This polished remake of a lesser-known JRPG classic is the most welcoming entry point into Square Enix’s long-established SaGa series.
By Heidi Kemps on November 5, 2024 at 12:14PM PST
SaGa is one of Square Enix’s most enduring franchises, but its reception outside of Japan has been challenging. If you encounter a random SaGa title, you might quickly grasp why: these games defy conventional JRPG expectations that many international players may have. SaGa emphasizes intricate, interwoven systems for combat, character development, and questing, which are coupled with narratives that serve more as connective elements linking locations and objectives, rather than the expansive, character-centric stories found in the genre. The experience of exploring and figuring out how to progress in a SaGa game can be incredibly engaging, though certain titles in the series can veer into the territory of frustration. Romancing SaGa 2 leans more towards the compelling side, although its original versions were still a taste that not everyone acquired easily.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a complete remake of a title many enthusiasts regard as the pinnacle of the series—or even one of the greatest RPGs of all time. If there’s any installment in the lineup that has the potential to attract a new audience like no other SaGa game has achieved, it is undoubtedly this one.
The tale of Romancing SaGa 2 begins long before the current age, where seven brave champions rose to vanquish the forces of evil that plagued the land. Their legendary exploits have transcended time, becoming woven into the fabric of myth. As darkness once again looms, the inhabitants find themselves longing for the return of these heroes. Not long ago, Emperor Leon and his two sons caught wind of the heroes’ potential resurgence, only to discover a grim reality—the once-noble heroes have transformed into embodiments of evil, mercilessly slaying both Leon and his son Victor in a brutal confrontation. Despite this tragedy, hope remains: the unique Inheritance Magic allows an Emperor to pass on their memories, skills, and strengths to a chosen successor, starting with young prince Gerard.
One of the standout gameplay features of Romancing SaGa 2 is its inheritance system. The journey to defeat the nefarious seven heroes is not a swift one—it stretches over countless generations and hundreds of in-game years. Each new Emperor, whom players can frequently select, continues the quest left by their predecessors. Unlike many RPGs where a party wipe results in a definitive Game Over, here you simply select a new Emperor, gather another party, and forge ahead.
The expansive nature of your quest spans across centuries, granting you ample freedom in how you tackle the endeavor of vanquishing the heroes. This is where a remarkable feature of the remake shines: it provides essential hints regarding quests and points of interest, addressing the common confusion of “what do I do now” that plagues the SaGa series. Players unlock most game locations by exploring regions, receiving tidbits from NPCs, or through dialogue choices in questlines. Although the majority of quests are not mandatory beyond the beginning and end, engaging in them can yield significant rewards such as new playable character classes, access to unexplored areas, or even expanding the territory of your Avalon Empire to increase your treasury. However, it’s also possible to permanently close off certain questlines by making particular decisions or simply letting time run out. You won’t experience all that Romancing SaGa 2 has to offer in a single playthrough, so it’s advisable to focus on the quest threads that spark your interest and enjoyment rather than stressing about optimization.
A large portion of your playtime in Romancing SaGa 2 will be dedicated to combat, which has received a significant revamp in the remake compared to the original. Battles remain turn-based, but instead of entering all commands for your party at once and watching the action unfold, you now have a timeline that displays when enemies will act in relation to your party. Each action you take is executed instantly before progressing to the next character. Moreover, the original’s separate Weapon and Spell Points have been unified into a single resource called Battle Points, streamlining the management of spells and weapon skills during encounters.
A new addition to the game is the Overdrive Gauge. Much like in Octopath Traveler, foes possess weapon and elemental vulnerabilities that become apparent after they are struck by attacks. Exploiting these vulnerabilities charges the Overdrive Gauge. Once it reaches full capacity, you can unleash a series of special attacks from multiple party members in a sequence. This enables you to execute several skills back-to-back without any BP expenditure, while also significantly increasing the damage inflicted by those skills. As the game advances and enemy stats scale to your level, effectively utilizing the Overdrive Gauge will become crucial for achieving swift and decisive victories—employing it for a powerful combo attack always brings a gratifying feeling.
