<s>
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2006	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
eighth	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
Mana	B-Application
series	I-Application
and	O
the	O
third	O
entry	O
in	O
the	B-Application
World	I-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
subseries	O
,	O
following	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Children	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
nine	O
months	O
prior	O
and	O
Friends	O
of	O
Mana	B-Application
two	O
months	O
prior	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Set	O
in	O
a	O
high	O
fantasy	O
universe	O
,	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
follows	O
a	O
young	O
hero	O
,	O
Keldric	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
journeys	O
to	O
close	O
a	O
portal	O
to	O
a	O
land	O
of	O
darkness	O
that	O
has	O
been	O
opened	O
in	O
the	O
base	O
of	O
the	O
Tree	O
of	O
Mana	B-Application
and	O
is	O
corrupting	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
it	O
contains	O
some	O
small	O
role-playing	O
elements	O
,	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
diverges	O
from	O
the	O
prior	O
two-dimensional	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
titles	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
focus	O
directly	O
on	O
action-adventure	O
gameplay	O
in	O
a	O
full	O
3D	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Incorporating	O
the	O
Havok	B-General_Concept
physics	I-General_Concept
engine	I-General_Concept
,	O
the	O
gameplay	O
focuses	O
on	O
the	O
player	O
grabbing	O
and	O
throwing	O
objects	O
and	O
monsters	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
startle	O
enemies	O
before	O
attacking	O
them	O
with	O
a	O
sword	O
and	O
magic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
was	O
designed	O
,	O
directed	O
,	O
and	O
produced	O
by	O
series	O
creator	O
Koichi	O
Ishii	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
Mana	B-Application
series	I-Application
,	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
a	O
full	O
three-dimensional	O
world	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
characters	O
navigate	O
the	O
terrain	O
and	O
fight	O
off	O
hostile	O
creatures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Dawn	O
is	O
an	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
an	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
;	O
as	O
such	O
,	O
gameplay	O
is	O
focused	O
on	O
movement	O
and	O
attacking	O
enemies	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
leveling-up	O
character	O
statistics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Faye	O
can	O
cast	O
magic	O
spells	B-Application
,	O
selectable	O
by	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
combat	O
system	O
in	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
is	O
called	O
the	O
Mono	O
system	O
,	O
based	O
around	O
the	O
Havok	B-General_Concept
physic	I-General_Concept
engine	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
panicked	O
,	O
enemies	O
take	O
more	O
damage	O
from	O
attacks	O
and	O
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Defeating	O
enemies	O
when	O
they	O
are	O
panicked	O
gives	O
the	O
player	O
two	O
types	O
of	O
medals	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
either	O
boost	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
health	O
and	O
attack	O
damage	O
,	O
or	O
mana	B-Application
and	O
magic	O
damage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Defeating	O
enemies	O
also	O
grants	O
experience	O
points	O
,	O
which	O
raise	O
Keldric	O
and	O
Faye	O
's	O
level	O
up	O
to	O
a	O
maximum	O
of	O
four	O
,	O
granting	O
higher	O
health	O
,	O
mana	B-Application
,	O
and	O
damage	O
,	O
and	O
granting	O
new	O
spells	B-Application
and	O
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Keldric	O
can	O
fight	O
alongside	O
AI-controlled	O
pets	O
in	O
these	O
challenges	O
,	O
found	O
in	O
eggs	O
throughout	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
opens	O
on	O
the	O
fictional	O
island	O
of	O
Illusia	O
,	O
a	O
place	O
where	O
the	O
giant	O
Mana	B-Application
Tree	O
lies	O
dormant	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
pair	O
rush	O
to	O
the	O
Tree	O
of	O
Mana	B-Application
,	O
thinking	O
that	O
Stroud	O
intends	O
to	O
attack	O
the	O
legendary	O
beast	O
that	O
lies	O
sleeping	O
underneath	O
its	O
roots	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
