Visions of Mana Reviews
While Visions of Mana doesn’t do enough to propel the series to new heights, many can find comfort in knowing that what we have here is another solid JRPG that can easily reiterate why you fell in love with these types of games, and that it’s a comfort to know that in 2024, there are still new adventures that can transport you to the good old days.
Visions of Mana doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it knows damn well what makes a wheel work. It plays like a game we all remember from childhood, but with all the modern frills. The game delivers a beautifully crafted, nostalgic JRPG experience that’s worth checking out.
Visions of Mana is a love letter not only to fans of the series, but to anyone who loves the JRPG genre as well, in which the game did everything necessary to provide a unique experience for fans of the genre despite some of its flaws, but it is still one of the best Action JRPG games of the year.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Visions of Mana is a gorgeous-looking action RPG with a highly customizable and enjoyable combat system and an unfortunately simple storyline bolstered by a stellar cast of characters.
Stepping into the world of Qi’Diel is an ocular sensation. Everything around you is so vibrant and colourful, the landscape so inviting — the enemy designs so adorable! You can’t help but smile. Visions of Mana brings a sense of childlike energy and wonder to a genre so often dominated by dark, gloomy settings.
Visions of Mana is a wonderful continuation of the series that completely understands the strengths and appeal of the series while knowing what to modernize and what to keep classic. The themes, structure, mechanics, and art all feel explicitly Mana to the point you could swear new main entries never stopped coming out for over a decade. While there are some technical issues, it's nothing that affected my enjoyment of the game. With the closure of Ouka Studio, the basis for what could have been an even greater sequel or the hope of patches to smooth the few remaining rough edges is nothing more but leaves scattered on the wind...
If you’re a fan of the Mana series, I’m confident that you will most likely enjoy Visions of Mana quite a lot. There’s a lot here that feels in line with what the series has to offer, while offering some absolutely gorgeous locales accompanied by a great soundtrack. If you’re like me and you’ve wanted more out of the Mana series in the past, I don’t quite think this game elevates the bar all too much. Still, it’s a gorgeous game that’s still decently fun enough to play much of the time. While I would have liked to see it do more with its potential in terms of combat and story, I still found it a satisfactory adventure. If you’ve never played a game in the Mana series and you want to get into it, this is a fine place to start.
Visions of Mana masterfully captures the heart of traditional JRPGs with classic elements and stunning visual artistry. The main storyline and combat system shine with engaging characters and smooth gameplay, but the lack of meaningful side content and occasional performance issues hold it back from perfection.
From the stunning, emotion-filled prologue to when the credits roll, Visions of Mana is a spectacular journey that is more than just a visual delight. Understanding the magic system and switching mana elements once obtained is not hard for newcomers to the series to understand. The captivating story is elevated with the memorable soundtrack, and all the characters were likeable. It has its flaws, especially post-game, but overall it is a great introduction to the legendary series and without doubt will lead newer fans to explore older titles, and hope for a new one in the future.
By focusing on simplicity and fun, with stunning graphics and PS2 design, Square Enix presents one of its best games in recent years.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Visions of Mana is a traditional JRPG with a dramatic story and well-developed characters that gets a little more boring outside of the main storyline.
Review in Russian | Read full review
A fun romp through a fairytale world, one that does not necessarily excel in any one aspect but nonetheless manages to produce a cohesive whole that is a joy to play.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Ouka Studios final game with Visions of Mana will go down as one of the most... neutral Mana games ever released.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Visions of Mana is a wonderful RPG that really shows just how special the Mana series can be (and that it deserves more new entries). Whilst the story can be guilty of being a bit predictable, the combat is exciting, the diversity of classes gives players plenty of cool ways to experiment, whilst the world looks gorgeous and brings with it an array of astounding things to discover on your journey. It is guilty of playing things a bit too safe at times and it’s a shame that it doesn’t do more with its puzzles across the world, but these are small issues in what is otherwise an enthralling experience. I really, really hope it sells well, because I’d love to see what future adventures Square Enix could bring to the Mana series.
Visions of Mana, the latest installment of the Seiken Densetsu franchise, offers us a solid action RPG with quite a few strong points, although with some aspects that could have been improved. The narrative and exploration, while competent, don't reach their full potential, and technical performance can impact the gameplay experience. However, the depth of the combat, the artistic design and the soundtrack make it a highly recommended title for fans of the saga and lovers of the action RPG genre.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A beautiful JRPG that invites us to live a new adventure that revolves around the mana tree and that will make us have very fun and entertaining times.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Visions of Mana perfectly introduces the Mana franchise to the modern format of the gaming industry, while still conveying the feel of a classic JRPG. This game is one of those fun role-playing games that can immerse you for hours in its beautiful fantasy world and charming characters, and at the same time, it doesn't try to appear too complicated.
Review in Persian | Read full review
The game starts with Lyza and Eoren: two lovers with a task. She must sacrifice herself at the Mana tree and he must protect her while she does this. Each area completes this task every four years. However, a number of things go wrong in Lyza's year. In the next round, Val and Hinna get to try again. Will they succeed in saving their village? During the story you will come across different areas, seasons and environments. Each beautifully developed and very beautiful to look at. The opponents change constantly and are varied. All in all, this new part is a long-awaited treat for many fans.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Visions of Mana weaves accessible action and RPG elements together to create a gorgeously enthralling fairy tale.
Visions of Mana is a return to an old game series with an acceptable and visually appealing impact. It’s always heartwarming when even newcomers to the series can enjoy the new game. In Visions of Mana, you take on the roles of various heroes embarking on a journey toward the Mana Tree. Sometimes, you’ll engage in battles with diverse creatures, other times you’ll find pleasure in listening to the conversations of accompanying characters, and occasionally you’ll explore the environment to discover items. The game’s somewhat dated design for side quests and its failure to fully utilize the open-world gameplay potential, alongside other shortcomings, hinder Square Enix’s product from achieving its full potential. However, for those who love many classic Japanese role-playing games and seek a simple, soothing narrative experience, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy Visions of Mana. Especially noteworthy is how the game occasionally surpasses expectations, such as through its excellent class system, which makes combat with various playable characters exciting and varied. By the way, even after hours of playing Visions of Mana, I never grew tired of admiring its eye-catching visuals and listening to its captivating music. Cheers to a good JRPG experience!
Review in Persian | Read full review