A weak story and frustrating pacing combine into a disappointing entry in a venerated series.
By Imran Khan on August 27, 2024 at 5:00AM PDT
The Mana series has a long and admittedly inconsistent history. There have been ups and downs, but games like Trials of Mana hold a special place in my heart. Decades on from that game’s original release and a few years from its remake, the Mana series has another swing at a full-fledged title with Visions of Mana. As the first original mainline game since 2006’s Dawn of Mana, does Visions still have the juice for something revelatory? Unfortunately, no. Visions of Mana is not a worthy successor to the series’ best nor worth the time it takes to excavate its few virtues to find that out.
Like many of the games in the Mana series, Visions takes place in a new world with similar touchstones to previous titles: There is a Mana tree, monster-like elementals governing the natural forces of the world, animal demi-humans, and the like. In Visions’ world, however, these forces are constantly waning and require the sacrifice of seven souls every four years to the Mana tree. It is considered an honor to be chosen to die for the Mana tree and the vast majority of characters treat it as such, including the entire main cast, who make a point to never think too hard about it.
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Now Playing: Visions of Mana – Elemental Vessels Introduction Trailer
Visions of Mana features a journey with some of the least introspective characters in storytelling. The group seldom considers the long-term consequences for themselves or the lives previously or subsequently affected by their actions. The narrative lacks a traditional reflection on breaking cycles or contemplating their futures, which reduces the main characters to superficial caricatures scarcely engaging with their stories.
Each time I anticipated depth in the storyline of Visions of Mana, I was starkly disappointed by its blatant disregard for narrative progression. Opportunities for character development were missed, as any potential for depth was superficially acknowledged then ignored. The plot of Visions resembles an alternate universe Bravely Default, where the game sidelines subversion for a shallow portrayal of deceit as kindness.
I maintained a hopeful outlook that the story in Visions of Mana might be underwhelming, yet its gameplay would enthral enough to redeem it. This seemed a plausible expectation until it became clear that the transitional zones between cities were utterly mundane. Instead of engaging adventures teeming with monsters and intriguing explorations, these areas are peppered with countless collectible orange orbs named Grizzly Syrup. Besides combat, the few available activities invariably involve scavenging for items strewn randomly rather than strategically placed.
Gathering these items becomes a task as difficult as the game whimsically determines. Even with the advantages of an expansive air-dash and double-jump, navigation is frequently hindered by invisible barriers. Spotted a treasure chest seemingly within easy reach? You might struggle to access it due to an unexpected obstruction. The game often seems to penalize players for utilizing its mechanics, thereby infusing gameplay with needless monotony.
This aggravation extends into the towns, where secrets and potential shortcuts exist, yet inexplicably, your character’s ability to double-jump is reduced to a single-jump. This limitation perplexes me as it harms no one and merely makes traversing towns feel sluggish. Additionally, the game does not allow party arrangement adjustments prior to departure for battles and further explorations, leading to a tendency to hasten through these segments.
Technical glitches are fairly frequent too. The game crashed multiple times. On several occasions, enemies glitched through the terrain requiring a retreat from battle without any rewards to resolve the issue. Mistakenly fleeing from an ongoing fight only to re-enter with enemies fully revitalized was not uncommon, particularly in cramped spaces near the game’s conclusion. I experienced being unable to walk post-battle three different times; I could still dash and jump, and I relied solely on these abilities until reaching a save point where a game reload was necessary to restore normal movement.
“Visions of Mana” fails to live up to its revered predecessors and hardly justifies the effort required to discover its sparse merits.
The game’s side quests offer little in terms of innovation. Typically, these missions involve defeating a certain quantity of specified foes or tackling them in different locations. They are not counted retroactively, which might have softened their tedium. They give off the impression of last-minute assignments doled out by a teacher as the class nears its end. It wouldn’t be surprising if many players chose to abandon these quests before finishing the game, as they never evolve into something genuinely engaging.
