Dawn of Mana
Dawn of Mana
Sorti le 21 décembre 2006 sur PlayStation 2, Dawn of Mana est développé par la division Product Development Division 8 de Square Enix, qui en assure également l'édition. Ce jeu de rôle d'action se présente comme une préquelle explorant les origines de la série Secret of Mana, notamment la genèse de l'Arbre de Mana et de l'Épée de Mana. L'intrigue se déroule sur l'île d'Illusia, jadis idyllique, où l'Arbre de Mana s'est asséché et pétrifié, appelant un jeune guerrier à la rescousse pour contrer une menace imminente.
Pour la première fois dans l'histoire de la franchise, l'aventure se déploie dans un monde entièrement en trois dimensions, offrant des environnements interactifs allant de plaines majestueuses à des montagnes imposantes. Le système de combat se déroule en temps réel et autorise une grande liberté de mouvement : le protagoniste peut sauter, trancher au sabre, tirer des projectiles et utiliser un fouet capable de s'accrocher aux éléments du décor, introduisant une dimension physique et acrobatique aux affrontements.
Côté réception, le titre affiche une note agrégée de 37,50, reflétant un accueil critique partagé. La presse spécialisée a souligné des qualités distinctes : Play Magazine a salué un action-aventure frais, porté par l'exploration, la plateforme, les énigmes et une approche basée sur la physique. À l'inverse, PSM3 Magazine UK a trouvé le jeu visuellement magnifique mais a pointé du doigt une focalisation obsessionnelle sur le combat, source d'autant d'irritation que d'excitation. Du côté des joueurs, les retours évoquent un système de combat rappelant Kingdom Hearts avec la possibilité de détruire l'environnement, tandis que d'autres y voient une expérience valant le détour, portée par la nostalgie et les souvenirs liés à ce spin-off de la série. Compter environ quinze heures et demie pour boucler l'histoire principale.
Médias
Avis des critiques et joueurs
Critiques de la Presse (Metacritic)
« Generally speaking, if you like exploration, platforming, physics-based action and a good puzzle, this is as fresh an action-adventure as you're going to find, and the character designs are nothing short of perfection. [June 2007, p.79] »
« Looks gorgeous, but the obsessive focus on combat can be as irritating as it is exciting. [Aug 2007, p.76] »
« It may not be the follow-up that fans of the Mana franchise have been hoping for, but cool visuals and an interesting story elevate it above the level of an everyday mindless button-masher. [May 2007, p.87] »
« This all goes to show that eye candy and excellent music mean nothing if everything else is weak. »
« Dawn of Mana has several things going for it that are good - a solid story, a quick and easy to learn melee attack system, graphics that please the senses, a score to please the soul, and voice acting that doesn't cause you ears to bleed - quite a few in the grand scheme of things. »
« Dawn of Mana isn't a complete failure as a game, it's just not what most people were hoping for from a proper 3D update. The concepts here were novel, but the execution of the main game still leaves something to be desired. »
« Dawn of Mana tries to bring something fresh and interesting but fails to recapture the magic of the classic that lit up our old Super NES consoles. »
« Picture a surfer being tossed into a vicious undertow--that uncontrollable motion is how fighting through Dawn of Mana feels. [June 2007, p.82] »
Avis des Joueurs (Metacritic)
« Combat reminded me a bit of Kingdom Hearts. However you can move and destroy the environment. »
« worth it and glad to play this game again. so much memories and nostalgia within this spin off game in the series. »
« The games' main gimmick (I believe) is the destructible environment. That is what hooked 10-year old me into the game, but I remember being stuck at the boss at chapter 2, and that was what made me put the controller down. After finishing this game 9 years later, here's what I have to say: The story is good, about what you would expect from Square Enix. The soundtrack is amazing, also what you would expect from Square Enix, but that's about it in terms of pros. I've always felt mildly infuriated playing this game. The tight controls, the bouncy physics, the stiff jumping, the awfully bad camera, there was always something I was complaining about, and all of the bad elements of this game are greatly expressed in the final chapter. I was frustrated enough to where I wanted to put down the controller and stop playing, but the story always made me want to know what happens next, and I was ultimately determined to finish this game, and when I did finish the game, I felt so relieved that it was finally over. So basically, gameplay is alright, but I'll be listening to that soundtrack a lot. »
« The problems with this game are the terrible controls, and the awful camera, the graphics are ok, the sound effects are ok, but the voice acting is terrible, and the story is crappy, and to top it all off it has a flawed leveling up system which can make this a pain, this is one I would recommend avoiding. »
