UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Echoes of Mana is a side-scrolling action gacha RPG spin-off of the World of Mana series, developed by Wright Flyer Studios (Another Eden, Heaven Burns Red) and published by Square Enix. It was launched worldwide on April 27, 2022.
In a World… where all but a lone sanctuary has disappeared, the Mana Tree it houses, the source of all life, is slowly dying. In an effort to save the world, the Mana Goddess calls forth a youth with no memories - you - to the sanctuary to act as her Mana Swordsman. You're tasked with seeking out the Mana Sword, long lost in the real world, within the "echoes" of the Mana Tree's fruits — fragmented memories of the many worlds and timelines connected to the tree. As such, you delve into these memories, meetings friends and foes alike, as you search for the Mana Sword and knit together the Echoes of Mana...
Echoes is a grand crossover gacha between the Mana games, stitched together to create an original plot to revive the Mana Tree of a distant world. As for gameplay, it is a 2D action RPG that plays like a side-scroller. Players take control of one character among two other AI-controlled members, plus three backup characters you can switch to. Players can attack with various types of weapons that are bound to character variations, and have access to two active skills and an ultimate that are essential to obliterating enemies efficiently. Players also have access to Mega Spirits, which can be called upon by filling the gauge bar with each use of an Ultimate, with the elements of characters that used said Ultimates dictating which element the Mega Spirit summon will be called forth.
The game closed down on May 15, 2023.
Echoes of Mana provides examples of:
- Affably Evil: The Big Bad is perfectly cordial and charming to The Hero, politely bowing out when they decline her We Can Rule Together.
- Amnesiac Hero: The hero and their twin have no memory of their origin due to their world having disappeared.
- Black Knight: The main obstacle in Quilto/Quilta's quest is the Ebon Knight, a man in black armor and masked by his helmet that's trying to thwart their search for the Mana Sword.
- Big Bad: Dema, the evil twin of the Mana Goddess, who covets her godly position to rewrite the multiverse.
- Big Good: The Mana Goddess as usual, directing The Hero in a bid to restore the destroyed multiverse. Though beware of More than Meets the Eye.
- The Cameo: Expect more than 80% of plot relevant characters of every game to drop by at some point. They mostly fight along with the hero, have a chat, or have no role in the plot but serving in the party.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: The hero intervenes in any trouble they see.
- Blainchet the Beastman has it even more strongly.
- Con Artist: Nicco, this game's version of the reoccurring cat merchant character Niko, first appears in Chapter 3 and tries to sell the party a worn-out boat he doesn't even own so they can reach a temple in the middle of a lake. Blainchet stops him before the sale goes through, after which Nicco promises to make fairer deals with the party in the future.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Raxa the scorpion girl only battles the heroes to test their worth, and takes a liking to them after they win, joining the party.
- The Dragon: The Ebon Knight is this to Dema, the Evil Twin of the Mana Goddess.
- Elemental Powers: Each Ally and their variations is attuned to one of eight elements: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, Dark, Moon, and Wood.
- Enemy Mine: The villains' reasoning for joining the party. Julius ponders about brainwashing some of the heroes, but decides against due to the complications.
- Evil Counterpart: Most of the conflict is about good and evil versions of characters.
- The Ebon Knight is an evil counterpart of the hero, as they are both The Champion to their respective Big Good and Big Bad. As the Mana Swordsman to their goddess.
- The Big Bad is this to the Big Good being her twin sister who was chosen to become the new goddess in her stead and coveting her place.
- Larc to Sierra, as in their origin game
- The Crimson Wizard to Framaus.
- Evil Me Scares Me: Framaus is rightly unsettled when meeting the Crimson Wizard, who insists he will turn out the same. What disturbs him the most after witnessing his counterparts' terrific power is that he inwardly admits he could stoop as low to gain it. He choses not to in the end though...
- Evolutionary Levels:
- All allies in the game can raise their rarity to a maximum of 6-stars with use of either special materials or unused Allies of the same rarity, giving access to higher level caps and stats. The number of Allies needed to rank-up depends on the rarity of the raised Ally.
- There's also an Unleash Level that requires special materials or duplicates of the raised Ally to give a minor boost to the level cap while giving new passives to the Ally.
- Greater-Scope Villain: The Big Bad was influenced in her past by a mysterious being who remained in shadows. Surprising no-one, it's Anise, the local Goddess of Evil and Big Bad of the overall series.
- Hello, [Insert Name Here]: The main character's default name is Quilto (male) or Quilta (female), but the player can change their names at any time.
- Heroic Mime: Aside from some small internal dialogue, Quilto/Quilta are silent protagonists throughout the game.
- Magnetic Hero: Pretty much everyone not a villain gets along swimmingly with The Hero after a few sentences. Even villains respect them.
- The Multiverse: All games are explained to be part of different continuities, that the hero explores.
- Never the Selves Shall Meet: Subverted, some characters meet their counterparts from alternate realities. The Dark Lords from Adventures of Mana and Sword of Mana even team up.
- Only the Chosen May Wield: Chapter 2 involves Quilto/Quilta and Baashear being sent to an Echo of Secret of Mana, where he has to help Primm and Popoi rescue Randi, who's in a trance and repeating the first moments of his adventure. Once they find him at the Mana Sword's stone, Quilto/Quilta asks if they can borrow the sword in order to help save their own Mana Tree; however, while Randi is willing to help, the sword immediately returns to him after he tries giving it away.
- Poison Is Evil: Averted with Raxa, whose special moves revolve around poison and acid, and is a part of the party.
- Promoted to Playable: The list of summonable heroes in Echoes includes characters that weren't playable in their games of origin, including Lekius and villains such as the Dark Lord and Julius, or even Thanatos and Fanha.
- Psychopathic Manchild: Gossamare is a nasty, bratty teenager in a demons' body.
- Static Role, Exchangeable Character: Applies to Quilto/Quilta. Whichever gender you pick goes on to become the protagonist of the game, meanwhile the gender you didn't pick ends up becoming the caretaker of the Mana Tree's sanctuary while you're off on your adventures.
- A Taste of Power: You can have a trial run of any banner character by pressing the "Trial Battle" button on the Harvest menu.
