Get ready to embark on an adventure with ONE Esports’ Visions of Mana review.
Visions of Mana is a classic Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) that blends elements of action, adventure, and strategy. Set in a vibrant classic fantasy world, players embark on a crucial adventure to help escort the chosen Alms to the Mana Tree.
Visions of Mana’s trailers looked amazing, but would it look and feel as good during gameplay? I’ve been tricked a few too many times with misleading game trailers so I’m always cautious when booting up a new game.
After experiencing Visions of Mana for myself, the game played out much better than I had originally anticipated. It checked all my boxes for a fun JRPG fantasy adventure game that anyone could enjoy.
A Visions of Mana review
A beautiful story of selfless sacrifice and unwavering hope
Visions of Mana tells the tale of Val and the Alms, chosen by destiny to embark on a perilous journey to sacrifice themselves to the Mana Tree, the magical heart of their world.
Sounds crude on paper but it’s for the good of the world and the Alms receive it as an honor.
It might sound crazy to the average player like you or me, but after accepting the direction of the story I came to appreciate the writing behind our main cast — their endearing appreciation for the Mana Tree and what it provides and their determination to see their journey through.
It was fun hanging out with the main cast, and also interesting seeing how they tackled all the challenges they faced while journeying to the Mana Tree. The random banter was some of the most fun I had with my party.
There were a few moments where I was scratching my head when it came to the direction of the main story, but then again it always led to the most fun outcomes gameplay wise.
After a long journey together, I wasn’t really ready to say goodbye. No spoilers here but the ending was satisfying and worth the wait.
Swords and magical combat, there’s a gameplay style for everyone
If you’re not exploring, you’re probably fighting something, and you’ll be doing a lot of it in Visions of Mana.
Combat itself is quite fluid as attacks chain quite nicely after one another. It can feel a bit stiff in the beginning but once I spent some time familiarizing myself with the controls, I didn’t get bogged down by animations as much.
We have access to a variety of characters, each with their own unique playstyle. However, we can only actively use three in combat, and things can get tricky if you don’t familiarize yourself with Visions of Mana’s damage types.
This game requires a bit of strategy, especially when it comes to boss fights. If you turn up to a big boss battle without a compatible party member or damage type, you’re either going to hit a big wall and restart or spend 30 minutes chipping away at a huge health bar.
This wasn’t a big issue for me, but it could be a little problematic for players who simply don’t enjoy playing certain characters or really investing in character development.
There is a LOT of character customization and development in this game, to the point we can even change classes! It might seem overwhelming at first, but the game did a really good job of easing me into everything.
But if I may offer some advice, don’t skimp out on character development. You will get stuck without it and it’s one of the core features needed for combat.
A world brimming with beautiful biomes to explore and scavange
The team who crafted the world in Visions of Mana need a raise.
This game has some of the most visually stunning environments I have ever seen and exploring it all was an absolute treat. There are also so many collectables to find every time a new map is opened. It might pose a problem to my fellow completionists out there because of all the collectable markers on the map.
The environments really are beautiful. I caught myself constantly just standing on a cliff just to look at everything. Nothing ever looked or felt the same when exploring a new environment, the environment team did a wonderful job keeping with the game’s art style too.
Thankfully, we don’t just explore on foot either. We eventually gain access to specialized mounts and abilities that can help us reach places we couldn’t previously. Who doesn’t enjoy riding around on a mount or swinging around on a grappling hook?
Outside the main story, we can pick up additional optional quests on our adventures. A lot of these in the beginning are extra chores we can do for small rewards, but later optional quests are well worth doing. If you’re not into fluff content, you’re welcome to skip them.
A Mana series game for everyone
Truth be told, this is my first ever playthrough of a Mana series game. It’s not my first ever JRPG, but Visions of Mana really impressed me with how well put together everything was.
As a newcomer to the series, I had no trouble learning about Mana’s unique systems nor did I struggle to keep up with the story. The team behind the game did a great job accommodating newcomers such as myself while also appealing to its long-staying fans.
I highly recommend Visions of Mana to anyone who wants to embark on a brand-new magical adventure of a lifetime, especially if you’re a Mana newbie like me.
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