Across 17 titles in over 30 years, the Mana series has sold over nine million units (which includes digital downloads) worldwide. The last major release was 2020’s Trials of Mana, a remake of the Super Famicom classic, which sold over one million copies as of February 2021.

Visions of Mana will launch for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC and promises the “highest volume of content” in the series, per producer Masaru Oyamada (though the overall playtime can change depending on the player’s pace). Though a release date is still pending, the team is currently in the “middle of optimizing the final game.” Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months.

PS5 players can look forward to Hardspace: Shipbreaker, while PS4 players gain access to LEGO City Undercover, Just Cause 3, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun and Surviving the Aftermath.

PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers can look forward to four classic titles. Rally Cross and Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace are playable on PS4 and PS5, with both titles released on the PS1. Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection, Legend of Mana and Secret of Mana (the 2018 remake) are playable on PS4.

Thanks to backwards compatibility, all PS4 titles will also be playable on PS5. As for PS Plus Essential subscribers, check out the latest offerings here (which includes A Plague Tale: Requiem).

Square Enix has a host of RPG titles that were once quite prominent that they haven’t utilized in a good while. Star Ocean is one, though it is getting a remaster soon, and another is the Mana series. It seems, though, that it’s possible we could be seeing it in some form soon, if a trademark filed by Square Enix is anything to go by.

As found by Nintendo World Report, the company filed a trademark for something called Collection of Mana with the European Union Intellectual Property Office. There was a collection released for the Switch in 2017 with three games. It contained the first game, Seiken Densetsu (which was localized originally as Final Fantasy Adventure outside Japan), Secret of Mana, and the never localized third game in the series, Seiken Densetsu 3. It’s possible this could be in relation to a localized version of that, or an entirely different collection.

Mana is a fantasy RPG series that started on the original Game Boy and has spanned multiple consoles and generations, with the last original title being released in 2007, though it has seen several remakes and re-releases since then.

Cue the announcement of Radical Fish Games’ CrossCode for the Nintendo Switch and an overly loud, excited expletive on my part. In a positive way, of course.

When I first picked up CrossCode on Steam Early Access in 2016, I only knew what I read. An action RPG akin to Secret of Mana and Terranigma (both which I hadn’t really played). An homage, a journey back to a more innocent time, which many indie tend to promise. I had traversed the dangerous reaches of Celeste Mountain, attempting to piece together a girl’s broken psyche. The journey of a father and son across numerous Norse realms, the fires of family tested, still remained a notable achievement in story-telling. There were also giant monsters and Elder Dragons who were proudly conquered. For me, CrossCode was an altogether different experience – that of traversing worlds with a close group of friends, laughing, arguing and ultimately uniting for the sake of friendship.

"So the real question is: Why is CrossCode so darn good? What helps it stand above and beyond so many titles, even among its inspirations which remain classics to this day?"

One would think that more contemporary titles would make a game so long in development seem diluted or – at best – old-fashioned at launch. When a developer sticks to a vision like this, it can stand on its own for a long, long time. CrossCode released in September 2018 for PC and is on its way to the Nintendo Switch later this year. So the real question is: Why is CrossCode so darn good? What helps it stand above and beyond so many titles, even among its inspirations which remain classics to this day? If nothing else, what can you expect if – and really, when – you pick up the Switch version?

For all its hype, CrossCode starts out in a typical yet strange fashion. You’re Shizuka, a Spheromancer rushing through what seems to be a traditional Japanese estate to stop her brother, Satoshi, before he passes on. Satoshi is a programmer who’s working on something important – all sense reason has pretty much gone out the window at this point. By the time she finally reaches him, it’s too late. But what happened? What were all those creatures trying to fight Shizuka? What were those powers she just used? Was this set in the future?

That question is, of course, not answered immediately. The perspective then shifts to Lea, an amnesiac Spheromancer who awakens inside the M.S. Solar with the inability to speak. She meets Sergey, someone who with a lot of knowledge about her predicament (and also apparently part of the game’s staff). She’s able to eke out a few words like “Hi” and eventually “Lea”. As it turns out, Lea is logged into CrossWorlds, a game that blends the persistent online environment of an MMO with virtual reality. Of course, Lea’s predicament isn’t that of your average player.

What was life like before logging in? Who is she? Why can’t she speak? Whether playing the game will trigger her memories or not, Lea works with Sergey to eventually discover her identity. Thus the journey begins to CrossCentral, the teleportation hub of the world, and then to the Track of the Ancients to gather the four elements.

"CrossCode nails both world design from a 16-bit action RPG perspective and the perspective of an MMO, becoming a meta-commentary by the simple handling of its premise."

The utter simplicity of the intro doesn’t quite do justice to the layers of intrigue underneath. You get the impression that the people on the M.S. Solar know Lea from before. Also, who was the mysterious avatar that attacked Lea on the ship, especially since the Solar is outside of the main playground? The plot shifts towards Lea actually being a character in the game’s world, playing alongside other people’s avatars and completing dungeons. But story is progressing simultaneously through flashbacks, strange occurrences and whatnot, threatening to overwhelm our hero at a moment’s notice.

