Visions of Mana - The RPG of the Summer: Demo Impressions

[@davidvinc]

Buy Visions of Mana here! amzn.to/3LLsAm0

[@_masfueg0_]

Why is Careena, Komasan from the yokai watch anime?! Haha I love it!

[@MrJgris]

Dude how are you not at 100k already! This is the best channel for these niche games that are so full of heart! Thanks for the content D!

[@davidvinc]

I appreciate that!

[@fredlaroche6969]

David is wholesome AF... and his enthusiasm is contagious as hell

[@jusuke1980]

seriously, love this channel

[@MrJgris]

@@davidvinc we appreciate you n the channel homie!

[@marciobastos6429]

So true for the houses. We need interiors in RPG's.

[@HanaNoMaude]

I love that it seems like Square is committed to demos for all their new releases, I wish more publishers would follow this trend! So excited for Mana to enter the current gen of JRPGs

[@SuperRamos619]

Despite a lot of the negativity that gets sent SE's way, They always put out demos for their games. Even games that end up costing them hundreds of millions of dollars.

[@RaptureAtlantic]

Most definitely looking forward to Visions of Mana! Love the work you do David! Between you and superderek, there's no other jrpg channels that are as light hearted and informative as you guys. Keep up the great work!

[@patricklatham3897]

How poetic! My start with My Love of Mana started with Sword of Mana.

[@SethWilson]

“Side quests are new to the Mana series.” I mean, there’s an argument to be made that Legend of Mana is ALL side quests. :) but yeah, not in the traditional sense for sure. Anyway, great video and I’m super excited.

[@ServbotNumba40]

Sword of Mana is probably a better example. That game is loaded with traditional side quests. Some were simple fetch quests some spanned multiple chapters and basically none were required.

[@SethWilson]

@@ServbotNumba40ah! I never played that one.

[@ServbotNumba40]

@SethWilson honestly it's pretty fun, it's a remake of Adventure of Mana. I'm sad it didn't get added to the compilation on the switch, as it more closely matches, the tone an art style of 2 and 3.

[@chronicallychic]

I'm happy there's a demo for it. The Trials of Mana demo was so big and it was a great experience, so I look forward to playing this one too 😊

[@Yusei255]

remember the weapons you get from having the demo save that transfers to the full game are Gladius, Falx, and Horn Lance Brave blade you get from the pre order bonus of the Digital deluxe version.

[@DVN0985]

Just platinumed Trials of Mana a couple days ago and Secret of Mana a few weeks before that. Tried this demo and I thought it was awful.

[@coreymckee4844]

Awful? Interested to know why.

[@instanoodles]

Will have to check the demo out when I am done or burnout from Daybreak. You are far more positive about this demo than a lot of other people so hopefully I feel the same as you do.

[@davidvinc]

Some people didn't like it? I think it's fantastic!!!

[@instanoodles]

@@davidvinc Yup on the JRPG subreddit but then again its Reddit so I shouldnt be surprised about the complaining.

[@taluhs]

I loved the class system, wish to see if in the full game they will mantain what is shown in demo of all elements to all characters changing class e appearance! The combat is too much simple to me though... was expecting to at least be possible to combo between buttons and skills.

[@moseslalmuanpuia8988]

I'm glad the main hero has a knightly looking class, and another character that still focuses on swords.

[@Holy2Tack]

Secret of Mana is my all time favorite game. I'm really hyped for this game. I am seeing a few reviews of the demo on Reddit. I'm going to check out the demo myself tomorrow to see for myself! I can't wait!

[@mechamonster]

Played the demo last night and was really impressed. It doesn’t do anything new or groundbreaking but it’s really fun to fight monsters. Which is what I like in an action RPG.

[@threeswordssama]

I'm pumped to see the Mana series make a comeback. I loved those games back in the day. Now I'm just waiting for Visions of Mana to come to the Switch (probably on the next gen console).

