Romancing SaGa 2 Remasted Preview, Interview with Producer

Many long-time gamers discovered the SaGa series through past console generations. For me, Romancing SaGa 2 on iOS was my introduction almost a decade ago. I initially struggled, approaching it like a typical JRPG. Now, I'm a huge SaGa fan (as the photo below shows!), so I was thrilled by the recent announcement of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a complete remake for Switch, PC, and PlayStation.

This review covers my experience with an early Steam Deck demo and an interview with the game's producer, Shinichi Tatsuke (also behind Trials of Mana's remake). We discussed Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, lessons learned from Trials of Mana, accessibility, potential Xbox and mobile ports, coffee, and more. The interview was conducted via video call, transcribed, and edited for brevity.

TouchArcade (TA): What's it like remaking beloved titles like Trials of Mana and now Romancing SaGa 2?

Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): Both Trials of Mana and the SaGa series predate the Square Enix merger – they're legendary Squaresoft titles. It's an honor to remake them, nearly 30 years after their original releases. The remakes offer significant improvement opportunities. Romancing SaGa 2, with its unique systems, remains unique even today, making it a great candidate for a modern update.

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 staying true to the original while enhancing accessibility? Many will experience SaGa for the first time with this remake's updated graphics.

ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is well-known, and many hardcore fans appreciate it. However, this difficulty also creates a barrier to entry for newcomers. Many know about SaGa but haven't tried it due to perceived difficulty.

We aimed to please both veteran and new players by introducing difficulty options: Normal and Casual. Normal caters to standard RPG players, while Casual prioritizes story and narrative. Our development team included core SaGa fans, making this a collaborative decision. It's like adding honey to spicy curry – the original game is the spicy curry, and the Casual mode is the honey, making it more accessible.

TA: How did you balance preserving the original experience for veterans while adding 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 also about understanding the game's mechanics. The original lacked visible enemy weaknesses and other stats, forcing players to figure things out. We considered this unfair and improved it for modern audiences by making weaknesses visible. We adjusted other overly difficult aspects to create a fair and enjoyable experience.

TA: Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven runs exceptionally well on my Steam Deck. Considering Trials of Mana's release on multiple platforms, including mobile, was the game optimized for the Steam Deck?

Editor’s Note: This question was asked before the game received its official Steam Deck compatibility rating.

ST: Yes, the full release will be compatible and playable on the Steam Deck, as you've already experienced in the demo.

TA: Can you comment on the development time for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?

ST: I can't give specifics, but main development began towards the end of 2021.

TA: What lessons from the Trials of Mana remake informed the development of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?

ST: Trials of Mana taught us what players want in a remake. For example, players generally prefer soundtrack arrangements that closely resemble the originals. While the original tracks were limited by Super Famicom technology, we could enhance the quality on modern platforms. We also learned that players appreciate the option to choose between original and rearranged soundtracks, a feature we included in Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven.

We also made some unique choices for Romancing SaGa 2. The character designs differ from Trials of Mana; SaGa characters are taller and the art style is more serious. We used lighting effects instead of texture shadows for a more realistic feel, aligning with the SaGa aesthetic. We combined lessons learned from Trials of Mana with new approaches specific to this remake.

(The interviewer thanked Tatsuke for the "Romancing SaGa 2 Primer" video.)

TA: Trials of Mana eventually came to mobile. Are there plans for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on mobile or Xbox?

ST: We have no current plans for those platforms.

TA: Finally, what's your preferred coffee?

ST: I don't drink coffee; I dislike bitter drinks. I don't drink beer either.

(Acknowledgements to Tatsuke, Aslett, Green, and Mascetti.)

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions

Receiving a Steam key for the Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven demo was exciting but also slightly nerve-wracking. The trailer looked amazing, but I wasn't sure about the Steam Deck experience. Thankfully, it's fantastic; the demo made me reconsider getting it on PS5 or Switch. The game looks and sounds great, and the remake gradually introduces core mechanics. Returning players will appreciate quality-of-life improvements, and newcomers will find it a great entry point into the SaGa series. The visuals are more approachable, but it remains true to the original Romancing SaGa 2. Even on the hardest difficulty, it's still challenging.

The visuals exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed Trials of Mana's remake, but this might be even better (though that depends on my experience with the full release). The PC port, at least on Steam Deck, is excellent. The settings allow for adjustments to screen mode, resolution (up to 720p 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, getting 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 game successfully blends modern features while retaining its SaGa identity.

I eagerly await the full release and will compare the demo experience across platforms. If you enjoy RPGs, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-have. Hopefully, this will encourage more people to explore the SaGa series – but Square Enix, please give us SaGa Frontier 2 next!

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven launches October 24th for Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PS4 worldwide. A free demo is available on all platforms.

(Concluding remarks and links to other interviews.)