Dawn of Mana is an action RPG developed by Square Enix Product Development Division 8 and released for PlayStation 2 in 2006. Serving as an origin story for the Secret of Mana series, the game explores the beginnings of both the Mana Tree and the Sword of Mana. The setting is Illusia, a once-peaceful island whose life-sustaining Mana Tree has withered and turned to stone, prompting a young warrior native to the island to embark on a quest to restore it. The game marks the series' first fully three-dimensional world, with environments ranging from open plains to mountainous terrain, populated by various characters and enemies. Combat plays out in real time, giving the player access to sword attacks, jumping, projectile firing, and a whip that can latch onto objects in the environment.
