After nearly 30 years, the 1993 Super Famicom classic Romancing SaGa 2 escapes the confines of the second dimension and makes the leap into the third. Fret not, as Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven does more than simply add a z-axis. This 3D remake is developed by XEEN, the same studio behind the much-lauded Trials of Mana remake. Revenge of the Seven is as stellar of an update as Trials of Mana 2020 was, including but not limited to a fresh coat of shiny 3D paint that brings the continent of Varrenes to life, a slew of quality-of-life updates that allows new and old audiences to penetrate the mechanical barrier SaGa games typically have, modernized mechanics that usher the game into current day while being faithful, and Mr. S?!
If you’ve played Trials of Mana remake, then you probably already expected this outcome. However, I’d say Revenge of the Seven trumps that even. XEEN really outdid themselves this time, as almost every facet of the experience has been heavily considered. Each element is true to the SaGa spirit while sanding the edges down, but not to the point of losing its identity. We’ll discuss this topic more later, but I assure you that any fan of classic JRPGs or mechanically deep experiences is in for a treat! Join Final Weapon with this epic tale of fallen heroes and rising empires with our Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Review!
Romancing SaGa 2 takes place on the fictional continent of Varrenes, home to the Empire of Avalon. Varennes is a land of many legends, some of which are thought to be myths. The tale of seven legendary heroes who saved the world is among them. However, this is no myth and all legendary. The seven heroes are indeed real, and they’ve made their return with a vengeance. The once courageous bravehearts who once gave their all to save this land have now taken it upon themselves to sow discord and suffering amongst the denizens of the land, with the only chance for the future of these lands resting in the hands of the small empire of Avalon.
Emperor Leon senses something is amiss with the increasing activity of monsters boding ill. Leon takes precautionary measures by sealing monster dens and training his youngest son, Gerard, in the martial arts. Are the rumors of the return of the Seven Heroes something that can be taken in good faith? Why have they turned their backs against humanity? Can this lone dynasty grow into something greater and act as a bastion of freedom against the encroaching darkness? Only you can decide.
Letting Go of the Past to Plan For the Future
The SaGa series is known for its myriad of freeform systems, no risk no gain decision-making, and its somewhat obtuse mechanics. It’s a learning experience! SaGa is unlike any other RPG series in this regard. With time and patience, one can learn and appreciate what’s on offer. What’s interesting about Romancing SaGa 2, story-wise, is how this connects to the plot of the early game. Diving in head first into this mechanically deep adventure would be impossible without some guidance! The first part of the game establishes how battles operate by having the player take the role of Emperor Leon and his son Gerard. Gerard is as inexperienced as the player, a fledgling to the art of war just like a new player would be. Leon and this remake’s splendid tutorials and bookkeeping instruct Gerard on the basics while leaving room to experiment.
Identifying enemy weaknesses to gain the upper hand in combat, exploring perilous treasure-filled dungeons, and keeping track of your retinue’s growth with the precision of a royal treasurer are what needs to be drilled into memorization. These steps spur growth and advancement in Gerard and the player. This is further pushed when Gerard loses his late father and brother. Despite this tragedy, it is not the end! Inherit the spirit of your forebearers! Cultivate what they passed on! See new sights, try new things, and rise up!
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, as a remake, is expected to make some changes or additions. When you compare this game head-on with the original, you will notice many differences. Firstly is the graphics. Long gone are the pixelated sprites and tilesets, now replaced with a stylized 3D rendering of Varrenes. But that’s the skin of the game. What matters is the preservation of the meat and bones, the mechanics. SaGa is a mechanic-driven series, so if those are too heavily altered, the identity of the franchise is gone. Fortunately, all of the changes revolve around new Quality of Life features and updated mechanics from SaGa games released after the original Romancing SaGa 2. This creates a faithful remake that includes ease of play and interesting additions. Just small changes like adding a progression bar to Proficiency help the player follow their character’s growth more closely.
Quests are signposted now, but the player must still figure out how to progress and select game-altering decisions. The nature of the turn-based battle system is also different from the original release, as the timeline system from other SaGa games like Emerald Beyond has been implemented, allowing for more valiant assaults and more ferocious resistance at times. These big changes offer the player aid while still requiring them to experiment and discover things for themselves. Oh, and you can’t forget Mr. S! This strange little mascot of the SaGa series is hidden throughout Varennes, and he’s offering rewards to those who take up the challenge of locating all of his hiding spots! There are some neat bonuses he can bestow, and I cracked up when comparing the bonuses to the similar Li’l Cactus side quests in the recent Mana games. Of course, a SaGa game would “sometimes double-earned TP.” It’s not SaGa without some randomness, right?
Experimentation is a key feature of SaGa. Learning the ins and outs of different systems and mechanics, formulating battle strategies through trial and error, and free-form quest navigation. That’s SaGa at its core, and what’s interesting is the difference between the versions of the games. There are some pros and cons to this process of selecting a version of the game. Each SaGa game is always re-released with additional content, with Revenge of the Seven being no different! But this game is no mere remaster; it’s a remake! That brings even more to the table. So that made me ponder – what are the differences between the 2D versions and the 3D remake?
Surely, things have been reimagined. Even Trials of Mana had some shakeups with area design and enemy placements. Well, this holds true in Revenge of the Seven. I played the first chunks of the Super Famicom version, and the 2D remaster. The remake immediately starts off with new scenes portraying Leon and Gerard venturing into the monster den at the start in an expanded scene. The 2D versions also have vastly different map designs, though surprisingly, they still feature enemy icons on the maps. The 3D remake opted for more variety with light platforming and more interior motifs for dungeons.
On the other hand, the 2D remaster included new classes and dungeons along with reworked visuals. What makes the 3D version sing for me is the added scenes! It even includes bounties of extra content over the 2D remaster and content from it, like new classes and characters. There are now backstory logs that let you delve deeper into the pasts and personal histories of the Seven Heroes! I personally think that Revenge of the Seven is the best version of the game due to its sheer volume of content, top-notch QoL additions, and voice-acted scenes! In addition, Revenge of the Seven runs at 60fps, unlike the 2D remaster. On PlayStation and PC, that is…
Despite being the best version of Romancing SaGa 2 to play, there are even interesting key differences between the different console versions of the remake. For reference, the Super Famicom original ran at 60fps like most games of the era, while the 2D remaster is a choppy oddity with a 30fps cap. The extra content of the 2D remaster is enticing, but it comes at the cost of playability.
So, how does the 3D remake fare? Well, the Nintendo Switch version of the game runs at a presumed 720p resolution at 30fps. The good news here is that the Switch manages to squeeze a fairly consistent framerate out of Unreal Engine 4! There are some occasional stutters, minor frame drops, and longer texture pop-ins, but I think those who are familiar or complacent with the Switch’s performance profile can walk away satisfied! The PS4 version of the game (running on a PS5) hits a fairly consistent 60fps readout at what appears to be 1080p. I’d assume that running the game on actual PS4 hardware could have some potential drops, as XEEN’s Trials of Mana remake ran in the high 30s-mid 40s typically.
However, Revenge of the Seven doesn’t seem quite as intensive, with fewer dynamic parts than Trials of Mana. What I find really peculiar with this comparison is the strange case of the PS5 version. High-resolution, check. 60 fps, of course. Half-rate NPC/monster animations in the field… I’m not sure why this is such a glaring visual issue in the PS5 version specifically. This can happen on the other consoles, but they’re at a much further distance. Sometimes, the monster fades out before its animation rate changes. This ultimately isn’t a big issue, but it is baffling.
I still opted to play the PS5 version, though. You can’t beat that instant loading and high settings! As mentioned in my Preview of the game, the PC version locked at 120fps on my 3060. I can foresee it running EXTREMELY well on any midrange PC. Crazy how even the different editions and versions of the game offer a crazy amount of freedom of choice, huh?
Empirically Driven Freeformdom
The prologue of the game, the focal point of the demo, is where you see Gerard learning the ropes from Leon and ascending the throne in his place. Well, what if a little bard told you that the opening hour of two of the game shows you very little of what the unknown future holds? The opening of the game only scratches the surface of the battle mechanics and long-term character growth and barely includes the Free-Form Scenario System. Right after the prologue, the game truly starts. Gerard, with newfound confidence and impressive new capabilities, takes charge of the Empire and bests Kzinsse in a cutscene lavish with RPG menu goodness, with the knowledge bestowed upon him by his father. Here, after that first story arc, the game truly begins.
One of the first objectives you can pursue is to liberate a canal. This is when the Free-Form Scenario system digs its claw in. It’s possible to follow a different side quest where a thief girl named Cat can be encountered. Progressing through this quest line can yield a back entrance into the canal’s fort. However, it’s also possible to lead an assault on the front gates! This first big event already has two distinctly different options that include unique scenes and their own decisions! Capturing the canal will net the Empire more territory but a time skip will happen, forcing the player to select the upcoming Emperor for the next era of the Avalonian Empire. The prologue of the game, and by extension the demo, don’t do this title justice as they don’t leave a proper impression of the meat of the game. The Free-Form Scenario system and general mechanics flexibility begin to shine after the first few hours.
Time skips are vital to the game’s progression, as more content unlocks. Time skips are triggered by completing key quests that affect the greater history of Varrenes. This tale can’t reach its conclusion without the passage of time. However, I wanted to see how far I could get by avoiding this. To my surprise, it’s entirely possible to venture through the vast majority of Verennes with Gerard! I completely ignored seizing the canal. Once I saw the time skip initiating the first time, I reloaded my save. While adventuring and helping the splintered and suffering people of the lands, I discovered that there are hidden underlying mechanics to this.
The hidden point system lurking beneath the quests is ticked each time certain events are completed. Different events add a different amount of points to the tally. By being careful and not completing certain quests all of the way, it’s possible to defeat extra members of the Seven Heroes while gaining more territory and allies. This adventuring spirit is beyond addictive. What will happen next? What discoveries lie behind every corner? What choices to make? The already whopping amount of content is further enriched by the decisions of the Free-From Scenario system.
Even beyond the freedom that can be found in the scenarios and exploration lies the freedom of character growth. Any character can equip any piece of equipment and can eventually learn any spell. This turns the late game into figuring out the optimal party composition for your preferred play style. Battles improve character proficiencies with weapons and magic, increasing the effectiveness of their skills. With smart planning, it’s possible to create a well-rounded team suited for many situations or specific teams that can be utilized to quell a specific threat. That’s ultimately just raw stats; numbers are good, but not everything.
How can skillful allies be utilized to their utmost potential? By getting good ability pools that play to their trained strengths. Gaining such skills is done through the heat of battle. Such arduous combat causes inspiration to strike – a Glimmer. In SaGa, when certain actions are carried out with a certain level of proficiency, there’s a chance that a party member can learn a new skill. Revenge of the Seven includes a handy ‘Glimmer Chart’ in the character status menus to inform the player of what skills can Glimmer new abilities or if it’s not possible for that character’s class to facilitate learning certain skills.
The Consequential Beauty of Choice
Romancing SaGa 2 is filled to the brim with decision-making. How should character progression be done? What ramifications do choice have? So on and so forth. Arguably, the main tough choice to be made is who should be the next emperor. This system allows the chance to create characters that are unique, widely skilled, or masters of their craft. Will the next emperor follow in the prior’s footsteps? An additional intriguing layer is added to the time spent training characters with the Inheritance system. Ultimately, the growth and Inheritance systems go back to the main form of gameplay – battles.
