Visions of Mana | Review Thread

[John Elden Ring]

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Game Information

Game Title: Visions of Mana

Platforms:

• Xbox Series X/S (Aug 29, 2024)
• PlayStation 5 (Aug 29, 2024)
• PC (Aug 29, 2024)
• PlayStation 4 (Aug 29, 2024)

Trailer:

• Visions of Mana - Tourism Guide | PS5 & PS4 Games
• Visions of Mana | Launch Date Trailer
• Visions of Mana | March Trailer

Developer: Square Enix

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 77 average - 72% recommended

Metacritic - 75 average based on 25 Critic Reviews

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Critic Reviews


Checkpoint Gaming - Pedro Cooray - 8.5 / 10

I hope Visions of Mana signals a new, brighter direction for the series. This is more than a classic series receiving a jaw-dropping glow-up. This is a game that gives you a classic JRPG experience while being a modern blockbuster through and through. It's one of the best-looking games this generation and gives you dozens of unlockable options to customise your party your way. The story is deep and dark (for a PG title) and explores familiar themes in a new and engaging way. Visions of Mana confidently asserts its own spot among other long-running modern JRPGs, and I can't help but agree. It's proof that despite its age, this series still has a lot of potential left.

ComingSoon.net - Tyler Treese - 8.5 / 10

It's not hard to imagine that its story about tradition and sacrifice came from the development team grappling with the pressure of making another Mana game after many years without a new entry, but the end result is a proper continuation of its legacy.

Console Creatures - Bobby Pashalidis - Recommended

Visions of Mana is the first new Mana game in nearly two decades, bringing the series into a new generation. While some overgrown roots need a trim in the future—the various improvements to the combat, the level design, and the world are better than ever.

Digitec Magazine - Kevin Hofer - German - 3 / 5

Visions of Mana plays and looks wonderfully – except for it's stiff character animations. The story is exciting, the battle system offers plenty of variety and the world invites you to explore. Unfortunately, it takes a long time to get there. The story and gameplay suffer from inconsistent pacing. By the time I'm let off the leash, more than half the story is over.

For fans of the “Mana” series and Japanese role-playing games in general, “Visions of Mana” is a must-play despite its weaknesses. I still enjoyed my 25 hours or so in the world around the Mana tree. I'm used to Japanese role-playing games always taking a little longer. If you can live with that, I can recommend the game to you.

Evilgamerz - Dutch - 8.5 / 10

This may sound a bit strange, but Visions of Mana is a game that you shouldn't expect too much from. The game doesn't do anything new at all. Just like your favorite meal or that one music album that you can't get enough of, this can be an advantage. Visions of Mana takes that old familiar and gives it just enough modern polish to not make it feel too dated. Just like Dragon Quest XI. If this is the future of the series, then I'm at least hopeful for the next installment, because one thing is for sure, it was simply a joy to explore the world in this game.

GAMES.CH - Sven Raabe - German - 77%

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GamingTrend - Katelyn Lawlor - 65 / 100

Visions of Mana is a rollercoaster of emotions. The team under Square Enix has made a beautiful game with a solid mechanical foundation. But the balance of the game has been somewhat out of whack. What's here is not bad, just unpolished and a bit lacking. Visions of Mana is worth your time if the issues mentioned with combat and story won't be an issue for you. Maybe try it on a harder setting. At the very least, I recommend trying the free demo on every platform as that will give you a feel for how the game controls and feels. Visions of Mana is solid but doesn't quite reach the heights it aimed for.

God is a Geek - Chris Hyde - 8 / 10

Visions of Mana is an enjoyable adventure that doesn't push the boundaries but serves as a solid series entry for fans and newcomers alike.

INVEN - Dongyong Seo - Korean - 7.3 / 10

While Visions of Mana presents a fantastical world brought to life with vibrant colors, the story's lack of depth makes it difficult to fully immerse oneself in the game, and the slow combat tempo and repetitive sequences until the mid-game are drawbacks. Despite these issues, the game is held together by its charming characters that keep you engaged until the end.

Kakuchopurei - Jonathan Leo - 80 / 100

Visions of Mana's earnestness and positives outweigh its negatives by a sizeable amount. At the very least, old-school 90s RPG fans should be glad that Square Enix did not forget about this classic series, now with a few more bells and whistles to make it quite a ride.

One More Game - Ricki Buzon - 7 / 10

Visions of Mana is a welcome entry in the long-running and beloved series, providing an entertaining and fun time for newcomers and fans alike. Surprisingly, one of its strongest points is its compelling story, and while it was simply a journey to the Mana Tree on the surface, the rest of the adventure is one to look out for.

Previous-gen console players beware because the playthrough is not as smooth. The number of bugs we experienced on a PS4 was not enjoyable, and while the PS5 version was a lot smoother, caution is advised.

PSX Brasil - Portuguese - 85 / 100

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Press Start - Kieron Verbrugge - 7.5 / 10

Visions of Mana feels like the RPG equivalent of being young and visiting a park in the summer. It's picturesque, warm and full of hope, inviting you to set out and explore and maybe come home with a couple scratches or bruises but always rewarding the effort with a new adventure or discovery. There's a fantastic balance of old and new ideas here, enough to satisfy patient series fans and newcomers alike, a hugely-enjoyable main story, stunning environments and satisfying combat going a long way to make up for some annoying technical and mechanical foibles.

Push Square - Robert Ramsey - 7 / 10

As a nostalgia-driven retread of the classic Mana adventure, Visions of Mana is rock solid - but it struggles to be anything more than a reminder of how magical those old RPGs could be. If you can look beyond the game's monotonous storytelling and tragically bland characters, the essence of an old-school excursion is here, in the exploration of wonderful environments and in battles against burly boss monsters.

Spaziogames - Italian - 6.9 / 10

Visions of Mana aims to bring players back to a classic RPG experience reminiscent of the 1990s. Accepting these conditions, you'll still find a pleasant, colorful action RPG that can entertain you for a good number of hours-nothing more, nothing less.

TechRaptor - Brittany Alva - 9 / 10

Visions of Mana features an impactful story, well-written characters, fun combat, and a gorgeous world to get lost in with very few problems.

The Outerhaven Productions - Matthew Paul - 4 / 5

Visions is an excellent addition to Square Enix's Mana series and fans of the series will be excited with changes presented with the title. That said, the gameplay plays it safe at times, and can be a bit stale at times. Still, if you like the series, you'll enjoy Visions of Mana.

oprainfall - Steve Baltimore - 4 / 5

Despite my few nitpicks I had a great time with Visions of Mana. The story is fantastic and watching these characters grow as the adventure went on was pure joy. The world felt full and there were lots of hidden things to find while exploring each map. The combat is fun and having all the different classes for each character gave it lots of variety. While it took me around 30 hours to complete the main quest I left a lot undone with this one. There were plenty of upgrades, monsters and even a post story that I still need to get to. I feel this one is well worth the $59.99 price tag to fans of the series and newcomers alike.

 

[ethomaz]

Playing the demo makes me miss a lot Legend of Mana for PS1.
It was really great and unappreciated due the amount of JRPGs on the console.

I really didn't like the demo of that new Mana game.