Visions of Mana’s Slow Opening Makes Way For a Grand Adventure

Introduction to Visions of Mana

The Mana series is beloved for several reasons; many of them, at least personally, stem from its compact and simple-to-pick-up playstyles, which contrast the more involved JRPGs. Legend of Mana deviates from this philosophy, but for the most part, the ease at which these entries genuinely feel like full-on fantasy worlds with simplicities at their cores is impressive.

So, these memories make the arrival of Visions of Mana a curious one. Following up on the well-received remake of Trials of Mana, Visions of Mana continues in the same general gameplay direction. Yet, after experiencing it, I underestimated the sheer scale of this vast adventure.

A Larger-Than-Life Adventure

There’s only so much I can mention in this final preview, especially since I’m almost done with the main story, so we’ll relent on the narrative for the time being. Instead, what’s worth emphasizing is how much grander the exploration of Visions of Mana is compared to most other entries in the franchise. While the free demo grants a brief taste of the scale embodying this adventure, the opening hours of your first town and open field really illustrate the sheer degree of ground completionists have to cover.

Exploring the Expansive World

In the first chapter of Visions of Mana, the hometown of the protagonist Val and the heroine Hinna sets a precedent with plenty of collectibles, including treasure chests and minor pick-ups. The map does transparently aid you in this endeavor, with blue dots communicating the presence of these items.

Visions of Mana impresses with its grand scale, offering exploration and reward-filled gameplay.

I’ve honestly never found this availability to lessen the delight of these acquisitions. Given how large these maps are and the game’s clear focus on combat and character customization, there is a driven effort to ensure that you don’t waste your time on items you may or may not find. The reward-filled exploration is also retained throughout the adventure, with sidequests aplenty.

The fields you’ll encounter have various avenues of activities to complete and pick-ups to gather, too, with much of it loosely akin to your typical open world. However, at most, I’d only describe the experience as a semi-open world rather than full-on. Thankfully, the areas are never overwhelmingly vast, and the addition of the Pikul mounts significantly lessens travel time.

Combat and Customization

Above all else, you can take your time with Visions of Mana and get the most out of it without losing sight of your objectives. But on the other end of the spectrum, the gameplay pacing in the early hours isn’t exactly compelling. My perception of this subject changes later on, but I find the beginning of the title to be far too simple and lacking in tools to incentivize paying attention to the combat.

While the pacing may feel slow at first, the game truly opens up in its later chapters.

Of course, you eventually gain other party members as well as classes via the elemental vessels, but the start of your adventure here doesn’t do a great job of enticing you with further growth. Instead, it feels like it’s too gradual in making sure that you understand the basics of the basics.

Early Gameplay Impressions

Admittedly, if you’re used to playing RPGs, you undoubtedly know how to exhibit patience; I just find this implementation a tad too excessive for my liking. The demo does a better job of giving you an idea of how the combat works beyond the foundations, even if you’re just thrust in with the opposite problem of there being too much going on. I’d say the latter half of chapter two is when combat really starts to open up.

Conclusion

When taking the first chapter and such into account, Visions of Mana may not immediately grab you due to its familiar story premise and aforementioned gameplay pacing. Still, what’s presented sets the stage for intricate worldbuilding and a deeply involved combat system. We’re eager to share our full thoughts ahead of Visions of Mana’s full release on August 29, 2024.

Visions of Mana is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Windows and PC via Steam on August 29, 2024.