To say anything more would be to spoil some of CrossCode‘s best moments. Besides, this a story you’re best left to take in at a comfortable pace, spending time with its characters and ironically forgetting yourself in the world of CrossWorlds. The world design is utterly impeccable in this regard, channeling the 2D aesthetic of old-school role-playing games with seemingly little effort at all. CrossWorlds slowly opens up, introducing you to the simplistic tutorial dungeon before venturing into the first major town, Rookie Harbor.

What’s impressive about CrossCode‘s world design is that, for all intents and purposes, it’s acknowledging and yet leveraging the limitation of NPC conversations. Within the context of a video game, seeing all these characters would make for a more immersive experience. The limitations make sense to us – some NPCs have monotone shades in conversation screens or throwaway/cliche dialogue (like the hard-boiled cop not being impressed by Lea’s designation as a Seeker) – because this isn’t a big-budget MMO. However, when you think about it, this is more or less how things are presented in an MMO. There are throwaway NPC characters who simply exist to dole out quests and whose existences are forgotten the second you move away. Their dialogue and characterization usually is cliched. CrossCode nails both world design from a 16-bit action RPG perspective and the perspective of an MMO, becoming a meta-commentary by the simple handling of its premise.

"The writing of CrossCode does an excellent job of capturing that pseudo-social vibe of an MMO that’s so poorly constructed through many a shared world shooter’s trailer."

Don’t worry though because this is a single-player game and many NPCs, even if they are just quest-givers or bystanders in the world, can make an impression on you (and even remain a mystery till now like Ketin D’Kar). Then there’s the main cast whose characterization succeeds in drawing you further in. It starts with Emilie, a PentaFist who marks herself as Lea’s rival but more in the dungeon-conquering sense. She’s actually just happy to have someone to play with, even if Lea seems like the best listener in the world. The spiky green-haired Apollo makes his presence known soon enough, coming off as your standard MMO elitist that knows everything about the Spheromancer class. Apollo challenges Lea on several occasions to duels because he believes her to be a cheater. Over time – and with the introduction of Joern, who seems endlessly exasperated with his comrade’s shenanigans – Apollo comes across as someone who’s fairly straight-laced and eager to do what’s right. Even if he’s really annoying in the process.

From there, we’re introduced to a whole range of characters from the biology-obsessed Toby “C’tron” Tremblay and the carefree Lukas “Schneider” Fink to the motherly Linda “Hlin” Palmer and the reserved Albert “Beowulf” Grumpesto. Some of these characters will be your party members, fighting alongside you, but they’ll all eventually become Lea’s friends. In true MMO-fashion, you can call upon characters for advice or invite them to your party for some adventuring. They all have lives beyond the game though, whether it’s Emilie’s schoolwork being affected by the game or the camaraderie that Joern and Apollo share in reality.

The communication further reinforces that vibe of traveling with friends. Emilie will make observations about the various enemies you face, from killer bunnies to sentient evil snowmen, while C’tron comments about the flora and fauna of specific places. Schneider is oddly level-headed in serious circumstances while Apollo reveals himself to not be as stuck-up as one might imagine. Allies will call out when knocked down, compliment your escalating performance (when they’re not wondering if you need a break) and generally exclaim enthusiastically.

The writing of CrossCode does an excellent job of capturing that pseudo-social vibe of an MMO that’s so poorly constructed through many a shared world shooter’s trailer. However, its writing and gameplay systems convey the strong bonds between its characters, humanizing them in a universe that feels fake (and questions what it means to be human).

"CrossCode‘s movement is quick and responsive and forms a great basis for its combat."

CrossCode‘s gameplay can be broken up into three fundamentals – parkour, combat and puzzles. The movement in the game is very simple – there is certain terrain that Lea and friends can jump onto if it’s not too high. Navigating through environments and finding the right path to get where you need to go is key and this is woven into the exploration. At times, you’ll receive quests to parkour from a starting point to the finish while hitting the appropriate markers along the way. Secrets can be discovered by scaling up to certain places, slotting into the basic gameplay tenet of rewarding you for your hard work when figuring out the right path (crazy, I know). Parkour also becomes important when exploring the different elemental dungeons and even during boss battles.

CrossCode‘s movement is quick and responsive and forms a great basis for its combat. When playing on keyboard and mouse, it’s possible to string together combos at close range. However, back off a bit and the Left Mouse Button can be used to take aim. Aim properly and you’ll unleash more powerful shots. Fire like mad and it might help to quickly eliminate smaller enemies in close-to-mid range but lacks in damage and accuracy. You can also dash and block attacks, with Perfect Blocks negating all damage. Combine these together and it’s possible to seamlessly hop into battles and wreck shop.

There’s even a Ranking system which incentivizes you to keep beating down foes in consecutive order. The more enemies you defeat at a faster rate, the higher your rating. This rewards more XP and rare crafting materials. There’s a definite risk versus reward though because you heal outside of combat. The longer you stay in combat, the better the rewards but there’s also the risk of dying. Or at the very least, you could find yourself wasting healing items to keep pace.

While there have been complaints about the combat being repetitive in the early going, CrossCode opens up fairly quickly. Firstly, its enemy design breaks up your typical “dash in and beat down” tactics. Some enemies like Hedgehags start spinning up, taking reduced damage and immediately homing in on you (this can be dodged though). Others may continuously run away and attack from range, thus causing you to take aim from a distance. Many enemies have stagger phases. As they glow up red and prepare for a powerful attack, you can stun them for a few seconds with a charged projectile and attack unhindered. Setting your teammates to defensive stances also helps to bait out attacks and follow up with some combos.

"I could go on and on about all the things that make CrossCode great. The different guilds with their own quests and leaders that you’ll return to on and off. The shocking twists. The raid."

And hoo boy, the combos you can pull off. Elements play a key role in CrossCode‘s gameplay. Besides exploiting elemental weaknesses, they can be used to pull off powerful special moves akin to fighting game combos. Have you ever wanted to counter an enemy’s attack and then leap back to fire a searing? How about charging up an electrical storm? Elements are incredibly valuable but they can also cause Elemental Overload with heavier usage. You’re hence motivated to switch back to regular attacks, reduce the Overload build-up and then switch back to continue fighting. Even cooler is the fact that every Element has its own passive and active skills so you could essentially stick to certain Elements for their damage resistance while switching to others for more raw power. With skills for powered dashes and counters, long-range attacks, crowd-control and healing, there’s a ton of variety to be had.

However, Combat isn’t everything in CrossCode. If anything, the toughest challenges come from the puzzles. They combine all of the above aspects – combat, movement, Elements and platforming – into a wide array of baffling situations. Make no mistake – some of the most difficult puzzles I’ve seen in any game lie in wait. Switching Elements midway, manipulating slow-moving projectiles to trigger gates, freezing water to form ice blocks to ricochet off of and melting the same ice blocks to allow projectiles to pass – that only scratches the surface of the nuance in CrossCode. Every “dungeon” has its own unique design, layout and elemental requirements, not to mention multiple levels and hooks. Some dungeons require powering up beacons. Others require redirecting energy. Again, don’t expect them to be easy in any way.

I could go on and on about all the things that make CrossCode great. The different guilds with their own quests and leaders that you’ll return to on and off. The shocking twists. The raid. The character development and resolve of Lea, a protagonist who has such a limited speech and yet still fights to convey her emotions. The commentary on MMOs and themes of human rights and understanding. The mystery accompanying the excellently paced narrative that constantly engages you. The massive amount of side content that isn’t repetitive or mandatory to complete but can offer great gear for free. A range of powerful loot that opens up after all the dungeons are complete and which can be acquired by making previous areas tougher.

"If nothing else, CrossCode proves that a game made with this much love and effort can resonate with its player-base, becoming a modern classic in the process."

The only thing that I could see people taking issue with is CrossCode‘s art-style. Though I loved it and every bit of detail that went into it, I could see it not gelling with everyone. That being said, the soundtrack is simply excellent at capturing that 16-bit era, SNES-style of retro nostalgia while still being contemporary. It’s incredible to think that all of this was put together in HTML5 or that it’s available at such a low price. And there’s more on the way. A Boss Rush mode, Arena and New Game Plus along with a post-game story episode are all in development. Additional quests have also been added with The Last Minute Heroes Guild having recently opened up.

Even without all those extensive updates, CrossCode stands firm in so many different ways. It’s a compelling story told well with memorable characters. It’s a retro tour de force in terms of visual and musical production. It’s an easy-to-get-into, tough-to-master action RPG with stellar combat and heaps of customization. It pays homage to the genre’s greats like Terranigma while doing its own thing (and doing it very, very well). If you’re on the fence about CrossCode, it’s well worth checking out on PC and when it inevitably comes to Switch. You simply won’t find an overhead Secret of Mana-esque action RPG of this quality for a long time. The memories of those journeys and the revelations discovered together still stand out after all this time. If nothing else, CrossCode proves that a game made with this much love and effort can resonate with its player-base, becoming a modern classic in the process.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

To me, the term “indie” developer is equal parts counter-culture and unfettered creative vision. However, they are not on a different level from triple-A studios – really, the only things that separate them are bigger budgets and more marketing. Just like indie games are not by virtue worse than triple-A titles because of the lack of money, so too are they not superior because of their unique ideas (which come down to proper execution at the end of the day). I’m not a fan of the “triple-A” or “indie” moniker when it comes down to great games. Because great games, at the end of the day, are great games. And 2018, for all its typical franchises, has seen a lot of great games.

"Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year."

Let’s start with January. It was a cold, dark month, punctuated by the impending release of Monster Hunter World. For me, the month was important for two reasons – Cellar Door Games’ Full Metal Furies and Konjak’s Iconoclasts. The former, obviously, is due to the developer’s amazing Rogue Legacy. Full Metal Furies has been in development for a long time and while its beat ’em up mechanics were decent, the overall gameplay and structure felt a bit wanting. It came and went but thankfully, the same didn’t apply to Iconoclasts. This years-in-development action platformer from Joakim Sandberg culminated in a colourful adventure with a deep story, lovable characters and excellent boss fights. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch as well, making it the perfect title to have on the go.

However, between these titles and Unknown Worlds’ Subnautica finally leaving Steam Early Access amid much fanfare (rightly so given how excellently the development was handled), there was Celeste. Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year. It overtook a number of other indie titles by coming to the Nintendo Switch at launch but otherwise, it was a great game in every aspect regardless of the platform.

Mechanically, the platforming and variety in level design was compelling, fresh and organically challenging at every turn. The music and visuals were suitably retro but embodied a surrealistic flavour that felt unmistakably contemporary. I would give the most credit to composer Lena Raine for the sheer perfection that her soundtrack serves in setting the mood but everyone who worked on the game, from the artists and programmers to Thorson as designer and director, deserves the highest praise.

Even as Monster Hunter World was setting records and stealing many players’ hearts, Celeste was already my personal Game of the Year.

"Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach."

Surprisingly, February felt uneventful in comparison. Aegis Defenders from GUTS Department had a certain appeal to its gameplay with the mix of tower defense and 2D platforming but ultimately remained a niche title. February was mostly the month that numerous titles like SteamWorld Dig, Owlboy, Night in the Woods, Layers of Fear: Legacy, Outlast and much more released on the Nintendo Switch. The Nindies program was starting to pick up momentum.

Meanwhile, EA’s Fe was probably the biggest new indie release of the month simply based on the EA Originals label. Was it really exceptional? Did it push any boundaries, especially after January’s cavalcade of great releases? Not really but it was a solid title from the studio behind Stick It To The Man and the upcoming Ghost Giant. Moss was the other big title, simply due to the pedigree of its developer Polyarc (whose team had worked on titles like Guild Wars 2, Halo: Reach, Red Dead Redemption and Dragon Age).

Whether it was the instantly recognizable protagonist Quill or simply being one of the best VR titles ever made, Moss ably established its presence. There was also Where The Water Tastes Like Wine that sadly was proclaimed as a commercial disaster by the developer. Nevertheless, its gorgeous art-direction and strong cast, intermixed with interactive stories, was a welcome offering. An offering that will hopefully receive more appreciation down the line.

Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach. FTL: Faster Than Light developer Subset Games took a semi-rogue-like approach into the turn-based strategy genre, evoking an aesthetic similar to Advance Wars with intriguing gameplay and squad possibilities. The procedurally generated nature of maps, scaling difficulty and challenge completion required for new units ensured multiple playthroughs. But it was the deceptively simple yet complex gameplay that cemented it as one of the year’s best. There was just something so sweet about knocking an enemy unit into another while their attack kills a third. The ripple effect that this would have on surrounding buildings and other enemies was also worth watching out for at all times.

"Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well."

The scene started picking up again with all kinds of releases in March. Evoland developer Shiro Games returned with a completely different offering in Northgard. The strategy title focused on settlement building and exploration, as players managed resources and set out to conquer the immense campaign. Despite the strong critical acclaim, Northgard didn’t get too much appreciation but saw a number of updates to extend its life.

Other standout releases that didn’t get too much attention include Ghost of A Tale, a stealth fantasy game focused on a mouse named Tilo as he explores the history of a strange, anthropomorphic inhabitated kingdom; Q.U.B.E. 2, a puzzler in first person that involves the manipulation of cubes while one navigates an immense maze to survive; and of course, Hazelight Games’ A Way Out. Published under the EA Originals label and hyped up thanks to the antics of creator Josef Fares, A Way Out imbibed the couch co-op experience with a compelling story and gameplay situations. Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well. It crossed 1 million units sold in just two weeks.

April started earnestly enough with Minit. The game focuses on a mystery but much like Half-Minute Hero, a limited time period is provided to accomplish solve it. In between these sixty-second lives, players gather items that are shared across different lifetimes and advance forward (ideally). Though Minit handled its concept well, it was ultimately overshadowed by Harebrained Schemes’ BattleTech and 11 bit Studios’ Frostpunk, not to mention Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice finally coming to Xbox One.

In terms of heavyweights, that’s a pretty solid list. BattleTech became quite successful and Harebrained was acquired by Paradox Interactive. The developer announced future updates and more content (the recently revealed Flashpoint is the first paid expansion). Frostpunk, meanwhile, has been releasing free updates and quality of life changes besides prepping a new scenario for release later this year. Whether it was a tactical turn-based strategy with mech-building and customization or city-management with survival elements and an aspect of humanity, PC players weren’t wanting for unique experiences in April.

"Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale."

Of course, there was also Pizza Titan Ultra, an action platformer which featured giant mechs rampaging through cities to deliver pizzas. Why? Because of course, the mech owners ran a pizzeria! It’s crazy and bizarre but combines the over-top style of Crazy Taxi with the destructible landscape of Blast Corps. It’s nuts and yet extremely endearing.

In May, the flow of indies picked up. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale. The addition of piracy, ship combat and exploration made it a fun romp even if, like the first game, the writing could be less than quaint. Titles like Omensight and Wizard of Legend also rose to prominence. The former was developed by Spearhead Games of Stories: The Path of Destinies fame. It saw players reliving the same day in Urralia, attempting to solve a murder to reverse the land’s destruction. Time manipulation, hack and slash combat and the ability to influence key characters all created a unique experience (plus the art-style was pretty good looking).

Wizard of Legend took a more straightforward rogue-like approach. Players explored a fixed number of dungeons with procedurally generated elements but the real hook was developing and combining magical spells together. Combat was fast, and the number of spells and items helped provide enough variety for a few repeat playthroughs.

Then there was Moonlighter, a much-anticipated pixel-art dungeon crawler that combined the combat of Zelda with the item shop management of Recettear. While its shopkeeping elements didn’t feel as dynamic, Moonlighter still had an enjoyable loop of combat, upgrading, dungeon looting and selling that was insanely addictive. Did we also mention the art looks simply gorgeous? It’s since been updated with over a hundred new rooms, various quality of life improvements and more interesting twists to the item store.

"July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT."

Other titles that stood out in May include City of Brass, a first person rogue-like themed on Arabian Nights where players must venture into a dangerous city for the promise of treasure; FAR: Lone Sails, a linear adventure game where players embark on a sea-faring adventure of mystery, braving hazards and attempting to keep their ship going; and Yoku’s Island Express, a charming side-scrolling platformer that incorporates pinball into its core gameplay. Seriously though, if nothing else, try out Yoku’s Island Express. It’s a ball (I know, I’m sorry).

June and July were relatively quiet, though E3 2018 saw a number of titles either announced or outright released. Unravel Two debuted at EA Play 2018 and while it wasn’t as intriguing as Sea of Solitude (which is out in 2019), the sheer charm of the first game was unique. Plus, there was co-op this time. EA further surprised us by releasing the game as soon as it was announced because…well, why not? Nintendo followed suit. It released the Switch port of Team Cherry’s acclaimed Hollow Knight during its Direct presentation. Hollow Knight has since gone on to fame and fortune, selling over 1 million copies since first launching for PC last year.

Dontnod’s Vampyr was the other big indie release for June. While it seemingly flew under the radar, only slightly buoyed by reviews that praised the story but criticized for its combat, it managed to sell 450,000 units in a manner of weeks. July’s releases were pretty straightforward – This is the Police 2 released and alienated a few fans, though its shift towards a more XCOM-style tactical game wasn’t terrible. Chasm finally released after years in development and while it wasn’t bad, it did average slightly higher than “okay”. At least its 2D art maintained its appeal after so many years.

Honestly, though, July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT. The latter technically wasn’t a new game but a large update, overhauling a number of features, adding new ones like co-op multiplayer (and PvP for the more violent-minded folk), and significantly improving the visuals. It did mark the game’s debut for Xbox One but perhaps the most significant development was Hello Games co-founder Sean Murray finally speaking out and admitting to the numerous problems at launch. The commitment to keep improving the game, especially with weekly events, continues.

"Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences."

We hence come to August which saw the incredible Dead Cells finally leave Steam Early Access and become a fairly big hit with critics. I’ve waxed eloquent about how brilliant the game is, nailing its core gameplay loop thanks to a striking yet organic aesthetic. And really, it’s tons of fun to kill stuff in that game. No joke.

Guacamelee! 2 wasn’t a revolutionary leap over the sequel but it’s still an excellent follow-up, celebrating Mexican culture and folklore while embodying the very best of Metroidvania gameplay. Death’s Gambit, a 2D Souls-like, also released after numerous years in development. While I personally had a few qualms with it, the combat is fun and challenging to engage with as are the boss battles. Overcooked! 2 brought a whole new meaning to hating your friends with its cooking-based missions (and that odd design choice of only the hosting player receiving progress should be fixed by now). Even Donut County, a game where you control a whole that’s swallowing things up and increasing in size, looks bizarrely fun.

Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences. For as much hype as there was for Iconoclasts, Celeste simply came out of nowhere and became known as one of the very best games ever made. Likewise, with August coming to an end (as of this time of writing), Sabotage Studio’s The Messenger has released and proven itself to be an excellent homage to the old-school Ninja Gaiden.

Even without the direct comparison, it’s still proven to be a fantastic 2D action platformer. For The King, IronOak Games’ tabletop roguelike RPG, was also pretty good and despite leaving Early Access with very little fanfare, it’s been well-received by both critics and regular fans. The same goes for Event Horizon’s Tower of Time, a more story-centric RPG dungeon crawler with some compelling combat and decent story-telling.

"Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number."

Though the Fall and Holiday seasons are known for their triple-A releases, there are a few awesome indie games to look forward to. InExile’s The Bard’s Tale 4: Barrows Deep will arrive on September 18th, introducing a new generation to the dungeon crawling, RPG excitement that permeated old-school titles. Secret of Mana-style action RPG CrossCode will also finally release, exiting Steam Early Access on September 20th, and I couldn’t be more excited about finally playing the game through from start to finish. A number of titles like This War of Mine, Hyper Light Drifter, Everspace, Beat Cop, Moonlighter and much more will also be making their way to the Nintendo Switch, which has proven to be a premier destination for indie titles. Just ask anyone still addicted to Dead Cells on the go.

