Visions of Mana Review: A Sacrifice for Nostalgia

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For many years, the Mana series was often discussed alongside popular JRPGs such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Its appeal lay in adorable mascots, enchanting spells, and endearing characters. The series debuted on the Game Boy and continued across various systems over time. However, with the rise of more contemporary games, it seemed to fade into obscurity. So, it’s both intriguing and invigorating to find a new main game in the series almost 17 years after its last release.

In essence, “Visions of Mana” offers a sense of stepping back into the past when JRPGs were more straightforward and charming. At first glance, it’s delightfully nostalgic and calming. However, upon closer inspection, one might find that the game’s simplicity veers towards being oversimplified, which can be both enjoyable and slightly underwhelming at times. The game does have its high points, but it’s not likely to leave a lasting impression as an extraordinary revival.

Predictable Storytelling

The game titled “Visions of Mana” revolves around Val, a Soul Guard tasked with safeguarding sacred Elemental Alms and leading them on their journey to the Mana Tree for sacrifice, ensuring balance in their world. The narrative commences with a flashback from several years ago, depicting the devastating consequences of neglecting this sacred rite, which subtly suggests some conflict within the storyline, leaving you curious if your characters may stray and opt to act against the norm. To put it simply, the plot is quite conventional.

In the tale you’ve woven, Hinna, who shares the mantle of the Alm of Fire and is deeply admired by Val, feels privileged for being selected as the Alm. This sentiment is echoed by other companions in your group you encounter later on. Reminds me a bit of Yuna from ‘Final Fantasy X’ when she was assigned her sacred journey, but there’s a stark contrast: Hinna develops and evolves as a character across the narrative, whereas yours appear static and one-dimensional.

Unfortunately, during your journey, you’ll encounter various Alms, each with their own distinctive traits and combat methods. For example, Morley, who played a significant role in the destruction of his village, carries a heavy burden of guilt that you’ll encounter upon first meeting him. You can assist him, certainly, and learn some details about his past, but his character development beyond this point is rather limited. It’s a pity, given how charming all the characters are, that there isn’t more exploration of Morley’s story.

Although the game appears vibrant and optimistic at first glance, its underlying tale takes a bleak turn when scrutinized. The idealism, ironically, proves detrimental as it frequently overshadows the heavier scenes in the plot, leaving one questioning whether the creators aim to keep their characters perpetually content, avoiding delving into their complex emotions. One would expect a game grappling with the concept of potentially forfeiting human life to delve deeper into the tumultuous thoughts that arise when confronted with the knowledge that one’s existence is about to cease. Instead, you are met with cheerful tunes guiding your joyous trek towards the Mana Tree.

Colorful Worlds with Bland Side Quests

In terms of visual appeal, “Visions of Mana” is vibrant and captivating, immersing players in its intricately designed environment. The game’s world spans forests, deserts, and snowy mountains, offering a typical JRPG landscape that doesn’t fail to impress. Your adventure will lead you through several towns, but navigating between them involves traversing vast semi-open worlds teeming with enemies, collectibles, and side quests. Some of these expanses are large and filled with treasures to discover, while others are relatively empty, offering only monsters for combat to gain experience. The maps have invisible boundaries that limit exploration, and the towns themselves restrict movement, making it challenging to fully explore every nook and cranny.

In its towns and countryside, you’ll encounter characters offering side missions to embark on. However, these exploration aspects are among the game’s less engaging features. The tasks assigned often seem like an additional addition rather than a central part of the gameplay. Mostly, you’ll find yourself collecting items for these characters and receiving gold or useful items in return. There’s no compelling narrative associated with completing these quests, making them forgettable experiences.

Fighting in Style

The game’s active combat system, which grows more intricate as you progress through the story and gather Elemental Vessels, is what makes it engaging and thrilling. These artifacts grant your characters special battle items, like a water jug that traps foes in bubbles, a flaming rocket that rams and incinerates enemies, or a boomerang that lifts them into the air, making them vulnerable to attacks. Acquiring these tools adds a fresh element to gameplay, and additionally, allows your character to transform their class, unlocking unique skills and actions.

The impressive element in this class system is that each character becomes a class unique to them when equipped with an Elemental Vessel. Val, for example, becomes a tank when you give him the Luna Globe, but Morley becomes a rogue-like ninja. The more you explore the world and collect Elemental Points, the more you can unlock new moves and abilities for each class letting you then use those moves when you have other classes equipped. This system not only lets you experiment with what classes work for your play style, but they also give you various ways to approach an enemy or a boss and see which class makes sense for that battle.

Initially, many battles may appear as simple and swift encounters, but as you progress, they’ll demand strategic thinking and preparation. You’ll acquire a Class Strike attack that strengthens with each strike, and timing its use strategically can significantly impact the outcome. Despite multiple difficulty levels, the game remains accessible yet offers numerous opportunities to test your skills and build a party tailored to your advantage. Powerful adversaries offer valuable rewards such as unique items that enhance your abilities. It’s worth noting that these battles are far more satisfying than the trivial errands its side missions often entail.

In intense battles, the game takes over two of my characters, allowing me to choose presets for their attack frequency or focus areas. However, during complex boss fights, the AI can become overwhelmed, as was the case with my healer who didn’t always heal me when I was critically low on health. This forced me to take control, perform a healing spell on myself, and then return to my main character. Occasionally, certain battles demand constant switching between characters due to the AI struggling to keep pace.

Final Thoughts

Experiencing ‘Visions of Mana’ is reminiscent of playing an old-school JRPG, due to its inspiration from the Super Nintendo’s ‘Secret of Mana’. The atmosphere of exploration in its magical world mirrors this connection, but overemphasis on traditional elements results in a storyline that appears predictable and perhaps sacrificed for reviving the series.

If “Visions of Mana” had dedicated as much effort to its storyline as it did to its battles, we might have ended up with a completely different game. However, it appears that the game is somewhat unbalanced, offering a potentially enjoyable experience primarily through its battles, while the plot may leave you wanting more. To be clear, there are instances in the game where the story incorporates action elements that give the impression of progress, but these moments are often overshadowed by the less engaging aspects of the overall narrative.

The game was reviewed on PC with a Xbox One controller.

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2024-08-28 16:33