they	O
free	O
Ritzia	O
,	O
only	O
to	O
be	O
attacked	O
by	O
Stroud	O
,	O
wielding	O
the	O
other	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
key	O
—	O
the	O
Sword	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
spirits	O
of	O
Ritzia	O
and	O
Faye	O
then	O
merge	O
with	O
the	O
Tree	O
of	O
Mana	B-Application
,	O
the	O
portal	O
is	O
sealed	O
,	O
and	O
Illusia	O
is	O
restored	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
of	O
these	O
was	O
the	O
Compilation	B-Application
of	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Square	O
Enix	O
intended	O
to	O
have	O
campaigns	O
for	O
other	O
series	O
whereby	O
multiple	O
games	O
in	O
different	O
genres	O
would	O
be	O
developed	O
simultaneously	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
early	O
2005	O
,	O
Square	O
Enix	O
announced	O
a	O
"	O
World	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
"	O
project	O
,	O
the	O
application	O
of	O
this	O
"	O
polymorphic	O
content	O
"	O
idea	O
to	O
the	O
Mana	B-Application
franchise	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
include	O
several	O
games	O
across	O
different	O
genres	O
and	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
third	O
release	O
in	O
this	O
project	O
and	O
the	O
eighth	O
release	O
in	O
the	O
Mana	B-Application
series	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
in	O
September	O
2005	O
as	O
Seiken	B-Application
Densetsu	I-Application
4	I-Application
,	O
the	O
first	O
3D	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
though	O
no	O
other	O
details	O
were	O
given	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
promoting	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
,	O
Children	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
was	O
designed	O
,	O
directed	O
,	O
and	O
produced	O
by	O
series	O
creator	O
Koichi	O
Ishii	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
objective	O
of	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
was	O
to	O
convert	O
the	O
entire	O
Mana	B-Application
world	O
into	O
a	O
3D	O
environment	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
just	O
starting	O
from	O
scratch	O
graphically	O
and	O
adding	O
new	O
elements	O
to	O
the	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ishii	O
had	O
previously	O
wanted	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
1999	O
PlayStation	B-Device
game	O
Legend	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
a	O
3D	O
game	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
console	O
had	O
been	O
unable	O
to	O
handle	O
his	O
vision	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
interacting	O
with	O
natural	O
shaped	O
objects	O
in	O
a	O
full	O
3D	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
wanted	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
Mana	B-Application
title	O
that	O
could	O
explore	O
"	O
the	O
feeling	O
of	O
touch	O
"	O
in	O
a	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
seeing	O
the	O
Havok	B-General_Concept
physics	I-General_Concept
engine	I-General_Concept
in	O
a	O
demo	O
of	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
at	O
E3	O
in	O
2004	O
,	O
Ishii	O
decided	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
system	O
in	O
Dawn	O
to	O
give	O
players	O
a	O
visual	O
link	O
between	O
environments	O
,	O
objects	O
,	O
and	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Ishii	O
has	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
are	O
only	O
thematically	O
connected	O
,	O
he	O
has	O
also	O
asserted	O
in	O
an	O
interview	O
that	O
Dawn	O
is	O
set	O
ten	O
years	O
before	O
Children	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
,	O
which	O
depicts	O
the	O
aftermath	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
cataclysm	O
"	O
of	O
Dawn	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
score	O
for	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Kenji	O
Ito	O
,	O
while	O
Tsuyoshi	O
Sekito	O
and	O
Masayoshi	O
Soken	O
contributed	O
numerous	O
tracks	O
and	O
Grammy	O
Award-winning	O
musician	O
and	O
film	O
composer	O
Ryuichi	O
Sakamoto	O
wrote	O
the	O
theme	O
song	O
,	O
"	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tracks	O
originally	O
composed	O
for	O
earlier	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
by	O
Ito	O
,	O
Hiroki	O
Kikuta	O
,	O
and	O
Yoko	O
Shimomura	O
were	O
also	O
arranged	O
for	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
by	O
the	O
main	O
three	O