Frozen Synapse 2 is also probably still coming this year. It’s really hard to say at this point.

The industry has seen its ups and downs throughout the years. Whether it’s last year’s hefty push for loot boxes and reinforcing essential gameplay elements with loot boxes, or the constant nagging about the Battle Royale genre this year, there will always be some kind of pervasive cynicism. That doesn’t mean that some great games – even those seemingly “ruined” by microtransactions – aren’t available to indulge in but that’s beside the point. Through all the twists we’ve seen the industry take, the indie development scene continues to push forward. It may not always be easy or lead to returns as exemplified by Zeboyd Games (Cosmic Star Heroine) or Infinite Fall (Night in the Woods). Some developers like Hello Games may be forever marred by their past failures. Others may be defined more by their explosive personalities than their actual work like Josef Fares.

At the end of the day, the market has proven receptive to indie games and fresh experiences in general. Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Secret of Mana was originally released back  in 1993 and was praised for its plot, real-time battle system, music and a lot more. A remake of the original was announced  back in August 2017  and the game is finally out. In this game, you can play as three different characters including a hero, a girl, and a sprite. Each character has their own unique strengths and weaknesses, and you can play any one at a particular time.

The game also supports co-op so it’s a good option to play through with a friend. The game features a somewhat traditional fantasy setting and story but where it really shines is its gameplay. The game’s real-time battle system is truly a breath of fresh air and it holds up well even today. There’s also a lot of complex systems to master, dungeons to explore, and questing to do. This walkthrough should help you if you’re ever in need of some guidance.

Square Enix’s Secret of Mana remake was let down by quite a few bugs and errors when it finally launched earlier this month- thankfully, it seems like the newest update for the game, update 1.02, is going to resolve a few of these.

Update 1.02 seeks primarily to address the alarming frequency with which you got application errors when playing the game, as well as the various minor bugs and glitches that plagued the experience (you can see which ones by seeing the full list for yourself below). That apart, the new update also some new updates to the Ring Command menu, including character icons so you know which character you are accessing it with.

Secret of Mana launched earlier this month on the PS4, PS Vita, and PC. A remake of the classic adventure, it seems to have been well received by those with a thirst for classic role-playing game adventures.

• Fixed the frequency of application errors
• Fixed characters teleporting to maps that are blacked out
• Fixed character coloration staying altered
• Fixed an issue where half the screen would turn black
• Fixed an issue where party characters would revive with zero HP
• Fixed conversations not ending on certain maps
• Fixed clipping issues on maps with two floors
• Fixed issues of enemies stopping upon using certain attack and magic combinations
• Fixed how the bow works when fighting certain monsters

[Translation via Siliconera]

Square Enix is no stranger to this conundrum: over the last few years, the company has ported and remastered titles ranging from Final Fantasy to Kingdom Hearts. Secret of Mana’s remake, though, is a bit more surprising. While the game is inarguably a stone cold SNES classic that appeared most recently on the SNES Classic, the series as a whole isn’t particularly well-known, having sold only 6 million copies through 12 games, many of which received a middling critical reception. Secret of Mana is the exception here, making it even more important that Square Enix get this right, and while their dedication to preserving the nature of the original game is admirable, there are also some missed opportunities.

"It’s a simple premise, granted, but it’s easy get involved in because of how damn charming the cast and game world are. This is the kind of world where many of the enemies are absurdly cute and you actively feel bad for killing them."

Secret of Mana is the story of a boy named Randi, who is separated from his friends in the woods. To get home, he’ll need a weapon, so he pulls a rusted old sword from a nearby rock. Turns out that it’s not just any rusted old sword – it’s the Mana Sword, and pulling it out of its stone upsets the magical balance of the land. Monsters, an evil empire, and even an apocalyptic dragon threaten to destroy the world unless Randi can find the mystical Mana Seeds, restore the power of his sword, and do the whole “save the world” thing that was pretty ubiquitous in 90s JRPGs.

It’s a simple premise, granted, but it’s easy get involved in because of how damn charming the cast and game world are. This is the kind of world where many of the enemies are absurdly cute and you actively feel bad for killing them. This sense of charm is aided by a revised script that irons out the flaws of the original translation and adds new scenes between Randi and your other two party members – a princess named Primm and a sprite named Popoi – whenever you stop at an inn. These conversations help flesh out these characters, and add to the story’s charm.

The biggest change, of course, are the new visuals, which update the original sprites into 2.5D models. While it’s always saddening to lose good sprite work, the new visuals are lovely – think the best work from one of Square’s better Final Fantasy ports, only better. The world is bright and colorful and peppered with details and the character models are great. The game even includes the original bitmap as a mini-map in a nice nod to the original release. But there are some inconsistencies, too. The remake adds voice acting, and it’s actually pretty good, but the characters’ mouths don’t move when they talk. This is particularly jarring when it becomes increasingly obvious that the only time you see their mouths are in cutscenes. In a game with this many cutscenes and this much voice acting, it’s a jarring omission that feels cheap at best and lazy at worst. The way the characters “enter” the cannons that allows you to fast travel is equally lazy. Like in the original game, they simply move behind the cannon. While a visual trick like that works with sprites, it’s actively strange to watch with 2.5D models.

