Romancing SaGa 2 Interview & Steam Deck Preview

A deep dive into the SaGa series often begins with its extensive library across past console generations. For me, Romancing SaGa 2 on iOS marked my entry point almost a decade ago. Initially, I struggled, approaching it like a typical JRPG. Today, however, I'm a devoted SaGa fan (as evidenced by the photo below), and was thrilled by the recent announcement of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a complete remake for Switch, PC, and PlayStation.

This dual-feature review involves my hands-on experience with an early demo code of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on Steam Deck, coupled with an interview with Game Producer Shinichi Tatsuke (also behind Trials of Mana's remake). Our conversation covered the remake, lessons learned from Trials of Mana, accessibility, potential Xbox and mobile ports, coffee preferences, and more. The interview, conducted via video call, has been transcribed and edited for conciseness.

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

Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): Both Trials of Mana and the Romancing SaGa series predate the Square Enix merger—they were Squaresoft titles. They're legendary Square games. It's an incredible honor to remake them, especially considering they're nearly 30 years old. The remakes offered significant improvement opportunities. Romancing SaGa 2, with its unique systems, remains distinctive even today. Its uniqueness made it a compelling choice for a remake.

TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging. I experienced a game over within 10 minutes! The remake offers multiple difficulty levels. How did you balance faithfulness to the original with improved accessibility, especially for newcomers encountering their first SaGa game with modern graphics?

ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is well-known, particularly among its dedicated fanbase. Many believe the difficulty is integral to the SaGa experience. However, others perceive it as a significant barrier to entry. Many know the series but haven't played it due to perceived difficulty.

We aimed to cater to both veteran and new players. The solution: a new difficulty system. "Normal" mode targets standard RPG players, while "Casual" mode prioritizes narrative enjoyment. Our development team included core SaGa fans, ensuring a balanced approach. It's like adding honey to spicy curry—the original game's difficulty is the spice, and the 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 long-time fans?

ST: The SaGa series isn't just about difficulty; it's about accessibility. The original lacked visible information, such as enemy weaknesses and defense stats. This wasn't necessarily difficult, but unfair. For the remake, we made weaknesses visible, addressing this unfairness. We adjusted areas that were overly challenging in the original to create a fairer, more enjoyable experience for modern players.

TA: Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven runs exceptionally well on my Steam Deck. Considering your work on Trials of Mana across multiple platforms (PS4, Switch, mobile), was the game specifically optimized for Steam Deck?

ST: Yes, the full game will be compatible and playable on Steam Deck.

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

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

TA: What did you learn from the Trials of Mana remake that informed the development of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?

ST: Trials of Mana taught us player preferences for remakes. For example, regarding soundtracks, players generally prefer arrangements faithful to the originals, but with improved quality due to modern technology. We added the option to switch between original and rearranged tracks, a feature well-received in Trials of Mana, and carried over to Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven.

We also learned about graphic styles. Mana characters are shorter and more adorable. SaGa's aesthetic is different; characters are taller, and we used lighting effects for realism, unlike the texture-based shadows in Trials of Mana. While we leveraged past experiences, we also innovated with new approaches.

At this point, I thanked Tatsuke and the team for the English-language "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 don't drink beer either.

Thanks to Shinichi Tatsuke, Jordan Aslett, Sara Green, and Rachel Mascetti for their time and assistance.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions

Receiving a Steam key for the pre-release demo was exciting but also slightly concerning. The reveal trailer looked fantastic, but Steam Deck compatibility was uncertain. Thankfully, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven not only runs flawlessly on the Steam Deck OLED, but my demo experience made me reconsider playing it on PS5 or Switch. It's that good.

The game looks and sounds superb on the Steam Deck. The remake gradually introduces battle mechanics, stats, and other elements. Returning players will appreciate quality-of-life improvements, enhanced combat flow, and new audio options. For newcomers, it's a welcoming entry point into the SaGa series. The visuals enhance accessibility, yet it remains true to the Romancing SaGa 2 experience. Even on the classic difficulty setting, it remains challenging.

The remake's visuals exceeded expectations. While I enjoyed Trials of Mana's remake, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven might be superior, possibly due to my greater fondness for the original. The Steam Deck PC port is exceptionally well-optimized. The game offers extensive audio and visual customization options, including soundtrack selection (original or remake), audio language (English or Japanese), and various graphics settings.

The PC port allows adjustments to screen mode, resolution (with 720p support on Steam Deck), frame rate, v-sync, dynamic resolution, graphics presets, anti-aliasing, texture filtering, shadow quality, and 3D model rendering resolution. Even with mostly maxed-out 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 might try Japanese in the full release. The remake successfully balances modernization with the core SaGa experience.

I eagerly anticipate the full game and will explore the console demo. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-have for RPG fans. Hopefully, this will encourage players to explore other SaGa titles. 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 worldwide. A free demo is available on all platforms.