Only a few years ago, Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song Remastered appeared as Square Enix’s attempt to bring a beloved JRPG classic to modern systems. It clearly worked because Romancing SaGa 2 is also getting the full 3D remake treatment, with a release set for October.
I recently got a chance to play the PC demo of the remake ahead of its public release, which featured a small snippet of the game’s opening chapter. Specifically, a journey through two dungeons and a visit to the main hub town of Avalon. It stops right at the point where the game’s generational baton-passing happens for the first time. It was only a small snippet of the game and yet still said a lot about what to expect from this new version.
The first obvious difference between this and the original Romancing SaGa 2 is its visuals. This is no longer a Super Famicom game, as it features full 3D models, voice acting and a much more fleshed-out world. The demo opens on a flashback sequence detailing the game’s backstory. Unlike the original, the static screens and scrolling text are out, replaced with dramatic narration and close-ups of the shadowy forms of the Seven Heroes who are set to make their return.
This presentation is also excellent. There is strong art direction on show here, with the character models looking much closer to Tomomi Kobayashi’s original illustrations. Environments are a little less interesting, but considering that most of what was in the demo was a cave and a castle, there’s a chance more interesting locations will show up later. The last dungeon of the demo, an old mansion claimed by one of the Heroes, is a sign of this, with its grand interior design looking much more impressive than the original.
There’s also been a huge overhaul of the game’s localization and it’s a significant improvement over the mobile remaster’s dry presentation. While that version’s dialogue had a tendency to feel stilted and drab, the lines here carry a much more theatrical punch. The performances really help too. There aren’t many major standouts, and it’s generally what you’d expect from a modern JRPG dub, but those performances are still solid and sell every line.
However, while all this is to be expected for a full remake of a Super Famicom game, the Romancing SaGa 2 remake features plenty of gameplay improvements too. Combat is a major part of this, with the game’s battles offering players a lot more information than previous versions of the game. Moves that can manipulate turn order or enemy weaknesses are much easier to execute, as both of these elements are given stronger visual aids.
There’s a persistent timeline on screen in every battle that demonstrates the turn order, and it makes a huge impact on how you can approach fights. You can target weaker enemies who are likely to attack sooner, see exactly which characters will be able to use an item and immediately attack or see how your moves will push enemies back along the timeline. Not that I got to really play around with this due to the limited moves available in the demo, but it’s clear that visible timeline will play a huge role in later battles.
Enemy weaknesses are also easier to figure out, as enemies now come equipped with a bar that shows them off at all times. If you’ve played Octopath Traveler, you’ll know what to expect. When you encounter a new enemy, it will be accompanied by a series of question marks. Hit that enemy with the right weapons or elemental spells, and their weaknesses will gradually replace those question marks, and that weakness will now hover around that enemy every time they appear.
Elements such as these made the combat of Romancing SaGa 2 feel extremely easy to pick up right out of the gate. All the information you need is readily available, allowing you to make smarter decisions and plan ahead. This isn’t to say the combat is easy by any means, however. The final boss encounter of the demo definitely gave me a tough time and there are clear signs of hidden complexities awaiting players in the final game. I just never felt overwhelmed or confused by what I was doing because of how clear it all was. Some real quality of life improvements from the original on show here, and I loved the combat system as a result.
The new 3D perspective has also elevated the map design too. While the dungeons I played through were present in the original, the layout was completely reworked, making good use of the verticality the extra dimension can now provide. The initial cave was a multi-tiered affair full of winding passages, while the mansion had multiple floors that you had to traverse, including portions where you have to seek out hidden passages or drop through broken flooring to progress. My hope is the developers get to run with this in later dungeons, getting more creative in the redesigns.
What I would have loved to have seen more of was the generational aspect. This is a key aspect of Romancing SaGa 2, but the demo’s entire reference to it is a new Emperor taking charge right at the end. Genuinely, the demo announces there is a new emperor then asks you to leave. As such, I have no idea how this aspect will affect the rest of the game at present despite it being such a major part of its design.
The demo does provide some high hopes for the final release of the Romancing SaGa 2 remake, however. That combat system was a lot of fun, and if it builds on what was already there, I can see later battles being challenging in all the best ways. With all the visual improvements and localization tweaks, I can see this becoming the definitive way to enjoy the game.
Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven will release on October 24, 2024 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4 and PS5.
Published: Sep 18, 2024 09:30 pm