The origins of the Mana Tree, source of all life, can be traced to the captivating story of a youth, a maiden, and a sword – a tale that became legend.

Long, long ago, when the world was still flat, back before humans knew of magic, a tiny yet beautiful island named Illusia floated in the very centre of the ocean.

In these days, five great countries flourished on the continent of Fa’Diel: Jadd, land of sand; Topple, land of water; Wendell, land of green; Ishe, land of fire; and Lorimar, land of ice.

All in Fa’Diel believed the isle was holy, protected by a guardian beast. No one dared to set foot there.

On the island, there stood an enormous tree that existed long before the world began. It was believed to be the mother of every living thing in the world.

But over the years, the tree gradually turned to stone. For a long time it slept, appearing to some as if it were dead.

This is the story of how it all began, of how a certain young man came to possess a sacred sword and how a certain young maiden became a goddess of Mana. It is a winding tale of hope and despair, connecting the worlds of humans and spirits…

Seiken Densetsu 4: Dawn of Mana is the long-awaited fourth numbered installment of the Seiken Densetsu series. It was released in Japan December 21st, 2006, and in the USA the 22nd of May, 2007.

Set 19 years before Children of Mana, and with the objective of covering the origins of the World of Mana, Dawn of Mana brings the 2D Action-RPG series to a new 3D environment on the Playstation 2, using the Havoc physics engine seen in Half-Life 2 to allow for player to interact as much as possible with the character’s surroundings. Players familiar with the Kingdom of Hearts games will feel well at home.

The player takes control of Keldric, an inhabitant of the Isle of Illusia who sets out to stop Stroud and his Imperial Army from unlocking the gates to Mavolia, the realm of darkness, by awakening the power of the Holy Sword of Mana and the legendary Mana Beast.

Keldric, or Keldy to his friends, wields as a weapon a vine that infuses itself to his arm, taking the form of a sword, whip or sligshot. He will also be aided by Faye, a fairy that will support him with magic spells. A second player co-op is available, but severely limited to controlling Faye’s magic and selecting slingshot ammo.

The game sadly was not well received in Japan due to the poor control of camera angles, the loss of gained levels with the start of a new chapter, and the lack of any character or weapon customization. many feel that this was the main cause of Heroes of Mana’s lack of sales in Japan, a game yet to be released outside the country of the rising sun.