Visions Of Mana Review - A Vision No More
It had been a long 17 years since fans of the long-standing Mana franchise had seen a new core console or handheld entry in the IP. For many, it had felt as though we would never again get a new franchise as Square-Enix committed its resources to its other blockbuster IP such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest or Kingdom Hearts, and yet, in 2016 things started to change. It began with the remake of the original Final Fantasy Legend, then the acclaimed Secret Of Mana and Trials Of Mana followed, and suddenly, hope had sprung anew. With the prospect of a future laying ahead for the franchise Square-Enix, along with developer Ouka Studios got to work on a new entry in the Mana franchise, what we would now know as Visions Of Mana. Now that what was once a dream, a vision, is now before us, how does has it come together?
Players will quickly draw parallels between Visions Of Mana and the likes of Final Fantasy X. Both feature young protagonists who never chose the life that was before them but ultimately set out on a pilgrimage that would end with their sacrifice for the peace and betterment of the world by restoring the energy of the Mana Tree by giving up their soul. It’s a dark overview, but the journey of the ‘Alm’, Hiina and Val, her soulguard is largely a bright and enthusiastic one, as the party expands to include a range of other characters who find themselves on the same journey. With moments that move you, bucketloads of heart, and a few cheeky lines that will put a smile on your face, the plot of Visions Of Mana will largely impress and keep you invested throughout the game’s fullest duration.
Complementing that already strong plot is a gameplay experience that rarely tires. Though not bursting with depth, Visions Of Mana attempts to walk an incredibly fine line between respecting the franchise’s fundamentals that have long been established by the likes of Secret and Trials Of Mana, and modern design sensibilities. The result is a game that retains the many action-RPG elements seen in those early games, including well as fan-favourite mechanics such as the Ring-Command systems for easy access of magics, abilities, and items, but also embraces the speed and fluidity of modern action-RPGs. This pairing isn’t always the most compatible with the camera sometimes struggling to keep up and align itself with the dynamic nature of the combat, but for the most part, each of the games’ many systems work together cohesively.
Stores will still supply your weapons, armour and a myriad of items, and the townsfolk that you encounter will never be lacking for something to share, however the various side-quests that some will offer are generally quite lacking. Few amount to much more than fetch quests, or “go here and kill that” hunt syle missions. The world that players get to explore is so vast and bursting with life that it feels like such a shame that the game lacks in more meaningful things to do that are off the beaten track. Traversing the world can be done on foot or even with the Pikul, a dog-like creature that covers immense amounts of terrain in rapid time. Both on foot and on the Pikul, there are some occasional collision issues that impact basic platforming, but in most scenarios, Val can skate over obstacles with stunning ease. Monster designs harken back to the franchise’s roots but look quite stunning with a 2024-inspired reworking, while players will stumble onto suped-up versions of monsters that can pack some extra punch as well.
As an audio-visual package, Visions Of Mana will undoubtedly go down as one of the most impressive looking games of the year but also one of the most conflicting in terms of its audio. The world and all the characters in Visions Of Mana are genuinely stunning, from the core cast to the most insignificant of side-quest givers, but when someone opens their mouth, it can elicit all of the wrong player reactions. For a while I was almost convinced that the drawling tone of Careena could only be the Hawk Tuah girl, while the voicework of a few other cast members both significant and otherwise could have been better considered for at least the English dub. The game’s soundtrack however soars with the players actions, hints of the classics seeping through while also feeling modern and unique as well.
Visions Of Mana doesn’t quite nail every aspect of its design but it has a warm heart at its core, and ticks many of the boxes that you want to see ticked in a modern action-RPG. After nearly two decades without a new release, the Mana franchise is back in a big way, and if this first attempt is anything to go by, we can, and should be expecting bigger and better things to come in the future.
Visions Of Mana was reviewed on PS5 with a code kindly provided by Square-Enix
