Many long-time gamers discovered the SaGa series through past console releases. For me, Romancing SaGa 2 on iOS was my introduction almost a decade ago. I initially struggled, playing it like a typical JRPG. Now, I'm a huge SaGa fan (as evidenced by the photo below), so I was thrilled by the recent announcement of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a complete remake for Switch, PC, and PlayStation.
This review covers my hands-on experience with an early Steam Deck demo and an interview with the game's producer, Shinichi Tatsuke (also behind Trials of Mana's remake). We discussed Revenge of the Seven, 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 brevity.
TouchArcade (TA): What's it like remaking beloved games like Trials of Mana and now Romancing SaGa 2?
Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): Both Trials of Mana and the SaGa series predate the Square Enix merger, hailing from the Squaresoft era. They're legendary Square titles, and it's an honor to remake them. Both games, originally released nearly 30 years ago, offered significant improvement opportunities. Romancing SaGa 2, with its unique systems, remains innovative today, making it a compelling remake candidate.
TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging. I nearly game-overed in the first ten minutes! The remake includes multiple difficulty settings. How did you balance faithfulness to the original with accessibility, especially for newcomers encountering the SaGa series for the first time with its updated visuals?
ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is well-known, particularly among its dedicated fanbase. Some consider it essential to the series' identity, while others find it a significant barrier to entry. Many know the series but haven't played it due to perceived difficulty.
To address this, we introduced multiple difficulty levels: normal and casual. Normal caters to standard RPG players, while casual prioritizes narrative experience. Our development team included core SaGa fans, making this a collaborative decision. Think of it like adding honey to spicy curry—the original Romancing SaGa 2 is the spicy curry, and casual mode is the honey, making it more accessible.
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 the challenge for longtime fans?
ST: The SaGa series isn't just about difficulty; it's about understanding. The original lacked visible information, like enemy weaknesses and defenses, forcing players to figure things out. This wasn't difficult, but unfair. For a modern audience, we made it fairer and more enjoyable by displaying weaknesses and making other adjustments to previously overly difficult areas.
TA: Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven runs exceptionally well on my Steam Deck. Considering your experience with Trials of Mana on various platforms (including mobile), was the game specifically optimized for the Steam Deck?
ST: Yes, the full game will be compatible and playable on the Steam Deck.
TA: Can you comment on the development time for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?
ST: I can't give specifics, but main development began towards the end of 2021.
TA: What did you learn from the Trials of Mana remake that you applied to Revenge of the Seven?
ST: Trials of Mana taught us player preferences for remakes. For example, soundtracks: players prefer arrangements faithful to the originals, but with improved quality due to modern technology. We offered a choice between original and arranged tracks in Trials of Mana, a feature carried over to Revenge of the Seven. We also adjusted the graphics; Mana's characters are smaller and more adorable, while SaGa's are taller and more serious, requiring different lighting and shadow techniques. We leveraged previous knowledge while innovating in new areas.
The interviewer thanked Tatsuke for the "Romancing SaGa 2 Primer" video.
TA: Trials of Mana reached mobile. Are there plans for Revenge of the Seven on mobile or Xbox?
ST: No current plans for those platforms.
TA: Finally, what's your coffee preference?
ST: I don't drink coffee; I dislike bitter drinks. I don't drink beer either.
Thanks to Shinichi Tatsuke, Jordan Aslett, Sara Green, and Rachel Mascetti for their time.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions
Receiving a Steam key for the Revenge of the Seven demo was exciting but also slightly concerning. The trailer looked amazing, but I wasn't sure about the Steam Deck experience. Thankfully, it's excellent! The few hours I spent with the demo made me question the need for PS5 or Switch versions.
The game looks and sounds fantastic. The remake gradually introduces battle mechanics and stats. For returning players, quality-of-life improvements enhance combat flow and information presentation. Newcomers will find it a great entry point. The visuals are more approachable, but it remains true to the spirit of Romancing SaGa 2. Even on the original difficulty setting, it's still challenging.
The visuals are even better than expected. I loved the Trials of Mana remake, but Revenge of the Seven might surpass it (though my preference for the original SaGa game could influence that). The PC port, at least on Steam Deck, is surprisingly good. The game offers extensive customization options for screen mode, resolution, frame rate, v-sync, dynamic resolution, graphics presets, anti-aliasing, texture filtering, shadow quality, and 3D model rendering resolution. I maxed most settings and still achieved a near-locked 90fps at 720p on my Steam Deck OLED.
I used English audio for my initial playthrough. The voice acting is good, but I'll likely try Japanese later. The game balances modern feel with its SaGa identity.
I eagerly await the full release and will explore the console demo. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-have RPG. Hopefully, this will encourage others to explore the SaGa series—and Square Enix should consider SaGa Frontier 2 next!
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven launches October 24th for Steam, Switch, PS5, and PS4. A demo is available on all platforms.
(The article concludes with a list of previous interviews conducted by the author.)
