I was really hyped up at the fact thatmy favorite gamethis year,Baldur’s Gate 3, got Game Of The Year at this year’s 2023 TGAs, I have to say that I was completely surprised and blown away by the reveal for the latest installment in the Mana series, Visions of Mana. The trailer was released andoh boydid I lose my mind watching it. This release is not only a great surprise for the Mana series, but also might be the first truly great entry since Trials Of Mana 2020… so long as it learns the right lessons from it.
It Started During The Pandemic
My adoration for the Mana series started with the Trials Of Mana remake, which came out in 2020, smack dab in the middle of the pandemic. I went from teaching my first year in elementary and middle school, to being completely bored and anxious. All this time on my hand, and I desperately needed something enamoring enough to calm me, and take me to a different world.
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The 2020 remake of Trials Of Mana became one of those games. The remake embraced its old-school JRPG roots while slapping a new coat of paint on it. The combat system is simple, but also has enough depth that I ended up replaying the game multiple times, going through each of the six characters' routes, and only being one achievement away from Platinum on PS4. (I swear I’ll get it one day.)
The game became a reminder of the good things in my life, and made the uncertainty of a post-pandemic world less uncanny.
As an entryway into the series, Trials set a high bar. Sadly, the 2018 remake of Secrets Of Mana felt like a clumsy blueprint of how to mix nostalgia with modern gaming design. Jumping into it after playing Trials made the flaws stick out more. Not only was it not as polished as the Trials remake, but AI was clunky and left me feeling like a babysitter. Trails' AI wasn’t always perfect, but I could rely on my allies to have my back. Not to mention the difficulty was uneven, creating a confusing progression path. I quickly lost interest.
The most recent entry was Echoes Of Mana in 2022, a mobile game that was shut down only about a year later. I didn’t want a mobile game. I wanted a new entry. I wanted to see the series take what the Trails remake did, and apply it to an all-new entry. I wanted to know what a modern made Mana game would feel like with a hefty PS5 or Xbox Series controller in my hands. What would a new entry look like in 2023?
Lo and behold, on the eve of 2024, Vision Of Mana is revealed.
The “Vision” Of The Future And Past
The cast looks wonderfully colorful, with vibrant clothing choices and the same big, puffy hair I loved from Trials Of Mana 2020. There are several characters revealed in the trailer, and it makes me wonder if the game may have a similar setup as Trials as well, in which you’ll choose three different characters to take into combat at a time, and develop their individual stories.
Visions of Mana seems to be shooting for a semi-open-world setup. The trailer reveals different biomes to explore, ranging from frozen tundras to deserts, woodlands to underwater cities. This region-based setup is reminiscent of theXenobladeseries. There’s something so relaxing about being introduced to one biome, exploring the entire area, and then moving on to the next one.
The story will follow Val, a spry young man from the fire village of Tiana, who embarks on a journey accompanying a friend to undertake a pilgrimage to the Tree of Mana. I’m hopeful that Visions Of Mana, like Trials before it, will shine brightly through the simplicity of its narrative. Mana games prefer to keep things simpler. Trials lets you choose six different heroes who get put on the same “thou art chosen” journey, which leads to taking out the ultimate baddie. This is by no means a rip into the series' stories. The glory found in the Mana series is how it tells the traditional adventure story in a way that’s nostalgic but not boring. It taps into a child-like whimsy that pulls you into its collective colorful worlds. If you’ve played any amount of RPGs, or read classic adventure books, you generally know what you’re getting into.
Visions of Mana features new creature designs by Airi Yoshioka, renowned for her work in the Mana series, alongside a musical score composed by Hiroki Kikuta, Tsuyoshi Sekito, and Ryo Yamazaki. The game’s development team combines past series members with fresh talent, aiming for a blend of classic and modern appeal.
The captain leading the ship is Masaru Oyamada, who also worked on Trials Of Mana 2020. Managing the sound side of things are Hiroki Kikuta and Tsuyoshi Sekito. Both of them worked on Trials 2020, but it’s important to note that Kikuta has been with the Mana series since Secrets Of Mana in 1993, which hopefully means that the world will have some of Secrets' acoustic qualities, harking back to that late 90s/ early 2000s JRPG sound that I love. And finally, HACCAN, who was also a part of Trials 2020, are on board as well. So Trials' digital DNA is all over the place in this new project. It should be noted though that many of these people also worked on Secrets Of Mana 2018, but given that Trials came out afterward, I believe that they’ll take lessons they learned from Trials and move forward from there.
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More Mana In 2024
Visions of Mana stands poised to usher in a new chapter in the Mana series, and as I eagerly await its unveiling in 2024, I find myself standing at the crossroads of nostalgia and innovation. The vibrant cast, diverse biomes, and the enchanting soundtrack by familiar hands weave a tale of anticipation.
At this moment of speculation, it’s a reminder that the path forward is not merely a replication of past successes but a nuanced exploration of what Mana can become. As I place Visions of Mana among my most anticipated releases of 2024, I can’t help but wonder how this new adventure will strike its own chord while carrying the digital echoes of Trials. The journey continues, and the allure of Mana’s whimsical worlds beckons with the promise of uncovering secrets and meeting new characters. Here’s to embracing the future, tempered with the wisdom of the past, in the ever-evolving Mana series.
