This old school -yet easy to digest- title which brings a good opportunity for everyone to approach classic JRPGs.
"For a remake of a 12-year-old Game Boy game, Sword of Mana does a respectable job of being new and fun."
I know that he didn't really intend to critisize the game but the implications are obvious.
This game is not only as good as any modern RPG but it's an ACTION RPG, it's even ahead of many of the rpgs of today. It has a great gameplay that most RPGs for gba don't and a great -old school- story. Yeah it "relies on cliches" but we have to remember we are talking about a 12 year old game. It's an old classic and as such it must be given a different treatment than most.
As he said it has a straightforward plot, even so it doesn't blend in with other similar games. It's remarkable because even being a remake of a very old game it's still very ahead of it's time in matters of gameplay. Seriously an action RPG in 1991? even in 2003 when the remake came out it was a concept difficult to digest. I hope you understand why I feel this title is severly underrated, I suppose it's one of those games that are only appreciated for those of use who feel more in sync with Japan than anywhere else.
Overall is a pretty great game, as I explained is a must for those who love RPGs. it's also very easy to digest which makes it a great opportunity for those who are reluctant to approach classical JRPGs.