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- Verified Buyer
I have been known Seiken Densetsu ever since my brother bought "Final Fantasy Adventure" a.k.a. Seiken Densetsu One for the Game Boy in 1990 (or was it 91? I can't remember for sure). I fell in love with that game, and loved how it played much like the early The Legend of Zelda games, but also had RPG elements similar to that of Final Fantasy. I played that game until I uncovered every secret.Several years later, my older brother bought Secret of Mana for the SNES. There was something absolutely mystifying about that game. Perhaps it was the beautiful music, and the colorful graphics, or the Waldenesque vibes mixed with Pagan and Buddhist tones - or the fun, engaging gameplay combined with a unique ring menu system, tons of customization options, and plenty of cool weapons and spells to experiment with, that drew me in. Or the weird monsters, crazy sound effects, or being able to control three characters at once using the super multitap (yes, we had one) developed by Hudson NEC.Anyway, for a few decades, I avoided the series until the release of the Mana Collection on Switch, and the Trials of Mana remake. Trials of Mana, which came out maybe five or six years ago, reignited my flame with the series, and I had skipped or skimmed over pretty much everything after Seiken Densetsu 3. I had tried Legend of Mana, and some of the others, but they didn't draw me in or hold my interest.But I loved Trials of Mana. It had everything I loved about the first three Seiken Densetsu games, and it was brought to life in 3d. I played through it twice on Nintendo Switch, then earned the platinum trophy on the PS4 version. When I saw the reveal trailer for Visions of Mana, I had high expectations.And those expectations have been exceeded by my experience with Visions of Mana thus far - It is a fantastic action RPG experience.Graphics and sound: Vibrant, beautiful graphics with tons of color. Some frame rate drops on PS5 but very rare and doesn't drop too many frames. The settings are breathtaking and diverse. I often pan the camera out and just look around. The music is fantastic. Much of it has folky, orchestral, and sometimes Celtic vibes, which are unique and on point with the Mana series (and composed by those involved with the old games.Gameplay, combat: First, let's discuss battle. Regarding combat, Mana games have always been a little "slow" compared to many current action JRPG's - especially the Ys series, which is lightning fast and relies more on twitch reactions. Mana is different, but not in a bad way. For one, the enemies have set patterns and attacks, and learning them will enable you to strategize, dodge and attack without getting too stressed out. You'll also need to choose your spells and attacks carefully, especially against the more powerful (often optional) enemies. With all that said, do expect to dodge and avoid quickly, because the baddies will sneak up on you and knock you unconscious if you play around too much.Gameplay, questing: So, aside from combat, this is a fun game to romp around in. There's plenty to explore. It's not quite as overwhelming as say, Tears of the Kingdom - nor is it as complex or as open for experimentation, but there is plenty to do. There are collectibles galore, many of which gave my characters an edge in battle, making combat easier - and well, I just like to collect stuff. Of course, most of it is entirely optional.Controls, menus, QOL, etc: This game felt awkward to me at first, but after a few hours, it all clicked together. The controls are well-refined from Trials of Mana. The ring menu makes more sense, and I found myself accessing item, move and spell shortcuts with ease. The options menu is also much more simplified - at first - and more abilities and options are introduced later on as to not overwhelm the player. Going in between combat and menus is very easy after getting used to the system. There also tons of customizable options, difficulty settings, and more - but I just set the game on normal mode and rolled with the default settings. I don't want to forget to mention that it is very easy to keep track of missed items and treasures, as well as side-quests - because of this, it eliminates a lot of the fear-of-missing-out stress and overwhelming feel I get from many open-world and large-scale 3d games.Story:This game has some of the same melancholy themes of sacrifice and loss that the first Seiken Densetsu game has (if you know you know, especially if you beat that first game). Of course, Secret of Mana, and Trials had their sad parts too. This game is no lighter in that regard - In fact, a terrible loss occurs early on, and is pivotal to the story - more is revealed, but I won't spoil it for you. The characters really make this game, and I particularly loved Careena's Southern (Texan, maybe?) accent. The whole cast is pretty great though, and I found that these characters grew on me quite quickly. Hearing the interactions between them is quite endearing, and there are plenty of fun quips that occur while exploring and battling. All in all, it's done wellSo, some people will knock this game - many modern gamers who have different standards, and many of those who like more "realistic" games that are more rooted in reality. It's definitely not for everyone. As a lover of more simplistic action RPG's of yore, this one struck the right balance of me - There's plenty of inspiration taken from more recent open-world games, but it's still Mana at heart.Mana games are the kind of adventures that involve enjoying the scenery and pretty music. It's a vibe. Sometimes, the vibe itself is almost more important than the gameplay. Like a hike through the woods, taken in the sights and feeling cozy while slaying adorable monsters at the same time. This game nails that classic feel in a modern coat of paint, and I felt myself feeling much of the same feelings of wonder and joy as I did when I played Secret of Mana with my siblings decades ago. Sadly, the game is single-player experience, but it still brings me back to those gold days. Nostalgia aside, this game stands on its own though. It's a classic action RPG experience without too much unnecessary baggage. It's like a big juicy, ribeye steak of a game that is delicious, wholesome and satisfying. Bite in.10/10
