Visions of Mana review: "A beautifully sculpted 3D world that disappoints in a thousand small ways"

GamesRadar+ VerdictVisions of Mana would be forgettable if it weren’t janky in ways few modern AAA games are, making for an action RPG with little desire to be unique. But its series of bewildering design choices and faulty execution does technically make it stand out.TODAY’S BEST DEALS$39.99at Best Buy$40.05at Walmart$59.99at Humble BundlePros+Gorgeous environments+Fun English voice castCons-Combat is cluttered-No incentive to explore-Few memorable characters GamesRadar+ Verdict GamesRadar+ Verdict Visions of Mana would be forgettable if it weren’t janky in ways few modern AAA games are, making for an action RPG with little desire to be unique. But its series of bewildering design choices and faulty execution does technically make it stand out.TODAY’S BEST DEALS$39.99at Best Buy$40.05at Walmart$59.99at Humble Bundle Visions of Mana would be forgettable if it weren’t janky in ways few modern AAA games are, making for an action RPG with little desire to be unique. But its series of bewildering design choices and faulty execution does technically make it stand out. TODAY’S BEST DEALS$39.99at Best Buy$40.05at Walmart$59.99at Humble Bundle TODAY’S BEST DEALS$39.99at Best Buy$40.05at Walmart$59.99at Humble Bundle TODAY’S BEST DEALS$39.99at Best Buy$40.05at Walmart$59.99at Humble Bundle TODAY’S BEST DEALS $39.99at Best Buy$40.05at Walmart$59.99at Humble Bundle $39.99at Best Buy $39.99at Best Buy $40.05at Walmart $40.05at Walmart $59.99at Humble Bundle $59.99at Humble Bundle Pros+Gorgeous environments+Fun English voice cast Gorgeous environments Fun English voice cast Cons-Combat is cluttered-No incentive to explore-Few memorable characters Combat is cluttered No incentive to explore Few memorable characters Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. But what a view. A new vista is before me of a land perpetually in harvest. Rolling fields of amber grain and tiny farmhouses dot the land. A waypoint is on the horizon, the next stop en route to the tree. I summon my mount – a large wolf this guy I met a couple of hours ago gave me for some reason – and set out across the land. It takes a few seconds to summon, and to dismount, and the animation stutters whenever I do, so I’m committed to riding all the way over in the minute or two it will take to reach the horizon; that gorgeous view, a beautifully sculpted 3D world that feels so, so empty. I pass a swarm of hornets armed with spears and monstrous jack-o'-lanterns, but they don’t do anything. Perhaps afraid of the dogs, I guess. I could stop. Hold X. Dismount. Basic attack to initiate combat. Only then use combos or magic. But, listen . . . they’re like two levels higher than me, which means they’ll take about 20 seconds to beat instead of 10, and the experience points wouldn’t do anything to really close that gap anyways, so I might as well keep riding until I trigger the next cutscene and repeat all this in the following area. Prestige looks, freshman worldbuilding (Image credit: Square Enix) Fast FactsRelease date: August 29, 2024Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series XDeveloper: Ouka StudiosPublisher: Square Enix Fast Facts Release date: August 29, 2024Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series XDeveloper: Ouka StudiosPublisher: Square Enix Release date: August 29, 2024Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series XDeveloper: Ouka StudiosPublisher: Square Enix Released in 2006, the last mainline Mana game was developed while I was still in elementary school. Any expectations I had going in were hearsay of the franchise’s reputation from its palace on all-time lists, and perhaps much of my disappointment comes from how ARPGs of the past decade have iterated while Visions of Mana’s design choices feels stuck on the PS2. But I really gave it a go. I did the side quests, explored each region, but I just kept triggering cutscenes every few yards and only found rudimentary platforming challenges hidden around its world. After 10 hours I gave up on the game actually opening up, on finding any meaningful writing or sense of place. Visions of Mana is an action RPG with little desire to be unique. What makes it stand out is its series of bewildering design choices and faulty execution that feels as janky as an affectionately remembered PS2 RPG, but with a big budget, prestige presentation and the name of one of the most memorable franchises in RPG history attached to it. It shockingly begins in a small town as a chosen hero boy, Val, sets out on a quest with his girlfriend, Hinna, to bring together the maidens of each region’s elemental