Fans have been waiting for the release of the fifth Mana game since it was announced as an unnamed title during the series' 30th-anniversary stream broadcast back in June 2021. With the game due to be released on August 29, 2024, Square Enix has released information about some of the Elemental Vessels in Visions of Mana.
Every Elemental Vessel in Visions of Mana
At the moment, only three of the eight Elemental Vessels in Visions of Mana have been announced (though we will update as soon as more information becomes available on the others).
According to Duncan Heaney of Square Enix, Elemental Vessels are tools that will allow players to perform various actions in combat, such as freezing time.
The Visions of Mana launch date trailer that was posted to YouTube on June 12, 2024, does allude to some of these elemental skills. Although Square Enix has described them as tools in their blog post, the trailer makes them seem like innate elemental skills that each of the characters has. The truth is that the Elemental Vessels are both a tool and a skill.
When you equip an Elemental Vessel to the character you're playing, you unlock new powers that you can use to advance in the game and more easily defend yourself against enemies.
Vessel of Darkness: Shade Sight
The item, or artifact, for the Vessel of Darkness is Shade Sight. Producer Masaru Oyamada comments in Square Enix's blog post that when this "elemental is unleashed, it creates a black hole, which draws in enemies." The date announcement trailer shows Soul Guard Val pulling an enemy toward himself with a ray of purple energy, which certainly confirms that this skill will work by manipulating a gravitational pull.
It's not entirely clear what the Shade Sight artifact looks like from the image shown in the blog (see above), but the Elemental Introduction video reveals a dark purple wand-like item with a set of what looks like bat wings styled at the top.
It's not all super beneficial, though! If your enemy is heavier than you, using Shade Sight will pull you towards them, instead of them coming to you. If this occurs, you need to be ready with a great skill or you might have a bit of an accident while using your abilities.
As if that wasn't enough, Shade Sight also allows you to use a black hole with its special area effect. Enemies in the area will be sucked into the central point where you cast the effect, and take damage as the effect continues its course. You're immune to it, so you can run around and take out your enemies while they're stuck in mid-air.
Vessel of Earth: Gnome Shovel
The Vessel of Earth's artifact is dedicated solely to defense. It allows you to control things created from the ground, and definitely has a similar feel and look to being an Earth Bender in Avatar. You'll be able to use this artifact to form a dome of rocks that guards your character in combat, and that protection will extend to any allies inside the dome with you.
The Elemental Introduction video shows a tank-like fighting style, focusing on using your rocks as both a shield and a weapon. You can literally rain rocks down on your enemies, which is sure to deal out some damage when you're trying to take out multiple monsters at once.
You'll also be able to control golems, which will be incredibly useful to solve puzzles in the game and get you past barriers like walls. Square Enix states in their Elemental Vessels Introduction video that golems will be "invaluable" in accessing new areas in Visions of Mana.
Vessel of Light: Lumina Lantern
Control the power of reflections using the Lumina Lantern in Visions of Mana, including reflecting the damage you do to one enemy onto another! Although that's pretty cool, the best ability this Vessel has is to damage all enemies in an area by using its special area effect.
The enemies do need to be linked together first before using the special area effect, so it's more of a two-part skill than something that feels like separate abilities.
Of course, the fun doesn't stop there.
You can also use this Vessel to activate new paths made of light, allowing you to travel in areas where it's dark or you may have gotten lost. All you need to do is use the lantern on statues with a bright blue light to activate the nearby path through a blue crystal. The paths are wide and may or may not have collectible items on them, so it's always worth exploring if you see an activation point.
What are Elemental Vessels in Visions of Mana?
As mentioned, there are eight Elemental Vessels available in Visions of Mana. Once you find the artifacts, you can equip any of the Elemental Vessels to the five playable characters in the game to change their class. From the videos Square Enix has released, it looks like you may be able to switch between the characters mid-fight.
The interesting thing about the Vessels is that they don't just change the class of the character on paper; they affect the weapon choice of the character you equip it to, their overall appearance, and more. For Val, the Vessel of Earth has him wielding a sword - but, when he uses the Lumina Lantern, he becomes a Paladin class with a lance and shield. With the Shade Sight artifact, he even grows a set of horns!
Different classes have access to their own move set, and can go on to unlock stats, weapon types, and abilities. Out of combat, the Vessels can activate triggers scattered throughout the game's world, which allows you to explore further than you would be able to without a Vessel.
Want to read more about Visions of Mana at Pro Game Guides? Read What is Visions of Mana? Release date, trailer, platforms & more! or Visions of Mana makes its way to Xbox, release window revealed.
Published: Jul 29, 2024 01:26 pm