[@Mintcar923]

I didn’t even bother with the demo.. Already know I want it day 1! Been having fun revisiting the backlog in the meantime predominantly because of summer break

[@bandrew1442]

This really does look great, I'm super excited for it!

[@NeoLotex]

I haven't watched many videos so far so I can go into it as unbiased and as uspoilered as possible, but from what I've see so far this game is peak "Bring an old franchise into modern times" for me. It triggers the same nostalgia I have for Secret of Mana, but with a newer, fresher look, similar to Trials, but different. I'm ridiculously excited for the release because I didn't think that I'd see another Mana game that feels equally as oldschool as it feels new andd fresh.

[@nicoleshh]

I can’t tell you how excited I am for this game!

[@sorv5790]

Honestly, I just played the demo real quick to get a feel for combat, check out menus and systems and stuff and I'm just even more hyped! So much to look forward to. Also, that remixed Secret of Mana PS5 home theme is beautiful.

[@Mighty10917]

Definitely my anticipated summer game of 2024 purely because it's a Mana game, I enjoyed Sword of Mana on the GBA and having to learn the other games like the legendary Secret of Mana (and other experimental titles) i can now play the newest installment in the series plus the graphics and art style look good in this

[@ArkThePieKing]

Great video and breakdown! Small correction, Side Quests are not new to the Mana series. They were featured heavily in both Legend of Mana and Sword of Mana.

[@Randhrick]

Heck yeah, we are finally getting a NEW Mana game that is good, I played the demo for about 10-15 minutes and that was enough to confirm that we have a great new Mana title. I really like the classes and skills system so far. Can't wait for this one!

[@airdrighmor1439]

I've had a great time with the demo so far. Quality mode is the way to go, which seems to be most SE games these days. I get the not entering houses complaint, but i also dont love having to check every house, just to hear some inane lines of dialogue from some npc in the name of immersion. Its a balancing act. I prefer even the random dialogue to have meaning. A lot of old games had hints and side quests behind those lines.

[@Eagleknight815]

I’m looking forward to this and want to give it a shot. Mana has not been my favorite series but I think this is totally worth the try

[@RPGStory]

I've got this downloaded and can't wait to play it! Hopefully the demo can convince a few more to support the game on release.

[@StephRivNor]

Oh, a new remade Mana game!!! I loved Trials of Mana!!! 🤩. Thanks David for the demo review! Can't wait to explore!

[@davidvinc]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@theovonskeletor3709]

ive always been an old school mana fan. playing this one right now and it seems.....ok. not going into houses is a massively ginormous bummer.

[@davidmahoney9877]

Facts, bro. Graphics are gorgeous, and the gameplay looks super crisp. Definitely looking forward to this next month.

[@shanestevick679]

I'm looking forward to playing the vision of Mana next month on my ps5 console. Thanks for the video 📹 😀.

[@duncansgamechest]

I really hope Square fixed the occasional crash issues this series has suffered from on PC/console. Trials of Mana (PS4) crashed a bunch when i played it, but was enjoyable enough to keep going despite that. Looking forward to playing this. I didn't have any serious issues with Star Ocean Second Story R, so I'm hopeful this will run well.

[@b1zarr01]

I was on the fence about Visions of Mana but upon getting to see out it feels and looks on my TV (vs how it looks via compressed to shit video) I'm actually sold on it. I wish more game companies were mandated to release pre-release demos so customers can make an informed decision.

[@eliechaya9690]

Love from Belgium 🇧🇪 ❤ So glad ❤❤

[@R3GARnator]

Tales of Berseria also had a good demo, skipping ahead to showcase the characters and gameplay, the best elements of that game. Beating the demo over and over is how I mastered the complex combat systems with the full toolbox.

[@alkristopher]

David, in order to get into the houses, you need a Sledgehammer item to break down the door. It's only available in the full release, though. I heard a rumor about being able to get into the chimney, but only the NPC named Santa has that ability, and you'd need to collect some cookies in order to bribe him. Hope this helps.

[@danielramsey6141]

This Dropped Last Night?! 😮. Okay, gonna go play it!

