Visions of Manais the long-awaited entry to the iconic Mana series that has lasted over 20 years. This is a typical JRPG, with a cute art style, fun combat and a decent, simple storyline. But what stands out the most is its in-depth and unique job-class system, with its different elemental abilties that make the game so much more exciting.
Although it is a fun and unique game, there have been a lot of games throughout the years that Visions of Mana borrows from, and there are plenty of alternatives you may try out if you’re done with it, and are looking for something similar.
The Tales gamesare another long-lasting JRPG series that has evolved over time, and one of our favorite entries in the series is Tales Of Berseria, which came out in 2017. The game’s character design and its 3D world are some of its best features, and its story of death and revenge is very well depicted.
Its combat system, which works on the basis of soul blocks, is also quite fun and fast-paced, although maybe not as in-depth as the one we see in Visions of Mana.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R’shas quite a different setting from most other games on this list with its mix of sci-fi and traditional fantasy elements, but that is what makes it so special. This is a remake that vastly improves on the graphics of the original game and its colorful environments look so beautiful despite its cartoonish style.
The game’s story may not be the most compelling, but it’s main protagonists as well as the rest of the members of the party make your experience much better, similarly to Visions of Mana.
Another iconic JRPG series created by Square Enix is Kingdom Hearts, and you’re able to play itsfirst six entrieswith this bundle. Although its first few games aren’t the most well-optimized, and some moments can feel quite repetitive, there is a certain charm and feeling of nostalgia that this game brings which makes it so good.
The fact that it also includes many iconic Disney characters is an added bonus that makes it more than your typical JRPG. Apart from the characters, the gameplay is also a lot of fun, and it gets better as the series goes on.
Octopath Traveler 2 takes many features from retro JRPGS such as the Mana series, and turns them into a much more refined and modern game. It follows the story of eight different characters, whom you can switch between, and all of whom come with different stories you can experience.
Unlike Visions of Mana, the combat system of this game is turn-based, and it also has a very different visual style with its mix of 2D and 3D. But regardless, it is still an amazing game that is made by the same developers, Square Enix. Both games also put a hugeemphasis on explorationand have a lot of areas full of secrets that make it rewarding.
If Visions of Mana didn’t satisfy yourmonster-hunting itch, the first game you should try is Devil May Cry 5. Although it may be a little bit more graphic than Visions of Mana, and it may not share a cute art style, Devil May Cry 5 is still one of the best RPGs of all time with one of the best combat systems we have ever seen.
Its campaign mode is also amazing and what makes it even better is that you don’t have to play any other games in the series before jumping into this one.
There’s a chance you may not have heard of the Ys series, but it consists of a set of RPGs that are popular in Japan and are very similar to the Mana games. Ys 8: Lacrimosa Of Dana is by far the best game of the series, and it is packed with content in terms of side quests, challenges and mainly exploration.
This game also feels like a JRPGmixed with a survival gamein some ways, as you are stranded on a beautiful island throughout it, and your main goal is to find and rescue all the people stuck on the island.
Xenoblade Chroniclesis one game from which Visions of Mana is clearly influenced. Both games seem to have plenty of tough bosses toward the starting areas, and both also have large worlds where the emphasis is on exploration.
The Definitive Edition helps make the retro graphics of the world look a lot more beautiful and makes the bizarre and unique creatures and characters look better. Although the story is pretty good, its characters and their different unique personalities are what make you fall in love with this game.
Although it has a turn-based combat system, if you enjoy the versatility that Visions of Mana provides in terms of its skills and abilities, then there aren’t many better options than Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Even though it is an older game, it is arguably one of the best entries in the FF series due to howin-depth its combat and skills system is.
Similarly to Visons of Mana, it also features a very simple storyline, and while it may not give you the fast-paced excitement of a real-time combat system, it feels just as fun due to its strategic nature. One of the other factors that also makes it so good includes its amazing character building system, which was way ahead of its time.
The colorful art style of Dragon Quest 11 will immediately attract anyone who liked the visuals of Visions of Mana, and the fact that it is an amazing game by itself is a bonus. Although combat is a lot more basic, it is still fun to play, and the extremely large world is packed with stuff for you to explore on your horseback.
The ability to switch between different party members, all with their unique strengths and personalities, is alsosomething it shares in common with Visions of Manaand is a minor but crucial feature that adds a lot to a game.
We couldn’t make this list without including another Mana game, and arguably the best one out of them all is Trials of Mana, which recently got a remake in 2020. The class system is a bit more simple in this game, but the abilities are just as cool and give you a decent amount of versatility in combat.
The fact that it is a complete remake of the original game means that it does have a few flaws, whether in terms of its story or its old-school mechanics, but the overall experience of playing this game is still very fun and any Visions of Mana fan will love it.