magic, who must regularly sacrifice themselves to the spirit tree to maintain the vitality of their world. What nuance there is to its generic story I can’t really get into here, but all the subversion is as predictable as you expect it to be at hour one. (Image credit: Square Enix) The supporting and main cast do boast some unique character designs, but each feels reducible to a few sentences of description. My party doesn’t really have an arc to follow save for the chosen boy at the middle of it all. And their dialogue, all well acted in what must have been an expensive production, is just empty plot steps. It’s shockingly brief, and certainly out of step with recent peers. Trails Through Daybreak, for example, has a similar structure around recruiting party members, but each of its cast gets at least five hours of a chapter devoted to them joining your team and dozens more hours of characterization afterwards. Visions of Mana zooms through its plot beats and its world too fast to spend any time finding each character’s, well, character. Visions of better games (Image credit: Square Enix) The action part of the RPG is just as shallow. Each character can change classes to use different elements, which offer different spells and weapons. Most of combat is spent using weapons rather than magic, and while fans, spears, and combat boots do offer variety, the two-button combos get old fast. Elemental super abilities provide some unique interaction — wind keeps monsters in place with a tornado, water surrounds foes in bubbles that deal extra damage, fire rockets you into foes — but that’s all they really do. Once you get the controls down and realize each character has a linear upgrade path for each of their elemental classes, Visions of Mana starts to feel surprisingly small in scope. I quickly found the screen would get too cluttered to see my party or enemies, and with no optional targeting lines or much color coding going on, combat choreography is unintelligible. I quickly found the screen would get too cluttered to see my party or enemies, and with no optional targeting lines or much color coding going on, combat choreography is unintelligible. But the camera is actually the biggest challenge in Visions of Mana. Targeting is unreliable and the auto camera swings wildly around the action. While it’s neat that I can swap between my three active party members in combat, other characters are often off screen so I wouldn’t know if I should jump to them. The AI controlling them will use their special abilities, and since there’s no bigger play I have to build up to over a battle, there’s little point to swap. It also doesn’t help that the input just feels unresponsive. Worst of all, after getting some mid-game spells, I quickly found the screen would get too cluttered to see my party or enemies, and with no optional targeting lines or much color coding going on, combat choreography is unintelligible. While not an easy challenge to design around, we’ve previously seen Monolith Soft pull it off with upwards of six swappable party members within Xenoblade Chronicles 3 combat (in less than HD resolution, no less). Visions of Mana disappoints in a thousand other much smaller ways. Its cutscenes lack establishing shots, time passes at confounding intervals between scenes, mounting animations are tedious and you can’t dismount right into combat, item menus get stuck open, and one time a character said she needed to get some fresh airwhile she was standing outside in a desert. Playing Visions of Mana is like solving a loose Rubik’s cube, trying to cut tape with dull scissors, or riding a bike with a few broken spokes. It works, but it’s off-kilter in an unintuitive way. It’s amazing how many games are able to pull off the illusion of something cohesive and smooth, teetering on the edge of becoming too janky to imitate fiction. It’s a shame Visions of Mana isn’t one of them. Disclaimer Visions of Mana: Price Comparison $59.99$39.99View$39.99View$49.94$40.05View$63.69$42.39View$59.99View $59.99$39.99View $59.99$39.99View $59.99$39.99View $59.99$39.99 $39.99 $39.99View $39.99View $39.99View $39.99 $39.99 $49.94$40.05View $49.94$40.05View $49.94$40.05View $49.94$40.05 $40.05 $63.69$42.39View $63.69$42.39View $63.69$42.39View $63.69$42.39 $42.39 $59.99View $59.99View $59.99View $59.99 $59.99 Show More Deals Show More Deals We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices CATEGORIESPS5PS4Xbox Series XPC GamingPlatformsPlayStationXbox CATEGORIES More about visions of manaVisions of Mana director joins Square Enix following layoffs at Ouka StudiosVisions of Mana has only been out for a day, but its developer has reportedly lost most of its staff and is at risk of shutdownLatestI didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tastySee more latest► More about visions of manaVisions of Mana director joins Square Enix following layoffs at Ouka StudiosVisions of Mana has only been out for a day, but its developer has reportedly lost most of its staff and is at risk of shutdownLatestI didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tastySee more latest► More about visions of manaVisions of Mana director joins Square Enix following layoffs at Ouka StudiosVisions of Mana has only been out for a day, but its developer has reportedly lost most of its staff and is at risk of shutdown More about visions of mana Visions of Mana director joins Square Enix following layoffs at Ouka StudiosVisions of Mana has only been out for a day, but its developer has reportedly lost most of its staff and is at risk of shutdown Visions of Mana director joins Square Enix following layoffs at Ouka Studios Visions of Mana director joins Square Enix following layoffs at Ouka Studios Visions of Mana has only been out for a day, but its developer has reportedly lost most of its staff and is at risk of shutdown Visions of Mana has only been out for a day, but its developer has reportedly lost most of its staff and is at risk of shutdown LatestI didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tastySee more latest► Latest I didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tasty I didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tasty I didn’t know how badly I wanted to grill and gobble up monsters until this upcoming survival roguelike made it look so tasty See more latest► Most PopularAnbernic RG28XX review: “a tiny budget handheld that fits in my weird tiny jeans pocket”Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"Razer Kraken V4 review: “an iconic headset, all grown up"Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"Meta Quest 3S review: “Maybe the best entry-level VR device ever created”Glorious Series 2 Pro review: “comfortable and nimble, but not quite punching with the flagships”Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"Bouiles Elite Series review: “The longer I sat in it, the more comfortable I became"Azeron Cyborg II review: “One of the best gaming peripherals I’ve ever used”Atari 7800+ review: “a retro console remake for the ‘80s kids”Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” Most PopularAnbernic RG28XX review: “a tiny budget handheld that fits in my weird tiny jeans pocket”Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"Razer Kraken V4 review: “an iconic headset, all grown up"Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"Meta Quest 3S review: “Maybe the best entry-level VR device ever created”Glorious Series 2 Pro review: “comfortable and nimble, but not quite punching with the flagships”Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"Bouiles Elite Series review: “The longer I sat in it, the more comfortable I became"Azeron Cyborg II review: “One of the best gaming peripherals I’ve ever used”Atari 7800+ review: “a retro console remake for the ‘80s kids”Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” Most PopularAnbernic RG28XX review: “a tiny budget handheld that fits in my weird tiny jeans pocket”Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"Razer Kraken V4 review: “an iconic headset, all grown up"Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"Meta Quest 3S review: “Maybe the best entry-level VR device ever created”Glorious Series 2 Pro review: “comfortable and nimble, but not quite punching with the flagships”Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"Bouiles Elite Series review: “The longer I sat in it, the more comfortable I became"Azeron Cyborg II review: “One of the best gaming peripherals I’ve ever used”Atari 7800+ review: “a retro console remake for the ‘80s kids”Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” Most Popular Anbernic RG28XX review: “a tiny budget handheld that fits in my weird tiny jeans pocket” Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” Razer Kraken V4 review: “an iconic headset, all grown up” Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” Meta Quest 3S review: “Maybe the best entry-level VR device ever created” Glorious Series 2 Pro review: “comfortable and nimble, but not quite punching with the flagships” Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” Bouiles Elite Series review: “The longer I sat in it, the more comfortable I became” Azeron Cyborg II review: “One of the best gaming peripherals I’ve ever used” Atari 7800+ review: “a retro console remake for the ‘80s kids” Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”