Interview: Preparing the Romancing SaGa 2 Remake

Preparing a new version of an older game can be quite a challenge. Especially when it is going from a 2D Super Famicom release to systems like the Switch, PS4, and PS5. That’s what happened with Square Enix and the Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven remake, which is available now worldwide. To learn more about how it came to be and its development, Siliconera spoke with Producer Shinichi Tatsuke about the new SaGa game.

Jenni Lada: Romancing SaGa 2 appeared in many forms, complete with an expanded and updated version for mobile devices and consoles that eventually appeared worldwide. How did that version and remaster influence the 3D remake’s development?

Shinichi Tatsuke:  Although the underlying goals of the remaster and this remake are different, we did keep some elements from the remaster, such as the Ninja and Diviner classes. We also kept a portion of events which were original to the remaster and the hidden boss that becomes available after beating the game.

Romancing SaGa 2 involved a number of revolutionary gameplay elements, such as the empire funding elements, the picking of heirs, and making former heroes the villains. What types of design decisions did you make with the remake to ensure certain elements were expanded upon and preserved?

Tatsuke: The general direction we took was to preserve elements that were characteristic of the SaGa franchise, such as the world, story, as well as the Inheritance System, Glimmers,

and Formation system, while modernizing the battle and character growth systems. By doing so, I believe we were able to preserve the appeal of SaGa titles, while ensuring the experience didn’t feel out-of-place as a modern RPG.

What sorts of balancing and adjustments did you make to make all the difficulty options and character growth systems added for this Romancing SaGa 2 remake feel fair and fulfilling? Is there any particular technique and approach you really enjoyed working on and recommend people pursue for a character build?

Tatsuke: We included difficulty options in this remake because we wanted not only fans of the original, but also a wide range of new users to also play the game. With the Hard (Classic) difficulty setting, we fine-tuned battles to be as neck-and-neck with players as much as possible, as we wanted to give them a taste of the compelling battles featured in the original game. With Normal difficulty, we adjusted the game so players accustomed to standard RPGs can have an enjoyable experience. With Casual difficulty, we adjusted the game for those unfamiliar with the SaGa franchise, or for those who wish to focus on the story.

Romancing SaGa 2 features a massive amount of choices, with things changing depending on the order you approach the Seven Heroes or certain situations changing depending on how you deal with problems. How did you tackle these scenarios and options in the remake and did you find yourself adjusting or building on any of them from the original game?

Tatsuke: In general, the story and choices presented to the player follows the original game. However, we’ve improved parts of the original game that were slightly unreasonable, as well as some irreversible elements, such as the feature that strengthened enemies corresponding to your number of battles.

When designing the 3D versions of the Seven Heroes, how influential were the original Romancing SaGa 2 sprites and artwork when working on their new designs for the remake? Which characters do you think most benefited from the extra attention possible with the new models?

Tatsuke: We referenced the original 2D pixel art and illustrations created by Tomomi Kobayashi while developing this game, so they were both quite influential on the 3D designs. The Seven Heroes even strike the same poses as their original pixel artwork in the cutscenes that play when you battle them. Rocbouquet looks charming now, so I believe she benefited the most among the characters.

Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven is available for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC.