PAX West 2024 Spotlight: Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a ground-up remake of the 1993 SNES RPG classic that is accessible to new players.
Square Enix showed off one more remake at PAX West this year, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a complete 3D remake of the original 1993 SNES game. I spent around 30 minutes with the game, experiencing story scenes, combat, and dungeon exploration.
You take on the role of the Emperor of Avalon and must defeat the vengeful Seven Heroes who have returned to the world in corrupted forms. The Emperor isn't a single protagonist—you play as Emperors over many generations, inheriting knowledge and abilities you pass down. There are over 30 classes to choose from for yourself and your other characters.
The Romancing SaGa 2 remake features a free-form story structure, where the narrative will shift based on your choices. The order you choose to complete objectives will alter the game's course. I didn't get a chance to see this play out in the demo, but it's an intriguing system that will add some variety and increase the game's stakes. All the cutscenes were fully voiced in both English and Japanese.
I appreciated that enemies appear on the map; there are no random encounters, and you can sneak up on enemies to surprise them. Once in combat, the game features a new timeline system that clarifies turn order during a battle. The well-designed combat UI also displays enemy weaknesses once you discover them. “Glimmers” are opportunities to learn and use new abilities during a fight, adding excitement to battles. Like other SaGa titles, your formation and position in battle make a difference. Revenge of the Seven features three difficulty modes for combat—casual, normal, and hard. Hard mode matches the challenge of the 1993 original.
I wasn't impressed with the game's 3D graphics; they looked a bit dated. I would have preferred it if this game had been done in Square Enix's HD-2D style, but I understand the reasons for not going this route. When I asked, the developers replied that since the game had already been remastered with 2D pixel art in 2016, they “wanted to create a new experience that feels unique for this remake” and decided to go full 3D instead. I did enjoy exploring the demo's 3D dungeons, and the level design takes full advantage of the verticality that 3D can provide.
Despite my mixed feelings on the art, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven looks like a great entry point into the series. Previous knowledge of other entries is optional, and the game does a good job of explaining its various systems. You can look forward to the game’s release on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, and Steam on October 24, 2024.
