Our story this time sees us take control of Val, a Soul Guard tasked with the alms, those chosen to journey to the Mana Tree and give their souls to the restore the flow of mana in the world, including his childhood friend Hinna, the Alm of Fire, and other Alms. on their pilgrimage to the Mana Tree. This is a Mana game so what starts simple soon develops into a deeper story across nine chapters, each full of trials and obstacles, with secrets to uncover while wielding the sword on an adventure that sees a new dawn of adventure ( there, I think I referenced enough titles of games in the series….damnit, I forgot Children and Heroes). As with previous Mana games, the story will become very emotional and references to past entries help make Visions of Mana feel more routed in its series.
It really must be noted how great the story of Visions of Mana is, and how well the characters are developed. You want to get to know these characters and follow their story and route for them, even as you realize not everything can end well. Both the main characters, and the secondary characters like the elementals stand out here, and even the villains shine, with some of the best in the Mana series. Every character has a well thought out story and their motivations and characterization feels like there is substance that serves the story well.
Besides the main and secondary casts and antagonists, however, there is another character in Visions of Mana and that is the world itself. It feels so well thought out and visually stunning, with well balanced design and variety that never gets old, that you are always left hoping the game does not end. The dungeons never feel repetitive or recycled, and there are constantly reasons to return to past areas to use new abilities to try and find new things.
Speaking of new abilities, we have the elementals mentioned earlier. Throughout the course of the game, you will find eight Elemental Vessels that will enable Val and his companions to use different skills such as summoning wind streams to travel through the air, water bubbles that float, and more. Part of the fun of returning to past areas, is seeing if you can use a new elemental to find something different and explore the world more. It is a nice way to extend the gameplay and not feel tacked on or like it is artificially making the game longer.
Of course, one of the biggest draws in an action RPG is the combat and Visions of Mana does not disappoint in that regard. We have a fluid and fast paced system with normal and strong attacks and it all feels incredibly fun and responses. There are different character classes to choose from, depending on which elemental vessel is used with a character, and these will completely alter the character stats and skills. These means you can customize your build as you see fit, especially since, while each elemental vessel can only be used with one character at a time, they can be combined and this can lead to some very interesting build, especially with the other skills and abilities you can unlock along the way.
The elemental vessels also give new combat abilities such as using a gravitational force to pull in enemies, creating a zone where you can heal allies, and more. In addition, there is the Class Strikes that deal massive damage, with a gauge for these strikes shared among your three-person party. The strikes will change depending on which character you are controlling and what their class is, but mastering these is key to succeeding. It needs to be mentioned that since you only fully control one of the characters at a time, you will need to pick a strategy for the other characters, such as focusing on healing,how they use their elemental vessels and items, and how they approach combat just to name a few.
Visions of Mana has an excellent user interface that brings back the ring menu system and adds several quality of life adjustments compared to previous entries. It is far easier to manage it in combat this time, and feels much more satisfying here. I do need to point out that the minimap feels a bit overwhelming at times with everything it shows, but that is my only real complaint about Visions of Mana.
Visions of Mana is a gorgeous game, as mentioned, and the visual style of the game really makes things stand out more, especially in the cutscenes, while the combat pops on screen, especially with battle animations like the class strikes. In terms of audio, Visions of Mana has some of the best music in the series, which is impressive considering what has come before with previous entries. The voice acting is well done, but when I think of the audio in the game, I think of the various battle themes and enemy themes that are some of the best in any JRPG that has released in the last twenty years, and I do not give that praise lightly.
Visions of Mana is a magnificent entry into the Seiken Densetsu/World of Mana series that brings it into the modern gaming era in a big way. Bringing everything fans loved about the previous entries and remakes, and having good connections to what came before, there is a clear reverence for the series that shows in the story. The excellent gameplay keeps you excited and the excellent world in Visions of Mana makes you want to explore endlessly. Visions of Mana is a must play for any RPG fan and shows that the Mana series still has a lot of potential for more great experiences. I highly recommend this.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
