Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a full-3D remake of the 1993 Super Famicom classic, Romancing SaGa 2. The SaGa series was and still is created by Akitoshi Kawazu, the mind behind the battle systems and other various aspects of Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II. SaGa, as a series, has always aimed to go against the grain. A grain that its predecessor and cousin, Final Fantasy, has typically established. Although SaGa has reinvented itself a few times in its history, it always keeps its values close to its heart; those values lie in being a true, turn-based JRPG experience with an emphasis on freedom of choice.
As a remake of an acclaimed Super Famicom JRPG, you can count on it being a tried and true CLASSIC JRPG. What this means is that Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven has a thinner plot than its contemporaries, but its scale has been expanded, and its values are old school. There is QOL present, along with difficulty options, for accessibility’s sake, but you get a dose of influential retro-ness that modern games lack. If you miss the “good ‘ol days” of RPGs, I’d recommend giving this remake a shot. Plus, it was made by the same team behind the excellent Trials of Mana remake, Studio XEEN, if that accredits the Romancing SaGa 2 remake’s quality for you.
Thank you, Square Enix, for the incredible opportunity to preview Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven before its release! Please enjoy getting an early glimpse of the game with Final Weapon’s Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven PREVIEW!
A Romantic Dimension Swap
The Seven Heroes were once hailed as saviors, but the ancients feared their power and banished them to another dimension. It was foretold that they would return to save the world once more…
Thousands of years have passed, and the heroes have become legend. Furious that humankind has forgotten their many sacrifices, they have now returned as villains bent on revenge.
As legions of monsters swarm the world, take on the role of Ruler of the Empire of Varennes. Defend your legacy across successive generations, expand your realm and defeat the vengeful Seven Heroes one by one!
SaGa is always mechanically designed first, with the story being written around the mechanics. In this game, you end up taking the role of the weaker son of the Empire, getting glimpses into his character as you build the empire across generations. Also, Romancing SaGa 2 darkly twists the heroes of prophecy trope and pulls a reversal on the evil empire cliche. How very on-brand!
The once flat, 2D maps of the original 16-bit version now have more volume than ever before in Revenge of the Seven. Areas now have a dimensionality unlike before, with maps having inclines, different levels, and a sense of scale. Being able to explore Avalon in a faithfully recreated 3D world is the main draw of this remaster. This fresh coat of modern paint offers both a broader scope and some extra appeal to fans and newcomers who’ve mostly played contemporary RPGs. The character models, attacks, and environments are all authentic, ensuring that the spirit of the original games is captured in High-Definition.
The preview I played was the PC version. The graphics options are what you’d expect from such a game. My PC is in a similar ballpark to the PS5, power-wise. I used Max settings at 1440p, and the game locked 120 fps. Those on lower-end systems shouldn’t have to worry either, as the graphical style is perfect for scalability, along with supporting Dynamic Resolution. This bodes well for many of the console versions! I expect them all to run easily within the expected parameters of each console.
The visual presentation has, of course, been updated outside of just the graphical fidelity. Cutscenes are presented with basic camera work to bring the formerly 2D dialogue-driven scenes to life. Combat animations have also been juiced up with full-blown animations. I especially enjoy how the characters also change their stances when selecting menu commands. My favorite touch in some of the early story scenes available in the preview involved the use of RPG UI elements. This little touch of flair is much appreciated! All of this is accentuated with added voice acting and rearranged music. You can even choose between English and Japanese voice-over options and choose between using the original or remake soundtracks!
Expanding Your Empire
Seeing the classic pixel work remade in 3D is wonderful. Dungeons and towns feel, literally, broader and deeper. The sense of space is more realistic and the added jump adds some variety in how you explore areas. You can jump and climb up to different levels and even fall to previous areas. The new maps are still simply designed like their Super Famicom counterpart, but they still contain secrets and alternate paths. Some hidden treasures even use 3D perspective to great effect, keeping the classic feeling of secrets while properly utilizing the added dimension.
Areas now have more detail with props, like paintings, a variety of terrain, and modern lighting. You can’t really go up a hill or get a sense of forward depth in the original game, but you can in a 3D space. Having this sense of more realistic traversal and modern visuals is sure to draw you more into the world than ever before. Seeing that pixelated world be reborn in 3D is still worthwhile from this angle.
As an aside, the preview actually teases mechanics to come! Some of the tutorials seem explicitly designed to get you excited for deeper mechanics to come to fruition despite them not being available just yet… Aaaaand it worked on me! I wanna play the rest of this game so bad… Luckily, you can keep track of the game on the official SaGa series Twitter page. I’ll be longingly scrolling on it in the meantime, impatiently waiting to experience it all for myself.
An Empire is Only as Powerful as Its People
Battles are the driving force in any SaGa game. Battles are how you grow your characters, in any way that you want, might I add. Combat is extremely fast in this remake. It doesn’t waste your time at all. There are even options available, such as 1-step menu selection, that make it even more swiftly responsive. With 1-step selection, you can use the D-pad to seamlessly select command options and targets. As soon as you hit your confirm button the action just happens. Combining this smooth interfacing with the fast animations makes sure no time is wasted in your conquest. Fret not, you can still use 2-step selection for the classic feel of selecting your skill and your target separately.
Beyond the smooth command interfacing and quick combat animations, the combat itself has deep progression and a highly tactical feel. Discovering enemy weaknesses is key to eliminating your foes before they do the same to you. Even on Normal difficulty, fiends will hit HARD. This is all part of a fine-tuned balance, as HP is fully restored and KO’d party members are revived at the cost of LP after each battle. Using the right weapons and Techs is essential to overcoming whatever stands in your way. Some techs cost BP, which requires strict management. Techs that use BP offer many advantages over standard 0 BP attacks. You must spend BP to achieve the high ground in more difficult battles because Techs that cost BP are stronger and usually apply status effects to encumber your foes. However, BP can only be restored at one-time only sigils within dungeons or when resting at an inn.
The combat mechanics are all in service of progression. Having to manage BP keeps you on your toes while not having to worry about healing up your party after every fight urges player experimentation. As you battle, your party earns TP. Once certain TP thresholds are reached, HP, BP, and Skills can level up. This is typically a hidden value in SaGa games, but Revenge of the Seven allows you to see this. Players can now plan their characters to an even higher degree. Every character can freely equip and learn what they wish and the player can keep track of their skill levels. As your characters grow and experiment, they can ‘Glimmer’ new skills. This iconic lightbulb indicates a strike of inspiration as they learn the ins and outs of their favored equipment and skills, earning them more Techs and combat utility. Just like the rest of the QOL on display, you can choose to have information like Techs that can be Glimmered at your fingertips or obscured to capture the feel of the original title.
Are You Ready to Ascend the Throne?
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven does an amazing job of preserving the spirit of the original game. The signature SaGa freedom of progression is as deep as ever but has smart Quality of Life options that can help new players ease themselves into the series. Some of these features include a turn order timeline from more recent SaGa games, UI elements that keep track of enemy weaknesses, and gauges that help you keep track of character growth.
Don’t worry hardcore players, these options can be turned off and paired with the Classic difficulty to make an even more faithful to the original experience. No matter what options tickle your fancy, you’ll be treated to an extremely fast-paced and strategic RPG experience. The updated presentation has new flourishes and the newly-included voice-acting drew me even further into the game world. I’m excited for the full release, ready to dive into the classic, freedom-focused progression, SaGa is known for.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is set to release on October 24 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.
