Seiken Densetsu 4 1UP First Look

ESRB Rating: Rating Pending  Genre: RPG

Back in the Super Nintendo days, RPGs were just starting to take off in the U.S. and apart from Final Fantasy, Square's Secret of Mana was perhaps the best-regarded of the bunch. Here was a game that incorporated three-player co-op play within the confines of a traditional RPG setting -- and somehow made it work without seeming gimmicky. The impressive art didn't hurt it either. Since then, there have been a number of other games in the series, but none that have had the same impact as Secret of Mana (which was technically the second game in the Japanese series -- also known as Seiken Densetsu 2).

After a SNES sequel that never made its way to the U.S. and a PlayStation spin-off called Legend of Mana that came and went rather quietly, Square Enix has a plan to revive the the Mana series. Key to this are the games Children of Mana (a 2D RPG for the Nintendo DS) and the game we're here to discuss, Seiken Densetsu 4. Neither has been announced for the U.S. market at this point, but both look promising.

The two main characters for Seiken Densetsu 4 are Eldy and Rytzia. Eldy, a lively sixteen year old boy, lives in the Village of the Tree, but his origins are shrouded in mystery. Rytzia is his childhood friend, who also happens to serve as the maiden of the Village of the Tree. Seiken Densetsu 4 is actually a prequel to the rest of the series, but we don't know much about the story beyond that. One key story element in Secret of Mana was a 'great war' which left the world in shambles -- it's likely that Seiken Densetsu 4 will shed some light on this event.

This installment is the first to break out of the 2D realm, and the player can explore a fully three-dimensional world. One noticeable difference from the previous Mana series includes a radar in the top right corner of the screen to facilitate the hunt for enemies in the 3D world.

On the production side, it's worth noting that Masato Kato, who worked on scenarios for Xenogears, Chrono Trigger, and Chrono Cross, has taken on the scenario writing for Seiken Densetsu 4. While he may be new to the Mana games, his legacy is well-regarded and we are hoping for another solid tale this time out.

With any luck, Seiken Densetsu 4 will make its way to the U.S. and help revive interest in the once-popular Mana series on these shores, but we'll have to wait for an announcement before we know anything for certain.