Many long-time gamers discovered the SaGa series through its numerous releases on past consoles. For me, Romancing SaGa 2 on iOS was my introduction almost a decade ago. I initially struggled, treating it like a typical JRPG. Now, I'm a huge SaGa fan (as evidenced by the photo below!), and I was thrilled by the recent announcement of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a complete remake for Switch, PC, and PlayStation.
For this review, I played the Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck demo and interviewed its producer, Shinichi Tatsuke (also behind Trials of Mana's remake). We discussed the game, lessons learned from Trials of Mana, accessibility, potential Xbox and mobile ports, coffee, and more. The interview was video-recorded, transcribed, and edited for brevity.
TouchArcade (TA): Having remade the beloved Trials of Mana, and now Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, another classic, how does it feel?
Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): Both Trials of Mana and the SaGa series predate the Square Enix merger – they're legendary Squaresoft titles. Remaking them is an incredible honor. Both games are nearly 30 years old, offering ample opportunity for improvement. It was a rewarding experience.
Romancing SaGa 2 is unique, with systems that remain innovative today. Even after 30 years, its uniqueness makes it a compelling remake, appealing to modern gamers.
TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging (I got a game over in the first ten minutes!). The remake offers multiple difficulty settings. How did you balance fidelity to the original with accessibility? Many players will experience SaGa for the first time with this remake’s updated visuals.
ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is well-known. Many hardcore fans consider it essential to the SaGa experience. However, the difficulty also presents a barrier to entry for newcomers. Many know the series but haven't played it due to perceived difficulty.
We aimed to please both veteran and new players. The solution? Multiple difficulty settings: normal and casual. Normal caters to standard RPG fans, while casual allows players to focus on the story. Our team included core SaGa fans, ensuring a balanced approach. Think of it like adding honey to spicy curry – the original game's difficulty is the spice, and the casual mode is the honey.
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 retaining the challenge?
ST: The SaGa series isn't just about difficulty; it's about the challenge of understanding the game. The original lacked visible information, such as enemy weaknesses and defenses. This wasn't necessarily difficult, but unfair. For the remake, we made this information visible, creating a fairer, more enjoyable experience. We addressed other areas that were overly difficult in the original, focusing on fairness and modern player expectations.
TA: The Steam Deck demo ran exceptionally well. Considering your experience with Trials of Mana on various platforms (PlayStation 4, Switch, mobile), was the game optimized specifically for Steam Deck?
ST: Yes, the full game will be compatible and playable on the Steam Deck.
TA: How long was the development of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?
ST: I can't give specifics, but main development began in late 2021.
TA: What did you learn from the Trials of Mana remake that you applied to Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?
ST: Trials of Mana taught us what players want in a remake. For example, regarding soundtracks, players generally prefer arrangements faithful to the originals, but with improved quality due to modern technology. We offered a choice between original and rearranged tracks, a feature well-received and included in Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven.
We also learned about visual preferences. Mana's style is more adorable; SaGa's is more serious and realistic. We used lighting effects in SaGa to achieve a realistic look, differing from the texture-based shadows used in Mana. We leveraged past experience but also innovated for this remake.
At this point, I thanked Tatsuke and the team for the "Romancing SaGa 2 Primer" video.
TA: Trials of Mana eventually released on mobile. Are there plans for Romancing SaGa 2: 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.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions
Receiving a Steam key for the demo was exciting but also slightly concerning. The trailer looked amazing, but I wasn't sure about Steam Deck compatibility. Thankfully, it's excellent! The few hours I spent with the demo made me reconsider getting it on PS5 or Switch. It's that good on the Steam Deck.
The game looks and sounds fantastic. The remake gradually introduces battle mechanics, stats, etc. For veterans, there are quality-of-life improvements, refined combat flow, and new audio options. For newcomers, it's a welcoming introduction to the SaGa series. The visuals enhance accessibility, yet it retains the core Romancing SaGa 2 experience. Even on the hardest difficulty, the challenge remains.
The visuals exceeded expectations. I loved the Trials of Mana remake, but Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven might be even better (possibly due to my preference for the original game). The PC port on Steam Deck is surprisingly impressive. The game offers extensive settings: screen mode, resolution (720p support on Steam Deck), frame rate (30 to unlimited), v-sync, dynamic resolution, graphics presets, anti-aliasing, texture filtering, shadow quality, and 3D model rendering resolution. I maxed out most settings, achieving a near-locked 90fps at 720p on my Steam Deck OLED.
I used English audio for my first playthrough. The voice acting is good, but I'll likely try Japanese later. The remake successfully blends modern features with the classic SaGa feel.
I eagerly await the full release and plan to try the console demo. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-have for RPG fans. Hopefully, this will encourage more players to explore the SaGa series. Square Enix, please give us SaGa Frontier 2 next!
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven launches October 24th on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PS4. A free demo is available on all platforms.
(Previous interviews mentioned are omitted for brevity.)
