Visions of Mana makes a surprise appearance at the Xbox Developer_Direct
In a move that shouldn’t be too surprising, but Xbox had a surprise appearance in their Developer_Direct, with Visions of Mana showing up.
The section started highlighting that the series is now 30 years old and has seen 17 games over that time, but of course the new game, which was just announced last year, is something all new. While some fan favourite monsters are making a return, they are not the only returning things, as series creator Koichi Ishii was confirmed to be involved in the new game. The biggest contribution that he made was ensuring enemies that have only been as sprites in past games, felt authentic when brought into 3d.
Pikuls are a new beast for the game, but rather than it being a new enemy to fight, they are actually a dog-like creature that you can ride, which was designed by combining a Yorkshire Terrier with Anubis from Egyptian mythology and a little bit of an armadillo.
We also got to hear new songs from the games soundtrack, which has been crafted by multiple artists, taking inspiration from the series rich history. As the games action increases or decreases, depending on your action, the games soundtrack will respond appropriately, which is great to hear, figuratively and literally.
Of course, combat is going to be a massive part of the experience, and the game has evolved the series iconic fighting with modern day twists, including alternate forms for some weapons.
The game is also the first time the series is coming to Xbox, with it aiming for a Winter release. You can check out the full presentation on the game below.
