From September 17 to 21, 2026, the “TOKYO GAME SHOW 2026” was held at Makuhari Messe. In this article, we bring you a hands-on report on *Mana Alchemy* and an interview with the developers!
A Tale of Revenge by a Girl Deprived of Talent!?
The protagonist is a girl born into the household of the Great Witch Daved, yet she is the only one without any magical talent. Labeled a “useless being,” she is nearly killed by Daved, but escapes death thanks to the power of “Harley,” a sentient grimoire.
She was rescued from the ground by Weisse and Berner, who lived in the village. The two gave her the name “Marlin” and warmly welcomed her into their family. Thus, Marlin began a new life alongside them in a quiet pioneer village.
However, the peaceful days did not last long. One day, a horde of monsters suddenly attacked the village. Weisse, who stood up to protect the villagers, was seriously injured. Furthermore, the one leading this attack was Styx—who had once been part of Merlin’s family.
To protect the village and the family who had saved her, Merlin resolves to fight. Facing the past that took everything from her, she sets out on a grueling battle to avenge herself against Daved, who continues to threaten her even now.
The game system follows the classic “Vansabara-like” formula: defeat enemies that appear one after another on the field to gain experience points, and choose enhancements offered upon leveling up to build your own unique character build. You’ll enjoy the satisfying, exhilarating feeling of mowing down countless enemies while continuously strengthening your character.
A major feature of this game is that combat takes place in a vast open-world environment. You’ll need to carefully consider your positioning across the expansive field and adapt your tactics by switching between close-range and long-range attacks against enemies trying to close the distance.
Another eye-catching unique feature is the Grimoire system. You arrange attacks within the Grimoire like a puzzle, crafting attack combinations within a limited space while considering not only their power but also the shape of each piece. There’s a strategic fun in devising setups that fit the available slots.
Since you’ll be experimenting with your own attack configurations within this limited space, the combinations you choose are likely to significantly alter your gameplay feel and combat style.
Additionally, in this game, you can create magic itself through “alchemy.” The process involves combining materials dropped by enemies during battle to craft new spells.
Since the spells you obtain depend on how you combine materials, there’s great fun in experimenting with various patterns to find the spells that suit your playstyle. We’re excited about the cycle of gathering materials in battle and using alchemy to create powerful spells.
Why “Vansaba × Open World”? An Interview with METASLA, the Developer of *Mana Alchemy*, Which Is Scheduled to Release a Demo Later This Year
We spoke with the development staff from METASLA, the studio behind *Mana Alchemy*, at their booth at the event.
――Could you tell us what inspired you to create this game?
METASLA: I’m a big fan of “Vansaba” myself, but you know how the game resets after each run? I thought it would be fun if that progression just kept inflating, so I decided to take on the challenge of making it an open-world game.
――How do you create the story and the game world?
METASLA: There are three of us working on this. We discuss things as a team, come up with several proposals, and then select the best ideas from among them.
――I see. There are several older sister-type protagonists, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds. Is there anything you prioritize when creating characters?
METASLA: Well, in our previous game, *Sea Fantasy*, we had a boy as the protagonist, but we got a lot of requests from users asking for a female protagonist (laughs). So this time, we decided to make the protagonist a girl.By the way, the protagonist of this game, Merlin, is a character who also appeared in our previous title, *Sea Fantasy*. We aren’t explicitly emphasizing the connection to the previous game, but players who’ve played it before will probably recognize her.
――This game is quite ambitious in terms of its game systems as well. Are there any parts of the development process that have been particularly challenging?
METASLA: We’re actually still in the thick of development right now, so it’s been tough… We’re going through a lot of trial and error to figure out how to make *Vansaba* fun in an open-world setting. We were still making improvements as recently as a week ago, so to be honest, we’re a bit nervous about showing it off right now (laughs).
――What points would you like players to pay special attention to?
METASLA: Of course, the combination of “Vansaba” and the open-world setting is key, but we’re also placing a huge emphasis on pacing. We want to design the game with a strong sense of pacing to ensure it doesn’t drag on or lose momentum.
――What are your plans for the future?
METASLA: We’re working hard on development with the goal of releasing it by the end of next year. We plan to release a demo to the public on Steam and other platforms before the end of this year, so we hope you’ll look forward to it.
――Please share a final message!
METASLA: We’d be thrilled if fans of VanSaba would give it a try! We think we can deliver a whole new VanSaba experience!
"Mana Alchemy" is scheduled for release on PC (Steam) in 2027.
