Faithfully reproduce a classic

Classic JRPGs are all the rage. Bringing new life to one of the most iconic series and a new generation of gamers.recent gave us a spiritual sequel to Ogre Wars, and even series creator Yasumi Matsuno (who also directed Ogre Wars) was pretty good Final Fantasy Tactics) have. Later this summer, Square Enix is ​​challenging itself again after 15 years with a redesign of one of the most popular SNES games of all time.But now I have a chance to try it out Vision of ManaIt feels like the developers have retained the spirit of the series but feel more at home in a 2024 game.

one of the biggest challenges Vision It’s a transition from classic 2D sprites to a richer, broader 3D world. While there are some visual similarities to recent Dragon Quest games, I think Square Enix has done a great job of maintaining the image of the series. The game’s color palette is bright and vibrant, replicating many of the muted tones seen in previous games.Unlike some of its darker and edgier competitors, the character designs lean more towards cuteness and cuteness, which gives the title a playful vibe, as Mana’s Secret It was done over twenty years ago.

Another thing that translates well is its gameplay. As early as 1993, Mana’s Secret The radial menu was praised for making it easy to switch between weapons and items (and even characters) without making combat feel stilted or clunky. With the Seiken Densetsu series already moving toward action (rather than turn-based) gameplay long before the mainline Final Fantasy games, Visions takes a break from its various quick combo-based attacks, spells, and class attacks (which are kind of like Extreme) )very suitable. You can even launch enemies into the air and rain down blows on them while they’re levitated, which is a real treat as I’m a sucker for any game with air juggling.

The four main characters (Val, Hinna, Careena, and Morley) also all have different professions, such as Rune Knight or Oracle, so they all have a unique style and feel in combat. I found myself drawn to the thief/owl Molly, whose katana feels incredibly fast and fluid. My only minor complaint is that, with Square also bringing back the party-of-three concept, things can get a little hectic when you’re trying to spy on people performing multiple combos against a large group of enemies.

The most important addition is Vision The introduction of elemental containers gives you new abilities both in and out of combat. Similar to items like the hook bullets in The Legend of Zelda, ships provide significant traversal capabilities when you’re just running around the map. For example, Sylphid Bommering allows you to create floating platforms so you can traverse valleys and chasms, or summon gusts of wind so you can jump to distant ledges. Also in combat, you can use your boomerang to trap enemies in the air, dealing damage and blowing away nearby enemies who might want to interrupt your attack.So while this isn’t a groundbreaking feature, I appreciate it Vision New mechanics are being used to add extra depth to multiple aspects of the game.

Unfortunately, a feature of previous Seiken Densetsu games that used large rosters with branching storylines didn’t carry over to Visions. This might be a bit disappointing for long-time fans, but when asked about the change, Seiken Densetsu producer Masaru Oyamada told me (through a translator) that one of the team’s goals was to make the story more focused . So while I wasn’t able to glean much about the game’s plot during my one-hour demo, there’s still hope that Visions will still offer a compelling narrative.

But my biggest takeaway from the preview was how hard Oyamada worked to honor the legacy of such a storied series while also delivering a fresh and exciting experience for players new and old. “I really took into account elements that I liked as a child, so I leaned toward those feelings to drive the decisions for this latest installment in the series,” Oyamada said.

Most of all, I love how mechanics like the Ring Menu serve double duty in this game. Oyamada told me that this system is not only a nod to players familiar with the series, but it’s also an important aid that allows you to easily switch items and plan attacks in the heat of battle. At the same time, in order to help the series grow and develop, Oyamada stated that “we feel that the elemental aspect has not been fully utilized and emphasized in previous Mana games.”

Oyamada has been responsible for the remake Mana’s Secret, Trial of Mana (AKA Seiken Densetsu 3, etc. Even though most of the series’ original development team has moved on, it’s clear that Square Enix has retained the DNA that made the Seiken Densetsu games so great all those years ago.

In some ways, I wish this game had been called Seiken Densetsu: Ghosts, as that would be a more appropriate title for a series with the last game released in 1995.Anyway, I can’t wait to play more Vision of Mana It will be officially released sometime this summer.

The last point is Vision of Mana It is expected to be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and PC. For now, Square Enix says that while “we’re looking to support Steam Deck compatibility, we can’t confirm that at this time as we’re still optimizing the game.”