In December 2023, Square Enix announced Visions of Mana, which is the next mainline installment to a series that had otherwise laid dormant for decades. The trailer featured vibrant locations, gorgeous character designs, and a shot evoking the image of one of the most iconic advertisements for the series. While the trailer itself was vague, it provided a glimpse into the continuing legacy of the series.
Visions of Mana seems like a gorgeous game, based on my initial experience. It’s bright, colorful, and fun. Visually, it reminds me of the best of the Tales of series. Characters are distinctly textured to give it a painterly style, which lends itself well to the general art direction of the game. And in an era of hyperrealism, it feels like a breath of fresh air. I loved roaming the snow-laden landscape of Mount Gala or wandering the vibrant green hills of the Fallow Steppe. Enemy designs are just as gorgeous as well, with their exaggerated features leaning more towards a cartoonish kind of cuteness you would see in early era RPGs for something like the SNES. It all feels very inspired.
While the combat in Visions of Mana does have some variation, regarding what I played, the system itself seems very simple. Attacks are designated by what “Spirit” a character equips, which changes the element associated with these attacks as well. This also changes the weapon the character is using, and that unlocks new weapon-specific combos. It creates a sense of variety between the cast and allows you to switch up gameplay if you become too bored. Which, admittedly, was easy to do during my gameplay session. Because the game is so approachable as an action-RPG, I found myself using the same combos, switching between characters infrequently, and just building up their ultimate abilities to spam them.
These abilities are absolutely stunning and gorgeously animated. Almost staggeringly so. Protagonist Val’s ability had him leaping through the air, his sword encased in fire, as he slashed through the enemy. Another character, a literal cat boy, dashed through the air, striking foes at lightning speed. But outside of this, the gameplay itself is very basic.
The full game may have a greater sense of depth, but the encounters I experienced in Mount Gala and the Fallow Steppe were fairly easy. It feels like Visions of Mana is meant to be an introductory action-RPG, along with the series, which is fine. Most of my time was spent wandering around, opening chests and killing monsters for side quests.
Traversal is simple. You either go on foot or summon a cute dog-like creature to ride around on to get you through some of the larger maps with ease. But the activities I experienced were mostly concerned with time attack like challenges, fighting mini-bosses for rewards, and using the aforementioned “Spirits” you acquire to solve puzzles. All of this was very easy.
But what little I gleaned of the narrative was interesting. Players assume the role of Val, a young man escorting his childhood friend that has been more or less chosen to undertake a pilgrimage to the sacred Tree of Mana. It reminded me a lot of Final Fantasy X, with suggestions of self-sacrifice, and even more of Tales of Symphonia. Which isn’t a bad thing and left me interested in how it will eventually play out. I’m curious to see what changes Val will undergo as he and his companions make their way to the Tree of Mana.
Overall, I am interested in what Visions of Mana will be. It’s been a very long time since the Mana series has had a new entry, and while this one may be an introduction to the series, I believe it’ll be a game worth playing. With it’s strong art direction and colorful cast of characters, it’s an easy game to get lost in. And hopefully the full game will have a narrative to match the quality of its visuals.
Visions of Mana, which was originally announced in December 2023, will come out for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC via Steam in Summer 2024.
