The Mana series by Square Enix has been dormant for quite some time. As a series, it hasn’t really had its time in the public eye like its siblings, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, have. In fact, we haven’t seen an entry in this cult-beloved franchise in over 15 years. With Visions of Mana, we are being brought back to the World Tree and the Mana world. However, this isn’t like any other entry we’ve seen before. After playing two parts of Visions of Mana during a hands-on preview event, this return feels modern while not sacrificing the series’ past.
As part of the hands-on preview, they allowed me to check out two distinct parts of the game. One portion focused on open-world exploration, and the other was a dungeon that led to a boss fight. In both, what stands out right away is just how beautiful this game looks. Visions of Mana carries that distinct cartoony look and makes it modern by bringing it into the 3D world. And the focus on the details didn’t go unnoticed. The characters all feel unique while fitting into the world’s aesthetic. Every monster, NPC, and location I was allowed to see felt natural. In other words, the emphasis on building a world in the 3D space with a specific art style, there was no detail missed to make it all cohesive.
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As for the world, they allowed me to explore one of the earlier areas in the game, Fallow Steppes. This grassland gave a taste of what to expect in the open world portions. To put it lightly: there is so much to do. Secrets are everywhere, from chests to side quests to collectible honey globs. The mini-map hints at everything, and it’s up to you to decide how much you want to do. Like many other open-area games, you can always continue to the main quest, but I went and helped out someone while trying to find every treasure.
The side quest had me go to a smaller alcove in the Fallow Steppes and return an item stolen by some monsters. Going to that area, I found a small horde of monsters led by a unique elemental variant of them. The fight was flashy and sometimes challenging to take down everything quickly. Balancing magic attacks, weapon combos, and switching allies led to victory. But distractions everywhere on my way to the sidequest kept grabbing my attention. Like a mysterious locked tower and jumping puzzles to get more honey for a bear later on.
The dungeon Mt. Gala gave a great look at what to expect from dungeons. This was a much more linear experience with some puzzles and more combat. What is clear, though, is how you’ll use elemental vessels or elemental-specific abilities to manipulate environments so you can explore further. The game made it obvious when to use the wind elemental vessel to summon rocks for platforming. Nothing feels time-sensitive; it’s just about finding the right path to travel. That could easily change in later dungeons as you access more elemental vessels.
These vessels also play a great role in the combat, setting up interesting strings of combos. The vessels themselves are similar to a higher-charged elemental attack. As the fight progresses, you can release the vessel to manipulate the battlefield by creating a time-stopping bubble or a giant wind attack. Pair these up with the four magical abilities each character uses, their normal class-specific abilities, and their ultimate attacks, and you’ll be dishing out damage quickly and decisively. It’s all about finding the right opportunity to unleash it all.
On top of that, everything is character-specific. So you can use Val’s elemental vessel, switch to the country-accent-speaking Careena, cast some spells that the enemy is vulnerable to, and then finish it all up with Morley’s ultimate attack. Switching is key, and really makes the combat extremely engaging. This helps make sure you’re using everything in your artillery.
Visions of Mana is exactly what the Mana series deserves for its resurgence. Every taste of combat was exhilarating, with unique combos and magic that all work together in your three-party setup. The world of Mana has been beautifully translated into the 3D realm. Exploring every area is enjoyable to find every secret, collectible, and side quest. Even with just a taste, Visions of Mana has shot up quickly into a game I cannot wait to play more of.
Visions of Mana will be available Summer 2024 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
