When I first got my hands on Visions of Mana at PAX East 2024, I was pleased by how much I enjoyed the gameplay. A refreshing take on battle and class systems and a smooth overall flow to fights were just some of the highlights I experienced in the two hours I got to play. For my final preview, it was almost the opposite experience, but in a good way. I played right from the beginning of chapter one for about three hours, and what surprised me most this time was how much I enjoyed the characters and story.
The adventure starts with Val and Hinna, a duo who grew up in the same town and have known each other for a long time. As they set off on their journey to the mana tree, a bit of time is spent on their relationship and the connection they’ve built over the years. Based on the townsfolk’s comments, it is clear that the two have great chemistry together, and they know it. The duo doesn’t even flinch at the idea of being a couple at one point, making me immediately ship them. What made me like them even more is how down-to-earth and relatable they feel.
Val serves as the aloof player-insert character who will ask questions that any player who is new to the series might also have. Hinna works opposite him perfectly, giving exposition in the form of conversations as the two travel toward the manna tree, explaining the setting and its background along the way. While this method of worldbuilding can feel forced, as if the characters are unnaturally dumping information on you, it works in Visions of Mana due to how they craft their character’s backgrounds and personalities.
Having something presented on a platter in perfect order is much easier than finding everything yourself and figuring out what works best.
It is explained that Hinna knows all of the information because she’s been preparing to be the alm of fire and traveling outside of their hometown for a while now, and the role must be knowledgeable. On the other hand, Val has been in the village honing his abilities as the best swordsman so he can serve as her soul guard on the journey. She is the brains, and he is the brawn. It might seem like a small thing, but it helps build both the characters and the world of Visions of Mana while establishing how they fit in their roles.
Careena and Morley also benefit a lot from getting origin stories. Instead of just being thrown together eight hours in with a pre-established dynamic like in the last preview, here I got to meet each character individually and learn why they are also on the journey to the mana tree. Initially, I didn’t like Careena’s sarcastic attitude or Morley’s brooding nature. Given the context of the struggles they both go through just to become alms in this preview, these flaws make much more sense and even provide room for attractive personal growth as the story progresses.
Getting to experience combat, leveling, and abilities from the ground up made me even more appreciative of the RPG elements that go into Visions of Mana. Instead of having powers unlocked and pre-assigned, I was now responsible for finding, unlocking, and figuring out who to give them to. Again, this might sound simple, but having something presented on a platter in perfect order is much easier than finding everything yourself and figuring out what works best. Thankfully, it is a pretty straightforward process, although it is slow. Throughout Chapter One, I found sigil seeds by defeating enemies, completing quests, searching for chests, or buying them at traders with the in-game currency. Figuring out which sigils to assign to which character became its own game within a game.
While I initially had issues fighting characters like the Blood Owls due to their speed, equipping the Thunders Saber to Val and Ice Smash to Careena made for the perfect one-two punch to slow it down and drain its health. Getting to assign these abilities myself instead of having them already given to the best character by the developers helped me better understand both the controlled and enemy character’s strengths and weaknesses.
Now that I’ve experienced the early and middle parts of Visions of Mana, I simply can’t wait to sink my teeth into what the full game has to offer. The first preview showcased how good the combat and RPG elements are once they are established, and the second highlighted just how good the build-up is for the characters, setting, and ever-evolving tactics. Here is to hoping the story continues to develop as much as the gameplay does as the story reaches the later parts of the game.