[@blairmcmackin8857]

This game looks really good. I usually don't play demos when I already know I'm going to get a game but I might need to make an exception here.

[@TheTateful]

When you mentioned that the vastness of the explorable area was similar to Xenoblade, I got excited all over again. I think the last time I was this giddy for a game was Baldur's Gate 3, and before that, Trials of Mana.

[@bullsteak3468]

The areas at least in the demo are definitely not as big as Xenoblade, but still fun

[@mevox]

I might just pull the trigger and buy an Xbox for this game (and Metaphor). It looks fun and well made. It makes me very excited for the mana series as a whole.

[@moosecat00]

Fun Fact: In the demo of Visions of Mana, the catboy can actually fly with a series of inputs. This movement tech is faster than mounts and useful for bypassing elemental related jumping puzzles.

[@davidvinc]

Really!? That’s super cool!

[@Malisteen]

looks pretty good. My video game budget is pretty limited right now, but I might pick this up anyway.

[@HybridAngelZero]

I am absolutely in love just from the demo alone! The game is charming, gorgeous and the combat feels fantastic! I played both PS5 and PS4 versions of the demo and I will say, while PS5 was essentially flawless (and had some cool stuff with the light bar and adaptive triggers) the PS4 version was a little iffy and definitely had some slowdown in the initial area. This may be fixed by launch, but anyone who only has a PS4 might wanna wait for now. Fun side note: The game is one of the few on PS5/4 that lets you remap the confirm button back to O (my personal preference)

[@clouds_demise]

Hot Take: Visions of Mana = Final Fantasy X The Mana games are about a journey, overcoming obstacles and group cohesion. It's about a fairytale world, and yes, also CHILDISH humor. Everything is colorful at first, but quickly becomes a little darker and more threatening until the power of friendship (without moonstone) wins and the mana can flow again :D In this game, I find the premise very... dark and heavy. On the ship at the end of the demo, the characters talk about the meaning of the journey and I immediately got Final Fantasy X flashbacks. It's about a pilgrimage, where the representatives of the elemental deities sacrifice themselves at the end to appease the mana tree? Wow... That's going to be... incredibly sad... The scene at the beginning where Hina and Val ride so close together through the steppe is enormously... tragic. As they ride through the countryside, Hina wishes they could just travel together forever. Val has the same thought later in the harbor village. I think there's more waiting for us here than we think. I'm a little scared of it, but I'm also excited. I don't really feel like crying, but I'll probably have to :D

[@julieb3240]

I am Setsuna, as well. First two games I thought about.

[@GumCho-we3uk]

On the PS5 version, the map disappeared for me a few times and wouldn't reappear for me until I battled monsters. This also prevented me from interacting things like the save points.

[@GreekTheGeek1]

Downloaded the demo played for half an hour loved it and left the game as don’t want to be spoiled before the games release in August

[@RayKentman]

Great video David. Visions of mana was so breathtakingly stunning. The only issue I had first was the camera but got use to it the more i started playing. I can not wait for the full release.

[@SmitrockDesignz]

Great impressions! The gameplay and world is awesome. I found the performance suffering at times and there is no mouse support within the system menus. I hope these two issues will be fixed by launch or at least patched soon after.

[@ronwisegamgee]

Thanks for the heads-up on the demo, David.

[@sor3999]

Odd complaint about not being able enter every building. It might have felt that way because most towns in old RPGs had like 4 buildings including shops. The amount of enterable buildings is probably the same or more, but having some other buildings there to help flesh out the town helps with immersion with modern graphics where before we sort of just bought the idea that 3 buildings was a town or city.

[@Llortnerof]

It's always kind of weird how you can just casually trespass in many RPGs anyway.

[@williamforfar2935]

Davidvinc, I have to say that the music and love of Mana, after seeing this review I teared up. I can’t wait for this. 🥲

[@Dlihclive]

I'm so glad this game is turning out to be good

[@mercutiolavantine5584]

I tried the demo this morning. It seems the game is exactly what I wanted it to be and I'm so happy I could cry. Finally the Mana series is back 🌳

[@KittysCat-j7x]

In Trials, the action based combat was fun, but accessible. There’s less emphasis on button combos and more emphasis on how you setup and build your party to achieve a certain type of play style. I prefer that, less is more for me. If I want button combos, there are action games like Street Fighter and Final Fantasy

[@mercutiolavantine5584]

@@KittysCat-j7x I really enjoyed Trials too it's my favorite game of all times. Playing Visions feels like playing Trials but with a twist. It's diferent but just enough to feel both familiar and new. I'm glad there's a lot more options this time around.

[@cactusman07pim]

TOM made a good foundation to build the series upon. The last time I was hyped before Trails remake was Legends on PSX, still one of my favourite games. This series is future proofed for atleast a decade, realy nice.

[@KittysCat-j7x]

@@cactusman07pim I started Legend but paused after 30-45 minutes because I didn’t click with the opening. It looks lime I’m heading into a strange mashup with games like Sid Mier’s Civilization. Please give me the argument for picking it back up. I got distracted by other games and it’s at risk of falling off my radar

[@cactusman07pim]

@@KittysCat-j7x Just enjoy the games you´re playing now. Get back to Legends when the time is right no rush. But when you get there there are beautififull pre-rendered backgrounds to be explored, a map to be builed, you can build a overpowered archer, and raise lil Cactus. Great game Legends.

[@eazybuxafew]

Downloading now, going to give it a run through tonight. Reminds me of DQ11S in a great way

[@CarlosRodela]

so excited! esp cause i lovvvved trials of mana remake gameplay-so downloading .. my body is ready!

[@ifyoucanttakeitback615]

I got some DQXI vibes from the bell to ride to the octopus boss & I'm here for it !!! 😁👌

[@ruinerdown1614]

The art style is beautiful...and wont be dated

[@Ropemanthegray]

I cannot wait for this to drop!

[@CenturianEagle]

Great review! I can’t wait to play it, I’m hoping it will give me the same kind of feelings I had playing dq11, I am really hoping it will! I am playing takes of vesperia right now for the first time and that is giving me close to the same feeling. But yeah it is backwards to not be able to enter houses.

[@davidvinc]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@mwapemusonda205]

now i don't want to come off as a hater but the demo felt weird for me like the locking on the game running at 30 fps during cutscenes also the combos feel a bit lackluster idk maybe it's not for me. it does look good though

[@acidwizard6528]

Are you playing on a console? I intend to play on PC and locking a game at 30 fps is absolutely unacceptable if we're talking about PC gaming.

[@andrewkkerr8435]

No it's absolutely shit there is no combos you just hit square. Combat is sluggish slow clunky. And the lock on dam that is bad camera will zoom out or just Strat to drift. It has the potential to be good they definitely still need to work on it before release

[@ryanrichko]

Yeah movement and combat is really bad I’m disappointed. Very slow and sluggish. Tons of frame drops too.

[@irvingkirvan5284]

Yeah, I was convinced I'd want this game day one, but this demo has really turned me off. The controls and input feel clunky and delayed, and the overall combat was boring. I'm hoping having more unlocked makes the combat more engaging, but currently this will definitely be a game I wait for the reviews and perhaps a sale, before I purchase.

[@makasete30]

The reaction from the JRPG SubReddit was also mixed with many raising similar points to you. I thought it was great overall, but the cut scenes felt a little simple and slow. Maybe I’ll get used to it. I thought the combat was good personally and required thought in how you set up your abilities and react to enemies during combat. I haven’t enjoyed it as much I did Granblue fantasy Relink which was sharper, faster paced combat, but even so, it’s still a lot of fun. I’m mostly looking forward to the exploration of the world as it looks gorgeous.

[@stefanoberli5920]

Love the new renditions of the original music. Is that the actual background music in this game, or is it just something added for this video?

