The Slingshot is pretty unique in that you get elemental ammo for it during different parts of the game. Anyone familiar with the Mana series will instantly recognize this ammo because it is named after the elemental spirits that give it to you. This special ammo includes ice, fire, water, light, dark and many other attacks. Unlike the relatively weak attack of the default and unlimited pebble ammo, all this special ammo causes massive amounts of damage and - in some cases - puts statis effects on your target. So far we've enjoyed using the elemental ammo, though most of the time it is in limited supply.

The grapple is also an interesting device because it allows you to pull things towards you like enemies and objects. Once you've got them hooked you can toss them in any direction you choose by using the toggle. Learning how to do this can be tricky because of the way the camera works, but can be quite effective. Hitting the square button while having a creature or object grappled throws them in the direction you are facing, which is handy when the camera isn't cooperating. By timing it right you can then press the triangle and release it.

Using objects is an important part of gameplay both in battling normal enemies and in boss battles because it stuns them. When stunned, creatures wander around with a counter over their head allowing for an indefensible attack. In this state creatures also give out bonuses like coins and special badges (called emblems) - collect enough and you'll unlock a special "badge" that gives you some cool stat bonuses. For example, collecting 200 hundred of these badges might give you a 10 percent boost to health or to your attack. We haven't really scratched the surface of what is possible by collecting all these different badges, so it will be interesting to see what's hidden in what looks like a long list of bonuses you can earn.

In addition to dropping Emblems, stunned creatures also drop healing and magic items that restore these important energies.

Boss battles are also very interesting because most of the time you be using the stun and attack technique to take them out and you won't be doing that without a lot of running and dodging. Though the boss battles we've engaged in have been pretty easy they do require a lot of time, patience and a dash of luck to complete. While "objects" aren't on the feature list, they are a very integral part of the game because they are an important means to an end. You'll use them to quickly stun groups of monsters, or as a way to gain a little height and reach areas you wouldn't otherwise be able to get to.

Speaking of the whole Emblems system, there are 60 of them to unlock. Much like achievements on Xbox 360 games, there are literally a ton of things you can do to unlock these special boons. Many of these rewards come from your final score and can be based on what grade you get for collecting something, how many creatures you kill or how you kill them. Players will be spending a lot of time unlocking these emblems and probably during the course of multiple play modes and on several difficulty levels.

I'm cautiously optimistic that gamers will like the final version of this prequel story and that it will get a little more spit and polish before it ships late next month. There are some issues with the camera that i'm still on the fence about, and the world's visuals feel held back a bit by the technical capabilities of the PS2, but Dawn of Mana is fun to play and the various elements (save platforming) work well with the world Square Enix is creating.Gameshark will have a full blown review of the game when it ships May 22nd. - James Fudge