Visions of Mana Review

Following a period of re-releases and remasters, Visions of Mana marks the next mainline installment of the Mana series after 15 long years. Earlier this month, we got a glimpse of the adventure through our preview, but this time, we’re going all in on a grand quest to save the world.

Every four years, Alms from around the world travel to the Mana Tree to rejuvenate the flow of mana. Villages choose their alms, and a Soul Guard is also chosen to guard the Alms through their travels. Visions of Mana follows the story of Val and Hinna, childhood friends and chosen Soul Guard and Alm to ensure the tradition is upheld.

Unbeknownst to them, the world is on the brink of destruction, and their journey takes a turn to save the world from the impending disaster, meeting friends along the way to protect life as they know it. If this sounds predictable, that’s because it is, but it doesn’t stop Visions of Mana from crafting an engaging tale that marks a much-welcome series return.

Is this a welcome return for Square Enix’s long-dormant series of JRPGs? Here’s our review of Visions of Mana!

Once upon a Mana Tree

Similar to the renowned Final Fantasy series, each Mana game feels like a standalone adventure, making prior knowledge of past games unnecessary. Newcomers can dive into this latest adventure immediately, while longtime fans will appreciate familiar elements that tickle nostalgia.

Mana titles feature a narrative with many recurring beats, so while the premise may sound familiar, Visions of Mana still offers a compelling narrative with rich character development, both for your party and the NPCs you encounter.

The diverse cast of characters, each with distinct personalities, adds depth to the story. For instance, the outspoken Careena joins the journey initially for selfish reasons, while Morley has a personal stake in the pilgrimage to the Mana Tree.

Despite the bright and cute character designs, the story of Visions of Mana can be surprisingly mature and thought-provoking. Each member of your party has their motivations beyond duty, and it’s fascinating to see their development throughout the adventure. It’s a great contrast that might not be expected, making the story beats and character interactions worth following.

Hack and Slash to Victory

The pilgrimage to the Mana Tree is fraught with danger, but fortunately, your party is well-versed in combat. Success, however, will depend on your skills, as Visions of Mana employs an action RPG approach similar to Tales of Arise and Nier Automata where fast actions are favored over a tactical turn-based approach.

In Visions of Mana, battles commence when you approach and strike enemies, maintaining the real-time combat style of previous Mana titles with no transitions between map and battle screens. This is a classic staple of the Mana series and is just one of the features from past titles that make a return in this game, despite the tendency to devolve into just pressing a single button on the way to victory.

Fans will also recognize the familiar Ring Menu system make a return in Visions of Mana, allowing you to set items and magic for use in the field. As before, you can form a party of three from the five playable main characters, so players will

In a nutshell, it’s a menu you can bring up anytime where you can circle through your wares. There’s one for Items and another for Magic. These Rings also have limited space, so choose your shortcuts well! Luckily, there’s also a quick-use option when you press R1 or L1, where you can put up to four items and abilities.

Despite its simplicity, the battle system is engaging and can be challenging if needed, as you can switch between party members at will, making battles a fast and frantic affair if you choose to maximize skill usage. While your AI-controlled companions are generally competent in fights, the ability to customize their behavior adds a strategic layer.

Players are free to choose who to bring in their three-man party, even getting the option to replace the main character, Val. Combat might get a little repetitive as the normal encounters simply require mashing a button until you win, but major battles where you will need to know enemy patterns to avoid attacks break the monotony.

Elemental Might

Elementals are a staple of the Mana series, and familiar faces like Undine and Gnome return to assist you on your journey to the Mana Tree. Managing enemy strengths and weaknesses based on their elemental affinities is crucial in Visions of Mana because while simply hacking and slashing may work, maximizing damage is really the way to go.

In battle, you can change character classes by equipping different Elemental Vessels, each offering unique magic and abilities. Customizing your party according to the situation is essential, as some enemies have specific immunities or vulnerabilities.

Let’s use Val as an example. By default, our brave Soul Guard uses swords to dispatch his enemies. But equip a new Elemental Vessel like a Fire-type and his class changes from Guard to Liege and this time, he has a Lance and Shield where he can now parry attacks. Not to mention his weapons gain a fire affinity, so enemies weak to fire will receive more damage.

This interaction between the characters, their skills, and the elementals is a crucial aspect of Visions of Mana that makes combat engaging and breaks the monotony. Players will be given the freedom to choose their party composition and figure out which elementals work well with their playstyle, and for the most part, it works as a good way to give the combat system a bit more depth.

