Many longtime fans 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), so I was thrilled to see the announcement of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a complete remake of Romancing SaGa 2, for Switch, PC, and PlayStation.
For this dual review, I played the early access demo of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on Steam Deck 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. This interview, conducted via video call, has been transcribed and edited for brevity.
TouchArcade (TA): What's it like remaking beloved games like Trials of Mana and now Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?
Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): Both Trials of Mana and the SaGa series predate the Square Enix merger, originating from the Squaresoft era. They're legendary Square titles. It's an honor to remake them. Both games, originally released nearly 30 years ago, offered significant improvement opportunities. Romancing SaGa 2, with its unique systems, remains distinctive even today. Its uniqueness made it a compelling remake candidate.
TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging. I got a game over within ten minutes! The remake offers multiple difficulty settings. How did you balance staying true to the original while improving accessibility, especially for newcomers encountering the SaGa series for the first time with its updated visuals?
ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is well-known, attracting dedicated fans worldwide. Some believe the challenge is integral to the series' identity. Others find the difficulty a barrier to entry. Many know the series but haven't played it due to perceived difficulty.
We aimed to satisfy both groups. The solution was a new difficulty system: Normal and Casual modes. Normal caters to standard RPG players, while Casual allows players to focus on the narrative. Our development team included core SaGa fans, ensuring a balanced approach. It's like adding honey to spicy curry—the original Romancing SaGa 2 is the spicy curry, and Casual mode is the honey, making it more palatable.
TA: How did you balance the original experience for veterans with quality-of-life improvements? How did you choose which features to modernize while maintaining the challenge for longtime fans?
ST: The SaGa series isn't just about difficulty; it's about how challenging it is to understand. The original lacked visible data, such as enemy weaknesses and defenses, forcing players to figure it out. This wasn't necessarily difficult, but unfair. For a modern audience, we made it fair and enjoyable. Weaknesses are now clearly displayed. We adjusted other overly difficult areas for a more balanced experience.
TA: Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven runs exceptionally well on my Steam Deck. Considering my experience with Trials of Mana on various platforms, was the game optimized specifically for Steam Deck?
Editor’s Note: This question was asked before the game received its official Steam Deck Playable rating.
ST: Yes, as you experienced, the full game will be Steam Deck compatible and playable.
TA: How long was the development process for 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 player preferences for remakes. For example, regarding soundtracks, players prefer arrangements faithful to the originals, but with improved quality given 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 graphics. Trials of Mana used shadows on textures, but Romancing SaGa 2 needed a more realistic, serious aesthetic, so we used lighting effects instead. We used many lessons from Trials of Mana but also developed new approaches for this remake.
At this point, I thanked him 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: Currently, there are no plans for those platforms.
TA: Finally, what's your coffee preference?
ST: I don't drink coffee; I dislike bitter drinks. I also don't drink beer.
Thanks to Shinichi Tatsuke, Jordan Aslett, Sara Green, and Rachel Mascetti for their time.
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. Fortunately, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is fantastic on the Steam Deck OLED, surpassing my expectations. The demo made me question even bothering with the PS5 or Switch versions.
The game looks and sounds superb on the Steam Deck. The remake gradually introduces battle mechanics, stats, and other elements. For veterans, there are quality-of-life improvements, refined combat flow, and new audio options. For newcomers, it's a fantastic introduction to the SaGa series. The visuals enhance approachability, but it remains true to its roots. Even on the hardest difficulty, it's still challenging.
Visually, the remake exceeded my expectations. While I enjoyed Trials of Mana's remake, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven might be even better (though my preference for the original game might influence this). The PC port, especially on Steam Deck, is excellent. The PC port offers extensive customization options for screen mode, resolution, frame rate, v-sync, dynamic resolution, graphics presets, anti-aliasing, texture filtering, shadow quality, and 3D model rendering. Even with mostly maxed settings, I achieved a near-locked 90fps at 720p on my Steam Deck OLED.
I used English audio for my initial playthrough. The voice acting is good, but I'll likely try Japanese for the full game. The effort to modernize the game while retaining its SaGa feel is evident.
I eagerly anticipate the full release and the console demo. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-have for RPG fans. Hopefully, this will encourage more people to explore other SaGa games. 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. Check it out!
