It’s been 15 years since the last main installment of Mana’s series Square Enix, and gamers won’t have to wait any longer. During The Game Awards in December 2023, the company revealed that Visions of Mana, the next game in the series, will be released later this year. And in Xbox Developer Direct Showcase on January 18Square Enix has revealed some more detailed information, which we’ve compiled below.
Release date
Visions of Mana currently does not have an official release date, but will likely be released this summer, specifically around June to September if everything goes according to Square Enix’s plan.
Communication
Square Enix is planning to launch Visions of Mana on PC (via Steam and Windows), PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox Series X/S. It’s unclear whether the game will appear on Nintendo Switch and Xbox One, but it’s likely. The company also has not revealed whether Visions of Mana will be available on Game Pass on launch day.
Gameplay
If you have never played the Mana series before, players can imagine that the game’s combat interface is a combination of Granblue Fantasy: Relink and Tales of Aries. It is action-oriented, focusing on hack-and-slash gameplay combined with magic-based combat. The player’s opponents will be adorable creatures or scary monsters.
In a press release, Square Enix also said that the game will feature aerial combat, a first for the series. The company also revealed a bit about the Elements, items with special powers, that will assist you in battle by “creates different effects in combat depending on the respective element, allowing for a flexible, fast-paced fighting style”.
If you’ve ever played Secret of Mana on SNES, you’ll have fond memories of exploring the world on the back of your friendly dragon friend, Flammie. Visions of Mana will also give players companions. This time, you will receive a giant furry pet called a pikul. Not only do they support players in combat, they also have lively interactions like real-life pets.
Trailer
The most recent trailer debuted at Xbox Developer Direct on January 18. It’s a pretty comprehensive look at the game’s world and character designs. Koichi Ishii, the series’ creator, also provided some insight into the series’ history and future.
Soundtrack
Square Enix revealed that Vision of Mana There will be a playlist of 100 songs at launch, each composed by (or receiving contributions from) the people behind the music of previous Mana games. They include Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana), Ryo Yamazaki (Legend of Mana) and Tsuyoshi Sekito (Dawn of Mana). All of them are excellent composers, so there’s no arguing about the game’s music.
Above is what we know about Square Enix’s Visions of Mana. If you are a longtime fan of the game series or simply love action role-playing games, Visions of Mana is definitely a game worth waiting for in 2024.