Previous Mana titles simply offered specific abilities that could be learned when using an Elemental, but this time around, in addition to changing your Elemental Affinity and set of weapons, you will also gain access to using that Vessel in battle. For example, the Elemental Vessel of Water allows you to spray your enemies trapping them inside bubbles that explode and deal damage.

Another Elemental Vessel is that of Wood, which brings forth a tree that will heal you when you are near it. Those are just some examples of how crucial Vessels can be in a fight. We can’t stress enough you will need to often change since some enemies might take less damage or even be immune because you equipped the wrong Elemental Vessel.

On a Journey to the Mana Tree

Visions of Mana features a diverse array of biomes to explore. While not a sandbox game, the areas are large enough to encourage exploration, with treasures like chests and Elementites to discover.

Towns in the game serve as hubs for shopping necessities like items and combat gear. Each town reflects the element it represents in both aesthetics and its citizens. Although you can’t enter houses like in many JRPGs, exploring the towns remains enjoyable.

The best example we can give is the Capital of Illystana with its water motif and grand architecture. Near it is Ledgas Bay, which may not be as grand as the former, but still has a beauty of its own. In contrast, you have the City of Tsaata, which has a nomadic feel to it with its tents and rural feel. These are just some of the towns you’ll be visiting in Visions of Mana, and their designs are pretty good.

Oh, and the dancing NPCs are back!

Citizens and NPCs may offer side quests, typically involving fetch tasks or defeating a certain number of monsters. These quests often provide worthwhile rewards, making them a valuable part of your adventure despite the basic and uninteresting questlines.

Songs of the People

Don’t be deceived by the bright and cute enemy designs; these are still dangerous beings that can defeat you if you’re careless. However, the vibrant and colorful visuals, a signature of the Mana series, might sometimes distract you (in a good way). The open fields are so visually appealing that you might find yourself running along just to admire the view.

The characters are uniquely designed and colorful, each with their signature costumes. It’s hard not to appreciate the various designs when equipping different Elemental Vessels. With a large party, there are plenty of costumes to discover.

You’re even given the option to change the appearance of your equipped weapon. Unfortunately, it does not apply to the costumes as those are tied to their specific Elemental Vessels.

The music is delightful, with each area featuring a distinct theme pleasing to the ears. This continues the Mana series’ rich tradition of amazing music. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the voice acting. While the Japanese voice cast is excellent, the English delivery is inconsistent, with some NPCs sounding like they’re reading from a script. It’s decent and serviceable but leaves us wanting more.

Rabites Abound

Visions of Mana plays it safe by not introducing drastic changes to the formula, but it remains a solid and enjoyable JRPG. Might we say that it maybe takes it too safe that it stifles innovation in the series? To give a really classic example, the very first Secret of Mana allows different characters to equip different weapons and their proficiency with said weapons will depend on constant usage. It did feel a little restricting that certain weapons are locked to specific character classes.

The 3-man party system also is something seen in other RPGs like Kingdom Hearts. If anything, it’s actually a great feature that you’re allowed to switch characters in real time to form your own strategies. But again, it’s something not new in terms of JRPGs.

Also, certain issues need addressing. Some hiccups were experienced on the PS4 port, which may disappoint those still using previous-generation consoles. Bugs like equipment being stuck on the screen, even when not in use, can be minor but annoying. Certain status ailments inexplicably persist after a fight, requiring a reload to fix. Additionally, the game has crashed several times, and load times can be long when fast traveling or loading saves, and even when transitioning in and out of battle.

The PS5 version of Visions of Mana isn’t as buggy, and the loading times are fast enough to make Visions of Mana a smooth and seamless experience. Of course, mileage may vary, but take caution!

Verdict: Wait for it…

Visions of Mana is a welcome entry in the long-running and beloved series, providing an entertaining and fun time for newcomers and fans alike. Surprisingly, one of its strongest points is its compelling story despite its predictability, and while it was simply a journey to the Mana Tree on the surface, the rest of the adventure is one to look out for.

Previous-gen console players beware because the playthrough is not as smooth. The number of bugs we experienced on a PS4 was not enjoyable, and while the PS5 version was a lot smoother, caution is still advised.

Overall, Visions of Mana is a worthwhile entry, but waiting until a patch to fix the current issues could be a wise choice for now. Until that’s fixed, we’re advising you to wait a bit!

*Visions of Mana was reviewed on a PS4/PS5 with a review code provided by the publisher.