SaGa has to be one of the most iconic RPG series that Squaresoft, now Square Enix, has ever made. The series has worn many different names, starting out as Final Fantasy Legends and eventually settling as SaGa. While the series has changed names, its design philosophies can be felt even now in modern games such as Skyrim and Dragon Age.
Naturally, this is a huge legacy, so it’s a no-brainer that fans would want a way to play each of the entries on modern hardware. While we’ve seen many SaGa remasters and remakes release over the last few years, we’ve yet to receive an updated release of SaGa Frontier 2… until now.
Square Enix announced and released SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered following last week’s Nintendo Direct, allowing players new and old alike to dive into this classic JRPG. At last, both SaGa Frontier and SaGa Frontier 2 can be played together on modern hardware! So the question remains: is SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered a classic worth your time?
A Story for the Ages
SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered follows two main characters. The first is Gustave, the son of a king who is exiled, and the other is Wil Knights, a digger who is looking for the truth of his parents’ death. These stories do not intertwine very much, even though they take place at the same time. This is also told through events that can range from just people talking to an entire dungeon.
This method of telling the story is interesting. The story is split, and players can choose to fully follow Gustave or Wil, and even play the story in chronological order. Each event will have a year associated with it, indicating when it takes place. This is the order I have elected to play the game, and it really feels great overall. It gives enough time between each character without being confusing as to what happened last time.
This kept me on the edge of my seat and also made it easier for me to save scum if I got an outcome that I didn’t like. You can even play certain events out of order; this will lock certain characters, though, if you happen to go back to a previous event. There is a ton of flexibility with the story that will make replays exciting for everybody, even veterans.
This excitement for all is also due to the new events that have been added to the main story. These events are intended to either bridge gaps in the scenario originally told or be added onto the end. I haven’t seen each of these events so far, but the ones I have viewed retain the writing style of the original game.
These new events are also in the middle of the game, past the 50% point, so there is no worry about the early game changing dramatically. Even so, you will be able to choose between the classic experience or the new events to further cater to how you want to play.
Working on Your Stats
The combat system is different and split between two different styles of combat, party combat and duels. First off, party combat is what you would expect from an RPG. You will choose skills for each party member at once and watch the turn go by, then rinse and repeat.
Duels are a one-on-one bout between an enemy and one of your party members. You will have access to four big actions from your available weapons, such as strike or tree magic. The round will then play out, but certain actions together can be upgraded to a much stronger skill. For instance, using tree and water magic together can use the upgraded Water of Life skill for healing. These two battle systems together make the level-up system feel very straightforward and easy. SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered takes queues from Final Fantasy II and its unique form of leveling up. This means that skills will level up the more you focus on using that skill.
As a result, it’s better to have each character focus on a certain set of skills than try to make them all-rounders. This includes magic, which is separated into elements and can be fused together. To gain access to each element, gear will need to be set that has that attribute attached to it. It’s usually pretty easy to tell, and gear can have up to three elements attached to them.
I love this system of leveling up, as it turns the game into more than just a battle of numbers and watching them go up. Instead, I have to focus on skills and what I want each character to do, whether that is to take hits for my casters or to heal the group. This doesn’t mean that the game is difficult by any stretch of the imagination, but there is enough depth.
I will say that, much like any RPG, there is an abundance of battles, and after a while, this can get a bit boring. I feel there should be an option to either bust through battles against enemies that are too weak or have an auto mode. I would have even preferred a button that just redid the last commands I used, which is in the duels but missing from the party combat scenarios. These little tweaks, along with the double speed, would have made going through dungeons with repeated enemies a smoother experience.
A Classic for the Ages
SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered was a surprise for me. I had never played the original release on PlayStation, but now I wish I had. There is so much charm in the title that I grew attached to every character. Whether it was Gustave who was angsty about his situation in life or Wil fighting to find the answers, I can see this title being one that I will frequently go back to more than once.
The battles may feel slow at times, and the leveling system can take some time to learn. However, SaGa Frontier 2 manages to reward you no matter your skill level. This is a gem that I hope any RPG fan will check out, as it truly is worth your time. The world of SaGa is ever-expanding, and I’m just glad to have yet another entry available on modern platforms.
Disclaimer: Square Enix provided Final Weapon with a PlayStation 5 copy of SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered for review purposes.
