Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, and Visions of Mana may be a prime example of how well that can work for a series’ favor. The latest entry in the long-running Mana series maintains most of its signature trademarks and feels like a classic Mana title in nearly every sense of the term. This is both a boon to Visions of Mana and a drawback – but it mostly works.
Screen Rant was given advance access to Visions of Mana ahead of its release, leaving plenty of time to explore the world, learn about its characters, and experiment heavily with its action-RPG combat. The story, which won’t be spoiled here, should be enjoyable for longtime Mana fans, but it also works just fine for newcomers to the series. And this is all by design – in many ways, Visions of Mana is an attempt to get back to the series’ roots and create a comeback for an IP that’s had quite a few middling releases and missteps in recent memory.
Visions Of Mana Characters & Gameplay Overview
A Likable Cast With Classic Mana Elements
For a series that started out as Final Fantasy Adventure here in the States, the Mana series has found its own footing in the decades since, carving out its own niche in the RPG landscape and setting itself apart from genre titans like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Like those series, each mainline Mana entry works fine as a standalone adventure, but regulars will easily be able to spot familiar terms and tropes – and, of course, find familiar enemies like the adorable rabite, which serves as the franchise’s mascot.
Visions of Mana‘s story structure probably won’t be a surprise to most people who’ve played a Mana game before. Protagonist Val seems like pretty standard fare for an RPG hero, and each story portion is fairly segmented. Most of the characters are endearing in their own way, although Careena’s personality and pseudo-Southern drawl can start to wear thin. It’s a cast worth rooting for, even if none of them are greater than the sum of their parts.
There’s a lot to do in Visions of Mana – treasures to find, items to collect, side quests to perform – and along the way, more heroes join up with Val and add strategy and customizability to gameplay and combat. There’s also a Job-like system which imbues characters with elemental powers, allowing them to unlock new moves and try out new things on the battlefield. It’s one of the highlights of the game.
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This isn’t an open-world game by any means, but several areas feel open and leave plenty of room to explore. Most areas have elmental crystals to interact with and collect from, treasures to hunt down, and plenty of other items like Candy to encourage players to stray from the beaten path. Fast travel spots also make it easier to move around the world.
There are also tougher monsters, called Nemeses, to take down and some areas will be way out of a party’s league when they first arrive and require backtracking much later in the game. There’s also Grizzly Syrup to collect and exchange for rewards with a Dudbear, another series staple creature that sees a well-welcomed return in Visions of Mana.
Visions Of Mana’s Combat Has Some Drawbacks
Action-RPG Fighting That’s Fun But Sometimes Clunky
The combat in Visions of Mana is adequate, which makes it slightly disappointing – because it could’ve been great. It’s nice to see a mainline Mana game with its action-RPG roots after some previous titles experimented with other genres, but the combat feels a bit clunky at times. Fighting, no matter the difficulty setting, feels like its from an era past – and not necessarily in a good way.
The combat is symptomatic of a bigger issue in Visions of Mana. For better or worse, this feels like an RPG from 20 years ago. Yes, nostalgia is powerful, and this classic feel definitely works in the game’s favor, but it’s also a hindrance. Movement doesn’t feel as fluid as it should, the typically cartoonish art design doesn’t feel as sharp as it could be, and there are cutscenes where NPCs are talking but no one’s mouths are moving. This all adds up to a game that might’ve been a masterpiece on the PS2 but feels a little half-baked in 2024.
How Visions Of Mana Compares To Past Mana Games
Mana’s Comeback Isn’t Perfect
Visions of Mana may be bogged down by some outdated practices, but it still feels like the comeback the series needed. It may not be as earth-shattering as what Tales of Arise or Dragon Quest XI did for their respective series, and only time will tell if Visions of Mana has managed to reinvigorate its fanbase and helped launch a new era of Mana titles. However, when compared to previous Mana games, Visions of Mana is still somewhere toward the top, even if it’s not at the peak.
Visions of Mana
reminds people why they fell in love with the series to begin with.
No matter what someone’s favorite Mana game is, Visions of Mana will probably be in second or third behind it. It’s probably never going to stack up against Secret of Mana, but it’s still pretty darn good. And it’s better than pretty much every new Mana game that’s released this side of 2000.
Final Thoughts & Review Score
3.5/5
After years of feeling like the series was on the decline, it’s just really nice to see Visions of Mana reminding people why they fell in love with the series to begin with. It’s a good game that never quite reaches greatness. It’s not a perfect RPG by any means – and it still feels outdated in a lot of ways. However, it’s a game that leaves me feeling hopeful about the series’ future. It feels like, at long last, the Mana series is back on track.
A copy of Visions of Mana on PS5 was sent to Screen Rant for the purpose of this review.
