The next installment in the Mana series, Visions of Mana, feels like a comforting bowl of chicken soup for the soul.
When I first played Visions of Mana at PAX East 2024, I was struck by how much I enjoyed the gameplay. The battle system felt refreshing, and the class mechanics were engaging, with a smooth and enjoyable flow to combat. Those two hours left me eager for more. However, my final preview offered a different kind of satisfaction. This time, I spent three hours starting from chapter one, and what truly stood out was how much I connected with the characters and the story.
The journey begins with Val and Hinna, childhood friends who set off together to reach the mana tree. The game spends time exploring their relationship and the strong bond they’ve developed over the years. The townsfolk’s comments make it clear that these two share a special connection, and they’re aware of it themselves. At one point, they even joke about being a couple, making it easy to root for them. What really drew me in, though, was how grounded and relatable they felt.
Val takes on the role of the aloof protagonist, asking questions that new players to the series might also have. Hinna, on the other hand, perfectly complements him, providing exposition as they travel, explaining the world and its lore. While this method of world-building can sometimes feel forced, in Visions of Mana, it works thanks to how well the characters’ backgrounds and personalities are crafted.
Hinna’s deep knowledge makes sense—she’s been training to become the alm of fire and has been preparing for this journey for a long time. Meanwhile, Val has been honing his skills as a swordsman to serve as her protector. She’s the strategist, and he’s the muscle. It might seem like a small detail, but it effectively builds both the characters and the world they inhabit, showing how they fit into their respective roles.
We also get to see the backstories of Careena and Morley, which adds depth to their characters. Unlike the last preview, where they were introduced much later with a pre-established dynamic, here I got to meet them individually and understand their motivations for joining the quest to the mana tree. Initially, I wasn’t a fan of Careena’s sarcasm or Morley’s brooding demeanor, but learning about the struggles they endured to become alms made their flaws more understandable and hinted at potential character growth as the story progresses.
Starting from scratch with combat, leveling, and abilities deepened my appreciation for the RPG elements in Visions of Mana. Instead of having powers pre-assigned, I had to discover and decide which abilities to unlock and assign to each character. This process, though simple, added a layer of strategy that made the game more engaging. Finding sigil seeds through various activities and then figuring out the best character to equip them to became a game within the game.
For example, when I struggled with the fast-moving Blood Owls, equipping Val with the Thunder Saber and Careena with Ice Smash turned out to be the perfect combination to slow them down and deal significant damage. Assigning these abilities myself, rather than relying on pre-set choices, gave me a better understanding of both the strengths and weaknesses of my characters and their enemies.
Now that I’ve experienced both the early and middle parts of Visions of Mana, I’m eager to dive into the full game. The initial preview highlighted the strengths of the combat and RPG systems once they’re fully developed, and this final preview underscored how well the story, characters, and tactics build up over time. Here’s hoping the narrative continues to evolve as much as the gameplay as the story reaches its climax.
