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    SaGa Emerald Beyond Review – Less is More

    Life is a sequence of choices, but what will you choose for yourself?

    SaGa as a series is constantly striving to reinvent the wheel with each successive entry. SaGa Emerald Beyond continues this legacy by taking tradition and distilling it down to the bare essentials while streamlining the experience. While the series isn’t new to this, Emerald Beyond harkens back to the glory days by putting a spin on the series’s modern values. Enjoy a variety of unique worlds and an extremely refined battle system within the expansive multi-path scenario system. What will you do? Where will you go? Who will you become? Journey to the Beyond with our SaGa Emerald Beyond Review!

    SaGa: Emerald Beyond Mr. S

    Six Destinies, Endless Possibilities

    SaGa: Emerald Beyond Protagonists

    One of the hallmarks of SaGa is its multiple playable protagonists. Emerald Beyond continues this tradition with six characters to choose from (well, two of them are a pair…)! Each character has a different role to play and paths available to them. I recommend picking whoever you think seems the most interesting. I went with Tsunanori first. How couldn’t I? He looks so cool! Don’t worry; each character has their own perks. SaGa doesn’t typically favor any one character over another. So, don’t be afraid of missing out! You can also play EACH character. Along with replays. New choices. Different party members. So much stuff…

    There’s no reason to fret over doing things wrong, worry over choices, or stress out over not understanding something—none of that. Just do what feels right. Experimenting is the name of the game. The game is designed for every playthrough to be special. Taking things one step at a time and enjoying what’s in front of you is key. Check out some trading and armament upgrading. Done with that? Explore a new world and soak in the vibes. Bored with that? I’m sure there are some battles you can tackle. There’s a lot to check out and play with. Remember, it’s about the journey, not the end goal. Live and learn. 

    Navigating the Conjoined Worlds

    One of my favorite aspects of Emerald Beyond is the copious amount of realms you can visit. There are more than a dozen realms you can just happen to wind up in, and each one has a unique culture. Plus, every little decision and action you make will affect several things in each world. This is really only noticeable if you replay the game several times. Each world’s plot progression can change entirely depending on what you do. It’s honestly really interesting to keep several saves or use the rewind feature to see what else can happen.

    While contentious in several aspects, the art style helps tie everything together. The 2D artwork used for each world map is astoundingly gorgeous. I was absolutely in awe at how nice some backgrounds and areas looked. The pop-up storybook aesthetic is very appealing. Pair that with the amazing soundtrack, neat little landmark descriptions, and occasional side activity, and you’ll have an unbelievably dense package. —

    Despite me singing its praises, the presentation does leave much to be desired. On PS5, everything looks crisp and smooth, of course. However, that’s not what I’m talking about. The VN-esque dialogue scenes are carried over from Scarlet Grace, and I won’t mince words here; it’s not my favorite. Yeah, it’s perfectly serviceable but leaves so much to be desired when reading dialogue bubbles over image snapshots of character models. Admittedly, the background CGs and special character poses are nice. I’m not saying the game NEEDS all of these to be cinematic 3D cutscenes. I am saying that it would be nice, though. Heck, even using the 2D art would have been awesome. 

    I’m not quite sure where else to talk about this feature. Minigame? Puzzle? Yeah, puzzle. These “ritgrams” show up periodically and add a little bit of variety. I think these puzzles are simultaneously hilarious and enjoyable to solve. It’s goofy, sure, imagining these dimension-hopping heroes having to stop for a minute and solve a shape puzzle. On the design side, these are a neat abstraction for environmental puzzles that perfectly match the minimalist style the game is going for. The basic-looking UI is probably at its worst here, though. These puzzles are funny but are probably the cheapest-looking thing in the game for me.

    Shining Brightly in the Limelight of Battle

    The worlds are a nice grab bag of interesting ideas despite being fairly basic. How does the meat of the gameplay, the combat, fare then? It’s definitely not basic. Well, the concepts of turn manipulation and parsing the timeline are; it’s the intricacies that aren’t basic at all. Characters randomly “glimmer” and learn new techs during combat. Using a diverse tech repertoire is key, as lacking diversity in your tech can spell GAME OVER in an instant.

    Normal attack techs fill the timeline with green divots. When your characters’ attack ranges link together, you can perform amazing combo attacks. This allows you to deal with a lot of damage when your combo rate is high enough. Getting your combo rate above 150% gives you a chance at starting another combo while getting the rate over 200% guarantees another go. This hardcore assault method is the crux of the battle system. It can actually be quite challenging managing to do this when your foes are just as capable.

    Popping off big combos while preventing your opposition from doing the same is highly tactical and is bound to fill the player with satisfaction. There are even spell, interrupt, and chain techs that allow you to plan ahead or maneuver your characters around the timeline. Plus, many techs can cause debuffs or status effects. Why not delay your opponents’ actions in hopes of getting just one more party member to join in on a combo? You can have a combo with two characters and then strategically use chain or interrupt techs to interject enemies while adding more characters to your combo. Failing to do so or getting slapped with unforeseen circumstances can decimate you, however. This constant back and forth is nothing short of thrilling. Oh, and beware of showstoppers. These powerful, single-character combos can be triggered by monsters, too. I’ve won and lost some tight battles due to this mechanic – it comes in clutch for you or the enemies. 

     

    Ok, so battles are clearly tactical. But how do they look visually? Oh, don’t worry. There are some awesome animations to behold! There are some very cool attacks with nice vfx going on. Even victory screens look nice. Characters will cheer on their comrades when they get stat gains, and knocked out characters will stand up, ready to fight another battle. Little things like show some personality. Which I’m thankful for, as the main story’s focus isn’t on characterization. 

