Magic is selected using the d-pad up or down to cycle through it and then activated by hitting the R2 button. This type of magic includes healing spells and various protection buffs that are handy for staying alive. Elemental ammo for the slingshot is selected by using the d-pad left or right and activated using the circle button. You can also get a first person targeting perspective with this by holding down the triangle button.

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 status 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 (and even walls) which you can swing around or even toss 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 even when the camera isn't cooperating.

Using objects is an important part of gameplay both in battling normal enemies and in boss battles because it stuns them - and some creatures can only be attacked when in a stunned state. When stunned, creatures wander around with a counter over their heads allowing for an indefensible attack. In this state creatures give out bonuses like coins and special badges (called emblems) - collect enough and you 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. In addition to dropping Emblems, stunned creatures also drop healing and magic items that restore these important energies.

Boss battles are also very interesting in Dawn of Mana 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 are pretty easy they do require a lot of time and patience 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. Using 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 is as important as any other tool you use in Dawn of Mana.

Speaking of the 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.

Dawn of Mana is an interesting action role-playing game that suffers from the same problems that Square Enix's Brave Fencer Musashi for the PS2 had - an unruly camera that is counter-productive to what the player is trying to accomplish. It's a shame, because the core gameplay can be a lot of fun if given the chance and the overall presentation is pretty decent. Dawn of Mana is another one of those games that you should probably rent before making the commitment of a purchase.