Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven – A Remake Worthy of the Name: An Interview and Steam Deck Impressions
Many longtime gamers discovered the SaGa series through past console releases. For me, the iOS version of Romancing SaGa 2 was my introduction almost a decade ago, a challenging experience that ultimately led to a deep appreciation for the franchise (as evidenced by the photo below). The recent announcement of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a complete remake for Switch, PC, and PlayStation, was a welcome surprise.
This review combines my hands-on experience with an early Steam Deck demo and an exclusive interview with Game Producer Shinichi Tatsuke (also behind Trials of Mana's remake). We discussed the game's development, lessons learned from Trials of Mana, accessibility features, potential future ports, and even coffee preferences. (The interview was conducted via video call, transcribed, and edited for brevity.)
TouchArcade (TA): What's it like remaking beloved classics 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. Remaking them is an incredible honor. It's been nearly 30 years since the originals, offering many opportunities for improvement. Romancing SaGa 2, in particular, boasts unique systems that remain innovative today, making it a compelling choice for a remake.
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 for newcomers?
ST: The SaGa series has dedicated fans who appreciate its difficulty. However, many potential players are intimidated. We aimed to please both groups by introducing difficulty options: Normal mode for standard RPG players and Casual mode for those prioritizing story. Think of it like adding honey to spicy curry – the original is the intensely spicy curry, and Casual mode is the honey that makes it more palatable.
TA: How did you balance delivering the original experience for veterans while adding quality-of-life improvements?
ST: The SaGa challenge isn't just about difficulty; it was also about the obscurity of information. The original game hid crucial data like enemy weaknesses and defenses. We felt this was unfair, so we made those elements visible in the remake. We addressed other overly challenging aspects to create a fairer, more enjoyable experience for modern players.
TA: Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven runs exceptionally well on Steam Deck. Was it specifically optimized for the handheld?
ST: Yes, the full game will be compatible and playable on the Steam Deck.
TA: How long was the development process?
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: The Trials of Mana remake taught us player preferences, particularly regarding soundtracks. Players generally prefer arrangements faithful to the originals, but with enhanced quality due to modern technology. We included the option to switch between original and remastered soundtracks, a feature well-received in Trials of Mana. We also learned to adapt graphic styles to fit the tone of each game – the SaGa series has a more serious tone compared to the Mana series.
At this point, I thanked Tatsuke and the team for the helpful "Romancing SaGa 2 Primer" video.
TA: Trials of Mana came to mobile. Are there plans for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on mobile or Xbox?
ST: No plans at present.
TA: Finally, what's your coffee preference?
ST: I don't drink coffee; I dislike bitter drinks.
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 pre-release demo filled me with excitement and apprehension. The reveal trailer looked amazing, but I worried about Steam Deck compatibility. Thankfully, the game is not only excellent on the Steam Deck OLED but also surpasses my expectations. It's so good I don't even want to play it on PS5 or Switch.
The visuals and audio are stunning on the Steam Deck. The remake gradually introduces core mechanics, offering quality-of-life improvements and new audio options. For newcomers, it's a fantastic entry point into the SaGa series, while veterans will appreciate the refined gameplay and challenging difficulty settings.
The PC port is highly customizable, allowing adjustments to screen mode, resolution, frame rate, v-sync, dynamic resolution, graphics presets, anti-aliasing, texture filtering, shadow quality, and 3D model rendering resolution. Even with high settings, I achieved a near-locked 90fps on my Steam Deck OLED at 720p. I used English voice acting for my playthrough, which was good, but I plan to try the Japanese audio in the full game.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-have for RPG fans. I hope this remake introduces more players to the SaGa series. (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. A free demo is available on all platforms.