To maximize your combat efficacy, it’s essential to grasp how SaGa’s mechanics differ from conventional RPGs. This remake, however, makes a concerted effort to simplify some of the more intricate aspects. Instead of gaining levels, characters enhance their stats and proficiencies through their actions during battles. For instance, frequently using spears will notably boost your spear skill levels, thereby impacting the damage dealt with that weapon. The progression of stats is much clearer than in earlier SaGa titles, allowing you to see your advancement status at the conclusion of each battle.
The way you learn attack techniques is also unique. Using weapons and magic boosts your proficiency, but you may also have the chance to “glimmer” new skills during combat due to a combination of factors. These skills are associated with specific weapons and have unique branching paths. When you are nearing the acquisition of a new technique, a light bulb icon will appear next to one of your existing skills, signaling a chance to glimmer a new skill if you utilize it. This improvement is significant compared to previous SaGa games, where players essentially had to repetitively use skills in hopes of triggering a learning event. Additionally, skills learned by one character can be documented and passed down to subsequent generations, as long as those characters possess adequate proficiency levels to equip them.
As you advance in the game, you will unlock various formations—typically acquiring a new one with each new Emperor. The arrangement of your Emperor and allies can have a profound influence, providing different status buffs and debuffs while also affecting area-of-effect techniques. Strategic planning will be necessary, especially considering one of SaGa’s notorious elements: permadeath. Each character starts with a specific number of Life Points upon joining your party, losing one point every time they are knocked out in combat. Once their Life Points are depleted, they are lost forever, including your current Emperor (although you can select a new Emperor to continue). While it might not be as severe as in other series entries, the necessity of regrouping and recruiting new party members after losing someone during a dungeon remains an unappealing scenario. With Life Point restoration being exceedingly rare, the need to prevent your team from being knocked out adds a compelling tension to both standard encounters and boss fights.
If this sounds like an interesting blend of systems, it’s because it genuinely is. Although they might come off as harsh initially, when a SaGa game captures your attention, it’s challenging to break free. The enhancements in Romancing SaGa 2’s presentation and quality-of-life features make it significantly easier for newcomers to the series (and those who may have previously struggled with other titles in the lineup) to engage with the game. The narrative has also seen considerable expansion: while it may not be as prominent as you might expect, there’s a captivating story unfolding about how the Seven Heroes lost their way, involving the discovery of memories and piecing together fragments throughout your journey.
However, it’s not entirely flawless. As you progress through the game, battles tend to become longer and more taxing—enemies increase their stats as your party levels up—and even regular foes can hit quite unexpectedly. While your HP replenishes after each encounter, you’ll often find yourself near exhaustion by the end of a dungeon, having to use numerous high-BP skills just to inflict reasonable damage. Although restorative items are available, they are typically in short supply, making navigating dungeons cumbersome as you try to avoid fights—this can become quite frustrating when imprecise platforming is involved.
Another reason to steer clear of battles is tied to a lingering mystery: the operation of the game’s timer. Various unseen factors, such as the number of fights and completed event flags, dictate when generational transitions to the next Emperor will occur and how many years pass in between. This can lead to significant disruptions, derailing ongoing quests and demanding a time-intensive reorganization of your party. At least you now have the ability for your current Emperor to abdicate and reset these timers, but providing players with more clarity on this aspect would undoubtedly enhance the experience.
Nonetheless, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven stands out as an excellent remake of a classic that seldom received deserved recognition beyond Japan. It is brimming with enjoyable systems to explore and engage with, alongside a core gameplay concept that remains distinctive. If you’re in search of a fresh take on JRPGs—or simply a unique RPG experience in general—this game offers a lengthy adventure that merits a significant investment of your time.
