10 things you need to know about Visions of Mana
Now here’s a sight for sore eyes – Visions of Mana is out now for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Windows, and Steam!
This beautiful new RPG offers an epic adventure across a bright and vibrant world, but what’s so exciting about it?
Here are just a few things you should know:
It tells a compelling tale that goes places
Visions of Mana has a very compelling story – the kind that tugs you along desperate to find out what happens next.
It’s set in a world governed by the flow of mana. Every four years, certain people from around the world are chosen to be ‘alms’. It’s their responsibility and their honor to travel to the Mana Tree and offer their souls for the ongoing prosperity of their world. If an alm fails to do so, tragedy inevitably strikes their lands.
Val is a young swordsman from the Fire Village of Tianeea. When his best friend Hinna is chosen as the new alm of fire, he joins her on the journey as Soul Guard. Little do they know, they’re about to experience the adventure of a lifetime… and potentially change the world forever.
It’s a completely standalone title – and a fantastic series entry point
When a game franchise is as long-standing as the Mana series, it would only be natural to wonder if you can start with this most recent entry. Rest assured, the answer to that is:
YES.
Each Mana game is completely standalone, with its own characters, stories, worlds and even mechanics – just like the FINAL FANTASY and DRAGON QUEST series.
Visions of Mana is no different – in fact, as the first new mainline game in the series for over 15 years, it’s the perfect entry point for new players. It’ll give you a complete adventure with a beginning, middle and end, full of memorable personalities and exciting battles.
It’s also a Mana game through and through
It may be its own experience, but everything that’s great about the Mana series is still present and correct – the action-based combat, the imaginative worlds, the emphasis on nature and the Elementals to name but a few.
Plus, you’ll see plenty of series mainstays, from monsters like the adorably destroyable rabites, to the majestic Mana Tree.
It’s a game that celebrates the Mana series, while striding forward to do some fresh, new, and welcoming.
The combat is fast, fluid, and super-satisfying
The world of Visions of Mana is full of threats, from bruising beasts to brutal bugs. Fortunately, Val and his companions are more than capable of holding their own against them.
You’ll use a range of light and heavy attacks, dodges, special techniques, abilities, and magic to take on hordes of foes in fast-paced action. The pace is fast, the controls responsive and the sense of fun sky high.
It’s also strategic. You’ll learn to take advantage of enemy weaknesses, consider your positioning, and use the Mana series’ famous ring menu to easily access spells, items, and abilities on the fly.
All said, combat in Visions of Mana is really rewarding, with a great feeling of impact and control. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself running ‘round the world looking for things to battle just to get more of that sweet, satisfying action!
You can play as five very different characters in combat and the field
A great RPG needs great characters, and Visions of Mana delivers – both in terms of their mechanics and well… their character.
Your primary protagonist is Val – the team’s soul guard. It’s his job to deliver the alms safely to the Mana Tree and protect them from threats. He’s big hearted, enthusiastic, and skilled, and the consummate all-rounder in combat.
You also have Careena – the alm of wind with an appropriately tempestuous personality. She’s great at providing support to the party – although she can lay a smackdown in her own right.
The alm of the moon, Morley, is a reserved warrior who carries the tragedies of the past on his shoulders. His speed and ferocity make for a really fun playstyle in combat.
Then there’s Palamena – the Queen of Illystana. She’s well-mannered, responsible, and pretty terrible at disguises (just wait). She’s also a magical marvel, capable of casting powerful spells!
Finally, Julei is a sproutling who’s the custodian of Verdeus Borough, and responsible for watering his sleeping companions. His impressive healing skills are a boon to the party – but he’s capable of hurting as well as healing!
Each member of the party shines as a unique and interesting character. Plus, with multiple weapon types and playstyles available through the class system, they’re as fun to play as they are to watch!
The Elemental Vessels make combat a class act
At the heart of both combat and traversal are the Elemental Vessels. These mysterious objects imbue the user with the power of the elemental spirits, which they can use both to traverse the world and take on foes.
For example, the Vessel of Wind, the Sylphid Boomerang, lets you create gusts of wind to launch you across gaps and ascend cliffs. It also lets you launch and damage enemies in the heat of battle.
But the Elemental Vessels have another function – when equipped to a character, they change their class! This gives them all kinds of new abilities, changes their look and potentially the weapon they use.
Suddenly, Val is able to use two-handed greatswords and focus on big damage, or an awesome lance/shield combo that buffs his defense. Or Morley can go from wielding an elegant Katana to launching deadly flurries with three daggers at once.
Any hero can equip any of the vessels and experimenting with the seemingly endless options is extraordinarily gratifying. Remember though, each vessel can only be set to a single character at a time, so you may have to make some tough choices as to who gets what…
You have a lot of choice over how you customize your characters
Of course, character classes are just the beginning.
One of the most impressive things about Visions of Mana is how much choice you have over your characters’ abilities – and how simple and easy it is to play around with the various options.
As you play, you’ll collect Ability Seeds. These handy items can be equipped to a character and allow you to do everything from boost their stats to let them use new abilities entirely. You can only equip a limited number Ability Seeds to each character – just two at first and later more – so you’ll have to choose exactly how you want to spec each hero.
In short, it’s a deep system that gives you a lot of control but keeps things very simple to understand. ARPG heaven then!
It’s set in an incredibly vibrant world
We don’t need to tell you that Visions of Mana is a beautiful game. Just look at it:
The world bursts with color and detail, and the characters are brimming with charm and personality. It’s a world that looks great and feels great to inhabit.
The world is stuffed with things to find
Over the course of the game, you’ll explore many wide areas, each one filled with secrets to discover.
For example, chests are everywhere. Some are out in the open, while others are hidden on the top of cliffs, buildings and more. You’ll run, jump, and air dash on your quest to locate these loot-filled containers, and it never stops being fun and rewarding.
But that’s just scraping the surface of what’s lurking in the world of Visions of Mana. Super-tough enemies, ancient ruins and more await discovery.
It all adds up to a world full of regions that beg to be explored – and make it worth your time to do so.
Side quests offer great rewards
You may be on an all-important journey to protect the world, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have time to help people out.
You can accept side quests all around the world. Some are simple requests to take out some troublesome monsters, others are multi-part tasks that take you across numerous regions. Either way, they offer good rewards and a chance to explore more of the world.
They also fit the game’s attitude of giving the player freedom. You can take on as many or few as you like and complete them when you want. It’s all about having a good time.
That’s pretty much everything you need to know about Visions of Mana – other than the fact that it’s out right now for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Windows, and Steam!
We hope you enjoy this wonderful adventure that’s so full of charm and personality. To stay up to date with news about the game, or just hear from other fans, be sure to follow us on social media: