Square Enix’s Visions of Mana is the next big title in the long-running action RPG series, with a story focused on Val as he accompanies his friend Hinna to the Tree of Mana. Combat incorporates special abilities via Elemental Vessels, which can also result in different classes. However, it won’t have one thing that the series is renowned for: Co-op multiplayer.
Introduced in 1993 with Secret of Mana, co-op has been a staple for many mainline entries. Speaking to PC Gamer, producer Masaru Oyamada confessed that Secret of Mana’s co-op “really stood out” and “left a strong impression.” Naturally, he explored incorporating it in Visions of Mana.
“When we were proposing this game internally and discussing what it should be, we actually had that discussion on whether we should incorporate a feature like that. As things kind of developed further internally, we had discussions on the various things you can do through a multiplayer mode, but also some challenges a multiplayer mode introduces.”
“Having multiple players could also affect the overall field design and the tempo of the playing experience. However, when I think about the series and look towards the future, I really do cherish and have fond memories of being able to go on one single adventure with your friends and clear things together. I know what that experience is like, and I do want to consider being able to implement features like that in the future.”
Oyamada feels that once the team can address “some of the technical issues,” fans can “experience that element of the Mana series too.” He also revealed that Trials of Mana (2020), a remake of the original that also lacked co-op, served as the foundation for Visions of Mana from the start of its development phases. While the former never received co-op support, there’s still hope for the latter.
Visions of Mana launches this Summer for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC and promises “the highest volume of content” in the series. Check out the latest gameplay here.