Fifteen years! It’s an important number, fifteen. It is especially significant for Visions of Mana, the new video game from the very famous franchise coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC through Steam. Fifteen years ago, if I’m not mistaken, the first episode of Game of Thrones aired. Fifteen years ago, even if it’s not exactly fifteen, Bethesda introduced The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to the world. Fifteen years ago, probably everyone was happier than today. Especially those who grew up with the stories created by Masaru Oyamada and his companions. To tell the truth, it has been eighteen years since anything has been known about the franchise. Some thought that the Mana series would never see another additional chapter, while others hoped and couldn’t wait for it to happen. After fifty hours with it, we admit that the waiting time was worth everything, and I would even say a little more. It’s difficult to take a stance, especially on video games of this calibre, that take the best of a genre and enhance it to the point of making it unrepeatable and enjoyable. The entire narrative journey, in this sense, is clear from the beginning: you don’t need to have a thorough knowledge of the entire franchise’s history to enjoy its intimate storytelling satisfactorily. In this sense, I thought the work would approach in such a way as to lead anyone to recover the works of the past.
Square Enix’s choice, however, was to pursue a different goal: to involve as many players as possible to offer a characterizing experience, in line with the past, but strongly different, maintaining that sharp and brilliant originality that has characterized the previous publications of the franchise. After so much time since the last release, therefore, it was reasonable to expect an engaging production. It was exactly that way for the entire experience, from start to finish, with a touching and well-defined story, strong characters, and well-implemented roles. It felt like opening any fairy tale book, perhaps the one read as a child, getting lost in those illustrious memories, dreamlike, and of great beauty. And it was like that for most of the journey. The story, after all, begins from the dream of a vision. A vision of hope, supported by the will, the desire to express oneself and immerse in that memory. That memory was presented satisfactorily, with care, and vision. So much vision. A vision of magic. Of will. A vision of harmony. The fifty hours offered within it were engaging and impactful. I noticed it right away, from chapter one: Vision of Mana didn’t get lost in frills.
The story of magic
The camera of Square Enix focuses on the characters of Val and Hinna, young people capable of controlling magic and shaping it as they wish. The journey offered within the adventure, in fact, tells of their events in a fantastic and dreamlike land, in the Tree of Mana, directly towards it. Without giving excessive spoilers about the adventure that could ruin the gaming experience, the entire video game, like Tales of Arise, reaches superb qualitative peaks. You can feel it from the writing of events, emphasized satisfyingly to best represent the journey of both main characters. Their stories, from origins to the rest, are discovered gradually as you advance within the journey, uncovering what lies beyond the veil of magic, and more. It’s a story that slowly reveals the experiences of a young person who needs to prove his worth, who has never known the real value of friendship except through Hinna, the only person who has always supported him.
In other words, it’s a work that strongly aims to give a positive representation of the creatures that inhabit it, showing how nature, like magic itself, is a blessing for the world and what it can offer to give hope. This key interpretation is present throughout the entire narrative arc, which means it can be seen especially in the game design. If the narrative stylistics leave a mark, the combat system and the choices to be made in terms of progression know how to please healthily and carefree. And that was precisely what we wanted to experience from Square Enix’s production!
Fighting in Visions of Mana
Visions of Mana is a classic JRPG, at least in form. The view is positioned behind the protagonist, and the actions performed are multiple. Square Enix, in this sense, has paid greater attention to the centrality of the story with the aim of making the gameplay structure unrepeatable and enjoyable. The result has been more than satisfying, considering the excellent work done in the combat system, engaging because simple, studied in the less remarkable subtleties. This is evident from the combat, whose style can be chosen based on personal preferences. We decided to focus everything on a great sword and fire magic, thus supporting Hinna as she struck enemies and harmed them, chaining unique actions.
Much more focused on combos than it appears, Visions of Mana makes combat truly enjoyable, as well as rich in various options. It’s good to select the quick keys to use all the spells, then hitting enemies in such a way as to make the battles particularly incisive. The battles are not challenging at all, unless a high difficulty is selected. We opted, for you, for the highest: the difference lies in the hit points of the mobs and, most importantly, the number of bosses within the title. It’s best not to make the mistake of taking everything for granted, as the title, especially in the fun it generates, is absolutely focused and intelligent, of great value.
You might be surprised by the care taken in it: the combat system, made up of moves and dodges, differs between light and heavy attacks, but especially in special attacks that can be unlocked during the adventure based on the equipped weapon and abilities. Long before knowing how to use the sword and employ magic consuming an industrial amount of magic, it is essential to read the situations and interpret them to avoid risking losing the combat. The risk is that it can be simple not to understand what lies ahead and later risk making the wrong choice. It’s obvious, of course, but it’s necessary to know very well where to place one’s hands to avoid making a fool of oneself, which happens in any case if adequate attention is not paid to the rest of the combat. In support, there comes an intuitive menu dedicated to the character, where you can select the skill tree to equip your preferred spells. The system is very similar to that present in Final Fantasy XVI, a title that allows you to use the Eikon to create a similar synergy. Square Enix has focused on the same, not exactly making its video game shine with originality, nor inventing anything, but consciously providing a careful and meticulous way to significantly involve the various stylistics within the project. The functionalities, in this sense, have managed to offer different ways to face offensives and, consequently, enjoy the rest, allowing you to slaughter whatever was around without particular problems, and consequently making further choices. Adding an even more intense and studied particularity to the rest is the management of side missions. These allow for levelling up the progression system, not particularly complex, occurs automatically.
Majestic in art direction
Besides the excellent game design, skill customization, and combat system, what truly captivates is the setting. Switching from lush landscapes to desert-like ones, the work presents different biomes to reach the magnificent goal of being truly impactful. Tested on PlayStation 5 (although we would have loved to test it on PC as well), the production convincingly satisfies the player, providing illustrious glimpses and performing more than satisfactorily for the entire continuation.
The statistics change throughout the experience, providing pleasant and additional hours of play, with the aim of cleverly enhancing everything else. Expecting something different from a work like this, after all, was complex. However, the game design is crafted so well that it feels fresh and recognizable. Rich and detailed, Visions of Mana is a video game presented with passion and an unrestrained love for the series. It prepares to take its place at the players’ table, emphasizing that no, this will not be the only time it reappears. And we truly hope so, given the quality, superb and exquisite, in this beautiful return.
A long time since the last time, Visions of Mana returns splendidly on consoles and PC. Our test, which as we mentioned earlier took place on PlayStation 5, allowed us to enjoy 60 frames per second, thus relished in performance mode. The game design is elegantly composed of a combat system that is as simple as it is intuitive, enriched by a noteworthy progression system. The game world is immense, full of side missions and many situations to discover. It tends to lose a bit of momentum toward the end, but it absolutely maintains its value and messages high.