Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven Interview With Game Producer Shinichi Tatsuke and Steam Deck Hands-On Preview

A deep dive into the SaGa series often begins with its extensive library across past console generations. For me, Romancing SaGa 2 on iOS served as my introduction almost a decade ago. I initially struggled, mistaking it for a typical JRPG. Today, however, I'm a devoted SaGa fan (as evidenced by the photo below), and was thrilled by the recent announcement of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, a complete remake for Switch, PC, and PlayStation.

This dual-review features my hands-on experience with an early Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven demo on Steam Deck, alongside an interview with Game Producer Shinichi Tatsuke (also behind Trials of Mana's remake). Our conversation covered the remake, lessons learned from Trials of Mana, accessibility, potential Xbox and mobile ports, coffee preferences, and more. This interview, conducted via video call, has been transcribed and edited for conciseness.

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

Shinichi Tatsuke (ST): Both Trials of Mana and the Romancing SaGa series predate the Square Enix merger, originating from the Squaresoft era. They're legendary Square titles, and remaking them is a tremendous honor. Both games, originally released nearly 30 years ago, offered significant room for improvement. Romancing SaGa 2, with its unique systems, remains distinctive even today, making it a compelling candidate for a modern remake.

TA: The original Romancing SaGa 2 was notoriously challenging. I recall a game over within ten minutes of my first playthrough! The remake offers multiple difficulty settings. How did you balance faithfulness to the original with improved accessibility, especially for newcomers encountering the SaGa series for the first time with modern visuals?

ST: The SaGa series' difficulty is well-known, particularly among its dedicated fanbase in Japan and globally. Many consider the challenge integral to the SaGa experience. However, this difficulty also presents a barrier to entry for potential players. Many are aware of the series but haven't played due to perceived difficulty.

To address this, we introduced adjustable difficulty settings: normal and casual modes. Normal caters to standard RPG players, while casual allows players to focus on the narrative. Our development team included core SaGa fans, ensuring a balanced approach that appeals to both veterans and newcomers. Think of it like adding honey to spicy curry – the original Romancing SaGa 2 is the spicy curry, and casual mode is the honey, making it more palatable.

TA: How did you balance the original experience for veteran fans with quality-of-life improvements? How did you decide which features to modernize while maintaining a challenging experience for long-time fans?

ST: The SaGa series isn't solely about difficulty; it's also about accessibility. The original lacked visible data, such as enemy weaknesses and defense stats, forcing players to deduce this information. We felt this was unfair, not challenging. The remake addresses this by displaying enemy weaknesses, creating a fairer experience. We adjusted other overly difficult aspects to improve the modern player experience while retaining the core challenge.

TA: Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven runs exceptionally well on Steam Deck. Considering your experience with Trials of Mana on various platforms (PS4, Switch, mobile), was the game optimized specifically for Steam Deck?

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

TA: Can you comment on the development time for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?

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 the development of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven?

ST: Trials of Mana taught us valuable insights into player preferences for remakes. For instance, regarding soundtracks, players generally prefer arrangements faithful to the originals, with improved quality leveraging modern technology. We offered a choice between original and rearranged tracks in Trials of Mana, a feature carried over to Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven.

Visually, Trials of Mana had a more adorable aesthetic, while Romancing SaGa 2 required a different approach. We used lighting effects for shadows in Romancing SaGa 2, unlike the texture-based approach in Trials of Mana, to maintain a more serious and realistic tone. We leveraged past experiences while also innovating.

At this point, I thanked Tatsuke and the team for the "Romancing SaGa 2 Primer" video.

TA: Trials of Mana eventually released on mobile. Are there plans for Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven on mobile or Xbox?

ST: Currently, there are no 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.

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 pre-release demo filled me with excitement and apprehension. The reveal trailer looked fantastic, but I was unsure about the Steam Deck experience. Fortunately, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is not only excellent on the Steam Deck OLED but also surpasses my expectations, making other platform versions less appealing.

The game looks and sounds superb on the Steam Deck. The remake gradually introduces battle mechanics, stats, and other elements. Returning players will appreciate quality-of-life improvements, smoother combat, and new audio options. For newcomers, it's a fantastic entry point into the SaGa series. The visuals enhance accessibility, while retaining the core Romancing SaGa 2 experience. Even on the original-difficulty setting, the challenge remains.

Visually, the remake exceeded expectations. While I enjoyed Trials of Mana's remake, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven might be the superior remake (though time will tell). The Steam Deck port is exceptionally well-optimized. Audio and language options include original and remastered soundtracks, English and Japanese audio, and various graphical settings.

The PC port allows extensive customization: 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. Even with high settings, I achieved a near-locked 90fps at 720p on my Steam Deck OLED.

For my initial playthrough, I used English voice acting, which was good, but I'll likely switch to Japanese for a later playthrough. The care taken to modernize the game while preserving its SaGa essence is evident.

I eagerly anticipate the full release and exploring the console versions. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a must-have for RPG fans, hopefully encouraging others to explore the SaGa series. Square Enix, please give us SaGa Frontier 2 next!

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven launches October 24th for Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PS4. A free demo is available on all platforms.