JRPG fans had to wait 18 years for Square Enix to get their act together and release the fifth installment in the Mana series called Visions of Mana. But here we are, finally, and after so many years, you could almost assume that the developers at Ouka Studios and the renowned Japanese publisher have beaten the proverbial “big drum,” right? That is, we assume that it will come with unlimited budget, huge scope, and grand visions on par with the numbered Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy series. But it’s not like that. Instead, Square Enix has beaten a small, old, very Japanese drum. Stay tuned and I’ll tell you more.
In Visions of Mana, four years have passed since the last game and it is once again time to make sacrifices to the sacred mana tree. Particularly admirable personalities are selected from towns and villages to embark on a journey with the ultimate goal of climbing the tree and thus preserving the cosmos in the world. As Val, we have been appointed soul guardians and our job is to accompany these so-called “alms” and ensure that they arrive safely. In addition to Hiina, Val’s lover, we meet the fiery Lanti Careena, the sad werecat Morley, the stoic Palamena and the musician Julei.
What all the characters have in common is that their English voice actors are not up to scratch. It’s that simple. If English is a requirement for you, you might want to think once, twice, or thrice about whether Visions of Mana is for you. It’s downright embarrassing how the developers tried to accentuate Careena’s rural features with a sort of half-baked Texan accent, for example, and Val and the others don’t have much better voices. The actors seem to have focused more on imitations of what English anime “should sound” than on a truly believable performance. Thankfully, though, the original Japanese interpretations offer a perfectly acceptable level.
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The journey progresses steadily despite minor setbacks and problem solving. The rhythm is well structured, with the band moving from town to town to collect all the alms and go to the tree. The varied landscape trampled by our shoes, paws and bare feet serves both its graphic and design function. The vast grass fields of Longren sway gently in the wind and the snow-capped mountain village is surrounded by beautiful glacial formations as far as the eye can see, but the world also suffers from a near-universal lack of life and an uneven linear structure. flattering.
Regardless of the fact that one can argue that a desert should be deserted and that a mountain pass or forest paths are rarely more than a few meters wide, there is a lack of detail, destructible and dynamic objects, or something that better masks the corridors and the classic enemy groups of the genre that kindly wait for me along the way. Because aside from the well-placed pots of mana, lives and coins, literally everything is carved out of stone (not just the mountain passes mentioned above), and to call it nothing but retro charm is a lie.
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But perhaps because of the streamlined nature of the world, the journey is quick. From A to B to C to D. The main story also largely lacks twists, for better or worse. After grabbing an alpine pasture, it’s soon on to the next town, and I have no time to ponder further on the sloppily written dialogue: There are enemies to slaughter! I spend most of the game on circular battlefields that activate and close in around me as soon as I attack an enemy. In real-time combat, I not only fight with fast and weak or slow and strong attacks, but also try to master the multitude of skills at my disposal. Basically, combat consists of stopping the opponent’s elemental types, which are often based on the enemy’s appearance. That means if I encounter an evil duck, I can expect to counteract its water element, and if I encounter a dragon, I’ll make sure to wet it thoroughly before it singes my hair.
I learn these elemental skills by swapping ships between my characters, which are unlocked as the adventure progresses. By mastering them and putting yourself to the test, you can customize and assemble your warband to suit your own needs. A perfectly good system, easy to understand but profound, that both encourages and rewards you to do your best, which is especially necessary for epic boss fights. Otherwise, enemies don’t differ much in the way you attack them. It’s all about quickly identifying the item type and any negative status effects like sleeping, freezing or burning. If I can’t take out the opposing party on the first try, I re-equip my party to be ready for the second round. The bosses, however, are numerous and well designed. Against them, the combat system makes perfect sense and you have to keep your tongue firmly in your mouth. Here, the aim is to parry and dodge attacks, find weak points and use status effects very differently than against ordinary enemies.
Unfortunately, the rewards for giant monsters are scarce: various seeds that can be exchanged for percentage stat boosts or a skill that rarely fits into my set. Overall, the loot setup doesn’t go much further than requiring me to buy new armor and weapons in every town I arrive in. It completely lacks the loot-focused incentive found in almost all Western RPGs. The drive is instead in the pacing and the story, which, despite its simplicity and banal dialogue, offers some good moments and a gripping second half. The initially disheveled and loud characters grow up, must gradually learn to take responsibility and face the question of whether they are mature enough to put the community above their own. However, when the magic, bosses and skills peak towards the end, the game can’t quite catch up. Despite choosing performance mode, it coughs and stutters in some battles and beautiful cutscenes in a way that shouldn’t happen on a PlayStation 5.
I made it to the end credits in just under 22 hours, but on the other hand I had to rush to meet the deadline. A few extra side quests and less hectic gameplay will guarantee you a solid 25-30 hours. In other words, Visions of Mana is a nice comeback, as long as you assume Square Enix isn’t banging the big drum here. The game is shorter than the genre usually offers, it has a retro charm that isn’t always quite right, and above all, it’s very Japanese. But if this little old franchise is your style of music, you’re in for a great adventure.