While one might expect combat to be the saving grace of an action-RPG like the Mana series, “Visions of Mana” surprisingly falls short in this area. Initially, battles are enjoyable, but they eventually morph into sessions of aggravating difficulty. As the screen fills with more and numerous foes, the game shifts away from its potential strategic depth to merely chaotic mishaps, leaving players to wonder, “What is causing my downfall now?”
Despite having an array of diverse job classes tied to various elements—which inherently is an intriguing and enjoyable system—the chaotic combat renders it difficult to discern which enemy is consistently disrupting your gameplay through an undecipherable mass of 3D animations and effects.
Boss encounters are predominantly influenced by elemental strengths and weaknesses, which can usually be anticipated based on the dungeon’s theme like Wood, implying a possible Wood element boss. However, if your party’s elements are mismatched, the boss battles become grindingly slow or even unsurpassable. Conversely, having the correct elemental matchup can trivialize earlier bosses, making them far too easy to defeat.
Such a lack of challenge led me to desire a middle ground, which ironically transformed the game into a frustrating experience by its conclusion. For example, a late-game boss of the water element could obliterate my party in just a couple of strikes. The inability to direct my party’s actions precisely, resulting in them blundering into lethal attacks, compounded the frustration.
A significant issue with the game, Visions of Mana, is the noticeable input lag during combat and exploration. Attacks that should have been evaded hit your character, and the inconsistency of this happening means it’s impossible to adapt your approach effectively. This made both combat and exploration feel disjointed and unsatisfying.
The dungeons generally take 10-20 minutes to complete, starting with unique mechanisms or puzzles that integrate into the larger world theme. However, dungeon creativity wanes as the game progresses, leading to perplexing progression choices. An instance in a late-game dungeon involves a switch that only raises the water level once and then permanently disappears, suggesting possibly abandoned content, leaving an unsatisfactorily short and incomplete dungeon experience.
The pacing of Visions often feels inexplicable. The journey is punctuated with incidental goals that are consistently diverted, but despite this, the group maintains a dreamlike complacency. The sense of progression, either through gameplay mechanics or the narrative, fails to materialize. This leads to confounding late-game decisions to engage new enemies, contributing to the impression of an incomplete gaming experience.
From an aesthetic standpoint, Visions of Mana is fairly appealing. Although characters can appear doll-like, the vibrant palette and lively animations enhance the visual experience. The game invokes the artistic feel of classic titles like Secret of Mana, offering stunning scenes that range from captivating concept art to lush, awe-inspiring fields. However, despite these visual strengths, the game suffers from performance issues. Both battles and cutscenes are plagued by stuttering and frame drops, even when the framerate is prioritized within the game settings.
The game’s audio elements present a mixed bag. While the soundtrack adequately supports the atmosphere, it lacks memorable tracks. Voice acting is unremarkable, reminiscent of a subpar Saturday morning cartoon, and does little to elevate the narrative. Dialogue during battles is muffled and generic, often causing players to disengage from what is being said.
Despite these issues, it’s important to acknowledge the occasional highlights in Visions of Mana. Brilliant moments in world-building and character interactions hint at a deeper, more compelling story that unfortunately isn’t fully explored. These moments stand out but ultimately contribute to a greater sense of disappointment when they fail to reach their potential. This leaves promising characters and intriguing plot points feeling underdeveloped, akin to discarded ideas on a cutting room floor.
I had high expectations for Visions of Mana, as someone who holds games like Trials of Mana in high regard among SNES RPGs. However, by the time the credits rolled on Visions of Mana, I felt a sense of relief. It wasn’t just that the game had ended, but that the hope of it improving and achieving its unrealized potential was finally extinguished. After the credits, Visions of Mana could no longer continue to let me down.
While there might be an audience willing to adjust their expectations, let me assure you that there are countless superior RPGs out there worth your time. Don’t bother sifting through the mediocrity of this one in hopes of finding rare enjoyable moments.
