Ouka Studios’ Bold Experimentation
Ouka Studios had a far more intricate vision when they began working on Visions of Mana; instead of creating a standard JRPG, they wanted to include height-based combat to make the world feel alive, something that adds verticality to the battles and adds depth to the series' action. And to further complement this, elemental spirit powers are coupled with height-based combat. Every combat feels like an elaborate and mesmerizing combination of synchronizing components that requires planning as well as on-the-spot creativity.
Ouka Studios had ambitious visions with co-directors Ryosuke Yoshida and Kenji Ozawa. Ryosuke Yoshida alone focused on gameplay and made battle visceral and rewarding, and Ryosuke Ozawa’s world design coalesced the story of Fa’Diel into something. Haunting and breathtaking. The project’s beginnings stemmed from trust. Oyamada, a long-time collaborator, connected with Akatsuka and recruited Ouka Studios. The end result was a game that honored Mana’s legacy while also challenging the innovation.
A Story That Touches the Heart
Val’s saga goes beyond simply using the Mana Sword. It involves grappling with a world wounded by warfare and a fervent yearning for tranquility. The story blends timeless myths with personal intricacies. Initially, the protagonists gain pieces of knowledge through Khoda’s visions and the enigmatic ruins stratagaming that the realms of Fa’Diel had long been forcefully merged into Qi’Diel. It is a history marred by conflict, and Benevodons—the primal monsters that granted empires with devastating power that threatens to exhaust Mana—are a sheer manifestation of that fury.
Discovery and peril accompany almost every step towards the Sanctuary of Mana, and every step is a story of its own. It’s invigorating the moment they confront Eoren. From a third-person perspective, witnessing Hinna’s corestone invoke Daelophos’s centuries-old prison is truly the priciest of spectacles. The pace is rapid fire, but the pacing of the game breathes calm following upheaval, allowing impactful realizations to land with gravity. The narrative is immersive enough that it does for you, and with them at the forefront of emotions, pain, agony, and hope.
The World of Qi’Diel: A Living Canvas
The exploration in Visions of Mana is nothing short of wonderful. From the sun-drenched meadows to the eerie and gnarled woods around the Mana Tree, every location is brimming with rich detail. In Ozawa’s team’s striking pastoral villages and ancient overgrown ruins framed with lush sanctuaries, one can sense the disquieting, ominous secret the meticulously crafted world is trying to hide. The design of the world manifests the narrative’s fragmentation, wholeness, and unison—multiple in a singular harmony.
One of the most striking moments is the hike through the Forest of Whispers. In the woods, players meet Julei, the Alm of Wood, whom players greatly admire. Her connection to the Elementals is wonderfully tactile. As the group presses onward, Nadi’s reverence toward nature is strikingly matched against Eoren’s cold comfort pragmatism. That is weaving a feature with narrative and atmospheric storytelling that transcends the singular pieces and integrates the entire experience.
Combat: Strategy and Chaos
Yoshida’s input is especially noticeable in the combat sections of the game. The height-based mechanics of combat are more strategic than what most JRPGs offer. Positioning is vital as mages and archers capitalize on height. The spirits are just as important. Every elemental power is different and impactful–from Undine’s water spells to Salamander’s explosive fire. For RPG fans, one of the features that incites us to buy Visions of Mana is that the elements can be combined in numerous ways, which is pretty awesome, and the game rewards creativity.
One of the more memorable encounters is Daelophos. The boss fight takes place in a gorgeous, multi-layered arena. As Daelophos’s stone prison shatters, the arena erupts into chaos with rising platforms and crumbling ground. Heavily utilizing elemental abilities is a must to survive. When Val channels the Mana Sword and strikes the final blow, you are overwhelmed with the urge to put the controller down and just breathe. The fight is stunning, strenuous, and spectacular all at once.
Side Quests and World Design
Although the game features over a hundred side quests, most of them are fetch quests or combat encounters. “Traces of the Ancients” and “Nemesis Takedown” do, however, feature more complex plots and advanced rewards, including the Mortal Dawnblade for Val. Unfortunately, the more complex quests are few and far between.
