A deep dive into the SaGa series often begins with its extensive library across past console generations. For me, Romancing SaGa 2 on iOS served as my introduction almost a decade ago. Initially, I struggled, mistaking it for a standard JRPG. Now, my fondness for the SaGa series is evident (see the image below), making the recent announcement of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a complete remake for Switch, PC, and PlayStation, a welcome surprise.
This dual feature covers my experience with an early demo code of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on Steam Deck, alongside an interview with Game Producer Shinichi Tatsuke (also behind Trials of Mana's remake). Our conversation touched upon the remake, lessons learned from Trials of Mana, accessibility, potential Xbox and mobile ports, coffee preferences, and more. The interview, conducted via video call, has been transcribed and edited for conciseness.
TouchArcade (TA): What's it like remaking beloved titles like Trials of Mana and now Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?
Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): Both Trials of Mana and the Romancing SaGa series predate the Square Enix merger, originating from the Squaresoft era. They're legendary Square titles, and remaking them is a tremendous honor. Both games, originally released nearly 30 years ago, offered significant room for improvement. The Romancing SaGa 2 remake was particularly enjoyable due to its unique systems, which remain distinctive even today. This uniqueness makes it a compelling title for a modern remake, appealing to contemporary gamers.
TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging. I experienced a game over within ten minutes—a stark introduction to the SaGa series. The remake offers multiple difficulty settings. How did you balance faithfulness to the original with improved accessibility, especially for newcomers encountering the SaGa series for the first time with its updated visuals?
ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is well-known, attracting a dedicated fanbase both domestically and internationally. Some consider the difficulty integral to the SaGa experience. However, others find the high barrier to entry prohibitive. Many are familiar with the series but haven't played due to perceived difficulty.
To address this, we aimed to cater to both veteran and new players. The solution was a new difficulty system: Normal and Casual modes. Normal mode targets standard RPG players, while Casual mode prioritizes narrative enjoyment. Our development team included core SaGa fans, making this a collaborative decision. It's like adding honey to spicy curry—the original game's difficulty is the spice, and Casual mode is the honey, making it more palatable.
TA: How did you balance delivering the original experience for veterans while incorporating quality-of-life improvements? How did you choose which features to modernize while maintaining a challenging experience for longtime fans?
ST: The SaGa series isn't solely about difficulty; it's also about understanding the game's mechanics. The original lacked visible information, such as enemy weaknesses and defense stats. This wasn't necessarily difficult, but unfair. For the remake, we aimed for fairness and enjoyment. Weaknesses are now clearly displayed, unlike in the original. We adjusted areas that were excessively difficult to create a more balanced and enjoyable experience for modern players.
TA: Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven runs exceptionally well on my Steam Deck. Considering my experience with Trials of Mana on various platforms (PS4, Switch, mobile), has the team optimized the game specifically for Steam Deck?
(Note: This question predates the official Steam Deck compatibility rating.)
ST: Yes, the full game will be compatible and playable on the Steam Deck, as you've experienced in the demo.
TA: Can you comment on the development time for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?
ST: I can't provide specifics, but the main development began towards the end of 2021.
TA: What lessons from the Trials of Mana remake informed the development of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?
ST: Working on Trials of Mana provided valuable insight into player preferences. For example, regarding the soundtrack, we learned that players generally prefer arrangements faithful to the originals, even with the enhanced technical capabilities of modern platforms. We incorporated this into Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, offering both original and remastered soundtracks. We also learned that players appreciated the choice between original and rearranged music, a feature we included in this remake as well.
Other aspects, like character proportions and background visuals, were approached differently. The Mana series' aesthetic is more "adorable," while SaGa's is more serious. We used lighting effects for shadows in SaGa, unlike the texture-based shadows in Mana. We leveraged previous experiences while also innovating for this specific remake.
(At this point, I thanked Tatsuke and the team for the English "Romancing SaGa 2 Primer" video.)
TA: Trials of Mana eventually released on mobile. Are there plans for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on mobile or Xbox?
ST: Currently, there are no plans for those platforms.
TA: Finally, what's your coffee preference?
ST: I don't drink coffee; I dislike bitter drinks, and beer as well.
(Acknowledgements to Shinichi Tatsuke, Jordan Aslett, Sara Green, and Rachel Mascetti.)
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions
Receiving a Steam key for the pre-release demo filled me with excitement and apprehension. The reveal trailer looked fantastic, but Steam Deck compatibility was uncertain. Fortunately, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven not only performs exceptionally well on the Steam Deck OLED but also surpasses my expectations, making me reconsider playing it on PS5 or Switch.
The game's visuals and audio are impressive on the Steam Deck. The remake gradually introduces core mechanics, offering quality-of-life improvements, streamlined combat, and new audio options. For newcomers, it's an excellent entry point, while veterans will appreciate the enhancements. Even on the original-difficulty setting, the challenge remains.
The visuals are significantly better than anticipated, possibly surpassing even Trials of Mana's remake (though this is subjective). The Steam Deck port is particularly impressive, offering extensive customization options: screen mode, resolution (including 720p support on Steam Deck), frame rate (30 to unlimited), v-sync, dynamic resolution, graphics presets, anti-aliasing, texture filtering, shadow quality, and 3D model resolution. Even with high settings, I achieved a near-locked 90fps at 720p on my Steam Deck OLED.
Audio options include English and Japanese voice acting, and the choice between the original and remastered soundtracks. The voice acting is good, but I might explore the Japanese audio later. The remake successfully blends modernization with the essence of the SaGa series.
I eagerly await the full game's release and plan to compare the demo experience across different platforms. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-have for RPG fans, and hopefully, it will introduce more players to the SaGa series. Square Enix, please give us SaGa Frontier 2 next!
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven launches October 24th on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PS4 worldwide. A free demo is available on all platforms.
