Originating in 1991, the Mana franchise, although not the most long-standing JRPG series, has garnered significant adoration. Initially known as Final Fantasy Adventure, a Game Boy spin-off that diverged from the typical turn-based combat of the franchise to embrace a more action-oriented approach, the Mana series blossomed in 1993 with the release of the SNES classic Secret of Mana.
Since then, the Mana series has sustained a substantial presence in both Japanese and Western markets, with various spin-offs and recent remakes ensuring its enduring relevance. However, it has been a considerable period since the last mainline Mana release. With the launch of Dawn of Mana in 2006, the franchise's most recent mainline entry, the forthcoming Visions of Mana will mark the first new mainline release in 18 years. The much-anticipated Visions of Mana is set to be a significant event this year, providing newcomers with just enough time to delve into the series from its inception.
Duration of Each Mana Game
The following table broadly categorizes the three main types of Mana games: main entries, spinoffs, and remakes. The mainline Mana entries, spanning from Final Fantasy Adventure to Dawn of Mana, exhibit considerable variation in length. The initial and final games demand approximately 10 hours to complete, while the middle two, arguably the series' best, require around 20-25 hours to conclude their primary narratives.
The Mana spinoffs surprisingly demonstrate greater uniformity in runtime. Legend of Mana stands as the lengthiest spinoff, necessitating roughly 18.5 hours to complete the main storyline, with the others closely trailing within a two-hour range. The remakes present an intriguing anomaly. While Adventures of Mana, the remake of Final Fantasy Adventure, closely mirrors the duration of its original counterpart, both remakes of Secret of Mana and Trials of Mana require several hours less to complete than their original versions, likely owing to modern loading screens and quality-of-life enhancements.
Although there is no official indication of Visions of Mana's duration, current speculations posit a completion time of approximately 20 hours for the game's primary storyline, aligning with the franchise's average duration. However, considering this marks the first new entry in 18 years, Square Enix may aim to surpass expectations with an extended narrative, potentially making it the lengthiest game in the franchise.