"Each swing of a weapon depletes your character’s stamina, which recharges after each attack. Attacking with less than 100% energy reduces your damage and your chance to hit, so it’s often better to run around and allow your characters to recharge between attacks."

The other big change is the new music. The entire soundtrack has been remixed, mostly to positive effect. In many cases, the advanced instrumentation works just as well, or better, than the original soundtrack. But there’s some questionable decisions here, too, usually involving an overuse of accordions. The most egregious example is in the song Into the Thick of It, where the accordions were somehow chosen to replace flutes. Thankfully, you can switch between the original and remastered soundtracks from the menu if the feeling that you’re stuck on a merry-go-round begins to overwhelm you.

Beyond that, Secret of Mana is largely the same game as is was in 1993. The combat is simple and takes place in real time. You can swap between any of the three characters at will, and each one can wield any of the game’s eight weapons. Each swing of a weapon depletes your character’s stamina, which recharges after each attack. Attacking with less than 100% energy reduces your damage and your chance to hit, so it’s often better to run around and allow your characters to recharge between attacks. There’s also magic, which can hit your or your enemies so long as you or they are in range, but magic points are a limited resource and items that recharge it are costly, so you’ll likely save it until the moments where you really, really need it.

The system is engaging, despite its simplicity, and becomes more fun if you play the game in co-op, which supports up to three people locally (there is, unfortunately and bizarrely, no online co-op). This has two benefits: first, it makes the ring menus, which use the color of your cursor (and nothing else) to show whose menu you’re in at any given time, easier to navigate. Second, it solves the issues inherent in the game’s AI which isn’t particularly smart (the original Grid System that allowed you to determine how passive or aggressive you’d like them to be is gone, replaced with a series of options dictating basic behavior) and has trouble pathing, especially if you decide to run from a fight. Finding your healer stuck fighting a monster half the map away while you’re trying to accomplish something is exceptionally annoying.

"Like most games on the SNES, the original release of Secret of Mana shipped with a detailed manual that explained what items in the store did and a map that showed where cities were in relation to certain landmarks. Unfortunately, none of that information has been put into the actual game."

If there’s one major issue that the remake has that the original has, it’s that it doesn’t give you enough information. Like most games on the SNES, the original release of Secret of Mana shipped with a detailed manual that explained what items in the store did and a map that showed where cities were in relation to certain landmarks. Unfortunately, none of that information has been put into the actual game. This even extends to the armor in the store, since there’s no way to see if what’s available is better or worse than what you have until after you’ve bought it. Often, your best bet is to look at something’s cost, try to remember what you’re wearing, and hope that this new item is better.

And of course, there are still flaws that are carried over from the original game. There is an absurd amount of backtracking in Secret of Mana, especially in the game’s first few hours. You’ll often have to trek across the map to talk to someone you’ve already met, only to be told to return to yet another place that you’ve already been.

None of these problems, however, can keep Secret of Mana down. There’s simply too much charm here to contain; the characters are too likeable, the combat too enjoyable, the world too beautiful and the music too good. It’s true that Square Enix could, and probably should, have done more here to bring Secret of Mana into the modern world, but what’s here is still quite good, as long as you’re willing to put up with a few annoyances here and there. And if nothing else, Randi, Primm, and Popoi are at least worth that.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

One of the more underrated releases coming out of Square Enix in the coming months is its remake for Secret of Mana. Based on the classic SNES title, it features full 3D graphics, voice acting, rearrangements for classic tracks and auto save features. With a planned release for PS4, PS Vita and PC, the obvious question many asked was, “Why not Nintendo Switch?” Playing the game on handheld will already be possible on the PlayStation Vita, for instance.

Speaking to GameSpot during a demo session, producer Masaru Oyamada explained that it was more due to the remake being planned nearly two years ago before the Nintendo Switch was even announced or publicly revealed. “At that point in time, the Switch in itself wasn’t officially or publicly announced, so there wasn’t really much information in terms of the specifications. We weren’t completely sure if we’d be able to do it because we didn’t know that information. And there was always a question of, ‘Is it going to come out or not?’

“Our development progressed in tandem with everything, and so the Switch platform was removed from our targets. That said, once we announced this title around TGS – a couple of people in Japan, but more so among North America and European players – they were requesting a Switch version. So the amount of feedback we received at that point in time was actually quite surprising.”

As always, never say never when it comes to official Switch support. “Looking to the future, figuring out and making considerations for what’s possible or not, we’re definitely open to that.”

Secret of Mana is scheduled to release on February 15th worldwide. Would you like a version for Nintendo Switch? Let us know below.