[@davidvinc]

That’s music from SOM

[@mauvecloud0]

I've already preordered Visions of Mana on Steam. I thought somebody in the comments of one of your other videos said the demo was available on Steam, but I don't see it there. IDK yet whether I'll play the demo on my PS5, since right now I'm a little busy playing Fallout: London. Edit: I found the Steam demo, I must not have been looking in the right place on the page or something.

[@grey_wulf]

Hi David! Wow, it looks soooo good.

[@davidvinc]

It's fantastic!

[@JeannieLove]

I'll have to check out the demo. If there is a bigger focus on the characters and party, that's what I was afraid this wouldn't have.

[@zaperart7827]

thats what i fear...as mana games arent made for that, all the dialogue so far seems very unnecassary

[@enigmazero8624]

This looks stunning. I’m so bummed it isn’t coming out for Switch. I get why, but I hope it somehow ends up on the next Nintendo console.

[@DrewRoshambo]

Great overview! My major complaints with the demo are its two types of lag: performance and hitstun. Boy does this game chug, even in performance mode. The way each character tumbles like crazy after getting hit slows down the combat even more. Hopefully they can optimize for release, and maybe add an ability like air-teching to reduce the choppiness of combat.

[@nuriko455]

What is the collector edition like?

[@redcronojm]

i play it this early day, it was refreshing

[@vagelismihalis7426]

This game is incredible,love games looking like Fairytales. This is definitely a buy. My poor gay heart is excited

[@danielramsey6141]

5:33 MOOGLE!!! ITs tHe CLASSIC MOOGLE DESIGN!!! 🤩🤩🤩😻😻😻

[@davidvinc]

Moogles originated in the Mana series after all

[@tyg-zw7nn]

Game is amazing. Definitely going to need to select hard mode from the start with this one though.

[@level9drow856]

It's number one on my wish list.

[@Gamersglade]

Just found your channel, and what a pleasant surprise

[@davidvinc]

Thank you so much!

[@kageris6]

Only recently heard of this game, but I'm guessing it won't have co-op? Always played Tales and Mana games on the couch with friends. It's a requirement and tradition in my eyes.

[@merakiphotos4603]

Nah it wouldn't work with this game. Tales even stopped doing it because it just didn't work with the newer battle systems. And legend of mana was the last one with coop and it wasn't done well. Secret of mana and 3 worked ok for its time but it was wonky AF If you want a co-op experience, play granblue relink. That's what you want. If they made this multiplayer, they would have to make the entire game based on multiplayer. Goodbye to all the puzzles, etc. Not everything needs multiplayer

[@kageris6]

@merakiphotos4603 I'll have to check out Relink. Of course you're right that everything doesn't need multiplayer, but most rpgs are single player and it's a personal thing to me that Tales and Mana games are always associated with playing with friends.

[@Genethagenius]

While waiting for the Demo to download, I was like I have to see what Davidvinc thinks of it!

[@davidvinc]

Glad I could help!

[@cactusman07pim]

I´m hyped, this is going to be fun and exitement, all Authum long. Am I goin to replay Visions of Mana or Romancing SaGA till Dragon Quest 3. 🥳

[@demise0]

Reason you can't enter houses: They upgraded the NPCs to LOCK THEIR DOORS so that some random adventurer doesn't rob them blind.

[@sombrego2260]

Looking good David 💪

[@uchennaobi5985]

I will be picking up my steelbook edition from GameStop.

[@Chris_Tower]

I heard a lot of bad things about the demo, I'm happy to hear your thoughts, it was a very great video. Can't wait to play the demo myself soon.

[@davidvinc]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@wodensthrone5215]

I've read this game runs horribly on last gen consoles, basically the game was made for current gen then down/back ported, we really need to leave the ps4 and Xbox one behind.

[@davidvinc]

I guess that's why they didn't put it on the Switch. It's good that they're trying to push the consoles to their limits.

[@drewtheunspoken3988]

As much as I wish Final Fantasy or this game would convince people to make the jump, it seems unlikely. Sadly, it's probably GTA 6 that will finally move PS5s.

