Visions of Mana is the newest installment of the 30-year-old action RPG franchise published by Square Enix. Read on to learn everything we know, our review of the demo, and more.
Everything We Know About Visions of Mana
Visions of Mana Plot
Every four years the Tree of Mana sends out Faeries around the world to choose "alms." The chosen alms must travel to the Tree of Mana and help "rejuvenate the flow of mana power." Soul guards are also chosen to accompany alms on their journeys for a safe pilgrimage.
Visions of Mana will center around Val, a chosen soul guard from the Fire Village who brought his childhood friend to the arrival of the Faerie. The Faerie, out of everyone, chose Val’s childhood friend and appointed her as the Alm of Fire.
Val and his friend must now venture from their home village and reach the Tree of Mana together, hand-in-hand.
Visions of Mana Gameplay
Visions of Mana will be a full-fledged action RPG, according to the series producer Masaru Oyamada. Combat will be fast-paced
and multi-dimensional,
where you can wield various Elemental powers against countless hostile monsters!
It will also feature breathtakingly beautiful landscapes with near-seamless transitions in a semi-open field.
Modes of travel will be plentiful, where you can walk, float inside a bubble, or ride on your pikul companion, a cross between a Yorkshire terrier and an armadillo-like pangolin.
Visions of Mana Release Date
Visions of Mana will be heading to PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Xbox Series X|S on August 29, 2024 according to the game's official Twitter (X) account.
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Visions of Mana Review (Demo)
A Promising and Stunning Return
If you didn't know, this is the fifth main title in the Mana series (also known as Seiken Densetsu) since 2006's Dawn of Mana. What makes this even more exciting is that Koichi Ishii, the series designer and director, is returning, along with other notable developers like producer Masaru Oyamada and composers Hiroki Kikuta, Tsuyoshi Sekito, and Ryo Yamazaki.
Fans, including myself, are thrilled because we've been getting remakes and mobile ports for a while now, which are great, but it's about time we got something entirely new. From the demo I've played, Visions of Mana looks like a promising and beautiful return to an underappreciated JRPG series.
Visually Breathtaking
The demo lets you play a specific section of the game, which might differ slightly from the final version but gives a good sense of the overall gameplay. You don't start at the beginning; instead, you join Val and his friends already on their journey.
They're currently traveling to Rhata Harbor to sail on a ship, and you begin in an icy forest called Rime Falls. Your party includes Val, Careena, and Morley, with Hina providing assistance.
First off, I have to say this game looks absolutely stunning. The character designs and models are memorable and unique, with my favorite being Mortrea, who resembles an anthropomorphic cat. The world is beautifully colored and lit, capturing the essence of a classic fantasy setting.
While I appreciate the dark themes in many modern RPGs, this game's bright and hopeful aesthetic is a refreshing contrast. It makes me want to explore every corner, from hidden treasures to platforming segments.
Visions of Mana is a significant improvement from the recent remakes, offering a similar feel in graphics and gameplay but with a much more charming and beautiful world. I hope this creativity continues in the full game.
A Wholesome Adventure Brewing
Though I’m still unsure of the full story and haven’t fully understood all the characters since the demo only lets you play a small portion of the game, I immediately fell in love with each of them. Throughout your journey, there are cutscenes that showcase their individual personalities, and as you explore, the characters continuously banter with each other.
Their dialogues bounce off one another perfectly, creating a strong sense of chemistry among the cast. It feels like a group of friends who can truly rely on each other, which is really wholesome.
There’s no need for rival characters or love triangles; it's refreshing that the tiring trope of cast members not liking each other is absent, at least in this portion of the game. Everyone seems supportive of each other’s goals. There’s even a moment in the demo where you're tasked with proving Careena’s innocence after she’s wrongfully accused of stealing someone’s key, showcasing the deep bonds these characters share.
The dialogue doesn’t feel forced at all, and the voice acting is absolutely perfect. I can’t wait to see more of them, but right now, my personal favorite character is Mortrea. I initially thought he’d be a stuck-up prick, but he’s actually a kind, caring person who acts like the party’s big brother.
Combat and Exploration Vastly Improved
The game definitely shares some similarities with the Trials of Mana remake, as it's a fully third-person game where you can switch between characters. However, this feels like a significant improvement with much better combat mechanics and a more distinct feel. I won’t delve too deeply into the specifics, but essentially it’s an action RPG with magic, special attacks, and combos.
This game offers numerous quality-of-life improvements like shortcut buttons, making it feel much smoother, faster, and flashier. Each character has distinct gameplay, especially when performing combos and switching between characters.
Elementals play a larger role in this game, reminiscent of Trials of Mana’s class-based system but with even more depth. From what I’ve seen in the demo, each character can change roles and weapons, creating different classes and even altering the party’s appearance, which is a nice touch. It feels similar to Fire Emblem’s class system in a way, but only one class can be equipped per character, so not everyone can be a nomad or a rune knight.
This makes party strategies quite interesting, especially with eight elements available for every class. There were only a few available in the demo, but it’s going to be fun to mix and match.
Elementals also play a huge role in exploration with Elemental Triggers that help you traverse different areas. For instance, the wind element lets you float through the air when you hit a wind stream, or another element allows you to slow down or go back in time.
This makes for interesting exploration, and the verticality of these large open areas makes finding treasures and new locations more fun. The demo features several side quests and mini-bosses to fight. It’s about an hour long, but you can easily spend another hour or so with the boss fights and side quests.
The areas themselves are stunning, each distinct and memorable. My favorite is the second area you visit, the Fallow Steppe, where you can ride these big dogs you can call out, making exploration more fun. Overall, this demo did its job in showcasing what to expect and has me more excited than ever.
If you’ve never played a Mana game, you should definitely check out this demo to see what it’s all about. Like the Final Fantasy series, you don’t have to play the previous games to enjoy this one, as each entry stands alone.
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Visions of Mana Product Information
 | |
| Title | VISIONS OF MANA |
|---|---|
| Release Date | August 29, 2024 |
| Developer | Square Enix |
| Publisher | Square Enix |
| Supported Platforms | PC(Steam, Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S |
| Genre | Action, RPG |
| Number of Players | Single-Player(1) |
| Rating | Rating Pending |
| Official Website | Visions of Mana Official Website |
