To say that Visions of Mana has high standards to meet would be an understatement. Mana has not released a major game in almost 20 years; in the interim, fans can only be kept entertained by spin-offs and 3D remakes of previous titles. Fortunately, though, the wait was worthwhile. Visions of Mana successfully moves the series into the current era with great combat and class systems, along with a new cast of likable characters, despite a few obvious shortcomings. It’s not only a wonderful Mana game, but it’s become one of my personal favorite JRPGs in years.
One term that would best describe my thoughts on Visions of Mana’s first few acts of storytelling would be “simple,” and I mean that in a positive way. While I enjoy games that delve into intricate issues or offer a wealth of lore to explore, not everything has to be complicated for the sake of complexity. For the most part, at least, Visions of Mana avoids bogging down its story with superfluous detail.
I would use the adjective “simple”—and I mean that positively—to best sum up my feelings about Visions of Mana’s initial narrative acts. Not everything has to be complex just for the sake of complexity, even though I like games that explore rich lore or delve into complex themes. At least, Visions of Mana manages to stay away from overly descriptive details most of the time.
The people they meet along the road and bring into the party each have unique personalities that offer diversity. Careena, for instance, speaks with a strong Texan accent and is both tenacious and irritated. I am still not sure why this is the case. While Morely is undoubtedly the most serious member of the group, some of the funniest moments stem from his direct approach. Your new acquaintances have a proper arc that allows them to face their shortcomings head-on and evolve as individuals. It is soon clear what made them who they are.
Their storylines are organically linked into the main narrative, feeling less like side stories. Learning more about these individuals completely altered my opinion of them. For example, Careena starts the story off as a brat, and although I had written her off as unpleasant at first, by the conclusion I had come to regard her as one of the most charming partygoers.
I was immediately captivated by the primary tale.
The primary plot of Visions of Mana captivated me right away, but although I enjoyed how quickly it moved along in the first part, it dragged on to a complete stop in the second half. I can not go into specifics about my main complaints to prevent spoilers, but I thought that a significant portion of the last 15 to 20 hours (I rolled credits for the campaign in just under 40) was needless filler. Rereading becomes commonplace, and it seems like an unwanted diversion from the direction the tale was taking.
This pivotal moment also marked the end of the simplicity that I had once found appealing and the beginning of the terrible exposition dumps that kept piling on top of one another. Overall, I still thought the story was entertaining and the conclusion was emotionally fulfilling, but these annoying pacing problems later on wasted a lot of the energy that had been built up in the beginning.
However, Visions of Mana’s combat is its true star, and it shines even when the story falters. There are many different systems to keep track of during fast-paced, chaotic fights. In addition to basic and special attacks, you can use moves and spells like shurikens or fireballs to confuse your opponent and take advantage of their weaknesses. Additionally, it is strategically sound since utilizing moves, attacking, and taking damage gradually fill up the Class Strike gauge, which in turn allows you to unleash a powerful strike that you will want to use as often as possible (ideally at the perfect moments).
However, Visions of Mana’s combat is its true star, and it shines even when the story falters. There are many different systems to keep track of during fast-paced, chaotic fights. In addition to basic and special attacks, you can use moves and spells like shurikens or fireballs to confuse your opponent and take advantage of their weaknesses. Additionally, it is strategically sound since utilizing moves, attacking, and taking damage gradually fill up the Class Strike gauge, which in turn allows you to unleash a powerful strike that you will want to use as often as possible (ideally at the perfect moments).
But, a character will also be instantly switched to the class that corresponds with any specific Elemental Vessel when they equip it. This brings me to my all-time favorite feature of Visions of Mana: the class system. The role, movements, and skills of the character wearing the Luna Globe will alter over time, but the device itself will always serve the same purpose. Each character has a class that is specifically tailored to them for each available element.
Careena will become a Moon Charterer and assume a buff-support position through fan dance, while Val will become an Aegis and switch from his default melee role to a tank that can carry a lance and shield instead of his customary sword thanks to the Luna Globe. Val can use a move to aggro adversaries as an Aegis, and he also obtains an ability that gives him 1 HP to survive a strike that would have otherwise killed him once every battle. What makes each class so enjoyable is how these options interact with each other as you switch them around.
Verdict
The long-abandoned classic RPG series is finally brought into the contemporary day with Visions of Mana, which looks fantastic and plays much better thanks to intricately interwoven class and skill systems. Later on, there are undoubtedly some pacing problems and some dubious design decisions, and occasionally there is a framerate dip or strange lipsyncing, which may be distracting. Even if you have not been waiting decades for it, Visions of Mana is still a fantastic game due to its captivating and thrilling gameplay, extremely rewarding class system, and the ensemble of endearing characters.
