New Details Revealed for Visions of Mana

One of my favorite announcements to come out of the Game Awards was the return of the Mana series. Visions of Mana is the next mainline entry in the classic RPG series after a 15-year hiatus.

If you’ve never heard of the Mana series here is the basic premise of the upcoming game and its story from the Steam page. “In Tianeea, the Fire Village, everyone is preparing to celebrate the coming of the Faerie and the naming of an ‘alm.’ Every four years, alms from around the world are chosen to travel to the Tree of Mana and rejuvenate the flow of mana power. A soul guard is also chosen to ensure the alms’ safe pilgrimage.

Val is one such guard. Immerse yourself in the vibrant graphics of this beautiful world, where the powers of nature blend with the elemental aspects of mana to create a rich tapestry of life. Journey through enchanting locations with near-seamless transitions in a semi-open field that’s yours to discover. Brace yourself for fast-paced, multi-dimensional actions in battle to enrich your fighting experience. Use the magic of the Elementals to explore this vast world to your heart’s content!”

Last week, as part of the Xbox Developer Direct, Square Enix revealed the first gameplay trailer for the upcoming Visions of Mana. This trailer focused extensively on the overall design, showcasing a variety of creatures, combat mechanics, and even a few snippets of the soundtrack. Visions of Mana’s newest feature is the addition of aerial combat. Both melee and magic attacks can now be performed in the air allowing for extensive combos and adding a new dimension to the typical action combat. Additionally, Square Enix confirmed the return of Elemental spirits.

This mechanic was first introduced in Secrets of Mana and form the basis of the magic combat. In Visions of Mana, the Elementals take on the form of weapon enhancements that can give you the edge against certain types of creatures. Next, series creator Koichi Ishii introduced a new mount companion called the Pikul. Inspired by Egyptian mythology and real-life animals such as the Pangolin, this whimsical companion will allow you to race across the overworld and can be summoned on command.

Lastly, the team focused the last part of the presentation on music. Visions of Mana will have over 100 songs at launch. The soundtrack will feature the talents of a variety of the series’ past composers such as Hiroki Kikuta, Tsuyoshi Sekito, and Ryo Yamazaki. Visions of Mana will be released this Summer for PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.