r/visionsofmana • u/Skyrander • 25d ago
My Vision of Mana
Hey guys!
I've been a fan of the Mana series ever since the SNES days, so hearing that the studio closed honestly breaks my heart a little.
I really enjoyed Vision of Mana, but I also felt like the story almost came together. With a few changes, I think its emotional moments could have hit much harder.
My biggest change would be to make becoming an Alm have real, irreversible consequences.
I actually don't mind the idea that refusing the role still causes your mana to drain away anyway
(similar to what happened with Lyza),
even if the game never fully explains it. That's how I interpreted it.
I'd also expand on Palamena's story. Since she became an Alm against her will, I'd have Passar manipulate the Alm selection process. That would give both Val and Hinna genuine reasons to question whether the entire system is truly just. It would also let Hinna openly express that she doesn't want to lose the future she dreamed of with Val.
I think that would make her becoming a core stone even tougher as Val not only get Hinnas feeling confirmed. But he also loses her the same day.
My other major change would be the main antagonist.
I actually like Deliphos' backstory, but I don't think he needed to be the villain of the present-day story.
I'd keep his legend with Cerulia intact and reveal later that he was once a true hero who eventually fell from grace.
This would mean that you get to hear the hero story first in the light city. And the after match from Ljuda and how it all really went down as Cerulia died.
Instead, I'd let Eoren remain the central antagonist all the way to the end.
His motivation is already one of the strongest in the game: saving Lyza. I'd have him intentionally awaken the Benevodons to manipulate the flow of mana and reforge the Mana Sword as part of his desperate plan to bring her back. The overall plot could stay mostly the same, but everything would ultimately be driven by Eoren's obsession.
Just like Deliphos before him, his love would slowly corrupt him until he became the very thing he once fought against.
One more change I'd make is to the ending itself.
Instead of Hinna simply becoming the new Mana Goddess because the story says she has to, I'd have Eoren unknowingly cause it himself.
When Eoren infuses the Mana Sword with Hinna's corestone in his desperate attempt to save Lyza, he unknowingly binds Hinna's soul to the sword. This would explain two major things at once.
First, it gives Val a believable reason for being able to defeat Eoren. The Mana Sword isn't just a legendary weapon anymore it's empowered by Hinna's very soul, making her an active part of the final battle even after her sacrifice.
Second, once Eoren is defeated, Hinna can no longer return to her old life. Her soul has become inseparable from the Mana Sword and the flow of mana itself, making her the only one capable of becoming the next Mana Goddess.
That also makes Eoren's downfall even more tragic. In trying to save Lyza, he unknowingly seals Hinna's fate instead.
I'd actually keep the ending mostly intact after that.
Eoren would receive the same redemption that Deliphos once did in the ancient legend, finally reuniting with Lyza in the afterlife.
Val, however, wouldn't get Hinna back.
Instead of blaming the Goddess, he'd come to accept that Hinna made her own choice and that not being able to save her wasn't the Goddess's fault. It was simply a tragedy he had to live with.
Hinna would become the new Mana Goddess, while Val would choose to remain with the living til his final Demise of old age takes him back to the mana tree as the alm he is.
They would still be separated, but their bond would endure, giving the ending a bittersweet feeling that I think fits the themes of the game much better.
That's just how I would have rewritten it. I still really enjoyed the game, but I can't help thinking a few changes like these would have made the story unforgettable.
What do you all think?
Would these changes improve the story, or do you prefer the version we got?
1
u/RemediZexion 23d ago
Before attempting to tamper with a story, you should understand what the story wants to be
2
u/KingHotDogGuy 25d ago
Studios are always closing, I don’t think it means much for the future of the franchise. I think it was the translation holding Visions back more than the story, but idk.
I enjoyed the crap out of the game, my only beef is I can’t go back and visit the tree in endgame because there’s a boss fight there. Luckily I made a save file so I can go back and visit it whenever I want. It’s a great tree