Visions of Mana Review

The Mana series has long been a beloved staple of the JRPG landscape, though it does indeed feel like it has been a while since it last graced our screens. The series has indeed had its ups and downs; some great entries, such as Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana, were so good that they got remakes that mirrored the success of the originals. Coming 18 years after the last mainline entry, Visions of Mana reintroduces players to this magical world with a fresh, modern take.

The Mana series was born in the SNES era and has since been a mainstay of the action RPG genre. Among these, two stand out as incredibly influential: Secret of Mana, from 1993, and its sequel, Trials of Mana, setting the bar high for action-based RPGs. The series took an odd detour then with Dawn of Mana and fell silent for several years. The recent remakes of Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana brought some interest back to the franchise, and because of such success, Visions of Mana garnered some anticipation. So, how does this new addition to the franchise hold up? 

Getting right into the lore, you are on a cyclic pilgrimage that you must do in order to save your people, and it guarantees death. When you open up Visions of Mana, there's a scene that shows you what happens when you don't complete a pilgrimage or let your feelings get in the way of sacrificing yourself for the greater good of the many.

If the Mana Tree is not fed that elemental Alm, the village that Alm comes from will be destroyed. So, from the start, you'll get the feeling that there's a small, tiny minority that feels this is wrong, but the majority views being selected as an Alm as a blessing, something to be praised and worshipped, and a sacrifice you should inherit with joy.

While the characters are happy, it is undeniable that they are setting out on this somber journey. That story, in contrast with this cute, cuddly art style, is just an odd mix, but I feel like it's working. It reminds me a lot of Dragon Quest XI in that regard. It's such a unique take, making everything feel so vibrant—the world, the characters. The character design in this game is top-notch, and it feels a bit odd trying to relate and connect to them straight away when you know that they are going on a journey that guarantees death.

The prologue is a great setup for the adventure you're about to embark on, but it's really the characters that pull you in from the start. You can tell that a lot of care has gone into the character building and story, with an authentic but relatable feel to the characters, despite the somewhat cheesy voice-over at times. The dialogue is refreshing, a nice change from some of the clichés you might expect in a fantasy JRPG.

The Mana series has always been targeted to those who find turn-based RPG games to be dull or too slow, so they. In that regard, the game offered something else: real-time action gameplay. Unlike many modern action RPGs, which do introduce quick-time events and dodging mechanics, Visions of Mana takes a step back from all that jazz.

This is where Visions of Mana really shines. One of the coolest features is the ability to switch the lead character in battle to any of the three party members. This means you can experiment with their different move sets and play styles whenever you want, and each one feels extremely different to play. The switch mechanic also lets you optimize combat by cycling between characters to use their abilities as they come off cooldown.

If you need a specific ability in the heat of battle, you can switch to that character, use the skill, and switch back—all seamlessly, which makes the combat feel fresh and dynamic. The actual combat is tight and can get a bit intense, but the radial wheel feature is there to pace the combat when things get too heated. You can pause the action at any time, giving you a moment to strategize—whether it’s healing up, replenishing your mana, or queuing up a powerful attack. It’s a slick system that balances strategy with fast-paced action and just feels good to play.

You also can swap the classes of your party members with Elemental Vessels you find throughout the game. Every character has eight different classes, which you swap by attaching the Elemental Vessel to that character. You can't have multiple characters with the Moon Elemental Vessel equipped, so you must pick one and mix and match to get your perfect party.

When you collect that Elemental Vessel, you'll unlock their plot, allowing you to invest in the class tree. Each class has a skill tree that you can invest your Elemental Points in, and as you do, you'll get abilities. These abilities transfer between classes, save for some passive buffs. Each character has three different weapons they can equip. With Val, it's a greatsword, a lance, and a regular sword. Some classes have abilities for those weapons, and they transfer between classes.

The class system in Visions of Mana is fantastic. I really like the different costumes you get, and these costumes feel like things I should be paying for, but I get them just by having that class equipped. The structure allows you to invest in classes you won't play so you can unlock abilities that support your primary class. It doesn't feel like you only invest in longsword abilities if you play a longsword. You go through this entire grid, see what's worth it to make your Val character play how you want, and invest accordingly.

But beyond just the class changes, Visions of Mana also has something called ability seeds. This is even more customization, enabling one to teach characters new spells and abilities. You can create unlikely combinations such as being able to get the seed containing the fireball ability on an ice-based class so you can create a class to your liking and see the base classes as a sort of template to work with.

Visions of Mana, however, does have some pacing issues. Much of the early game can be repetitive; there is just not enough access to the elemental vessels necessary for class changing. Thus, you may fall into some loops until you get these vessels, and it gets frustrating. The pacing speeds up around the middle part of the game, but you may find it difficult to get to that point without feeling a little bored. That definitely detracts a little bit from the overall impression of the game.

There is a lot to explore in Visions of Mana. You won’t have to worry about the world feeling empty despite this being an open-world game. One problem, though, is how everything interactable, like treasure chests, is marked on the map. I found myself exploring more than I usually would just because of knowing that next chest or item was a little bit off the way. It would’ve been nice to give that sort of map utility towards the latter part of the game rather than make it available indefinitely.

While sometimes tedious, the side quests offer rewards that are worth the time and occasionally interesting character interactions. The game also features some collectible challenges and combat arenas, adding variety to the gameplay and promoting exploration. The first thing you'll notice when you boot up the game is its beauty. I mentioned that I love the character designs in this game before, and I really mean it.

Even the base costumes are fantastic, and I found myself reluctant to change classes because I couldn’t see them anymore. Ouka Studios has nailed the art style in Visions of Mana. It retains the vibe of the classic games while looking modern. The visuals are similar to Xenoblade Chronicles but with a clearly different style that I personally like more. I absolutely love the use of pastel colors in this game.

Voice acting is a little contentious, even though I think all the voice actors have done a fantastic job at portraying the characters in Visions of Mana. There are a lot of unique accents among the characters, and Karina happens to have a Southern accent, which I love. I know not everyone will agree with me on this, but the voices and accents here seem appropriate, and I appreciate the option of an English dub.

The bottom line here is that Visions of Mana does a brilliant job of rebooting the classic series for the modern age. Just enough nostalgia, innovating on previous systems with real-time battle mechanics to appeal to those who find turn-based systems a tad too dull. With a story full of sacrifice and duty, it provides an interesting backdrop to the action. While the pacing is a tad off at times, along with the voice acting being a little contentious, this game shines in its combat, customization, and presentation. Visions of Mana is a great point of entry for newcomers as well as a refreshing trip down memory lane for those familiar with the classic releases.