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Visions of Mana Reviews Were Generally Favorable as Ouka Studios Faced a Reported Closure Plan

Visions of Mana launched to generally favorable reviews in August 2024, the same day a report said NetEase planned to close its developer, Ouka Studios. The available evidence does not link the two.
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Visions of Mana launched on August 29, 2024, to generally favorable review aggregates. On that same day, reporting said NetEase planned to close Ouka Studios, the Tokyo-based developer that made the game for Square Enix. The two events coincided, but available reporting does not show that the game’s reviews or sales caused NetEase’s reported plan.

How well was Visions of Mana received?

Review scores were favorable overall, though the figures measure different groups and platforms rather than a single universal verdict.

  • Critics: Metacritic’s PS5 page showed a 75 Metascore from 65 critic reviews, classified as “Generally Favorable.” The page also displayed an 8.1 user score from 319 ratings. These are live aggregate figures accessed in 2026 and may change. Metacritic’s Visions of Mana reviews.
  • Steam users: Steam showed 80% positive English-language reviews from 1,151 reviews when checked in 2026. That is a platform-specific user-review snapshot, not a critic score or a direct match for Metacritic’s audience. Steam’s Visions of Mana page.

The figures support describing the reception as generally favorable; they do not mean every reviewer liked the game.

When and where did the game launch?

Square Enix released Visions of Mana on August 29, 2024, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through the Microsoft Store and Steam. Square Enix described it as the first mainline Mana installment in more than 15 years. Square Enix’s launch announcement.

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What was reported about Ouka Studios?

On the game’s release day, Gematsu relayed Bloomberg’s report that NetEase had cut all but a handful of jobs at Tokyo-based Ouka Studios and planned to close it. The report attributed the information to people familiar with the matter. NetEase told Bloomberg it had “nothing to announce” regarding a potential closure and said it was seeing progress at the Japanese studios in which it had invested. Gematsu’s August 29, 2024 report.

That was reporting about a planned closure, not a formal public closure announcement from NetEase. In a later development, TechNode reported on December 26, 2024, that Ouka’s official website had been shut down, consistent with a wind-down. The available reporting does not establish a precise legal dissolution date. TechNode’s December 26, 2024 report.

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  • Brace yourself for fast-paced, multi-dimensional actions in battle to enrich your fighting experience.
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Did the game’s reception lead to the reported plan?

No causal link is established by the cited reporting. The favorable review aggregates and the reported NetEase plan are separate facts that happened to become public on the same day. The available material provides neither a verified sales figure for Visions of Mana nor a sourced explanation tying sales or review scores to the studio decision.

Ouka Studios developed the game under contract for Square Enix and was identified in the closure report as a NetEase subsidiary. The reporting therefore does not say Square Enix closed the studio.

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  • Immerse yourself in the vibrant graphics of this beautiful world
  • Journey through enchanting locations with near-seamless transitions in a semi-open field that’s yours to discover
  • Brace yourself for fast-paced, multi-dimensional actions in battle to enrich your fighting experience.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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