A deep dive into the SaGa series for newcomers and veterans alike. My journey into the SaGa universe began with Romancing SaGa 2 on iOS, and now, years later, I'm thrilled to experience the fully remastered Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on multiple platforms. This article combines my hands-on Steam Deck impressions with an exclusive interview with Game Producer Shinichi Tatsuke.
This double feature explores the remake, its accessibility improvements, and the development process. The interview, conducted via video call and edited for brevity, delves into the challenges of balancing fidelity to the original with modern accessibility.
TouchArcade (TA): Having remade the beloved Trials of Mana, what's it like now tackling Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?
Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): Both Trials of Mana and the SaGa series predate the Square Enix merger, hailing from the Squaresoft era. It's an honor to remake these legendary titles, nearly 30 years after their initial release. Romancing SaGa 2, with its unique systems, remains uniquely compelling even today. Its enduring originality made it a perfect candidate for a remake.
TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging. The remake offers multiple difficulty settings. How did you balance staying true to the original while enhancing accessibility for a new generation of players?
ST: The SaGa series has dedicated fans who value its difficulty. However, many potential players are intimidated by its reputation. We aimed to please both groups by introducing a difficulty system. "Normal" mode caters to standard RPG players, while "Casual" mode prioritizes narrative enjoyment. Think of it like adding honey to spicy curry – the original game's difficulty is the spice, and the casual mode is the honey, making it more palatable for newcomers.
TA: How did you balance the original experience for veterans with quality-of-life improvements?
ST: The challenge wasn't just difficulty, but also the opacity of the original game's mechanics. Enemy weaknesses, for example, weren't explicitly shown. We addressed this "unfairness" by making such information readily available in the remake. We focused on making the game fair and enjoyable without sacrificing the core SaGa experience.
TA: The Steam Deck performance is impressive. Was the game specifically optimized for it?
ST: Yes, the full game will be compatible and playable on the Steam Deck.
TA: How long was the development process?
ST: I can't give specifics, but main development began towards the end of 2021.
TA: What lessons from the Trials of Mana remake informed Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?
ST: Trials of Mana taught us what players want from remakes. For example, we learned players prefer soundtrack arrangements faithful to the originals, while still leveraging modern technology to enhance audio quality. We also incorporated the option to switch between original and rearranged soundtracks, a feature well-received in Trials of Mana. The visual style also differed; SaGa's characters are taller and the art style is more serious, utilizing lighting effects rather than textured shadows as in Mana.
TA: Any plans for mobile or Xbox releases?
ST: No plans currently.
TA: How do you like your coffee?
ST: I don't drink coffee; I prefer non-bitter drinks.
(Steam Deck Impressions)
The Steam Deck version of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is exceptional. The visuals and audio are stunning, and the game runs smoothly, even at high settings (near-locked 90fps at 720p on my Steam Deck OLED). The gradual introduction of mechanics makes it accessible to newcomers while retaining the challenge for veterans. The option to choose between original and remastered soundtracks, along with English and Japanese audio, adds significant replayability. The extensive graphical settings allow for fine-tuning to optimize performance.
Overall, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-have for RPG fans. Its quality, especially on the Steam Deck, is remarkable.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven launches October 24th on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PS4. A free demo is available on all platforms.
