Heroes of Mana review at DSFanboy.

"Heroes of Mana is like the stereotypical middle child -- it's not an RPG, and it may not be as responsive or intelligent, AI-wise, as some RTS fans would like. It's not exactly traditional Mana fare, either, so some franchise fans are understandably wary. Toss in a somewhat annoying tutorial, and unfortunately, it seems like Heroes of Mana might be easily missed ... which is a shame, because there's a lot of fun to be had here once things get going.

The epic adventure kicks off as your airship, the Nightswan, is attacked in the middle of hostile territory. Unfortunately, that's what happens sometimes to scouts working under the cover of secrecy, and it makes for a great beginning to the game. However, things are not quite as straightforward as they seem. Our hero, Roget, and his crew have been sent to find out just how serious the Beastmen of Ferolia are about starting a war (and hey, they attacked, so serious business seems probable) ... but are they really just scouts? Have they been told everything they need to know about the situation, or are Roget and company pawns in a larger, more sinister scheme?"

Full Source: DSFanboy