[@timepatroltrunks8276]

It runs poorly on PC's with steam's "recommended settings". One of my most anticipated games, disappointed the game is so unoptimized and only offered limited graphics settings. This game was outsourced to Ouka Studios.

[@kylebrett4125]

Probably for the best. Last gen is so far removed now. Everyone needs to catch up haha.

[@sor3999]

They won't leave last gen behind. Game sales hurt because many people have not made the upgrade yet despite the PS5 selling well it's still only half the install base of the PS4.

[@bobjones4469]

I'll definitely check it out.

[@ancientrunekrp6895]

fantastic demo the only flaw is i just cant beat the luna trial in the time I got with the skills I have in the demo. you cant out level it either cause they level with you

[@cj_skywalker]

Yes, I will be buying it and playing the other Mana games first to get their platinums before I touch this game.

[@jeffreyfitch1006]

I'm actually more excited about DragonQuest 3 remake, and the other switch games we're getting in the fall.

[@ARadicalDream]

Why cant I enter the buildings😢.

[@milodoiing2280]

I buy it later when it comes on sale on steam like i did with trials of mana.

[@ToolFloydChimera]

Will there be any bonus reward for playing demo/having demo save file?

[@drewtheunspoken3988]

I've been watching your channel since 40K subs and I had no idea you were a Mana fan. Since you're feeling like sharing, what are your feelings on Dragon Quest? I kid, of course. Mana isn't my favorite JRPG series (that's still Final Fantasy) but I'm really looking forward to this! I hope it's at least as good as Trials of Mana and really hoping it's even better. Maybe you'll be able to enter houses in the full game? If not, I get it. I was surprised when Final Fantasy IX had locked doors as those games always allowed you to enter every building. But we've also reached a point where creating every single interior needs more time to create and, given the number of houses, would likely take a lot of memory. It would probably need to be on 2 disks to accommodate that.

[@davidvinc]

You had me in the first half.. not gonna lie LOL

[@drewtheunspoken3988]

@@davidvinc what's life without a little light roasting? LoL.

[@__BlacklotuS__]

someone's excited

[@__-tz6xx]

This game looks so great!

[@daniel_cofresi]

Funny how you usually don't like Souls-likes because of the difficulty but you did enjoy this one. Makes me wonder what did this game do right for you that the others hadn't

[@x_EggFriedRice_x]

you make the best reviews 💯🥰

[@benlastname6667]

Pre-ordered on ps5 when they started taking those.

[@Dazza768]

I wish this was out now gaming has been really quiet 🥱 late august really 😔

[@badboy-gn8fu]

i'll wait for swtich 2 physical release

[@toolsonabudget7763]

anyone else feel the demo feels a little laggy

[@joebarrett29]

Yes. Pe5 performance mode was rough. Ez skip

[@Darkenesis]

Is the background music in the video from Visions of Mana? Or is it using music from Secret of Mana because it's somewhat topical?

[@davidvinc]

It’s from secret of mana, I put this together super late last night and didn’t have time to DL the music from the game. I was way too tired

[@Darkenesis]

@@davidvinc Makes sense! Was just curious because I'm currently on the fence about the Collector's Edition, which looks to have a bunch of music contained in it!

[@LoneWolfAudio0524]

I think I’ll definitely be adding it to my wish list, but to be honest, you lost me with the words, massive and open. I don’t need my games to be specifically linear, though I like them, but whenever there’s a whole ton of empty space I find I just get really overwhelmed. I don’t need to walk from one point to another and have it take 15 minutes. I’m here for the story first, end gameplay second. Exploration though is a very distant third for me. Especially since it’s usually just collectible items and nothing narratively to speak of in most cases. Still, the game is not out yet. Maybe I will have a completely different opinion. I do like the idea of party banter when wandering around. That definitely makes it a little more interesting.

[@vvolfflovv]

SoM still sets the bar for arpgs for me. I love the trails series but there is WAY too much stopping to talk. 2 things I wish all jrpgs did was have more conversations while walking in the field and option to turn off voices while in combat.