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In an exclusive email interview, Oyamada Masaru, Producer of the highly anticipated Visions of Mana, shared insights into the game’s development process and visual aesthetics. This interview provides a glimpse into the decisions behind the game’s creation and the challenges faced in bringing the iconic Mana series to life once again.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Visions of Mana’s development is the partnership with Ouka Studios, a subsidiary of NetEase. This collaboration raised eyebrows in the gaming community, given that Square Enix tasked Ouka, a relatively new studio, with developing a mainline game for such a beloved franchise. Oyamada explained that the decision stemmed from a compelling technical demo presented by Studio Head Tetsuya Akatsuka.
“I became very interested in the base technical aspects they possessed,” Oyamada revealed. Ouka Studios’ vision for a development structure that would leverage the strengths of both Japanese and Chinese staff particularly impressed him. This innovative approach, Oyamada believes, has the potential to propel the Mana series to unprecedented heights.
Visual Direction
The visual aesthetics of Visions of Mana have been a major talking point since the game’s reveal, with many praising its breathtaking world design and dreamy atmosphere. Oyamada provided insight into the process of achieving this distinctive look, which sets the game apart from other fantasy titles.
The choice of developer, it turns out, closely ties to the visual direction. Oyamada described his strong first impression upon seeing the character model demo: “When I first saw the character model demo that looked just like HACCAN’s illustrations and the natural expressions that captured the Mana Tree drawn by Hiroo Isono, I had a strong impression that if Koichi Ishii’s monsters were in this environment, it would truly become the world of the Mana series.”
This harmonious blend of elements – character models faithful to HACCAN’s illustrations, environments reminiscent of Hiroo Isono’s artworks, and the potential inclusion of Koichi Ishii’s iconic monster designs – has resulted in the captivating and dreamlike world that players will soon be able to explore in Visions of Mana.
With its innovative development approach and meticulously crafted visuals, the Visions of Mana producer sees the game to be a worthy addition to the beloved franchise. Oyamada’s insights offer a tantalizing glimpse into what players can expect when they finally get their hands on this highly anticipated title.
