Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven – A Remake Fit for Modern Players: An Interview and Steam Deck Impressions

Many discovered the SaGa series through older console releases. For me, Romancing SaGa 2 on iOS was my introduction almost a decade ago. Initially, I struggled, treating it like a typical JRPG. Now, I'm a devoted fan (as evidenced by the photo below). The recent announcement of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a full remake for Switch, PC, and PlayStation, was a welcome surprise.

This review features my hands-on experience with an early Steam Deck demo and an interview with Game 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 preferences, 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. Remaking them is an incredible honor. Both games, originally released nearly 30 years ago, offered ample room for improvement. Romancing SaGa 2, with its unique systems, remains unique even today, making it a perfect candidate for a modern remake.

TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging. The remake offers multiple difficulty levels. How did you balance faithfulness to the original with accessibility, especially for newcomers encountering the SaGa series for the first time with modern graphics?

ST: The SaGa series’ difficulty is legendary, attracting hardcore fans worldwide. However, this difficulty also creates a barrier to entry. Many know the series but haven't played 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 players, while Casual prioritizes narrative experience. Our team included core SaGa fans, making this a collaborative decision. Think of it like adding honey to spicy curry – the original is intensely difficult, but Casual mode makes it more palatable.

TA: How did you balance delivering the original experience for veterans while adding quality-of-life improvements? How did you choose which features to modernize while maintaining 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, like enemy weaknesses and defenses. This wasn't necessarily difficult, but unfair. For the remake, we made it fair and enjoyable. Weaknesses are now clearly displayed. We adjusted areas that were overly difficult in the original to create a more balanced and enjoyable experience for modern audiences.

TA: Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven runs exceptionally well on Steam Deck. Considering your experience with Trials of Mana on multiple platforms, was the game specifically optimized for Steam Deck?

ST: Yes, the full game will be compatible and playable on 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 towards the end of 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 prefer arrangements close to the originals. However, modern platforms allow for higher-quality sound. We kept the original direction but refined the quality. We also learned that players appreciate the option to choose between original and rearranged tracks, a feature included in Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven. Graphics differed; Mana's characters are shorter and more adorable, while SaGa's are taller and more serious. We used lighting effects for shadows in SaGa, unlike the texture-based shadows in Mana. We used past experiences and developed new approaches for this remake.

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 currently.

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.

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 amazing, but Steam Deck compatibility was unknown. Thankfully, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is excellent on the Steam Deck OLED. The demo was so good, I didn't even consider playing on PS5 or Switch.

The game looks and sounds fantastic on Steam Deck. The remake gradually introduces battle mechanics, stats, etc. For returning players, quality-of-life improvements enhance combat flow and audio options. For newcomers, it's a great introduction to the SaGa series. The visuals are more approachable, but it remains true to the original Romancing SaGa 2. Even on the highest difficulty, the challenge is satisfying.

The visuals exceeded expectations. While I loved Trials of Mana's remake, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven might be superior (though that's subjective). The Steam Deck PC port is surprisingly excellent. Audio and language options include original/remake soundtracks, English/Japanese audio, and various graphics settings.

The PC port allows adjustments to screen mode, resolution (720p supported 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. Even with high settings, I achieved near 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 while retaining the SaGa essence.

I eagerly await the full game and the console demo. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-try for RPG fans. Hopefully, this will encourage others 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.