Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven was a quiet release at the end of October. It’s a modest, low-budget remake of the Japan-exclusive SNES game Romancing SaGa 2. Earlier this year, I discussed the need for developers to embrace smaller budgets and older gameplay styles. Was this the kind of game I was hoping for after the crushing disappointment of Metaphor? Take a seat, and let me tell you a story.
Foundations of an Empire
The SaGa series has always been a blind spot for me in the JRPG genre. Before this, the only games I’d played were the Final Fantasy Legend titles on Game Boy. I enjoyed them and respected their ambition, and I loved their spiritual successor, Octopath Traveler. However, I never got around to the mainline SaGa games. Their unique appeal lies in the open-ended storytelling, the potential for permanent character deaths, and the fact that you level up skills instead of individual characters. This lets you shape your team however you want, with enough patience.
The story spans nearly a thousand years and multiple generations, beginning with the legend of The Seven Heroes. You control Leon, King of Varennes, whose era of peace is shattered by the appearance of fiends led by mysterious forces claiming to be the heroes themselves. The game places you in charge of the empire, tasking you with eliminating the Seven Heroes. How you approach this task, and in what order, is entirely up to you. The main narrative feels somewhat hollow because it isn’t about the empire’s characters but rather the legacy and choices leading to the game’s end. There’s a solid narrative surrounding the Seven Heroes, but the real draw is the emergent personal stories, much like in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
A Tale of Two Leaders
For example, I had one empress die in battle with a giant. Her successor was a pirate captain, and while I wanted revenge for her death, fate had other plans. This pirate emperor was skilled at sailing and developing trade routes between nations. While visiting a new port town, he met a mysterious dancer who turned out to be a beautiful mermaid. Guided by my own infatuation, he fell in love with her. I spent several hours sailing the world to prove my emperor’s love, expanding my nation’s influence along the way. My quest ended when I successfully brewed a cursed potion to meet her. The two cemented their love, and I watched as my emperor disappeared into the ocean, never to return.
Years later, a new empress took over. The pirates, now leaderless, were overthrown by a rebel group and waged war against my empire. Upon returning to the port town, I met a dancer who looked suspiciously like the mermaid. She revealed a local legend about my pirate emperor, sparking a new personal mission. I vowed that this empress would take revenge on the giant who killed her predecessor. After an intense battle, I finally avenged her. The treasure the giant guarded meant nothing to me — it was the roleplaying that made this journey memorable.
Revenge of the Seven’s Unique Combat
The combat is turn-based with a strategic twist. You must consider formations, which grant buffs, change attack priorities, or weaken enemy magic. Characters develop new skills as they use specific weapons and magic, thanks to the Glimmer system. These skills are passed down through generations, adding depth to each playthrough. My only complaint with this system is that it can feel too random, even if it adds excitement to the gameplay. Sometimes when a new skill emerges, it can hinder you, but it will never replace essential heals.
These brutal battles require careful planning, strategy, and a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics. It’s reminiscent of Shin Megami Tensei, where even regular enemies can wipe out your party. As mentioned, characters can permanently die. If they fall in battle, they lose Life Points (LP), which aren’t easily restored. Once a character hits 0 LP, they’re gone for good, taking all their learned skills with them. You can also pass the throne to a comrade, but you can only do this once per generation. Your decisions throughout the story directly impact your battles with the Seven Heroes and your character roster. Delaying certain quests can strengthen the Seven Heroes, or you might lose out on powerful allies.
Formations are crucial. As you progress, certain abilities will affect different areas of your formation. A defensive cross formation could be ideal until an enemy uses an attack that targets a straight line, forcing you to adjust. If a character falls, your formation breaks, and you lose the associated buffs. Do you risk using resources to rebuild the formation or leave it broken, risking further losses? These decisions are at the heart of the combat system. I haven’t felt this challenged and rewarded by a turn-based RPG since my first Shin Megami Tensei experience.
Romancing SaGa 2’s Few Blemishes
The final boss is my main gripe. I breezed through most of the game, but the last two battles had me stuck for hours. These fights are mostly fair, but a single mistake can cost you everything.
Another issue is that the game requires multiple playthroughs to experience all it offers. Some story decisions are binary, and choosing one option locks you out of the other for the rest of the game. Fans of the original may be put off by some of the modern updates, though there’s a classic difficulty mode that allows for a more traditional experience.
Another common complaint is the art style. Though it looks good for a lower-budget game, it deviates from the series’ traditional realistic, anime-adjacent aesthetic. It’s like comparing the original Ghost in the Shell to the SAC_2045 series, or the shift from Xenoblade Chronicles to Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Romancing SaGa 2 Is Worth Every Penny
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is the best JRPG no one is talking about. It captivated me in ways I never expected for 40 incredible hours. I can confidently say it’s now one of my favorite RPGs and my game of the year for 2024. If you’re looking for deep, ongoing character drama, this might not be the game for you. But if you enjoy crafting your own story and making meaningful choices, Romancing SaGa 2 delivers. I give it my highest recommendation.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is available now on Switch, PS4, PS5 (reviewed), and Steam, with an MSRP of $50.
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