Many longtime 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 devoted SaGa fan (as evidenced by the photo below!), and I was thrilled to see *Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven*, a complete remake, announced for Switch, PC, and PlayStation.
For this double feature, 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, conducted via video call, has been transcribed and edited for brevity.
TouchArcade (TA): Having remade the beloved Trials of Mana, and now Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, another classic, how does it feel?
Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): 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 significant opportunities for improvement. It was a rewarding experience. Romancing SaGa 2, with its unique systems, remains distinctive even today. Its uniqueness made it a compelling choice for a remake, even after 30 years.
TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging (I got a game over in the first ten minutes!). The remake offers multiple difficulty options. How did you balance staying true to the original while improving accessibility? This will likely be many players' first SaGa experience.
ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is well-known, with dedicated fans worldwide. Some consider difficulty essential to the SaGa identity. Others see it as a barrier to entry. Many know the series but haven't played it due to perceived difficulty.
We aimed to please both groups. The solution? A new difficulty system: Normal and Casual. Normal caters to standard RPG players, while Casual lets players focus on the story. Our team included core SaGa fans, making this a collective decision. It's like adding honey to spicy curry—the original Romancing SaGa 2 is the spicy curry, and Casual mode is the honey, making it more accessible.
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?
ST: The SaGa series isn't just about difficulty; it's about understandability. The original lacked visible enemy weaknesses and defenses, forcing players to figure it out. We considered this unfair, not challenging. In the remake, weaknesses are displayed, making it fairer. We addressed other overly difficult aspects to create a more enjoyable experience for modern audiences.
TA: Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven runs exceptionally well on my Steam Deck. Considering your experience with Trials of Mana on various platforms (including mobile), was the game optimized for the Steam Deck?
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 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 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 included it here. We also adjusted the graphics. Mana’s style is more adorable; SaGa needed a more serious aesthetic, so we used lighting effects instead of textures for shadows, maintaining realism. We leveraged past experiences and developed new approaches for this remake.
(At this point, I thanked Tatsuke and the team for the "Romancing SaGa 2 Primer" video.)
TA: Trials of Mana eventually came to mobile. Are there plans for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on mobile or Xbox?
ST: No current 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.
(I thanked Tatsuke, Aslett, Green, and Mascetti for their time.)
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Steam Deck Impressions
Receiving a Steam key for the demo was exciting but also slightly nerve-wracking. The trailer looked amazing, but I worried about the Steam Deck experience. Thankfully, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is excellent on the Steam Deck OLED. My few hours with the demo made me reconsider getting it on PS5 or Switch.
The game looks and sounds fantastic. It gradually introduces battle mechanics, stats, etc. Returning players will notice quality-of-life improvements, smoother combat, and new audio options. Newcomers will find it an excellent introduction to the SaGa series. The visuals improve accessibility, yet it retains the core Romancing SaGa 2 experience. Even on the hardest difficulty, the challenge is preserved.
Visually, it exceeded expectations. While I enjoyed Trials of Mana’s remake, I think this one will be better (though that might be due to my preference for the original). The PC port is surprisingly good on Steam Deck. Options include 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 resolution. I maxed most settings (medium shadows) and got a near-locked 90fps at 720p.
I used English audio in my playthrough. The voice acting is good, but I might play with Japanese audio later. The care taken to modernize while preserving the SaGa feel is evident.
I look forward to the full game and exploring the console demo. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-try for RPG fans. I hope this leads to more people discovering 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.
(Concluding remarks about other interviews and thanks to the reader.)