composers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ito	O
had	O
previously	O
composed	O
the	O
music	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Mana	B-Application
series	I-Application
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
Adventure	I-Application
(	O
1991	O
)	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
its	O
2003	O
remake	O
Sword	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
,	O
and	O
for	O
the	O
2006	O
Children	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
soundtrack	O
in	O
the	O
Mana	B-Application
series	I-Application
to	O
feature	O
work	O
by	O
Sekito	O
,	O
Soken	O
,	O
or	O
Sakamoto	O
,	O
though	O
Sekito	O
and	O
Soken	O
had	O
worked	O
for	O
Square	O
Enix	O
previously	O
on	O
other	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sakamoto	O
drew	O
inspiration	O
for	O
the	O
theme	O
song	O
from	O
the	O
image	O
of	O
the	O
Mana	B-Application
tree	O
shown	O
at	O
the	O
title	O
screen	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
album	O
Seiken	B-Application
Densetsu	I-Application
4	I-Application
Original	O
Soundtrack	O
-Sanctuary	O
-	O
collects	O
106	O
tracks	O
from	O
Children	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
on	O
four	O
discs	O
and	O
is	O
nearly	O
four	O
and	O
a	O
half	O
hours	O
in	O
length	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
promotional	O
album	O
,	O
Breath	O
of	O
Mana	B-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
along	O
with	O
preorders	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
December	O
21	O
,	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
sold	O
over	O
229,000	O
copies	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2006	O
,	O
ten	O
days	O
after	O
release	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
top-selling	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
title	O
in	O
Japan	O
during	O
its	O
release	O
week	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
received	O
generally	O
poor	O
reviews	O
over	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
,	O
with	O
numerical	O
scores	O
that	O
range	O
from	O
30	O
to	O
80	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Michael	O
Beckett	O
of	O
RPGamer	O
said	O
that	O
"	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
's	O
visual	O
style	O
is	O
highly	O
impressive	O
"	O
and	O
especially	O
praised	O
the	O
character	O
design	O
and	O
color	O
palette	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
music	O
was	O
also	O
praised	O
;	O
VanOrd	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
the	O
highlight	O
of	O
the	O
sound	O
design	O
"	O
and	O
the	O
GameTrailers	O
reviewer	O
claimed	O
that	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
had	O
a	O
"	O
lush	O
soundtrack	O
filling	O
every	O
moment	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Beckett	O
also	O
praised	O
the	O
music	O
,	O
and	O
noted	O
the	O
callbacks	O
in	O
the	O
largely	O
orchestral	O
score	O
to	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
Mana	B-Application
series	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Graziani	O
of	O
GameSpy	O
felt	O
the	O
targeting	O
system	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
worst	O
parts	O
of	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
,	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
camera	O
system	O
—	O
a	O
complaint	O
also	O
raised	O
by	O
Haynes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
Fitch	O
and	O
VanOrd	O
focused	O
their	O
criticisms	O
of	O
the	O
controls	O
on	O
the	O
Havok	B-General_Concept
physics	I-General_Concept
engine	I-General_Concept
,	O
which	O
they	O
felt	O
was	O
poorly	O
utilized	O
and	O
left	O
the	O
player	O
feeling	O
out	O
of	O
control	O
—	O
unable	O
to	O
aim	O
when	O
throwing	O
objects	O
or	O
easily	O
control	O
the	O
character	O
during	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
jumping	O
sections	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overall	O
,	O
several	O
reviewers	O
felt	O
that	O
Dawn	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mana	I-Application
was	O
a	O
divergence	O
from	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
that	O
did	O
not	O
add	O
as	O
much	O
as	O
it	O
took	O
away	O
;	O
even	O
the	O
notably	O
high-scoring	O
Japanese	O
Famitsu''	O
review	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
change	O
in	O
gameplay	O
would	O
confuse	O
fans	O
and	O
other	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
