Visions of Mana devs avoided “westernizing” the identity of Square Enix’s RPG series 

Visions of Mana is the long-awaited new entry in Square Enix’s beloved Mana series (Seiken Densetsu). In our upcoming extended interview with producer Masaru Oyamada, he revealed how the development team focused on the core aspects of the series’ identity, building upon the recent remakes to deliver the first brand-new mainline Mana game since Dawn of Mana (2006). We provide an overview of the legendary Japanese RPG series and a preview of Oyamada’s comments regarding Visions of Mana. 

The Mana series started out with the Final Fantasy series spin-off Seiken Densetsu Final Fantasy Gaiden (known as FINAL FANTASY ADVENTURE in North America), that came out on the Gameboy in 1991. However, it was the 1993 SNES sequel, Secret of Mana, that brought color to the series and established the distinct style and world that the Mana games are known for. This is evident in everything from the whimsical and mysterious soundtrack, cute creatures, ring command system, lush graphics and Mana Tree artwork on the box.  

When making the upcoming Visions of Mana, which will be the series’ fifth main entry, producer Oyamada was determined to make sure that it stayed true to the series’ roots. To ensure that Visions of Mana was appropriately “Mana-like,” Oyamada singled out the series’ most emblematic elements and the original creators responsible for them, explaining: “It was these three key components of the Mana series that we used for Visions of Mana” namely,  HACCAN’s character designs, Hiroo Isono’s Mana Trees, and Koichi Ishii’s monster designs. 

Over the last decade, the first three games in the series have been reissued (as Collection of Mana) and subsequently remade, which allowed Oyamada and the current team to determine the direction in which to take the series. Oyamada also explains that the positive reception that these games received helped Visions of Mana to be greenlit, adding that the fans “showed a strong appreciation for what we were trying to create even though the original developers including Ishii and (Hiromichi) Tanaka had already left the company.” Visions of Mana features character designs by series veteran HACCAN, with series creator Koichi Ishii acting as consultant for the project and supervising the monster designs. “The entire development team kept his advice in mind when making Visions of Mana,” Oyamada explains. 

The westernization of aspects of Japanese games is a contentious topic among gamers- this can be seen in the arguments that sprang up back in January around Sega’s take on localization (Related Article). Speaking on the topic of the Mana series’ identity, Oyamada explains “The unique atmosphere and design might make some people feel that it is a bit ‘childish’, however these are the strengths of the Mana series. Rather than changing these features (…), I hope that new players will come to like these games that have been popular in Japan for a long time”. Even though the Mana series is not being adapted to fit overseas gaming trends, Oyamada adds that they “work on the games while bearing in mind that the Mana series is loved by fans from all over the world.” 

To discover more about the making of Visions of Mana and what the upcoming fantasy RPG has to offer, stay tuned for our upcoming full-length interview. 

Visions of Mana is scheduled to be released in summer 2024 for PS4/PS5, Xbox Series S|X and PC (Steam).