Square Enix took some time during the Xbox Developer Direct to detail its upcoming action-RPG Visions of Mana, which was announced at The Game Awards. The sneak peek gave us a better look at the world, your adorable animal companion mount, and the general art style. Series creator Koichi Ishii walked through some of the design decisions, especially when it came to modernizing his classic creatures.
For your rideable mount, Ishii wanted to make a mascot and designed a dog-like creature, combining elements of a yorkshire terrior, pangolin, and the mythological Anubis. The result is an extremely cute black dog-like creature that seems destined for merch. We also got an extended look at combat, with an emphasis on air juggles. We only saw one playable protagonist during the footage, but no story details were shared.
The art looks characteristically cute and colorful for the Mana series, with many enemy designs translated straight from early games like Secret of Mana. The presentation served as a mini history lesson on the Mana series as well, covering its origins as Final Fantasy Adventure.
The presentation ended with the announcement of a release window: Summer 2024.
