After the Mana Tree had died and withered away, the world fell into war over the last remnants of Mana (a source of unlimited power). Eventually the wars stopped and the world returned to peace. The Mana goddess selected a certain few who would return Mana, and happiness to the world: Elazul, Pearl, Escad, Daena, Larc, Sierra and you. Some, however opposed the return of Mana, fearing the world would fall back into war.
Every background and character is beautifully hand-drawn in this game. This is the type of game that lets you adjust every detail: what type of weapon you want (axe, sword, knives etc.), even how the world is arranged.
An awesome feature of this game is the building system. As you travel through your adventures you come across materials such as metal, fabric, wood and aerolites. Once you have built your workshops these materials allow you to temper and alter weapons and armor to make you stronger.
On top of that, you can catch monsters and animals to have as battle partners. As if that weren't enough you can build scrap golems with lasers, missiles and explosives if you want a golem instead of a monster.
Think the features are over? Not nearly. After you decide where you want your house on the map, you can start placing down towns, mountains, beaches, lakes, caverns and even the Underworld! See the farther the places are from your home, the stronger the items and monsters are.
And on we go to the battle system: the battles take place in real time. You can perform slashes, strikes, stabs, magic and special techniques. And like all Seiken Densetsu games you can plug in a second controller to let your friend play as NPCs or a character they've raised up in their own game.
So once you've got your gear strapped on, your monster with you, some magic equipped, and a partner, you can start slamming down lands and exploring them.