    From Burning Ambitions to Unknown Beyonds – Modern SaGa’s Evolution

    SaGa Scarlet Grace marked the beginning of the modern era of SaGa. Kawazu went into Scarlet Grace with specific ideals on what makes an RPG an RPG. He wanted satisfying battles combined with a strong, branching story. Emerald Beyond rolls with this pared-down interpretation of an RPG and further refines it by making smart changes and additions.

    Kawazu’s vision with Scarlet Grace was to cut away as much fat as possible and take away towns, dungeons, treasure-hunting, and wandering to achieve a high-quality foundation. This leaves players to engage with the story and battles on a more intimate level. These design decisions stem from Kawazu’s outlook. There are plenty of games with exploration and cinematic elements. Go play those if that’s what you seek; play modern SaGa if you want something laser-focused and unique. What’s funny is that PREVIOUS entries even have some of these “forsaken” elements found in SaGa’s most recent entries. This is what keeps SaGa interesting; you never know what you’re gonna get. Tackling these games with enthusiasm and an open mind will leave you with a sense of satisfaction. 

    While Emerald Beyond sought to improve Scarlet Grace it has its own unique flavor that doesn’t outright replace SG. Emerald Beyond goes for more of a sci-fi setting rather than Scarlet Grace‘s fantasy setting. Emerald Beyond also sports multiple world maps rather than an interconnected world map like SG. This different style comes with its own flaws, creating an apples-to-oranges effect when it comes to comparing the two games. EB sufferer from a more disjointed story where you have to piece things together the more you play. It offers variety, sure, but doesn’t always feel cohesive. Despite this, it still feels very SaGa. It even caters more to portable play with its bite-sized worlds, in my opinion, harkening back to the series’ origins. 

    It’s All About the Journey…

    Now, with that being said… Woah, this game is crazy. In the playthroughs I did prior to finishing this review, I saw and experienced a multitude of things. I wasn’t joking about how much even a seemingly innocuous decision can affect things. My first playthrough didn’t even SCRATCH the surface of what this game has to offer. I had a fun time and enjoyed seeing the worlds I did with the characters I happened to recruit. The second playthrough, however, showed significantly more of what the game has to offer. So, my journey with Tsunanori wrapped in around 9 hours (including some extras). I spent a lot of time learning the intricacies of the battle and crafting systems. Exchanging materials and upgrading your gear is essential due to stat gains and new tech acquisitions. Using new techs to form better strategies was very fun. I probably spent at least a couple of hours of this playthrough grinding. I couldn’t help it! When you have a great team composition, battles become dopamine-injecting puzzles. 

    Guess what my second playthrough’s length was? It more than doubled my initial playthrough’s time, at around 20 hours. Formina and Bonnie’s journey has more to it than Tsunanori’s (ignoring that a second playthrough would yield assumingly different results). I even tried to mainline it. That didn’t shave off much, apparently. I trucked on through, met some robot pals (3 of whom stayed in my permanent party), and found my current favorite world. That favorite world of mine involves picking sides in what’s essentially a holy war. You can pick a side, flirt with other sides, and even betray them. This single world has more decision-making and event branching than most of the games I’ve played. COMBINED. Even when taking a casual look at Twitter I see fellow players with entirely different parties in locations I haven’t even seen yet. To me, this is what’s so magical about SaGa.

    I think SaGa Emerald Beyond is a truly interesting game, much like its predecessors in fact. This series is almost like a salad. A salad filled with fresh ingredients that all play their part. The only issue is that you don’t like everything in the salad. Emerald Beyond has really cool worlds and awesome gameplay, but the presentation and the obvious low budget hampers some things for me. I definitely respect Kawazu’s vision, but I prefer how older SaGa games handle things like exploration. I enjoyed trying and experiencing a new thing, regardless. That’s SaGa for you!

    SaGa: Emerald Beyond

    Square Enix provided Final Weapon with a PlayStation 5 copy of SaGa Emerald Beyond for review purposes.

    SUMMARY

    SaGa: Emerald Beyond is the most easily accessible SaGa game while still having nigh impenetrable barriers surrounding its appeal. There are many prospective players who won't dig the presentation or take the time to understand the beauty found in the design. Those who give Emerald Beyond the time of day and devote themselves to understanding the game will most certainly walk away with something truly special. The Free-Form Scenario system urges players to progress the main plot in any way they so choose. Your choices will alter your progression path. Even your mid-battle decisions matter. The battle system relies on turn order and manipulation of said turns. Arranging your party to create combos while breaking your enemies apart is addictive. Enjoyment of this game hinges on whether or not you enjoy the battle system and multi-world conceit.
    Payne Grist
    Payne Grist
    Payne is a huge fan of JRPGs. SQUARE ENIX owns his heart, especially their 'FINAL FANTASY' series. He is currently studying various mediums of art and Japanese.

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    SaGa: Emerald Beyond is the most easily accessible SaGa game while still having nigh impenetrable barriers surrounding its appeal. There are many prospective players who won't dig the presentation or take the time to understand the beauty found in the design. Those who give Emerald Beyond the time of day and devote themselves to understanding the game will most certainly walk away with something truly special. The Free-Form Scenario system urges players to progress the main plot in any way they so choose. Your choices will alter your progression path. Even your mid-battle decisions matter. The battle system relies on turn order and manipulation of said turns. Arranging your party to create combos while breaking your enemies apart is addictive. Enjoyment of this game hinges on whether or not you enjoy the battle system and multi-world conceit.SaGa Emerald Beyond Review - Less is More