Visions of Mana director joins Square Enix following layoffs at Ouka Studios
Dec. 2, 2024The game director is excited to work on games that “people will enjoy!”
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Game director Ryosuke Yoshidaposted on the social media site formerly known as Twitterthat he’s moving on from Ouka Studios and its owner, NetEase Games, to Square Enix, stating that he intends to “make a game that many people can enjoy!”
Starting as an action-oriented spin-off of Final Fantasy, the Mana series quickly established its own identity and gameplay structure to set it apart, earning praise from fans for its Zelda-style approach to combat and exploration. While it’s still one of Square Enix’s enduring franchises, it feels like it’s never reached the popularity levels of other noteworthy JRPGs. Still, it has quite a following with dedicated fans of the genre – particularly with the fan-favorite Secret of Mana on the SNES.
Despite the mostly favorable reception that Visions of Mana received from fans, developer Ouka Studios – owned by NetEase Games – unfortunately went throughsevere downsizing shortly after launch. This is just one of the many cases of layoffs to happen within the industry this year.
Ryosuke Yoshida is a noteworthy game developer and director beyond just his latest game, however. Before working on Visions of Mana, he was a combat designer atCapcom, working on the Lost Planet, Monster Hunter, and Devil May Cry franchises. Visions of Mana was his first role as game director, and now at Square Enix, he’ll likely be involved in other noteworthy projects with the studio’s pedigree.
In our ownVisions of Mana review, contributor Autumn Wright stated, “Visions of Mana would be forgettable if it weren’t janky in ways few modern AAA games are, making for an action RPG with little desire to be unique. But its series of bewildering design choices and faulty execution does technically make it stand out.”
If you’re itching for more JPRGs to play, check out our round up of thebest JRPGsyou can play right now.
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Alessandro is a freelance writer and editor based in the San Francisco Bay Area who has covered the games, tech, and entertainment industries for more than 13 years. Having previously worked at GameSpot, CNET, and various other outlets writing features and coordinating event coverage, Alessandro enjoys playing games on PC, but also gives plenty of time to his Nintendo Switch. You can find him on various socials at @afillari.
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