Visions of Mana Review – Looking at a Bright Future

Recently, companies have started to look at their back catalogue for franchises to revisit. These range from remasters, all the way to outright sequels. This was the case for the Mana series, which received a number of remakes, with Visions of Mana being a new entry that hopes to push the franchise forward. Given how much the landscape has changed, and far harsher competition, is there still a place for the beloved RPG, or is it simply one too many?

The adventure begins with a brief prologue that follows Eoren, and Lyza. Players are initially told the alm, Lyza, is trying to flee, and the consequences should they succeed. What makes the scene interesting is the general sense of dread.

The Face of Obligation

Instead of people wanting to kill the pair, villagers opt to reason with them. It makes the conflict feel tragic, as this simply isn’t a matter of good/evil, or right/wrong. The sense of duty, coupled with the consequences of failure, make it a gripping introduction that has a bittersweet conclusion.

Following this players meet Val, and Hinna, another pair that are set to follow a similar fate. Contrary to the previous scene, Hinna is “elated” at the prospect of being an alm, and accepted her fate to fulfill this sacred duty for her people.

It’s an interesting juxtaposition that adds emotional weight to scenes that are otherwise carefree. From here the adventure takes players around the world introducing other alms, various truths, and more that make them question whether they should accept their fate.

While narrative starts strong; gameplay takes a bit to get going. At first players only have access to Val, and his limited range of sword attacks. His straightforward style of play makes things easy to learn, as enemies slowly push players to master things like dodging. Overtime players can unlock magic, utilize different elements to make short work of major threats, along with special attacks to keep things interesting.

Overtime more companions are unlocked, and with them other styles of play. The core gameplay loop never becomes particularly complicated, just deeper than cycling between a couple of attacks, plus the occasional dodge. At times utilizing a different tactic is paramount to be successful, especially on higher difficulties.

To make combat more interesting, players are given a wide variety of optional tasks that reward additional experience. I love the idea that finishing flawlessly has its own reward, as well as encouraging players to fight effectively. This is best done against notable foes. A named enemy might give better rewards for those who step up for the challenge, with even more being reserved for those who quickly best the beast, or finish them with a specific attack.

Outside of combat is a relatively large world to explore. There is plenty for players to uncover, with a wide variety of visual indicators to help players evaluate whether the detour is worth it. For example, green indicates a treasure chest, yellow is a resource, and these can be seen at considerable range.

The overworld is also an absolute delight to explore. Many of the locations are not presented in a linear way, encourage seemingly unorthodox transversals, along with striking visuals. Even if I can’t show a cat, or the flamingo looking creatures some affection, they do a fantastic job of making the world feel alive.

Visuals are also in a pretty good place. I wouldn’t say Visions of Mana is pushing boundaries, but I would say they find a nice balance of detail, and style without impacting performance. I’d honestly rather play an adventure that seamlessly swaps between adventure, and combat, to one that looks lifelike with frequent performance issues/loading screens.

Visions of Mana Review Verdict

Editor’s Note: Visions of Mana was reviewed on PlayStation 5, and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.