Summary
Debuting all the way back in 1991, theManafranchise may not be the longest-running JRPG series, but it’s certainly one of the most beloved. Beginning life asFinal Fantasy Adventure, a Game Boy spin-off that swapped that franchise’s usual love for turn-based combat with a more action-oriented approach, theManaseries took full form in 1993 with the release ofthe SNES classicSecret of Mana.
Since then, theManaseries has enjoyed a fairly lengthy career in both Japanese and Western markets, with a slew of spin-offs and recent remakes keeping the franchise in the public consciousness. Though, it’s been a long time since the last mainlineManarelease. Launched in 2006,Dawn of Manawas the last mainline franchise entry to release, meaning that the upcomingVisions of Manawill be the first new mainline entry in 18 years.Visions of Manais going to be a pretty huge deal this year, and if newcomers want to experience the franchise from the start, they might want to start their homework now.
How Long It Takes to Beat Every Mana Game
All stats below refer to the average time it takes to beat each Mana game’s story, not including any extra collectibles or side activities.
Secret of Mana (1993)
Trials of Mana (1995)
Secret of Mana (2018)
Trials of Mana (2020)
20.5 Hours
How Long to Beat
The table above is loosely categorized into the three main types ofManagames, main entries, spinoffs, and remakes. Thefour mainlineManaentries, ranging fromFinal Fantasy AdventuretoDawn of Mana, vary quite heavily in terms of length, with the first and last game taking around just 10 hours, while the middle two - and arguably the best of the mainline entries - come in at around 20-25 hours to complete their main stories.
TheManaspinoffs are ironically a bit more uniform with their runtime.Legend of Manais the longest of the spinoffs coming in at around 18.5 hours to complete the main story, though the other spinoffs don’t follow too far behind at all, all coming within just two hours of one another. The remakes are an interesting oddity. WhileAdventures of Mana, the remake ofFinal Fantasy Adventure, has a very similar runtime to its original counterpart, bothSecret of ManaandTrials of Mana’s remakes take a good few hours less to complete than their original versions, likely due to modern loading screens and quality-of-life improvements.
There’s no official word onhow longVisionsof Manais going to be, but right now it seems like a safe bet to assume that it’ll come in at around the 20-hour mark to complete the game’s main story, with 20 hours being the franchise’s general average. But then again, for the first new entry in 18 years, Square Enix might want to go above and beyond withVisions of Mana’s story, which could easily end up making it the longest game in the franchise.
Legend of Mana
WHERE TO PLAY
Set off on a journey to find the mystical Mana Tree seen in a dream, before discovering… the world map is empty! During your travels, you’ll acquire special artifacts; place these wherever you’d like on the map to bring towns and dungeons to life and advance the story.Meet a colorful cast of characters, square off against fearsome monsters, and explore the vast world of Fa’Diel. Not only has the music has been rearranged for this remaster, you can also alternate between the new and original soundtrack. Other features have also been added, including the ability to turn off enemy encounters, and the never-before released mini-game “Ring Ring Land”.SHAPE YOUR ENVIRONMENT - Featuring the unique “Land Make” System in which you can build your own World Map.COMPELLING NARRATIVE - Complete quests and storylinesREAL-TIME COMBAT - Equip a variety of weapons, armors and accessories in exciting battles.