It’s not possible to lead an Imperial battle conquest without actually having combat prowess. Combat in Revenge of the Seven revolves around dispatching your foes as quickly and effectively as possible. The monsters that roam Verennes are formidable and almost always evenly matched in strength due to SaGa’s signature leveling system. Exploiting enemy weaknesses while training up an elite strike squad is imperative. As characters up their proficiency and gain access to new skills through Glimmering, they become more effective and more utilitarian. Character HP may be restored between battles, but LP and BP are not. Preserving these resources is vital, as BP is used for most abilities besides the barebone of the barebone, and LP is a character’s life force that is depleted upon being incapacitated.
Once a character’s LP hits zero, they’re gone for good. Performing poorly in combat will reduce your retinue’s size and fighting prowess. There’s a chance of nominal loss if characters aren’t trained properly or face a challenge they can’t overcome. It’s even possible for an emperor to reach an early grave, leading to an early imperial succession. The codependency of the customization and exploration systems is held on the back of the battle system as it’s in the field of battle where your choices are truly put to the test. Battles gain territory, help quest-givers, and bring an end to the evil reign of the Seven Heroes.
What’s so romantic about this game’s systems is how they all interweave and connect with each other to create an immensely deep experience. The open-ended customization of characters is a very expressive freedom that asks the player to create a team that works for them without sacrificing the usage of characters they like. Quests are driven by the Free-Form Scenario system, which nets you different characters to recruit, locations to explore, and even more questlines. All the while, these mechanics ultimately inform how the player progresses. Thus, Inheritance is the bow that ties these systems together with a good thematic throughline that creates a fresh dynamic with SaGa’s tried and true systems. These systems are interesting enough on their own, yet wouldn’t bloom how they do without each other.
Making a decision inevitably stomps out the flames of what could have been. Battles, quests, and lineage all support each other’s systems, but a choice isn’t a choice if you can have your cake and eat it too. Battles may boost your characters, but you run the risk of losing characters that have had ample time poured into building them up. Every character you train leaves another on the wayside. Each quest branches in different directions depending on how they’re tackled. Each Emperor only has a limited amount of time to make an impact. This is what makes decision-making interesting; there’s no perfect answer or solution – just freedom.
End of a Saga – Yet Another Bard’s Tale
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven takes what was special with the original release and evolves it. Everything SaGa is known for is here and better than ever. The Free-Scenario System is always a delight, offering freedom of choice in character and quest progression. There’s no right or wrong way to go about things. Leading the Empire can go in a multitude of directions, with the Inheritance system bolstering the Free-From Scenario system.
Even though Revenge of the Seven sands down the rough edges of the original experience while staying faithful. The balancing of the game remains true to the original while including modern amenities like difficulty options and a high volume of handy information. This rectifies the SaGa series’s high barrier of entry by offering a deeper understanding of the systems and allows the player to keep track of everything they could need. The challenge of facing former legends still stands, but now, any emperor-to-be is fully equipped with the tools necessary to overcome any obstacle!
What makes this remake truly special is how it’s the culmination of SaGa with a secret ingredient – information. Revenge of the Seven takes the original game and modernizes it splendidly. Scenes hit harder, and characters are more memorable with the added voice acting, animation work, and extra content. This fleshes out the world immensely. Meanwhile, the usage of later SaGa additions and highly detailed menus make it a near-perfect execution of the classic formula.
The ability to perfectly keep track of every facet of character customization and quest progression makes this 30-year-old game sing. I feel that SaGa has always done a poor job of introducing its mechanics in digestible chunks. Being able to track things like glimmers and events and refer to tutorials eliminates this issue that plagues the prior games in the series without sacrificing the core of the experience. Say goodbye to confusing obtuseness and say hello to smooth experimentation. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven proudly and deservingly takes up the crown of this legendary series.
