Many fans of the SaGa series have been drawn in through its various releases across different console generations. My own journey began with Romancing SaGa 2 on iOS nearly a decade ago, which initially posed a significant challenge as I approached it like a typical JRPG. Now, as a dedicated fan of the series, I was thrilled to learn about the announcement of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a full remake of the classic game, coming to Switch, PC, and PlayStation.
For this double feature, I've had the opportunity to play Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on Steam Deck using an early demo code. Additionally, I interviewed the game's producer, Shinichi Tatsuke, who also worked on the Trials of Mana remake. Our discussion covered a range of topics including the remake, lessons from Trials of Mana, accessibility, potential ports to Xbox and mobile, and even coffee. The interview was conducted via video call, transcribed, and edited for clarity and brevity.
TouchArcade (TA): How does it feel to have worked on the remake of Trials of Mana, a beloved game, and now on Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, another classic?
Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): Both Trials of Mana and the Romancing SaGa series are from the pre-Square Enix merger era, when it was still Squaresoft. These are legendary titles, and it's an incredible honor to handle their remakes. With both Romancing SaGa 2 and Trials of Mana, it's been nearly 30 years since their original releases, providing us with a great opportunity to enhance them. Working on these remakes has been very rewarding, especially with Romancing SaGa 2's unique systems, which remain distinctive even today.
TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging. I remember getting a game over within the first 10 minutes, which was quite a shock for my first SaGa game. The remake, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, introduces multiple difficulty options. What challenges did you face in staying true to the original while making it more accessible, especially for newcomers who might be drawn in by the modern graphics?
ST: The SaGa series is known for its difficulty, which is a defining feature for many fans. However, this can also be a barrier for new players. We wanted to cater to both groups: the hardcore fans and the newcomers. To address this, we introduced a new difficulty system with a normal mode for standard RPG fans and a casual mode for those who want to focus on the narrative. This approach was our way of making the game more approachable without diluting its essence, much like adding honey to spicy curry to make it more palatable.
TA: How did you balance delivering the original experience for veteran fans while incorporating quality of life improvements and modernizing the gameplay?
ST: The SaGa series isn't just about difficulty; it's also about the challenge of understanding the game. In the original, many elements like enemy weaknesses and stats were not visible, making it more about trial and error than difficulty. For the remake, we aimed to make these elements fair and enjoyable for modern audiences by displaying weaknesses and adjusting other areas that were unnecessarily difficult in the original.
TA: I've been playing Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on Steam Deck, and it runs impressively well. Did the team specifically optimize the game for Steam Deck?
ST: Yes, the full release will be compatible with the Steam Deck and playable on it, as you've experienced with the demo.
TA: Can you share how long the development of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven took?
ST: I can't provide specific details, but we started the main development towards the end of 2021.
TA: What lessons from the Trials of Mana remake did you apply to Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven to ensure it's a beloved remake?
ST: From Trials of Mana, we learned that players prefer soundtracks that stay true to the original while benefiting from modern technology for higher quality. We also learned that players appreciate the option to switch between original and newly arranged tracks, which we've included in Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven. Additionally, we've made new adjustments to the graphics to suit the SaGa series' more serious tone, using lighting effects instead of texture shadows.
TA: The Trials of Mana remake eventually came to mobile. Are there any plans to bring Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven to mobile or Xbox?
ST: We do not have any plans to release on those platforms at the moment.
TA: My final question is, how do you like your coffee?
ST: I don't drink coffee because I'm not a fan of bitter drinks. I can't drink beer either.
I'd like to thank Shinichi Tatsuke, Jordan Aslett, Sara Green, and Rachel Mascetti for their time and assistance with this interview and preview access over the last few weeks.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions
When I received a Steam key for the demo of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, I was both excited and apprehensive. The reveal trailer looked promising, but I was unsure about its performance on Steam Deck. Fortunately, the game runs exceptionally well on the Steam Deck OLED, making me consider sticking with this platform over PS5 or Switch. The demo's few hours were enough to convince me of its quality.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven looks and sounds fantastic on Steam Deck. The remake introduces the basics of battle, stats, and more in a gradual manner, making it accessible for both new and returning players. The visuals are more approachable, yet it retains the essence of the original game with a fresh coat of paint and new features. Even on the difficulty setting meant to mimic the original, the game remains challenging.
The visuals and feel of the remake exceeded my expectations. While I loved the Trials of Mana remake, I believe Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven might surpass it, partly due to my fondness for the original game. The PC port on Steam Deck is impressive, offering various options for screen mode, resolution, frame rate, and graphics settings. I managed to achieve a near-locked 90fps at 720p with most settings on high or maximum.
For audio, I opted for English during my first playthrough, though the voice acting is solid, and I plan to try the Japanese audio as well. The effort to modernize the game while preserving its SaGa identity is evident and appreciated.
I eagerly anticipate exploring the full game and trying the demo on consoles. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-watch for RPG enthusiasts, and I hope it encourages more players to explore other SaGa titles. Square Enix should consider remaking SaGa Frontier 2 next.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is set to launch on October 24th for Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PS4 worldwide. A free demo is available on all platforms today, and I highly recommend giving it a try.
You can keep up with all our interviews here, including recent ones with Sukeban Games, FuturLab, Shuhei Matsumoto from Capcom about Marvel Vs Capcom, Santa Ragione, Peter 'Durante' Thoman about PH3 and Falcom, M2 discussing shmups, Digital Extremes for Warframe mobile, Team NINJA, Sonic Dream Team, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, and more. As always, thank you for reading.