EA Sports UFC 3

EA Sports UFC 3 is coming and yes, Ultimate Team mode has microtransactions which let you enhance fighters for the best results. For the rest of the experience though, it’s all about submissions, your mat game and conserving your stamina. EA Sports UFC 3 changes its career mode up by implementing G.O.A.T. In this mode, you can make decisions to advance your fighter’s career, engage in social media feuds with others fighters to build your public image and much more. It releases for Xbox One and PS4 on February 2^nd.

Shadow of the Colossus

During the PlayStation 2 era, there was a game that stuck out among the various exclusives – Team ICO’s Shadow of the Colossus. The studio’s first game may have presented a unique artistic vision but Shadow of the Colossus did the same and was also an awesome game. Bluepoint Games is bringing that experience to the PS4 but in a brand new way, remaking the game’s visuals from the ground up with new textures, an enhanced draw distance and oodles more detail. This is still the same classic you remember though – hunt down enormous Colossi with your trusted horse Agro, find out how to defeat them and move on to the next. Shadow of the Colossus is out on February 6^th for PS4 and trust us when we say you won’t want to miss it.

Civilization 6: Rise and Fall

When Firaxis releases expansion packs, it doesn’t mess around. Civilization 6’s first expansion Rise and Fall is the latest example. Releasing on February 8^th, it brings Golden and Dark Ages which occur by meeting or failing certain milestones. The Dark Age implications are intriguing due to the challenges present – overcoming these will bring about a Heroic Age, which offers bonuses far beyond a typical Golden Age. Then there are Loyalty ratings, which can result in Free Cities uncontrolled by any civilization if they drop far enough; alliances between civilizations; Emergencies which involve numerous civilizations taking sides; new units and a new District type; and of course, new civilizations. If that sounds like the rest of your year, then best to wrap up everything right now.

Dynasty Warriors 9

With a new generation comes change. You wouldn’t expect Omega Force’s Dynasty Warriors to follow that path but the Musou developer is going all out to revamp the experience with Dynasty Warriors 9. It introduces an open world rife with main story missions and side quests, a day/night cycle with dynamic weather, weapon crafting and the ability to customize your own hideout. There more than 83 characters to play with revised movesets along with the same large scale battles that fans love. Dynasty Warriors 9 is out on February 13^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC so we’ll see just how far it changes the formula.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Warhorse’s long-in-development and crowd-funded open world action RPG is finally out in February. Kingdom Come: Deliverance takes place in medieval Bohemia and players will essentially lay siege to castles, survive in the open world while performing various deeds and combat different foes using realistic weaponry. It may all sound a bit Witcher-esque but Kingdom Come: Deliverance promises an entirely unique experience with all the grit, grime and guts befitting a medieval war epic. It releases on February 13^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Bayonetta 1 and 2

The bullet witch finally comes to the Nintendo Switch. Bayonetta 3 is still a ways out but in the meantime, we’re getting double-game package Bayonetta 1 and 2. We’ve already seen the graphical enhancements provided by Bayonetta 1 when it released for PC last year – it’s Bayonetta 2 on the Switch which should prove more interesting. If, like many people, you didn’t pick up a Wii U and happened to miss the critically acclaimed sequel, this is the best way to experience it. Plus you receive a portable version of the first game as well. Bayonetta 1 and 2 arrive for the Nintendo Switch on February 16^th.

Fe

Make music, scale giant beasts (without administering the coup de grace a la Shadow of the Colossus) or simply sing to animals in Zoink Studios’ platformer Fe. Published under the EA Originals label, Fe will feature a main quest that’s 7 to 8 hours long but promises a huge world with plenty of secrets. The art direction and unique gameplay mechanics have us interested but will it stand out in this season of excellent indie platformers like Celeste and Iconoclasts? We’ll find out when Fe releases on February 16^th for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.

Secret of Mana

You’ve probably heard of Secret of Mana and what an influence it had on the hack and slash action RPG genre. If you’ve yet to find a game to scratch that itch – and CrossCode’s updates are too slow – then Secret of Mana is worth revisiting for PS4, PS Vita and PC. This version is a full remake with 3D graphics and features full voice work, new arrangements for classic tracks, more AI options for your teammates, mini-maps and an auto save function. Secret of Mana is out on February 15^th and we can’t wait to see how it plays.

Metal Gear Survive

We’ll be perfectly honest – Metal Gear Survive’s open world survival and stealth mechanics combined with zombie crystal things has us bizarrely intrigued. Maybe it’s because this is unlike anything we’ve ever seen from the MGS series. Or maybe there’s something deeper that’s worth looking forward to. It may also be like watching a train wreck in slow motion complete with microtransactions. Would that be a money train wreck then? Either way, Metal Gear Survive releases on February 20^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Check it out if you happen to pick up the other nine games on this list, finish them and don’t have the good sense to play anything else.

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition

If you grew up in the 90s, then real time strategy gaming on the PC was consistently amazing. Command and Conquer: Red Alert, StarCraft, Warcraft 2 – there was no shortage of awesome games to play and Age of Empires was among them. The classic returns on February 20^th as Age of Empires: Definite Edition. Revamped graphics with 4K resolution support, numerous improvements and quality of life features, full online support and a completely redone soundtrack – what more could you want? Aside from remakes of the other games, which are also thankfully in development.