Visions of Mana is exactly what it should be: mid-budget RPG comfort food

GamesRPGVisions of Mana is exactly what it should be: mid-budget RPG comfort foodWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Visions of Mana

It took an entire hour for Visions of Mana to click with me.

I love the older Mana games, but the combat felt sooffat first. Could Visions of Mana be straight-upbad? Fearing the answer to that question, I took a few minutes to dig into the game’s menus and analyze all the tools at my disposal. That’s when I turned the corner.

I should’ve known not to panic: Abandoning what I knew from the series’ previous game is the quintessential Mana experience.

Out on the open world again

The Mana games have never been afraid to get a bit weird, so it was almost surreal to start Visions of Mana in a wide open field that structurally resembles many typical modern RPGs. Within five minutes I saw hidden treasure chests, side quests that pointed me towards optional battles, and collectibles I could reach with some light platforming.

It’s immediately more exploration than I remember from many previous Mana games, but also a bit pedestrian compared to the series’ typically experimental design. More than once I thought “this feels like Genshin Impact without the live service parts.”

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

That’s not an inherently bad approach in my book, and Visions of Mana does appear to be using the form to encourage exploration. I got in over my head against some powerful enemies after I acclimated to the combat, a lively moment coming from Trials of Mana’s tepid difficulty. There also appeared to be secrets that you’d have to return to later in the game to unlock, which harkens back to the world design of classic RPGs like Dragon Quest. I could do without the canned voiced lines that repeated every time I gathered certain items, but even that made me vaguely nostalgic for the B-tier PS2 RPGs I played in my teenage years.

Image1of4(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)

Image1of4

(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)(Image credit: Square Enix)

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Visions of Mana

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Visions of Mana

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Visions of Mana

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Visions of Mana

That said, it’s that crunchy RPG-y core that really makes me excited for the combat and exploration in the full game.

Visions of Mana uses a class system, but instead of picking from a pool of predefined classes to assign party members, I was pleased to see that each character had their own unique class options to choose from. The protagonist initially starts off wielding a greatsword that delivers especially weighty attacks. I could change him to the Aegis class to give him a slightly faster spear and a huge shield. This led to a very defensive playstyle, even turning one of his former attacks into a dedicated block command.

While I didn’t have a ton of toys to play with, I saw ample potential for customization. Each character has four dedicated magic spell slots, and these were all interchangeable regardless of class. Debuffs, healing over time, elemental attacks, all the classic RPG fundamentals were there. I didn’t have a ton of options in terms of customizing my loadout, but it was a nice amount of variety considering this demo took place in the early game.

An hour wasn’t nearly enough time to experiment with the available systems and hone in on my personal playstyle. But with the way modern RPGs like Final Fantasy have streamlined their systems, Visions of Mana struck me as steadfastly holding true to the RPG sensibilities of the ’90s and early 2000s with some modern flourishes.

It doesn’t push boundaries, and that’s the point

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Visions of Mana

Visions of Mana isn’t going to change the world, or even RPGs, when it launches. It reads as a modestly budgeted game for people who remember when Squaresoft and Enix were two different companies. But in 2024, I think that approach is well worth celebrating.

If you’ve paid attention to game industry news lately, you know that big budget game development has become unsustainable.Horrific layoffs have plagued the industryand expensive games need to sell many millions of copies just to break even. Meanwhile, Visions of Mana’s predecessor Trials of Mana was considered a massive success.Despite “only” selling a million, Square Enix stated in its2020 Financial Results Briefingthat the game “significantly surpassed our initial expectations.”

Square Enix is no stranger to “AA” games, but Visions of Mana comes at an inflection point for big game publishers. It shows the value of games without state-of-the-art production values that don’t need to be all things to all people. It looks good, it plays well, and I’m okay with less spectacle. Especially if it means the people making it can actually keep their jobs.

More about rpg

A Path of Exile 2 sorceress casting flaming skulls in a hellish landscape

Path of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better loot

Double headed wizard man holding arms up looking sad

LatestThe Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in AprilSee more latest►

Latest

The Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in April

the last of us season 2 trailer

The Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in April

See more latest►

Most Popular

The Witcher 3’s now 2-year-old bonus quest is our first taste of the ‘vibe’ CD Projekt is going for in The Witcher 4

2024 was the year updates for old games beat out all the new ones for me

Train like you game with this adventure-inspired workout

‘It’s simply impossible to make a difficulty level that’s just right for all players’: How Final Fantasy 14’s lead battle designer has been playing a precarious balancing game for Dawntrail’s dungeons and raids

Please join me in getting super excited for all the cool looking survival games coming in 2025 (and beyond)

Competitive shooters are at a crucial crossroads in 2025: ‘sweaty’ teamplay vs. casual fun

Call of Duty’s $28 Squid Game skins are the perfect crossover for our capitalist dystopia, and Activision knows exactly what it’s doing

These are the 14 biggest upcoming RPGs of 2025—get ready for another amazing year for the genre

Five new Steam games you probably missed (January 6, 2025)

I’ve seen enough: No more forcing singleplayer studios to make mediocre live service games

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Out on the open world again#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

It doesn’t push boundaries, and that’s the point#

Out on the open world again

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

It doesn’t push boundaries, and that’s the point