eBay.
If the price and lack of online aren’t deal breakers, the remake looks to be a solid update that will be out February 15.