Exploration, in case you buy Visions of Mana, remains semi-open, with a mix of platforming puzzles locked behind elemental abilities. While this adds some variety, the puzzles are quite simplistic and only require basic traversal. While the seafaring turtle and the flying dragon provide mobility, their use as mounts feels more superficial than integral.
Predictable Story Structure and Bloated Narrative
The game centers around Val, a Soul Guard, as he escorts his childhood friend Hinna, an Alm, on a pilgrimage to self-sacrifice at the Tree of Mana. This setup is a direct echo of earlier Mana titles, most notably Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana, in which selected heroes embark on journeys themed around elements. Each region has an elemental spirit, a dungeon, and a boss, which results in a formulaic structure that flows without surprises and emotional nuance.
The nostalgic elements introduced in the episodic structure and nature of the game lead to repetition. Each elemental region, for example, culminates with a boss fight paired with moral lessons, but no progression is achieved. Dialogue sequences generally repeat the same rationale, which, for this example, would be Val’s protective instincts and Hinna’s sense of duty.
Flat and Formulaic Characters
Val, Hinna, Careena, and Palamena are key players, and yet their traits and behaviors are predictable and somewhat flat. Careena’s discontent at not being selected as an Alm has some potential, but it is dampened when Slyphid randomly decides to appoint her as an Alm. Palamena the scholar is perpetually stating her unending thirst for knowledge, and while she has some development, her overall arc is stagnant.
Characters are further exacerbated by the use of pre-animated cut scenes because of the static dialogues. Conversations and character interactions while at least trying to come off as dialogues feel more like exposition, and almost all emotional moments like Lyza’s death by petrification are highly rushed and lacking in depth.
Characters Who Make an Impact
The notable achievement of Visions of Mana is that the protagonist, and the rest of the characters, also contribute richly to the experience. The journey includes Julei, Eoren, Careena, and Morley, each with unique centrals to them. Julei’s quiet wisdom that comes from her bond with the Elementals is a lovely balance to Careena’s fiery determination. Morley’s dry wit and Eoren’s intensity also create a balanced and complementary duo.
The sequence where Morley’s agility saves the group from a collapsing ruin, or Julei’s connection to the forest, revealing hidden paths, makes every companion feel like they are needed. These are not merely side characters; they play crucial roles in the narrative as well as in the story’s emotional depth.
A Love Letter to the Fans
Visions of Mana serves as a game that is not that different from the original, so it has a purpose and an audience, but at the same time, it is a love letter directed towards the Mana series. For long-time fans, players who still buy cheap PS4 games, the game allows and encourages emotionally experienced moments through the Sanctuary of Mana and the Meridian Dance score, which offers a revisit and a reimagination of the previously adored tunes.
A Step Back from Modern Action RPGs
Unlike most contemporary action RPGs that use stagger systems, combo chains, or reactive mechanics like parrying and countering, Visions of Mana uses a simpler real-time method. No quick-time events or multi-layered combat systems exist. The addition of an elemental class system with 45 different classes available does offer some variety; however, a large number of classes feel more like micro adjustments instead of a significant change in playstyle. The lack of strategic variety creates a monotonous feeling in longer dungeons or side quests.
Final Thoughts
No game is perfect, and Visions of Mana is no exception, but would you consider it if you buy the best PS5 games? The imperfections in this game, however, do make the game feel more charming. It is artistically ambitious, unflinchingly heartfelt, and eager to take risks. Visions of Mana transports players as they attempt to solve environmental puzzles, strategize in combat, or simply appreciate the exquisiteness of Qi’Diel. Magic does not simply reside in the mechanics and numbers, but in the stories that resonate, in the characters that are deeply felt, and in the moments that are cherished long after the credits have rolled. Through Ouka Studios, we have been given a truly wonderful gift—what Mana can become.
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