Romancing SaGa 2: Producer Interview and Hands-On

Many long-time gamers 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, mistaking it for a typical JRPG. Now, I'm a huge SaGa fan (as the photo below shows!), so I was thrilled to see Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a complete remake, announced for Switch, PC, and PlayStation.

For this review, I played the Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck demo 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 was conducted via video call, transcribed, and edited for brevity.

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

Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): Trials of Mana and the SaGa series predate the Square Enix merger—they're legendary Squaresoft titles. It's an honor to remake them. Both games' original releases were nearly 30 years ago, offering ample room for improvement. Romancing SaGa 2 is unique, with systems that remain innovative today. Its uniqueness makes it a perfect candidate for a modern 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 faithfulness to the original with accessibility, especially for newcomers to the series?

ST: The SaGa series has dedicated fans worldwide, many of whom consider its difficulty essential to its identity. However, the high difficulty also deters potential players. Many know the series but haven't played it due to perceived difficulty.

To address this, we introduced a difficulty system: Normal and Casual modes. Normal caters to standard RPG players, while Casual allows players to focus on the story. Our team included core SaGa fans, ensuring a balance that appeals to both veteran and new players. Think of it like adding honey to spicy curry—the original game is the spicy curry, and the Casual mode is the honey.

TA: How did you preserve the original experience for veterans while adding quality-of-life improvements? How did you choose which features to modernize?

ST: The SaGa series isn't just about difficulty; it's also about understanding the game's mechanics. The original lacked visible information, such as enemy weaknesses and defenses. We felt this wasn't challenging, but unfair. The remake displays this information, creating a fairer and more enjoyable experience. We adjusted areas that were excessively difficult in the original to create a balanced experience for modern players.

TA: The Steam Deck version runs remarkably well. Did you optimize specifically for it?

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

TA: How long was the development of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?

ST: I can't give exact details, but main development began in late 2021.

TA: What did you learn from the Trials of Mana remake that you applied to this one?

ST: Working on Trials of Mana taught us what players want in a remake. For example, regarding the soundtrack, we learned that players prefer arrangements faithful to the originals, but with improved quality due to 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 that graphics styles needed to be adapted to suit each game's tone, using lighting effects in SaGa instead of texture shadows used in Trials of Mana.

(I thanked him for the "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. I don't drink beer either.

(Thanks to Shinichi Tatsuke, Jordan Aslett, Sara Green, and Rachel Mascetti.)

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions

Receiving a Steam key for the demo filled me with excitement and apprehension. The trailer looked amazing, but I was unsure about the Steam Deck experience. Fortunately, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is fantastic on the Steam Deck OLED. My demo playtime made me reconsider getting it on PS5 or Switch—it's that good.

The game looks and sounds superb. The remake gradually introduces battle mechanics and stats. Returning players will appreciate the quality-of-life improvements, while newcomers will find it an excellent entry point into the SaGa series. The visuals are more approachable, but it retains the core Romancing SaGa 2 experience with updated visuals and features. Even on the "original" difficulty, it's challenging.

The remake surpasses my expectations. While I loved Trials of Mana's remake, this might be better (though that's subjective). The PC port on Steam Deck is excellent. Audio and graphics options are plentiful: screen mode, resolution (720p support 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 most settings and still got a near-locked 90fps at 720p.

I used English audio initially; the voice acting is good, but I'll likely try Japanese later. The game successfully blends modern elements with its classic SaGa feel.

I eagerly anticipate the full release and exploring the console versions. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-have RPG. I hope this encourages more players 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.

(Further interview mentions omitted for brevity.)