Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven – A Remake Worthy of the Name: Interview and Steam Deck Impressions

Many long-time gamers discovered the SaGa series through its numerous releases on past consoles. For me, Romancing SaGa 2 on iOS served as my introduction almost a decade ago. Initially, I struggled, approaching it like a typical JRPG. Now, I'm a devoted SaGa fan (as evidenced by the photo below), so I was thrilled to see the full remake, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, announced for Switch, PC, and PlayStation.

This review covers my experience with an early Steam Deck demo and an interview with the game's producer, Shinichi Tatsuke (also behind Trials of Mana's remake). We discussed the game's development, lessons learned from Trials of Mana, accessibility, potential future ports, and more. The interview, conducted via video call, has been transcribed and lightly edited.

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, originating from the Squaresoft era. Remaking these legendary titles is a huge honor. Both games were released nearly 30 years ago, offering ample room for improvement. Romancing SaGa 2 boasts unique systems, still innovative today. Its unique gameplay made it a compelling choice for a remake.

TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging. The remake offers multiple difficulty settings. How did you balance faithfulness to the original with improved accessibility?

ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is well-known, and many hardcore fans appreciate it. However, the high difficulty acts as a barrier for newcomers. Many know the series but haven't played it due to perceived difficulty.

To cater to both veteran and new players, we introduced difficulty options: Normal and Casual. Normal mode targets standard RPG players, while Casual mode prioritizes story enjoyment. This approach, similar to adding honey to spicy curry, aims to make the game more accessible without compromising the core experience.

TA: How did you balance the original experience for veterans while adding quality-of-life improvements?

ST: The SaGa series isn't just about difficulty; it's about the challenge of understanding the game mechanics. The original lacked visible information, such as enemy weaknesses, creating an unfair challenge. The remake addresses this by explicitly displaying enemy weaknesses and other previously hidden stats. We aimed for fairness and enjoyment for modern players.

TA: The Steam Deck performance is impressive. Was the game optimized specifically for it?

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 provide specifics, but main development began towards the end of 2021.

TA: What lessons from the Trials of Mana remake informed Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?

ST: Trials of Mana taught us valuable insights into player preferences. Players generally prefer soundtrack arrangements faithful to the originals, but with improved quality due to modern technology. We also learned that offering both original and rearranged soundtracks is highly appreciated, a feature included in this remake. The graphics also differed; Mana's style is more adorable, while SaGa maintains a more serious tone. We used lighting effects in SaGa for realism instead of texture shadows used in Mana.

TA: Are there plans for mobile or Xbox releases?

ST: Currently, there are no plans for those platforms.

TA: How do you like your coffee?

ST: I don't drink coffee; I dislike bitter drinks. I don't drink beer either.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions

My initial concerns about the Steam Deck compatibility were unfounded. The game looks and sounds fantastic. The remake gradually introduces core mechanics, improving upon the original with quality-of-life changes and new audio options. The visuals enhance accessibility for newcomers while retaining the challenge for veterans. The Steam Deck port is exceptionally well-optimized, achieving near-locked 90fps at 720p with mostly high settings.

The PC port offers extensive graphical and audio customization, including soundtrack selection (original or remake), language options (English or Japanese), and various performance settings. The voice acting in English is good, though I plan to try the Japanese audio later.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-have for RPG fans. I highly recommend trying the demo. The game launches on October 24th for Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PS4.